Al-Ghazali On Disciplining the Soul and Breaking the Two Desires: Bk. 22 & 23: The Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya Ulum Al-Din)
by Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al- Ghazali (9780946621439)

The spiritual life in Islam begins with "riyadat al-nafs", the inner warfare against the ego. Belief is that, distracted and polluted by worldliness, the lower self has a tendency to drag the human creature down into arrogance and vice, and that only a powerful effort of will can lead the worshipper to purity of soul. This translation of two sections from "The Revival of Religious Sciences" details the sophisticated spiritual techniques adopted by classical Islam. In the first, citing anecdotes from Islamic scriptures and lives of the saints, Ghazali explains how to acquire good character traits. In the second, entitled "Breaking the Two Desires", he focuses on the questions of gluttony and sexual desire, concluding that the best solution is the middle way. The translator includes an introduction and notes which explore Ghazali's ability to make use of Greek as well as Islamic ethics. This work is designed to appeal to those interested in Sufi mysticism, comparative ethics and the question of sexuality in Islam.

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