Books by Ibn al-Qayyim: Where to Start

If Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah was the sword of Ahlus-Sunnah in his age, his student Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751H) was its pen. An imam who followed the way of the Salaf as-Salih, he took the scholarship of his teacher and gave it a voice that reaches straight into the chest — writing about the sicknesses of the heart, the sweetness of obedience, the discipline of patience, and the long road a servant walks back to his Lord. Few writers in Islamic history have combined precision of creed with beauty of expression the way he did.

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's most famous contribution is his medicine of the hearts — the diagnosis of what corrupts a servant inwardly and the cure prescribed from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

His masterwork 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 ($53.00) from Hikmah Publications is the fuller, more scholarly rendering — the one to reach for if you want the complete work with its detail intact. The Remedy for Those Victimized by Sins ($26.00) from IIPH is a more affordable translation of the same book, and a gentler place to start if the larger edition feels like too much at once.

On the same theme but far shorter, Release from the Shackles of Desire ($8.00) treats the tyranny of the lower self and how a believer breaks its grip. At eight dollars it is the least expensive 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

Nobody has written on sabr with more warmth or more structure. Excellence of Patience and Gratefulness ($30.00) 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 ($14.00) 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.

Ibn al-Qayyim on the Journey to Allah

His great work Madarij as-Salikin maps the stations a servant passes through on the way to his Lord. An Abridgment of the Servant's Journey ($37.00) brings that project into English at a length a reader can actually finish.

Alongside it, Driving the Souls to the Abodes of Happiness ($30.00) 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 ($13.00) 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 ($13.00) is one of our best sellers, and deservedly so. 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 excerpt Servitude in al-Sujud is 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 ($35.00) 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.

For his engagement with the Book itself, Paragons of the Qur'an ($15.00) 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 ($8.00) and Inner Dimensions of the Prayer ($13.00) — two short, inexpensive books that show you exactly what kind of writer he is. From there, Excellence of Patience and Gratefulness ($30.00) gives you his depth on a single station of the heart, and The Disease and the Cure ($53.00) 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 still the most widely trusted in the world.

Every title above is vetted 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