The Two Pillars of This World
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Welcome. This is the twenty-eighth book of The Revival of the Religious Sciences, by Imam al-Ghazali. It is about two closely linked illnesses. The love of status, and showing off.
al-Ghazali says, status and wealth are the two pillars of this world.
Wealth means owning things. Status means owning hearts. Having a place in people's minds, so that they respect you, praise you, serve you, and obey you.
And just as people chase money with every kind of trade, they chase hearts with every kind of performance.
The Prophet ﷺ gave a striking picture. Two hungry wolves let loose among a flock of sheep do not cause more destruction than a man's greed for wealth and status does to his religion.
Two wolves. One is money. The other is the wish to be important.
Status, says al-Ghazali, is more dangerous than wealth, because it hides inside good deeds. A person may give up money easily, and still pray, fast, teach, and give, while secretly hoping to be seen.
In this book, we will look at why we crave fame, what real worth is, how to face praise and blame, and how to free our worship from the eyes of people.
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