Books in series
#1
The Revival of the Religious Sciences
1100
The Book of Knowledge (Kitab al-ʿilm) is the foundation of the forty books of the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihyaʾ ʿulum al‐din), Imam al-Ghazali’s magnum opus. In the Book of Knowledge, he defines knowledge, its relation to faith, theology, and jurisprudence. The book deals with the virtue of knowledge from both rational and traditional points of view. It elucidates the types of knowledge and the nature of people’s obligation to seek knowledge. Imam al-Ghazali defines jurisprudence and theology as branches of Islamic knowledge, then outlines those fields that people incorrectly consider to be Islamic disciplines, and distinguishes the praiseworthy from the blameworthy. He describes in detail the perils of disputation and the reasons people engage in debate and dialectics. He also considers the conduct incumbent on the teacher and student and warns of the perils that can befall those pursuing knowledge. Finally, Imam al-Ghazali discusses the virtues and categories of the intellect and the prophetic traditions related to it.
Each chapter includes a discussion of the Qur’anic verses, Hadith, and traditions from the Companions and the pious predecessors related to the subject at hand. Imam al-Ghazali then engages his readers in a heartfelt discourse; he offers proofs, metaphors, and examples to encourage seekers along the path to knowledge of the hereafter.
#2
The Principles of the Creed
2023
In the Principles of the Creed, (Kitab qawaid al-aqaid) second of the forty books of the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihyaʾ ʿulum al‐din), Abu Hamid al-Ghazali explains the fundamental beliefs of Islam, those that concern faith in God, His revelation, His messengers, and the hereafter. The scope of these beliefs includes the nature of God, Muhammad’s status as a prophet, the virtues of the Companions, the events related to the resurrection and judgment, and the nature of faith itself. This presentation of beliefs goes beyond a list of creedal statements; Imam al-Ghazali cites the Scriptural foundations in the Quran and hadith, refers to transmitted reports from the Companions and others from the righteous predecessors, and supports these beliefs with rational arguments.
Each chapter includes a discussion of the Qur’anic verses, Hadith, and traditions from the Companions and the pious predecessors related to the subject at hand. Imam al-Ghazali then engages his readers in a heartfelt discourse; he offers proofs, metaphors, and examples to encourage seekers along the path to knowledge of the hereafter.
#3
The Mysteries of Purification
2023
In The Mysteries of Purification (Kitab asrar al-tahara), the third of the forty books of the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihyaʾ ʿulum al‐din), Abu Hamid al-Ghazali explains the fundamentals of the purification that is necessary in order to perform the five daily prayers. The book begins with an introduction to the general topic of purity. Imam al-Ghazali explains the hadith “Purification is half of faith,” and reminds readers that, for the earliest Muslims, inner purification was much more important than outer purification.
Each chapter includes a discussion of the Qur’anic verses, Hadith, and traditions from the Companions and the pious predecessors related to the subject at hand. Imam al-Ghazali then engages his readers in a heartfelt discourse; he offers proofs, metaphors, and examples to encourage seekers along the path to knowledge of the hereafter.
#4
The Mysteries of the Prayer
2018
In The Mysteries of the Prayer and Its Important Elements, book four of the 40 books of the Revival of the Religious Sciences, Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī explains the inner and outer meanings of the prayer, a central practice for Muslims. He explains the acts involved in the outward elements of the prayer and outlines which of these acts are obligatory and which are sunna. He then discusses the inward requisites of the prayer—the practices of the heart—and presents practical remedies for a distracted heart. He also discusses the annual prayers and the prayers and supplications related to events such as eclipses, the prayer for rain, guidance, and need. This readable yet comprehensive work covers an array of issues from the essential outward aspects of how to pray, to the inward aspects of the state of the heart during the prayer and how to humble oneself completely. As a practical, yet profound book, it is essential reading for Muslims who seek a deeper comprehension of prayer, and for all those interested in understanding the meaning and place of prayer in Islam.
#5
Rahsia-rahsia Puasa
2019
Puasa merupakan shariat yang telah ada sejak sebelum zaman Nabi Muhammad ﷺ. Ia merupakan salah satu shariat yang diteruskan dalam Islam, sesuai dengan peranan agama ini sebagai penyunggah agama-agama terdahulu dalam hal Kebenaran (musaddiqan lima ma'akum). (Surah al-Baqarah 2: 41).
Namun, Islam tidak hanya datang sebagai penerus shariat terdahulu malah turut memperkayakannya. Jika shariat para Nabi terdahulu - terutamanya nabi-nabi yang dilantik daripada keturunan Nabi Ishaq a.s - lebih menekankan aspek amalannya, dan shariat Nabi Isa a.s pula lebih mementingkan aspek keruhaniannya, maka shariat Nabi Muhammad ﷺ. adalah pengimbang antara kedua-duanya.
