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The Revival of the Religious Sciences #37
Intention, pureté et sincérité
The 37th chapter of the Revival of Religious Sciences, this treatise focuses on the subject of intention--which is of crucial importance in Islam--posing questions such as How can someone ignorant of the meaning of intention verify his own intention? How can someone ignorant of the meaning of sincerity verify his own sincerity? and How can someone sincerely claim truthfulness if he has not verified its meaning? Renowned theologian-mystic Abu Hamid al-Ghazali addresses these questions by expounding the reality and levels of intention, sincerity, and truthfulness and the acts which affirm or mar them. Each of al-Ghazali's responses is based on the Qur'an, the example of the Prophet, and the sayings of numerous scholars and Sufis. As relevant today as it was in the 11th century, this discourse will be of interest to anyone concerned with ethics and moral philosophy.
118 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2012
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About the author
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
786 books2,951 followers
أبو حامد الغزالي
Muslim theologian and philosopher Abu Hamid al-Ghazali of Persia worked to systematize Sufism, Islamic mysticism, and in The Incoherence of the Philosophers (1095) argued the incompatibility of thought of Plato and Aristotle with Islam.
Born in 1058, 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.
Muslim theologian and philosopher Abu Hamid al-Ghazali of Persia worked to systematize Sufism, Islamic mysticism, and in The Incoherence of the Philosophers (1095) argued the incompatibility of thought of Plato and Aristotle with Islam.
Born in 1058, 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 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 20, 2018
One of my favourite books over the last half a year ever since turning Muslim;
How did I end up reading this book?
I ended up reading this book because a kind-hearted Malay Singaporean older lady, who understood me from before I turned Muslim, who was kind to my #HomeSelf (of being a grumpy western-Singapore-originating granddaughter-of-a-farmer), and who I knew from being active in environmental politics in Singapore, and who has since moved to Cologne, Germany, interrogated me when I turned Muslim and said, grumpily, "Why not Catholic???????"
I beamed at her uber-cheerfully and told her that it is because it is the Catholic Church's fault that all this violence against plants and animals even happened in the first place, and then I showed her all the books about Islam that I have been reading, and then said really happily,
"I like Islam, because Dr Fatma Sagir said that Surah al-Ikhlas cancels the Nicene Creed, and then I learned the political structure of Islam as compared to the Catholic Church, and as such, in Islam, industrial modernity is not even necessary!!!!!" (At this point in time I had no clue that ISIS was also grumpy at GMOs and industrial modernity. Sorry, ISIS.)
This nice older lady face-palmed and said,
"Oi! Ah! Ok, you know, I understand what you are talking about, but ugh, Xinyuan, you cannot say this outside. I mean, outside as in, around white people. You need to slow down. Tell me more about yourself. I thought you were Chinese Buddhist. Can you explain? Muslim? Do you not think you are being colonised by MUIS?"
And then I explained everything about my Papa and Mama and me, and said that my wanting to turn Muslim has nothing to do with MUIS, and everything to do with industrial modernity.
When she discovered that my mother was a Confucianist "Peranakan" that did not even bother thinking about being Peranakan or about Melaka, she squealed "Eeks! Ok, Xinyuan, you need to know, INTENTIONS are really important."
In any case, classical Chinese is hard to learn, and most of my brown friends raised religious, easily misunderstand me all the time as being liable to being Radicalised or Brought Astray by Dodgy Muslims, because they are reading newspapers headquartered in the US, UK, or Qatar.
So I am now going to tell all of you about my INTENTIONS. My INTENTIONS is to spread some love for plants and animals and people with no CHOICE, especially people who live in the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America, and so on. I intend to spread this love to all my friends who are of East Asian, European, and North American origins. This is the book you can read by yourself in English,
by the Muslim philosopher al-Ghazali, which will explain the virtues of IKHLAS, which is the quality of sincerity that small Muslim children are taught via having to memorise Surah al-Ikhlas.
(After I posted this book on Facebook, my Muslim male friends under age 30 in both Singapore and Germany squealed, and then I got rid of them so that I could continue learning about this word. You can order this book from Wardah Bookstore, which has an online website.)
How did I end up reading this book?
I ended up reading this book because a kind-hearted Malay Singaporean older lady, who understood me from before I turned Muslim, who was kind to my #HomeSelf (of being a grumpy western-Singapore-originating granddaughter-of-a-farmer), and who I knew from being active in environmental politics in Singapore, and who has since moved to Cologne, Germany, interrogated me when I turned Muslim and said, grumpily, "Why not Catholic???????"
