On the duties of Brotherhood, al-Ghazali

On the duties of Brotherhood, al-Ghazali, translated by Muhtar Holland from the Classical Arabic

This is the first translation of a central work of the great Arabic scholar, al-Ghazali. Because of his education and experience in law, theology, and philosophy, al-Ghazali was considered the Renewer for the sixth Islamic century. His writings, which provided helpful suggestions on improving the quality of human relationships, came at a time when the lands of Islam enjoyed a dynamically intellectual community. His work became an invaluable stimulus to Western thinkers and had a strong influence on the rebirth of Western civilization in the Middle Ages.

On the Duties of Brotherhood shows how brotherhood can be an aid to spiritual purification and the perfection of one's worship, as well as a source of help and comfort in the world. Readers will find the road to fellowship - by way of forgiveness, prayer, serenity, loyalty, and considerateness - and be enlightened by stories that illustrate the doctrines of brotherhood.

al-Ghazali was born in Tus in what is now Iran in 1058 AD, three years after the Turks of the Seljuq tribe under their leader Tughril Beg had entered Baghdad as conquerors. He studied law and theology at Seljug college in Nishapur and while still in his early thirties, became principal teacher at Baghdad University. His formidable intellectual abilities and deep spiritual insight combined to make him a key figure in the theological controversies of his day. His book The Incoherence of the Philosophers was well-known both in Arabic and in Latin translations in the Middle Ages and, as a result of his major work The Revival of the Religious Sciences, he became known as "the Proof of Islam."

Muhtar Holland was born in Durham, England in 1935 and embraced Islam in 1969. He has been a lecturer in Arabic, Turkish and Near-Eastern History at the University of Toronto and in Islamic Law at the University of London. He currently works with the Islamic Foundation in Leicester, England.

Details

• Paperback
• ISBN: 9780879510831
• Condition: As New  
• Publisher: The Overlook Press