Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, one of the most influential theologians, jurists, and mystics of Islamic history, passed away in Tus, Persia, after fundamentally altering the intellectual trajectory of the Muslim world. His seminal work, 'The Revival of the Religious Sciences' (Ihya Ulum al-Din), successfully reconciled orthodox Sunni theology with interior Sufi mysticism. By validating the subjective, experiential knowledge of the divine (ma'rifah) over pure scholastic rationalism, al-Ghazali provided a secure institutional framework for mystical practices across Islamic societies.

Al-Ghazali's theological validation of mystical experience opened the floodgates for the golden age of Sufi poetry, directly clearing the path for masters like Attar, Rumi, and Sana'i. Poets utilized his conceptual frameworks—such as the soul as a mirror requiring polishing—to craft verses where human love became an explicit metaphor for divine union. His writings shifted the standard for poetic expression from external panegyric to profound internal psychological and spiritual exploration.