'Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM Press)'
Abstract
Sufism has generated from the ancient time a very staunch polemics among Muslim
scholars. The controversy over sufism has attracted various comments and remarks
over the unique and peculiar tenets of sufis. Among the Muslim scholars who have
contributed to the discourse were al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah. This research aims
to compare the views of these two scholars. Library research with analytic and
comparative methodology was adopted. Findings show that both scholars are
credited to have reformed some popular and conventional doctrines of the Sufis of
their respective times. In addition, al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah agreed that some
innovations and perversions have found their way into sufism. A major phenomenon
in the views of the two scholars on sufism is that while al-Ghazali was to a very large
extent influenced by some sufi superstitions, Ibn Taymiyyah strongly subjects sufism
to the literal provisions of the Quran and Sunnah. It is the conclusion of this paper
that while it is accurate to ascribe al-Ghazali to sufism, it is inaccurate to regard Ibn
Taymiyyah as one despite some of his sympathetic views on some sufis