Journal of Pesantren and Diniyah Studies
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Pesantren and Diniyah Studies

Purifying the Heart, Unveiling the Truth: Understanding Al-Ghazālī's Epistemology

Husni, Amin Said (Unknown)
Bahar, Moh. Syaeful (Unknown)
Harnadi, Dodik (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jun 2025

Abstract

Al-Ghazālī is one of the foremost thinkers in the tradition of Islamic thought. His life story has inspired many historians worldwide to document his journey. His interdisciplinary thinking has given rise to numerous works that explore his contributions from various scholarly perspectives. Although his ideas culminated in a philosophical product that diverged from the tradition of earlier philosophers, Al-Ghazālī could not entirely avoid employing philosophical logic in developing a philosophy of knowledge oriented towards unveiling the ultimate truth. This paper seeks to uncover Al-Ghazālī's philosophy of knowledge, particularly within the ontology and epistemology he developed. His philosophy of knowledge is rooted in a theological affirmation of God's oneness. Building upon this ontological foundation, Al-Ghazālī posits a single source of knowledge. Consequently, he opposes the compartmentalization of knowledge into distinct categories. Moreover, since knowledge emanates from the true substance of God, it attains a noble status in Al-Ghazālī's understanding. For Al-Ghazālī, authentic knowledge is what he terms al-ilmu al-yaqini, which can only be achieved through the illumination of the heart or mukasyafah. His concept of al-ilmu al-yaqini arises from his belief that the purpose of his scholarly journey is to uncover the substance of all realities or haqaiq al-umur. His epistemological perspective is characterized by a strong monism, emphasizing that all knowledge ultimately derives from and leads back to the singular divine source.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jpds

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Education Environmental Science Social Sciences

Description

The Journal of Pesantren and Diniyah Studies publishes research articles covering Pesantren (Islamic boarding school) discourse and diniyah education, including the critical history of pesantren, Islamic education, Kitab Kuning and Turath studies—especially the work of Indonesian ulama (Muslim ...