This book by
Hujjatul Islam Imam al-Ghazali offers twenty four pieces of valuable advice to
seekers of knowledge. It touches on all aspects of life, from material wealth
and the love of this life, to Islamic etiquette and acquiring knowledge. Imam
al-Ghazali illustrates his ideas throughout with relevant quotations from the
Quran and Hadith, as well as poetry and logical examples and clear analogies
which demonstrates the need to cleanse ourselves of bad manners so that we can
develop good characteristics. This is certainly a powerful reminder of the
importance of constantly identifying ourselves with the next life.

Awakening supplies
a range of interesting and challenging books covering a variety of Islamic
subjects. This book is available in a paperback format with both Arabic and
English text.

Extract: Counsel 3. Knowledge

 

To counsel others is as easy matter, the difficulty is
accepting advice since it is bitter for those who follow their own inclinations
and desires. They love the forbidden from the depth of their hearts. This is
more applicable to seekers of knowledge and students of learning, those of them
who are busy in the grace of spirits and the benefits of this world.

They believe that mere
abstract knowledge, without proper action, will rescue them. This is the belief
of the philosophers. Praise and Glory be to Allah, The greatest of all. They do
not know this much, that when they acquire knowledge, if they do not work
according to it, the indictment against them is certain.

The Messenger of Allah
said: "The person most severely punished of the Day of Judgment is the learned
one who did not follow Allah's guidance and did not benefit from his knowledge."

It has been narrated that
someone saw al-Junayd after his death in a dream. Al-Junayd was asked: "What
news do you have Abal Qasim?" he replied: "Perished are the speeches and
vanished are the allusions, nothing benefited us except the prostrations which
we made in the middle of the night."

Imam Abu
Hamid al-Ghazali



Imam al-Ghazali was born in 450 AH (1059 CE) in Tous. Shaykh Ahmed al-Razakani,
a famous sufi scholar took care of him and educated him in fiqh and usul al-fiqh
(principles of Islamic Jurisprudence). During this period of his youth, Imam
Ghazali had the opportunity to travel extensively. On one of his trips back to
Tous, some thieves stole his books and manuscripts. From that day he began to
memorize everything he wrote. He lived in Nishapur and taught in the famous
Nizamiyyah University in Baghdad (484 AH/ 1091 CE). He also lived in the Umayyad
mosque and to this day there is a minaret named after him (Al-Ghazali minaret).
He is the author of numerous books most notably the Ihya 'Ulum al-Din (a book on
sufism and manners). He died in the year 505 AH (1111 AD). He was fifty-five
years old when he passed away and left behind a very valuable heritage and rich
thought.