In Ihya 'Ulum ad-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), the author explores the spiritual depth of virtually every aspect of Islam. The book presents Imam al-Ghazali's profound insights regarding man's lifelong struggle to draw closer to Allah in a simple framework, providing the reader with a step-by-step tried and proven method for spiritual development. The result is an essential guide to improving one's relationship with both the Creator and the creation and a perfect introduction to Imam al-Ghazali's other great works. About the Author The Proof of Islam Imam Abu Hamid Muḥammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (d. 1111)-jurist, legal theorist, logician, theologian, and mystic was a master of both the outer and inner sciences of the Shari'ah who is regarded by many as the greatest Muslim thinker to have lived after the Pious Predecessors. Credited with dealing a death blow to Aristotelian philosophy in the Muslim world and bringing authentic Islamic spirituality into the mainstream, his life and thoughts were highly influential in shaping medieval society's spiritual values and practices and are no less relevant today.

In book twenty of the forty books which compose the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'ulum al-din), Abu hamid al-Ghazali gives a full account of the customs and character of the Messenger of God, Muhammad. It is not a biography of Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) but a roadmap for those who want to strengthen their faith, increase their knowledge, and deepen their understanding of the second part of the testimony of faith, namely the first pillar of Islam. The author details the Messenger's noble nature and his miracles, while removing doubts regarding his message. He deals with the issue of the imitation of Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) noting that the ultimate source of knowledge is revelation from God which comes to us through the Messenger. This volume lays clear that the aim of the imam in this Series is to call for a return to the Sunna and the imitation of the Messenger in all aspects of life.

Although prayerfulness and the remembrance of God suffuse all the formal practices of Islam, there are times when the Muslim simply 'sits alone with his Lord' to repeat formulas drawn from the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet, seeking remission of his sins and the purification of his heart. The present volume is probably the most widely read compendium of such material, popular not only for its comprehensiveness and beauty, but also for the analytical approach of its author, who explores the psychological and spiritual effects of prayer and the celebration of God's name. The original translation by Kojiro Nakamura, now Head of the Islamic Studies Department at the University of Tokyo, has been substantially revised and augmented with 'hadith' identification.