The Alchemy of Happiness [Paperback]

Al-Ghazzali (Author), Claud Field (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1997

Translated by Claud Field "Knowledge of a part is better than ignorance of the whole" (Abu`l Feda)

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Persian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Kazi Pubns Inc (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935782281
• ISBN-13: 978-0935782288
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,238,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Ethics
  • #89 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This book is a great disservice to the Imam's original!, June 26, 2001

By 

Mr. A. Jehangir - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Alchemy of Happiness (Hardcover)

Without doubt the original work by Imam al Ghazzali, entitled "Keemiya-i-Sa'adaat" (Alchemy of Happiness) is one of the great works of world religious literature, especially mystical. However, although it is an abridgement of Imam Ghazzali's magnus opus, "Ihya al Ulum ud-Din" (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) made by the master himself, this translation presents but a TINY portion of the abridged work. To give you an indication of just how much has been left out of this book, I have seen a full Urdu translation of the Keemiya and it runs to approx. 1000 pages. This work is 122 small sized pages!! (The Ihya of course is about 4000 large pages).Obviously therefore most of the book is missing. Secondly, this is an English translation of a French translation of the Urdu version of the Persian from the original! The number of errors in that sequence will be large. Also the translator has made some glaring errors in the translation of some technical Sufi terms used by the Imam. e.g. the word "sama'" has been translated, incorrectly, as it almost invariably is by Orientalists as "music". Now, "sama'" as understood by the Sufis themselves does NOT mean music. Its actual meaning is to listen to melodious voices or singing without musical accompaniment.That is what sama' gatherings were: gatherings of Sufis and disciples to listen to mystical poems sung in melodious voices with the rules of musical rhythms etc. with NO accompanying instruments NOT musical concerts as is often implied.

Therefore as a general taster of the great work by Imam Ghazzali this is ok but it is a poor substitute. Alas, the English speaking world must still wait for the first complete and accurate translation of the Alchemy of Happiness.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful book, September 16, 2010

By 

F. Hosseini - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Alchemy of Happiness (Kindle Edition)

I disagree with the other person! Although this book cannot be compared to Imam's orginal book in persian language,it is still a wonderful translation for those who are not familiar with Ghazzali's works.I highly recommend it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a translation of the original, July 14, 2009

By 

groggy in Seattle - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alchemy of Happiness (Dodo Press) (Paperback)

There is now a full translation from the Persian of this work by Jay Crook published by Great Books of the Islamic World (2 volumes, 1003 pages). Field's translation is a very abridged version translated from Urdu. If you really want to read the Alchemy, get the Crook translation.