Mizan al-Amal

Mizan al-Amal (The Scale of Action) is a treatise on ethics, practical psychology, and the path to otherworldly happiness by the Shafi'i jurist, theologian, and mystic Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (450–505 AH / 1058–1111 CE) Mizan al-Amal+1.

Purpose and Composition

Al-Ghazali planned and structured the book as a companion to his logical work Mi'yar al-Ilm (The Standard of Knowledge) Mizan al-Amal+1. In the conclusion of Mi'yar al-Ilm, he noted that just as true knowledge can be confounded with what lacks reality and therefore requires a standard (mi'yar), so too righteous and beneficial action in the hereafter requires a scale (mizan) to discern its true nature; he thus dedicated a separate volume to this purpose Majallat Lughat al-Arab a….

In the introduction to Mizan al-Amal, al-Ghazali explains that the ultimate happiness sought by all people cannot be attained except through both knowledge and action (al-ilm wa-l-amal) Mizan al-Amal. After having established the criteria of knowledge in Mi'yar al-Ilm, he devotes Mizan al-Amal to identifying felicitous deeds, distinguishing them from destructive actions, and setting forth the principles and rules of moral conduct beyond uncritical imitation (taqlid) Mizan al-Amal.

Structure and Concepts

The work examines the nature of ultimate happiness, human psychology, and the cultivation of character:

• Conceptions of Happiness: Al-Ghazali defines otherworldly happiness as eternal, complete, and free from deficiency or cessation Mizan al-Amal. He surveys different perspectives regarding the afterlife, contrasting the literalist view of physical pleasures with the intellectual and spiritual pleasures emphasized by philosophical theists and Sufis, who regard the worship of God purely for the sake of heavenly rewards or fear of punishment as deficient compared to seeking divine proximity Mizan al-Amal+1.
• The Interplay of Knowledge and Action: He describes righteous action as a prerequisite that purges the soul of blameworthy impediments, clearing the vessel so that knowledge can be received Mizan al-Amal.
• The Faculties of the Soul and Cardinal Virtues: Following classical faculty psychology, al-Ghazali identifies three primary powers of the human soul—the rational (al-aqliyya), the irascible (al-ghadabiyya), and the appetitive (al-shahwaniyya)—and maps them to four mother virtues:
  • Wisdom (al-hikma), the excellence of the rational faculty Mizan al-Amal+1.
  • Courage (al-shaja'a), the moderation of the irascible faculty under the direction of reason Mizan al-Amal+1.
  • Temperance (al-iffa), the disciplining of the appetitive faculty by reason and sacred law Mizan al-Amal+1.
  • Justice (al-adala), the harmonious balance and rightful subordination of all these faculties to their proper hierarchy Mizan al-Amal+1.
• Epistemological Method: Near the conclusion of the text, al-Ghazali argues that doubt is an indispensable path toward certainty (al-yaqin), asserting that he who does not doubt does not investigate, he who does not investigate does not perceive, and he who does not perceive remains in blindness and misguidance Majallat al-Risala. At the same time, he cautions instructors to shield weaker minds from doubts that could cause confusion Majallat al-Risala.