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The Revival of the Religious Sciences #1
The Book of Knowledge
The Book of Knowledge (Kitab al-ʿilm) is the foundation of the forty books of the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihyaʾ ʿulum al‐din), Imam al-Ghazali’s magnum opus. In the Book of Knowledge, he defines knowledge, its relation to faith, theology, and jurisprudence. The book deals with the virtue of knowledge from both rational and traditional points of view. It elucidates the types of knowledge and the nature of people’s obligation to seek knowledge. Imam al-Ghazali defines jurisprudence and theology as branches of Islamic knowledge, then outlines those fields that people incorrectly consider to be Islamic disciplines, and distinguishes the praiseworthy from the blameworthy. He describes in detail the perils of disputation and the reasons people engage in debate and dialectics. He also considers the conduct incumbent on the teacher and student and warns of the perils that can befall those pursuing knowledge. Finally, Imam al-Ghazali discusses the virtues and categories of the intellect and the prophetic traditions related to it.
Each chapter includes a discussion of the Qur’anic verses, Hadith, and traditions from the Companions and the pious predecessors related to the subject at hand. Imam al-Ghazali then engages his readers in a heartfelt discourse; he offers proofs, metaphors, and examples to encourage seekers along the path to knowledge of the hereafter.
Each chapter includes a discussion of the Qur’anic verses, Hadith, and traditions from the Companions and the pious predecessors related to the subject at hand. Imam al-Ghazali then engages his readers in a heartfelt discourse; he offers proofs, metaphors, and examples to encourage seekers along the path to knowledge of the hereafter.
336 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
About the author
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
909 books3,042 followers
أبو حامد الغزالي
Born in 1058 (Died on 12th Sept 1111), Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī ranked of the most prominent and influential Sunni jurists of his origin.
Islamic tradition considers him to be a Mujaddid, a renewer of the faith who, according to the prophetic hadith, appears once every century to restore the faith of the ummah ("the Islamic Community"). His works were so highly acclaimed by his contemporaries that al-Ghazali was awarded the honorific title "Proof of Islam" (Hujjat al-Islam).
Al-Ghazali believed that the Islamic spiritual tradition had become moribund and that the spiritual sciences taught by the first generation of Muslims had been forgotten.[24] That resulted in his writing his magnum opus entitled Ihya 'ulum al-din ("The Revival of the Religious Sciences"). Among his other works, the Tahāfut al-Falāsifa ("Incoherence of the Philosophers") is a significant landmark in the history of philosophy, as it advances the critique of Aristotelian science developed later in 14th-century Europe.
أبو حامد محمد الغزّالي الطوسي النيسابوري الصوفي الشافعي الأشعري، أحد أعلام عصره وأحد أشهر علماء المسلمين في القرن الخامس الهجري،(450 هـ - 505 هـ / 1058م - 1111م). كان فقيهاً وأصولياً وفيلسوفاً، وكان صوفيّ الطريقةِ، شافعيّ الفقهِ إذ لم يكن للشافعية في آخر عصره مثلَه.، وكان على مذهب الأشاعرة في العقيدة، وقد عُرف كأحد مؤسسي المدرسة الأشعرية في علم الكلام، وأحد أصولها الثلاثة بعد أبي الحسن الأشعري، (وكانوا الباقلاني والجويني والغزّالي) لُقّب الغزالي بألقاب كثيرة في حياته، أشهرها لقب "حجّة الإسلام"، وله أيضاً ألقاب مثل: زين الدين، ومحجّة الدين، والعالم الأوحد، ومفتي الأمّة، وبركة الأنام، وإمام أئمة الدين، وشرف الأئمة.
كان له أثرٌ كبيرٌ وبصمةٌ واضحةٌ في عدّة علوم مثل الفلسفة، والفقه الشافعي، وعلم الكلام، والتصوف، والمنطق، وترك عدداَ من الكتب في تلك المجالات.ولد وعاش في طوس، ثم انتقل إلى نيسابور ليلازم أبا المعالي الجويني (الملقّب بإمام الحرمين)، فأخذ عنه معظم العلوم، ولمّا بلغ عمره 34 سنة، رحل إلى بغداد مدرّساً في المدرسة النظامية في عهد الدولة العباسية بطلب من الوزير السلجوقي نظام الملك. في تلك الفترة اشتُهر شهرةً واسعةً، وصار مقصداً لطلاب العلم الشرعي من جميع البلدان، حتى بلغ أنه كان يجلس في مجلسه أكثر من 400 من أفاضل الناس وعلمائهم يستمعون له ويكتبون عنه العلم. وبعد 4 سنوات من التدريس قرر اعتزال الناس والتفرغ للعبادة وتربية نفسه، متأثراً بذلك بالصّوفية وكتبهم، فخرج من بغداد خفيةً في رحلة طويلة بلغت 11 سنة، تنقل خلالها بين دمشق والقدس والخليل ومكة والمدينة المنورة، كتب خلالها كتابه المشهور إحياء علوم الدين كخلاصة لتجربته الروحية، عاد بعدها إلى بلده طوس متخذاً بجوار بيته مدرسةً للفقهاء، وخانقاه (مكان للتعبّد والعزلة) للصوفية.
