Ghazali Quotes & Sayings

The way to paradise is an uphill climb whereas hell is downhill. Hence, there is a struggle to get to paradise and not to hell. — Al-Ghazali

You must convince your heart that whatever Allah has decreed is most appropriate and most beneficial for you. — Al-Ghazali

And how can someone be described as flawless [or protector] who is not freed from his lower self — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Declare your jihad on thirteen enemies you cannot see - Egoism, Arrogance, Conceit, Selfishness, Greed, Lust, Intolerance, Anger, Lying, Cheating, Gossiping and Slandering. If you can master and destroy them, then will be ready to fight the enemy you can see. — Al-Ghazali

Another sign of the learned man of the hereafter is that he keeps himself distant from the ruling authorities and avoids their company, because this world is sweet, ever-new and its bridle is in their hands. He who comes near them is not free from their pleasures and harms. They are mostly unjust and do not obey the advices of the learned men. The learned man who frequents them will look to their grandeurs and then think God's gift upon him as insignificant. To keep company with the rulers is the key to evils. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Do not dispute with anyone in any matter as far as possible. For in argumentation lies much harm and its evil is greater than its benefit. — Al-Ghazali

A man of bad character punishes his own soul. — Al-Ghazali

When the prophet read this verse: If God wishes to guide anyone, He expands his breast for Islam (6 : 125), he was asked as to the meaning of expansion of breast and he said: This is light. When it is cast into heart, it expands. He was asked: Has it got any sign? The Prophet replied: Yes, to be separate from this world of deceit, to turn to the hereafter and to prepare for death before it actually comes. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Are you ready to cut off your head and place your foot on it? If so, come; Love awaits you! Love is not grown in a garden, nor sold in the marketplace; whether you are a king or a servant, the price is your head, and nothing less. Yes, the cost of the elixir of love is your head! Do you hesitate? 0 miser, It is cheap at that price! — Al-Ghazali

The world will not be free of me who will establish religion secretly and openly in order that the proofs of God are not obliterated. They will be few in number but they will be great in honour. They will be lost openly, but their pictures will reign in hearts. God will preserve His religion through them. They will leave the religion for their successors and they will plant it in the hearts of the young. The real nature of knowledge will be disclosed with their help. They will get good news from the life of sure faith. They will make easy what the rich think difficult and they will make clear what the heedless think obscure. They will keep company with the world witht their bodies, but their souls will be kept hanging in lofty places. They are servants of God among His people, His trustees and deputies on the earth. Then he wept and said: How eager I am to meet them. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

For such people, the ruling gods are progress, science, and development. They imagine that we know so much more about the world than those people of olden times, because "we" have science. Of course, they themselves do not have science, they have simply heard and believed that scientific knowledge is real knowledge. They know little about the goals and methods of science, and nothing about the Islamic Intellectual tradition. They are blind imitators in intellectual issues, that is, on the level where they should be striving for their own understanding. What is worse, this is a selective imitation, since they only accept the authority of the "scientists" and the "experts", not that of the great Muslim thinkers of the past. If Einstein said it, it must be true, but if Al-Ghazali or Mulla Sadra said it, then it can't be true, because it isn't scientific. — William C. Chittick

Man's nature is made up of four elements, which produce in him four attributes, namely, the beastly, the brutal, the satanic, and the divine. In man there is something of the pig, the dog, the devil, and the saint. — Al-Ghazali

If those who do not possess knowledge avoid the scholarly discussions, disagreement will end. — Al-Ghazali

Dear friend,
Your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it dean of the veil of dust that has gathered upon it, because it is destined to reflect the light of divine secrets. — Al-Ghazali

Knowledge exists potentially in the human soul like the seed in the soil; by learning the potential becomes actual. — Al-Ghazali

If you do not prepare now for the Afterlife, then when will you do so? — Al-Ghazali

It is sometimes said that we drink our religion with our mother's milk. — Al-Ghazali

Wealth and property are the servants of body which is the vehicle of soul of which the essence is knowledge and for which there is honor of soul. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Remember your contemporaries who have passed away and were your age. Remember the honors and fame they earned, the high posts they held, and the beautiful bodies they possessed. Today all of them are turned to dust. They have left orphans and widows behind them, their wealth is being wasted, and their houses turned into ruins.
No sign of them is left today, and they lie in dark holes underneath the earth.
Picture their faces before your mind's eye and ponder. — Al-Ghazali

