More emphasis was placed on it and evidence was presented for it, while others were content with mere mention. Perhaps the first to follow this path was Ibn Khallikan, who said: "He reached Iraq and met Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, al-Kiya al-Harasi, al-Tartushi, and others." Ibn Abi Zar' followed him in this, saying: "He met the scholars from whom he took knowledge, the Sheikh al-Imam al-Wahid Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, may God be pleased with him and have mercy on him. He stayed with him for three years to acquire knowledge." This position was reflected in many modern researchers who cited the meeting as proof. It is important to note that all these affirmers did not rely on definitive arguments for what they concluded, but rather relied on circumstantial evidence and previous narrations. As for those who denied this meeting, we find the first of them among the historians is Ibn al-Athir, who says: "[Ibn Tumart] arrived in Iraq on his journey and met al-Ghazali and al-Kiya, and met Abu Bakr al-Tartushi in Alexandria. It was said that a conversation took place between him and al-Ghazali about his actions in the Maghreb of taking power. Al-Ghazali said to him, 'This is not feasible in these lands, nor can it happen to people like us.' So said some historians of the Maghreb. The correct view is that he did not meet him, and he performed Hajj from there and returned to the Maghreb." Although Ibn al-Athir presented this judgment without explanation or reliance on any argument, this definitive judgment, which he alone held among historians, found many supporters among modern researchers. Perhaps the first to attempt to support this denial with an argument was Goldziher, who concluded that Ibn Khallikan - Deaths: 61 Ibn Abi Zar' - Rawd 62 This affirmation was also mentioned in: Abu al-Fida - Mukhtasar fi Akhbar al-Bashar: 120 al-Qurtas: 2/71 and al-Subki - Tabaqat 4/232 al-Shafi'i: and Ibn 4/57 al-Khatib - Number of garments: 100, and Ibn al-Qunfudh - al-Farisiyya: 266 and works of the learned: and al-Qalqashandi - Subh 5/191 al-A'sha: and Ibn al-Imad - al-Shadharat: 4/107 and al-Zarkashi - History of the two dynasties: and Ibn Abi 4/70 and al-Yusi - Lectures: 101 and al-Zubaidi - Itḥāf 1/44 al-Sada al-Muttaqin: and Ibn 1/106 Zaydan - Itḥāf A'lam al-Nas: 58 and al-Dhahabi - Tarikh al-Islam al-Kabir: 117, and Unknown - Mafakhir al-Barbar: 99. See, for example: Kanun - al-Nubuwwah al-Maghribiyya: 11 and al-Manuni - Sciences, Arts, and Crafts during the era of 147 the Almohads: Did al-Ghazali meet Ibn Tumart? 8 Ibn al-Athir - al-Kamil: 64 85 and see: Ibn Ghalbun - al-Tadhkir: 294. 79