The Duties of Brotherhood in Islam : from the Ihya Ulum al-Din,
[A5] Paperback - 95 pages, (The Revival of the Religious Sciences),
by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali,
Translated into English by Muhtar Holland,
UK Publication.
Description :
An immensely important portion of Imam al-Ghazali's, may Allah be pleased with him, 'Ihya Ulum al-Din, this work discusses, at the micro-level, what is needed to instill in each of us the sense of brotherhood that is a necessary fabric for Muslims to be effective as a nation. The eight duties each Muslim has to perform towards the other are each discussed in detail.
In this work Imam al-Ghazali, may Allah be pleased with him, explores the meaning and
significance of fraternity in Islam in this brilliant essay from his
seminal work, "The Revival of the Religious Sciences," which covers
material assistance, personal aid, holding one's tongue, speaking out,
forgiveness, loyalty, sincerity, and informality.
Table of Contents :
---Foreword,
---Translator's Foreword,
---Introduction : the Time and Place of Imam al-Ghazali.
---[1]. Al-Ghazali : On the Duties of Brotherhood.
---[2]. The First Duty : Material Assistance,
---[3]. The Second Duty : Personal Aid,
---[4]. The Third Duty : Holding One's Tongue,
---[5]. The Fourth Duty : Speaking Out,
---[6]. The Fifth Duty : Forgiveness,
---[7]. The Sixth Duty : Prayer,
---[8]. The Seventh Duty : Loyalty and Sincerity,
---[9]. The Eighth Duty : Informality,
---[10]. Postscript.
---Translator's Note.
Imam Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid Muhammad, rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayh (450/1058-505/1111), a towering figure in Islam, was born at Tus, near Mashhad in present day Iran, in the early Seljuq era and studied theology and law at Nishapur. His formidable intellectual abilities soon won him honour and respect at the Court of the famous Seljuqi Prime Minister, Nizam al-Mulk, and, while still in his early thirties, he became Professor at 'Madrasa Nizamiyya' in Baghdad and attained great prominence there. But soon he abandoned his professorship for a decade of contemplation and studies. He returned for a while to lecture at the Nizamiyya in Nishapur before his death. He wrote a huge number of works, which include Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (a biographical account), Tahafut al-Falasifa; but his 'magnum opus' remains the Ihya' Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) in Forty Chapters, compiled during his period of retirement and contemplation.
