Pride is the vice that tripped Imam al-Ghazali on his journey to God. At an early age he was recognized for hi brilliance and by the time he was young man was widely-acclaimed as the greatest scholar of the age: the "scholar of scholars."

Al-Ghazali lived at a time such as the one we live in today, when the inward and outward practices of Islam had become divided and a collective spiritual crisis of the heart prevailed. He realized that in spite of all his knowledge h was of no use battling this crisis because his own heart was filled with pride. How could he aid his brothers in the transformation of their hearts, when his own heart was diseased?

Al-Ghazali understood the only way to be effective in reviving and subsequently preserving the Islamic tradition, was to conquer his own arrogance. He knew he had to extricate himself from the web of fame that had entrapped him for so long. After arranging provision for his family, he set out on the journey of the wayfarer, and traveled through the Muslim world virtually unknown. As a human being he abased himself. He earned his living by copying books and selling them. He also became a janitor in a mosque where he swepy the floors. It took him years, but by the grace of God, h reached his goal and returned to his community a transformed man: a man of humility, a man whose ego no longer stood between him and God, a man to whom fame and obscurity were as one.

Though fame is a trap reserved for the few, we all have our traps and demons to overcome, whether they be lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy, or pride. What al-Ghazali brings us with the Alchemy of Happiness is his faith that we, too, can master our egos and bone with God, and he leaves us the methods and guidance to embark upon our own inward journey.