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/218



begin; and, apart from such teaching, man, even in physical science, would be groping in the dark."

But we must add to this clear statement of Al Ghazali’s theory of ethics, lest it be wholly misun derstood, that the revelation referred to is the Koran and that " the saints " were the Moslem saints of the early Caliphate, and their followers.

Moslem doctors of jurisprudence, including Al Ghazali, define sin as " a conscious act of a respon sible being against known law." Therefore sins of ignorance and of childhood are not reckoned as real sin. They divide sin into " great " and " lit tle " sins. Some say there are seven great sins: idolatry, murder, false charge of adultery, wasting the substance of orphans, taking interest on money, desertion from Jihad and disobedience to parents. Others say there are seventeen, and include wine drinking, witchcraft and perjury among them. The lack of all distinction between the ceremonial and the moral law is very evident in the traditional sayings of Mohammed, which are, of course, at the basis of ethics. Take one example: " The Prophet, upon him be prayers and peace, said, One dirhem of usury which a man takes knowing it to be so is more grievous than thirty-six fornications, and whosoever has done so is worthy of hell fire."

Orthodox Moslems divide sins into greater and lesser. Al-Ghazali quotes one who said, " There are no greater and lesser sins, but everythi