Revival of Religious Learnings : Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-id-Din vol2

222 Pages·1993·5.32 MB·English

by  Translated by Fazl-ul-Karim

REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS
IMAM GHAZZALVS
IHYA ULUM-ID-DIN
Translated by
FAZL-UL-KARIM
VOL. II
Published by
DARUL-ISHAAT
Urdu Bazar, Karachi
Pakistan - Phone : 213768
X
| Rights of composing reserved {
Publisher
DARUL-ISHAAT
URDU BAZAR KARACHI-PAKISTAN.
Tel: 213768 - 2631861
First Edition: 1993
Composing at: KODWAVI COMPOSING CENTRE
Pakistan Chowk, Karachi.
DISTRIBUTORS;
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THE BOOK OF WORLDLY USAGES
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I Rules of Eating and Drinking 7
CHAPTER II Secrets of Marriage 21
Benefits and harms of marriage 23
Divorce 42
Duties of husband and wife 43
CHAPTER III Earnings, Trade and, Commerce 45
CHAPTER IV Halal&Haram 61
Different stages of doubtful things 70
Allowances and gifts of rulers 77
CHAPTER V Love and Brotherhood 87
Rights of friendship and brotherhood' 101
CHAPTER VI Duties to relatives, neighbours, Muslims
117
Duties towards Muslims 117
Duties towards Neighbours 131
Duties towards Relatives 134
Duties towards servants and Slaves 137
CHAPTER VII Benefits and harms of seclusion and society
139
CHAPTER VIII Rules of journey 151
CHAPTER IX Music and Exctacy 162
CHAPTER X Enjoining good & Forbidding Evil 180
CHAPTER XI Condduct and Character of Holy Prophet
207
PREFACE.
The Book of worldly usages is the second book of Imam
Gazzali's world renowed master piece Ihya Ulum-id-Din or the
Revival of religious learning. This work is an attempt to translate
the second part of the Ihya not too literally but in substance from
the original written in Arabic. The book II deals with the worldly
usages, etiquettes, manners, rules and regulations concerning
eating and drinking, marriage, earnings and trade, lawful and
unlawful earnings, duties towards Muslims, neighbours,
servants and slaves, harms and benefits of seclusion and society,
journey, music, enjoining good and forbidding evil and character
and conduct of the Holy Prophet.
A literal translation is avoided in order to omit the
unnecessary arguments of sects and things prevailing in the
world and to omit the sayings of less important sages. But no
verse of the Quran or saying of Prophet has been omitted in this
book.
I pray to the Almighty Allah that He may guide the people of
the world in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Quran
and Sunnah and the spirit in which the Ihya was written by
Hujjatual Islam (the Proof of Islam), a title received by Imam
Gazzali and about which it has been said "If all the books of Islam
were destroyed, it would be but a slight loss if only the Ihya of
Gazzali were preserved”.
REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS
THE BOOK OF WORLDLY USAGES
PARTI
CHAPTER I
RULES OF EATING AND DRINKING.
All praise is due to God who conducts the whole creation in
an orderly manner. Who gives provision according to a measure,
Who increase the strength of animals by food and drink and Who
nourishes religion and good deeds by good foods and drinks.
The object of the wise is the vision of the Lord in the next
world and the only way to gain it is learning and action and there
is not other way, but it is not possible to stand constantly on them
without a healthy body which is also not possible without food
and drink, such food and drink which are absolutely necessary
and which are taken according to prescribed rules. For this
reason, some learned sages said that food and drink appertain to
religion. God said Eat pure food and do good deeds-23:51 Q. If a
man takes food for helping his learning and actions and
God-fear, his food and drink are considered as divine service. For
that, he should not spend his time uselessly and remain busy like
a lower being which roams from field to field in eating and
drinking. The modes and the ways of food and drink are the
lights of religion. A religious man must stick to these ways and
control his passion and greed for food and drink by weighing
them in the balance of Shariat. The Holy Prophet said: A man can
acquire virtues in all his actions, even in a morsel of food he lifts
up his mouth and to the mouth of his wife.
SECTION I
RULES OF EATING ALONE
The rules of eating alone are three kind—(a) rules before
eating (b) rules at the time of eating and (c) rules after eating.
