De mystieke benadering van Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazzālī en Franciscus van Assisi Een vergelijkende analyse van de kernwaarden ascese en liefde

Abstract

Mysticism constitutes, in both Islam and Christianity, a spiritual path toward experiencing divine proximity. This study compares the mystical approaches of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazzālī (d. 1111 CE) and Francis of Assisi (d. 1226 CE), two religious figures who, despite their distinct theological and historical contexts, shared a profound quest for God. Through a comparative literature-based analysis, the study examines the central concepts of asceticism and love in their thought, focusing on al-Ghazzālī’s Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn and key Franciscan texts, including the Rule and the Canticle of the Creatures. Relevant secondary scholarship is employed to situate these concepts within their broader theological and historical frameworks.

The analysis demonstrates that al-Ghazzālī understands asceticism primarily as an inner state of detachment, essential for attaining love of God through purification of the heart and true knowledge of the divine. Francis of Assisi, by contrast, embodies asceticism in a concrete lifestyle of radical poverty and imitation of Christ. His love of God extends outward to humanity and creation, expressed through simplicity, peace, and universal brotherhood. While both figures regard divine love as the ultimate goal of spiritual life, they emphasize different dimensions: inward spiritual transformation in al-Ghazzālī and active, lived love in Francis. The study concludes that asceticism and love are mutually reinforcing paths toward spiritual perfection in both traditions.