Half of disbelief in Allah in the world is caused by people who make religion look ugly due to their bad conduct and ignorance — Al-Ghazali

Desires make slaves out of kings and patience makes kings out of slaves. — Al-Ghazali

You possess only whatever will not be lost in a ship wreck. — Al-Ghazali

If you see Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, holding back this world from you, frequently trying you with adversity and tribulation, know that you hold a great status with Him. Know that He is dealing with you as He does with His Awliya' and chosen elite, and is watching over you. — Al-Ghazali

Remember it is the heart and not the body, which strives to draw near to God. By heart I do not mean the flesh perceived by the senses, but that secret thing which is sometimes expressed by spirit, and sometimes by soul. — Al-Ghazali

Anyone who refuses to marry is shrinking his farmwork, wasting the seed, and leaving idle the appropiate tools created by God; he sins against the purpose of creation and wisdom visible in the evidence of natural structure. The man who refuses to marry has severed a chain of being, a previously unbroken chain linking his own existence to that of Adam. — Al-Ghazali

The Prophet said in a sermon: Blessed is he whose concern for his own faults keeps him away of finding fault of others, who spends out of his lawful earnings, keeps company with theologians and the wise, and spurns the sinners and the wicked people. Blessed is he who humbles himself, makes his conduct refined, heart good and does not do harm to the people. Blessed is he who acts up to his knowledge, spends his surplus wealth, abstains from superfluous talks, follows sunnah and does not introduce innovations. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Whoever passes forty without his virtue overpowering his vice, let him get ready for hellfire. This advice contains enough for people of knowledge. — Al-Ghazali

People count with self-satisfaction the number of times they have recited the name of God on their prayer beads, but they keep no beads for reckoning the number of idle words they speak. — Al-Ghazali

O youth ... be assured that knowledge alone does not strengthen the hand ... Though a man read a hundred thousand scientific questions and understood them or learned them, but did not work with them
They do not benefit him except by working ... Knowledge is the tree, and working is its fruit; and though you studied a hundred years and assembled a thousand books, you would not be prepared for the mercy of Allah the Exalted except by working. — Al-Ghazali

A learned man said: The learned men are the lights of the ages. Each is a light in his own time giving light to the people of his time. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

There are two kinds of Riya - Showing off-Ostentation ie pure ostentation and adulterated ostention. In pure ostentation "Riya" a man does a good deed only for worldly benefit. In Adulterated ostentation, a man does a good deed with the intention of reaping the benefits of the world as well as of the Hereafter. — Al-Ghazali

If the world had two gods, it would surely go to ruin-this is the first premise. Now it is known that it has not gone to ruin-this is the second premise. From these premises the conclusion must of necessity follow, that is, the denial of two gods. — Al-Ghazali

Offen love between two people intensifies not because of beauty or some advantage, but because of sheer spiritual affinity. — Al-Ghazali

Reh Gyi Rasm-e-Azan, Rooh-e-Bilali Na Rahi
Falsafa Reh Gya, Talqeen-e-Ghazali Na Rahi
Azan yet sounds, but never now Like Bilal's, soulfully;
Philosophy, conviction-less, Now mourns its Ghazzali — Muhammad Iqbal

The soul should take care of the body, just as the pilgrim on his way to Makkah takes care of his camel; but if the pilgrim spends his whole time in feeding and adorning his camel, the caravan will leave him behind, and he will perish in the desert. — Al-Ghazali

Hazrat Abu Darda'a said: He who thinks that to go at dawn in search of knowledge is not jihad is deficient in intellect. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Whoever says that all music is prohibited, let him also claim that the songs of birds are prohibited. — Al-Ghazali

The fourth duty of a teacher is to dissuade his students from evil ways with care and caution, with sympathy and not with rebuke and harshness, because in that case it destroys the veil of awe and encourages disobedience. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Al-Ghazali is the most important philosophical theologian of classical Islam, and Moderation in Belief is among his most important works. It sets out al-Ghazali's Ash?arite theology with unusual clarity and provides important background for such well-known works as his autobiographical Deliverance from Error and his attack on Avicenna in The Incoherence of the Philosophers. This first English-language translation, with notes that bring out the argumentation and background of the work, is thus very much to be welcomed. — Peter Adamson

