Books by Ibn al-Qayyim: Where to Start

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751H) studied under Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and wrote at length on the sicknesses of the heart, the sweetness of obedience, the discipline of patience, and the long road a servant walks back to his Lord. An imam who followed the way of the Salaf as-Salih, he is known for combining precision of creed with clarity of expression.

If you have searched for books by Ibn al-Qayyim in English and felt unsure where to begin, this guide will help. Below are the titles we carry at The Islamic Book Cafe, grouped by theme, so you can build a shelf that matches what you most want to study.

Books by Ibn al-Qayyim on the Diseases of the Heart

Ibn al-Qayyim is best known for his medicine of the hearts, the diagnosis of what corrupts a servant inwardly and the cure prescribed from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

His major work on the subject is known in Arabic as ad-Da' wa ad-Dawa', and we carry it in two English editions. The Disease and the Cure from Hikmah Publications is the fuller, more scholarly rendering, the one to reach for if you want the complete work with its detail intact; we cover it in a dedicated post. The Remedy for Those Victimized by Sins from IIPH is a shorter translation of the same book, and a gentler place to start if the larger edition feels like too much at once; a passage from it is on our blog as Speaking About Allah Without Knowledge.

On the same theme but far shorter, Release from the Shackles of Desire treats the tyranny of the lower self and how a believer breaks its grip. It is the briefest way into his writing on the heart.

Readers drawn to this material may also like our Pearls from the Scholars #2: The Two Thrones of the Heart, which draws on the same tradition of the medicine of the hearts.

Ibn al-Qayyim on Patience, Trials, and Gratitude

Excellence of Patience and Gratefulness takes the two great stations of the heart, patience and gratitude, and shows how they are not opposites but two halves of a believer's response to everything Allah decrees. We pulled a passage from it in The Meaning of Sabr if you want a taste before you buy.

Trials and Tribulations is his treatment of why Allah tests those He loves, and what wisdom sits underneath affliction. Our excerpt Ibn al-Qayyim on Wisdom, Benefits and True Religion comes from this book, as does Pearls #4: When Repentance Brings Hardship.

Ibn al-Qayyim on the Journey to Allah

His work Madarij as-Salikin maps the stations a servant passes through on the way to his Lord. An Abridgment of the Servant's Journey brings that project into English at a length a reader can actually finish. This volume is Part 1, with further parts to follow from the publisher. For what the work is, why it is framed on Surah al-Fatihah, and what to read alongside it, see our full guide to Madarij as-Salikin in English.

Alongside it, Driving the Souls to the Abodes of Happiness is his call to lift the soul toward Paradise rather than let it settle for the dunya, a natural companion to our reflection on Loving Allah. And Heartfelt Advice to a Friend is exactly what its name suggests: a personal letter of counsel, short and direct, written to one man and useful to every reader since.

Ibn al-Qayyim on the Prayer

Inner Dimensions of the Prayer is one of our steadiest sellers. Rather than the fiqh of how to pray, it asks what the prayer means: what standing, bowing, and prostrating actually do to a heart that is paying attention. Our excerpts Servitude in al-Sujud and When the Heart Dries Up are taken from it, and it pairs well with our guide to Developing Khushu in the Prayer.

Ibn al-Qayyim on Dhikr and the Qur'an

Remembrance of the Most Merciful gathers his writing on dhikr: its virtues, its effects on the heart, and why Allah tied His remembrance of us to our remembrance of Him. A passage from it opens our series as Pearls #1: When Allah Intends Good for His Servant.

For his engagement with the Book itself, Paragons of the Qur'an works through the parables and examples Allah strikes throughout the revelation, and what each one is teaching. It is a short book that changes how you read.

Where to Start with Ibn al-Qayyim's Books

If you are new to his work, a gentle path is to begin with Release from the Shackles of Desire and Inner Dimensions of the Prayer, two short books that show you exactly what kind of writer he is. From there, Excellence of Patience and Gratefulness gives you his depth on a single station of the heart, and The Disease and the Cure opens up the full scope of his medicine of the hearts once you are ready for it.

If you came to Ibn al-Qayyim through his teacher, our companion guide to books by Ibn Taymiyyah covers the other half of the shelf. And our guide to books by Ibn Kathir covers the third man of that circle, a fellow student of the same teacher, whose explanation of the Qur'an is relied upon widely in English.

Every title above is chosen upon the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah upon the manhaj of the Salaf as-Salih, and ships from our shop here in Portland. Browse the full Ibn al-Qayyim book collection any time, and if you are unsure which book suits your level, reach out on live chat. We are always glad to help you choose.

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