This 

study examines the system that Imām al‑Ghazālī developed—grounded in the God‑human relationship and drawing on his principal works—regarding the necessity of prophethood within the framework of classical kalām methodology. In Islamic thought, humanity’s creation, moral responsibility (taklīf), processes of acquiring knowledge, and ultimate purpose are all shaped by correctly understanding the God‑human relationship. According to al‑Ghazālī, the human intellect can reach only limited knowledge; metaphysical truths, knowledge of the hereafter, and the pathways to ultimate felicity (saʿāda) with respect to humankind’s origin and return (mabdaʾ wa‑maʿād) can be known solely through revelation.

Al‑Ghazālī illustrates the human condition before metaphysical reality—and the quest to attain such truths—by comparing it to “the eye and the sun.” The eye, by itself, possesses the capacity to see, yet actual seeing is impossible without light. Likewise, while reason has the power of inference, perceiving metaphysical realities is impossible without the light of revelation. Humanity, by its very constitution, is oriented toward perfection, yet incapable of attaining that perfection through its own means. The intellect and sense organs yield only partial knowledge, and the complete and definitive cognition of metaphysical truths is unattainable by reason and sensation alone. Al‑Ghazālī personally experienced this limitation in an intellectual crisis and concluded that certain knowledge can be reached only under the guidance of revelation. Critiquing the philosophers, he argued that relying on reason alone is insufficient for grasping the whole of truth and emphasized revelation as an indispensable source of knowledge for humankind.

Within al‑Ghazālī’s system, prophethood (nubuwwa) functions both as the origin of knowledge and as the absolute guide to moral perfection. As he stresses in his major works, the prophet’s role is not merely to proclaim divine commands and prohibitions. Rather, by embodying the revealed knowledge in his own life, the prophet shows the path of ethical and spiritual ascent for human beings. The divine address directed toward humanity reaches us through the institution of prophethood, enabling people to comprehend their purpose of creation, order their worldly life, and ultimately attain happiness in the hereafter. Denial or abolition of prophethood would leave humans metaphysically and morally rudderless, leading to social chaos and ethical crises. By adopting the light brought by the prophet, the human being can move beyond merely acquired knowledge to the fullness of truth. Thus, in al‑Ghazālī’s view, prophethood serves as a necessary bridge in the God‑human relationship—first purifying and refining the soul toward perfection, and then guiding it to know its Creator. In this respect, al‑Ghazālī’s thought reveals prophethood as a fundamental element completing humanity’s existential and moral dimensions.

This study therefore aims, through the lens of classical kalām methodology and within the framework of al‑Ghazālī’s system, to demonstrate how the human being draws near to his Lord via prophethood and how the prophetic mission is transformed into ethical practice in the process of maʿrifat Allāh (gnosis of God).