al Ghazaali came back to pure tawheed and was he Yazeed ul Fikr. (a little long but read it once).
This article is on the claims of Samar Abbas Attari and sufis who quote al Ghazali and AL Ramali who ad per them believe asking help from dead is allowed. You will we them saying Yazeed ul fikr to ahlus sunnah just because they say our Lord is Allah and we don’t ask help from Shaykh Abdul Qadir rahimahullah even if he had thousands of karamaat.
1. Ibn Jawzi Criticised al-Ghazali Badly when he said Sufis can see souls of Prophets and hear them. He said
، وقال فِي كتابه المفصح بالأحوال : إن الصوفية فِي يقظتهم يشاهدون الملائكة ، وأرواح الأنبياء ، ويسمعون منهم أصواتا ، ويقتبسون منهم فوائد ثم يترقى الحال من مشاهدة الصورة إِلَى درجات يضيق عنها نطاق النطق.
قَالَ المصنف : وكان السبب فِي تصنيف هؤلاء مثل هذه الأشياء ، قلة علمهم بالسنني والإسلام والآثار وإقبالهم عَلَى مَا استحسنوه من طريقة القوم ، وإنما استحسنوها
He (Al-Ghazaalee) said in the book ‘ Al-Mufsih bil-Ahwaal’: “While in their state of wakefulness, the Sufis are able to witness the angels and souls of the prophets, hear their voices and take hold of benefit from them. Then this condition escalates from the witnessing (of their) images to levels in which they are contained within these domains.”
The factors that caused these individuals to write these books was their little knowledge of the Sunnah, Islaam and the narrations, as well as their dedication for what they approved of from the way of the people (Sufis).
[ Talbees Iblees pg. 163 and Page 261 of Urdu Tranlsation]2. Ibn Katheer said in the biography of Abul Fath al Tusi al Ghaazali (Brother of Imam al Ghazaali the author of Ihya Uloom al-Din) that Ibn Jawzi said he quoted fabrications :
ثم أورد ابن الجوزي أشياء منكرة من كلامه، فالله أعلم، من ذلك: أنه كان كلما أشكل عليه شيء رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في اليقظة فسأله عن ذلك فدله على الصواب، وكان يتعصب إلى بليس ويعتذر له، وتكلم فيه ابن الجوزي بكلام طويل كثير.
Then Ibn Jawzi mentioned those false things from his sayings ALLAH knows best, among those (false sayings) are that whenever he was in difficulty he would see Prophet peace be upon him while awake and he would ask him regarding his state. He peace be upon him would answer him correctly…Ibn Jawzi talked about him in detail [al Bidaya wal Nihaya 12/262]
3. Even the defender of al Ghazaali, Taj al din as-Subki said regarding al Ghazaali
وأما ما عاب به ” الإحياء ” من توهنة بعض الأحاديث ، فالغزالي معروف بأنه لم تكن له فِي الحديث يد باسطة ، وعامة ما فِي ” الإحياء ” من الأخبار والآثار ، مبدد فِي كتب من سبقه من الصوفية والفقهاء ، ولم يسند الرجل لحديث واحد ، وقد اعتنى بتخريج أحاديث ” الإحياء ” بعض أصحابنا ، فلم يشذ عنه إلا اليسير.
Some of the ahadeeth mentioned in “al Ihya” are fabrications because It is known that Al Ghazaali didn’t know about ahadeeth, its general reports and narrations are mentioned in previous books of Sufis and The scholars, He did not mentioned a single chain of narrations. Some of our companions did its takhreej. [Tabqaat ash-Shafiya al Kubra 6/249]
There are many scholars who spoke against al Ghazali, like Maaziri, Ibn al salaah, Ibn al Arabi Maaliki etc. Please note that Ihya has great gems too.
