A Critical Analysis of the Religious Discourse of Imam Al-Ghazali and Maimonides in Response to the Intellectual and Socio-Political Challenges of their Era

Abstract

This research paper presents a critical comparative analysis of the religious discourses of two seminal figures in Islamic and Jewish intellectual history: Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and Rabbi Moses Maimonides. Drawing on their respective foundational texts (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) and (The Guide for the Perplexed), the study investigates how both thinkers responded to their eras’ intellectual and socio-political challenges. Utilising Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as the primary methodological framework, the paper reveals that Al-Ghazali and Maimonides employed strategic linguistic and ideological mechanisms to reconcile traditional religious tenets with emerging philosophical currents. The findings show that while Al-Ghazali emphasised the integration of Sufi spirituality with orthodox practice to counter moral and theological laxity, Maimonides adopted a rationalist approach that harmonised Aristotelian philosophy with Jewish theology to combat dogmatism and literalism. Despite their differing methodologies, both scholars framed religious renewal as a means to preserve faith amid changing epistemological landscapes. This study contributes to comparative religious discourse analysis by illustrating how language serves as a tool of preservation and transformation in religious thought. It offers critical insights into the mechanisms of religious reform and provides a framework for analysing religious discourse in contemporary contexts, particularly within interfaith dialogue and efforts toward religious modernisation.

Keywords: Al-Ghazali; critical discourse analysis; Maimonides; religious discourse; Islamic thought