Al-Ghazālī on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness

Author: Abu Hamidal-Ghazali
Publisher: Islamic Texts Society
ISBN: 9780946621910
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 112

Book Description
Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness is a translation of the thirty-seventh chapter of The Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya Ulum al-Din). Like Al-Ghazali on Patience and Thankfulness, this chapter falls in the last of the four sections of the Ihya, the section dealing the virtues or what is conducive to salvation. Here Ghazali deals with the very important subject of intention, which is of crucial importance in Islam. Ghazali asks: How can someone ignorant of the meaning of intention verify his own intention; or how can someone ignorant of the meaning of sincerity verify his own sincerity; or how can someone sincerely claim truthfulness if he has not verified its meaning? Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness includes an introduction that places the topic in the context of Islamic ethics.

Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness

Author: Ghazzālī
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781903682784
Category : Intention
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
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.

Patience and Thankfulness

Author: Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781903682647
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 279

Book Description
The Book of Patience and Thankfulness is the thirty-second chapter of The Revival of the Religious Sciences which is widely regarded as the greatest work of Islamic spirituality. Written by one of the most famous theologian-mystics of all time, The Book of Patience and Thankfulness discusses two of the virtues of the religious and spiritual life that are of universal interest. --

On Vigilance & Self-examination

Author: Ghazzālī
Publisher: Islamic Texts Society's al-Ghazali Series
ISBN: 9781903682333
Category : Conscience, Examination of
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The 38th chapter of the Revival of the Religious Sciences, this treatise follows on from Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity & Truthfulness. Here, Ghazali focuses on the different stations of steadfastness in religion (murabaha), vigilance and self-examination being its cornerstones. As in all his writings, Ghazali bases his arguments 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.

On Disciplining the Soul

Author: Ghazzālī
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
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.

Love, Longing, Intimacy and Contentment

Author: Ghazzālī
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781903682272
Category : God (Islam)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
"This is the first complete English translation of the Book of Love, Longing, Intimacy and Contentment, the thirty-sixth chapter of Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī's monomuntal Revival of the Religious Sciences ... The Book of Love ... is of fundamental importance in the history of Islamic thought and in the development of Sufism."--P. [4] of cover.

Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness

Author: Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
Publisher: Islamic Texts Society's al-Ghazali Series
ISBN: 9781911141341
Category : Intention
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The 37th chapter of the Revival of Religious Sciences, this treatise focuses on the subject of intention--which is of crucial importance in ethics--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?

Al-Ghazālī on the Manners Relating to Eating

Author: Ghazzālī
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dinners and dining
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Book Description
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 himself: 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 are: abstention from food, fasting and general health.

Al-Ghazālī on the Lawful & the Unlawful

Author: Ghazzālī
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781903682241
Category : Islam
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Al-Ghazali's Book of the Lawful and the Unlawful is the fourteenth 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 and 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 (wara) 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. As in his other works, Ghazali bases himself on the Qur'an and narrations from the Prophet Muhammad, followed by examples from the Companions, the Successor generations and the pious Predecessors.

Al-Ghazali on Poverty and Abstinence

Author:
Publisher: Islamic Texts Society
ISBN: 9780946621750
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 145

Book Description
The Book of Poverty and Abstinence is the thirty-fourth chapter of The Revival of the Religions Sciences. It falls in the section dealing with the virtues. Ghazali gives definitions of what real poverty and abstinence should be and how the poor should conduct themselves. He goes on to describe poverty that has no virtue and which is based on greed and love of the world. For Ghazali, the virtues of real poverty and abstinence are closely linked with patience, contentment, lack of worldliness, asceticism, trust and surrender to God.