4. Abu Hamid al Ghazaali repented from all these Khurafaat.
Al Ghazaali said about Waasita between Allah and his slaves:
المؤمن لا يجعل بينه وبين الله تعالى وسائط في الطلب، قال تعالى: {وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ}
The believer does not make intermediaries between him and Allah Almighty in his request. The Almighty said: {And we are nearer to him than his jugular vein}
Ghayat al Amani 2/378
Note: Allama Fakhr al-Din al Razi Rahimaullah said:
{ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنّي فَإِنّي قَرِيبٌ } ولم يقل فقل إني قريب فتدل على تعظيم حال الدعاء من وجوه الأول: كأنه سبحانه وتعالى يقول عبدي أنت إنما تحتاج إلى الواسطة في غير وقت الدعاء أما في مقام الدعاء فلا واسطة بيني وبينك الثاني: أن قوله: { وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنّي } يدل على أن العبد له وقوله: { فَإِنّي قَرِيبٌ } يدل على أن الرب للعبد وثالثها: لم يقل: فالعبد مني قريب، بل قال: أنا منه قريب،
“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near.” HE did not say “Say I am near” following are reasons..
First: It is as if Allah is saying, my slave you are in need of waasitah in other places than dua, but in dua there is NO WAASITAH BETWEEN ME AND YOU.
Second: “And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me” It is evidence that a Man is for Allah and the saying “I am Near” is evidence that Allah is for Man.
Third: Allah did not say the Man is near me, rather He said “I am near” [Tafsir al Kabeer under 2:186]
5. Al Ghazaali also said:
الكريم “هو الّذى إذا قدر عفا، وإذا وعد وفّى، وإذا أعطى زاد على منتهى الرّجاء، ولا يبالى كم أعطى، ولا من أعطى، وإن رفعت حاجة إلى غيره لا يرضى
“The generous one is the one who forgives when he is able to take revenge, fulfills promises when he makes them, gives more than expected when he gives, does not care how much he gives or to whom he gives, and HE IS NOT pleased if a need is asked to someone else.”
المقصد الاسنی شرح اسماء الله الحسنی للغزالی ص:96
6. Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
وإن كان بعد ذلك رجع إلى طريقة أهل الحديث وصنف إلجام العوام عن علم الكلام
After that he (al Ghazaali) came back to the path of the scholars of hadeeth, and wrote Iljaam al-‘Awwaam ‘an ‘Ilm al-Kalaam.(Majmoo Fataawa, part 4, p. 72)
7. Shukri al Alusi said regarding Ibn Taymiyah on al Ghazaali:
بل إنه شهد له بحسن العاقبة والخاتمة
He (Ibn Taymiyah) testified for his (al Ghazaali’s) good Aqibat and ending. [Ghayat al Amani 2/450]
8. Abu Hamid al Ghazaali’s advice when he was dying.
Ibn Kathir said:
وقد سأله بعض أصحابه وهو في السياق فقال: أوصني.
فقال: عليك بالإخلاص، ولم يزل يكررها حتى مات، رحمه الله.
One of his companion asked him, advice me. While he (al Ghazaali) was in state of agonies of death:
He said: stick to sincerity/Honesty, and he kept repeating it until he died, may Allah have mercy on him.
al Bidaya wal Nihaya the year 505 h.
9. al Ghazaali had Saheeh al Bukhari on his chest when he died.
Shaykh Abdullah Ropari quoted from Fatawa Nawab Siddique Hasan Khan vol 2 page 20, who said:
Many of the scholars have written regarding his ending that he died while Bukhari Shareef was on his chest. Which means that he died on the aqeeda mentioned in al Bukhari meaning classical aqeeda which is the aqeeda of salaf. [Sima Mota by Abdullah Ropari page 74]
It is highly possible that people tempered the books of scholars and mentioned that asking help from dead is allowed. Why not, when they themselves claim, “Chishti Rasool Allah” was tempered later. Even though Chishti came centuries later than Al Ghazaali.
For example it is attributed to Al Ghazali by Samar attari Qadri in his talk that al Ghazali said, when a soul is in the body, its like a lion in the cage, but when it comes out of the body (I.e. after death) then it can help people and do many things, like lion outside the cage.
What a weird analogy, and I am 100% sure Ghazaali was free from this. Mushriqeen and kuffar may have tempered many books and included shirk. Not to forget Ibn Jawzi and even sufis criticized al Ghazali due to these fabrications mentioned in his books, and later scholars did say that even if al Ghazali mentioned these type of aqaid, he repented.
