The spiritual life in Islam begins with 'riyadat al-nafs' the inner warfare against the ego. Distracted & polluted by worldliness the lower self has a tendency to drag the human creature down into arrogance & vice. Only by a powerful effort of will can the sincere worshipper achieve the purity of soul which enables him to attain God's proximity. This translation of two chapters from The Revival of the Religious Sciences" (" Ihya' ' Ulum al-Din") details the sophisticated spiritual techniques adopted by classical Islam. In the first step " On Disciplining the Soul " which cites copious anecdotes from the Islamic scriptures & biographies of the saints Ghazali explains how to acquire good character traits & goes on to describe how the sickness of the heart may be cured. In the second part " Breaking the Two Desires " he focusses on the question of gluttony & sexual desire concluding in the words of the Prophet that 'the best of all matters is the middle way'. The translator has added an introduction & notes which explore Ghazali's ability to make use of Greek as well as Islamic ethics. The work will prove of special interest to those interested in Sufi mysticism comparative ethics & the question of sexuality in Islam."