Abu Hamid al-Ghazālī

“ The world of matter and all in it is but a dream, compared to the awakening which will come to man on his deathbed. The moment he closes his eyes, the next world and the meaning of the mysterious realities are unveiled to him. Every quality assumes a bodily shape and every man becomes an animal according to the ruling passion of his earthly life. ”

“ If it is exploited to serve our personal ends in this life, it contributes to the gravest of sins. Some of the sages observed: "The hardest people in the world to debate with are those who seek religion through such illicit means which are meant for those seeking themselves or their own things."
As a matter of fact, this world is a means and the next, an end. Woe to he who sells religion for worldly gain. ”

“ The wise man, par excellence, is one who by renouncing desires of the flesh does not fall into evil, and remains prepared for death every moment and collects goods that will accompany him on his last journey, and one cannot collect goods for ones last journey unless one retires into oneself. For nowhere with more quietness or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when one has within oneself such thoughts that by looking into them one is immediately in perfect tranquility and tranquility is nothing other than the good ordering of the mind. ”

“ This world is the abode of misery and suffering and the moment we get rid of our personal relationship with it, Allah makes the end to shine for us in the light of His Mercy, that even while on earth, we feel as if we sit in heavenly places. ”

“ Prayers are like assembled armies that invade and wipe out all sources of evil and mischief. Prayers for rain and congregational worship in mosques explain this point, and we have seen on many occasions in response to the prayers of the pious, refreshing and life giving showers falling on the parched ground and the desert is made to blossom as a rose.
A specialist in metaphysics can question my knowledge in their regard and argue that the diseases caused by fever require cool medicines for their treatment. There is no reason why charity could not be affective in such disorders. ”

“ Since man is finite he cannot see the Infinite or His work. He can only see the pen, but it is not the pen that writes but the holder of it. Man does not fully understand that His Knowledge, Will and Power comprehend and pervade the whole range of natural causes and effect. ”

“ When man is free from the bondage of desires relating to this world and the next he would see Allah with his own eyes and so be connected with Him. Those who love Allah for the sake of Paradise are not among his friends or the auliya, for they worship Him not for the sake of pure love, but for His bounty, like people who worship kings and viziers for the sake of their favors.
As Allah has blessed you with knowledge and enlightenment I beseech you to seek your Lord through the two channels of Koran and Sunnah, so that you may attain the position of the wisest. ”

“ At that time men who earned their worldly livelihood at the cost of their religious knowledge will fall into such deep abasement that it would seem to them reasonable that all creatures in heaven and earth should rise up against them. ”

“ Take pity on your subjects and be kind to them, for I have reliably learned that there is no limit to the tyranny exercised by the strong over the weak. A year ago when I saw people who were wasted away by deep anxiety and whose limbs trembled, I could not bear the agonizing sight and consequently left Tus. However, when urgent, private affairs forced me to return to Tus I found that the same forces of darkness were still on the rise and that the people had become even more impoverished and even greater oppressed, but no body cared to save them from the clutches of the tyrants. ”

“ It is not wise to waste one's time on what man cannot understand. However, it is sufficient for us to know that the spirit and spiritualism are inseparable and proportionate to each other, since the time that this planet was first created, no research scholar in any age, or of any country has been able to discover this closely-guarded secret on the basis of this vast knowledge and experiments with truth. ”

“ The trouble with the learned is that they do not realize that to hoard knowledge is more dangerous than the accumulation of wealth, for wealth is intended for use in this world and is exclusively meant for the well being of mankind on this planet, but religious knowledge is devoted purely to religion and the heart of religion is always to be found in close contact with Allah in the fathomless depths of the inner life. ”

“ You should show an almost insane hostility to yourself, and ride on your animal self and after disciplining it, traverse on its back the paths of safety. The moment you do this you will feel the first Divine illumination and you will acquire the immediate knowledge of Allah which is the highest thing man can attain. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said: "Had the devils not misled man, the latter would have held sway over the kingdom of heaven." ”

“ There is another world beyond all this where neither the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, can reach, nor the most learned. It is their steady and unremitting struggle with themselves which enables them in the end to catch a glimpse of this wonderful world to their utter astonishment and fear. ”

“ Suppose an ant walking along a piece of paper beholds that a line is caused by a pen. It can see neither the heart of the writer where the idea of writing has taken place, nor the writer's hand which is the real mover of the pen. In this example human nature is a pen, the angels are the fingers holding the pen and Allah the Almighty, to whom all the angels bow in obedience, is like the hand and the possessor of it. ”

“ One who clearing away through the senses, rises past his own mind to the wisdom of Allah, deserves to be honored in heaven with the title of Mujirud Daulah. Since you are the wisest of all the viziers that have now passed away, I feel sure, you would remember that the attention given to every thing has its proper value and proportion. Do not forget this then that the day is not far off when this little compound of yourself will be dissolved or removed, and placed elsewhere. You should fear death and learn to live according to nature. ”

“ Those who respond to the world with their senses report to them and seem to care little about intrinsic values or have little or no interest in things beyond the world of sense are unconscious of the ascendant realities because they are careless and ignorant and their lust over-powers them to seek an extent that they have no time to meditate upon transcendent Realities.
There are two reasons for their refraining from traversing the path towards the good of life. They are, firstly, that they are slaves to their passions and cannot part with the wealth and fame which they have earned. ”

