Al-Ghazali on Vigilance and Self-Examination

Translated with notes by Anthony F. Shaker

In this work from the Revival of the Religious Sciences, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali builds on the previous chapter of Intention, Sincerity & Truthfulness with the qualities that support good intention. While this present work is entitled Vigilance and Self-examination, the main virtue is ‘steadfast commitment’ (murabata); vigilance and self-examination being two of its stations. Ghazali refers to the Qur’an and states that God has enjoined upon creation patience and steadfast commitment and that the latter is made up of six stations: agreeing the conditions the soul must follow (musharata), vigilance (muraqaba), self-examination (muhasaba), punishment (mu’aqaba), renewed striving (mujahada) and, finally, censure (mu’ataba). Of these six stations, Ghazali gives particular attention to vigilance and self-examination which he considers to be the cornerstones of steadfast commitment.