(a) RULES BEFORE EATING : There are seven rules before
eating. (1) The food must be lawful. God enjoined eating good
and lawful food and prohibited bad and unlawful food. There is
benefit in the former and harm in the latter. God says: O
8 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II
believers, don't eat the properties of one another unjustly—2 :
188. The root of religion is lawful food which is the basis of all
religious action (2) The hand shall be washed before eating. The
Prophet said : Wash before eating prevents poverty and wash
after eating prevents frivolous thoughts." Dirts and germs that
keep attached in hands as a result of manual labour can be
removed by wash. So wash before eating is necessary as ablution
before prayer is necessary. (3) Food shall be placed on the
ground as it is the way of the Prophet. Whenever any food was
taken to the Prophet, he kept it on the ground as it is the sign of
humility. The Prophet used not to take food in any plate except in
a big dish with others.. Four things were innovated after the
Prophet—(a) to eat on tables, (b) to sift food-stuffs by sieve, (c) to
use soaps and (d) to eat to one's heart's content. These things,
though not unlawful, are not good for an humble man. (4) One
should take food sitting straight. The Prophet said: I don't
leaning as I am a mere slave and I eat as a slave eats and I sit as a
slave sits". To eat leaning is bad for stomach. (5) One shall make
niyyat before eating : I eat to gain strength in worship. He will
take promise to eat little and not much as full belly prevents
worship. The more the intention is pure for religion, the less is
the greed for food. The Prophet said : Such quantity of food is
sufficient for a man which can keep his backbone erect. If he is
unable to do it then one part of the belly is for food, one part of for
drink and one part for breathing." If the niyyat or intention is
true, one should not extend his hand towards food if he is not
hungry. (6) Be satisfied with the food served and don't be greedy
for varieties of curries. Food is honoured only when one does not
wait for curry. The Prophet said : When the time of night meal
and the time of night prayer come together, first take meal. (7)
The more are the people to partake food, the better. The Prophet
said: Eat all together, as there is blessings in it. The Prophet used
not to eat single. He said : The food in which many hand
participate is best.
(b) RULES AT THE TIME OF EATING: Being eating reciting
'Bismillah'-in the name of Cod and end it reciting
'Alhamdollah'-all praise is due to God. Eat with the right hand
and begin and end it with salt. Take little morsels and chew each
morsel well. Don't extend your hand to a morsel till you swallow
the previous one. Don't speak of the defects of cooking. The
Prophet never did it. When he liked a food, he ate; and when he
Vol-II The Book of Wordly Usages 9
did not like it, he did not eat it. Except fruits, he used to take from
the nearest side of the dish. The Prophet said: Eat from the side of
your front and not form every side, nor from the middle. Don't
cut bread or meat with knife. The Prophet said: Cut meat with
your teeth. He said: Honour the principal foods as God sent them
from the blessings of heaven. The Prophet said : If any morsel of
food falls down, take it up and clear off the dust attached to it and
don't leave it for the devil. Don't wipe out your hands with
handkerchiefs till you like lick your fingers, because you don't
know in which food there is blessing.' Don't blow breath in hot
food as it is prohibited, but be patient till it becomes cold. Eat odd
number of dates, grapes and such other fruits which can be
counted.
RULES OF DRINKING WATER: Don't drink water at the
time of eating except when thirsty. It is better and keeps stomach
sound. Take the name of God and drink slowly. The Prophet said
: 'Drink water drought by drought and not a time.' Don't drink
water standing or lying, as the Prophet prohibited it except for an
excuse. Don't throw breath into pot or yawn. The Prophet used to
reciteafter drinking water: All praise is due God who has made it
delicious and sweet by His grace and has not made it either
saltish or distasteful for our sins. Drink water with three breaths
and at the end recite 'Alhamdolillah' all praise is due to God and
at the beginning 'Bismillah'—in the name of God.
(c) RULES AFTER EATING: Lift up your hand before the
stomach is filled up and lick up the fingers. Then wipe them with
a towel and then wash them. Lift up the remnants of food. The
Prophet said : He who eats what lies on the dinning cloth will
remain safe, will pass his life in solvency and his children will
remain safe'. Then make pick of teeth and don't swallow what
comes out of teeth as a result of pick. Thereafter gurgle, lick the
dish and drink its water. It has been said that he who licks his
dish and drinks its water will get the reward of the manumission
of a slave. Express gratefulness to God sincerely for what God
has given you to eat and take food as His gift. God says: Eat of the
good things which I have produced for you and be grateful for
the gifts of God-2:168. Whenever you eat a lawful thing, say: All
praise is for God for whose mercy good deeds are completed and
blessings descend. O God, give us good food and engage us in
good deeds. If you eat doubtful things, then say: All praise is due
10 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II
to God under all circumstances. O God, let it not lead us towards
Thy transgression. Alter meal, recite chapters Ikhlas and Lailafe.
Don't rise up till the dining cloth is lifted up. If you take food in
the house of another person, j>ray for him and say : O God, give
him abundant good and give him blessing in what Thou hast
provided him. The Prophet said: Hell is better for the flesh which
has been nourished by unlawful food. If you drink milk, say :
Give blessing in what Thou hast provided us and increase it for
us. After meal, recite the following: All praise is due to God who
provided us with food and drink sufficiently and gave shelter to
our leader and chief. Then wash your hand with soap.
SECTION 2
RULES FOR EATING WITH OTHERS ,
(1) It there any elderly or honourable man with you, don't
begin eating till he begins. (2) Don't remain silent at the time of
eating and hold talks. (3) Don't wish to eat more than your friend.
