A concise alternative to the renowned Ihya uloom al-din by Allamah Ghazali.
This book may rightly be considered as a summary of Al Ghazali's Ihya Uloom Al-Deen (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) which is widely regarded as one of the great works of Muslim spirituality, and has for centuries been a widely read and respected work in the Muslim world. In the book, the author takes the seeker through the valleys of repentance, knowledge, worship, etc., giving one a step by step approach to rectifying oneself and becoming a knower of Allah.
Imam Al Ghazali dictated this book to a very few and selected students in his very last days.
About Imam Ghazali
Abu Hamid Muhammad, famous in the world of learning as al-Ghazzal was born in 450 AH (1058 A.D) in Persia. He graduated from the Nizamia Madressa at Nishapur, with distinction.a very famous educational institution in Nishapur. Later he was appointed as a teacher at the Nizamia College in Baghdad, where he proved very successful in imparting knowledge to the scholars under his care. This valuable gift of sustaining interest of his pupils and passing on his knowledge to them made him so famous that students from all parts of the country flocked to study under him. 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.
Al-Ghazali is generally acclaimed as the most influential thinker of the Classical period of Islam, in his autobiography The Deliverance from Error, the Imam describes his education and his intellectual crisis, which left him so paralysed by doubt that he he gave up his academic pursuits and worldly interests and became a wandering ascetic. This was a process (period) of mystical transformation. Later, he resumed his teaching duties, but again left these. An era of solitary life, devoted to contemplation and writing then ensued, which led to the authorship of a number of everlasting books. Imam al-Ghazzali's life was spent in self-sacrificing service of God and his fellowmen. He left behind him a fine example for all men to follow. He died in 505 AH.