Intisari aspek luaran dan dalaman yang terkandung dalam shariat Islam inilah yang dibahaskan oleh Hujjat al-Islam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (wafat 1111 Masihi) melalui kitabnya Asrar al-Sawm.
Kitab ini membahaskan aspek dalaman berpuasa sebagai tangga untuk penyempurnaan jiwa (tazkiyatun nafs) dan usaha mendekatkan diri kepada Allah (muqarabatillah). Dalam erti kata lain, beliau membahaskan aspek tasawwuf bagi amalan berpuasa.
Puasa merupakan ibadah yang mengandungi 1001 hikmah dan keistimewaan tersendiri. Ia berfungsi sebagai sebuah madrasah bagi seseorang untuk melatih diri, jiwa, dan nafsu. Dengan buku ini, smeoga pembaca memperoleh intipati faedah berpuasa dan menyunggahkan hakikatnya sebagai proses penyucian diri.
#9
Al-Ghazali on Invocations and Supplications
1990
A revised edition of Kojiro Nakamura's acclaimed translation into English of Book IX of The Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din). Although prayerfulness and the remembrance of God suffuse all the formal practices of Islam, there are times when the Muslim simply 'sits alone with his Lord' to repeat formulas drawn from the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet, seeking remission of his sins and the purification of his heart. The present volume is probably the most widely read compendium of such material, popular not only for its comprehensiveness and beauty, but also for the analytical approach of its author, who explores the psychological and spiritual effects of prayer and the celebration of God's name. The original translation by Kojiro Nakamura, now Head of the Islamic Studies Department at the University of Tokyo, has been substantially revised and augmented with hadith identification.
This volume won a British Book Design and Production Award in 1991.
#11
Al-Ghazali on the Manners Relating to Eating
Book XI of the Revival of the Religious Sciences
2000
The eleventh chapter of The Revival of the Religious Sciences begins the section dealing with man and society. In this volume concentrating on the manners relating to eating, Ghazali first discusses what a person must uphold when eating by that the food is lawful, that both the person and the surroundings should be clean, that one must be content with what is available, and how the person should conduct himself while eating and after eating. Ghazali then proceeds to discuss eating in company and says that to all the above should be added the necessity of courtesy, conversation and the proper presentation of food. Finally, Ghazali expounds the virtues of hospitality and generosity and the conduct of the host as well as that of the guest. Other topics that are discussed abstention from food, fasting and general health.
#14
Al-Ghazali on the Lawful & the Unlawful
2014
The Book of the Lawful & the Unlawful is the 14th chapter of The Revival of the Religious Sciences, which is widely considered as the greatest work of Islamic spirituality. Written by one of the most famous of theologian-mystics of all time, The Book of the Lawful & the Unlawful is unlike other Islamic works concerned with legal issues; here, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali aims to teach his readers firstly the theory of what is lawful and what is unlawful and how to deal with dubious or ambiguous issues, and secondly how to apply the knowledge they have gained to their everyday lives. The main support for this application, especially in matters that are unclear, is caution or prudence, and Ghazali explains the degrees of prudence necessary, beginning with the prudence of the upright and ending with the prudence of the saintly. Thus the sincere practice of what is lawful and desisting from what is unlawful become integrated into one’s spiritual life.
#17
Al-Ghazali on Conduct in Travel
2015
Al-Ghazali on Conduct in Travel is a translation of the seventeenth book of the Revival of the Religious Sciences. In it Ghazali explains the different outer and inner reasons for travel. Outer reasons include the pilgrimage, the search for knowledge, and the flight from danger; while inner reasons include the acquisition of virtue and the disciplining of the soul. Ghazali divides travel into four classes and portrays the right inward and outward conduct for each. He then follows this with a practical chapter on the use of religious concessions while travelling and concludes with a final chapter on how the traveller is to establish the proper direction and times for prayer.
#18
Al-Ghazali on Responses Proper to Listening to Music and the Experience of Ecstasy
Book XVIII of the Revival of the Religious Sciences
2019
Responses Proper to Listening to Music and the Experience of Ecstasy is the eighteen chapter of the Revival of the Religious Sciences ( Ihya' 'ulum al-din ), a monumental work of classical Islam written by the renowned theologian-mystic Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111). This chapter of the Revival deals with the controversial topic of music. In the Islamic legal tradition, there is disagreement as to whether or not performing and listening to music is lawful, even more, whether music might be used as a path to ecstasy.
