Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 200

Choose a friend who has five qualities viz: wisdom, good disposition, abstinence from sin, heresy and greed.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 105

Surely he is not just (to himself) and is ignorant”.[16] In this passage the innate capacity of man is hinted at and refers to the secret power of knowing God, latent in human minds by virtue of which they have preference over other objects and the universe.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 391

[46] Comp. _Matt_ VI. 24 “No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 176

While he freely distributes Heaven and Hell among his fellowmen, he claims salvation and Heaven for himself. The question is whether he is really justified in holding the title of Alim. For an Alim is one who, knowing himself knows God, who fears the Lord most, who holds himself more responsible for his actions for he knows good and evil and feels the awful presence of a mighty and just Being who looks to righteousness alone.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 195

Friendship is one of God’s favours, says the Quran. And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited, and remember the favour of Allah on you when you were enemies, then He united your marts so by His favour you became brethren[50]. The Prophet says: Those amongst you are my close companions who have good dispositions, are affectionate and tenderly love each other. And again: “God when He shows His kindness towards any person gives him a Good friend.”[51] “Verily God will say on the day of resurrection where are those who loved each other for my sake; today they shall rest under my shelter when there is no other shelter.”[52]

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 262

Moses replied “O God, thou art Lord of heaven and earth: how couldst thou be sick?” God said “A certain servant of mine was sick: hadst thou visited him, thou wouldst have visited me”. Therefore our prophet Mahommed has said: “Says God: My servant seeks to be near me that I may make him my friend, and when I have made him my friend, I become his ear, his eye, his tongue.”[65] It must, however, be remembered that mystical affinity vaguely conceived leads to extremes.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 63

_Tahafat ul Falasafa._ Destruction of the ” 1321 ” Philosophers.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 44

1. Psychological Description of the Nature of Man. 2. On Virtues and the Purification of the Heart. 3. On Appetite and Passion. 4. On the Tongue: Its Goods and Evils. 5. On Anger: Enmity and Envy. 6. The Evils of the World. 7. Parsimony and the Evils of the Love of Wealth. 8. On the Evils of Reputation and Hypocrisy. 9. Pride and Vanity. 10. Self-deception.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 403

Ghazzali’s vivid description is neither vague nor unsweet. To him _Fana_ is “a prayer of rapture”. “In that state man is effaced from self, so that he is conscious neither of his body nor of outward things, nor of inward feelings. He is rapt from all these, journeying first to his Lord and then in his Lord, and if the thought that he is effaced from self occurs to him, that is a defect. The highest state is to be effaced from effacement”. E. Whinfield: _Masnavi_, Introduction p. xxxvii.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 347

Experience shows that many warriors while enraged do not feel the pain of their wounds, and know it only when they see blood gushing from them. Even when a man is engaged in some action which absorbs his attention, the pain of a thorn pricking him will not be felt. If then in such cases—and there are many such—pain is not felt, will it not be possible that a devotee who is absorbed in him does not feel pain, which in his belief is inflicted by his beloved?

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 120

There is a divine purpose linking the antecedents to the consequents and manifesting itself in the existing orderly succession of events, without the least break or irregularity. “Verily”, says the Quran. “We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in sport. We did not create them both but with truth, but most of them do not know”.[21]

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 33

If in his initial process of doubt Ghazzali resembled Descartes, in his view of causality he reminds us of Hume; in his general attitude he approaches Kant and Schleiermacher. On the one hand he insists on the limitation of the efficiency of the theoretical reason, on the other he finds in will, in the moral and the religious experience a more immediate avenue to real knowledge.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 374

Ghazzali points out that negation and affirmation for one and the same action throw new light on the nature of causation. Negation affirms God as the efficient and real cause; affirmation establishes man’s free-will faithfully executing divine order.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 8

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.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 228

The other began to write down: So and so goes on a trip; so and so for trading, so and so for reputation; so and so for God’s sake. Then he looked at me saying: Put this man down as trader. But I spoke: For God’s sake do not misrepresent me. I am not going for business. I have no capital, I have simply started for the holy war.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 98

These two, controlled by the satanic power produce deceit, treachery, perfidy, meanness etc. but if divinity in man is uppermost the qualities of knowledge, wisdom, faith, and truth, etc. will be acquired.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 227

A Sufi narrates the following story: “I joined a naval squadron which was going on holy war (Jehad). One of us was selling his provision bag, and I bought it, thinking it would prove useful in the war, and that when the war was over I might dispose of it with profit. That same night I dreamt that two angels came down from heaven. One of them said to the other: Make a complete list of the crusaders.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 154

“No, Sir”, interrupted the devotee, “I know it by heart”. “And you have forgotten also that passage in the Quran: “And the heavens rolled up in his right hand.”[35] “Certainly not”, exclaimed the devotee, “I can repeat the whole of the Quran by rote”. “Yes, I know, and as you are now treading the sacred precincts of the celestial world I think I can now safely tell you that you have simply learnt the meaning of these passages from a negative point of view.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 206

Sahl of Taster says, “Avoid the company of 3 kinds of men, (1) tyrants who forget God, (2) Ulamas who practise dissimulation, (3) Sufis who are ignorant.”

