Some Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazali — Al-Ghazali
Some religious and moral teachings of Al-Ghazzali | Project Gutenberg You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Some religious and moral teachings of Al-Ghazzali Being brief extracts from his Ihya-u-Ulum-id-din Author : Ghazzali Author of introduction, etc. : Alban G. Widgery Translator : Syed Nawab Ali Release date : March 11, 2024 [eBook #73140] Language : English Original publication : Baroda: A. G. Widgery, 1921 Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73140 Credits : Fritz Ohrenschall and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net *** START OF K. G. Patel at the Lakshmi Vilas P. Press Co. Ltd. and published by A. G. Widgery, the College, Baroda, 5-1-1921. Some religious and moral teachings of Al-Ghazzali | Project Gutenberg Other Works by Professor Nawab Ali MAA’RIJ-UDDIN. The Ladder of Religion. A Comparative Study of Religions. TARIKHI-SOHAF. History of the Holy Scriptures. TAZKIRAL-UL-MUSTAFA. Life of Prophet Mohammed. May be had from The Seminar, The College, BARODA SOME RELIGIOUS AND MORAL TEACHINGS OF AL-GHAZZALI Being brief extracts from his Ihya-u-Ulum-id-din Freely rendered into English by SYED NAWAB ALI M. A. Professor of Persian, the College, Baroda. With an introduction by ALBAN G. WIDGERY M. A. Professor of the Comparative Study of Religions, The College, Baroda. BARODA Some religious and moral teachings of Al-Ghazzali | Project Gutenberg PREFACE The perusal of the constructive treatises of the foremost leaders of the different religions should help to promote at least more mutual respect, if not, indeed, actual co-operation, among their devotees than the study of the critical discussions of lesser minds. For this reason the present small volume of extracts from the chief constructive work of Al Ghazzali has been included in the Gaekwad Studies in Religion and Philosophy. The purpose of that series is to be constructive rather than critical, and further, it is meant to contain volumes appealing to the general public as well as to the scholar. For a wider and more correct understanding and appreciation of the spirit of Islam, it is to be regretted that there are so few English translations of Muslim works in Arabic and Persian. It is to be hoped that in future more attention will be turned in this direction. In the meantime the present volume may serve at least to arouse some interest. This work was undertaken at the request of Professor Widgery, to whom I am indebted for several suggestions and for going through the whole of the manuscript and the proofs. NAWAB ALI Baroda, 1920. Some religious and moral teachings of Al-Ghazzali | Project Gutenberg CONTENTS Preface Page 5 Introduction 9 List of Al Ghazzali’s works 30 I. The Nature of Man 41 II. Human Freedom and Responsibility 53 III. Pride and Vanity 78 IV. Friendship and Sincerity 95 V. The Nature of Love, and Man’s highest Happiness 116 VI. The Unity of God 138 VII. The Love of God and its Signs 145 VIII. Riza or Joyous Submission to His Will 164 Some religious and moral teachings of Al-Ghazzali | Project Gutenberg INTRODUCTION The Comparative Study of Religions, interesting as a form of intellectual research, has for many a further value in the influence it may exert upon the widening and the deepening of the religious life. The practical value may become more and more acknowledged, if, as signs suggest, the reality of the religious experience is more keenly felt and mankind recognise the place of religious goods in the highest type of life. Though it is certainly premature to say that there is much serious acknowledgement and recognition of these values amongst the peoples of the world, there are reasons to think that tendencies of thought and feeling in this direction are increasing in power. One of the best means of aiding the Comparative Study of Religions and promoting these tendencies is by the publication of important books connected with the religions, representing the views of leading thinkers and saints. If we turn to Islam, we find that some Western writers describe it as in a condition of progressive decay, while others would have us believe that its onward march is a menace. It is well to be able to avoid the obvious purpose which lies behind both contentions. Nevertheless, to the present writer it appears true to say that there is much stagnation in Islam (In which religion is there not?), and that its spirit is often lost and its real teachings neglected owing to the general use of Arabic in the recitation of the Quran by persons entirely ignorant of that language, and also to the prevalent mechanical conception of the character of the Quran as a form of divine revelation. We believe that the Comparative Study of Religions will help to turn the attention of Muslims away from these to the emphasising of the essential spirit of Islam. This should be central and normative in the rising movements of reform and rejuvenescence. In this connection, as bringing out this spirit, it is especially appropriate, both for the students of the religions and for those directly interested in the spiritual revival in Islam, to publish in an easily accessible form some of the religious and moral teachings of Ghazzali. A Western scholar has written of him that he is “the greatest, certainly the most sympathetic figure in the history of Islam ... the only teacher of the after generations ever put by Muslims on a level with the four great Imams.” [1] And he goes on to remark further; “In the renaissance of Islam which is now rising to view, his time will come and the new life will proceed from a renewed study of his works.” [2] But Dieterici says of him: “As a despairing sceptic he springs suicidally into the all-God ( i.e. all-pervading