Ihya Uloom-ud-Din

Contents of lhya-ul-Uloom-ud-din

Book I Worship (Ibadat): (1) The nature of knowledge (Ilm); (2) The foundation of faith (Aqayid); (3) The inward meaning of purification (Taharat); (4) The inward meaning of prayer (Namaz,) (5) The inward meaning of alms-giving (Zakat); (63 The inward meaning of pilgrimage (Hajj); (7) On reciting of Holy Qur'an (Tilawat-e-Qur'an); (8) Recollections and prayers (Zikar-wa-Dua); (9) Orisons at fixed times (Wazaif).

Book II Personal Conduct (Agelanti): (1) Ordinances relating to eating and drinking; (2) Rules relating to marriage; (3) Ordinances relating to earning livelihood; (4) Lawful and unlawful things; (5) Rules relating to association with people; (6) Solitude; (7) On travel; (8) Ordinances relating to religious music (Sama or Quwwali); (9) On counseling; (10) Living of the prophets.

Book III Deadly Sins (Mohlikaat): (1) Wanderings of the wavering heart; (2) Discipline of self; (3) Sensuality of tongue and carnality; (4) Vices flowing from speech; (5) Malice, envy and anger; (6) Evils of the world; (7) Evils of wealth and avarice; (8) Evils flowing from covetous high ranks and hypocrisy; (9) Evils of arrogance and conceit; (10) Errors flowing from deception.

Book IV The Path of Deliverance (Najaat): (1) Conversion; (2) Fortitude & Gratitude: (3) Fear of Allah and faith in His mercy; (4) Poverty & self-denial; (5) Trust & belief in One God; (6) Love of God, yearning, intimacy & satisfaction; (7) Path of truthfulness & sincerity; (8) Contemplation & self-examination; (9) Meditation; (10) Constant remembrance of death.

Emphasizing the necessity of his work, Iman Ghazzali says: "The theologians (fuqiha) have not dealt with the vagaries of the Path, the obstacles which lie in the spiritual itinerary and how they are to be overcome in order to gain high spiritual experience, purgation, illumination and the ultimate vision of God.