Maʿād
Definition
Maʿad refers to the reality of the Return — the belief that every soul will return to Allah after death for a reckoning that is perfectly just and comprehensive. Al-Ghazali dedicates considerable attention to the hereafter throughout the Ihya, and here he establishes its theological foundation: the resurrection of bodies, the gathering, the scales, the bridge, and the final destinations of paradise and hellfire are realities, not metaphors. He argues that weak belief in the maʿad is the root cause of most moral failure — when the hereafter feels distant or uncertain, the worldly appetites take over.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Maʿād.
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"za, and become as your ancestors, refers to adopting the customs of your ancestor, Ma'ad bin Adnan, in harsh living. Ramayans disagreed whether the mim and maad is original or additional, Sibawayh says original, while others claim additional. Shoot targets means to shoot with bows, and break away means when you mount horses, stay close to the ground and do not rise upon elevations or ride in saddles common among non-Arabs in their mounts."
— Imam al-Nawawī, The Garden of the Gnostics
Appears in
1 book in the library
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