Page:A Moslem seeker after God - showing Islam at its best in the life and teaching of al-Ghazali, mystic and theologian of the eleventh century (IA moslemseekeraft00zwem).pdf/131

 began.

We have no information as to how Al-Ghazali spent his days during this visit at Jerusalem. It was a time of war and tumult throughout Syria, on the eve of the Crusades. One can imagine with what interest Al-Ghazali studied the whole situa tion and how this ardent champion of the Moslem faith was stirred by the coming events whose shadows were already resting on the Holy Land at the time of his visit there. We do know that he lived the life of a mystic, and devoted himself to prayer and fasting. Prayer occupies a large place in the life of every conscientious Moslem. Not only are there the five ritual prayers, but the night prayer which, according to Al-Ghazali himself, must be performed between midnight and the be ginning of dawn. It has been calculated that a Moslem conscientiously performing his devotions recites the same form of prayer at least seventy five times a day. In addition to these prayers, how ever, there are prayers called witr to be performed after the night prayer; dhuha, the prayer used in the forenoon; and the prayer of night vigils, which take place between the last evening prayer and mid night. In addition to observing all the above men tioned prayers, those who would reach a high de gree of perfection are recommended by Al-Ghazali, in accordance with his own practices at this period, to engage in certain additional devotional exer cises called wird. We may best note the character of this mystical devotion, in which he spent whole