Al-Ghazali's Intuitive Epistemology: A Critique of Western Epistemology

Abstract

This article aims to explore in depth the construction of al-Ghazali's epistemology, especially by placing intuition (dzauq) as the pinnacle of knowledge in the hierarchy of Islamic epistemology. This study also examines al-Ghazali's criticism of reason and sensory experience, and its implications for modern Western epistemology. Using a qualitative approach and textual-analytical methods, this article examines al-Ghazali's main works such as Ihya Ulumuddin, Misykat al-Anwar, and al-Munqidz min al-Dhalal. The results of the study show that although al-Ghazali does not reject the role of reason and empiricism, he places them in a subordinate position to intuitive knowledge. Intuition is understood as direct knowledge that originates from the Divine through spiritual experience, and cannot be achieved through discursive reason alone. Al-Ghazali's epistemology thus becomes a critique of the dominance of Western rationalism-positivisticism, and offers an alternative framework that unites the rational and spiritual dimensions integrally. This article also highlights the passivity of the subject in intuitive experience as a condition for the abundance of divine knowledge. In conclusion, al-Ghazali's thoughts make an important contribution to the revitalization of contemporary Islamic epistemology.