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Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness: Kitab al-niyya wa'l-ikhlas wa'l-sidq
The 37th chapter of the Revival of Religious Sciences, this treatise focuses on the subject of intention—which is of crucial importance in ethics—posing questions such as How can someone ignorant of the meaning of intention verify his own intention? How can someone ignorant of the meaning of sincerity verify his own sincerity? And how can someone sincerely claim truthfulness if he has not verified its meaning?
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Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness: Kitab al-niyya wa'l-ikhlas wa'l-sidq
The 37th chapter of the Revival of Religious Sciences, this treatise focuses on the subject of intention—which is of crucial importance in ethics—posing questions such as How can someone ignorant of the meaning of intention verify his own intention? How can someone ignorant of the meaning of sincerity verify his own sincerity? And how can someone sincerely claim truthfulness if he has not verified its meaning?
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Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness: Kitab al-niyya wa'l-ikhlas wa'l-sidq

Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness: Kitab al-niyya wa'l-ikhlas wa'l-sidq

Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness: Kitab al-niyya wa'l-ikhlas wa'l-sidq

Al-Ghazali on Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness: Kitab al-niyya wa'l-ikhlas wa'l-sidq

Overview

The 37th chapter of the Revival of Religious Sciences, this treatise focuses on the subject of intention—which is of crucial importance in ethics—posing questions such as How can someone ignorant of the meaning of intention verify his own intention? How can someone ignorant of the meaning of sincerity verify his own sincerity? And how can someone sincerely claim truthfulness if he has not verified its meaning?

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781911141341
Publisher: Islamic Texts Society
Publication date: 06/01/2018
Series: Ghazali series
Edition description: Second edition
Pages: 174
Product dimensions: 6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111) is the most famous theologian-mystic of Islam and the equivalent of Thomas Aquinas in Christianity and Maimonides in Judaism. His contribution to the formation of Islamic thought and mysticism is incalculable. Dr Anthony Shaker specializes in Islamic philosophy and thought. He is also the translator of Al-Ghazali on Vigilance and Self-examination.

Read an Excerpt

GOD HAS SAID, Do not turn away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, wishing for His countenance. What is meant by this wishing is intention. The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said, 'Verily, deeds are [performed] with intentions. To every man his intention. He who migrates for God and His Messenger, does so for God and His Messenger. But he who migrates for a world to gain or a woman to wed, migrates to whatever he migrates to.'
   The Prophet also said, 'Most of the martyrs in my community lay in their berths. While many a man who has fallen between the two rows, only God knows his intention.' God said, If they intend reconciliation, God will grant them both success. Thus, God made intention the cause of success (tawfiq).
   Said the Prophet, 'God (Exalted is He) sees neither your forms nor your riches, but your hearts and deeds.' God sees the hearts because they are the loci of intention.
   May God bless him and grant him peace said, 'The servant [of God] performs good deeds, which the angels raise up on sealed scrolls. These are laid before God, who says, "Cast this scroll away, for by what is in it he intended not My countenance." And with that He calls on the angels, "Write for him such-and-such, and write such-and-such." They say, "Our Lord, he did none of these things." But God shall answer, "He intended them."'
   Said the Prophet, 'There are four kinds of people: To one man God Almighty gives knowledge and wealth, and he acts knowledgeably with his wealth. And a man says, "Would that God (Exalted is He) had given me what He has given him, for I would do as he does." Both men are equally recompensed. [Then,] there is the man to whom God (Exalted is He) gives wealth but not knowledge. He gropes about with his wealth. And a man says, "Would that God had given me what He has given him, for I would do as he does." Therefore, they are equally in error.' Do you not see how, in his good and evil acts, he shares the intention [of the other man]?

Table of Contents

Al-Ghazali's Introduction to the Revival of the Religious Sciences

Introduction

Prologue

Part I: On Intention

  Chapter One: An Exposition of the Merit of Intention

  Chapter Two: An Exposition of the Reality of Intention

  Chapter Three: An Exposition of the Inner Meaning of the Prophet's Words: 'The intention of the believer is better than his deed'

  Chapter Four: A Classification of How Actions are Related to Intention

  Chapter Five: An Exposition on that Intention is Not a Matter of Choice

Part II: On Sincerity, Its Merit, Reality and Degrees

  Chapter Six: An Exposition of the Merit of Sincerity

  Chapter Seven: An Exposition of the Reality of Sincerity

  Chapter Eight: An Exposition of What the Great Masters have Said About Sincerity

  Chapter Nine: An Exposition of the Levels of Blemishes and Flaws that Cloud Sincerity

  Chapter Ten: An Exposition on the Judgement of the Tarnished Act and the Worthiness of the Reward for it

Part III: On Truthfulness, Its Merit and Reality

  Chapter Eleven: An Exposition of the Merit of Truthfulness

  Chapter Twelve: An Exposition of the Reality of Truthfulness, Its Meaning and Levels

Notes

Appendix: Persons Cited in Text

Bibliography

Index to Qur'anic Quotations

General Index

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