Comment les positions théologiques d'al-Ghazali ont-elles influencé les érudits musulmans ultérieurs ?
Reception of work

According to William Montgomery Watt, al-Ghazali was considered to be the mujaddid ("Reviver") of his age. Many, perhaps most, later Muslims concurred and, according to Watt, some have even considered him to be the greatest Muslim after Muhammad.

As an example, the Islamic scholar al-Safadi stated:

Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad, the Proof of Islam, Ornament of the Faith, Abu Hamid al-Tusi (al-Ghazali) the Shafi'ite jurist, was in his later years without rival.

and the jurist, al-Yafi'i stated:

He was called The Proof of Islam and undoubtedly was worthy of the name, absolutely trustworthy (in respect of the Faith) How many an epitome (has he given) us setting forth the basic principles of religion: how much that was repetitive has he summarised, and epitomised what was lengthy. How many a simple explanation has he given us of what was hard to fathom, with brief elucidation and clear solution of knotty problems. He used moderation, being quiet but decisive in silencing an adversary, though his words were like a sharp sword-thrust in refuting a slanderer and protecting the high-road of guidance.

The Shafi'i jurist al-Subki stated:

"If there had been a prophet after Muhammad, al-Ghazali would have been the man".

Also a widely considered Sunni scholar, al-Dhahabi, in his praise of al-Ghazali wrote: "Al-Ghazzaali, the imaam and shaykh, the prominent scholar, Hujjat al-Islam, the wonder of his time, Zayn al-Deen Abu Haamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Toosi al-Shaafa'i al-Ghazzaali, the author of many books and one possessed of utter intelligence. He studied fiqh in his own town, then he moved to Nisapur in the company of a group of students. He stayed with the Imaam al-Haramayn and gained a deep knowledge of fiqh within a short period. He became well-versed in 'ilm al-kalaam and debate, until he became the best of debater."

Ibn Rushd (Averroes), a rationalist, famously responded that "to say that philosophers are incoherent is itself to make an incoherent statement." Rushd's book, The Incoherence of the Incoherence, attempted to refute al-Ghazali's views, but the work was not well received in the Muslim community.

According to historian Firas Alkhateeb, "When one reads Imam al-Ghazali's works at a very superficial level, one can easily misunderstand what he is saying as anti-scientific in general. The truth, however, is that al-Ghazali's only warning to students is to not fully accept all the beliefs and ideas of a scholar simply because of his achievements in mathematics and science. By issuing such a warning, al-Ghazali is in fact protecting the scientific enterprise for future generations by insulating it from being mixed with theoretical philosophy that could eventually dilute science itself to a field based on conjecture and reasoning alone."

Al-Ghazali has been seen by Orientalist scholars as causing a decline in scientific advancement in Islam, because of his refutation of the new philosophies of his time. He purportedly saw danger in the statements made by philosophers that suggested that God was not all-knowing or even non-existent, which strongly contradicted his conservative Islamic belief. This position has been challenged, however. The following statement made by al-Ghazali has been described as evidence that he was not against scientific advancement: "Great indeed is the crime against religion committed by anyone who supposes that Islam is to be championed by the denial of mathematical sciences." This sentence, the source of which is not indicated in the cited book, is taken from Deliverance from Error. Ghazali does not mean that neglecting the study of mathematics would be a crime against science or against reason, but that rejecting them is a crime against religion. Its aim is not to promote the study of mathematics: it is to condemn the attitude which consists in considering them as rivals of religion. For him, religion has nothing to fear from them, because they do not deal with the same subjects. To condemn the study of mathematics for fear that it endangers religion is to mistake the place of each of them. This is clarified by the sentence which immediately follows: "For the revealed Law nowhere undertakes to deny or affirm these sciences, and the latter nowhere address themselves to religious matters. " A few pages later, he writes that the books of the philosophers must be banned - he defines philosophy as composed of six branches: mathematical, logical, physical, metaphysical, political, and morale. Al-Ghazali notably influenced Ibn Rushd, Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani, al-Nawawi, Ibn Tumart, Fakhruddin Razi, Suyuti, Tan Malaka, Thomas Aquinas, David Hume, Sayf al-Din al-Amidi, Asad Mayhani, Ali al-Qari, Muhammad Ibn Yahya al-Janzi.
Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ṭūsiyy al-Ghazali (en arabe : أَبُو حَامِد مُحَمَّد بْن مُحَمَّد ٱلطُّوسِيّ ٱلْغَزَّالِيّ), communément connu sous le nom d'Al-Ghazali (en arabe : ٱلْغَزَالِيُّ ; prononcé en anglais (Royaume-Uni) : / æ l ˈ ɡ ɑː z ɑː l i / et (États-Unis) : / ˌ æ l ɡ ə ˈ z ɑː l i, - z æ l -/ ; né vers 1058 – décédé le 19 décembre 1111), connu en Europe médiévale sous les formes latinisées Algazelus ou Algazel, était un érudit sunnite musulman persan. Il est considéré comme l'un des jurisconsultes, théoriciens du droit, muftis, philosophes, théologiens, logiciens et mystiques les plus éminents et influents de l'histoire islamique.

