The Self and Its Perfection: Al-Ghazālī’s Framework for Mental Health

This article analyses the views of Imām Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī (d. 505 AH/1111 CE) on the human self, as presented in his major works, including Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, Ma‘ārij al-Quds, Mīzān al-‘Amal, al-Risālah al-Ladunniyyah, and Kīmiyāʾ al-Saʿādah. In these works, he examines the nature of the soul and its potential, explores its relationship with the body, and identifies the factors that determine its happiness or misfortune. This study proposes his framework as a philosophical alternative for addressing the contemporary mental health crisis.