To men of understanding, riches which cease at death have no value; for even though a man’s life is long, of what use will they be when it comes to an end.
Al-Ghazali, Counsel for Kings, p38
Every man thinks that his wisdom is perfect and the greatest fool is he who rests satisfied with the knowledge that his intellect is perfect.
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din, p 62
The holder of authority(the ruler)should notbe dominated by pride; for pride gives rise to the dominance of anger, and will impel him to revenge. Anger is the evil genius and blight of intellect.
Al-Ghazali, Counsel for Kings, p 25
God has reserved for the pious what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has conceived. Some say that man knows nothing of Paradise except its attributes and names. Others hold that some are mere patterns and some are identical with the realities which these names signify. Likewise, others hold that limit to the knowledge of God is one’s inability to reach it.
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din, p 17
The (real) wealth which has value is that which is lasting and eternal. The lasting gift(from God) is faith, which is the eternal wealth.
Al-Ghazali, Counsel forKings, p 38
Suppose a ship is to arrive at a certain well-wooded island. The captain of the ship tells the passengers that he will stop a few hours there and that they can go on shore for a short time, but warns them not to delay too long. Accordingly, the passengers go ashore and wander in different directions. The wisest, however, returns after a short time, and, finding the ship empty, choose the most comfortable places in it. A second band of the passengers spends a some what longer time on the island, admiring the greenery of the trees and listening to the song of the birds. Coming on board, they find the best places in the ship already occupied, and have to satisfy themselves with the less comfortable ones. A third party wanders still farther, and, finding some brilliantly colored stones, carry them back to the ship. Their lateness in coming on board compels them to occupy themselves away in the lower parts of the ship, where they find their loads of stones, whichby this time have lost all their brilliancy, very much in their way. The last group goes so far in their wanderings that they get quite out of reach of the captain’s voice calling them to come on board, and at last,he has to sail away without them. They wander about in a hopeless condition and finally either perish of hunger or fall prey to wild beasts. The first group represents the faithful who keep distant from the world altogether and the last group the infidels who care only for this world and nothing for the next. The two intermediate classes are those who preserve their faith but entangle themselves more or less with the vanities of things present.
Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p 23
The structure of the (human) body should be studied not only by those who wish to become doctors but by those who wish to attain a more intimate knowledge of God.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness p14
The true greatness of man lies in his capacity for eternal progress, otherwise,in this temporal world, he is the weakest of all things, being subject to hunger, thirst, heat, cold,and sorrow.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p15
Now the rational soul in man flourishes in wonders, both of knowledge and power. By whichhe masters arts and sciences. He can pass in a flash from earth to heaven and back again. He can map out the skies and measure the distances between the stars. He can also draw the fish from the sea and the birds from the air, and subdue to his service the animals, like the elephant, the camel, and the horse. His five senses are like five doors opening on the external world. But, more wonderful than this, his heart has a window which opens on the unseen world of spirits. In the state of sleep, when the paths of the senses are closed, this window is opened and man receives impressions from the unseen world and sometimes visions of the future. His heart is then like a mirror which reflects what is pictured in the Pill of Fate.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p12–1
Love is the seed of happiness, and love for God is raised and developed by worship.
Al-Ghazali, The alchemy of happiness, p19
This world is a stage or market-place passed by pilgrims on their way to the next(life).
Al-Ghazali, The alchemy of happiness, p21
While a man is in this world, two things are necessary for him: first, the protection and nurture of his soul; secondly, the care and nurture of his body.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p2
Careers and businesses of the world have become more and more complicated and troublesome, mainly because men have forgotten that their real necessities are only three–clothing, food, and shelter, and that these exist only with the object of making the body a fit vehicle for the soul in its journey towards the next world.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p21
The deceitful character of the world comes out in the following ways. In the first place, it pretends that it will always remain with you, while it is slipping away from you, moment by moment, and command you farewell, like a shadow which seems stationary, but is always moving.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p21-22
Even if he is doubtful about a future existence, reason suggests that he should act as if there were one, considering the tremendous issues at stake
Al-Ghazali,The achemy of happiness, p 2
He, therefore, is a wise man who, after his morning prayer, spends a whole hour in making a spiritual reckoning, and says to his soul, “O my soul, you have only one life; no single moment that has passed can be recovered, for in the guidance of God the number of breaths chosen is fixed, and cannot be increased.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p 35
A new thing cannot come into existence without a cause.
Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din, p 105
Those who have ruined without limit in the pleasures of the world, at the time of death will be like a man who has satisfied himself to overfilling on delicious foods and then vomits them up.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p22
In the heart of the enlightened man, there is a window opening on the realities of the spiritual world, so that he knows, not by rumor or traditional belief, but by experience, what produces misery or happiness in the soul just as clearly and definitely as the physician knows what produces sickness or health in the body.
Al-Ghazali, The achemy of happiness, p24
As the minds of the people are attracted to the science of medicine for the preservation of the health of the body, so also the minds of the people must be attracted to the treatment of the diseases of soul and mind in expectation of a happy and prosperous life in the next world which will last forever and forever. Physical happiness is short and passing as compared to spiritual happiness in the hereafter. The Physique is mortal while the soul is immortal
Imam Ghazali,Ihya Ulum Al Din, p17
Knowledge can be grasped by the internal eye and actions by the external eye. Many people have got external eyes but very few have got the internal eye. So if the actions of a teacher are contrary to what he preaches, it does not help towards guidance, but it is like poison. A teacher is like a stamp to clay and a student is like clay. If the stamp has no character, there is no impression on the clay.
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din, p 62
The noble nature of knowledge has been revealed through the intellect. Intellect is the source and fountainhead of knowledge and its foundation. Knowledge is like the fruit of a tree and it flows from intellect, or like the light of the sun or like the vision of the eye. Why should it not be honored when it is the cause of fortune in this world and the next? What is there to distinguish between beasts and men except for intellect? Even a ferocious beast that has got more strength than man fears a man at seeing him as it knows that he may put him into a trap on account of his intellect.
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din p 92
The soul is like a horseman and the body like a horse. The blindness of the horseman is more serious and harmful than that of the horse. The power of internal insight is more than that of external sight.
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din, p 97
Prayer should be observed with humility of mind
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din, p 140
Zakat is the purification of properties.
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din, p166
God keeps the rich only for the poor, because the poor earn their livelihood by theirindustry,increase their provisions, and preserve them with difficulties. The rich give charity according to the requirements of the poor and guard the excess wealth. So thinkthat the rich are servants for the livelihood of the poor.
Imam Ghazali, Ihya Ulum Al Din,p170
