Abstract
Al-Ghazali’s Opinion of Faith and Action
The need to believe is undoubtedly one of the most natural characteristics of human
beings. Since belief is a concept at the center of religion, it has guided people’s lifestyles,
thoughts and behaviors in almost every period. The presence or absence of belief in
humans affects the whole life. Faith is one of the most important motives that improve
the inner world of people. Therefore, faith is like (or similar to) the soul in the body.
Faith is as important to the heart as the soul in the body is necessary and important.
Indeed, it is faith that decorates the heart and removes it from being a piece of meat. A
heart that is not embellished with faith cannot go beyond just being a piece of meat. The
first duty of human beings is to have the consciousness of faith and to live as required by
this faith. According to the great scholar Imam al-Ghazali, deed is an act. To put it more
precisely, it is a lifestyle that emerges as a result of transferring theoretical knowledge to
practical knowledge. Faith is essential, but it alone is not enough. Faith and deed are two
important elements that complement each other. If faith is body, deeds are like spirit in
that body. Just as one has no value and meaning without the other, faith without deeds is
like a corpse without soul. In the article, we have included the views of al-Ghazali in the
context of the relationship that belief-deed establishes between discourse and action, by
mentioning the concept of faith and the types of faith in al-Ghazali, the concept of deeds
in al-Ghazali, how deeds should be understood in terms of intention and sincerity. In the
article, we also discussed the issues related to the relationship between faith and deeds,
such as the formation of faith in human beings, and how deeds that emerge as an act
dependent on faith are shaped in the context of al-Ghazali’s thoughts.
Keywords
Ghazali, Faith, Deed, Absolute, Ihlâs (Faithfulness).
