Imam Al-Ghazali on Self-Delusion

Title: Imam Al-Ghazali on Self-Delusion
Author:Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali 
ISBN: 9781915265425
Publisher: Turath Publishing (UK)

Imam al-Ghazali delves into the core of our predicament by exposing undesirable qualities of the heart, such as arrogance, pride, ostentation, and the pursuit of fame. The importance of ikhlas (sincerity) is the root of what he is alluding to.

The text examines the various religious activities that take place in a believers life, be they the construction of masjids, the delivery of lectures, charitable contributions in the name of Allah ﷻ, or the recitation of the Qur'an. Imam al-Ghazali's articulation of these matters persuades the reader to remain vigilant in every aspect of the Religion.

His overarching theme throughout the book revolves around the term ghurür which, in the context of this work, can be translated as self-deception. As seen in many of his other writings, he provides compelling examples that resonate with all readers.

About The Author

Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali was born in 450 AH (1058 A.D) in the Iranian town of Tus, studied Islamic law and theology at the Seljuq College in Nishapur, and became a distinguished professor at the famous Nizamiyya University in Baghdad.

Despite his glittering success, he was inwardly dissatisfied, so he abandoned his career for the life of hardship, abstinence and devotion to worship. During ten years of wandering, he experienced a spiritual transformation, in which the Truth came to him at last, as something received rather than acquired.

Blessed with an inner certainty, he then applied his outstanding faculties and vast learning to the task of revitalizing the whole Islamic tradition. Through his direct personal contacts, and through his many writings, he showed how every element in that tradition could and should be turned to its true purpose.

Imam al-Ghazzali was fondly referred to as the "Hujjat-ul-lslam", Proof of Islam, he is honoured as a scholar and a saint by learned men all over the world and is generally acclaimed as the most influential thinker of the Classical period of Islam.

He passed away in 505 AH (1111 A.D).