Contemplation
Sitting with a single verse until it opens.
About 25 minutes of listening
Book 39: The Book of Contemplation
Imam al-Ghazali · Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din
The thirty-ninth book of the Ihya explores tafakkur (contemplation) — the practice of deep reflection on creation, the self, and the signs of God as a means of drawing closer to Him and deepening one's faith.
Open this book →
From The Book of Contemplation.
-
"just as the one incapable of action due to darkness is driven to act when sight perceives what it once could not see. Thus, the fruit of contemplation is knowledge and states, and knowledge is boundless, and the states that can befall the heart cannot be limited. For this reason, if someone sought to enumerate the types and courses of contemplation and what might be contemplated, they could not, because the paths of contemplation are infinite, and its fruits are endless."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 39: The Book of Contemplation
-
"It inculcates fear, hope, patience, gratitude, love, and longing, and all other states, and it curtails all blameworthy traits. Therefore, a servant should read it and repeat the verse they need to reflect upon repeatedly, even a hundred times. Reflecting on one verse with understanding is better than reciting the entire text without contemplation and understanding."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 39: The Book of Contemplation
-
"Once knowledge deepens in the heart, it alters the state of the heart, and when the heart's state changes, so do the actions of the limbs. Therefore, contemplation is the key and foundation of all goodness, and this reveals the virtue of contemplation, showing it is greater than remembrance and reflection because contemplation is remembrance and more."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 39: The Book of Contemplation