Il est considéré comme le mujaddid du XIe siècle, un rénovateur de la foi, qui, selon le hadith prophétique, apparaît une fois tous les 100 ans pour restaurer la foi de la communauté islamique. Les œuvres d'Al-Ghazali ont été si hautement saluées par ses contemporains qu'il a reçu le titre honorifique de « Preuve de l'Islam » (Ḥujjat al-Islām). Al-Ghazali était un mujtahid éminent dans l'école de droit shafi'ite.

Une grande partie du travail d'Al-Ghazali découle de ses crises spirituelles suite à sa nomination à la tête de l'université de Nizzamiyya à Bagdad, qui était alors le poste académique le plus prestigieux du monde musulman. Cela a conduit à sa disparition du monde musulman pendant plus de 10 ans, réalisant qu'il avait choisi le chemin du statut et de l'ego plutôt que Dieu. C'est pendant cette période que de nombreuses de ses grandes œuvres ont été écrites. Il pensait que la tradition spirituelle islamique était devenue moribonde et que les sciences spirituelles enseignées par la première génération de musulmans avaient été oubliées. Cette conviction l'a conduit à écrire son œuvre majeure intitulée Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm ad-dīn (« Le Renouveau des Sciences Religieuses »). Parmi ses autres œuvres, le Tahāfut al-Falāsifa (« L'Incohérence des Philosophes ») est un jalon dans l'histoire de la philosophie, car il fait progresser la critique de la science aristotélicienne qui a été développée plus tard au XIVe siècle en Europe.
### Query ###
Comment les positions théologiques d'al-Ghazali ont-elles influencé les érudits musulmans ultérieurs ?

### Main Text ###
Reception of work

According to William Montgomery Watt, al-Ghazali was considered to be the mujaddid ("Reviver") of his age. Many, perhaps most, later Muslims concurred and, according to Watt, some have even considered him to be the greatest Muslim after Muhammad.

As an example, the Islamic scholar al-Safadi stated:

Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad, the Proof of Islam, Ornament of the Faith, Abu Hamid al-Tusi (al-Ghazali) the Shafi'ite jurist, was in his later years without rival.

and the jurist, al-Yafi'i stated:

He was called The Proof of Islam and undoubtedly was worthy of the name, absolutely trustworthy (in respect of the Faith) How many an epitome (has he given) us setting forth the basic principles of religion: how much that was repetitive has he summarised, and epitomised what was lengthy. How many a simple explanation has he given us of what was hard to fathom, with brief elucidation and clear solution of knotty problems. He used moderation, being quiet but decisive in silencing an adversary, though his words were like a sharp sword-thrust in refuting a slanderer and protecting the high-road of guidance.

The Shafi'i jurist al-Subki stated:

"If there had been a prophet after Muhammad, al-Ghazali would have been the man".

Also a widely considered Sunni scholar, al-Dhahabi, in his praise of al-Ghazali wrote: "Al-Ghazzaali, the imaam and shaykh, the prominent scholar, Hujjat al-Islam, the wonder of his time, Zayn al-Deen Abu Haamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Toosi al-Shaafa'i al-Ghazzaali, the author of many books and one possessed of utter intelligence. He studied fiqh in his own town, then he moved to Nisapur in the company of a group of students. He stayed with the Imaam al-Haramayn and gained a deep knowledge of fiqh within a short period. He became well-versed in 'ilm al-kalaam and debate, until he became the best of debater."

Ibn Rushd (Averroes), a rationalist, famously responded that "to say that philosophers are incoherent is itself to make an incoherent statement." Rushd's book, The Incoherence of the Incoherence, attempted to refute al-Ghazali's views, but the work was not well received in the Muslim community.

According to historian Firas Alkhateeb, "When one reads Imam al-Ghazali's works at a very superficial level, one can easily misunderstand what he is saying as anti-scientific in general. The truth, however, is that al-Ghazali's only warning to students is to not fully accept all the beliefs and ideas of a scholar simply because of his achievements in mathematics and science. By issuing such a warning, al-Ghazali is in fact protecting the scientific enterprise for future generations by insulating it from being mixed with theoretical philosophy that could eventually dilute science itself to a field based on conjecture and reasoning alone."

