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/90



two other notable pupils: "Al-Ghazali is a sea to drown in, Al-Kiya is a tearing lion, and Al Khawafi is a burning fire." Another saying of his about the same three was: " Whenever they contend together, the proof belongs to Al-Khawafi, the warlike attacks to Al-Ghazali, and clearness to Al-Kiya." To this time of his life belongs the remark also, made by some one unnamed, "The youth Al-Ghazali showed externally a vain-glori ous disposition, but underneath there was some thing that when it did appear showed graceful ex pression and delicate allusion, soundness of at tention, and strength of character."

" I cannot ascertain," says Macdonald in speak ing of this period of Al-Ghazali’s life, " whether while he was still at Nishapur he touched those depths of scepticism of which he speaks in the Munqidh. They must certainly have been reached some time before the year A. H. 484, and must have been the outcome of a long drift of de velopment; but probably so long as he was under the influence of the Imam-al-Haramain a devout Sufi, he would be held more or less fast to the old faith."

Of these struggles of his soul in an age of doubt and how he found relief the next chapter will tell us.