Al-Ghazali on Disciplining the Soul and on Breaking the Two Desires

Two books from al-Ghazali's monumental Revival of the Religious Sciences arrive here in a landmark translation by scholar T. J. Winter. The first guides readers through the classical Islamic path to virtuous character; the second tackles gluttony and sexual desire, anchoring both in the Prophet's teaching that the best of all matters is the middle way. The sourcing is rich — Quranic verses, hadith, and accounts of Muslim saints — and the translation has become a standard text in university courses on Islamic ethics and Sufi mysticism. For scholars, comparative religion readers, and Sufi practitioners this is essential. Families of other faiths should know the Islamic theological worldview is constant and unqualified throughout, and the discussion of desire, while philosophical rather than explicit, requires context to read well.