The Ihya' is Comprehensive

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

The Ihya' is Comprehensive

Imam al-Ghazali earned for himself the title Hujjatul Islam (The Proof of Islam). As we read the Ihya', it begins to dawn on us why he is held in such high esteem. He appears to be a master of all branches of learning and it seems he has codified all knowledge of Islam existing upto his time in the Ihya'.

1. His teaching is rooted in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. These have been the original sources of the 'ulama (the learned) who came before him as well as those who followed him. He backs up his themes throughout the Ihya' with verses from the Qur'an and gives tafsir (explanation) of the verses.

2. He is a master of the Hadith Shareef of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. The Ihya' is full of ahaadith from the Sihah Sitta as well as many other well-known compilations of hadith.

3. As a master of history (seerah), he documents in great detail, in the chapters titled Athar (Narratives), the life history of our Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam; of many anbiya (prophets), 'alayhimussalam, of the Ahl ul Bayt (the blessed Household of our beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), of the sahaba (his companions), of the taabi'een (the Followers, who followed the sahaba), the awliya (saints) and saleheen (the pious). Thus each Islamic injunction is supported by Qur'an, hadith and real-life examples of 'amal (action) on these from seerah (history). More than a hundred sahaba are mentioned in the Ihya' as well as a hundred or more awliya (saints). In this way, Imam al-Ghazali has preserved for posterity the history of achievements in piety. This further nurtured and sustained the love of scholarship among Muslims.

4. He is an 'aabid (worshipper) of Allah Ta'ala par excellence who exhorts you to engage in worship and do zikr (remember Allah). He is referred to as siraaj u'l mutahajjideen (the lamp for those who perform tahajjud). Besides the fardh, sunnah and nawafil salah, he talks about the supererogatory prayers for each day of the week, and gives the azkaar and awraad (regular voluntary invocations) for each day of the week and the dua (supplications) of the beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, the anbiya, 'alayhimussalam, the Ahl ul Bayt, the sahaba, and the awliya, may Allah be pleased with them. He devotes two whole books to invocations and supplications, that is, Vol I, Book 9 and Book 10.

5. He is the literary giant who uses analogy, rhetoric, rhyming prose, simile and metaphor and intersperses his discourse with gems of qasaaid (eulogies) from spiritual masters to emphasise, illustrate or illuminate his point. The Ihya' contains verses composed by Sayyidina 'Ali, Sayyidatina 'Aisha and Hadrat Abu Darda' Rady Allahu 'Anhum; as well as by Imams and sufi saints such as Hadrat Hasan al-Basri, Malik bin Dinar, Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibrahim ibn Ad'ham, 'Abdallah ibn al-Mubarak, Imam al-Shafi'i, Dhul Nun al-Misri, Al-Sari al-Saqati, Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz and Junaid al-Baghdadi, among others, may Allah Ta'ala shower them with His Mercy. And he cites Hadith Shareef on Hadrat Hassaan bin Thabit Rady Allahu 'Anhu which establish him as the poet of the Prophet, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam.

6. He expounds on Aqidatul Islam (The Islamic Creed), in Vol I, Book 2, as explained by Imam Abu'l Hasan al-Ash'ari before him. Those who love the Asma-ul-Husna will take this book Qawaaid u'l 'Aqaaid (Foundations of the Articles of Faith) to heart. He explains the Arkan al-Islam (the pillars of Islam), the Arkan al-Iman (the pillars of Faith), and ihsan (spiritual excellence). The uniqueness here is that he explains both the zahiri (manifest) as well as the sirri (hidden spiritual) aspects of each of the teachings of Islam. His teaching is rooted in the Ahl us Sunnah tradition. He explains that the rightful successors to our beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam in chronological order are Sayyidina Abubakr, Sayyidina 'Umar, Sayyidina 'Uthman and Sayyidina 'Ali, Rady Allahu 'Anhum ajma'een.

7. The Ihya' is rooted in shari'ah (sacred Muslim law). Himself a Shafi'i, Imam al-Ghazali shows great respect for the Imams of all the four Ahl us Sunnah madhaa-hib who codified Muslim law, that is, Imam ul A'zam Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi'i, Imam Malik, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He gives life histories of each of these Imams in Vol. I, Book 1. He goes to great lengths to explain that what appeals to him about these Imams is not so much that they were fuqaha (jurists) but that they were sufis as well, who practiced tasawwuf.

