Al-Ghazali: The Properties of Friendship and Brotherhood (Book 15)
Translated by James Pavlin
Al-Ghazali states in the opening of this book that “Mutual love for the sake of God (Exalted is He) and brotherhood in His din are among the best affinities and the finest beneficial acts of obedience in the course of customary practices.” This statement indicates the importance he places on proper love and brotherhood among Muslims. Al-Ghazali then dedicates the entire book to elaborating on the subtle aspects of proper relationships between people, divided into three chapters to cover the broad scope of the topic. In the first chapter he expounds on the excellence of intimate friendship (ulfa) and brotherhood for the sake of God (Exalted is He). In the second chapter, he details the duties of companionship and its etiquette and requirements. In his final chapter, al-Ghazali discusses the duties of brotherhood as it pertains to the Muslim, the kindred, the neighbor, and the sovereign, with special emphasis on the manner of social intercourse for someone who is being tested by these relationships. The Book of the Etiquette of Companionship offers a timely look into the proper social relations that please God and lay the foundations of a coherent and cooperative Islamic Society.
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111) was a leading jurist, theologian, and spiritual master of the golden age of Islam, and he remains its truest advocate in modern times. As a teacher of both inward and outward aspects of faith, he presented these practical teachings in systematic form, with eloquence and precision, in his forty-part compendium of Islamic knowledge.
James Pavlin is currently a part-time Lecturer in the Department of Religion at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, where he has taught since 1999. He teaches courses on Islam and comparative religion. Dr. Pavlin received his Doctorate in Philosophy in 1998 from New York University, Department of Middle Eastern Studies. He was also an Adjunct Professor in the History Department at William Paterson University in New Jersey from 1998 until 2017.