Basing himself on the Qur'an, hadith, the first generations of Muslims and the mystical tradition, Ghazali presents the arguments both for and against listening to music. Ghazali's own position is that music in itself is permissible, though under certain circumstances it can be unlawful or undesirable. Ghazali emphasises awareness of the omnipresence of God in creation and the importance of using the mind, hearing and sight to bring one closer to God. In Responses Proper to Listening to Music and the Experience of Ecstasy he gives lyrical expression to his love of poetry and music, and their legitimate place not only in human celebrations, but in divine worship and as aids on the path to gnosis and ecstasy. All such responses he sees exemplified in the life of the Prophet with his family.
This volume also includes a translation of Imam Ghazali's own Introduction to the Revival of the Religious Sciences, which gives the reasons that caused him to write the work, the structure of the whole of the Revival and which places each of the chapters in the context of the others.
#21
The Marvels of the Heart
Science of the Spirit
2007
Marvels of the Heart is thought to be the key volume of the 40-book Ihya' 'Ulum-Al Din—Revival of the Religious Sciences—, the most read work in the Muslim world after the Qur’an, and considered by many to be the Summa Theologica of Islam. These traditional teaching stories, which use the theme of the heart as a mirror, illustrate key tenets of Islam on the requirements of religion, living in society, and the inner life of the soul.
#26
Al-Ghazali on Love, Longing, Intimacy & Contentment
2003
As the first complete translation of a classic Arabic text written in the 11th century, this work is an eloquent introduction to mystical love in Islam. Considered one of the most important chapters in al-Ghazālī's magnum opus The Revival of the Religious Sciences, it consists of arguments that form the basis of Sufi theory and the practice of mystical love. Providing the book's historical and spiritual context, this account also offers insight into the poetry of such greats as Rumi and Hafiz.
#29
Al-Ghazali on the Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration
2018
The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration is the first translation into a European language of chapter twenty-nine of The Revival of the Religious Sciences, a monumental work of classical Islam written by the greatest theologian-mystic of Islam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111). Perhaps the most important chapter in the whole of the Revival, The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration delves into the fundamental spiritual ailments and major impediments of the soul, namely pride and self-admiration. Ghazali offers readers an in-depth analysis of how and why pride and self-admiration are so harmful to a person's soul, and oulines methods of recognizing and subsequently healing these diseases of the heart. The key ingredient in this cure, Ghazali explains, is the cultivation of humility, which results from an increasing awareness of one's lowliness and essential nothingness before God. An indepth and very lucid analysis of the major vices and virtues central to all religions.
#32
Al-Ghazali on Patience and Thankfulness
Book XXXII of the Revival of the Religious Sciences
2003
Originally written as a manual of spiritual instruction, these writings examine Sufi and mystical influences within the Muslim tradition. A crucial work of medieval Islamic thought, this portion of Revival of the Religious Sciences provides insight into the intellectual and religious history of the Muslim world. The virtues of patience and thankfulness are defined and their place in the Islamic worldview is elucidated, with particular attention paid to their attainment and the influences that divert people from these virtues.
Al-Ghazali on Patience and Thankfulness is a translation of the thirty-second chapter of The Revival of the Religions Sciences (Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din) . This chapter fills in the last of the four sections of the Ihya', the section dealing with the virtues or what is conducive to salvation. Ghazali here presents definitions for patience and its different forms; the need for patience; the degrees of patience; and why patience is considered to be half of faith. The second part of this chapter deals with thankfulness and again Ghazali gives us definitions for thankfulness, its nature and its blessings. In addition to the translation, Dr Henry Littlejohn provides an extensive introduction which illustrates the importance of the topics of patience and thankfulness in Islam throughout the centuries.
#34
Al-Ghazali on Poverty and Abstinence
2012
Al-Ghazali on Poverty and Abstinence is the thirty-fourth chapter of the Revival of the Religious Sciences. It falls in the section dealing with the virtues. Ghazali traces poverty and abstinence back to the Prophet Muhammad who exhorted the faithful to love the poor and described this love as a key to heaven. But behind the Prophet's love of the poor lay his legendary humility, and the life of poverty on which Ghazali expatiates in this treatise refers to what every devoted follower of the Prophet is meant to adopt, not simply an accidental state of destitution that might befall anyone. What is true piety? What spiritual infirmities impede the path of poverty? These are the questions that preoccupy Ghazali in the Book on Poverty and Abstinence. His aim in this chapter is to teach the ordinary believer about inner purification through inner poverty and abstinence. The result is a rich tapestry of practises, thoughts, concepts and anecdotes drawn from some of the most fascinating figures in the tradition of practical ethics in Islam, a tradition that harks back to the enduring examples of pre-Islamic prophets like Jesus, Moses and Joseph.
