Al-Ghazali died on 19 December 1111 in Tus, aged about 53. A Persian theologian, jurist and mystic born in Tus, al-Ghazali rose to become a professor at the Nizamiyya college in Baghdad, then the leading institution of Sunni learning. In 1095 he went through a spiritual crisis, gave up his post and spent years as a wandering Sufi before returning to teach. His Incoherence of the Philosophers criticized the metaphysics of Avicenna and Greek-influenced philosophers, and his great work, The Revival of the Religious Sciences, joined law, ethics and spiritual practice. His writings helped bring Sufism into mainstream Sunni thought, and he was given the title Proof of Islam. His ideas also reached Latin scholars in medieval Europe.
Before and after
- from 1107 to 1110Norwegian Crusade
- 1110Birth of Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani as-Sabti
- 1110Construction of Maiden's Tower
- from 19 October 1110 to 5 December 1110Siege of Sidon
- 19 December 1111Death of Al-Ghazali
- from c. 1113 to 1150Suryavarman II builds Angkor Wat
- from 1115 to 1569Republic of Florence
- from 1115 to 1234Jin dynasty
- from 1118 to 1791Construction of Abbey of Fontenay
More in Art, literature & culture
- from 8th century to 9th centuryRise of Carolingian Renaissance
- c. 1010sMurasaki Shikibu writes The Tale of Genji
- July 1054East-West Schism
- from 1140 to 1530Gothic art
- 1400Rise of Renaissance music
- c. 1490sThe Last Supper
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 12th century.