The Role of Knowledge in the Caliphate System of al-Ghazālī: Is It an Element of Openness or Isolating Fundamentalism?

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article is interesting, well written, coherently elaborated.
However, I find it necessary to give some advice to the author to make the article itself more exhaustive:

• eliminate the biographical part about al-Ghazali; it makes the article appear as if it were scholarly research, effectively undermining the focus on the same. The life and even personal vicissitudes of al-Ghazali are beyond well-known, and these paragraphs do not add anything particularly relevant.

• Instead, it would be interesting to elaborate a little more on the Ghazalian idea about the acquisition of knowledge through an education that is theoretical on the one hand, but after the acquisition of the basics, more grounded in the experience of the Sufi mystical world. For al-Ghazali, who taught most of his life at the Nizamiyya, in other words, the author argues that following his well-known personal crisis, Ghazali is speaking out extensively for a renewal of Islamic educational choices that should renew themselves toward a mixed and joint system of jurisprudence, kalam and mysticism? It would be relevant to work a little bit more on it, isn't it?

• Lastly, in relation to the second part, it would be fruitful for the article to elaborate a little more on the Ghazalian view in relation to the practicality of the concept of Hisba. Let me explain further, it is clear that al-Ghazali bases his political thought on the respect that the highest authority, the caliph precisely, must have from his collectivity of believers. A decidedly utopian vision that disassociates itself from the caliphal role within an Abbassid empire now in the hands of ministers and bureaucracy; nevertheless, commanding good and preventing evil can be a very practical action that needs to disassociate political authority from overwhelm and inequality. In this respect, Ghazalian thought is very far from an effective political conscience, which does not aim exclusively at the afterlife, but at life lived every day. What the author can add to it?

   

Author Response

Comment 1: Eliminate the biographical part about al-Ghazali; it makes the article appear as if it were scholarly research, effectively undermining the focus on the same. The life and even personal vicissitudes of al-Ghazali are beyond well-known, and these paragraphs do not add anything particularly relevant.

Response 1: I agree, but I have been advised to add this biographical part because many of the readers of the journal are not experts in Islam.

Comment 2: Instead, it would be interesting to elaborate a little more on the Ghazalian idea about the acquisition of knowledge through an education that is theoretical on the one hand, but after the acquisition of the basics, more grounded in the experience of the Sufi mystical world. For al-Ghazali, who taught most of his life at the Nizamiyya, in other words, the author argues that following his well-known personal crisis, Ghazali is speaking out extensively for a renewal of Islamic educational choices that should renew themselves toward a mixed and joint system of jurisprudence, kalam and mysticism? It would be relevant to work a little bit more on it, isn't it?

Response 2: I agree, I noted that it seems that al-Ghazālī launched a call for the scholars of his time to renew their own way of acquiring knowledge through a mix of theoretical knowledge and mysticism but it seems also that he invited them to renew their pedagogical approach in spreading knowledge and to prepare the students who might be ready to enter the roads of unveiling sciences. Also, I highlighted that in the second part of the article I show that al-Ghazālī was harsh in criticizing the scholars who sought knowledge for prestige and power and invited them to redirect their search of knowledge towards the truth and yaqīn.

Comment 3: Lastly, in relation to the second part, it would be fruitful for the article to elaborate a little more on the Ghazalian view in relation to the practicality of the concept of Hisba. Let me explain further, it is clear that al-Ghazali bases his political thought on the respect that the highest authority, the caliph precisely, must have from his collectivity of believers. A decidedly utopian vision that disassociates itself from the caliphal role within an Abbassid empire now in the hands of ministers and bureaucracy; nevertheless, commanding good and preventing evil can be a very practical action that needs to disassociate political authority from overwhelm and inequality. In this respect, Ghazalian thought is very far from an effective political conscience, which does not aim exclusively at the afterlife, but at life lived every day. What the author can add to it?

Response 3: I added this short paragraph: "To note that, since the Abbasid Caliph in the time of al-Ghazālī had very restricted actual power in the empire that was mostly ruled by princes and ministers, the call for ḥisba and brotherhood in the community of Muslims could also be, in a way or another, restituting the missing role of the Caliph in spreading religiosity in day to day life of the community." 

I did not expand a lot because I want to keep the highlight on the role of every Muslim in the community regardless of the situation and the actual power of the caliph. What do you think?

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The submitted article represents a work of considerable scholarly merit. Grounded in a close engagement with the original writings of Al-Ghazali, it offers a well-formulated research hypothesis and follows a logically coherent argumentative structure. The conclusions are clearly articulated and appropriately derived from the analysis. The author demonstrates a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the existing literature, drawing on relevant sources with precision and depth. From a methodological perspective, the article adheres to high academic standards, employing appropriate tools of analysis and maintaining internal consistency throughout. Overall, this is a significant and well-crafted contribution to the field.

Author Response

Thank you so much! I am glad to read your comments.