Arabic manuscript on paper, 88 large loose leaves, 41 lines to the page in fine Andalusian calligraphy in brown ink, catchwords picked out in blue and red, within a paper wrapping in a portfolio 

Loose leaves, margins with some damage, frayed corner edges, some worming and staining throughout with associated loss of text, otherwise calligraphy very strong, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Born in A.D. 1058 in the Iranian province of Khurusan, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (given the honorific title hujjat al-Islam, 'the Proof of Islam') was one of the greatest jurist-theologians of the medieval Islamic period and a prolific author on the religious sciences. The present manuscript is approximately one quarter of his greatest and best-known work, Ihya' 'ulum al-din, or 'The Revival of the Religious Sciences', in which he attempted to integrate the major disciplines of Islamic religion - theology and law, ethics and mysticism. It comprises ten books in within four quarters; 'ibadat (religious duties); 'adat (social duties); al-muhlikat (what leads to damnation) and al-munjiat (what leads to salvation).

The work was banned and burnt during the Almoravid era (first half of the Twelfth century) in al-Andalus and the Maghrib, but it returned with renewed prestige under the Almohads. This manuscript is a rare testament to the rehabilitation of al-Ghazali's work by this time. The script and colours used for headings of chapters and paragraphs bear a close similarity to a manuscript of Ibn Tumart's Kitab, dated A.H. 579/A.D. 1183, in the National Library of France, Paris (Ar.1451) (see Déroche et al in Manuel de Codicologie des Manuscrits en Écriture Arabe, Paris, 2000, p.130).