Edifice in order for Desolation: Two different Narratives about the Status of Architect and Architecture in Iḥyaʾ ʿūlm al-dīn Ghazali Book

Abu Hamid al-Ghazālī was a mystic, jurist and a theologian, lived in the fifth century AH, who had significantly influenced Iranian culture. His greatest work is Iḥyaʾ ʿūlm al-dīnʾ, which he wrote to revive the religious knowledge, in his seclusion period and with the subject of “transaction knowledge”, therefore there could be found architectural information in it. This research is dedicated to understanding Al-Ḡazālī’s principles for architecture and its status in Eḥyāʾ. This was done by the interpretation approach, reading and interpreting the original text of Eḥyāʾ. The focus of this research is the book of Eḥyāʾ, and it referred to other Ghazalis and secondary resources only for a better understanding of this book. This paper is the result of organizing the collected findings of Eḥyāʾ and the argument for understanding Al-Ḡazālī’s principles about architecture. The outcome of this research is two different narratives of al-Ghazālī about the craftsmen. The first narrative is about the social status of architect. The architect in this status is a craftsman who is among the ordinary people. Ordinary people’s essence is neglecting and this neglect retains the world’s order. One must be ascetic and devote himself to his crafts. At this level, not constructing is better than constructing and desolation is better than development. At the second level, Al-Ghazali’s view is quite different. By this level the architect, regardless of his/her social status, can be a prosperous servant of God, exceed the institution of asceticism, and achieves the status of affection, the highest authority. He needs to be engaged mindfully in his craft, to seek the meanings from the appearances of the world, build what reminds of the most beloved, God, and develop the world by his body while desolate it in his inwardness.