Ghazali on remembering death V – carrying jewels
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Ghazali on remembering death V – carrying jewels

Acute regret Imagine you are in a dark cave filled with stones, and your friends urge you to pick up the stones and carry them back with you to the exit. You think they are foolish. Why would you want to burden yourself with heavy stones? You don’t want to waste your time and energy…

Ghazali on contenment (part 2)
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Ghazali on Contentment (part 2)

After Ghazali talked about the topic of mahabba (love) for Allah – the fruits of mahabba and true mahabba, and increasing our love for Allah and His Messenger, He followed it with this topic of contenment (rida), as they are closely linked. Loving Allah and being content with what He destined go together. If you…

Ghazali on Contentment with Allah’s Will (part 1)
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Ghazali on Contentment with Allah’s Will (part 1)

Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him In Surat al Maidah, Allah Almighty says: قَالَ ٱللَّهُ هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ يَنفَعُ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ صِدۡقُهُمۡۚ لَهُمۡ جَنَّٰتٞ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدٗاۖ رَّضِيَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ Allah will say: “This is a Day on which the truthful will profit…

Ghazali on love (part 3) – The pleasure of seeing Allah and the signs He loves you
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Ghazali on love (part 3) – The pleasure of seeing Allah and the signs He loves you

This is the last part of Ghazali’s chapter on love. He already mentioned that the senses are our gateway to pleasure and we love everything that is pleasurable to our senses. However there is something else we love, but that is not experienced through our senses and that is the love of Allah, which we…

Ghazali on the 6 levels of truthfulness
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Ghazali on the 6 levels of truthfulness

Ghazali lived in 5th century Hijri and his book, Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, ‘The Forty Principles of the Religion,’ which he wrote before his death, is a summary of Ihya Ulumuddin (Revival of the Sciences of the Religion), and his life’s works and thoughts. In the last ten principles of the forty, he looks…

Ghazali on sincerity – transforming an inferior act into a superior act
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Ghazali on sincerity – transforming an inferior act into a superior act

The connect / disconnect between the heart and tongue Ghazali says intention is not determined by what you say, but by a deeper motivation. Simply verbalising something is not a true indication that you mean it. For instance saying ‘I intend to love someone or pay zakah’ does not move you to action. These are…

Ghazali on Sincerity – purify and multiply your intention
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Ghazali on Sincerity – purify and multiply your intention

Ghazali lived in 5th century Hijri and his book, Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, ‘The Forty Principles of the Religion,’ which he wrote before his death, is a summary of Ihya Ulumuddin (Revival of the Sciences of the Religion), and his life’s works and thoughts. In the last ten principles of the forty, he looks…

Without reconciliation we can never be a strong Ummah

Without reconciliation we can never be a strong Ummah

In Surat Al Anfal, Allah Almighty said: يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنفَالِ ۖ قُلِ الْأَنفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ ۖ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ They ask you about the bounties. Say, “The bounties are for God and the Messenger, so be mindful of Allah and reconcile between yourselves and obey Allah…