Al-Ghazali letter to Administrative Heads of all Government Departments
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- No scanning noise detected (automatic measure over the whole text, not checked by hand)
- Extent:
- ~840 words · 4 passages
Cite this work
- APAAl-Ghazali. (n.d.). Al-Ghazali letter to Administrative Heads of all Government Departments. Digital reproduction: SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/al-ghazali/al-ghazali-letter-to-administrative-heads-of-all-government-departments
- MLAAl-Ghazali. Al-Ghazali letter to Administrative Heads of all Government Departments. Digital reproduction, SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/al-ghazali/al-ghazali-letter-to-administrative-heads-of-all-government-departments.
- ChicagoAl-Ghazali. Al-Ghazali letter to Administrative Heads of all Government Departments. Digital reproduction, SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/al-ghazali/al-ghazali-letter-to-administrative-heads-of-all-government-departments.
Reference to the edition that SigPhi reproduces: SigPhi is its digital reproduction, not its publisher. The edition's year is not in the metadata (hence "n.d."), and the translator appears only when recorded.
What it is about
A circular letter to the heads of the administration.
Context and history
On honesty in public office. Four fragments: this is a circular, not a treatise. It comes from the Fada'il al-anam, the collection of al-Ghazali's Persian correspondence, and appears in the catalogue as a separate piece. **It is none of his major works**: for those, see The Alchemy of Happiness and The Confessions of al-Ghazzali, also here. The original is Persian; this is an English translation.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
On that day the scales of the rich will be light, for they spend their money to satisfy their animal passions but the scale of the humble will be heavy, because they used their money to carry out the commands of Allah. Those who have much are often greedy, those who have little always share. Those who spend their whole wealth in charity to escape the dangers involved in worldly possession, attain perfect salvation. Abu Bakr Siddiq disposed of his estate and vast wealth and placed the proceeds at the feet of the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. When asked what he had left for his dependents he, may Allah be pleased with him, replied: "I am sure Allah and His Messenger can confer on me a substantial benefit sufficient to relieve me from anxiety concerning the means of the subsistence of my family." This occurred when the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said "The rich have perished and he alone has survived who has scattered his wealth in all directions, helping the poor and carrying out the commands of Allah." Because man is miserly by nature and does not want to spend his money except in his own personal interest, it is therefore incumbent upon him to spend his money only upon those who are really in need of his financial help so that Allah may reward him with increase upon increase on the Day of Judgement. When the exchange value of $1 is given to the needy it will be equal to more than $1000. The money gifted by a rich man must be honestly earned and distributed among the pious and learned who have no source of income to fall upon during hard times. Allah says: "O you who believe, do not annual your charitable giving with reproach and hurt." Koran, Chapter 2 verse 264 :Sincerely ::Al Ghazali