8. He is ad-Daa'ee al-Kaamil (Accomplished Preacher), propagating Islam as taught and lived by the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. As an 'alim, he towered above all and was in a position to refute the teachings of sectists of his time, like the Mu'tazila, the Baatiniyyah and the philosophers.

9. He is a sufi saint who talks of wajd (spiritual ecstacy), kashf (unveiling of spiritual secrets) and ilham (inspirations), which are various spiritual states. He is the spiritual master who has tasted of ma'rifa (direct illuminative knowledge) and haqiqa (spiritual realities).

10. He is Hujjat ul Islam who wants to lead us to paradise under the banner of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam by making us live totally according to his life-style, taking him as our model of character and conduct, as Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'an:

Wa Innaka La'ala Khuluqin 'Azeem
And undoubledly, you have the most exalted character. (68:4)

The rest of this article expounds on some of these major themes.

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

It Is Full Of Qur'an

As mentioned earlier, according to Shaykh 'Abdallah al-'Aydaroos, the Ihya' is a sharh (explanation) of the Qur'an and Hadith. First, let us appreciate it as a sharh of the Qur'an.

It is an exhilarating experience to recite the verses of the Qur'an Kareem quoted in the Ihya' at one sitting and to crown it all with the Fateha!
Al-Fateha!

Once you have done that, you are naturally curious to find out how much of the Qur'an is in the Ihya'. So you reference the footnotes provided by al-Hafiz al-Iraqi and a quick count reveals 2370 quoted verses, quoted in full or in part. Some of the verses have been repeated for emphasis. Assuming rather liberally that one-third are repetitions, we can draw a rough and ready conclusion that a quarter of the 6236 verses of the Qur'an have been directly quoted by Imam al-Ghazali, Rahmatullahi 'alaih in support of the theme of each book of the Ihya'.

The very first verse in the Ihya' must have pleased Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala so much that He, in His unbounded generosity gave the bahral muhit (encircling ocean) of the Ihya' to Imam al-Ghazali to plunge into. Approach it gently as your eyes might well up with tears.

Shahidallahu Annahu Laa Ilaaha Illaa Huwa
Wa'l malaaikatu wa 'ulul 'ilmi qaaiman bi'l qist
Laa Ilaaha Illaa Huwa'l 'Aziz u'l Hakeem

Allah bears witness that none is to be worshipped but He,
and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, Maintaining His creation with justice;
none is to be worshipped but He, the Mighty, the Wise (3:18)

Imam al-Ghazali loves this verse so much that he repeats it in many places in the Ihya'. Forty such oft-repeated verses can be identified equal to the forty books of the Ihya'. These are:

(2:165), (2:264), (3:18), (3:134), (4:41), (6:125), (7:55), (7:199), (7:200), (8:17),
((9:24), (13:11), (16:18), (16:90), (17:85), (18:49), (21:23), (26:89), (29:69), (32:16),
(35:41), (39:9), (39:22), (42:11), (48:29), (55:46), (57:12), (57:20), (58:11), (66:6),
(66:8), (68:4), (91:9), (91:10), (97:1), (99:7), (99:8), (103:1-3)

Let us benefit from the translation of a few of these verses with the intention of acting upon them.

Those who spend (benevolently) in ease as well as in hardship and those who restrain (their anger) and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good (to others). (3:134)

Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant (7:199)

And if you would count Allah's favours, you will not be abe to count them; most surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (16:18)

Surely, Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kith and kin, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion; He admonishes you that you may be mindful. (16:90)

And the Book (of Deeds) shall be placed (before you), then you will see the guilty, fearing from what is in it, and they will say: Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! It does not omit anything, small or great but takes account of them (all); and they shall find all that they did before them; and your Lord is not unjust with anyone. (18:49)

And (as for) those that strive for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good. (29:69)

Is he who is obedient during hours of the night, prostrating himself and standing, takes heed of the Hereafter and hopes for the mercy of his Lord (like the one who does not). Say: Are those who know and those who do not know equal? Only those who are endued with understanding receive admonition. (39:9)

Will he whose heart Allah has opened to Islam so that he is upon a light from his Lord (be like him who is not in this condition)? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah, those are in clear error. (39:22)

And for him who fears to stand before his Lord are two Paradises. (55:46)

And undoubledly, you (O beloved Prophet) have the most exalted character. (68:4)

Al-Fateha!

