Imam Al-Ghazali

Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (450-505 AH/1058-1111 AD) was an Islamic theologian, jurist, philosopher, cosmologist, psychologist and mystic of Persian origin. He wrote on a wide range of topics, from jurisprudence (fiqh) to philosophy. He was born and died in Tus, in the Khorasan province of Persia.

He remains one of the most celebrated scholars in the history of Sunni Islamic thought.

He is believed as a pioneer of methodic doubt and skepticism, and in one of his major works, The Incoherence of the Philosophers, he transformed the approach of early Islamic philosophy, changing it away from an Islamic metaphysics influenced by ancient Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, and towards an Islamic philosophy based on cause-and-effect that was decided by God or intermediary angels.

Al-Ghazali’s father, a traditional Sufi, died when he and his younger brother, Ahmad Ghazali, were still young. They were took care by his father’s friend for the next few years. Then, Ghazali and his brother went to Gurgan in 1070 to register in a madrassah (Islamic seminary). They studied fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) there, next to Ahmad ibn Muhammad Radkani and Abu’l Qasim Jurjani. He returned to Tus after approximately 7 years studying.

When he was almost 23, he made important trip to Nishapur. Then he became the student of the famous Muslim scholar Abu’l Ma’ali Juwayni, known as Imam al-Haramayn. After the death of Al-Juwayni in 1085, Ghazali was requested to go to the court of Nizamul Mulk Tusi, the influential vizier of the Seljuq sultans. Afterward, the vizier appointed him as chief professor at the Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad (1091).

Al Ghazali had experienced a spiritual crisis in 1095. He left his office and Baghdad for a pilgrimage to Mecca. He then chose to live as a poor Sufi. After go to Jerusalem and Damascus, and a visit to Mecca and Medina, he then returned to his birth place in Tus (1096). He chose to live in seclusion for several years. Nonetheless, in 1106 he returned to teaching at Nishapur Nizamiya in 1106. Shortly teaching, Al-Ghazali back to Tus, and remained there until his death on December 19, 1111 AD. He had one son named Abd al-Rahman.

He passed through a spiritual crisis in 1095, abandoned his career, and left Baghdad on the pretext of going on pilgrimage to Mecca. Making arrangements for his family, he disposed of his wealth and adopted the life of a poor Sufi. After some time in Damascus and Jerusalem, with a visit to Medina and Mecca in 1096, he settled in Tus to spend the next several years in seclusion. He ended his seclusion for a short lecturing period at the Nizamiyyah of Nishapur in 1106. Later he returned to Tus where he remained until his death on December 19, 1111. He had one son named Abdu’l Rahman Allam.*

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Islam, The Straight Path (John L. Esposito)
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Author: Dr. Ekram Beshir and Mohamed Rida Beshir

Author: Iqbal Suhail

An authoritative work on the most misunderstood term in Islamic economics

What is Riba

A number of works deal with the issue of  riba (usury) in Islam, but none of them  is as comprehensive as this work which  first appeared in 1936. This new edited  version, together with Arabic and  English translations, has been brought  out in order to enrich the debate on this  vital issue.

Product details:

208 pages p/b

ISBN 81-7221-023-X

Year: 2005

Publishers: Pharos Media & Publ. Pvt. Ltd.

“No book other than this one is more authoritative and comprehensive on the issue.” — Al-Mazahib monthly, Lahore

“In view of the importance and usefulness of the book, its study is necessary for the social and economic welfare of the Muslim community. Presence of this book in the libraries of our schools and colleges will be very useful.” — Daily Salar, Bangalore

“This book will certainly help in the research and arrival at a consensus about the issue of Riba.” — Monthly Ma’arif, Azamgarh

Find out previous reviews on: Islam The Straight Path AND Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya

Abu `Abdillah, Shamsuddin Muhammad, son of Abu Bakr, son of Ayyub, son of Sa`d, son of Hurayz, of Damascus. He is best known as Ibn ul-Qayyim (Son of the Custodian), named so after al-Jawziyyah school in Damascus which was under custody of his father. His family was one of honor and knowledge.

