Heartfelt Advice To A Friend By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah was known not only for his encyclopedic scholarship but for the warmth and personal concern with which he addressed his students. Heartfelt Advice to a Friend is exactly what its title suggests — a direct, sincere, and beautifully written letter of counsel from Ibn al-Qayyim to a beloved companion, addressing the most important matters a Muslim must attend to in their relationship with Allah, their heart, and their life.

It is one of his shorter works but among his most personal — Ibn al-Qayyim writes not as a detached scholar but as someone who genuinely wants goodness for the person he is addressing, and through them, for every reader who encounters these words.

What This Book Covers

The State of the Heart

Ibn al-Qayyim opens by addressing the heart — its health, its sickness, and the urgency of attending to it before anything else. A heart distracted from Allah or attached to what cannot benefit it is a heart in crisis, regardless of how outwardly successful the person appears.

Sincere Repentance and Return to Allah

The letter urges sincere tawbah — not as a one-time event but as a continuous state of turning toward Allah and away from what distances one from Him. Ibn al-Qayyim is specific about what tawbah requires and why it cannot be delayed.

Making the Most of Time

One of the letter's most memorable themes is time — how quickly it passes, how irreplaceable each moment is, and what the Salaf understood about treating every hour as a trust that will be asked about.

About the Author

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (691–751 AH) was one of the greatest scholars of Islam and a student of Ibn Taymiyyah. Published by Dar as-Sunnah Publishers.

Who This Book Is For

Every Muslim who benefits from a sincere, personal reminder from one of Islam's greatest scholars — without the length of his major works. Short enough to read in a single sitting, deep enough to return to many times.