In this lesson of Renewing Religion, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin, reflects upon the chapters from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya on sincerity, self examination, meditation and reflecting on death. Ustadh Amjad begins with the chapter on sincerity, explaining that true sincerity can lead habits to be acts of worship if they are done with the right intentions. Many of the companions would actually hide a lot of their acts of good and worship so that they would ensure its sincerity. Thus sincerity is the defining...

In this lesson of Renewing Religion, Shaykh Faraz gives an overview of the chapters on faith in Divine Oneness and trusting in Allah as well as the chapters on love, longing and intimacy from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya. Shaykh Faraz begins by explaining that knowing Divine Oneness in its true meaning entails certitude within your heart and trust and reliance upon Allah when it comes to dealing with all that happens. This begins by realizing that Allah is the necessary existant and everything else...

In this lesson, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin, gives an overview of the chapters on patience and thankfulness, fear and hope, poverty and abstinence from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya. In this chapter, Imam Ghazali explains that faith is of two halves: half is patience and half is gratitude and having certainty of Allah is the whole of faith. Ustadh Amjad explains that everything that one goes through in life is neither a blessing or punishment rather our response to it is what matters. That is why the Prophet...

In this lesson, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, gives an overview of the chapters on condemnation of the Dunya; pride; conceit and delusion; and on repentance. These chapters are part of Imam Ghazali’s Ihya and a series of sessions on renewing religion. Shaykh Faraz begins by explaining that each person has a self that requires affirmation and that affirmation can manifest in the form of pride or delude oneself into thinking that you are doing well. It is common for people to be heavily concerned with...

In this lesson, visiting scholar, Shaykh Walead Mosaad, gives an overview of Imam Ghazali’s chapters on condemnation of miserliness, love of wealth, status; and the condemnation of ostentation. These chapters fall in the third quarter of Imam Ghazali’s opus magnum that focuses on the vices of person. All these vices are primarily about how one interacts with these things, wealth status, etc. Wealth in and of itself is not wrong, however, it can’t be all consuming such that it distracts you...

In this lesson, visiting scholar, Shaykh Walead Mosaad, reviews the chapters on holding one’s tongue and condemnation of rancour and envy. These chapters are originally written by Imam Ghazali in his book Ihya Ulum al-Din. Shaykh Walead begins with the chapter on holding one’s tongue and the criteria for one should or should not speak. One should know that there speech is significant and has an effect. In addition, speech is not limited to what we say, but also what we propagate on social...

  In this lesson, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin, gives an overview of three books from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya: Marvels of the Heart, Discipling the Soul, and Breaking Desires. Struggling against one’s lower self is an obligation that Allah talks about in the Quran, that whoever purifies their heart is successful and whomever doesn’t is at loss. The importance of this purification is displayed in the example of the Shaytan, despite his certitude of the existence of God, his lower self and ego still got...

In this lesson, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin gives an overview of the chapter from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya on the etiquette of living and the prophetic mannerism. This chapter is the last in the section on worship and it details main life skills that one should utilize on a daily basis. One of the most damaging things to a community is people following the outward actions of religion having bad character. This is due to the self’s inclinations when first seeking the spiritual path and for this reason it...

In this lesson, Shaykh Faraz, gives an overview of the chapter on spiritual music from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya. In this chapter, the Imam’s reference to music is constrained only to spiritual music and should be understood as such for the remainder of the lesson. This is music that inspires to seek Allah and His messenger. WIthin the Islamic tradition there is a broad permissibility of singing. There are numerous examples of the companions singing spiritual poems as they dug trenches or during...

  In this lesson, visiting scholar, Shaykh Riad Saloojee gives an overview of the chapter on enjoining the good and forbidding the evil from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya. This chapter is divided into a number of topics: [1] the importance of of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil [2] the conditions and etiquette of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil [3] the integrals of doing so. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Whoever of you sees a wrongdoing then let him change it with...