This visible world is a trace of that invisible one and the former follows the latter like a shadow. — Al-Ghazali

Work for your terrestrial life in proportion to your location in it, and work for your afterlife in proportion to your eternity in it. — Al-Ghazali

A great thinker does not necessarily have to discover a master idea but has to rediscover and to affirm a true but forgotten, ignored or misunderstood master idea and interpret it in all the diverse aspects of thought not previously done, in a powerful and consistent way, despite surrounding ignorance and opposition. This criterion we think would include all prophets and their true followers among the Muslim scholars. He is both a great and original thinker who brings new meanings and interpretations to old ideas, thereby providing both continuity and originality to the important intellectual and cultural problems of his time and through it, of mankind. Thus the brilliant interpretations of scholars and sages like al-Ghazali and Mulla Sadra then, and Iqbal and al-Attas now, deserve to be recognized and acknowledged as manifesting certain qualities of greatness and originality. — Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud

Do not fix hopes on your health, and do not laugh away life. Remember how they walked and now all their joints lie separately, and the tongue with which they talked lightly is eaten away by the worms — Al-Ghazali

Whoever determines the truth from people alone will remain lost in the plains of bewilderment. Rather, know the truth, and you will know its people. — Al-Ghazali

No one who possesses snow would find any hardship in exchanging it for jewels and pearls. This world is like snow exposed to sun, which continues to melt until it disappears altogether, while the next life is like a precious stone that never passes away. — Al-Ghazali

When you have a bad suspicion about a Muslim in your heart, you should increase your consideration toward him and make dua for him. This way you will infuriate Satan and will be able to drive him away. Because of this, Satan will be reluctant to put evil thoughts into your heart, afraid that you would increase your consideration towards your brother and will make dua for him again. — Al-Ghazali

Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, since each of them is irreplaceable and once gone, can never be retrieved. — Al-Ghazali

But there are such men who established the truth of an eternal matter by such proof as follows. If there be no existence of an eternal thing, then all things are originated or created. If all things are created, they come without cause or some of them come to existence without cause. This is impossible and that which leads to impossibility is itself impossible. Therefore the mind is compelled to believe in the existence of something eternal. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

(12) TWELVTH SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he saves himself from innovations even though the people are unanimous on innovations and novelties. He is rather diligent in studying the conditions of the companions, their conduct and character and their deeds. They spent their lives in jihad, meditation, avoidance of major and minor sins, observation of their outer conduct and inner self. But the greater object of thought of the learned men of the present time is to teach, compose books, to make argumentation, to give Fatwa, to become mutawali of Waqf estates, enjoy the properties of orphans, frequent the rulers and enjoy their company. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Never have I dealt with anything more difficult than my own soul, which sometimes helps me and sometimes opposes me. — Al-Ghazali

Contrary to some opinions, fard 'ain knowledge is not limited to the basic Islamic knowledge learned at the primary and secondary school levels but is a dynamic and ever-expanding field depending on the maturity and capacity of a person, as has been brilliantly explained by al-Ghazali more than 900 years ago; followed by Burhan al-Din al-Zarnuji and restated in our times by al-Attas. — Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud

He who buries his head deep into a nosebag full of food cannot hope to see the invisible world. — Al-Ghazali

The happiness of the drop is to die in the river. — Al-Ghazali

Desire makes slaves out of kings, while patience makes kings out of slaves. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

The hypocrite looks for faults; the believer looks for excuses. — Al-Ghazali

A human-being is not a human-being while his tendencies include self-indulgence, covetousness, temper and attacking other people — Al-Ghazali

There is in fact no good reason al-Ghazali and his ilk should have the last word in defining Islam. Muslims around the world cannot go on claiming that "true" Islam has somehow been "hijacked" by a group of extremists. Instead they must acknowledge that inducements to violence lie at the root of their own most sacred texts, and take responsibility for actively redefining their faith. — Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Men have such a good opinion of themselves, of their mental superiority and intellectual depth; they believe themselves so skilled in discerning the true from the false, the path of safety from those of error, that they should be forbidden as much as possible the perusal of philosophic writings. — Al-Ghazali