#35
Al-Ghazali on Faith in Divine Unity and Trust in Divine Providence
2001
In an axial volume from his celebrated compendium, the "Ihya ulum al din," al-Ghazali shares his startling and original exploration of the meaning of trust in Divine Providence and recommends specific spiritual skills to help the seeker develop a state whereby he or she may rightly respond to events as they happen. This judicious use of stories is intended to imitate the Sufi practice of the master/disciple relationship, where the novice is helped to discern correct action.
#37
Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness
2012
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.
#40
Al-Ghazali on the Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife
1989
This is the first English translation of the last chapter of Al-Ghazali's Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din), widely regarded as the greatest work of Muslim spirituality. After expounding his Sufi philosophy of death and showing the importance of the contemplation of human mortality to the mystical way of self-purification, Ghazali takes his readers through the stages of the future the vision of the Angels of the Grave, the Resurrection, the Intercession of the Prophet, and finally, the torments of Hell, the delights of Paradise and—for the elect—the beatific vision of God's Countenance.
Author
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
Author · 69 books
أبو حامد الغزالي Muslim theologian and philosopher Abu Hamid al-Ghazali of Persia worked to systematize Sufism, Islamic mysticism, and in The Incoherence of the Philosophers (1095) argued the incompatibility of thought of Plato and Aristotle with Islam. Born in 1058, Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī ranked of the most prominent and influential Sunni jurists of his origin. Islamic tradition considers him to be a Mujaddid, a renewer of the faith who, according to the prophetic hadith, appears once every century to restore the faith of the ummah ("the Islamic Community"). His works were so highly acclaimed by his contemporaries that al-Ghazali was awarded the honorific title "Proof of Islam" (Hujjat al-Islam). Al-Ghazali believed that the Islamic spiritual tradition had become moribund and that the spiritual sciences taught by the first generation of Muslims had been forgotten.[24] That resulted in his writing his magnum opus entitled Ihya 'ulum al-din ("The Revival of the Religious Sciences"). Among his other works, the Tahāfut al-Falāsifa ("Incoherence of the Philosophers") is a significant landmark in the history of philosophy, as it advances the critique of Aristotelian science developed later in 14th-century Europe. أبو حامد محمد الغزّالي الطوسي النيسابوري الصوفي الشافعي الأشعري، أحد أعلام عصره وأحد أشهر علماء المسلمين في القرن الخامس الهجري،(450 هـ - 505 هـ / 1058م - 1111م). كان فقيهاً وأصولياً وفيلسوفاً، وكان صوفيّ الطريقةِ، شافعيّ الفقهِ إذ لم يكن للشافعية في آخر عصره مثلَه.، وكان على مذهب الأشاعرة في العقيدة، وقد عُرف كأحد مؤسسي المدرسة الأشعرية في علم الكلام، وأحد أصولها الثلاثة بعد أبي الحسن الأشعري، (وكانوا الباقلاني والجويني والغزّالي) لُقّب الغزالي بألقاب كثيرة في حياته، أشهرها لقب "حجّة الإسلام"، وله أيضاً ألقاب مثل: زين الدين، ومحجّة الدين، والعالم الأوحد، ومفتي الأمّة، وبركة الأنام، وإمام أئمة الدين، وشرف الأئمة. كان له أثرٌ كبيرٌ وبصمةٌ واضحةٌ في عدّة علوم مثل الفلسفة، والفقه الشافعي، وعلم الكلام، والتصوف، والمنطق، وترك عدداَ من الكتب في تلك المجالات.ولد وعاش في طوس، ثم انتقل إلى نيسابور ليلازم أبا المعالي الجويني (الملقّب بإمام الحرمين)، فأخذ عنه معظم العلوم، ولمّا بلغ عمره 34 سنة، رحل إلى بغداد مدرّساً في المدرسة النظامية في عهد الدولة العباسية بطلب من الوزير السلجوقي نظام الملك. في تلك الفترة اشتُهر شهرةً واسعةً، وصار مقصداً لطلاب العلم الشرعي من جميع البلدان، حتى بلغ أنه كان يجلس في مجلسه أكثر من 400 من أفاضل الناس وعلمائهم يستمعون له ويكتبون عنه العلم. وبعد 4 سنوات من التدريس قرر اعتزال الناس والتفرغ للعبادة وتربية نفسه، متأثراً بذلك بالصّوفية وكتبهم، فخرج من بغداد خفيةً في رحلة طويلة بلغت 11 سنة، تنقل خلالها بين دمشق والقدس والخليل ومكة والمدينة المنورة، كتب خلالها كتابه المشهور إحياء علوم الدين كخلاصة لتجربته الروحية، عاد بعدها إلى بلده طوس متخذاً بجوار بيته مدرسةً للفقهاء، وخانقاه (مكان للتعبّد والعزلة) للصوفية.