It is not lawful for you to eat more when food is equally disturbed
unless your friends give you out of their own accords. (4) Eat in
such a way that there remains not necessity of saying to your
companion 'eat. eat.' Eat according to your habit. (5) It is no fault
for one to wash hand in the dish and for all in the same pot. If the
same pot is used by all for washing hands, the following rules
shall be observed . There should be no spitting in the pot, the
chief guest should be honoured, beginning should be made from
the rigKt hand side. A servant should pour water upon the hands
and throwing water from the mouth should be slow. (6) One
should not look at the eating of his companions and should
withdraw his hand before his companions finish eating. (7) One
should not do what appears bad to his companions and talk not
such words as may offend them.
SECTION 3
HOSPITALITY
There is a great merit in showing hospitality and in
entertainment of guests. Hazrat Jaffar Sadeq said : When you sit
with guests in the dining cloth, sit for a long time as no account
will be taken of that time. Hazrat Hasan Basar: said : Accounts
will be taken of what one spends for himself, for his parents or for
any other persons, but not account will be taken of what one
VoI-II The Book of Wordly Usages 11
spends for food of his Muslim brethren as God will feel shame in
taking its accounts. There are many traditions to this effects. The
Prophet said : Angels like one till there is food before him. He
said.: When your Muslim brethren lift up their hands after they
finish eating, no account will be taken of one who eats the,
remaining food. He said : No account will be taken for the food
which he gives to his brother Muslim. He also said : No account
will be taken for three things—(1) pre- drawn tiffin for fasting, (2)
what is eaten for breaking fast and (3) what is eaten with a
brother Muslim. Hazrat Ibn Omar said : To take good food in
journey and to give it to the companions appertain to generosity.
Some companions said : To eat together is the sign of good
condi ^t. There is in one Hadis : God will say to a man: O son of
Adam, I was hungry and you did not give Me food. He will reply:
How could I have given Thee food while thou art the Lord of the
universe ? God will say : Your certain brother Muslim was
hungry, but you did not give him food. If you had given him
food, it would have reached Me. The Prophet also said : Honour
one who comes to see you. He said : There are high places in
Paradise, the outer sides of which are visible from the inner sides
. These are for those who are modest in treatment, give food and
pray at night when the people remain asleep. The Prophet said :
He who gives food is best of you. He said : If a man gives food to
his brother Muslim to his satisfaction and gives him drink till his
thirst is appeased, God will keep him away up to seven ditches
from Hell, the distance of every two ditches is the path of five
hundred years.
RULES OF EATING
(1) When enter the house of your friend to take your meal,
don't enter it suddenly as it is prohibited. God says: Don't enter
the house of the Prophet at the time of meal without permission
and don't look at the dish of food. The Prophet said : He who
joins a feast without invitation is a transgressor. (2) If a man goes
to the house of another man for a necessity and if then the time of
meal comes, he should not take meal without being requested.
When the host says: Take meal, he should see whether it has been
said willingly or out of shame. If it is said out of shame, he should
not join it. (3) It is sunnat to demand food from the house of a
bosom friend. The Holy Prophet, Hazrat Abu Bakr and Omar
used to go to the house of Abul Haisam and Abu Ayub Ansari for
12 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II
taking meal. They used to take meal in the houses of Ansars in the
beginning. God said : There is not fault in taking meal in the
houses of your friends. Once the Prophet took meal in the house
of Barirah without her permission. When questioned about
friends, Hasan Basri said: He is friend to whom mind finds peace
and is pleased with.
(4) To present food before the guest Don't take too much
trouble in preparing food . Place before the guest whatever you
have got. If you have got no food and also no money, don't run
into debt and don't inflict trouble on yourself. If you have got
measured food and you have no mind to part with it, it is not
necessary to give food to a guest. Give better food to your guest
than what you eat. A certain sage said: If any of my friends comes
to me, I don't care to feed him as I don't inflict any trouble on
myself for his sake. I present to him whatever I have got. If I take
trouble, I don't welcome him. It is said that once when Hazrat Ali
was invited, he said : I can accept your invitation on three
conditions—(1) don't buy anything from the market for me; (2)
don't hoard up what is in your house; and (3) don't give trouble
to your family members. Hazrat Salman said ; The Prophet
prohibited us to take trouble for a guest for what is not in our
houses and ordered us to present before him what is ready. It has
been reported of Prophet Jonah that whenever his friends came
to see him, he used to place before them pieces of bread and
vegetables of his garden and say Eat. If God does not curse upon
those who take trouble, I would have taken trouble for you.
Hazrat Anas said that they used to present before a guest dried
bread and dried dates and say : We don't know who is a greater
sinner between the two—one who dislikes the food presented
before him or one who dislikes to present what is near him.
(5) A guest should not order his host to arrange meal or for a
particular item of food. It causes trouble to the host. There is in a
Hadis that the Prophet used to like the easier of two things. A
certain sage said : Feast is of three kinds (1) to eat with the poor
with I' sar (sacrificing own interest), (2) to treat with friends with
pleasure and (3) to treat with the worldly men with good
manners. The host will ask his guest what kind of food he likes.
There are merits in giving food to the guest according to the wish
of the latter. The Prophet said: The sins of one are forgiven who
takes care to fulfill the desires of his brother Muslim. God will