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

It Is Full Of Hadith

Once you have established how much of the Qur'an is in the Ihya', the next thing you want to know is the number of ahaadith in the Ihya'. For that, your user-friendly source is again the Takhreej (Identification) of Shaykh Hafiz al-Iraqi. A quick count in the footnotes reveals a total of 4534 ahaadith, quoted in full or in part, more than the number of ahaadith in Sahih Muslim, and more than the number of ahaadith in Al-Muwatta (The Well-Trodden Path) of Imam Malik, and Riyaad-us-Saleheen (The Gardens of the Righteous) of Imam an-Nawawi put together!

One of the aims of the Ihya' is to turn people to 'amal saleh (good deeds). So let us take this opportunity to learn ten ahaadith shareef from the Ihya', Vol. I, one hadith from each of its ten books with the intention of acting upon them.

The beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam said:

1. The 'ulama (learned) are the heirs of the Prophets (narrated by Hadrat Abu Darda, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban; Ihya', Vol. I, p. 16).

2. Faith has over seventy branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that no one is worthy of worship but Allah, and the humblest of which is the removal of what is injurious from the road. And modesty is a branch of faith (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol. I, p. 144).

3. The key to prayer is ritual purity (tuhur) (narrated by Sayyidina 'Ali, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam Tirmidhi; Ihya', Vol I, p. 150).

4. The merit of congregational prayer is greater than that of individual prayer by twenty-seven degrees (narrated by Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol I, p. 176).

5. Whoever does not thank people, is not thankful to Allah (narrated by Hadrat Ibn Sa'eed, Rady Allahu Anhu, and reported by Imam Tirmidhi; and also narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban; Ihya', Vol I, p. 263).

6. The most important optional fasts after the (obligatory) fasts in the month of Ramadan are those in the month of Muharram (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Muslim; Ihya', vol. I, p. 281).

7. One hundred and seventy mercies descend upon the Ka'ba every day: sixty for those doing tawaf (circumambulation), forty for those performing prayers and twenty for those who just look at it (narrated by Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Shu'b ul Iman (Branch of Faith) of Imam al-Bayhaqi; Ihya', Vol I, p. 287).

8. Those who take to the Qur'an are the people of Allah and very special to Him (narrated by Hadrat Anas, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam an-Nasaai, Ibn Majah, and al-Haakim, Ihya', Vol. I, p. 322)

9. Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, says: "When my servant remembers Me himself (alone), I remember him Myself. When he remembers Me in congregation, I remember him in a better congregation. And if he draws near to Me a hand's span, I draw near to him an arm's length; and if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed". (Hadith Qudsi) (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol I, p. 351).

10. The best prayer after those that have been prescribed is the qiyaam ul-layl (tahajjud in the night vigil) (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol I, p. 419).

Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal Wakeel
Allah is Sufficient for us and (He is) the most excellent Trustee (3:173)

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

The Narratives

Each book of the Ihya' abounds with these and they are referred to as Athar (later traditions). They relate to narrations by or concerning the Prophets 'alayhimussalam, the Ahl ul Bayt (the blessed Household of our noble Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), the sahaba (his companions), the taabi'een (Followers), the tab'i taabi'een (those who followed the Followers), the mashaayikh (spiritual masters), and the awliya Allah (friends of Allah, sufi saints), those that are well-known as well as those that remain anonymous and hidden. Let us seize this opportunity to go through some of these narratives to gain their flavour as well as blessings. (Translations by Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad, Shaykh Muhtar Holland and Mawlana Fazlul Karim have been used).

1. The entire text of the sermon of Sayyidina AbuBakr Rady Allahu 'Anhu (when the beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam passed away), has been given by al-Qa'qa' ibn 'Amr, who said, """ When the people had finished weeping, Sayyidina AbuBakr stood up before them to preach a sermon, the greater part of which was an invocation of blessings upon the Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. He praised and glorified Allah for every state (which he might bring about) and then said:

"I bear witness that no one is worthy of worship except Allah, Alone, Who fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His bondsman, and overcame the factions Alone. To Him alone is the praise. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His bondsman and Emissary, and the seal of His Prophets. And I bear witness that the Book is now as it was when revealed and that the Faith is now as it was when laid down, and that the Tradition now is just as it transpired, and that the discourse is just as he uttered it, and that Allah is the manifest Truth.

