This week and the weeks following, we will draw from the timeless wisdom of Kitāb az-Zuhd wa’r-Raqāʾiq by Imām ʿAbdullāh Ibn al-Mubārak (رحمه الله) (736–797 CE). A scholar, muḥaddith, jurist, and ascetic. Known for his depth, balance, and protection of the vulnerable.

Zuhd isn’t about looking poor or avoiding life’s blessings. It’s about keeping the heart detached from worldly things, even when they’re within reach. Ibn al-Mubārak exemplified this. Though he had wealth and dressed well, he lived simply, gave generously, and stayed focused on Allah.

Ninth Foundation: On the Censure of Pride and Self-Conceit

The eighth foundation: On the Censure of Seeking Fame and Ostentation, and the Remedy

The Sixth Foundation: On the Censure of the World

The fifth foundation: Anger, Malice and Envy

The fourth foundation: on the Defects of the Tongue continued

A translation of a classical manual on purification of the heart by Ibn Qudama Al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH)

10 foundations for those seeking nearness to Allah.

The fourth foundation: on the Defects of the Tongue

A translation of a classical manual on purification of the heart by Ibn Qudama Al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH)

10 foundations for those seeking nearness to Allah.

The second foundation completed: On Disciplining the Soul, Refining the Character, and Curing the Sicknesses of the Heart

A translation of a classical manual on purification of the heart by Ibn Qudama Al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH)

10 foundations for those seeking nearness to Allah.

The second foundation continued: On Disciplining the Soul, Refining the Character, and Curing the Sicknesses of the Heart

A translation of a classical manual on purification of the heart by Ibn Qudama Al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH)

10 foundations for those seeking nearness to Allah.

Station 2: On Disciplining the Soul, Refining the Character, and Curing the Sicknesses of the Heart

“Know that good character (khulq al-hasari) is a characteristic (si/ah) of the Prophets and of the Truthful (siddiqiti). Bad character (akhldq al-sayyi'a) on the other hand is a destructive poison which leads a

person who possesses it to traverse the path of Shaytan. You therefore have to know the sicknesses and flaws and then proceed to find the

cures. We will indicate some of the sicknesses of the heart and how to treat them generally, without going into too much detail as this will be clarified [later] insha’ lldh.”

A translation of a classical manual on purification of the heart by Ibn Qudama Al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH)

10 foundations for those seeking nearness to Allah.