Ethical Teachings of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali

This book studies the interplay of economic philosophy and moral conduct as reflected in the writings of one of the most renowned scholars in Islamic history, Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (d. 1111). As is well known, Imam al-Ghazali, nicknamed 'the proof of Islam', contributed immensely to Islamic theology, philosophy, and Sufism or Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf). Strikingly enough, al-Ghazali also made seminal contributions to the field of economic thought, but this contribution has been largely neglected, although al-Ghazali dedicated many chapters to what he considered just and Shari'a-based economic conduct in (Muslim) society. This book aims to analyse and revive al-Ghazali's understudied contribution to economic thought by emphasizing his economic philosophy and its correlation between Shari'a's moral law and the tradition of tasawwuf, as well as to situate his thought within the context of modern economic theories.