O Allah! Bless Muhammad, Your bondsman and Emissary, Your Prophet, Your beloved one, trusted one, preferred and chosen, with the most excellent blessings ever granted by You to any one of Your creatures.

O Allah! Bestow Your blessings and protection from harm and Your Mercy and Your Grace upon the Master of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets, the Leader of the Godfearing, Muhammad, the Commander and Leader of Good, the Emissary of Mercy.

O Allah! Bring close to You his degree, make mighty his proof, ennoble his rank, and raise him up to a Praiseworthy Station which shall be the envy of the first and the last (of mankind). Grant us the benefit of his Praiseworthy Station on the Day of Arising and supply his place for us in this world and in the the next, and lead him to the Rank and the Means (of intercession) in Heaven.

O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and grant grace to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you did grant blessings and grace to Ibraham; truly, You are Praiseworthy, Majestic""". (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 504)

2. One day, Sayyidina 'Umar Rady Allahu 'Anhu exclaimed while delivering a sermon (khutbah): "O you (soldiers) going on the mountain". When he came to know by kashf or "unveiling" of secret knowledge that the enemies were about to surround the Muslim soldiers (who were far away in another land), he cautioned them because he had direct knowledge. Soon his voice reached them. (Ihya', Vol III, p. 27)

3. Hadrat 'AbdAllah ibn Salam Rady Allahu 'Anhu once asked those who had been present at the death agonies suffered by Sayyidina 'Uthman Rady Allahu 'Anhu after he had been wounded."What did Sayyidina 'Uthman Rady Allahu 'Anhu say while he was in his death throes?" "Three times we heard him say", they replied, "O Allah! Unify the nation of Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam". (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 507)

4. Sayyidina 'Ali Rady Allahu 'Anhu said, "If I wish, I can load seventy camels with the Tafsir (exegesis) of Surah al-Fateha alone". (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 341)

5. Imam al-Hasan Rady Allahu 'Anhu said: "An unruly riding-beast is in no greater need of a strong bridle than is your soul". (Ihya', Vol. III, p. 71)

6. When Imam al-Hasan ibn 'Ali Rady Allahu 'Anhu became increasingly ill, Imam al-Husayn Rady Allahu 'Anhu entered and said, "O my brother, why do you sorrow? You are going to join Allah's Emissary Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, and Sayyidina 'Ali ibn Abi Talib Rady Allahu 'Anhu who are your fathers; and Sayyidatina Khadija bint Khuwaylid and Sayyidatina Fatima bint Muhammad Rady Allahu 'Anhuma, who are your mothers, and Hadrat Hamza and Hadrat Ja'far, Rady Allahu 'Anhuma who are your paternal uncles". And he replied, "O my brother! I am going to something the likes of which I have never been to before". (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 509)

7. Sayyidatina Safiyya Rady Allahu 'Anha told of an old woman who once complained to Sayyidatina 'Aisha Rady Allahu 'Anha of the hardness of her heart. "Remember death frequently", she told her, "and your heart will be softened". This she did and her heart was indeed made soft. She went to thank Sayyidatina 'Aisha Rady Allahu 'Anha. (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 479)

8. It is also reported that Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu and Hadrat Suhaib Rady Allahu 'Anhu approached some Arab families to talk to them (and asked them for women in marriage). They asked them, "Who are you two?" Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu replied, "I am Bilal and this is my brother Suhaib. We were astray and Allah guided us aright. We were slaves, then Allah freed us. We were poor, them Allah enriched us. If you give us wives, praise be to Allah! If you reject us, glory be to Allah!"