He was born on Safar 7, 691 AH (1292 CE), in the village of Zar`, to the south-east of Damascus (Syria).

He moved to Damascus and learned the Islamic knowledge under a number of prominent scholars. His most notable teacher was Ahmad bin `Abdil Halim Ibn Taymiyyah. He valued him most and he stayed with him continuously in his years of youth: from 712 AH (1312 CE) until Ibn Taymiyyah’s death in 728 AH (1328 CE). He loved him dearly, he comprehended his thought, and he worked on clarifying and spreading his knowledge after his death.

Ibn ul Qayyim wrote more than sixty books in various areas of Islam.  Some of these are:

1- Tahthib Sunan Abi Dawud (Emendation of Sunan Abu Dawud)
2- Al-Kalam al-Tayyib wa-al-’Amal al-Salih (The Essence of Good Words and Deeds)
3- Commentaries on the book of Shaikh Abdullah al-Ansari: Manazil-u Sa’ireen (Stations of the Seekers), which is considered the epitome of knowledge of tasawwuf books; and
4.  Zad al-Ma’ad (Provisions of the Hereafter), from which this book on the medicine of the Prophet is extracted, besides other manuscripts copied with his own handwriting, and which are preserved in the Central Library in Damascus, Syria.

Ibn ul Qayyim had numerous students. Some of the more reputable among them are the following: Al Hafidh Abul Faraj ibn Rajab, Al Hafidh Ismail ibn Kathir, and Al Hafidh Muhammad bin Abdul Hadi.

He died on the evening of Thursday, Rajab 23, 751 AH (1350 CE). People prayed on him (the Janazah prayer) on the following day in the Great Masjid in Damascus. He was burined in al-Bab us-Saghir cemetary. He was highly praised by the `ulama’ after him, such as al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab, al-Hafidh adh-Dhahabi, ibn Nasir ad-Dimashqi, Al Hafidh ibn Hajar and many others.*

Another Reviews:
- Aaidh al-Qarni
- Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam (Akbar Ahmed)
- Minhajul Abidin (Al-Ghazali)

Author: Akbar Ahmed

Journey into America, by Akbar S. Ahmed

Nearly seven million Muslims live in the United States today, and their relations with non-Muslims are strained. Many Americans associate Islam with figures such as Osama bin Laden, and they worry about homegrown terrorists.

To shed light on this increasingly important religious group and counter mutual distrust, renowned scholar Akbar Ahmed conducted the most comprehensive study to date of the American Muslim community. Journey into America explores and documents how Muslims are fitting into U.S. society, placing their experience within the larger context of American identity. This eye-opening book also offers a fresh and insightful perspective on American history and society.

Following up on his critically acclaimed Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization (Brookings, 2007), Ahmed and his team of young researchers traveled for a year through more than seventy-five cities across the United States from New York City to Salt Lake City; from Las Vegas to Miami; from the large Muslim enclave in Dearborn, Michigan, to small, predominantly white towns like Arab, Alabama. They visited homes, schools, and over one hundred mosques to discover what Muslims are thinking and how they are living every day in America.

In this unprecedented exploration of American Muslim communities, Ahmed asked challenging questions: Can we expect an increase in homegrown terrorism? How do American Muslims of Arab descent differ from those of other origins (for example, Somalia or South Asia)? Why are so many white women converting to Islam? How can a Muslim become accepted fully as an American , and what does that mean? He also delves into the potentially sticky area of relations with other religions. For example, is there truly a deep divide between Muslims and Jews in America? And how well do Muslims get along with other religious groups, such as Mormons in Utah?

Journey into America is equal parts anthropological research, listening tour, and travelogue. Whereas Ahmed’s previous book took the reader into homes, schools, and mosques in the Muslim world, his new quest takes us into the heart of America and its Muslim communities. It is absolutely essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of America today.*

Author: A’id al-Qarni

You Can Be The Happiest Woman In The World

Do you want to be happy? We are all looking for an escape from worry, stress, depression, and for ways to find happiness. This book presents the route to happiness in a nutshell, drawing on Islamic teachings and the voices of “experts” both western and eastern. So sit back, relax, and read it from cover to cover, or dip into it a page or two at a time in between other activities in a busy life as a wife, mother, student, or worker.