I beamed at her uber-cheerfully and told her that it is because it is the Catholic Church's fault that all this violence against plants and animals even happened in the first place, and then I showed her all the books about Islam that I have been reading, and then said really happily,
"I like Islam, because Dr Fatma Sagir said that Surah al-Ikhlas cancels the Nicene Creed, and then I learned the political structure of Islam as compared to the Catholic Church, and as such, in Islam, industrial modernity is not even necessary!!!!!" (At this point in time I had no clue that ISIS was also grumpy at GMOs and industrial modernity. Sorry, ISIS.)
This nice older lady face-palmed and said,
"Oi! Ah! Ok, you know, I understand what you are talking about, but ugh, Xinyuan, you cannot say this outside. I mean, outside as in, around white people. You need to slow down. Tell me more about yourself. I thought you were Chinese Buddhist. Can you explain? Muslim? Do you not think you are being colonised by MUIS?"
And then I explained everything about my Papa and Mama and me, and said that my wanting to turn Muslim has nothing to do with MUIS, and everything to do with industrial modernity.
When she discovered that my mother was a Confucianist "Peranakan" that did not even bother thinking about being Peranakan or about Melaka, she squealed "Eeks! Ok, Xinyuan, you need to know, INTENTIONS are really important."
In any case, classical Chinese is hard to learn, and most of my brown friends raised religious, easily misunderstand me all the time as being liable to being Radicalised or Brought Astray by Dodgy Muslims, because they are reading newspapers headquartered in the US, UK, or Qatar.
So I am now going to tell all of you about my INTENTIONS. My INTENTIONS is to spread some love for plants and animals and people with no CHOICE, especially people who live in the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America, and so on. I intend to spread this love to all my friends who are of East Asian, European, and North American origins. This is the book you can read by yourself in English,
by the Muslim philosopher al-Ghazali, which will explain the virtues of IKHLAS, which is the quality of sincerity that small Muslim children are taught via having to memorise Surah al-Ikhlas.
(After I posted this book on Facebook, my Muslim male friends under age 30 in both Singapore and Germany squealed, and then I got rid of them so that I could continue learning about this word. You can order this book from Wardah Bookstore, which has an online website.)
May 8, 2021
My greatest takeaway from this volume of Ghazali's collection has been that contentment and sincerity is what makes for oneness (tawhid). We are a great many who claim to believe in and worship one God, yet become distracted by idols of our own making along the Path. The book encourages introspection and an awareness of the most subtle matter of intention which governs the inclinations of our hearts and ultimately our final destination.
December 27, 2018
Real. Profound. Incredibly deep and excellently supported. For a really deep introspection this science of “interiority” is a glimpse of the ocean that makes us will, incline and intend and act.
Why do I do what I do - is a science with layers that needs to be understood. This book showcases the horizon of its nature ...
The use of its classical English for me was a bit disappointing though. Some words were from Medieval English that impeded understanding the content a bit.
Why do I do what I do - is a science with layers that needs to be understood. This book showcases the horizon of its nature ...
The use of its classical English for me was a bit disappointing though. Some words were from Medieval English that impeded understanding the content a bit.
June 4, 2024
’The Afterlife cannot be just another room in the same house’
A palate refreshing walk away from the literalism that dominates Islamic theology in the modern day. The sufis have been deserving of the title for the most reflective insights on Quranic verse.
Ghazali does compare niyya/will/power but remains appreciative of the overlap and limitation in drawing any definite distinctive lines between these (kudos to the translators notes where this is well-reflected. I never expected I’d read a non-native understand how ‘حُكْم’ can be power/judgement or a third mysterious thing out of the bounds of the English language.)
Literalism does not have all the answers but neither does Sufism. The difference, however, is that the latter does not claim to do so. There are challenges to this idea of (lack of) intention being able to nullify virtuous deeds entirely (e.g., Bukhari 3321) but it wouldn’t be harmful to be more conscientious about what intent is behind our actions… Ghazali illustrates enough cases to support this need to be vigilant of our intent.
All in all, this makes things seem more convoluted—but it is just a demand for reflection to avoid mindless behaviour. More effort? Yes. More mindfulness? Also yes.
So far this interpretation of Ghazali has:
1. Dealt with key problems with the idea of an afterlife where eternal life is seen as a reward when the only idea of (‘worldly’) life is almost indissociable from suffering/hardship.
2. Provided solution of sorts to the problem of noisy cognition surrounding small and big decisions
3. Made me realise that inertia I have towards certain decisions in life (good or bad) is really just (lack of) intention. Viva indifference.
In conclusion: Sufism for the win again!
A palate refreshing walk away from the literalism that dominates Islamic theology in the modern day. The sufis have been deserving of the title for the most reflective insights on Quranic verse.
Ghazali does compare niyya/will/power but remains appreciative of the overlap and limitation in drawing any definite distinctive lines between these (kudos to the translators notes where this is well-reflected. I never expected I’d read a non-native understand how ‘حُكْم’ can be power/judgement or a third mysterious thing out of the bounds of the English language.)
