The Revival of the Religious Sciences

The Revival of the Religious Sciences (in Arabic, Iḥyāʼ ʻUlūm al-Dīn) is a work by the Persian theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1056-1111), usually dated to around 1105. It is one of his главных works and a classic introduction to the path of the devout Muslim towards God. Written in Arabic, it originally comprised forty books grouped into four parts.

The book grew out of the author's personal experience. Al-Ghazali had studied under the theologian al-Juwayni and, thanks to the Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk, was appointed to head the Nizamiyya madrasa in Baghdad, at the height of his reputation. Yet he fell into a deep spiritual and intellectual crisis that led him to leave the post under the pretext of pilgrimage. He undertook a long journey through Damascus, Jerusalem and finally Mecca, during which he grew drawn to the Sufi path. From that period came first his autobiography, Deliverance from Error, and then this work, which expounds in detail on mysticism, theology and the ritual practices of Islam.

Its aim is to show how Islamic doctrines and practices can become the foundation of a deeply reflective religious life capable of leading to the higher stages of Sufism. The first part deals with knowledge and acts of worship, such as purification, prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. The second addresses the norms of everyday life, from eating and marriage to music and the duty to promote good. The third describes the paths that lead to perdition, namely the vices of the heart and soul, such as envy, avarice and vanity. The fourth sets out the ways to salvation: repentance, patience, divine love, trust in providence and remembrance of death.

The work enjoyed wide circulation. It became one of the most widely read Islamic books after the Qur'an and the hadith, and it succeeded in joining Sunni orthodox theology with Sufi mysticism in an accessible language that guided every aspect of life. It was highly prized by jurists such as al-Nawawi, who went so far as to say that it alone would suffice to replace all the other books of Islam should they be lost. Its later revision by Ibn al-Jawzi, who purged weak or disputed hadiths, produced a shorter and refined version known as Minhaj al-Qasidin.