Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn
4. The Secrets of Prayer
5. The Secrets of Zakāt
6. The Secrets of Fasting
7. The Secrets of Ḥajj
8. The Etiquette of Reciting the Qur'an
9. Dhikrs (Remembrances) and Duas (Supplications)
10. The Arrangement of Wirds
The section on ʿĀdāt (Customs) (Volume 2) consists of ten chapters:
1. The Etiquette of Eating
2. The Etiquette of Marriage
3. The Rulings of Work
4. The Lawful and the Unlawful
5. The Etiquette of Companionship and Social Interaction
6. Seclusion
7. The Etiquette of Travel
8. The Etiquette of Samāʿ (Spiritual Audition)
9. Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
10. The Etiquette of Livelihood and the Morality of Prophethood
The section on Muhlikāt (Destructive Matters) (Volume 3) also consists of ten chapters:
1. The Wondrous States of the Qalb (the heart)
2. Ways of Disciplining the Nafs (the lower self)
3. The Dangers of Attachment to the Stomach and Sexual Relations
4. The Afflictions of the Tongue
5. The Afflictions of Envy, Hatred, and Anger
6. The Evil of the World
7. The Evil of Attachment to Wealth and Miserliness
8. The Evil of Attachment to Worldly Ranks and Hypocrisy
Introduction
9. The Evil of Arrogance and ʿUjb (Self-Conceit) 10. The Evil of Pride The section on Munjiyāt (Salvific Matters) (Volume 4) also consists of ten chapters: 1. Tawba (Repentance) 2. Sabr (Patient Endurance) and Shukr (Gratitude) 3. Fear and Hope 4. Poverty and Zuhd (Asceticism) 5. Tawhid (the oneness of God) and Tawakkul (Reliance upon God) 6. Love, Longing, Intimacy, and Riḍā (Contentment with God's Decree) 7. Intention, Truthfulness, and Ikhlas (Sincerity) 8. Vigilance and Self-Accounting 9. Contemplation 10. Remembering Death In the section on acts of worship, I will explain the wisdoms of the meanings and secrets needed by scholars who act upon their knowledge, the subtleties of the Sunnah, and the hidden meanings of worship; for a scholar who does not know these subtleties cannot be a scholar of the Hereafter! Most of the points I will mention are those neglected in the science of fiqh.
In the section on customs, we will explain the secrets and depths of the transactions current among the people, the subtleties of the Sunnahs, and the hidden ways needed by a pious person when performing these transactions! In the section on Muhlikāt, we will expound, one by one, the evil states that the Noble Qur'an commands to be erased and for the nafs (the lower self) and qalb (the heart) to be purified from! In this section, we will explain every evil character, define each one separately, and clarify their true nature. We will clearly set forth the causes that give rise to evil character, the causes of those causes, their afflictions, the signs that indicate their ugliness, and the ways to be saved from these evil traits, all with clear evidence from Qur'anic verses (āya), hadith, and reports from the pious predecessors (salaf al-ṣāliḥ).
In the Munjiyāt section of Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, we will explain, one by one, the good character traits that bring the servant closer to Allah, the qualities and attributes sought after by the truthful (ṣiddīqūn) and those brought near (muqarrabūn)! We will clearly set forth the definition and reality of each trait, the means to acquire it, its result, the signs that help in recognizing it, and the virtue that leads to its realization, with both scriptural and rational proofs. Although some earlier authors have written books explaining these matters, the book in your hands differs from previous books in five respects: 1. It clarifies every issue they left ambiguous, and explains in great detail every matter they treated only briefly.
It organizes and investigates issues they treated in a scattered manner. It shortens and brings under control some sections they extended at length. It omits repeated discussions and supports claims that lacked evidence with proofs. It investigates and clarifies issues that cannot be resolved in any other book and are difficult for minds to comprehend, making them understandable. Indeed, every scholar has tried to do the same, but it is possible that each seeker addresses the issue that appeals to him, while his companions are unaware of it; or perhaps they are not unaware, but forget to write about it in their books, or even if they have not forgotten, there may be other obstacles to removing the veil from that issue.
These are the features of the book in your hands, which encompasses both the outward (ẓāhir) and inward (bāṭin) sciences. There are two main reasons that compelled me to divide this book into four main sections: 1. Such an arrangement is almost necessary; for the knowledge that benefits the Hereafter is divided into two parts: muʿāmalah (practical engagement) and mukāshafah (unveiling).
Introduction
By the science of mukāshafah, I mean only the knowledge that ensures the knowing of what must be known. By the science of muʿāmalah, I mean the knowledge that is sought not only to be known but also to be acted upon. The intended meaning in this book is only the science of muʿāmalah. Although the science of mukāshafah, which is forbidden to be written in books, is the goal sought by aspirants and the aim of the truthful, it is not discussed here because it is not the subject of this book. The science of muʿāmalah is the knowledge that leads to the science of mukāshafah; one reaches the science of mukāshafah through the science of muʿāmalah. The Prophets (peace be upon them) only guided and instructed the people; they spoke of the science of mukāshafah only by way of allusion. They tried to explain it through metaphors and always made brief summaries.
