AlMunqidh

Al-Munqidh (Arabic: المنقذ) is an Arabic honorific meaning "the savior" or "the rescuer." It derives from the root naqaḏ/naqadh, meaning to rescue or deliver, with the active participle form munqidh. The epithet has been used in Islamic literature and history to refer to individuals or figures regarded as delivering others from danger, error, or misguidance.

The best-known use of the name in a literary context is Abu Hamid al-Ghazali’s autobiographical work Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (The Deliverer from Error), written in the late 11th century. In this text he recounts his intellectual and spiritual crisis, his withdrawal from teaching, and his eventual return to religious orthodoxy and Sufism. The book is considered a key work in Islamic philosophy and mysticism and has been widely translated.

Beyond the Ghazali title, the term has appeared as a religious or political epithet or honorific in various periods, reflecting the bearer’s perceived role as a deliverer or reformer. It may also occur as a given name or honorific in modern Arabic usage. In practice, Al-Munqidh functions as a descriptive title symbolizing rescue or guidance rather than as a single fixed historical figure.