The Niche of Lights

Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali’s philosophical explorations covered nearly the entire spectrum of twelfth-century beliefs. Beginning his career as a skeptic, he ended it as a scholar of mysticism and orthodoxy. The Niche of Lights, written near the end of his illustrious career, advances the philosophically important idea that reason can serve as a connection between the devout and God. Al-Ghazali argues that abstracting God from the world, as he believed theologians did, was not sufficient for understanding. Exploring the boundary between philosophy and theology, The Niche of Lights seeks to understand the role of reality in the perception of the spiritual.

About the Author & Translator

David Buchman

(Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology, State University of New York at Stony Brook). He has traveled throughout the Middle East pursuing the study of Arabic, Islam, and the status of contemporary Sufism. He is currently an assistant professor of anthropology and Middle East studies at Hanover College in Indiana.

Publication Information

ISBN 10: 0-8425-2353-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-8425-2353-0
Page Count: 166
Price: $ 29.95
Sub Site: Middle Eastern Texts Initiative