INTERPRETATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOUL AND BODY THROUGH THE SYMBOL OF LIGHT IN AL-GHAZALI’S “MISHKAT AL-ANWAR”

Abstract

This scientific article provides a systematic analysis of the ontology of light and its central role in human anthropology within Abu Hamid al-Ghazali’s masterpiece, Mishkat al-Anwar (The Niche of Lights), regarded as a pinnacle of Islamic philosophy and Sufi thought. The primary objective of the study is to reveal the fundamental significance of the light symbol as a representation of divine enlightenment, the purification of the soul, and the soul-body relationship. The article elaborates on the position of the human spirit within the “hierarchy of lights” and the theory of the “Seventy Thousand Veils”, which represent the obstacles a seeker faces on the path to ultimate Truth. The immaterial nature of the spirit and its metaphysical dominion over the body are established through a hermeneutic interpretation of the famous Quranic symbols from the “Verse of Light” (Ayat al-Nur), such as mishkat (niche), misbah (lamp), zujaja (glass), and shajara mubaraka (blessed tree). Drawing upon the scholarly perspectives of prominent local and international researchers such as F. Muzaffarov, S.H.Nasr, W.H.T.Gairdner, and E.O.Moad, the study systematizes the interpretation of the spirit as “perceptive light” (nur al-basira) and the stages of attaining true happiness through moral and spiritual perfection. The findings indicate that through the symbolism of light, al-Ghazali elevated the complex yet harmonious relationship between soul and body to a new level at the intersection of Islamic peripateticism and illuminationist philosophy (Ishraqi). This research serves as a significant resource for further studies in the history of Islamic philosophy, ontology, and philosophical anthropology.