salams br. could you please give your opinion on "al ghazali" I am very confused at the moment,
W/salams
As-salaamu `alaykum.
The Imaam rahimahullaah, had with him unislamic concepts such as tasawwuf (beyond what we call zuhd and tazkiyah), ash`ariyyah and philosophical rhetoric. However, he died having placed Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree upon his chest to denote that he rahimahullaah, abandoned his ways and died upon the pure sunnah, walhamdulillaah! Imaam Al-`Izz Al-Hanafee, a notable student of Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer stated about him (Al-Ghazaalee) in his explanation of the book,
Al-`Aqeedat ut-Tahaawiyyah,
"Al-Ghazali just managed to escape. When he indulged in Divinity and scholastic discussion, he landed into chaos. Then, quickly realising the error, he abandoned the old path, renewed his faith in the traditions of the Prophet, and died with Saheeh Bukhaari on his breast."
The incident has been related in many other books. Further yet, the Ameer of Maghrib, the one who saved the Ummah in Al-Andalusia (Spain) from the Spanish invaders twice (the early unsuccessful attempts of the inquisition), Yusuf Ibn Tashfeen rahimahullaah, apparently had Imaam Al-Ghazaalee's infamous book,
Ihyaa' `Uloom ud-Deen burnt publicly as a means of censoring his people from reading from it, due to the deviances/weak ahaadeeth within. So inshaa' Allaah, be aware of his books of such nature (i.e. those on the issue of `Aqeedah), as many were written of course, prior to his repentance.
Hope this helps and sorry I didn't reply any sooner.
Was-salaam.