Therefore, the scholars who follow their path imitate them and do not delve into much detail about this science, and if possible, do not mention it at all. Occasionally, it is permitted to mention it by way of parable and metaphor. The science of muʿāmalah is divided into two: the outward (ẓāhir) and the inward (bāṭin). By outward knowledge is meant the knowledge that informs us of the actions of our limbs. The actions of the limbs are either acts of worship or customs. By inward knowledge is meant the knowledge that informs us of how the qalb (the heart) should be. What comes to the qalb, which acts as a veil for the senses, from the world of malakūt (the spiritual realm), is either good or bad. For this reason, it is necessary to divide knowledge into outward and inward. As we have stated above, knowledge related to the limbs is divided into acts of worship and customs.
The sciences concerning the state of the nafs (the lower self) and the states of the qalb (the heart) are also divided into two: good and bad. Altogether, this makes four sections, and the science of muʿāmalah is concerned with nothing other than these four sections. The second reason for arranging this book in this way is as follows: I have seen that those who seek knowledge, especially those who do not fear Allah, are well-versed in it, boast about it, and, due to the envy they feel for one another, always turn to fiqh in order to maintain their positions and preserve their reputations in their disputes. This knowledge is divided into four sections: ʿIbādāt (acts of worship), Muʿāmalāt (transactions), Munākaḥāt (marriage), and ʿUqūbāt (penal laws).
It has been said of Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn: 'He who dons the garb of the Beloved, is colored by Him, and is adorned with Him, is the Beloved Himself.' For this reason, I am confident that my book's resemblance to a book of fiqh will bring great benefits; for in this way, I hope to incline hearts more toward Islam. Indeed, just as some physicians, wishing to incline people's hearts toward the science of medicine, have transformed their knowledge of medicine into star calendars, dividing it into tables and numbers and calling it the 'Calendar of Health,' so too have they endured this effort so that people would turn to books explaining medicine by reading calendars. Drawing hearts to the knowledge that benefits eternal life is even more beneficial than drawing them to the science of medicine, which benefits bodily health.
The fruit of the knowledge that benefits eternal life is to heal and strengthen the qalb (the heart) and ruh (the spirit), and thus to attain eternal life. Where is the science of medicine, which is used to treat bodies that are inevitably doomed to die soon, compared to the religious sciences that regulate eternal life? We ask Allah, Who has no partner, to guide us to what is right. Without doubt, He knows what His servant desires before he even asks. He is the Generous and Bountiful!
Rubʿ al-ʿIbādāt
(The Section on Acts of Worship)
First Book
KITĀB AL-ʿILM
1.
The Virtue of Knowledge, Teaching Knowledge, and Learning Knowledge, and the Rational and Scriptural Proofs Concerning These
2. The Praised (Maḥmūd) and Blameworthy (Madhmūm) Sciences, Their Categories and Rulings, Sciences That Are Fard ʿAyn and Fard Kifāya, the Boundaries and Explanation of Fiqh and Kalām Among the Sacred Sciences, and the Proof That the Sciences of the Hereafter Are Superior to All Other Sciences
3. The Sciences That People Regard as Acceptable but Are Not Truly Acceptable, the Factors That Cause Some Sciences to Be Considered Blameworthy, the Meaning of Terms Like Fiqh, Knowledge, Tawhid, Tadhkīr, and Ḥikmah, and the Explanation That Today They Are Not Used in Accordance with Their Original Meanings, the Acceptable and Blameworthy Sacred Sciences, and How Much of Each Is Acceptable or Blameworthy
4. The Reasons Why People Turn to the Science of Disputation, the Afflictions of Debate and Argument, and the Conditions for Their Permissibility
5. The Etiquette to Be Observed by the Teacher and the Student
6. The Afflictions of Knowledge, the Signs of Good and Bad Scholars
7. Intellect, the Nobility of Intellect, Its Reality and Categories
I. Kitāb al-ʿIlm
FIRST CHAPTER
The Virtue of Knowledge, Teaching Knowledge, and Learning Knowledge, and the Rational and Scriptural Proofs Concerning These
The Virtue of Knowledge
Verses
Allah bears witness that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge – [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
(Āl ʿImrān 3:18)
If you pay attention, you will see that in this verse Allah Most High begins by bearing witness to His own oneness, then, secondly, presents the angels, and thirdly, the scholars as witnesses to this truth. This is a very great proof of the nobility of knowledge and the scholar. If this honor alone were sufficient to explain the virtue of scholars, we would stop here, but we will continue to bring further evidence.
Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.
(al-Mujādilah 58:11)
Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only those who possess intellect will remember.
(al-Zumar 39:9)
It is only those who have knowledge among His servants who fear Allah.
(Fāṭir 35:28)
Say, "Sufficient is Allah as Witness between me and you, and [the witness of] whoever has knowledge of the Book."
(al-Raʿd 13:43)
Said one who had knowledge from the Scripture, "I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you."
(al-Naml 27:40)
The one who had knowledge from the Book addressed Prophet Sulaymān in this way to show what knowledge is capable of.
