Al-Ghazali — Brief an Muhir-ud-Din

May Allah preserve you in the high station, protect you against all calamities, enable you to guard yourself against the mischief of the devil and place you above all fear of it, and may your heart be free from trouble. The Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said: "The obligatory charity and charity are remedy of all ills." Ordinary, common folk think that physical ailments can be treated successfully with the giving of charity, while the prominent among men believe this refers to spiritual malady. Allah says: "There is a sickness in their hearts" Koran, Chapter 2 verse 10. The physical diseases and spiritual maladies are as different as earth and heaven. The most common and fatal diseases are those who seize the human heart, for one man out of a thousand suffers from a physical ailment, whilst on the other hand, one heart out of a thousand is really sound. Only those who are blessed with sound hearts can claim freedom from spiritual diseases. When one suffers from a physical malady one has no appetite for such things a food or drink, similarly the health of the heart depends upon ones remembering and worship of Allah. "Surely, in the remembrance of Allah all hearts are at rest." Koran, Chapter 13 verse 28, because the Almighty Allah gives man what he most desires, a clear spiritual perception of His Mercy and Beauty. It is only by remembering Allah that the human hearts enjoy peace; life of rest and peace in Allah is good; a life of pain in patience is still better, but to have peace in a life of pain is best of all. He whose heart is dead does not develop intimacy with Allah: "Surely, in this there is a Reminder for he who has a heart or listens attentively while witnessing." Koran, Chapter 50 verse 37. Not everyone knows the mysterious secrets of the human mind, nor can he properly differentiate between food and poison.…