al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad lil-Ghazali

al-Iqtisad fi al-I'tiqad (The Middle Path in Creed) is a work of systematic theology (kalam) written by the Ash'ari theologian and jurist Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (450–505 AH / 1058–1111 CE) to present and defend the tenets of Islamic orthodox theology al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1.

Purpose and Method

The work presents Ash'ari dogmatics as a balanced, moderate stance (iqtisad) positioned between the rigid anthropomorphists (al-hashwiyya) on the one side and the rationalist excesses of the Mu'tazilites and philosophers on the other Mawqif Ibn Taymiyya min a…. In his Jawahir al-Qur'an, al-Ghazali designates theological disputation as a discipline meant to defend the creed of the common believers against the confusion of innovators, noting that he treated this field in two sequential stages: an elementary tier in al-Risala al-Qudsiyya, followed by the higher, more advanced tier in al-Iqtisad fi al-I'tiqad Jawahir al-Quran.

In the work, al-Ghazali adopts a rigorous deductive approach, summarizing earlier Ash'ari dialectical arguments in clear prose and maintaining that theological inquiry serves as an intellectual safeguard rather than a prerequisite for ordinary faith, asserting the validity of the simple believer's faith (iman al-muqallid) without demanding scholastic investigation Mawqif Ibn Taymiyya min a….

Structure and Content

The treatise is organized into four introductory prefaces (tamhidat) followed by four core thematic pillars (aqtab) al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l…:

• The Four Prefaces:

  1. Demonstrating that the science of kalam is among the important religious disciplines al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….
  2. Clarifying that theological disputation is not universally necessary for all Muslims, but rather for a specific group tasked with defense and guidance al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….
  3. Establishing that kalam is a communal obligation (fard kifaya) rather than an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….
  4. Detailing the methods of rational proof and argumentation employed throughout the text al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….

• The Four Pillars:

  1. The Divine Essence (Dhat Allah): Comprises ten propositions proving God's existence, eternity, everlastingness, non-corporeality (that He is neither substance, body, nor accident), transcendence above spatial location and direction, the possibility of His beatific vision, and His absolute unity al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….
  2. The Divine Attributes (Sifat Allah): Addresses seven distinct attributes—life, knowledge, power, will, hearing, sight, and speech—demonstrating that these attributes are eternal, subsist in the Divine Essence, and are superadded to it al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….
  3. The Divine Acts (Af'al Allah): Covers seven theological claims demonstrating that God is under no obligation to create, impose obligations, reward obedience, punish sins, or enact what is ostensibly best for humans (ri'ayat al-salah), establishing that imposing unbearable duties (taklif ma la yutaq) is not logically impossible for Him, and defending the possibility of sending messengers al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….
  4. The Messengers and Eschatology (al-Rusul): Arranged into four chapters dealing with the proof of Muhammad's ﷺ prophethood, the transmission of afterlife matters (resurrection, paradise, hell, intercession, the punishment of the grave, the scales, and the bridge), the rules and conditions of the Imamate, and the legal guidelines for declaring innovative sects outside the fold of Islam (al-qanun fi takfir al-firaq al-mubtadi'a) al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad l….

In his treatment of the Companions and early caliphs, al-Ghazali also advocates an intermediate approach, cautioning against both excessive claims of infallibility and sectarian condemnation, advising instead good faith and charitable interpretation of historical disputes al-Asalib al-Badia fi Fad….