Al-Ghazali's Path to Sufism: His Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-Dalal) and Five Key Texts [Paperback]

Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali (Author), R. J. McCarthy SJ (Translator), David Burrell CSC (Preface), William A. Graham (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

This text has long been recognized as not only an Islamic classic, but also as a great spiritual autobiography of one of the world's greatest religious thinkers. It is the narrative of how one dedicated seeker of true knowledge and salvation, having probed various systems of thought and differing paths of learning and enlightenment, discovered the peace of the inner life and discipline of mystical spirituality.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali is generally acclaimed as the most influential thinker of medieval Islam; his writings have been regarded as the greatest in spirituality and have been, for centuries, the most read work after the Qur'an in the Muslim world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 115 pages
• Publisher: Fons Vitae; 2nd edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887752307
• ISBN-13: 978-1887752305
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > Sufism

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Customer Reviews

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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth buying if you do not have the Watt translation, April 11, 2007

By 

Gogol (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Al-Ghazali's Path to Sufism: His Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-Dalal) and Five Key Texts (Paperback)

Almost all of the works of al-Ghazali have been translated so far. The entire Ihya has already been translated (though not very well) by a Pakistani translator and the Islamic Text Society seem to be translating (one over priced chapeter at a time) the Ihya again to a much higher standard. This book, the Munqidh known as the 'Deliverance from error' has also been translated by W Montomery Watt (called the 'Faith and practice of al-Ghazali') I was not aware that R.J. Mc Carthy (another famous orientalist and author of several books on Islamic law) had also written a translation (This seems to have been translated in 1970 and based upon an Istanbul manuscript, it does not mention which library but I would assume the famous Sulaymaniyye) so I was interested to see what this was like.

This is not a bad translation at all, the beauty in it is that it is al-Ghazalis personal biography, his own soul searching and how he finally came to the Sufi path. It is an interesting read in that he seems to have examined all of the available Islamic paths at the time before finally finding comfort in Sufism. His 'crisis of faith' so to speak his teaching, his leaving his post and then returning to it. It truly is a journey of a life of a man of faith and conviction who wished to submit to a belief that he could both feel at one with and submit to heart and soul.

An exellent book recomended for all.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epitome of sincerity, December 31, 2006

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Munir "ahmad" (Cerritos, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Al-Ghazali's Path to Sufism: His Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-Dalal) and Five Key Texts (Paperback)

As someone who enjoys al-Ghazali's work (espeically the Kimyaet Saada- Alchemy of Happiness, entirely translated into English by Jay Crook), I felt necessary to read this autobiographical work to further understand this great scholar. This book was much more than I expected. Although short, it conveys the development of one of the most brilliant minds of human history. One is most struck with the intellectual fearlessness of al-Ghazali- particularly towards Hellenist philosophy, the greatest challenge to faith in his time. His sincerity is something rare in any age and an example worthy of emulation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, June 30, 2011

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Inazuma - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Al-Ghazali's Path to Sufism: His Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-Dalal) and Five Key Texts (Paperback)

As a scientist myself, I was completely blown away by Imam Ghazali's arguments. Even today you'll be hard pressed to find someone who can articulate his ideas so well and then back them up with good evidence. Regardless of what religion you are, you'll be able to connect with Imam Ghazali. And even beyond the spiritual aspect, I'm sure you'll appreciate his logic and rationale. It's such a short read, but it impacted me greatly and made me realize the shortcomings of our modern day holy grail (the scientific method). Highly recommended!