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The First Islamic Reviver presents a new biography of al-Ghazali's final decade and a half, presenting him not as a reclusive spiritual seeker, but as an engaged Islamic revivalist seeking to reshape his religious tradition.
In book twenty of the forty books which compose the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'ulum al-din), Abu hamid al-Ghazali gives a full account of the customs and character of the Messenger of God, Muhammad. It is not a biography of Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) but a roadmap for those who want to strengthen their faith, increase their knowledge, and deepen their understanding of the second part of the testimony of faith, namely the first pillar of Islam. The author details the Messenger's noble nature and his miracles, while removing doubts regarding his message. He deals with the issue of the imitation of Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) noting that the ultimate source of knowledge is revelation from God which comes to us through the Messenger. This volume lays clear that the aim of the imam in this Series is to call for a return to the Sunna and the imitation of the Messenger in all aspects of life.
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.
This book is the first of its kind to focus entirely on the Qur’anic interpretation of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), a towering figure of Sunni Islam. Martin Whittingham explores both al-Ghazali’s hermeneutical methods and his interpretations of particular Quranic texts, and covers al-Ghazali’s mystical, legal and theological concerns. Divided into two parts: part one examines al-Ghazali’s legal and Sufi theoretical discussions part two asks how these theories relate to his practice, analysing the only three of al-Ghazali’s works which are centrally concerned with interpreting particular Qur’anic passages: Jawahir al-Qur’an (The Jewels of the Qur’an); Al-Qist as al-mustaqim (The Correct Balance); and Mishkat al-anwar (The Niche for Lights). Providing a new point of access to the works of al-Ghazali, this book will be welcomed by scholars and students of Islamic studies, religious studies, hermeneutics, and anyone interested in how Muslims understand the Qur’an.
This book examines the contrasting interpretations of Islam and the Qur’an by Averroes and Al-Ghazali, as a way of helping us untangle current impasses affecting each Abrahamic faith. This has traditionally been portrayed as a battle between philosophy and theology, but the book shows that Averroes was rather more religious and Al-Ghazali more philosophical than they are usually portrayed. The book traces the interaction between two Muslim thinkers, showing how each is convinced of the existence of a Book in which God is revealed to rational beings, to whom He has given commandments, as well as of the excellence of Islamic society. Yet they differ regarding the proper way to interpret the ...
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 chara...
A comprehensive study of Muslim thinker al-Ghazali's life and his understanding of cosmology-how God creates things and events in the world, how human acts relate to God's power, and how the universe is structured.
The first detailed study of Islamic theodicy, the book points out distinctively Islamic formulations and solutions of the problem of the best of all possible worlds" and shows where they coincide with Western versions, such as that of Leibniz. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
In this translation of the 17th book of the Revival of the Religious Sciences, 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. He then follows this with a practical chapter on the use of religious concessions while traveling and concludes with a final chapter on how the traveler is to establish the proper direction and times for prayer.