Al Ghazali S Adapted Summary Of Ihya Ulum Al Din

AL-GHAZALI’s adapted summary of Ihya Ulum al-Din – The Forty Principles of the Religion THE FORTY PRINCIPLES OF THE RELIGION is a comprehensive distillation of Imam al-Ghazali’s magnum opus, Ihya Ulum ad-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), in which he explores the spiritual depth of virtually every aspect of Islam. This condensed work presents Imam al-Ghazali’s profound insights regarding man’s lifelong struggle to draw closer to Allah in a simple framework, providing the reader with a step-by-step tried and proven method for spiritual development. The result is an essential guide to improving one’s relationship with both the Creator and the creation and a perfect introduction to Imam al-Ghazali’s other great works. English translation by Nasir Abdussalam. Editing and footnotes by Mariam Madge Conlan. A careful and idiomatic English translation of one of Imam al-Ghazali’s most powerful books, which shows the comprehensive depth of the Qurans teachings. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (T.J. Winter) Cambridge Muslim College About the author The Proof of Islam Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (d. 1111) jurist, legal theorist, logician, theologian, and mystic was a master of both the outer and inner sciences of the Shariah who is regarded by many as the greatest Muslim thinker to have lived after the Pious Predecessors. Credited with dealing the deathblow to Aristotelian philosophy in the Muslim world and bringing authentic Islamic spirituality into the mainstream, his life and thought were extremely influential in shaping the spiritual values and practices of medieval society and are no less relevant today.

Covers those dimensions of Islamic rituals of worship – prayer, almsgiving, fasting, Pilgrimage, etc. which are essential to the fulfilment of inner quality. Consists of selections from al-Ghazali's Ihya, a pivotal work in the history of Islamic thought.

The Revival of the Religious Sciences by Imam al-Ghazali can be described as a book that will never die. This is because it contains a vital cognitive force that time cannot obliterate. In it the Imam discusses Islamic rulings, beliefs and character, in the style of an admonisher who understands the psyche and its secrets as well as spiritual diseases. What distinguishes this book from others is its strong spiritual influence on the reader which makes him seek both soundness of heart and his Lord's pleasure through acts of worship, rather than the mere performance of acts of worship so that they are legally valid. The book is a comprehensive encyclopaedia for all of a Muslim's religious affairs, including beliefs, acts of worship, dealings and character, as well as for individual and societal welfare. Al-Ghazali's style is that of one who practices what he knows, one who is determined to rise from the dry, ordinary manner of teaching to one which encourages action. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali is a towering figure in Islam. His enormous influence can be summarized, in the words of Annemarie Schimmel, as the one who "teaches... only to help man to live a life in accordance with the sacred law, not by clinging exclusively to its letter, but by an understanding of its deeper meaning ... so that he is ready for the meeting with his Lord at any moment." His greatest work Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), comprising forty books divided into four quarters of ten books each, has helped generations towards this end until today.

This book describes the importance of prayer and its requirements. It describes what is essential for the disciple in terms of the external acts and its inner secrets of prayer, and revealing its refined hidden meanings in terms of humility, sincerity and intention. Presented to the English speaking public is a translation of two chapters of Ghazal's great work, Ihya .ulum al-din. The chapter is entitled kitabasrar al-salah (the book of the secrets of prayer and its requirements). This translation was originally carried out by E E Caverley which I have edited in places to give the reader a clearer understanding of the text and correcting the Quranic references. I have also included in the book the prophetic narrations in the original Arabic to give the reader of Arabic a fuller flavour of the intended meaning. The two chapters selected are entitled "fefadail al-salahwa al-sajudwa-aljama.hwa al-azaanwaibarihaï" (virtue of the prayer, prostration, congregation, call to prayer and its precepts). And the third chapter from the book entitled fee shuruut al-batinah min a.amaal al-qalb. (Inward stipulations for the acts of the heart) The first chapter generally focuses on the pre-eminent status of prayer and its superiority over all other forms of worship in Islam. Instilling in the one who is about to initiate the prayer the enormity and seriousness of the action. The second chapter in the book focuses on the mind-set of the one who is engaged in prayer, humility being a fundamental pillar in this regard. Imam Ghazali also offers practical remedies to attain this status of humility and describes the base nature of heedlessness before one's Creator. I hope this book acts as a means of proximity since nothing can facilitate this noble goal to reach one's Lord but the Prayer. But prostate in adoration, and bring thyself the closer (to Allah) Surah Alaq.19

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, in his Book of Counsels, compiles powerful spiritual lessons and reminders, weaving hadith into direct speech and presenting it to the reader. This is a book that is intended to stir the heart to submission and mindfulness of Allah. This translation has sought to retain the literary aspects of this collection while also applying an attentive engagement with the hadith employed within.

Imam Ghazzali is well known for his writings on philosophy, reformation, rectification and purification of the hearts. This book is no exception to these subjects. As the title suggests, Imam Ghazzali lays open the hearts and exposes their diseases, ailments, maladies, virtues, merits and values. In doing so, he proves that the hearts are capable of both good and evil, and that it is upon us to either cleanse and purify them, or to soil and contaminate them. Purification of the heart would lead to a life of peace, tranquility, satisfaction, Paradise, and eventual pleasure of Allah. On the other hand, contamination of the hearts would lead to a life of stress, tension, constant fear, dissatisfaction, Hell, and the displeasure of Allah. This book, "Mukashafah al-Qulub al-Muqarrib ila Hadrah Allam al-Ghuyuba", is the abridged version of the book "Mukashafah al-Qulub al-Akbar" by Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali. This book comprises 111 chapters explaining conduct, manners, virtues of deeds, acts of obedience and the importance of doing them, acts of disobedience and the importance of abstaining from them, matters concerning this world, death, the grave, the hereafter, the reckoning [of deeds], and the reward or punishment that will be meted out. Al-Ghazzali commences each chapter by explaining the topic and introducing its theme. He then quotes Qur'anic verses and Prophetic Traditions in this regard. He then follows all this with statements, anecdotes and stories from some Sahabah, Tabieen and righteous people. All these serve to awaken the souls, embellish the hearts, remind us of Allah, His greatness, might, power, and His disposition among His creation. In this book of his, al-Ghazzali follows the course of the Qur'an and Sunnah regarding which our leader, the Messenger of Allah said: I have left among you something which if you hold on to after me, you will never go astray, the Book of Allah and my Sunnah." Imam al-Ghazzali was fondly referred to as the "Hujjat-ul-lslam", Proof of Islam; He is honored as a scholar and a saint by learned men all over the world. Al-Ghazali is generally acclaimed as the most influential thinker of the Classical period of Islam, in his autobiography The Deliverance from Error, the Imam describes his education and his intellectual crisis, which left him so paralyzed by doubt that he gave up his academic pursuits and worldly interests and became a wandering ascetic. This was a process (period) of mystical transformation. Later, he resumed his teaching duties, but again left these. An era of solitary life, devoted to contemplation and writing then ensued, which led to the authorship of a number of everlasting books (Many of which have been translated in English)