Al-Ghazali has been seen by Orientalist scholars as causing a decline in scientific advancement in Islam, because of his refutation of the new philosophies of his time. He purportedly saw danger in the statements made by philosophers that suggested that God was not all-knowing or even non-existent, which strongly contradicted his conservative Islamic belief. This position has been challenged, however. The following statement made by al-Ghazali has been described as evidence that he was not against scientific advancement: "Great indeed is the crime against religion committed by anyone who supposes that Islam is to be championed by the denial of mathematical sciences." This sentence, the source of which is not indicated in the cited book, is taken from Deliverance from Error. Ghazali does not mean that neglecting the study of mathematics would be a crime against science or against reason, but that rejecting them is a crime against religion. Its aim is not to promote the study of mathematics: it is to condemn the attitude which consists in considering them as rivals of religion. For him, religion has nothing to fear from them, because they do not deal with the same subjects. To condemn the study of mathematics for fear that it endangers religion is to mistake the place of each of them. This is clarified by the sentence which immediately follows: "For the revealed Law nowhere undertakes to deny or affirm these sciences, and the latter nowhere address themselves to religious matters. " A few pages later, he writes that the books of the philosophers must be banned - he defines philosophy as composed of six branches: mathematical, logical, physical, metaphysical, political, and morale. Al-Ghazali notably influenced Ibn Rushd, Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani, al-Nawawi, Ibn Tumart, Fakhruddin Razi, Suyuti, Tan Malaka, Thomas Aquinas, David Hume, Sayf al-Din al-Amidi, Asad Mayhani, Ali al-Qari, Muhammad Ibn Yahya al-Janzi.

### Supplementary Text ###
Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ṭūsiyy al-Ghazali (en arabe : أَبُو حَامِد مُحَمَّد بْن مُحَمَّد ٱلطُّوسِيّ ٱلْغَزَّالِيّ), communément connu sous le nom d'Al-Ghazali (en arabe : ٱلْغَزَالِيُّ ; prononcé en anglais (Royaume-Uni) : / æ l ˈ ɡ ɑː z ɑː l i / et (États-Unis) : / ˌ æ l ɡ ə ˈ z ɑː l i, - z æ l -/ ; né vers 1058 – décédé le 19 décembre 1111), connu en Europe médiévale sous les formes latinisées Algazelus ou Algazel, était un érudit sunnite musulman persan. Il est considéré comme l'un des jurisconsultes, théoriciens du droit, muftis, philosophes, théologiens, logiciens et mystiques les plus éminents et influents de l'histoire islamique.

Il est considéré comme le mujaddid du XIe siècle, un rénovateur de la foi, qui, selon le hadith prophétique, apparaît une fois tous les 100 ans pour restaurer la foi de la communauté islamique. Les œuvres d'Al-Ghazali ont été si hautement saluées par ses contemporains qu'il a reçu le titre honorifique de « Preuve de l'Islam » (Ḥujjat al-Islām). Al-Ghazali était un mujtahid éminent dans l'école de droit shafi'ite.

Une grande partie du travail d'Al-Ghazali découle de ses crises spirituelles suite à sa nomination à la tête de l'université de Nizzamiyya à Bagdad, qui était alors le poste académique le plus prestigieux du monde musulman. Cela a conduit à sa disparition du monde musulman pendant plus de 10 ans, réalisant qu'il avait choisi le chemin du statut et de l'ego plutôt que Dieu. C'est pendant cette période que de nombreuses de ses grandes œuvres ont été écrites. Il pensait que la tradition spirituelle islamique était devenue moribonde et que les sciences spirituelles enseignées par la première génération de musulmans avaient été oubliées. Cette conviction l'a conduit à écrire son œuvre majeure intitulée Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm ad-dīn (« Le Renouveau des Sciences Religieuses »). Parmi ses autres œuvres, le Tahāfut al-Falāsifa (« L'Incohérence des Philosophes ») est un jalon dans l'histoire de la philosophie, car il fait progresser la critique de la science aristotélicienne qui a été développée plus tard au XIVe siècle en Europe.

### Draft ###

### 1. Query Parsing

"Comment les positions théologiques d'al-Ghazali ont-elles influencé les érudits musulmans ultérieurs ?"

→ How did al-Ghazali's theological positions influence later Muslim scholars?

Key semantic elements:
- "positions théologiques" = doctrinal/philosophical stances
- "érudits musulmans ultérieurs" = subsequent Islamic intellectuals
- Focus on *influence* (causality) not mere reception

Translation challenges: "positions" could mean specific doctrines vs. methodological approaches.

