Overview

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 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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Abu Hamid al-Ghazali ,  T. J. Winter
Publisher:   The Islamic Texts Society
Imprint:   The Islamic Texts Society
Edition:   2nd New edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 3.50cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.590kg
ISBN:  

9781911141358

ISBN 10:   191114135
Pages:   384
Publication Date:   01 August 2016
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Language:   English

Table of Contents

Al-Ghazali's Introduction to the Revival of the Religious Sciences Preface Abbreviations Introduction Notes to Introduction The Book of Disciplining the Soul, Refining the Character, and Curing the Sickness of the Heart   Prologue   An Exposition of the Merit which is in having Good Character, and a Condemnation of Bad Character   An Exposition of the True Nature of Good and Bad Character   An Exposition of the Susceptibility of the Traits of Character to Change through Discipline   A General Exposition of the Means by which Good Character may be Acquired   An Exposition Detailing the Method Used in Refining the Character   An Exposition of the Symptoms by which the Diseases of the Heart may be Recognised, and the Signs which Indicate a Return to Health   An Exposition of the Way in which a Man may Discover the Faults in his Soul   An Exposition of Evidence Handed Down from Men of Spiritual Insight and Provided in the Law to the Effect that the Way to Cure the Diseases of the Heart is by Renouncing one's Desires, and that the Stuff of such Diseases is Following Desires   An Exposition of the Signs of Good Character   An Exposition of the Way in which Young Children should be Disciplined, and the Manner of their Upbringing and the Improvements of their Characters   An Exposition of the Requirements of Aspirancy, the Preliminaries to Spiritual Struggle, and the Progressive Induction of the Aspirant in Treading the Path of Discipline The Book of Breaking the Two Desires   An Exposition of the Merit of Hunger and a Condemnation of Satiety   An Exposition of the Benefits of Hunger, and the Evils of Satiety   An Exposition of the Method by which Discipline of Used to Break the Greed of the Stomach   An Exposition of the Variance in the Rule and Merit of Hunger in Accordance with the Circumstances of Men   An Exposition of the Ostentation which may Proceed from the Renunciation of Desirable Foods and from Eating Frugally   A Discourse on Sexual Desire   An Exposition of the Aspirant's Obligations Regarding the Renunciation or Contraction of Marriage   An Exposition of the Merit of him who Counters the Desire of the Sex and the Eye Notes Appendix I: Persons cited in text Appendix II: Translations of the Revival into European languages Appendix III: The Wonders of the Heart Bibliography Index to Qur'anic Quotations General Index

Reviews

...the series as a whole, [is] a significant contribution to our understanding of this key figure in Islamic intellectual thought. ---Oliver Leaman (BRISMES Bulletin)

...the series as a whole, [is] a significant contribution to our understanding of this key figure in Islamic intellectual thought. -- Oliver Leaman * BRISMES Bulletin *

“…the series as a whole, [is] a significant contribution to our understanding of this key figure in Islamic intellectual thought.”---Oliver Leaman (BRISMES Bulletin)

Author Information

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111), theologian, logician, jurist and mystic, was born and died in Tus in Central Asia, but spent much of his life lecturing at Baghdad or leading the life of a wandering dervish. His most celebrated work, Revival of the Religious Sciences, has exercised a profound influence on Muslim intellectual history by exploring the mystical significance of the practices and beliefs of Islamic orthodoxy, earning him the title of Hujjat al Islam, the ‘Proof of Islam’.

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