SA’ĀDAH IN IMAM AL-GHAZĀLĪ’S THOUGHT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC EDUCATION
A LIBRARY RESEARCH STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30868/ei.v15i03.10793Keywords:
sa’ādah, al-Ghazālī, tazkiyat al-nafs, pendidikan Islam, akhlakAbstract
This study examines the concept of sa’ādah (happiness) in the thought of Imam al-Ghazālī and its relevance to contemporary Islamic education, in response to the tendency of modern educational discourse to reduce happiness to material and cognitive achievement while marginalizing spiritual and moral dimensions. It aims to elaborate the conceptual structure of sa’ādah, relate it to the soul (nafs, qalb, and reason) and soul purification (tazkiyat al-nafs), and formulate its implications for the aims of Islamic education. The study employs a library research method with a descriptive analytical and hermeneutical approach to al-Ghazālī's primary works, particularly Iḥyā' 'Ulūm al-Dīn and Kīmiyā' al-Sa’ādah. The findings show that sa’ādah for al-Ghazālī is hierarchical, culminating in ma'rifatullāh (knowledge of God), attained through soul purification and noble character. This concept is relevant for reformulating Islamic education toward a balance of knowledge, morality, and spirituality, rather than mere cognitive and material excellence.
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