Integrating Hadith Understanding and Sufi Character Education: Insights from Imam Al-Ghazali’s Minhaj Al-‘Abidin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E10/2026-06Keywords:
Imam al-Ghazali, ishari-nazhari, sharh al-hadith al-sufi, tafsiran sufiAbstract
This study examines the Sufi interpretation of the Prophet’s Hadiths as expounded by Imam al-Ghazali in his masterpiece, Minhaj al-‘Abidin. The discourse surrounding Sufi commentaries on Hadiths frequently sparks debates regarding the extent to which inner (esoteric) meanings are employed without neglecting the outer (exoteric) aspects of Sharia. This qualitative, library-based study utilizes a Sufi hermeneutic approach (sharh al-hadith al-sufi) and content analysis. Out of the 86 Hadiths found in Minhaj al-‘Abidin, 19 were identified as containing interpretations infused with Sufi meanings. The findings indicate that: first, Imam al-Ghazali tends to narrate Hadiths bi al-ma'na (conveying the meaning rather than the exact wording) without citing the chain of transmission (sanad) or the original compiler (mukharrij), thus requiring a takhrij process (source trace-back) to major Hadith collections such as Sunan al-Tirmidhi. Second, al-Ghazali’s understanding of Hadiths does not deny the textual meaning of Sharia; instead, it integrates its outer and inner dimensions. This is evident in his interpretation of the Hadith regarding the virtue of knowledge, where he asserts that knowledge serves as the foundation for outer worship while simultaneously evoking a sense of khashyah (reverent awe of Allah) as a form of inner worship. Third, the nature of al-Ghazali’s Sufi interpretation in Minhaj al-‘Abidin falls under the ishari typology, which aligns with Sharia principles (tazkiyat al-nafs), rather than the speculative-philosophical nazhari typology.
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