My Dear Beloved Son or Daughter by Imam Ghazali
Author: Imam Ghazali
Imam Ghazali (1055-1111) who is world's one of the most influential thinkers, reformers, and spiritual transformers and whose books are a beacon of light for humanity for the last 900 years, explains the most crucial steps, in the form of a letter to a disciple, needed by a spiritual traveller on one's journey to one's final destination - the Lord of the Universes (Rubb ul Aa'lameen, the God Almighty).
Excerpt from this book:
It is said that among the students and mureeds (disciples who seek spiritual elevation/enlightenment through the attainment of purification of their soul from all evil desires and tendencies under the guidance of a spiritual guide who has in turn completely attained this purification and high station before Allah ("Allah" is the personal name of God in Islam) through training, guidance, and proximity of another spiritual guide) of Shaykh Shafeeq Balkhi (May Allah Shower His Mercy upon him), was a student and disciple named Hatim Ism (May Allah Shower His Mercy upon him who in turn later on became a great spiritual master through the training and guidance of Shaykh Shafeeq). One day Shaykh Shafeeq Balkhi (May Allah Shower His Mercy upon him) said to him:
O Hatim! For how long have been in my company (spiritual proximity) and have been listening to what I have been saying (teaching)?
Shaykh Hatim Ism (May Allah Shower His Mercy upon him) replied: Thirty Three years!
Shaykh Shafeeq Balkhi asked:
In that [long] time period, what benefit have you derived from