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Sherman Desrosiers
Ihya ul Uloom ud Deen: A Classic Work of Islamic Spirituality by Imam Ghazali (r.a)
Ihya ul Uloom ud Deen is one of the most famous and influential works of Islamic spirituality by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (r.a), a renowned scholar and mystic of the 11th century. The book covers various aspects of Islamic faith and practice, such as worship, ethics, social relations, spiritual purification, and the afterlife. It is divided into four parts, each containing ten books.
The first part deals with the knowledge of worship, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, charity, and jihad. The second part deals with the norms of daily life, such as marriage, earning a living, friendship, and etiquette. The third part deals with the vices of the soul and their remedies, such as anger, envy, pride, greed, and gluttony. The fourth part deals with the virtues of the soul and their means, such as repentance, patience, gratitude, love, and trust in God.
The book is based on the Quran and the Sunnah, as well as the teachings of the early Muslim scholars and saints. It combines rational arguments with spiritual insights and practical advice. It aims to revive the religious sciences and reform the hearts of the Muslims. It has been widely read and appreciated by Muslims of different backgrounds and schools of thought throughout history.
The book has been translated into many languages, including Malayalam. There are several editions of the Malayalam translation available online for free download. One of them is by Shaykh Nadeem Al Wajdi[^1^], who has also written a commentary on the book called Mazaq ul Aarifeen. Another one is by Imam Ghazali himself[^2^], who has summarized his own work in a shorter version.
Ihya ul Uloom ud Deen is a treasure of Islamic wisdom and guidance that can benefit anyone who reads it with sincerity and reflection. It can help one to improve one's relationship with God and His creation, to purify one's soul from evil traits, and to adorn one's soul with noble qualities. It can also inspire one to seek the ultimate goal of life: the pleasure of God and His Paradise.
The following is a brief summary of the four parts and forty books of Ihya ul Uloom ud Deen:
- Part One: Acts of Worship (Rub' al-'Ibadat)
- Book 1: The Book of Knowledge. This book discusses the importance, types, sources, and benefits of knowledge, as well as the dangers of ignorance and the etiquette of seeking and teaching knowledge.
- Book 2: The Foundations of Belief. This book explains the essential doctrines of Islam, such as Tawheed (monotheism), Prophethood, Angels, Books, Resurrection, and Divine Decree.
- Book 3: The Mysteries of Purity. This book deals with the rules and inner meanings of ritual purity, such as ablution, ghusl (bathing), tayammum (dry ablution), and menstruation.
- Book 4: The Mysteries of Worship. This book covers the details and secrets of prayer, such as its conditions, pillars, obligations, sunnahs, manners, times, and virtues.
- Book 5: The Mysteries of Charity. This book describes the rulings and wisdoms of zakat (obligatory charity), such as its nisab (minimum amount), recipients, categories, calculation, and distribution.
- Book 6: The Mysteries of Fasting. This book explains the regulations and realities of fasting, such as its intention, conditions, nullifiers, exemptions, etiquette, and rewards.
- Book 7: The Mysteries of Pilgrimage. This book elucidates the injunctions and implications of hajj (pilgrimage), such as its types, obligations, rites, etiquette, places, and merits.
- Book 8: The Book of Recitation. This book discusses the virtues and manners of reciting the Qur'an, such as its revelation, preservation, interpretation, recitation, memorization, and contemplation.
- Book 9: The Book of Remembrance. This book expounds on the benefits and etiquettes of dhikr (remembrance of God), such as its definition, types, forms, times, places, and effects.
- Book 10: The Book of Supplication. This book teaches the etiquette and conditions of du'a (supplication), such as its meaning, causes, manners, occasions, obstacles, and acceptance.
- Part Two: Norms of Daily Life (Rub' al-'Adat)
- Book 11: The Book of Eating. This book deals with the rules and manners of eating and drinking, such as their types, benefits, harms, etiquette, prohibitions, and recommendations.
- Book 12: The Book of Marriage. This book covers the regulations and purposes of marriage and divorce,