But I strongly believe the books are Tempered and scholars criticized him, but when he came back to sunnah, scholars considered him Hujjat al Islam as Dhahabi said in Siyar.
10. Last, but not the least, Al Ghazaali was Yazeed ul Fikr as per these molvis.
Ibn Kathir said:
واستفتي في يزيد بن معاوية فذكر عنه تلاعبا وفسقا، وجوز شتمه، وأما الغزالي فإنه خالف في ذلك، ومنع من شتمه ولعنه، لأنه مسلم، ولم يثبت بأنه رضي بقتل الحسين، ولو ثبت لم يكن ذلك مسوغا للعنه، لأن القاتل لا يلعن لا سيما وباب التوبة مفتوح الذي يقبل التوبة عن عباده غفور رحيم.
قال الغزالي: وأما الترحم عليه فجائز، بل مستحب، بل نحن نترحم عليه في جملة المسلمين والمؤمنين، عموما في الصلوات.
He (Abul Hasan Tabari) was asked regarding Yazeed bin Muawiyah. He mentioned his Manipulations and fisq and said its allowed to abuse him.
al Ghazaali went against him and forbade abusing and cursing him (i.e. Yazeed) because He is a Muslim and it is not proven that he agreed with the killing of Husayn (May Allah be pleased with him). And even if it is proven, it is not allowed to curse him because cursing is not to be done on killer when the door of tauba is open. And Allah accepts the tauba of his slaves who is Ghafoor and Raheem.
Ghazaali said: It is allowed to pray for mercy regarding him (Yazeed) rather it is mustahab. Rather we pray for all the Muslims in all the prayers. [al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 504 h]
As per Ibn Kathir Yazeed was inclined towards Irjaa. Allahu alam.
11. The advocate of Istigatha through dead, al Ramli states about Yazeed.
بأنه لا يجوز لعن يزيد بن معاوية كما صرح به جماعة منهم صاحب الخلاصة وغيره ؛ لأنه صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن لعن المصلين ومن كان من أهل القبلة ولا يخالفه قول بعض المتأخرين اتفقوا على جواز اللعن على من قتل الحسين أو أمر به أو أجازه أو رضي به ؛ لأن معناه على وجه التعميم وهو لعن الطوائف المدة المذكورة بالأوصاف دون تعيين الإنسان فيكون من باب { لعن الله الخمر وشاربها وساقيها وبائعها ومبتاعها وحاملها والمحمولة إليه وآكل ثمنها } رواه أبو داود وابن ماجه بل لم يثبت أنه قتل الحسين ولا أمر بقتله كما صرح به جماعة منهم حجة الإسلام الغزالي وقال في الأنوار لا يجوز لعن يزيد ولا تكفيره فإنه من جملة المؤمنين إن شاء رحمه وإن شاء عذبه.
It is not allowed to curse Yazeed bin Muawiyah as it is clearly mentioned by a group including the author of al Khulasah and others.
“Because the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade cursing those who pray and those who are from the qibla, and those who do not contradict this statement from some later people have agreed on the permissibility of cursing those who killed Hussein, or ordered it, or approved it, because it is a generalization and it is cursing the groups mentioned in the description without specifying the person. This is similar to the hadith that says ‘God curses alcohol and those who drink it, serve it, sell it, buy it, carry it, and those it is carried to, and those who eat its price.’ Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah narrated this.” And It is not proven that Yazeed killed al Husayn, he did not order to kill as cleared by Hujjat al Islam al Ghazaali. And it is mentioned in al Anwar It is not allowed to curse Yazeed, it is not allowed to say kafir to him. He is included among the Momineen. If Allah wills He will have mercy on him and if He wills He will punish him. [ Fatawa al Ramli (6/176)]
Actually they who quote al Ramali and Al Ghazaali on asking help from dead are Yazeed ul Fikr.
No doubt, Al Ghazaali followed sunnah and became hujjat ul Islam. May Allah have mercy upon him.