Tebuireng: Journal of Islamic Studies and Society
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2023): Tebuireng: Journal of Islamic Studies and Society

The Importance of Seeking Truth: Lessons from al-Ghazali

Prasetia, Senata Adi (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
16 Sep 2023

Abstract

This article critically examines how al-Ghazali carries out the process of seeking truth and its contextualization in contemporary Indonesian Islam. al-Ghazali entered a deep crisis because of his doubts about the senses and reason and described this state as "psychological instability". This state is considered to be the culmination of a process of doubt (i.e. existential doubt), which is compared to a disease that has a profound effect on one's being. The article argues that al-Ghazali's quest for truth began with doubt and skepticism of questions he could not answer. Moreover, al-Ghazali's doubt is an intellectual method and approach of critical thinking that aims at purifying knowledge from faults and impurities and at revealing the truth of things. I believe that doubt as Al-Ghazālī sees it is a reviewing of the sources of knowledge and criticizing them again. It is also a critical rethinking of data that are considered implicitly correct in the social and epistemological consciousness, or taken for granted. The views expressed in this article are meant to reflect the religious beliefs of the author. Rather, this article is intended to illustrate the life lessons that can be learned from al-Ghazali's life through the lens of the Hero's Journey in seeking truth.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

TJISS

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Education Social Sciences

Description

This journal is devoted to publishing articles dealing with issues and developments in Islamic studies in general, and the relation of Islam and the society in Indonesia from all disciplines: anthropology, culture, education, economy, history, law, sociology, and politics. The journal is published ...