You are holding in your hands a treasure chest of reminders that will help you learn important lessons and set you on the path to happiness in this world and in the hereafter, insha’Allah

It is simple and guides women through their day to day trials and tribulations and provide us the method through which we can attain peace, happiness, forgiveness, love and build healthy relationships and love oneself. Common to find that the media potrays muslim women as oppressed or unable to cope on their own, but this book gives a clearer picture and explains things simply relating to the Quran and at times the Hadiths.

Product Details:

Hardcover: 270 pages
Publisher: International Islamic Publishing House (2005)
ISBN-13: 978-9960850894

Find out previous reviews on Aaidh al-Qarni AND Don’ Be Sad (La Tahzan)

To the Garden of the Lord of All the Worlds

Minhajul Abidin

Widely considered to be Abu Hamid al-Ghazali’s last book, this summary of his Sufi philosophy charts the pitfalls and obstacles to be overcome in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Dictating his words to a group of elect students, Al-Ghazali acknowledges his own nearness to death and instructs seekers of eternal life to resist hindrances such as fear and impairments such as conceit in order to find salvation in the essentials of Allah.

Al-Ghazali (d.1111) is commonly regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of medieval Islam. A theologian, logician and jurist., he is known for revealing the compatibility of the outward forms or religion with the innder experiences of the Sufi and mystical traditions.

Review

“[One] of the world’s greatest religious thinkers.”  —William A. Graham, professor, history of religion and Islamic studies, Harvard University

“Among [Ghazali's] most outstanding contributions to Muslim intellectual life were masterly defenses of Islamic orthodoxy, mysticism, and law, against the attacks of those who advocated purely legalistic, or entirely esoteric, readings of the religion.”  —T. J. Winter, lecturer of Islamic studies, Cambridge University

“One of al-Ghazali’s most useful introductory works about how to overcome the numerous obstacles that stand between the believer and redemption in the afterlife.”  —Frank Griffel, Yale University, author, Al-Ghazali’s Philosophical Theology

Product Details:

Paperback: 151 pages
Publisher: Amal Press (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0955235986
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (240 gram)

Find out other reviews on Islamic Books:
Isabella, A Girl of Muslim Spain

A History of The Arab Peoples

The Early Development of Tafsir Qur’an

Author: Albert Hourani

A History of the Arab Peoples

A History of the Arab Peoples is the first full-scale single-volume history of the Arabic-speaking peoples of the Islamic world in several decades, begins with Islam’s rise in the 7th century and carries the rich and imposing story of Arab civilization to the late 1980s.

In broad, sweeping strokes, Albert Hourani (the author) moves easily from mosque to marketplace, from sultan to imam , from nomad to city-dweller, from Mohammed to Sadat. He dwells on the Ottoman Empire and on the European colonialism that followed, and concludes with a discussion of the modern resurgence of Islam that offers hope to thousands of Muslims and appears so threatening to Westerners.

In this book Hourani masterfully covers the three basic disciplines- sharia (law, jurisprudence), kalam (theology), and Sufism (mysticism, spirituality)- and traces their development historically, frequently quoting primary sources. It is certainly one of the best, most comprehensive treatments I have come across.

Written by a master historian, this work is now the definitive study of the Arab peoples. Recommended for interested laypersons and scholars; required reading for all specialists.

Put another way, Hourani’s book will never go out of date, whereas a book that attempted more to explain the current politics of the Middle East would only survive as long as the next treaty or revolution.

Hourani (Emeritus Fellow, St. Anthony’s College, Oxford) is the author of several well-known books on the Middle East, including Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age (Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1983) and The Emergence of the Modern Middle East (Univ. of California Pr., 1980).

Product Details:
- Paperback: 551 pages
- Publisher: Warner Books (April 1, 1992)
- ISBN-13: 978-0446393928
- Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds *

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- Isabella, A Girl of Muslim Spain (Yehiya Emerick)
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During the era of the Prophet Muhammad, his companions (sahabah) used to ask him questions relating to the interpretation of the Qur’an and the different aspects of the commands surrounded in it. The prophet then explain to them the revelation.

