Thomas Cleary

An Introductory Selection of Readings from the Quran

"The selections from the Quran contained in this book represent what the eminent theologian Al-Ghazali calls the six aims of the Book. The first aim is knowledge of God, including the essence, attributes, and works of God. The second aim is definition of the Path to God, by which the 'rust' is removed from the 'mirror' of the soul, so that the light of God may be reflected clearly in the purified soul… The third aim is definition of human conditions at the time of attaining to God… The fourth aim is definition of the conditions of people who traveled the path to God, such as the prophets of the past, and the conditions of those who deviated from the path to God… The fifth aim is definition of the arguments of those who reject truth, proofs against these arguments, and exposure of the inherent falsehood and self-deceit underlying these arguments… The sixth aim is definition of the fulfilment of what is required at each stage of the Path to God, including the manner of preparation for the journey." From the Introduction