Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

   
Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

al-Ghazali's (1058-1111), a Persian scholar, very influential in

Islam, and also (later) in Christianity

   
Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

the Book of Manners Relating to Eating (Kitab adab al-akl) is a

book included in al-Ghazali's treaty Revival of the Religious
Sciences

the first of the ten books that make up the second Quarter of the
Revival (where al-Ghazali deals with the norms of conduct in daily
life including sexuality, marriage, earning a living, the distinction
between what is licit and what is forbidden, friendship and
companionship, travelling, music…)

al-Ghazali's Revival of the Religious Sciences has a defined

purpose: to survey the development of Islam until his day and
to restate the fundamental principles of Islamic belief and
practice

   
Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

The Book of Manners Relating to Eating, starts with

a prologue

a first chapter
on the manners to be observed when you eat alone

a second chapter
on the manners to be observed when you eat in company

   
Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

a first chapter

on the manners to be observed when you eat alone

• before the meal (seven rules)

• when eating (several rules)

• after eating (several rules)

   
Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

a second chapter

on the manners to be observed when you eat in company

seven rules of conduct

   
Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

The book continues with other three chapters

– Chapter three. Manners to be adopted when presenting food to

visiting brethren

– Chapter four. The manners of hospitality

– A section combining miscellaneous good manners and legal

prohibitions

   
Al-Ghazali On the manners of eating

the sense

to provide ordinary believers with a very detailed model of behaviour:

it is a guidebook

an important issue, because in Islam the greatest of the mortal vices

which man may harbour is the desire of the stomach