Revival of the Religious Sciences

by Abu Muhammad al-Ghazali, abridged by Salih Ahmad al-Shami, translated by Mokrane Guezzou.

This is a relatively new addition (published 2019) to the English translations of the great Islamic classic ‘Ihya Ulum ad-Din’ (Revival of the Religious Sciences) written by Imam Abu Muhammad al-Ghazali – ‘The Proof of Islam’.

This first class translation into English is based upon the abridgement by the Syrian scholar, Salih Ahmad al-Shami.

This book is considerably shorter than the complete original work, but longer (522 pages in length) than both Imam al-Ghazali’s own abridgements – ‘The Alchemy of Happiness’ and the ‘Mukhtasar’.

The result is a very accessible, yet substantially full account of the ‘Ihya’. The Index at the back of the book is also useful.

As Abu’l Hasan al-Shadhili said, “True knowledge is bequeathed by the ‘Revival.”