Imam Ghazzali S Ihya Ulum Din

General Description: In al-Ghazzali's view, everything begins by knowing who you are. He says that you should know that you are born with an outer form and an inner essence and it is that inner essence or the spiritual heart that you have to come to know in order to know who you are.

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.

In Ihya 'Ulum ad-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), the author explores the spiritual depth of virtually every aspect of Islam. The book 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. About the Author The Proof of Islam Imam Abu Hamid Muḥammad 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 Shari'ah who is regarded by many as the greatest Muslim thinker to have lived after the Pious Predecessors. Credited with dealing a death blow to Aristotelian philosophy in the Muslim world and bringing authentic Islamic spirituality into the mainstream, his life and thoughts were highly influential in shaping medieval society's spiritual values and practices and are no less relevant today.

The 37th chapter of the Revival of Religious Sciences, this treatise focuses on the subject of intention--which is of crucial importance in Islam--posing questions such as How can someone ignorant of the meaning of intention verify his own intention? How can someone ignorant of the meaning of sincerity verify his own sincerity? and How can someone sincerely claim truthfulness if he has not verified its meaning? Renowned theologian-mystic Abu Hamid al-Ghazali addresses these questions by expounding the reality and levels of intention, sincerity, and truthfulness and the acts which affirm or mar them. Each of al-Ghazali's responses is based on the Qur'an, the example of the Prophet, and the sayings of numerous scholars and Sufis. As relevant today as it was in the 11th century, this discourse will be of interest to anyone concerned with ethics and moral philosophy.

"I seek Allahs refuge from the knowledge which is of no benefit". This disciple of Imam Ghazali (RA) kept thinking along these lines for a few days and then wrote a letter to Imam Ghazali (RA) with the view of getting an answer to his dilemma along with some other questions. Furthermore, he asked in his letter to Imam Ghazali (RA) for some advice and to teach him a supplication that he could always recite. He wrote in his letter that although Imam Ghazali (RA) has written numerous books on this issue, this weak individual is in need of something that he could always study and always act upon its injunctions. In reply to his letter, Imam Ghazali (RA) sent him the following advices.

The spiritual life in Islam begins with riyadat al-nafs, the inner warfare against the ego. Distracted and polluted by worldliness, the lower self has a tendency to drag the human creature down into arrogance and vice. Only by a powerful effort of will can the sincere worshipper achieve the purity of soul which enables him to attain God's proximity. This translation of two chapters from The Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din) details the sophisticated spiritual techniques adopted by classical Islam. In the first step, On Disciplining the Soul, which cites copious anecdotes from the Islamic scriptures and biographies of the saints, Ghazali explains how to acquire good character traits, and goes on to describe how the sickness of the heart may be cured. In the second part, Breaking the Two Desires, he focusses on the question of gluttony and sexual desire, concluding, in the words of the Prophet, that 'the best of all matters is the middle way'. The translator has added an introduction and notes which explore Ghazali's ability to make use of Greek as well as Islamic ethics. The work will prove of special interest to those interested in Sufi mysticism, comparative ethics, and the question of sexuality in Islam.