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 19

Al Ghazzali has given some account of his own religious development in a work entitled: _Munqidh min-ad-dalal_. This account is significant, but as the Baron Carra de Vaux remarks, his eventual explicit adoption of a Sufi mysticism was not merely a consequence of the failure of his other attempts to find a solution to life’s profoundest problems but a result of his early influences. For, soon after his birth at Tus in Khorassan in 450 A.H.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 68

_Fadhaih ul Abahiya._ The exposure of the Doctrines of the Free-thinkers

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 298

At the outset, let us point out that just as an ant, owing to its limited sight will see the point of the pen blackening a blank sheet of paper and not the fingers and hand of the writer, so the person whose mental sight is not keen will attribute the actions to the immediate doer only. But there are minds, which, with the searchlight of intuition, expose the lurking danger of wrongly attributing power to any except the all-powerful omniscient being.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 316

As for the signs of a man’s love for God, let it be borne in mind that every body claims His love, but few really love Him. Beware of self-deception; verify your statement by introspection. Love is like a tree rooted in the ground sending its shoots above the starry heaven; its fruits are found in the heart, the tongue and the limbs of the lover—in fact his whole self is a witness to love just as smoke is a sure sign of fire burning.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 348

Or (2) although pain is felt, he would desire it just as a patient who feels the pain caused by the surgeon’s lancet is glad to be operated upon and is pleased with the surgeon’s action. Similarly he who firmly believes that tribulations are like God-sent curatives will be pleased with them and be thankful to God. Anyone who ponders over the nature of the above mentioned kinds and then in the light of them reads the lives and the sayings of the lovers of God, will, I believe, be convinced of the existence of Riza.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 180

Warned by their Prophet, his companions lived a life of humility and their example taught its lesson to their successors. A person came to Khalif Omar after morning prayers and said: “I should like to give public sermons”. “My friend”, said the Khalif, “I am afraid you would soon be puffed up with pride”. Huzaifa, the companion of the Prophet, was a leader of prayer. One day he said to his congregation: “Brethren, have another leader, or go and pray alone, for I begin to feel puffed up with your leadership”.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 43

1. On Eating. 2. On Marriage. 3. On Business. 4. The Lawful and the Unlawful. 5. Social Relations and Etiquette. 6. On Retirement. 7. On Travel. 8. On Music. 9. On Enforcing Good and Checking Evil. 10. Good Living: Description of the Prophet’s Mode of Living.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 54

_Al-durr ul Manzum fi An Exposition of sirr il Muktum Wasit._ Shafite Jurisprudence.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 108

1. Qalb (heart) has two meanings. (_a_) a conical shaped piece of flesh on the left side of the chest, circulating blood, the source of animal spirits. It is found in all animals. The heart thus belongs to the external world and can be seen with the material eyes. (_b_) A mysterious divine substance which is related to the material heart like the relation between the dweller and the house or the artisan and his implements. It alone is sentient and responsible.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 57

_Mayar ul Ilm Fannil On Logic. Cairo 1329 A. H. Mantaq._ (the weighing scale of the science).

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 52

_Al Manhul wal Muntahal._ Doctrines falsely attributed to others and falsely claimed by some. Jurisprudence.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 244

There is, however, one more sense, peculiar to man, which delights the soul. The prophet has said: “I desire three things from your world, sweet smell, tender sex, and prayer, which is the delight of my eye”. Now prayer is neither smelt nor touched—in fact its delight is beyond the scope of the five senses and yet it has been described as the “delight of my eye”, which means the inner eye—the soul with her sixth sense.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 2

Freely rendered into English by SYED NAWAB ALI M. A. Professor of Persian, the College, Baroda.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 255

For how could it be otherwise when man loves his own self which is dependent on Him, unless he be given up to the gratification of his passions and thereby forgetting his true self and his sustainer.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 40

