On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam: Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's Faysal al-Tafriqa.

• Author: Stewart, Devin
• Position: Book Review

On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam: Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's Faysal al-Tafriqa. By SHERMAN A. JACKSON. Studies in Islamic Philosophy. Oxford: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2002. Pp. xv + 141.

This book is a translation and study of Faysal al-tafriqah bayn al-islam wa'l-zandaqah, a short but fascinating work on defining heresy, by the renowned theologian, jurist, and mystic Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111). While al-Ghazali can no longer be taken as the architect of Islamic orthodoxy, he is nevertheless one of Islam's great thinkers, and stands out for his relatively tolerant, ecumenical approach to religious diversity, both within and outside Islam. The text has been translated into English already, in 1980 by R. J. McCarthy as one of the appendices to his book, Freedom and Fulfillment (Boston: Twayne), since reprinted as Deliverance from Error: Five Key Texts Including His Spiritual Autobiography, al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (Fons Vitae, 2002). Jackson's translation and substantial introduction bring greater care and precision to the work, placing al-Ghazali's achievement in an adequate historical and intellectual framework. The translation is accurate and readable; Jackson has taken the time to work out some of the technical points that might be glossed over in a less explanatory translation.

Following the insight of Goldziher, Jackson interprets the work as a treatment of theological tolerance. His introductory study, as long as the translated text itself, provides a basic background concerning al-Ghazali, his works, and his times, then explains in some detail what it appears that al-Ghazali hoped to accomplish in the work. Jackson renders the full title as "The Decisive Criterion for Distinguishing Islam from Masked Infidelity," understanding zandaqah to mean not merely unbelief, but concealed unbelief. According to Jackson, two groups are the main targets of the work. One, the zindiqs or hypocritical believers indicated by the title, are the philosophers who, while claiming to be Muslims, reject some of Islam's basic tenets as mere formalities propagated for hoi poloi. This would include both atheists, who deny that the world is created, and deists, who deny the particulars of the prophetic faiths. It would also include batinis, apparently contemporary and earlier [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] and Qarmatis, who, in al-Ghazali's view, claim to believe in Muhammad's prophecy only as an outward show. The second group, whom...