Medicine of the Prophet is a combination of religious and medical information, providing advice and guidance on the two aims of medicine—the preservation and restoration of health—in careful conformity with the teachings of Islam as enshrined in the Qur'an and the hadith, or sayings of the Prophet. Written in the fourteenth century by the renowned theologian Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751AH/1350AD) as part of his work Zad al-Ma'ad, this book is a mine of information on the customs and sayings of the Prophet, as well as on herbal and medical practices current at the time of the author.

In bringing together these two aspects, Ibn Qayyim has produced a concise summary of how the Prophet's guidance and teaching can be followed, as well as how health, sickness and cures were viewed by Muslims in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The original Arabic text offers an authoritative compendium of Islamic medicine and still enjoys much popularity in the Muslim world. This English translation is a more complete presentation than has previously been available and includes verification of all hadith references.

Medicine of the Prophet will appeal not only to those interested in alternative systems of health and medicine, but also to people wishing to acquaint themselves with, or increase their knowledge of, hadith and the religion and culture of Islam.

In describing al-Wabil al-Sayyib, here translated into English for the first time as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on the Invocation of God, the author says, 'We have mentioned [in it] nearly one hundred benefits of remembrance of God [dhikr], and the secrets of remembrance... This is a book of great usefulness.'

Written in the fourteenth century by the renowned theologian Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, this treatise movingly details the many blessings of the remembrance of God. Through discussions of the ego, the nature of the body, the ephemerality of the world, the degrees of prayer, fasting, charity, and the purification of the heart, this beautifully written work is a genuine contribution to Muslim spirituality.

What makes Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on the Invocation of God of great interest is that it illustrates the spiritual life of Ibn Qayyim and of his teacher, the Hanbalite reformer Ibn Taymiyya (1263AH/1328AD).

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Knowledge: from Key to the Blissful Abode (Miftah Dar al-Sa'ada) is an abridgement of the first volume of Key to the Blissful Abode, a popular title by the renowned theologian and jurist Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. In it, Ibn Qayyim focuses on the importance of knowledge and willpower, as means through which a person may attain Paradise. Willpower is the door and knowledge in particular knowledge—which pertains to God and His Attributes, the Qur'an and the example of the Prophet—is the key. Ibn Qayyim discusses the virtues and benefits of knowledge over wealth and worldly matters; the path to knowledge; the importance of pursuing knowledge and applying it in order to achieve guidance from God and protect oneself from doubts; the superiority of the scholar over the worshipper; the necessity of using knowledge and willpower as the bases for all actions if one is to achieve spiritual bliss. Ibn Qayyim then concludes Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Knowledge: from Key to the Blissful Abode, by discussing the importance of contemplation and reflection in order to attain further knowledge and guidance.

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Divine Wisdom and the Problem of Evil is a translation of selections from two of Ibn Qayyim's books, Key to the Blissful Abode (Miftah dar al-sa'ada) and Remedy for Those who Question on Matters Concerning Divine Decree, Predestination, Wisdom and Causality (Shifa' al-'alil fi masa'il al-qada' wa'l-qadar wa'l-hikma wa'l-ta'lil). As with all his other writings, Ibn al-Qayyim's foremost goal is to establish the wisdom of God, the primacy of the Qur'an and Sunna, and the congruity between reason and revelation. In the present selections, Ibn al-Qayyim focuses on the application of the wisdom of God to the existence of evil.

Ibn al-Qayyim first discusses twenty-six wise purposes behind God creating humanity and settling them on Earth. His perspective is that whatever exists in this world is either purely or preponderantly good, or indirectly leads to a greater good. Ibn Qayyim then explores how the presence of evil allows the manifestation of many of God's Beautiful Names, glorious attributes and compassionate actions; while, for humanity, the existence of evil provides the righteous with opportunities to strive against it, for Paradise can only be reached by 'traversing a bridge of hardships and tribulations'.

The discussion of the existence of evil is followed by thirty wise purposes and secrets in God allowing people to sin. Prominent among them are that God loves repentance and loves to manifest His Attributes of forgiveness and mercy. Here, Ibn al-Qayyim also debates at length whether the punishment of Hellfire will be eternal or whether it will come to an end. He favours the latter position in accordance with the Qur'anic verse 107 of the Chapter Hud and because of God's mercy.

