Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakaatuh
Eid Mubarak! We know it’s belated, taqabalallaahu minna wa minkum — may Allaah accept it from us and from you, aameen.
This month is off to a great start, and we ask Allaah for barakah. So, here is what’s new and what’s good at Maktabah, lately.
MAKTABAH REVIEWS
In a bid to pursue our mission of giving Classical Islaamic books the PR they deserve, we have recently introduced a Maktabah reviews; a monthly review of a selected work.
We hope that these reviews help you navigate the increasingly vast landscape of classical Islaamic literature available to english readers, by providing recommendations and suggestions, so that you can prioritize, explore different genres, discover new authors and make informed decisions about whether a particular book aligns with your interests and spiritual development needs.
Our first review was deliberately chosen for the average Muslim seeking a practical guide to developing a spiritual routine. You should read it here.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
This month, we will be exploring the topic of Tazkiyat an-Nafs (purification of the heart) through a brief treatise written by Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah (رحمه الله).
In this book, he enlightens the reader, through well crafted analogies, about the significance of the heart, its soundness (correctness), disease (corruption) and death. He exposes the reader to the things which increase the correctness of the heart and those which further corrupt it. He dives deep into the subject of Envy, explaining its variations, causes, consequences and cures.
Shaykh al-Islaam concludes this treatise with a brief exposition on lust, desire and ishk (passionate love) — which is highly relevant in our current clime of hypersexualization which has rendered our hearts diseased with lust.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ
“Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and actions.”
[Muslim]
Here is a (slightly paraphrased) excerpt:
“The heart occupies a great and lofty position in Islaam, it is the place to which Allaah looks and the storehouse of Tawheed, Imaan and Ikhlaas (sincerity).
Actions are distinguished, one from another, with respect to their excellence in the Sight of Allaah in accordance with the condition of the heart, not by their number or form.
The heart is the owner of the limbs, and the limbs are its soldiers, so when the owner becomes purified its soldiers become purified, and when the owner becomes corrupt, its soldiers become corrupt.
It is thus important for you to expend your time and energy in treating your heart and hastening to correct and purify it from sickness and all sins.
This short treatise contains many benefits and guidance on treating the diseases of the heart.”
Finally, I’d like to invite you to share our Maktabah dream; a community of Muslim women, inspired to journey this road of constant refinement— Ihsan, treading in the footsteps of the giants, our giants, the Salaf, our pious predecessors. Torch in hand (and heart), lit by the flame of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. This is how we will reach Allaah.
May Allaah allow us to reach Him, pleased and He, well pleased with us, aameen.
Fatimah,
MAKTABAH HUB