Al-Ghazali’s Kitab adab al-'uzla (The Properties of Retreat) is the sixth book in the Rub' al-'adat (Quarter of Customary Practices) in his monumental work known as Ihya' 'ulum al-din (Revival of the Religious Sciences). Focusing on the issue of seclusion, or retreat from society, the main discussion in this book is the question of whether it is better to engage in social intercourse (al-mukhalata) or remove oneself from society to focus on perfecting one’s relation to God. As he addresses this issue, al-Ghazali takes us through the numerous benefits and dangers of seclusion while laying out the rules to guide the one who chooses this option. He explains that although it depends on many factors, the most important is the person’s intention and purpose for going into seclusion. If it is not done for the sole purpose of drawing near to God, seclusion becomes a harmful path of self-deceit. Although Kitab adab al-'uzla is premised on approaching the issue of spiritual fulfillment in the Islamic context, al-Ghazali presents to us his deep insight into the human condition that relates to Muslims and non- Muslims alike.

About the Author

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.

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