Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Life and times of Al Ghazzali. 3. Ghazzali’s philosophical credentials. 4. Ghazzali’s philosophy. 5. Ghazzali’s method of doubt and his views on epistemology with special reference to Rene Descartes. 6. Ghazzali’s impact on medival western philosophers. 7. Ghazzali’s impact on Ibn Tufayl. 8. Ghazzali’s impact on Ibn Rushd. 9. Ghazzali’s impact on modern western philosophers. 10. Conclusions.

"While there is no dearth of books on Ghazzali the interest in his thought is growing with unqualified recognition. Dr. Hamid’s study of Ghazzali is not confined to the subject, but covers the whole range of Muslim thought and can serve as an introduction to Muslim thinkers as a whole. Unlike the all too common tendency of scholars to take recourse to secondary sources, the author has utilized the original texts and has availed himself of books in English, Arabic and Persian with equal facility. The material that he has amassed is truly amazing. He has convincingly brought out the fact that western thought is more indebted to Islam than is generally recognized. Now it is for the Muslim scholars to move forward with their heritage and produce work of their own with zest integrity." (jacket)