They said, "Of course you two shall marry, and all praise is for Allah!" Then Hadrat Suhaib Rady Allahu 'Anhu said (to Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu): "You might have mentioned our exploits and that we were among the first with Allah's Messenger Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam". Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu replied: " Quiet! I spoke the truth and truthfulness has got you married". (Ihya', Vol II, p. 44)

9. Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas Rady Allahu 'Anhu was asked, "What is nobility (karam)?", and he replied, "That which Allah has mentioned in His mighty Book: Assuredly, the most noble of you in Allah's sight are the most pious". (49:13) (Ihya', Vol III, p. 57)

10. Hadrat Salman al-Farsi Rady Allahu 'Anhu was asked: "Why do you not put on good clothes?" He replied, "Being a servant, how can I put on good clothes? When I shall be free, Allah will give me such clothes as will never perish". ( Ihya', Vol IV, p. 249)

11. It is said of Imam Zaynul 'Abideen 'Ali ibn al-Husayn Rady Allahu 'Anhu that he used to turn pale when he made his ablution. When his family asked him what came over him during his ablution, he would say, "Do you realise before Whom I wish to stand in prayer?" (Ihya', Vol I, p. 179)

12. Said Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, "Whenever I am confronted with a desire, I look to my soul. If it displays desire, I give it something of it, which is better than to deprive it, whereas if it hides its desire, and displays indifference to it, I punish it by abstaining, and do not give it anything at all". Such is the way to punish the soul for this hidden desire". (Ihya', Vol III, p. 107)

13. It is said that whenever Hadrat al-Khidr 'Alayhissalam and Hadrat Elias 'Alayhissalam meet in each season, they never separate without reciting the following:

Bismillahi
MaashaaAllahu laa Quwwata illaa Billah
MaashaaAllahu kullu ni'matin minAllah
MaashaaAllahu al-khayru kulluhu Biyadillah
MaashaaAllahu laa yasrifus-sua Illallah

In the Name of Allah
It is what Allah has willed. There is no power except with Allah
It is what Allah has willed. Every grace is from Allah
It is what Allah has willed. All good is with Allah
It is what Allah has willed. No one dispels evil but Allah

He who recites this three times every morning is safe from conflagration, drowning and burglary, if Allah wills. (Ihya', Vol I, p. 374-375)

14. Hadrat Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, is reported to have said, """Hadrat Uways al-Qarani, may Allah be pleased with him, went on Pilgrimage and entered Madina. He stood at the gate of the Mosque and when he was told, "This is the tomb of the Prophet, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam", he fell down in a faint""". (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 320)

15. 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah shower him with his Mercy, said about Imam ul A'zam, Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah shower him with his Mercy, that he was given the treasures of the world but he fled away from them. Muhammad bin Shuja' narrated to some of his friends that Khalifa Abu Ja'far al-Mansur ordered 10,000 dirhams to be given to the Imam but he declined the offer". (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 39)

16. Humaydi said: Imam Shafi'i, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, once went to Yemen with some of the leaders and returned to Makkah with 10,000 dirhams. A tent was pitched up for him on the outskirts of Makkah and people began to come to him. He did not move from his place until he had distributed all the dirhams he had. (Ihya', Vol I, p. 36)

17. Imam Shafi'i, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, once said, """I saw some Khorasani horses at the door of Imam Malik, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, and I had never seen any other horses better than them. I said to Imam Malik, "How beautiful they look". He said, "They are a present from me to you, O Abu Hamid". I said, "Keep one of them for yourself for riding". He said, "I shall be ashamed before Allah to tread with the hoof of any animal on the soil where lies the Prophet sent by Allah""". Witness then his benevolence and his veneration for the soil of Madina. (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 39)

18. Bishr ibn al-Harith (al-Hafi), may Allah shower him with His Mercy, said: "Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, is my superior on three counts: he pursues the lawful for others as well as for himself, whereas I seek it for myself alone; he has an expansive approach to marriage whereas my style is cramped; and he has become the Imam of the people". (Ihya', Vol II, p. 26)

19. Rabi'a al-'Adawiya al-Basri, may Allah shower her with His Mercy, said, "Our prayer for forgiveness (istighfaar) needs many prayers for forgiveness". (Ihya', Vol I, p. 371)

20. On the night that he passed away, al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah make us benefit from him, was seen in a dream. The gates of heaven had been opened and a voice was calling out, "Al-Hasan al-Basri has come to Allah, and He is well-pleased with him!" (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 542).

Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal Wakeel
Allah is Sufficient for us and (He is) the most excellent Trustee (3:173)