Some Almohad loyalists, in order to further strengthen the Almohad call, provided endorsements for it from prominent scholars with scientific standing, such as Al-Ghazali.

Thus, it seems that direct testimonies regarding this meeting do not provide us with anything.

And a group of the doubtful, and a group of the negators.

As for the skeptics, they are those for whom the argument for the absence of the meeting was not clear, nor was the argument for its existence. So they presented the matter without affirmation or negation, using phrases that imply a skeptical stance. Among these, from the ancients, is Al-Marrakshi, who included his stance in the following statement: "And it was said that he [i.e., Ibn Tumart] met Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali in Sham during his ascetic days. And God knows best." His skepticism also appears in his saying: "And it was narrated that he mentioned to Al-Ghazali what the Amir of the Muslims did with his books that reached Morocco, burning and destroying them." Ibn Tumart was present at that gathering. When Al-Ghazali heard this, he said: "Let his reign diminish, and let his children be killed." And I do not think anyone other than the one present in our gathering would undertake that."

Ibn Khaldun took the same skeptical stance at one point, saying: "And they claimed he met Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali and discussed with him what was in his heart." And Al-Nuwayri, when he says: "And he reached Iraq on his journey. And he met Al-Ghazali, and Al-Kiya al-Harasi. And it was said that he did not meet Al-Ghazali."

This doubt reflected by the historians has also affected some modern researchers who have dealt with the biography of Ibn Tumart.

As for those who affirm the meeting, they are many historians and researchers. Some of them have resorted to Al-Marrakshi, the admirer: (56) Same source: (57) Ibn Khaldun, the interpreter: (58) 466 Nihayat al-Arab: Al-Nuwayri (59) 187-88 See Makla: Abdul Hamid Al-Abadi, Al-Mujmal fi Tarikh Al-Andalus (60) 78