In the second he critically examines those positions. In the third he gives a general survey with a constructive purpose chiefly moral and religious. It is due to this last work more than all others that Ghazzali has been called “The Regenerator of Religion”, “The Proof of Islam”. The _Ihya_ “expounds theology and ethics from the moderate Sufi school”.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 394

[66] Al Ghazzali condemns all such expressions which are called by Cardinal Newman “eccentricities of the saints.” He is aware of their liability to abuse and points out their error in a manner which six hundred years later took the form of Bishop Butler’s dictum that reason cannot abdicate its right of judging obvious improprieties in religious doctrines and persons. “Ibn Allah”, (Son of God) refers to the orthodox Christian view of Jesus. “Anal Haq” (I am the truth, i.e. God) refers to the expression of Husain bin Mansur al Hallaj, who in 309 A.D. was crucified in Bagdad for his blasphemy. The poet Hafiz says of him: “Jurmash an bud ki asrar huwaida bikard.” (His crime was that he revealed the secrets.)

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 123

There are passages in the Quran where the word cause is used in different senses.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 436

III. References to Buddhism in non-Buddhist Sanskrit Literature.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 34

For the study of religion in our day it is important to note that Ghazzali (here unlike Kant) sees in religious experience a way to certitude. But in this he is led to acknowledge that the advance of the human mind towards its goal of real knowledge and peace is dependent upon an active influence of God upon man.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 171

3. Against fellowmen. A proud man considers himself a superior being and would like to see everybody humbled before him. He is therefore quarrelling with God, trying to share with Him His attribute omnipotence. God is spoken of in the Hadith, as saying: “Omnipotence is my mantle, he who quarrels with me for it, him will I crush”. Surely men are all His servants and no servant has a right to treat his fellow servants as their master. But a proud man in the intoxication of his elation takes himself as God on earth. He is too haughty to listen to truth from the lips of any of his fellowmen. Ibn Masud says: “It is enough for sin if a person, who is advised to fear God answers his advisor: Look to thine own self.”

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 224

Once, I gave something in charity, and was pleased to see people looking at me,—this action has neither reward nor punishment for me”. “How is it that you got your cat and lost your ass?” said the man to the Sufi. “Because”, responded the latter, “When I heard of the death of my ass I said: ‘Damn it’. I ought to have thought of God’s will”.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 294

Think first of the inorganic world. Man thinks that crops depend on rain descending from clouds, and that clouds gather together owing to normal climatic conditions. Similarly his sailing on the sea depends on favourable winds. Without doubt, these are immediate causes, but they are not independent. Man who in the hour of need calls for God’s mysterious help, forgets Him and turns to external causes as soon as he finds himself safe and sound.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 420

The Doctrine of Karma. A Volume of Essays by various writers.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 161

This thought is the source of inward and outward actions, which are so to speak the fruits of it.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 434

I. Buddhist Literature in Pali with translations, Commentaries, and References to specific works in European Languages.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 240

A crusader who fights for his religion would have his recompense although he acquires booty, for so long as his sole motive is to uphold the cause of religion the latent desire of booty would not come in the way of his recompense. Granted that he is inferior to those noble souls who are wholly absorbed in Him “who see through Him, who hear through Him, who act through Him,” (Hadis) He still belongs to the good and the virtuous.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 421

A Chronology and Bibliography of Muslim Literature on Religion and Philosophy. By Professor M. Jamil ur Rehman and F. S. Gilani, M. A.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 253

Let us now apply these causes and find out who may be the true object of love. First, man who is directly conscious of his own self in whom the love for continuity of the self is innate, if he deeply thinks on the nature of his existence will find that he does not exist of his own self, nor are the means of the continuity of his self in his power. There is a being, self-existent, and living who created and sustains him.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 201

A fool’s company gives no good, it ends in gloom. Good disposition is necessary in as much as a man may be wise but be subservient to his inordinate passion and hence unfit for company. And a sinner and a heretic are to be avoided for the simple reason that they who have no fear of the Lord and are regardless of committing forbidden actions are not to be relied on. Besides contagion will secretly spread and he too will think of sin lightly and gradually lose power of resisting it. And a greedy worldling is to be avoided because his company will deaden the heart in the quest of the kingdom of Heaven.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 156

At once he realised the force of the mysterious pen’s argument, but goaded by his inquisitive nature he was about to put the question to the holy being, when a voice like the deafening sound of thunder was heard from above, proclaiming: “He is not questioned for his actions but they shall be asked”. Filled with surprize; the devotee bent his head in silent submission.

Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali, passage 173

b. Worldly, of five kinds: (3) pedigree; (4) beauty; (5) strength; (6) wealth; (7) kith and kin.