And every Mexican who scores a point gets a green card . Welcome to diplomacy , crazy level twilight zone . <| sep |># Lesson 1 Introduction to the Text and AuthorImam Haddad mentions 3 criterion for beneficial knowledge That knowledge points someone from this world to the next world It takes them away from disobedience to obedience From being negligent and distant and to being close to Allah so we are in a state of murakaba vigilanceal Thakihi says of Imam Ghazli That he is an Imam through his name souls come to life and hearts expand . It is through his writings that pens themselves boast and inkwells shake . Hearing his name sounds themselves are in awe and people ' s necks lower down . Spirits wonder out of passionate love drinking out of cups that come to them . Some have called him the second Shafii . He was granted this ultimate state of being a high saint and his station is of the highest pull . He was the great independent scholar of his time . The eyes have not seen the likes of him . He is a deep ocean and he is someone who threw the dunyaa behind his back and he threw his sandals behind himself as well . In his Ihyaa he placed medicine for the hearts and his medicine is one that has taken on what humans can take on of the names of Allah . He is someone who is attached to the divine presence . Imam al Kaziruni said Were all knowledge to be erased it could be extracted through the Ihyaa . Let us know that we are studying from a Master who has actualized Iman , Ihsaan , and Islam . This book is the essence of tassawuf that has both the inward and outward as Imam Malik said whoever joins fiqh and tassawuf this is the person who has been realizedAbdulliah ibn Said Tahar said If you want the beginning of the path you should read Beginning of Guidance and the end of the path which is explained in the IhyaaImam Ghazali says guidance is the fruit of knowledge has a beginning and an end , an outward and an inward . The book then clarifies this and sets forth on the path to guidanceA scholar said knowledge is like a tree and worship is the fruit from that treeQ If you have piety of Allah he will give you a criterion between truth and falsehoodQ S Baqara Have taqwa in Allah and Allah will teach you without an intermediaryImam Ghazali says I am going to point you to the beginning of guidance for you to see here you stand and determine what your heart intends Read this and reflect on your own sincerity on reading this workImam Ghazali differentiates three classes of those who seek knowledge A man who seeks knowledge to make it his provision on the way to the next life , intending nothing but Allah . He is successful Seeks knowledge to assist him in this life to attain honor , good standing and wealth . He is aware of what he is doing but knows in the state of his heart that it is not good . His fate is in jeopardy and must repent before his time of death . If he does so and supplements it with good deeds he is successful A man completely under Satan ' s sway who uses his knowledge to increase only his wealth , boast of his rank , and take pride in his large following . In spite of this he believes he has a high place with Allah because he adorns himself with the characteristics of the learned following their manner of dress and speech . His person is irretrievably lost and there is no hope for his repentance since he is convinced he is the one who does good . Allah says O you who believer ! Why say you that which you do not ? Most loathsome is it in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not . Imam Ghazali says to test yourself of these three classes is to realize the beginning of guidance is the outward form of taqwa and the end is the internal dimension and inner conscious of taqwa . There is no true end without taqwa and there is no guidance without taqwa . Imam Ghazali will next explain the outward parts of taqwa