"The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration" is the twenty-ninth chapter of "Revival of the Religious Sciences", a monumental work written by the jurist Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali (d.1111). Perhaps the most important chapter in the "Revival", "The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration" delves into the fundamental spiritual ailments and major impediments of the soul, namely pride and self-admiration. From the beginning of the work, Ghazali states that both pride and self-admiration are forms of spiritual disease. He treats of pride in Part One, firstly condemning this ailment with verses from the Qur'an, describing how it manifests outwardly, how the virtue of humility represents its opposite, what it is and what its symptoms are, as well as the seven reasons for the cause of pride and the root cause of pride in self-admiration. As an antidote, Ghazali offers examples of true humility, showing the manner by which the seven causes of pride can be dealt with, balancing these observations out with a warning against false humility. In Part Two Ghazali discusses self-admiration, condemning it as he did pride in Part One, showing the various ways it manifests inwardly, how it causes negligence, delusion and complacency, how each can be remedied, that self-admiration does not always lead to proud actions, and how the cure lies in the Qur'an, the teachings of the Prophet, proofs based on sound reasoning, as well as recognising that knowledge is a blessing from God.
Author Biography
Author Information: Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), theologian, logician, jurist and mystic, was born and died in Tus in Central Asia, but spent much of his life lecturing at Baghdad or leading the life of a wondering dervish. His most celebrated work, "Revival of the Religious Sciences", has exercised a profound influence on Muslim intellectual history by exploring the mystical significance of the practices and beliefs of Islamic orthodoxy, earning him the title of "Hujjat al Islam", the 'Proof of Islam'.---Translator Information: Mohammed Rustom is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Carleton University. He is the translator of the award-winning book "The Triumph of Mercy: Philosophy and Scripture in Mulla Sadra" (2012) and co-editor of "The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary" (2015).