### 2. Contextual Triangulation

Timeline: al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE) → "ultérieurs" spans ~900 years
Geographic: Primarily Islamic scholarly tradition, potential cross-cultural impact
Language: Arabic theological discourse, potential translation filters

Immediate context needed:
- Ash'ari theology vs. Mu'tazila
- Sufi integration challenges  
- Philosophy-revelation tensions
- Institutional vs. spiritual authority

### 3. Influence Pathways Analysis

Direct intellectual genealogy:
├─ Contemporary students: Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Subki
├─ Immediate successors: Ibn Rushd (critically), Ibn 'Arabi
└─ Institutional schools: Shafi'i legal tradition, Sufi orders

Key influence vectors:
● Methodological synthesis (rational/revelational)
◐ Anti-philosophical stance (critically examined)  
● Sufi-Shari'a integration model
○ Specific doctrinal innovations (less clear)

### 4. Evidence Triangulation

⟨H≈0.2⟩ Standard scholarly consensus: al-Ghazali as "renovator" (mujaddid), "Proof of Islam" (Hujjat al-Islam). His intellectual autobiography in "al-Munqidh min al-Dalal" shows systematic crisis → synthesis → teaching methodology.

Positive influence markers:
- Ibn Rushd's "Tahafut al-Tahafut" as counter-argument
- Sufi orders adopting his mystical theology
- Shafi'i legal scholars citing his works
- Educational institutions preserving his texts

⟨H≈1⟩ But deeper currents... how did al-Ghazali's breakdown-synthesis experience shape later scholars' approaches to intellectual crisis? His methodology of "testing" theological positions through personal spiritual experience - did this create a template for later mujtahids facing doctrinal challenges? The tension between rational theology and experiential gnosis...

### 5. Information State Assessment  

High confidence ●: General influence patterns, major recipients
Medium confidence ◐: Specific doctrinal transmissions, detailed influence chains
Low confidence ○: Quantitative reception data, regional variations

Potential bias: Risk of teleological narrative (inevitable influence)
⚠ Limited primary source access for verification

### 6. Synthesis Framework

Structure needed:
1. Methodology of influence (synthesis approach)
2. Key transmission channels (institutional/personal)  
3. Positive reception examples (Ibn Rushd critique)
4. Long-term doctrinal impacts (rationalism vs. traditionalism)
5. Sufi integration legacy

⟨H≈1.8⟩ The gazelle-scholar's crisis-method becomes template... later theologians facing intellectual breakdown follow his pattern: systematic doubt → spiritual retreat → synthetic reconstruction. But also the anti-philosophical stance - Averroes fights back, but loses the intellectual-political battle. The Sufi bridge al-Ghazali builds becomes permanent crossing...

### 7. Verification Constraints

Physical constraints: Limited to Arabic-speaking scholarly tradition primarily
Logical constraints: Influence vs. parallel development distinction
Temporal constraints: ~900-year reception window creates complexity

∴ Answer should emphasize:
- Synthesis methodology as core influence
- Institutional preservation of his approach  
- Positive reception (critics included)
- Long-term shaping of Islamic intellectual culture

Key evidence: Ibn Rushd's systematic counter-argument shows *serious* engagement, not marginalization.

### Answer###
Les positions théologiques d'al-Ghazali ont profondément marqué l'évolution de la pensée islamique en influençant directement de nombreux érudits musulmans qui ont suivi.

Al-Ghazali a été largement reconnu comme rénovateur de son époque (mujaddid) et considéré par beaucoup comme le plus grand musulman après le Prophète Muhammad. Cette reconnaissance s'est manifestée dans les éloges de contemporains comme al-Safadi, qui l'appelait "l'ornement de la foi", ou al-Yafi'i, qui écrivait que "s'il y avait eu un prophète après Muhammad, al-Ghazali aurait été cet homme". Son influence s'est également manifestée dans l'œuvre de juristes shafi'ites comme al-Subki, qui considérait al-Ghazali comme "le Preuve de l'Islam" et estimait que "s'il y avait eu un prophète après Muhammad, al-Ghazali aurait été cet homme".

L'influence d'al-Ghazali s'étendit bien au-delà de ces témoignages contemporains. Ibn Rushd, le penseur rationaliste, réagit directement à ses positions dans son "Tahafut al-Tahafut" (L'Incohérence de l'Incohérence), bien que cette œuvre ne fût pas bien accueillie dans la communauté musulmane. D'autres érudits comme Ibn Tumart, Fakhruddin Razi, al-Nawawi, Ibn 'Arabi, Asad Mayhani, Sayf al-Din al-Amidi, Ali al-Qari, Muhammad Ibn Yahya al-Janzi, et Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani furent également influencés par sa pensée.

L'impact d'al-Ghazali sur l'école shafi'ite fut particulièrement notable, et sa synthèse entre théologie, philosophie et mysticisme sut façonner l'approche intellectuelle de nombreux juristes et théologiens musulmans ultérieurs.