Al-Ghazali on Poverty and Abstinence

Al-Ghazali, Anthony F. Shaker (tr.)

Paperback

9781903682814

Kitab al-Faqr wa'l-zuhd

Book 34 of the Ihya 'Ulum al-Din

Taking as his example the Prophet’s love for the poor, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali explains that poverty is not simply an accidental state of destitution that might befall anyone but rather an inner acceptance of the Will of God and a form of abstinence for His sake. Thus, the life of poverty described by al-Ghazali refers to what every devoted follower of the Prophet is meant to adopt.

Contents:

Part I: On Poverty

1: An Exposition of the Reality of Poverty, the Different States of the Poor Person and his Names

2: A General Exposition of the Excellence of Poverty

3: An Exposition of the Particular Excellence of the Poor who are Contented, who are Satisfied and who are Sincere

4: An Exposition of Poverty's Excellence over Wealth

5: AN Exposition of the Norms of Propriety of the Poor Person in his Poverty

6: An Exposition of the Norms of Propriety of the Poor Person when Accepting an Unsolicited Offering

7: An Exposition of the Forbiddance of Unnecessary Begging and of the Norms of Propriety of the Poor Person Who Must Beg

8: An Exposition of the Amount of Wealth which Renders Begging Illicit

9: An Exposition of the States of Those Who Beg

Part II: On Abstinence

10: An Exposition of the Reality of Abstinence

11: An Exposition of the Excellence of Abstinence

12: An Exposition of the Degrees of Abstinence, Its Divisions in Relation to Itself, to What is Undesirable and to What is Desirable

13: An Exposition of the Details of Abstinence with Respect to the Necessities of Life

14: An Exposition of the Signs of Abstinence