Contribution to the Biography of al-Ghazālī: Al-Ghazālī’s Seclusion Life in the Light of His Letters
Ali ÇobanIn this study, the seclusion life of al-Ghazālī, which began with his departure from Baghdad in 488/1095 and continued until his death, is analyzed. In light of his letters, qualitative research methods were used to analyze and classify al-Ghazālī’s period of seclusion, and the meaning of the period of seclusion was emphasized. While al-Ghazālī was at the height of his popularity in Baghdad, he abandoned everything and went into seclusion. It seems that this process was interrupted by the transition to teaching again in Nishapur after more than 10 years of halvah (seclusion). Even though al-Ghazālī described himself as someone who retreated into seclusion, it is understood from his letters compiled under the title of Fezāil al-Anām that his seclusion refers to his opposition to working in state institutions and under the orders of the ruling class. During al-Ghazali’s seclusion, he wrote books, worked as a muderris, and maintained relations with the ruling class through his letters. As a result, it can be seen that he did not refrain from lecturing and engaging in theo-political relations until his death. He maintained his correspondence with the political elites, especially the Nizam al-Mulk family, for reasons such as issuing warnings, offering advice, providing references, lodging complaints about bad rulers, and explaining about the situation of the people of Tus. Therefore, he was not an ascetic solely who devotes himself to the hereafter, but rather a person who was aware of the realities of his age and had not severed his ties with the ruling class of the time.
Gazzâlî Biyografisine Bir Katkı: Mektupları Işığında Gazzâlî’nin Uzlet Hayatı
Ali ÇobanBu çalışmada, Gazzâlî’nin (ö. 505/1111) 488/1095’te Bağdat’ı terk edişiyle başlayıp ölümüne kadar devam eden uzlet hayatı incelenmiştir. Mektupları ışığında nitel araştırma yöntemleri kullanılarak Gazzâlî’nin uzlet dönemi incelenmiş, tasnif edilmiş ve uzlet döneminin neyi ifade ettiği üzerinde durulmuştur. Gazzâlî, Bağdat’ta popülaritesinin zirvesindeyken her şeyi terk ederek uzlete ayrılmıştır. Yaklaşık üç yıl seyahatli bir uzlet dönemi geçirmiştir. Sonrasında memleketi Tus’a dönerek sekiz yıl civarında yerleşik uzlet hayatı yaşamıştır. Bu süreç on yılı aşkın devam ettikten sonra Nîşâbur’da müderrisliğe dönmesi ile kesintiye uğramış gibi görünmektedir. Yaklaşık üç yıl süren Nîşâbur’daki tedris hayatından sonra tekrar memleketine çekilmiş, kısa bir süre sonra da vefat etmiştir. Gazzâlî’nin kendi hayatı hakkında kullandığı uzlet, halvet ve inzivâ gibi kavramlar klasik anlamının ötesinde bir içeriğe sahiptir. O, uzlet döneminde kendisini köşesine çekilmiş birisi olarak tasvir etse de Fezâilü’l-enâm adıyla derlenmiş mektuplarından hareketle uzlet kavramıyla onun, yöneticilerin finanse ettiği kurumlarda ve yöneticilerin emri altında çalışmaya karşı olmayı ifade ettiği anlaşılmaktadır. Nitekim Gazzâlî uzlet döneminde kitap yazmış, müderrislik yapmış ve yönetici kesimle ilişkilerini mektupları aracılığıyla sürdürmüştür. Bu süreçte toplu olsun fertler bazında olsun halkın sıkıntılarını yöneticilere ulaştırmaya gayret etmiştir. Ehil olduğunu düşündüğü öğrencilerini idarecilere tavsiye eden referans mektupları yazmıştır. Kamu inisiyatifi altında çalışmamak ve onlardan yardım almamak prensibinden ise ödün vermemiştir. Sonuç olarak Bağdat’ı terk ettiği 488/1095 yılından vefatına kadar ders vermekten ve teo-politik ilişkilerden kaçınmadığı görülmüştür. Nizâmülmülk ailesi başta olmak üzere siyasi elitlerle uyarı/nasihat, referans, kötü yöneticilerden şikâyet veya Tus halkının durumunu anlatma gibi sebeplerle yazışmalar yapmıştır. Dolayısıyla Gazzâlî kendini ahirete adayan bir münzevi değil çağın gerçekliklerinin farkında, zamanın yönetici zümresi ile bağını koparmamış bir kişidir.
Al-Ghazālī’s life has always aroused excitement, from the time he lived until today. He wrote his life story at the end of his life. However, in his short autobiography, he also overshadowed many issues. Ghazali, in al-Munqiz, al-Ghazālī does not mention his teachers, his socio-political environment, his family, or the events of the time. After leaving Baghdad, he lived a life of seclusion during his travels to cities such as Damascus, al-Khalīl and Jerusalem. After returning to his hometown, Al-Ghazālī described himself as a recluse, except for “the events of the time” and “the affairs of children”. According to his own narrative, al-Ghazālī led a reclusive life. However, his letters compiled under the title “Fadhā’il al-anām” present a different picture. These letters provide important information about al-Ghazālī’s period of seclusion and his theo-political relations during that time.
Al-Ghazālī’s period of seclusion, as discussed in this article, refers to the time from his departure from Baghdad in Dhilqa’dah 488/1095 until his death. Al-Ghazālī remained secluded until his death and did not return to the Nidhāmiyya muderriship in Nishāpur until eleven years later. He was compelled to take up this position, rather than doing so voluntarily. He also mentioned that his return did not signify a true return. He stated that while he was “previously explaining the science that earned people high positions”, he was now “explaining the science that makes people abandon high positions”. Moreover, this process did not last long, and he returned to his hometown, Tus, after a few years. Al-Ghazālī’s period of seclusion can be divided into four parts: From Baghdad to Baghdad: The Period of Seclusion with Traveling, Tus: The Period of Settled Life of Reclusion, and Nishapur: The Return to the Teaching and the Event of the Trial and the Second Period of Tus and his Death.
During his time in seclusion, al-Ghazālī did not refrain from attending social events or engaging in individual educational activities. In particular, he took an active interest in the troubles of the people, warned the governors, and wrote letters to the rulers informing them of the troubles of the people. He patronized the dervishes residing in his khangāh and advised the rulers of the state to appoint some of his students to positions they deserved.
Based on Fedhā’il al-anām and other sources, the following conclusions have been drawn in this article: Although al-Ghazālī did not name them, some individuals were influential in his life. It is possible to mention the influence of Shaykh Ardishīr b. Abū Mansūr al-ʿAbbādī in his decision to leave Baghdad and embrace the Sufi way of life or pursue a path of seclusion. Again, Abu al-Fath Nasr al-Maqdisī, the muhaddith-jurist and ascetic who met with him in Damascus, influential in al-Ghazālī’s subsistence on his own labor and not receiving help from state officials. After leaving Baghdad, al-Ghazālī did not break away from science and the scholarly environment where he went. The concept of seclusion for al-Ghazālī included three points mentioned in his oath in al-Khalīl. These points include not taking money from rulers, not attending official ceremonies (this includes not being in a managerial position), and avoiding debate and bigotry. During his seclusion period, al-Ghazālī established close relations with dervishes. He had a khangāh in his hometown, Tus, and he watched over the dervishes who stayed there. His approach, which was more distant to sūfis in the Iḥyāʾ, evolved into closer contact in his letters.
