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Sufism - The Essence of Islam
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He was a bright star of Islamic philosophy. A learned man called Al Sbki goes to the extent of saying that had there been a prophet after Mahomad Saheb, it was Al Gazali who would have fitted for that post. He is variously described as "Hujjat al Islam" (Proof of Islam), "Zain al Din" (ornament of the Faith), and "Mujadid" (One who re-established Faith). A Sufi intelllectual of fierce independence, he pleaded that the faculties of man is nothing but the reflection of the Divine and the knowledge of the Soul is the key to the knowledge of God. One who knows his own Self knows God. He went on to emphasise that God and Soul both are inseparable and unseen, unfetterred by the limitations of time and space, formless and pure. His famous philosophical. work is called "Tahftul" which started the tradition of the synthesis of the paths of knowledge and devotion. The traditionalists have not spared even Gazali untouched. Kazi Mohamad bin Hamdi of Fordowa (Spain) had issued a Fatwa (order) to set fire to all the books written by him and to sentence to death
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