The Nature of Language and Its Terminologyin Imam Mohammad Ghazzali’s Thoughts

Most of the research conducted on the subject of “language” and its role in the field of mystical texts, has focused on the objective reflection of language (the investigation of language in speech and writing), an area that is actually regarded as second-order knowledge. It is very important to pay attention to the first-order knowledge, which is defined as knowing the nature of the language itself and every individual (mystic’s) interpretation of what it is – which is mostly neglected. That is why before the stage of proof and realization of language; the position of proof and interpretation of the language is a principle, and before the language reaches the level of realization and emergence, the manner of its interpretation and determination is formed. One of the thoughtful mystics who contemplated about the nature of language and wrote about it in his works is Imam Mohammad Ghazali. This study, based on a descriptive-analytical method, tries to investigate Imam Muhammad Ghazali’s thoughts on the field of language and its nature (first-order knowledge) in the light of some of Saussure’s linguistic ideas. The emergence and realization of language in the form of terminology and universals (second-order knowledge) is another aim of this research. The results indicated that, in explaining the subject of language, as a philosopher, Ghazali discussed the makeup and nature of language and from the point of view of a linguist, he looked into the process of language development in spoken and written forms.