but draw not nigh this tree

Abstract

The notion of evil in Islamic thought is as heterogeneous as Islam itself. Consequently, this chapter focuses on the major conceptual shifts this notion underwent during the formative period of Islamic culture, i.e. the time between the Qurʾānic revelation and the first consolidation of what might be called the orthodox Sunnite position in the eleventh/twelfth century. The study is focused on two crucial stages. The first section, dedicated to Islam’s core reference point and founding document (the Qurʾān) seeks to investigate ideas of evil in Islam’s holy book and, thus, explore the framework within which discussions about evil developed among Muslim scholars. The second section examines a passage by al-Ghazālī, an Ashʿarite thinker who played a pivotal role in the formation of orthodoxy. There, al-Ghazālī engages in a debate with his opponents, the Muʿtazilites, on the subject of evil—this offers unique insight into key conceptual controversies in early Islam.