It has been learned that one of the students of Imam Ghazali (RA) who acquired a lot of knowledge and spiritual benefits from him over a number of years, had a thought in his heart.

He thought that he spent a lot of time learning from Imam Ghazali (RA) over a number of years from different branches of religious knowledge and gave a lot of sacrifices towards that end.

However, he still did not know which branch of knowledge from among the branches of knowledge he studied, would be of real help to him, would illumine his grave, would be beneficial to him on the Day of Judgment and which branches of knowledge would not be of benefit to him on the Day of Judgment, so that he could refrain from those branches of knowledge because Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “I seek Allah‟s refuge from the knowledge which is of no benefit”.

This disciple of Imam Ghazali (RA) kept thinking along these lines for a few days and then wrote a letter to Imam Ghazali (RA) with the view of getting an answer to his dilemma along with some other questions.

Furthermore, he asked in his letter to Imam Ghazali (RA) for some advice and to teach him a supplication that he could always recite.

In reply to his letter, Imam Ghazali (RA) sent him advices including topics covering sincerity, knowledge, action, death, da’wah, hypocrisy, time, dhikr and Shari’ah, with delicacy and coherency, so that one is able to grasp clearly the multidimensional facets of a comprehensive Islam.