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AlGhazalisIhya-Book_of_Destructive_Matters_of_Life, page : 6
Example One. The spirit in the body is like a king in a city. The members and
capacities are like craftsmen and laborers. The intellect is like a sincere, wise
minister, while anger is like a chief of police, who controls the appetite, which in
turn is a base slave who brings food and supplies to the city. Although the slave
presents himself as a sincere adviser, he constantly opposes the minister: he is
in reality a saboteur. The city prospers when, thanks to the efforts of the chief of
police, the slave is rehabilitated, and is forced to submit to the minister.
Example Two. The body is like a city and the percipient intellect is like a king;
the exterior and interior senses are the king‟s soldiers, while the members are his
subjects. The „soul, which constantly enjoins evil‟ is the enemy, determined to
overmaster the kind and subvert the population. The consequent warfare is „the
greater jihad.‟
Example Three. The intellect is like a horseman on a hunt. His appetite is like a
horse, and his anger, his dog. If he is skilled, his horse well trained (a symbol for
mastery of the desire for food and sex), and his dog disciplined, he will be
capacities are like craftsmen and laborers. The intellect is like a sincere, wise
minister, while anger is like a chief of police, who controls the appetite, which in
turn is a base slave who brings food and supplies to the city. Although the slave
presents himself as a sincere adviser, he constantly opposes the minister: he is
in reality a saboteur. The city prospers when, thanks to the efforts of the chief of
police, the slave is rehabilitated, and is forced to submit to the minister.
Example Two. The body is like a city and the percipient intellect is like a king;
the exterior and interior senses are the king‟s soldiers, while the members are his
subjects. The „soul, which constantly enjoins evil‟ is the enemy, determined to
overmaster the kind and subvert the population. The consequent warfare is „the
greater jihad.‟
Example Three. The intellect is like a horseman on a hunt. His appetite is like a
horse, and his anger, his dog. If he is skilled, his horse well trained (a symbol for
mastery of the desire for food and sex), and his dog disciplined, he will be