Knowledge of this World (Ghazali)

Abou Hamid Mohammed ben Mohammed al Ghazali was an arabian philosopher of the 11th century. Here’s an enlightening passage from his notes on knowledge of the world.

Passage

While man is in this world, two things are necessary for him: first, the protection and nurture of his soul; secondly, the care and nurture of his body. The proper nourishment of the soul, as above shown, is the knowledge and love of God, and to be absorbed in the love of anything but God is the ruin of the soul. The body, so to speak, is simply the riding-animal of the soul, and perishes while the soul endures. The soul should take care of the body, just as a pilgrim on his way to Mecca takes care of his camel; but if the pilgrim spends his whole time in feeding and adorning his camel, the caravan will leave him behind, and he will perish in the desert.

Al Ghazali translated by Henry A. Homes. The Alchemy of Happiness. Albany, N.Y.: J:Munsell, State Street, 1873.