Worship In Islam: Al-Ghazzali's Book of the Ihya

Description

One who does not have a Muslim training finds it difficult to understand what he or she sees and hears when observing a Muslim at worship alone or with others in a mosque. The eleventh century writer Al-Ghazzali supplies the required information in his Book of the Worship, of which the present work is a translation. The Introduction brings together the acts and utterances which constitute the formal ceremony, which is still practiced today, called 'the Worship', and gives an account of the times when this ceremony is used in the religious life of the Muslim. Annotations attempt to make clear the allusions and the technical terms, the knowledge of which al-Ghazzali takes for granted because he wrote his description of the Worship for Muslims. PREFACE CONTENTS CORRIGENDA ET ADDENDA PART I. INTRODUCTION PART II. TRANSLATION INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I. THE EXCELLENCES OF THE WORSHIP, PROSTRATION, CONGREGATION, CALL TO WORSHIP, ETC. CHAPTER II. THE MANNER OF PERFORMING THE OUTWARD ACTS OF THE WORSHIP CHAPTER III. INWARD STIPULATIONS FOR THE ACTS OF THE HEART CHAPTER IV. LEADERSHIP AND EXAMPLE CHAPTER V. THE EXCELLENCE OF THE FRIDAY OBSERVANCE; ITS PROPRIETIES, USAGES AND STIPULATIONS CHAPTER VI. VARIOUS PROBLEMS WHICH CAUSE GENERAL DISTRESS AND WHICH THE DEVOTEE NEEDS TO KNOW CHAPTER VII. SUPEREROGATORY PERFORMANCES OF THE WORSHIP APPENDICES INDEX