Books by Ibn Abi Dunya: Good Thoughts of Allah, Ease After Hardship, Humility and Paradise

Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Muhammad Ibn Abi Dunya (208–281 AH) was a hadith scholar of Baghdad, a student of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and a tutor to the sons of the Abbasid caliphs. He wrote a large number of short, focused works, most of them on the heart, character and the Hereafter. Each gathers the verses, the narrations and the statements of the Salaf on one theme.

Four of his books are on our shelves in English. This guide covers what each one contains and where to start.

1. Having Good Thoughts of Allah

Having Good Thoughts of Allah

The book is built on a hadith qudsi. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me.

— Sahih al-Bukhari 7405

This volume brings together two of Ibn Abi Dunya's texts: Having Good Thoughts of Allah and Having True Reliance on Allah. The first explains what good thoughts of Allah (husn adh-dhann) really are: confidence in His mercy and generosity, not wishful thinking. The second explains tawakkul: reliance of the heart on Allah while still taking the means. The two belong together, because no one truly relies on Allah without thinking well of Him.

Who it is for: anyone struggling with despair, or with the feeling that their du'a is not being answered.

2. Unshakeable Faith in Allah and The Promise of Ease After Hardship

Unshakeable Faith in Allah and The Promise of Ease After Hardship

Allah says:

For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease [i.e., relief]. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.

— Surah ash-Sharh 94:5–6

Another two-in-one volume. Unshakeable Faith in Allah lays the foundation: certainty (yaqin) in Allah and firm trust in His decree. The Promise of Ease After Hardship applies it to the trials every believer meets, gathering the reminders that relief follows difficulty for the one who is patient and turns back to Allah.

Who it is for: the believer going through grief, loss or uncertainty, and anyone who wants their certainty in Allah to hold when circumstances shake.

3. Allah Loves the Humble

Allah Loves the Humble

Humility (tawadu') is among the most praised qualities in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and arrogance among the most condemned. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise.

— Sahih Muslim 91

Ibn Abi Dunya gathers the hadith and the reports of the early Muslims on what humility is, what produces it, and how the Salaf fled from arrogance: scholars who sat to learn from those younger than them, leaders who served those they governed, worshippers who hid their deeds.

Who it is for: any Muslim who wants to understand humility as the early generations defined and lived it.

4. Descriptions of Paradise

Descriptions of Paradise

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Allah said, "I have prepared for My Pious slaves things which have never been seen by an eye, or heard by an ear, or imagined by a human being."

— Sahih al-Bukhari 3244

This compilation is devoted entirely to what the narrations say about Paradise: its gates and levels, its rivers, its dwellings, the clothing and adornment of its people, and its greatest joy, the vision of Allah. Alongside the hadith are the statements of the Companions and the Salaf, who used these descriptions to drive themselves to good deeds.

Who it is for: every Muslim who wants to know what Allah has prepared for the believers, drawn from the narrations rather than imagination.

Where to Start

• Going through a hard time: Unshakeable Faith in Allah, then Having Good Thoughts of Allah.
• Working on your character: Allah Loves the Humble.
• To renew your motivation: Descriptions of Paradise.

Read together, the four give a complete picture of what Ibn Abi Dunya is known for: the believer's heart toward Allah, his conduct toward people, and his eye on the Hereafter.

For the same subjects at greater length, Ibn al-Qayyim's Driving the Souls to the Abodes of Happiness treats Paradise, and his Trials and Tribulations treats the wisdom behind hardship. Browse every title in the Ibn Abi Dunya collection.

Related Reading

Ibn Abi Dunya's books sit on the tazkiyah shelf. See our guide to the best books on purifying the soul and Self-Help or Tazkiyah?, and our guides to books by Ibn al-Qayyim and books by Ibn Rajab.

We aim to carry only titles upon the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah upon the understanding of the Salaf as-Salih, and we ask Allah to keep us upon that. You can read more about Ibn Abi Dunya on his author page or browse all of our authors on our authors page. Every order ships from our shop here in Portland, and if you are unsure which book to begin with, reach out on live chat. We are always glad to help you choose.

Baarakallahu feekum — The Islamic Book Cafe | Portland, Oregon.