Know, O beloved, that man was not created in jest or at random, but marvelously made and for some great end. Although he is not form everlasting, yet he lives for ever; and though his body is mean and earthly, yet his spirit is lofty and divine — Al-Ghazali

To get what you love, you must first be patient with what you hate. — Al-Ghazali

To completely trust in Allah is to be like a child who knows deeply that even if he does not call for the mother, the mother is totally aware of his condition and is looking after him. — Al-Ghazali

The mere physical man is like the ant crawling on the paper, who observes black lettering and attributes its production to the pen and nothing more. — Al-Ghazali

Only that which cannot be lost in a shipwreck is yours. — Al-Ghazali

The Prophet said: Don't sit with every learned man. Sit with the learned man who calls towards five matters towards faith from doubt, sincerity from show, modesty from pride, love from enmity, and ascetism from worldliness. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

The essence of knowledge is to know what obedience and worship are -Abu Hamid al — Al-Ghazali

Love for God is the farthest reach of all stations, the sun of the highest degrees, and there is no station after that of love, except its fruit and its consequences. — Al-Ghazali

He who acquires knowledge and acts up to it and teaches it to the people is noble to the angels of heaven and earth. He is like the sun which illumines itself and gives light to other things. Such a man is like a pot of musk which is full of fragrance and gives fragrance to others. He who teaches knowledge to others but does not himself act up to it is like a notebook which does not benefit itself but benefits others or like an instrument which gives edge to iron but itself has got no edge, or like a needle which remains naked but sews clothing for others, or like a lamp which gives light to other things but itself burns. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Neglect not your time, nor use it haphazardly; on the contrary you should bring yourself to account. Structure your litanies and other practices during each day and night. This is how to bring about the spiritual blessing (baraka) in each period. If each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, Be not like the deceived fools who are joyous because each day their wealth increases while their life grows ever shorter. — Al-Ghazali

The third duty of a teacher is that he should not withhold from his students any advice. After he finishes the outward sciences, he should teach them the inward sciences. He should tell them that the object of education is to gain nearness of God, not power or richness and that God created ambition as a means of perpetuating knowledge which is essential for these sciences. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

He who does not arrive at the Intuition of these Truths by means of Ecstasy knows only the name of Inspiration. — Al-Ghazali

The corruption of religions comes from turning them to mere words and appearances. — Al-Ghazali

In the intricate paths of life when difficulties and hardships confront a man, and the darkness of difficulty and suffering becomes long, it is patience only that acts like a light for a Muslim, that keeps him safe from wandering here and there, and saves him from the muddy marsh of disappointment, desperation and frustration. — Al-Ghazali

Understand that for every rule which I have mentioned from the Quran, the Devil has one to match it, which he puts beside the proper rule to cause error. — Al-Ghazali

Knowledge without action is wastefulness and action without knowledge is foolishness. — Al-Ghazali

Whatever the situation may be, in the recollection of death there is reward and merit. For even the man engrossed in the world benefits from it by acquiring an aversion to this world, since it spoils his contentment and the fullness of his pleasure; and everything which spoils for man his pleasures and his appetites is one of the means of deliverance. — Al-Ghazali

To give a thing to one who is not fit for it and not to give a thing to one who is fit for it is equally oppression. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

If your busy with yourself now, you will be busy with yourself then. If you are busy with Allah now, you will be with Him then. — Al-Ghazali

The learned man who does not act up to his knowledge is like a patient who describes the qualities of a medicine without using it or like a hungry man who describes the taste of a food without eating it. — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

In God, there is no sorrow or suffering or affliction. If you want to be free of all affliction and suffering, hold fast to God, and turn wholly to Him, and to no one else. Indeed, all your suffering comes from this: that you do not turn toward God and no one else. — Al-Ghazali

Those who look for seashells will find seashells; those who open them will find pearls. — Al-Ghazali

Does money upset the hearts of learned men? He answered, "men whose hearts are changed by money are not learned" — Al-Ghazali

Do not allow your heart to take pleasure with the praises of people, nor be saddened by their condemnation. — Al-Ghazali