Imam al-Ghazali’s book on the Mysteries of the Pilgrimage (Book 7 of the Ihya Ulum al-Din) sums up the essential inner provisions that must be part of everyone’s life journey, whether on this parallel great pilgrimage or not. While conveying the deeper significance and spirit of the Hajj rites, this work highlights teachings which not only strengthen character but provide the entire family with a firm foundation for spiritual growth.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Last Meetings 21
Chapter Two: Insights from Imam al-Ghazali 27
Chapter Three: The Black Stone and Our Agreement with God u 31
Chapter Four: The Voice Between the Ka‘ba and the Kiswah 37
Chapter Five: Those Who Ask to Be Returned to This World 41
Chapter Six: Some Rules of Conduct 45
Chapter Seven: Practicing Dying 49
Chapter Eight: The Final Teachings at the Last Gathering 55
Chapter Nine: The Departure at Last! 61
Chapter Ten: Entering the State of Ihram Upon Reaching the Station of Miqat 69
Chapter Eleven: Arriving in the Holy Land 73
Chapter Twelve: The Meaning of the Vehicle That Would Carry Them to Mecca 77
Chapter Thirteen: The Entrance into Mecca and the First Sight of the Ka‘ba 81
Chapter Fourteen: Entering the Sacred Sanctuary 85
Chapter Fifteen: The Black Stone and the Kiswah 89
Chapter Sixteen: The Tawaf and the Ka‘ba – Walking Around the Ka‘ba Seven Times 93
Chapter Seventeen: Reaching the Door of the Ka‘ba 97
Chapter Eighteen: The Place of Ibrahim 101
Chapter Nineteen: Running the Course (Sa‘i) Between Mounts Safa and Marwa 105
Chapter Twenty: Setting Out for the Camp at Mina 111
Chapter Twenty-One: The Tent City at Night 115
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Day of Arafat 119
Chapter Twenty-Three: Muzdalifa 125
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Return to the Ka‘ba 131
Chapter Twenty-Five: Visiting Medina, the City of Light 137
Chapter Twenty-Six: Visiting the Prophet s 141
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Other Important Visits 145
Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Return: The Duties of the Heart 149