AL-GHAZZALI’S CONCEPTION OF MONOTHEISM (TAWHID)

Abstract

The article deals with Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali’s conception of monotheism (tawhid). Quranic teaching is multidimensional, so in the history of Islamic thought there were various classifications of types of tawhid. Al-Ghazzali elaborates four-stage classification. According to al-Ghazzali, on the firstage man recognizes monotheism on words, but internally doesn’t agree with it. On the second stage he recognizes monotheism on words and internally, but doesn’t know it in experience. On the third stage he opens his heart for experiential knowledge and recognizes that God is the only Actor. On the fourth stage he understands that everything except God is false, so everything is perishing in front of His Face. This highestage of tawhid is described by al-Ghazzali as «annihilation in the faith in God». In the article author shows that al-Ghazzali’s conception of monotheism is essentially Quranic, but conceptualization of its certain aspects is made with help of terminology of Kalam, Falsafa and philosophical Sufism.