Aslam

noted learn men wrote many books which resound with the opinions of Imam Ghazzali. In short, his thoughts reigned supreme in their minds. His influence on Persian literature was also great. He himself wrote Kimiyae Saadat in Persian which influenced to a great extent the minds of Maulana Rural. Shaikh Sa'di, Farid Uddin Attar, Shiraaji, Hafez and other poets and Sufis. The works of such a learned man held in high esteem by all should be widely read and circulated. Mr. Watt says: Ghazzali has sometimes been acclaimed in both east and west as the greatest Muslim thinker after Muhammad and he is by no means unworthy of that great dignity.

PREFACE OF IMAM GHAZZALI

Take whatever the Apostle gave you and keep away from whatever he forbade you - 59 : 7 Quran.

' Firstly, I begin with the praise of God though our praise is guide insufficient and meager in relation to His real glory.
Secondly, I invoke His blessings on all the prophets and specially on His last and greatest Prophet Muhammad (peace be on them all). Thirdly, I pray for His help and grace that there should remain in me firm will and incentive for writing the book Ihayo Ulumiddin or the Revival of religious sciences.

Fourthly, O defamer, O heedles, O one denying truth, God has removed from my tongue the tie of silence and put on my neck the necklace of arguments and reasons. It is my duty to reply to what you argue. In other words, you have closed your eyes from open truths and taken help from whatever is void and untrue and praise ignorance. If a man wants to remove something from the evil practice and habits of men or expresses his wish to translate his learning into action in order that the Almighty may prefer to purify his soul, let him keep himself engaged in divine services and seek to atone for the sins that he committed in his past life and for which he has become despaired. Let him keep aloof from the society of those persons about whom the Holy Prophet said: The greatest punishment on the Resurrection Day will be meted out to that learned man whom God has not given any benefit to his learning.

It is my firm conviction that there is no reason for your refusal to accept the truth except what has been stated below. In

14 REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS Vol-I

otheT words, the disease which entered into the minds of the majority of people has also entered your mind. The meaning.is that they have given up the rules and regulations for acquiring ranks in the hereafter. They do not know that this affair is very serious and grave, tl\at the hereafter is coming forward and this world is reseding backward, that death is near and the journey is long, that provision i» scanty, dangers are great but the paths are blocked.