Born in 1058 (Died on 12th Sept 1111), Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī ranked of the most prominent and influential Sunni jurists of his origin.
Islamic tradition considers him to be a Mujaddid, a renewer of the faith who, according to the prophetic hadith, appears once every century to restore the faith of the ummah ("the Islamic Community"). His works were so highly acclaimed by his contemporaries that al-Ghazali was awarded the honorific title "Proof of Islam" (Hujjat al-Islam).
Al-Ghazali believed that the Islamic spiritual tradition had become moribund and that the spiritual sciences taught by the first generation of Muslims had been forgotten.[24] That resulted in his writing his magnum opus entitled Ihya 'ulum al-din ("The Revival of the Religious Sciences"). Among his other works, the Tahāfut al-Falāsifa ("Incoherence of the Philosophers") is a significant landmark in the history of philosophy, as it advances the critique of Aristotelian science developed later in 14th-century Europe.
أبو حامد محمد الغزّالي الطوسي النيسابوري الصوفي الشافعي الأشعري، أحد أعلام عصره وأحد أشهر علماء المسلمين في القرن الخامس الهجري،(450 هـ - 505 هـ / 1058م - 1111م). كان فقيهاً وأصولياً وفيلسوفاً، وكان صوفيّ الطريقةِ، شافعيّ الفقهِ إذ لم يكن للشافعية في آخر عصره مثلَه.، وكان على مذهب الأشاعرة في العقيدة، وقد عُرف كأحد مؤسسي المدرسة الأشعرية في علم الكلام، وأحد أصولها الثلاثة بعد أبي الحسن الأشعري، (وكانوا الباقلاني والجويني والغزّالي) لُقّب الغزالي بألقاب كثيرة في حياته، أشهرها لقب "حجّة الإسلام"، وله أيضاً ألقاب مثل: زين الدين، ومحجّة الدين، والعالم الأوحد، ومفتي الأمّة، وبركة الأنام، وإمام أئمة الدين، وشرف الأئمة.
كان له أثرٌ كبيرٌ وبصمةٌ واضحةٌ في عدّة علوم مثل الفلسفة، والفقه الشافعي، وعلم الكلام، والتصوف، والمنطق، وترك عدداَ من الكتب في تلك المجالات.ولد وعاش في طوس، ثم انتقل إلى نيسابور ليلازم أبا المعالي الجويني (الملقّب بإمام الحرمين)، فأخذ عنه معظم العلوم، ولمّا بلغ عمره 34 سنة، رحل إلى بغداد مدرّساً في المدرسة النظامية في عهد الدولة العباسية بطلب من الوزير السلجوقي نظام الملك. في تلك الفترة اشتُهر شهرةً واسعةً، وصار مقصداً لطلاب العلم الشرعي من جميع البلدان، حتى بلغ أنه كان يجلس في مجلسه أكثر من 400 من أفاضل الناس وعلمائهم يستمعون له ويكتبون عنه العلم. وبعد 4 سنوات من التدريس قرر اعتزال الناس والتفرغ للعبادة وتربية نفسه، متأثراً بذلك بالصّوفية وكتبهم، فخرج من بغداد خفيةً في رحلة طويلة بلغت 11 سنة، تنقل خلالها بين دمشق والقدس والخليل ومكة والمدينة المنورة، كتب خلالها كتابه المشهور إحياء علوم الدين كخلاصة لتجربته الروحية، عاد بعدها إلى بلده طوس متخذاً بجوار بيته مدرسةً للفقهاء، وخانقاه (مكان للتعبّد والعزلة) للصوفية.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 14, 2017
This was an excellent book that touched my heart. This book is a great translation of the original, and I hope that others enjoy it as much as I did. I think it's important for everybody seeking religious studies to read this book.
February 14, 2016
This is a new and beautiful translation of the first book of al-Ghazali's amazing compendium Ihyaa' 'uluum al-Din. It sets the blueprint as it were for the rest of the 40 books. True knowledge is at the foundation of everything, and religious knowledge being used to manipulate people by what al Ghazali calls the "learned" of this world or "the reprehensible scholars" is what Islam and other religions have been suffering from for quite a while. Al-Ghazali also talks about the pitfalls (mainly about ego) of pursuing knowledge --- No wonder Hamza Yusuf, who wrote the foreword, told a recent conference of Muslims, "Everyone needs to read this!"
This book leads the way in Fons Vitae's al-Ghazali's project described on their website.
This book leads the way in Fons Vitae's al-Ghazali's project described on their website.
