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/137



I came to thee when my breast was straitened through love, and if thou hadst known how was my longing, thou wouldst have come to me/

Then Abu-1-Hasan Al-Basri constrained himself to an ecstasy which affected those that were present, and eyes wept and garments were rent and Mo hammed Al-Kazarimi died in the midst of the as sembly in ecstasy."

In Jerusalem he is said to have written his Risalat Al-Qudsiya; and the date of his visit there must have been shortly before A. H. 492, for in that year Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders. 1

It was natural for one of Al-Ghazali’s tempera ment to desire to pay homage also at the tomb of Abraham, whom Moslems delight to call the " Friend of God." The religion of Islam is con tinually called the religion of Abraham in the Koran. Tradition locates the so-called Machpelah Cave in the eastern part of the present-day Hebron, on the edge of the valley, and the mosque which now stands there is supposed to enclose the grave. Hebron is about seventeen miles southwest of Jerusalem. Before the twelfth century the Cave of Machpelah began to attract visitors and pil grims. " Benjamin of Tudela relates: At Hebron there is a large place of worship called " St. Abra

1 Gardner finds evidence that the book mentioned was not written there.