“ The mind's eye of the mediator perceives the vision of the beauty of the presence which, at one glance, fills his mind to the exclusion of all other objects. This is tauhid. In view of these spiritual truths I request you to keep a watchful eye over your self each day, and find out the causes which have led you astray, and then repair your faults so that if you cannot administer justice in respect of your poor subjects, you may at least learn to govern yourself properly and obey the dictates of your conscience. ”

“ The goods on money stolen or taken away from others by brute force is illegitimate. The verdict of the Islamic Law is quite clear about this. The one who is in possession of such goods or money should distribute it among the needy, dervishes, or contribute it towards the welfare of the society. It must not be left in the hands of usurpers who will certainly misuse it and disturb social justice. If the owner of the money is a dervish, he should use as much of it as he is surely in need of. ”

“ His eyes fail to see the depths and the summit of the human soul in which there is a principle untouched by external influences, which flows from the spirit, remaining in the spirit itself, altogether spiritual in its content. ”

“ One cannot attain to the good of life by distributing bread and meat among those who do not pray, for it would only add to the greed of the needy and their desires. Such charity should be confined exclusively to the pious and those who fear Allah. Now there is no mercy better than to devote one's self to the perfection and improvement of others both by percept and example. ”

“ Every town and city in the country has turned into a battlefield where the strong wrestle the weak and the rich exploit and tyrannize the poor. The title in Paradise of whosoever helps the poor will be Mujirud - Daulah. Titles come down from heaven. As Prophet Jesus once said: "In truth, he to whom Allah has granted knowledge of religion and who acts thereon himself, instructing others will attain a high station in the Hereafter."
To be just to one's own soul means to be purified of all inner impurities including low desires, anger, lust, hatred, greed, pride, revenge and so on. ”

“ The physicians who try to cure these diseases, as if they proceed from natural causes, are ignorant people who know nothing of medicine. The truth of the matter is that the One who creates diseases is the One who knows how to cure them, but common people believe that medicine should be bought from a pharmacist, according to the prescription of a physician, and then used as directed. ”

“ You must realize that no one is concerned or worried about you, therefore, you should feel pity towards yourself. Avoid excessive social contact with men and dedicate yourself to good deeds so that you may earn peace of mind in this world as well as in the next.
To attain the Divine Grace that is the ultimate hope for man's salvation, you should make your memory a tablet on which the actions of deceased viziers such as Nizamul Mulk, Tajul Mulk, Muheerul Mulk and Muyudul Mulk are inscribed. ”

“ The development of the soul is not something that comes from nature, it derives from the Mercy of Allah, without which all works that man can possibly do up until the end of the world are an absolute nothing. ”

“ Should men befriend you it would only be to serve their own ends. Many people adore you because as Prime Minister you are the god of position and wealth. They who are praising you now will blame you and praise another as soon as you quit your position and someone else is appointed in your place. ”

“ There are three quite diverse types of men. There is the person who has little or no interest in this world, which is a place of voluptuous and sensual enjoyment, for he believes that man should rid himself of the desires of the flesh and cast away his earthly limitations and worldly trappings. Whosoever sets the religious trap of artfulness against the world shall thereby capture hope for being among those who fear Allah. Although this sort of renunciation is not of the superior type, yet people belonging to the category will achieve salvation. ”

“ The best and most reliable medicines are not obtained from shops or pharmacies, because the key to them lies in the treasure of the angels who are the agents responsible for the administration of the affairs of the kingdom of heaven. By the command of Allah, men are provided with the most useful guidance by the angels under whose control heavenly treasures are placed, as established in the Holy Koran: "It does not belong to any human that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He sent a Messenger to reveal whatsoever He will by His Permission. ”

“ He who worships the gods of position and wealth and is overpowered by basic pleasures, is too ignorant to appreciate the true meanings contained in: "But seek, in that which Allah has given you, to attain the Everlasting residence" Koran, Chapter 28 verse 77. Of those who seek the life of this world Allah says: "We shall pay those who desire the present life and its adornments in full for the work they have done therein, they shall not be defrauded" Koran, Chapter 11 verse 15, Allah! How strange is the one whose life expires while he hoards gold. He is poor with all he amassed. ”

“ It may be explained that with enlightenment and knowledge, men seek to illumine their surrounds with the light proceeding from All in the midst of the darkness of destiny, and hold fast to the injunctions and prohibitions of Allah and traverse under the direction provided by the Koran and Sunnah, the path towards their Lord. They renounce pleasure, wealth and power all of which are the general objects of human ambition that entail suffering. ”

“ This world is an agent and a servant, and the next is the master and the ruler. They are obstinate fools who suppose that the master is a servant and vice versa. You cannot alter Divine principles, nor rebel against the established doctrines by finding fault with His will. Natural laws do not change, though to a certain degree they appear to assume a changed form in this world which is like a fast-fading shadow, because matter, while admitting reflection which it cannot resist, takes the false appearance of motion. ”