Al-Ghazali on Poverty and Abstinence
Al-Ghazali, Anthony F. Shaker (tr.)
Paperback
9781903682814
Kitab al-Faqr wa'l-zuhd
Book 34 of the Ihya 'Ulum al-Din
Taking as his example the Prophet’s love for the poor, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali explains that poverty is not simply an accidental state of destitution that might befall anyone but rather an inner acceptance of the Will of God and a form of abstinence for His sake. Thus, the life of poverty described by al-Ghazali refers to what every devoted follower of the Prophet is meant to adopt.
Contents:
Part I: On Poverty
1: An Exposition of the Reality of Poverty, the Different States of the Poor Person and his Names
2: A General Exposition of the Excellence of Poverty
3: An Exposition of the Particular Excellence of the Poor who are Contented, who are Satisfied and who are Sincere
4: An Exposition of Poverty's Excellence over Wealth
5: AN Exposition of the Norms of Propriety of the Poor Person in his Poverty
6: An Exposition of the Norms of Propriety of the Poor Person when Accepting an Unsolicited Offering
7: An Exposition of the Forbiddance of Unnecessary Begging and of the Norms of Propriety of the Poor Person Who Must Beg
8: An Exposition of the Amount of Wealth which Renders Begging Illicit
9: An Exposition of the States of Those Who Beg
Part II: On Abstinence
10: An Exposition of the Reality of Abstinence
11: An Exposition of the Excellence of Abstinence
12: An Exposition of the Degrees of Abstinence, Its Divisions in Relation to Itself, to What is Undesirable and to What is Desirable
13: An Exposition of the Details of Abstinence with Respect to the Necessities of Life
14: An Exposition of the Signs of Abstinence