Al-Ghazali: The Alchemist of Happiness 2004

Overview

Released in the year 2004 and directed by Abdul Latif Salazar, Al-Ghazali: The Alchemist of Happiness is a film that falls into the documentary, family, and history genres with a runtime of one hour and twenty minutes. The movie stars Dariush Arjmand, Mitra Hajjar, Ghorban Najafi, and Robert Powell. Exploring the life and impact of the greatest spiritual and legal philosopher in Islamic history, the film examines Ghazali's existential crisis of faith that arose from his rejection of religious dogmatism, and reveals profound parallels with modern times. Known as the Proof of Islam, Ghazali found that his path of love and spiritual excellence overcame the pitfalls of the organized religion of his day. The narrative notes that his path was largely abandoned by early twentieth-century Muslim reformers for the more strident and less tolerant school of Ibn Taymiyya. By combining drama with documentary filmmaking, the production presents these historical and spiritual themes for audiences.