After the death the Prophet, the companions taught others the Qur’an and its interpretation. Scholars recognize that the Khulafa Rashidoon, the rightly guided, were Mufassirin of the Qur’an. Others from the Prophet’s time that were recognized as scholars of the Qur’anic tafsir are Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud,, Zayd ibn Thabith, Abu Musa al-Ashari, Ubayy Ibn Ka’b, and Abdullah Ibn Zubayr.

It is stated that in the following period after Muhammad, three schools were established to explain the Qur’an: The Meccan school led by Abdullah ibn Abbas, the Madinan school led by Ubay ibn Ka’b, and the Iraqi school led by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud. The methods accepted by them were based more on transmission (riwaya).

Many of the companions of the Prophet taught the Qur’an and its tafsir to the next generation (tabi’in). The conversion of many people from different faiths and walks of life made it imperative that the Tabi’in should not only treasure the existing information but also build on it a body of learning known as Ulum al-Qur’an.

The Meccan class was followed by students from Ibn Abbas, as mujahid, Ata, and Ikrima. And the Madinan then had some well known muffasirin as Muhammad b. Kab al-Qarzi, Abul Alliya al-Riyahi, and Zaid b. Aslam. The Iraqi group who followed Ibn Mas’ud had centres in Basra and Kufa, and the best known among the mufassirin were Al-Hasan al-Basri, Masruq, and Ibrahim al-Nakhai.

In the period following the above, others like al-Suddi and Sulayman came forward in this field and some of their work survives in the collections of Hadith and recent versions attributed to them. A complete book of tafsir by Mujahid (d. 935) is available which is based on a manuscript from the 13th century AD.

However the oldest work of tafsir extant today is of Al-Tabari (d. 922 AD). Some believe that he was the first man to write Qur’anic tafsir explaining it side by side with the Sunnah. Since then the process of tafsir has continued until today. Some of the classical tafsirs amongst the Sunni Muslims are those of al-Baghawi; al- Zamakhshari, al-Baidawi, Al-Ghazali, al-Qartabi, al-Jalalayn, al-Mudarik, al-Hussain, Al-Jalalayn, al-Mazhari and Azizi, etc.*

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Tafsir Qur’an: Definition and its types

Isabella, A Girl of Muslim Spain

Islam, The Starigh Path.

The word tafsir is founded on the Arabic word fasara, which means to lift the screen, to make clear, to show the objective. Therefore tafsir is defined as the body of knowledge which aims to make clear the true meaning of the Qur’an, its commands and the times of its revelation. The commentator of Qur’an is called a mufassir.

The majority of Muslim scholars insist that the mufassir must be a Muslim. He should be sound in belief (aqida); well stranded in the knowledge of Arabic and its rules as a language. He should “have the ability for accurate understanding” of the Qur’an and “abstain from the use of mere opinion.”

There are three types of tafsir :

Tafsir bil-riwaya (also known as Tafsir bil-mathur), contains the interpretation of the Qur’an by Quranic verses and use of the explanations of the prophet and his companions (sahabah). Books of this tafsir include those attributed to Ibn Abbas, Ibn Abi Khatim, Ibn Habban, Tafsir Ibn Khatir and al-Shaukani.

Tafsir bil-ray (or Tafsir bil-dirayah) is not based directly on transmission of knowledge from the past, but on reason. Tafsir is obtained through opinion based on reason and Ijtihad or Qiyas. The example of this tafsir is Al-Kashaf by Zamakshari (d. 1144).

Tafsir bil-ishara: It goes into the detail of the concepts and ideas associated with the words and verses of the Qur’an. This kind of tafsir is often produced by mystically inclined authors. The most famous are those by al-Razi and al-Khazin.*

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The Future of Islam (Jon L. Esposito)

Don’t Be Sad (Aaidh al-Qarni)

The Early Development of Tafsir Qur’an