Al-Ghazali letter to Shahabul-Islam

by Abu Hamid al-Ghazālī

I praise Allah for the bounties He has conferred upon you and thank Him for ridding our Islamic State of its enemies, unholy conspiracies and calamities of time and space.

I am glad to learn of your safe return from your expedition, and congratulate you on the reunion with your family. It is my hope that you are now fully recovered from the effects of the journey.

It would not be out of place to remind you that your prosperity, as well as the welfare of the State, depend upon the fervent prayers of the pious who saved you from all dangers, both internal and external, and lifted you to your present rank and grandeur. I believe He will accept prayers about you in future also, and raise you to such heights which are beyond the reach of worldly accidents. However, this will be possible only when you weed out whims, exercise restraint upon desire, extinguish appetite and keep the love of power well within control. You should dedicate yourself entirely to study and do everything possible to promote the cause of religion and concern yourself with nothing else.

Depending upon Allah, in utter humility, is one of the first steps on the high way of holiness. One must lose all desire to set himself above others. The soul must sink down into absolute seclusion so that it becomes lost, in order to be found. Your real enemy is in yourself and you should go to battle with that enemy. True devotional spirit demands that you should be thankful to Allah in prosperity and resigned to His Will in adversity. Allah says: 'In the Bounty of Allah and His Mercy let them rejoice, for these are better than that which they hoard.' Koran, Chapter 10 verse 58.

It is a pity that people depend upon happiness from human beings, most of whom disturb the world by doing wrong. There are those of whom Allah says: "The likeness of those who have taken protectors, other than Allah, is as the likeness of the spider that takes to itself a house; surely, the spider's house is the weakest house if they but knew." Chapter 29 verse 41

There is no power nor strength except in Allah. When you see one who puts his trust and is dependent upon men, relying upon them in all his deeds, yet professing the station of loyalty and piety, - beware of him - for this is a man of conceit and dissension. If you trust more in your Master than in your fellow-men, then you are loyal to Him and He is, indeed, your Master. In this age commoners are encompassed by various kinds of difficulties and humiliation because of their preoccupation and attachment to the world coupled to their indifference towards the Hereafter with its problems and their unmindfulness of the Day of Judgement.

May Allah keep you in harmony with His commandments and spiritual glories which are more important than any that could be discovered in this world of matter, and may He enable you to perform all the offices and duties which a man of Allah could perform for people in distress. The Power of strength lies with Allah, who is the Merciful, the Most Merciful.

Your Excellency's humble servant

Al Ghazali