150 Ghazzali's Alchemy of Happiness. 



from the point of view of the theological theory of the author, which 

 is nothing less than that the moon was created on purpose to render 

 possible, and to aid in carrying into effect, the ordinances of the un- 

 created Koran. 



Note D, p. 14. 



Interpretation of the Koran. The extract below from the 

 work of Grhazzali, the Tehafeti Felasefe or Destruction of Philoso- 

 phy, while it shows the position he assigns to the doctors of the 

 law, exemplifies also the character of his genius, and the measure 

 of independent thought tolerated among Mussulmans. He fearlessly 

 adopted whatever discoveries in science could be established by 

 proofs, and defended them even when apparently opposed to the 

 language of the Koran : the dogmatical interpretation of the Koran 

 must yield to stubborn, undeniable facts in science. I translate it 

 from Hajji Khalfa's Jihani Numa, or View of the World, where it 

 was introduced by him to enforce the claims of scientific evidence 

 to be received by the faithful. 



" Know that the differences of opinion between philosophers and 

 mankind generally are of three kinds. The first kind of difference 

 is simply a verbal one. As for instance they speak of the maker of 

 the world as essence or substance (jouhar^), while at the same time, 

 they explain the word to mean that which exists by itself and inde- 

 pendent of place. 



" The second kind of difference refers to questions, where there is 

 no difference between their system and the principles of our religion, 

 and where there is no occasion of appealing to the prophets in con- 

 firmation of the matter in dispute. For instance the philosophers 

 say, that an eclipse of the moon is an indication that its light is ob- 

 structed on account of the earth's coming between it and the sun, 

 seeing that the moon derives its light from the sun, and that the 

 earth is a sphere surrounded by the sky on all sides, and therefore 

 when the moon falls into the shadow of the earth, its light is cut 

 off. The Philosophers also say that an eclipse of the sun arises 

 from the moon's standing between the observer and the sun, and 

 from a conjunction of the two at the same moment. 



" The same may be said in regard to this language as was observed 

 in reference to the disputes about words — that one need not be 

 anxious about refuting it. Whoever imagines that it is a religious 

 duty to dispute upon this subject, has in fact attacked religion, and 

 injured his own cause. For in truth these positions are fortified by 