But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for he who believes and does righteousness."
(al-Qaṣaṣ 28:80)
Kitāb al-ʿIlm/First Chapter
In this verse, Allah Most High is stating that the value of the Hereafter can only be known through knowledge.
And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge.
(al-ʿAnkabūt 29:43)
If, when they received information, they had referred it to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who can draw correct conclusions from it would have known it.
(al-Nisāʾ 4:83)
In this verse, Allah Most High leaves the interpretation of events to the deduction and inference of the scholars, thereby indicating how great their rank is and how this rank is joined to the rank of the prophets.
O children of Adam! We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of taqwa (God-consciousness) – that is best.
(al-Aʿrāf 7:26)
Some scholars have said that by 'clothing that covers the private parts' in this verse is meant knowledge, by 'adornment' the station of certainty, and by 'the clothing of taqwa' the station of life.
We have certainly brought them a Book which We detailed with knowledge.
(al-Aʿrāf 7:52)
We will surely relate to them with knowledge, and We were not [at all] absent.
(al-Aʿrāf 7:7)
But this [Qur'an] is distinct verses [preserved] within the breasts of those who have been given knowledge.
(al-ʿAnkabūt 29:49)
The Most Merciful taught the Qur'an, created man, [and] taught him bayān (clear exposition).
(al-Raḥmān 55:1-4)
Allah Most High has expressed this truth as a favor to mankind.
Hadiths
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When Allah intends good for a servant, He makes him a scholar in the religion who fears Allah. He gives him intellect and understanding that will guide him to the right path.
(Bukhārī and Muslim, from Muʿāwiyah; Tirmidhī and Imam Ahmad from Ibn ʿAbbās; Ibn Mājah from Abū Hurayrah)
Kitāb al-ʿIlm/First Chapter
The scholars are the inheritors of the prophets. It is known to everyone that there is no rank higher than that of prophethood. Thus, to inherit this rank is the greatest of honors. All creatures in the heavens and the earth supplicate to Allah for the forgiveness of a scholar. Consider the rank of a person for whom all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth ask Allah for forgiveness! Is it possible for a human being to attain a rank greater than this? While the scholar is occupied with his own affairs, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth are occupied with seeking forgiveness for him. Can there be a greater honor for a person than this? Wisdom (knowledge) adds such a great rank to the honor of a noble person that it raises slaves to the level of kings.
See how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave such a rank to knowledge by saying, 'It raises slaves to the level of kings!' Even the results that knowledge brings in this world are so valuable. What it brings in this world is nothing compared to the Hereafter, for the Hereafter is incomparably superior to this world and is eternal. (Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, and Ibn Ḥibbān from Abū al-Dardāʾ) (ʿIrāqī considers this hadith as part of the previous one. The same hadith is also transmitted through other chains.) Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilya; Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, ʿIlm; ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Azdī, The Etiquette of the Hadith Scholars (from Anas, with a weak chain)
Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn There are two good qualities that are never found in a hypocrite: the first is good character, the second is deep understanding (fiqh) in religion. Do not let the hypocrisy of some of today's jurists make you doubt this hadith; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not mean by fiqh what is meant today. What he meant by fiqh is very different from its current meaning. As will be explained in later sections of our book, the lowest degree of fiqh is to know that the Hereafter is better than this world and to act accordingly. If a person who is a jurist possesses such a quality, his knowledge will be correct, all forms of ostentation will be removed from him, and he will be saved from the danger of hypocrisy.
The most virtuous of people is the believing scholar who helps when needed. When people avoid him, he is dignified and content with his knowledge. Iman (faith) is naked; its covering is taqwa (God-consciousness), its adornment is modesty, and its fruit is knowledge. Among people, those closest to the rank of prophethood are those who possess knowledge and those who strive (in jihad). The people of knowledge direct the people to the divine order brought by the prophets. The people of jihad protect this divine order brought by the prophets with their swords. (Tirmidhī, from Abū Hurayrah; he said the hadith is gharīb. Ḥākim, History of Nishapur, from Abū al-Dardāʾ; he said the isnad is weak. Bayhaqī, Shuʿab al-Īmān, from Abū al-Dardāʾ with a weak isnad)
Kitāb al-ʿIlm/First Chapter
The people of jihad protected this divine order brought by the prophets with their swords.
The death of a tribe is less grave than the death of a scholar.
(Tabaranī and Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, from Abū al-Dardāʾ)
People are like mines of gold and silver of differing value. Those who were good in the time of ignorance, if they acquire deep knowledge (fiqh) in the religion, are also the best among people after entering Islam.
(Bukhārī and Muslim, from Abū Hurayrah)
On the Day of Resurrection, the ink of the scholars will be weighed against the blood of the martyrs.
(Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, from Abū al-Dardāʾ with a weak chain)
Whoever memorizes forty hadiths for my ummah, I will be an intercessor and a witness for him on the Day of Resurrection.
(Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, ʿIlm, from Ibn ʿUmar with a weak chain)
Allah protects the one who has knowledge in His religion and provides for him from where he does not expect.
(Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, Tārīkh)