The Proprieties of Retreat Book 16 of the Ihya' 'ulum al-din, The Revival of the Religious Sciences

by Pavlin, James

• ISBN13: 9781941610633
• ISBN10: 1941610633
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-05-01
• Publisher: Fons Vitae

Summary

Al-Ghazali’s Kitab adab al-'uzla (The Properties of Retreat) is the sixth book in the Rub' al-'adat (Quarter of Customary Practices) in his monumental work known as Ihya' 'ulum al-din (Revival of the Religious Sciences). Focusing on the issue of seclusion, or retreat from society, the main discussion in this book is the question of whether it is better to engage in social intercourse (al-mukhalata) or remove oneself from society to focus on perfecting one’s relation to God. As he addresses this issue, al-Ghazali takes us through the numerous benefits and dangers of seclusion while laying out the rules to guide the one who chooses this option. He explains that although it depends on many factors, the most important is the person’s intention and purpose for going into seclusion. If it is not done for the sole purpose of drawing near to God, seclusion becomes a harmful path of self-deceit. Although Kitab adab al-'uzla is premised on approaching the issue of spiritual fulfillment in the Islamic context, al-Ghazali presents to us his deep insight into the human condition that relates to Muslims and non- Muslims alike.

Author Biography

James Pavlin is currently a part-time Lecturer in the Department of Religion at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, where he has taught since 1999. He teaches courses on Islam and comparative religion. Dr. Pavlin received his Doctorate in Philosophy in 1998 from New York University, Department of Middle Eastern Studies. He was also an Adjunct Professor in the History Department at William Paterson University in New Jersey from 1998 until 2017.

Table of Contents

The Proprieties of Retreat | Book 16 | Detailed Table of Contents Editor’ s Note Biography of Imam al-Ghazali About the Revival of the Religious Sciences Translator’ s Introduction Acknowledgments The Proprieties of Retreat al-Ghazali’ s Introduction Chapter 1: On the Transmission of the Opinions and Statements and the Evidence Given by the Two Groups on the Matter [of Retreat] Mentioning the Evidence of Those Inclined Toward Socializing and the Weakness [of the Evidence] Mention of the Evidence of Those Inclined to Prefer Retreat Chapter 2: On the Benefits and the Corrupt Aspects of Retreat and Unveiling the Truth About Its Virtue Six Benefits of Retreat 1 Completely Focus on Worship and Contemplation 2 Retreat Frees one From the Disobedient [Acts] 3 Freedom from Tribulations and Controversies 4 Freedom from the Evil of People 5 It cuts off people’ s desire for you and your desire for people 6 Freedom from Witnessing Disagreeable [People] Chapter 3: On the Harms of Retreat Seven Benefits of Socializing 1 Teaching and Learning 2 Giving and Receiving Benefits 3 Teaching and Learning [Good] Manners 4 Familiarity and Intimacy 5 Attaining Reward for Oneself and for Others1 6 Humility 7 [Gaining] experience Bibliography Indexes Index of Qur?anic Verses Index of ?adith Index of Supplications and Invocations Index of People and Places Subject Index About the Translator