May 23, 2017
Very powerful, interesting and beautiful. It's unlike any textbook/theory/module books that would bore me to death, it almost felt like I read a storytelling rather than a serious type of book. It didn't bore me at all. It covers the importance of seeking knowledge in Islam and some most basic/fundamental acts of worship in Islam : Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Fasting, Hajj and some other acts of worship that you can do on a personal level. And it is presented beautifully by Ghazali (and the translator).
Now I get it why many scholars say that Al-Ghazali's books are a must read. This is the type of book that if someone's read it, then he/she will recommend to some other Muslims.
Now I get it why many scholars say that Al-Ghazali's books are a must read. This is the type of book that if someone's read it, then he/she will recommend to some other Muslims.
September 9, 2024
A phenomenal start to the series, although i have read a couple of ihya ulum al din books here and there out of order, after reading this, i believe it is incumbent upon every reader who has a passion to walk the path to read these books in order from beginning to end. After all, a tree cannot grow without establishing its roots first. If you establish weak roots, you’ll establish a weak trunk and weak branches and weak leaves, and the fruit will probably never grow. We have to fix the outer actions and deeds before we can go onto fixing and working on the inner.
Amazing work by Imam Ghazali and the translators as well
Amazing work by Imam Ghazali and the translators as well
October 14, 2024
book 1
January 25, 2018
This is part one of the most famous book of Imam AlGhazali (The Revival of the Religious Sciences).
It is a highly provoking book that challenges every readers consciousness to doubt his purpose of seeking anything in life and Imam Al-Ghazali did a wonder job, he knows how to speak to the mind of the reader. If you are arrogant, you may not have patient to read this book, but if you are sincere and arrogant he will make you surrender to agree with his stance because he had thread the same path earlier in his life.
It's a book one needs to study and practice so it requires reading over and over while it is highly recommended to study the book with an experienced teacher for a more comprehensive insight.
In a rough summary, the author categorized learning into wordily and heavenly sciences in relation to our existence and purpose in life citing practical examples. If this book is well understood, a reader will be able to give priority to most important and urgent knowledge according to his needs and circle of concern and circle of influence.
It is a highly provoking book that challenges every readers consciousness to doubt his purpose of seeking anything in life and Imam Al-Ghazali did a wonder job, he knows how to speak to the mind of the reader. If you are arrogant, you may not have patient to read this book, but if you are sincere and arrogant he will make you surrender to agree with his stance because he had thread the same path earlier in his life.
It's a book one needs to study and practice so it requires reading over and over while it is highly recommended to study the book with an experienced teacher for a more comprehensive insight.
In a rough summary, the author categorized learning into wordily and heavenly sciences in relation to our existence and purpose in life citing practical examples. If this book is well understood, a reader will be able to give priority to most important and urgent knowledge according to his needs and circle of concern and circle of influence.
July 1, 2026
Al-Ghazali begins his larger project by arguing that knowledge is the root of all religious and ethical action. He distinguishes between knowledge that illuminates the heart and knowledge that merely satisfies curiosity. The text claims that “knowledge without action is madness,” which frames learning as a moral responsibility rather than an intellectual hobby. Al-Ghazali presents the seeker as someone who must purify intention before pursuing understanding. He argues that true knowledge aligns the soul with divine reality and reveals the proper hierarchy of values. The work challenges readers to examine whether their intellectual pursuits serve spiritual growth or personal vanity. It also explores how teachers and students participate in a shared moral enterprise. The book invites reflection on how knowing becomes a form of worship.
October 7, 2022
Ibn Ma'ud said: "لَيْسَ الْعِلْمُ بِكَثْرَةِ الرَّوِايَةِ إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ الْخَشْيَةُ"
Remember the dialogue between Hatim Al-Assam and his teacher Shaqiq al-Balkhi- 8 brilliant points after 33 years of study.
My deceased brain cells were revived by this book.
Remember the dialogue between Hatim Al-Assam and his teacher Shaqiq al-Balkhi- 8 brilliant points after 33 years of study.
My deceased brain cells were revived by this book.
November 17, 2024
Interesante pero muy difícil de digerir tbh, a veces leo páginas sin entender nada y de repente hay una frase célebre con lo que entiendo a qué se refiere. Me gusta las comparaciones que hace para demostrar sus puntos pero a veces no me gusta hacia donde dirige su discurso.
March 11, 2026
Language often too academic (Fons Vitae). Tough to understand, especially the last 40 pages, as English is not my first language, and the topics deeply spiritual. Hoping I understood more than I think I did. Will reread. Inshallah soon.
February 10, 2019
ما شاء الله
March 24, 2019
Certainly one of the better translations of al-Ghazali. Great starting point for understanding al-Ghazali and the path of tasawwuf to which he applied himself.
on-hold
January 5, 2024putting this on-hold for awhile
April 27, 2022
Hujjat al-Islam حجة الإسلام
April 24, 2024
Had loads of new information that I didn't know and was generally really informative.
June 13, 2026
This translation is incredibly technical but if you can work past that, it’s a phenomenal English of the first piece of Ihya Ulum ud Deen
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews