Al Ghazzali on Disciplining the Self by Al Ghazali

28 Alchemy of Happiness
Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of Ignorance Arising from Heedlessness, Error
and Delusion. Translated from Alchemy of Happiness by Muhammad
Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook). Chicago: Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of Love for This World. Translated from
Alchemy of Happiness by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook).
Chicago: Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of Love of Power and Control. Translated from
Alchemy of Happiness by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook).
Chicago: Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of Miserliness and Greed. Translated from
Alchemy of Happiness by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook).
Chicago: Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of Pride and Conceit. Translated from Alchemy
of Happiness by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook). Chicago:
Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of the Harms of the Tongue. Translated from
Alchemy of Happiness by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook).
Chicago: Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of the Lust of the Stomach and the Sexual
Organs. Translated from Alchemy of Happiness by Muhammad Nur
Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook). Chicago: Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On Trust and the Unity of God. Translated from Alchemy of
Happiness by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook). Chicago:
Kazi Publications, 2002.
Al-Ghazzali On Truthfulness and Sincerity. Translated from Alchemy of
Happiness by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam (Jay R. Crook). Chicago:
Kazi Publications, 2002.
Avicenna. The Canon of Medicine. Chicago: Kazi Publications, 1999.
Benson, Herbert. Timeless Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief. NY:
Simon and Schuster, 1996.
Ethical Philosophy of al-Ghazzali. Muhammad Umar ud-Din. Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf, 1991.
Faith and Practice of al-Ghazzali. W. Montgomery Watt. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press, 1952. An abridged translation of Munqidh
min ad-dalal (Deliverance from Error) and the Beginning of Guidance
(Bidayat al-hidayah).
Fakhry, Majid. Al-Ghazzali's Theory of Virtue. NY: SUNY, 1985.
Koniz, Harold G., Michael McCullough and David B. Larsen. Handbook of
Religion and Health. NY: Oxford University Press, 200l.
Newberg, Andrew, Eugene D'Aquili and Vince Rause. Why God Won't Go
Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief. NY: Ballantine Books,
2002.
AL-GHAZZALI
ON DISCIPLINING THE SELF
Inthis Book we shall discuss the virtue of a good disposition.
We shall declare what the true nature of a good disp~s~tionis
and that it is possible to achieve this through
asceticism; we shall explain the method of this. We shall discuss
the signs of a bad disposition and explain the plan for
that person who recognizes his own faults. We shall discover
the signs of a good disposition and explain the method for raising
and training children. We shall disclose the way of the
greater struggle of the disciple at the beginning of his task.
1THE VIRTUE AND SPIRITUAL REWARD
OF A GOOD DISPOSITION
Know that God Most High has praised Mustafa for his
good disposition, saying: And, La! Thou art of a tremendous
nature! (Q. 68:4) And the Messenger said: "I was sent to compl~te
the exc~llences of character." And he said: "The greatest
thing placed in the scales is a good disposition."
Someone appeared before the Messenger and asked:
"What is religion (din)?" He answered: "A good disposition."
They ca~e from the right and the left, asking (the same question
again and again). He replied in the same way until at the
last time he said: "Doyou not know?-that you not anger." He
was asked: "What is the most virtuous of actions?" He said: "A
good disposition."
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