Literalism does not have all the answers but neither does Sufism. The difference, however, is that the latter does not claim to do so. There are challenges to this idea of (lack of) intention being able to nullify virtuous deeds entirely (e.g., Bukhari 3321) but it wouldn’t be harmful to be more conscientious about what intent is behind our actions… Ghazali illustrates enough cases to support this need to be vigilant of our intent.
All in all, this makes things seem more convoluted—but it is just a demand for reflection to avoid mindless behaviour. More effort? Yes. More mindfulness? Also yes.
So far this interpretation of Ghazali has:
1. Dealt with key problems with the idea of an afterlife where eternal life is seen as a reward when the only idea of (‘worldly’) life is almost indissociable from suffering/hardship.
2. Provided solution of sorts to the problem of noisy cognition surrounding small and big decisions
3. Made me realise that inertia I have towards certain decisions in life (good or bad) is really just (lack of) intention. Viva indifference.
In conclusion: Sufism for the win again!
December 25, 2020
definitely an important read for me, especially since 2021 is approaching, it has helped me to think about my actions and truly re-evaluate my intentions. its only 100 pgs but it took me longer to finish bc its just one of those books where you need more time to digest and ponder over it. hands down a book that will stay with me until i die.
August 14, 2023
Average book compared to the other Ihya Ulum Deen book, I was surprised to see this book was only 100 pages despite the significance of the topic. One narration quoted from the book "Sincerity is a secret between God and the servant that no angel knows of recording it, no devil vitiates it"
January 11, 2022
Well written upon the importance of intentions and the effort that it requires not only to formulate it but to protect it
November 19, 2024
Highly recommended for multiple reads.
October 24, 2025
SubanAllah, I've made it my goal to read one of Al-Ghazali's books each month.
March 27, 2020
Les ahadith du Prophète sur la place de l'intention dans les actes, bons ou mauvais, accomplis, ratés ou non-effectués, sont parmi les plus connus par la communauté musulmane. Leur compréhension est dit représenté le tiers de la religion.
Si placer l'intention avant tout 'ibada est un pré-requis en fiqh, al-Ghazali fait remarquer qu'il est extrêmement mal compris et donc forcément négligé : on se contente de formulation orale d'intention avant la salat par exemple, quand l'intention en elle-même n'a rien d'une parole mais d'une inclinaison toute entière de l'esprit et du coeur.
Ces réflexions sont appuyées d'exemples très concrets des salafs as-saleh qui voyaient dans la niyyah l'un des exercices les plus difficiles et périlleux car les acculant à leurs motivations profondes dans leurs pratiques religieuses, les distinguant ou non des munafiqin ou mêmes des mushrikin. Les premiers priant par exemple par ostentation, les seconds par habitude ou pour garder la santé sans réaliser que cela relève du "petit associationnisme".
Reconnaître ses manquements et développer ce rapport unique à Allah taala, et non en fonction des autres ou de nos propres penchants, intime le devoir de se purifier, c'est-à-dire, de se nettoyer des contingences extérieures qui vont influencer nos motivations et pratiques religieuses pour d'autres intérêts que la contemplation ultime du wajh d'Allah taala. Al-Ghazali nous décrit alors les différents stades de la sincérité, des plus apparents et accessibles, jusqu'aux hauteurs de l'ihsan des siddiqin.
Si placer l'intention avant tout 'ibada est un pré-requis en fiqh, al-Ghazali fait remarquer qu'il est extrêmement mal compris et donc forcément négligé : on se contente de formulation orale d'intention avant la salat par exemple, quand l'intention en elle-même n'a rien d'une parole mais d'une inclinaison toute entière de l'esprit et du coeur.
Ces réflexions sont appuyées d'exemples très concrets des salafs as-saleh qui voyaient dans la niyyah l'un des exercices les plus difficiles et périlleux car les acculant à leurs motivations profondes dans leurs pratiques religieuses, les distinguant ou non des munafiqin ou mêmes des mushrikin. Les premiers priant par exemple par ostentation, les seconds par habitude ou pour garder la santé sans réaliser que cela relève du "petit associationnisme".
Reconnaître ses manquements et développer ce rapport unique à Allah taala, et non en fonction des autres ou de nos propres penchants, intime le devoir de se purifier, c'est-à-dire, de se nettoyer des contingences extérieures qui vont influencer nos motivations et pratiques religieuses pour d'autres intérêts que la contemplation ultime du wajh d'Allah taala. Al-Ghazali nous décrit alors les différents stades de la sincérité, des plus apparents et accessibles, jusqu'aux hauteurs de l'ihsan des siddiqin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2021
Just amazing
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews