Imam Gazali

Submitted By: Rukhsana Asghar and Samra Rani

Roll No. MP/E-2023-F-23, MP/E-2023-F-21
Section: A
Session: 2023-25
Programm: Advanced Study in Education
Submitted To: Dr. Muhammad Amir Hashmi
 Table of Content

1) Introduction 7) Level of
2) Purposes of education
knowledge 8) Curriculum
3) Classification of 9) Method of
knowledge teaching
4) Useful 10)Role of teacher
Knowledge 11)Role of student
5) Useless 12)Conclusion
knowledge
6) Aims of education
 Introduction
 Imam Ghazali one of the most famous Muslim thinkers discusses the
education in his books in detail. He was born in 448 AH (1057 CE) at
Tabanan a town in the district of Tus, which lies within the Khorasan
Province of Iran and died on 18 December (1111 CE).
 Abu Hamid Muhammad bin Muhammad surnamed AL Ghazali was
a great scholar, mystic, Sufi, thinker, jurist, philosopher and
educationist.
 He has left an indelible mark on the cultural, religious and
educational history of the world.
 He gave much importance to education and wrote as many as one
hundred books, out of which seventy-eight works are still available.
 His greatest work is Ahya-ul-Uloom-ud-din, which reflects his main
philosophical and psychological thoughts.
 In the first chapter of this book, he has discussed the importance of
knowledge, curriculum and finally the responsibilities of the teacher
and the taught.
 His philosophy of education represents the high point of Islamic
thinking on education.
 He achieves a combination of legal, philosophical and mystical
educational thinking.
 His thoughts are not just about the time he lived in, but more about
dealing with the
 Purposes of knowledge
 The purpose of knowledge is to help man to achieve satisfaction,
plenitude and to attain true happiness; the happiness of the hereafter
by drawing close to God and looking upon his countenance.
 The value of learning lies in its usefulness and truth.
 Religious education contains greater truth than the secular sciences.
This is not to say that secular sciences should be completely ignored.
They have their uses too and are needed by society. Examples of such
disciplines are medicine and linguistics.
 According to Ghazali, knowledge can bring us closer to god as well as
enhance worldly respect and position. According to him is not relative
but has an entity. It can raise the status of individual, create self
respect and take him to the highest position.
 Classification of knowledge

Imam
Useless/
Gazali has
Useful Undesirab
divided
knowledg le
knowledg
e Knowledg
e into two
e
parts:
gi
le
d
i Useful Knowledge
e
gi
d
as
t
i
oo
n
rp
t
yt
o
i
fo
t
on
w
ra
o
l
a
c
la
ln
t
de
 Useless knowledge

It is not desirable if it can create an undesirable

effect such as if it harms somebody like magic
etc. If it leads to thinking about God.

Al Gazali says that these matters should be left

only to Prophets and saints.
 Aims of education

• Ghazali aim of education is based on Islamic ideology.

• According to him, the major aim of education is that it
is useful. The knowledge gained as a result of education
should be useful for both individual and society. It means
that the aim of education is character building of
individual so that it could discriminates between good
and evil and avoids following evil path.
 Level of education
 Ghazali divides each branch of knowledge into three levels;
elementary, intermediate and advanced and lists the books they may
be studied at each level.
 Education is an interaction affecting and benefiting teacher and
pupil equally, the previous gaining merit for giving instruction and
the later refinement through the acquisition of knowledge.
 Ghazali attaches great importance to the climate in which reading
takes place, and to the kind of relations that are desirable in doing
so, he continuous and reaffirms the Islamic traditions of education.
 For him, the teacher should be a model and an example, not merely
a source or medium of knowledge.
 His work is not limited to the teachings of a particular
subject; rather, it should encompass all aspects of the
personality and life of the pupil. The pupil in turn, has the
duty to consider the teacher as a father to whom he owes
obedience and respect.
 Al-Ghazali recommends an early introduction to the
fundamentals of religion through; memorization and
repetition, thus he feels no need for understanding at first.
 He continuous the Islamic traditions of education, in
which the Quran was first to be memorized without being
explained.
. Curriculum
Obl
.
igat
ory
scie
nce
s :w
hic
h
mus
t be
stud
ied
by
eve
ryo
ne,
incl
udi
ng
reli
gio
us
scie
nce
s
and
rela
ted
or
add
itio
nal
disc
ipli
nes
suc
h as
ling
uist
ics
and
liter
atur
e.
 Method of teaching

 Teaching lesson should be based on previous

knowledge and experience of students
 He also focuses on learning by practicing
 Simplifying the lesson
 Move from simple to complex
 Proper planning
 There is no hypocrisy and biasness among students
 Focus on the abilities of students.
 Role of teacher
 Teacher should be honest and benevolently to their duties.
 Teacher should be selfless.
 Teacher should also know about another faculties/
department knowledge as well.
 Teacher should be affectionate to their students.
 Teacher should be just and fair to all.
 Teacher must be devoted to religious education.
 Teacher should know the individual differences like
skills, abilities and capacities etc.
 Role of student

 Respect the rights of teacher and behave in a civilized

manner.
 Devote themselves in knowledge fully and detach from
home and everyone.
 Choose useful subject according to their interest.
 Study each subject thoroughly before going to choose the
subject.
 Have a main goal in search of education that close to the
god rather than attainment of money and fame.
 Conclusion
 Al-Ghazali’s writings on education constitute the high point of
thinking in the Islamic world.
 From 12-19th century (A.D), Islamic educational philosophy was
heavily influenced by him.
 Education is not limited to training the mind and filling it with
information but involves all aspects i.e., intellectual, religious,
moral and physical of the personality of the learner.
 it’s not enough to impart theoretical learning, that learning must be
put into practice. True learning is that which affects behavior and
whereby the learner makes practical use of his knowledge.
Thank You