The Shaykh and Imam, the Proof of Islam, Abû Hâmid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazâlî, may God have mercy upon and be pleased with him, stated:¿Thank God for all His bounties, for even enabling us to thank Him, and prayers and peace be upon the Master of Messengers, Muhammad, His Prophet, Mes­senger and Servant, upon his family and Companions, and upon his successors after him, his Ministers in his time.I missed, in some of my travels, a facility for extracting from the ¿Ihyâ' ¿ulûm ad-dîn' its essences, due to the difficulty of carrying it around with me, on account of its bulk. Hence I tackled this matter, seeking success and guidance from God and praising His Prophet.It consists of forty chapters.And God guides to the truth.