Medicine of the Prophet is a combination of religious and medical information, providing advice and guidance on the two aims of medicine—the preservation and restoration of health—in careful conformity with the teachings of Islam as enshrined in the Qur'an and the hadith, or sayings of the Prophet. Written in the fourteenth century by the renowned theologian Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751AH/1350AD) as part of his work Zad al-Ma'ad, this book is a mine of information on the customs and sayings of the Prophet, as well as on herbal and medical practices current at the time of the author.

In bringing together these two aspects, Ibn Qayyim has produced a concise summary of how the Prophet's guidance and teaching can be followed, as well as how health, sickness and cures were viewed by Muslims in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The original Arabic text offers an authoritative compendium of Islamic medicine and still enjoys much popularity in the Muslim world. This English translation is a more complete presentation than has previously been available and includes verification of all hadith references.

Medicine of the Prophet will appeal not only to those interested in alternative systems of health and medicine, but also to people wishing to acquaint themselves with, or increase their knowledge of, hadith and the religion and culture of Islam.

In describing al-Wabil al-Sayyib, here translated into English for the first time as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on the Invocation of God, the author says, 'We have mentioned [in it] nearly one hundred benefits of remembrance of God [dhikr], and the secrets of remembrance... This is a book of great usefulness.'

Written in the fourteenth century by the renowned theologian Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, this treatise movingly details the many blessings of the remembrance of God. Through discussions of the ego, the nature of the body, the ephemerality of the world, the degrees of prayer, fasting, charity, and the purification of the heart, this beautifully written work is a genuine contribution to Muslim spirituality.

What makes Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on the Invocation of God of great interest is that it illustrates the spiritual life of Ibn Qayyim and of his teacher, the Hanbalite reformer Ibn Taymiyya (1263AH/1328AD).

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Knowledge: from Key to the Blissful Abode (Miftah Dar al-Sa'ada) is an abridgement of the first volume of Key to the Blissful Abode, a popular title by the renowned theologian and jurist Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. In it, Ibn Qayyim focuses on the importance of knowledge and willpower, as means through which a person may attain Paradise. Willpower is the door and knowledge in particular knowledge—which pertains to God and His Attributes, the Qur'an and the example of the Prophet—is the key. Ibn Qayyim discusses the virtues and benefits of knowledge over wealth and worldly matters; the path to knowledge; the importance of pursuing knowledge and applying it in order to achieve guidance from God and protect oneself from doubts; the superiority of the scholar over the worshipper; the necessity of using knowledge and willpower as the bases for all actions if one is to achieve spiritual bliss. Ibn Qayyim then concludes Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Knowledge: from Key to the Blissful Abode, by discussing the importance of contemplation and reflection in order to attain further knowledge and guidance.

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Divine Wisdom and the Problem of Evil is a translation of selections from two of Ibn Qayyim's books, Key to the Blissful Abode (Miftah dar al-sa'ada) and Remedy for Those who Question on Matters Concerning Divine Decree, Predestination, Wisdom and Causality (Shifa' al-'alil fi masa'il al-qada' wa'l-qadar wa'l-hikma wa'l-ta'lil). As with all his other writings, Ibn al-Qayyim's foremost goal is to establish the wisdom of God, the primacy of the Qur'an and Sunna, and the congruity between reason and revelation. In the present selections, Ibn al-Qayyim focuses on the application of the wisdom of God to the existence of evil.

Ibn al-Qayyim first discusses twenty-six wise purposes behind God creating humanity and settling them on Earth. His perspective is that whatever exists in this world is either purely or preponderantly good, or indirectly leads to a greater good. Ibn Qayyim then explores how the presence of evil allows the manifestation of many of God's Beautiful Names, glorious attributes and compassionate actions; while, for humanity, the existence of evil provides the righteous with opportunities to strive against it, for Paradise can only be reached by 'traversing a bridge of hardships and tribulations'.

The discussion of the existence of evil is followed by thirty wise purposes and secrets in God allowing people to sin. Prominent among them are that God loves repentance and loves to manifest His Attributes of forgiveness and mercy. Here, Ibn al-Qayyim also debates at length whether the punishment of Hellfire will be eternal or whether it will come to an end. He favours the latter position in accordance with the Qur'anic verse 107 of the Chapter Hud and because of God's mercy.