Death thinking in sufi experience: ghazali example

Death is a topic that humans have long debated, as it is a reality of being composed of soul and body. The desire for an ephemeral being to become eternal is considered one of the primary reasons for this contemplation, while the goal of attaining truth and happiness is also accepted as a prerequisite for a virtuous life. Therefore, the subject of death has been examined in three different dimensions, ontological, epistemological, and ethical, in our study, and the findings have been evaluated by taking the measure of Sufi experience. In the first chapter, the soul theories that influenced Ghazali's concept of the soul have been discussed, considering their historical development and effects. These theories, shaped by the development of theories defending the immortality of the soul against materialistic perception and constituting the basis of the belief in immortality, have been examined under three separate headings: experimental, metaphysical, and ethical. The underlying reasons for the human desire for immortality have also been addressed in conjunction with these dynamics. Subsequently, on a more tangible level, hadiths guiding contemplation on human life after death, particularly those related to sleep, which are events mentioned in the Qur'an, have been discussed. Additionally, the belief in reincarnation has been evaluated through these dynamics. In the second chapter, death has been approached ontologically from two perspectives. In the first perspective, emphasis is placed on the unique aspect of death as the source of existential anxiety, while the implications of the idea of death on an individual's intrinsic meaning and ontological level are discussed. In the second perspective, death is considered a life impulse that shapes human life, and the psychological and philosophical reasons underlying the suppression of worldly pleasures and their trivialization have been examined. The existential concerns that shaped Ghazali's epistemology have been evaluated in this context regarding the concept of knowledge (ma'rifah) that he views as the source of divine pleasure. In the third chapter, the definition and nature of knowledge are emphasized. The causal relationship between contemplation and gnosis (ma'rifah) is explained, underscoring the importance of an internal journey that begins with contemplation on the path to acquiring knowledge. In this context, inferences have been drawn regarding the definition and essence of knowledge in the Sufi experience. Ghazali's epistemology addresses the intrinsic method of reaching knowledge, elaborating on the relationship between contemplation and gnosis (ma'rifah). In the final chapter, more extensive attention is given to sleep and dreams, previously discussed in the preceding sections, due to their central role in debates surrounding the soul's immortality. The similarities between death and sleep and between the intermediate realm (barzakh) and dreams have been emphasized, and attention has been drawn to the relationship established by Ghazali between the states in the intermediate realm (barzakh) and dreams, based on his explanations regarding the conditions in the intermediate realm. In Sufism, the inability to know Allah (SWT) and the lack of knowledge of Allah, which are regarded as a duty of worship, are mentioned as the causes of metaphysical distress. The essence of metaphysical pleasure has also been discussed according to the levels of knowledge.