Articles by Ibn al-Jawzi

Public Preaching

A traveler witnesses a jurist's weekly sermon: skillful Quranic recitation, soaring oratory, and admonition so stirring it moves the assembly to tears.

Ibn al-JawziMar 102 min read

seerah

Stories of Prophetic Judgments

Prophets resolved disputes with extraordinary wisdom—these anecdotes show how divine insight cuts through human conflicts.

Ibn al-JawziMar 102 min read

ihsan

Under God's Shield

God describes the qualities of His protected servants, explains His refraining from worldly adornments to preserve their honor, and promises swift support against anyone who opposes them.

Ibn al-JawziMar 102 min read

seerah

A Spy in the Enemy Camp

Hudhayfah narrates his covert mission during the Battle of the Trench—carrying the Prophet's ﷺ orders and witnessing the enemy's retreat.

Ibn al-JawziMar 102 min read

seerah

Luqman's Wisdom and Trial

A moral narrative showing Luqman's wisdom as he guides his servant through a test of trust and clever speech.

Ibn al-JawziMar 102 min read

tafsir

Sheba's Garden and Destruction

The narrative recounts how the people of Sheba denied God's blessings, and were punished when a flood and an iron-clawed rodent destroyed their dam, wealth, and dwellings.

Ibn al-JawziMar 102 min read

ihsan

Preparing for Death and Repentance

Encourages the believer to prepare for sudden death by constant repentance, sincere worship, and accountable conduct.

Ibn al-JawziMar 102 min read

ihsan

Vigilance Against Worldly Deception

An exhortation urging constant spiritual vigilance against worldly deception and self-delusion, while praising humble, sincere believers.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

fiqh

Permissible Laughter and Conduct

When is joking permissible and when does it cross the line? Prophetic reports and anecdotes distinguish beneficial humor from falsehood and excess.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

seerah

The Prophet's Marriage to Khadijah

Khadijah, a wealthy and noble Qurayshi woman, chose the Prophet ﷺ as her husband, and elders affirmed his lineage and significance.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

ihsan

Guarding the Heart from Heedlessness

Why does spiritual wakefulness from a powerful reminder fade so quickly? Our worldly nature pulls us back—only vigilance and focus on consequences sustain it.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

ihsan

Charity and Stinginess

Satan whispers fear of poverty to prevent charity—but generosity is a prophetic trait, and God rewards the giving hand beyond measure.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

aqeedah

The Four Inner Guards

Since Adam's expulsion, humanity has been vulnerable—but God entrusted four inner faculties to guard us, and His names shield believers from Satan.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

ihsan

Seeking Refuge from the Devil

A narrated vision reveals that Satan fears those who seek refuge in God and the sincere believer's heart, urging reliance on divine guidance and protection.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

ihsan

On Reason and Temptation

A discerning believer is the devil's hardest target. Reasoned character shields against temptation and defines the wisdom that protects the soul.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

seerah

On Foolishness and Wisdom

Is foolishness inborn or acquired? Prophetic and scholarly wisdom draws a sharp line—with guidance on discernment and correction.

Ibn al-JawziMar 92 min read

seerah

Sermons, Wit, and Sorrow

A medieval scholar captivated audiences with eloquent sermons and disarming humor—even as he bore the heartbreak of a disobedient son.

Ibn al-JawziMar 82 min read

seerah

The Preacher's Legacy

A classical preacher combined soaring eloquence with moral exhortation, endured family trials, and left a lasting legacy through his sons, students, and institutions.

Ibn al-JawziMar 82 min read

seerah

A Life of Reading and Writing

A medieval Islamic scholar recounts intense reading, disciplined time management, and prolific writing, arguing that written works preserve and extend scholarly benefit.

Ibn al-JawziMar 82 min read

seerah

An Exiled Scholar's Trials

An elderly scholar endured book burnings, humiliation, exile, and forced servitude—yet his faith and legacy outlasted every trial.

Ibn al-JawziMar 82 min read

ihsan

On Birth and Its Timing

A poetic narrative traces conception, the unfolding of pregnancy, and the child's arrival, highlighting parental care and life's fragility.

Ibn al-JawziMar 32 min read

tafsir

Adam, Eve, and the Forbidden Tree

Non-Quranic accounts of Adam and Hawwa contain errors and mistranslations. The Quran sets the record straight.

Ibn al-JawziMar 32 min read

seerah

How the Companions Preserved Hadith

The companions sought the Prophet's ﷺ guidance on law and meaning, faithfully transmitted his teachings, and later scholars compiled them into written collections.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

ihsan

This World Is Short

A moral exhortation describing the fleeting nature of worldly pleasures and urging fear of God for the eternal Garden of rivers.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

fiqh

Honoring Parents

Filial duty requires honoring parents and maintaining kinship, acknowledging parental sacrifices that can never be fully repaid.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

seerah

A Son Protecting His Father

A narrated incident illustrating exemplary filial piety, where a son preserves his father's ritual purification and warmth while imprisoned.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

seerah

A Mother's Forgiveness

A dying boy could not utter his faith until his mother forgave him—and the Prophet ﷺ praised God for saving him through her pardon.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

seerah

Mothers and the Companions

Narrations recount companions' exemplary care for their mothers, and Hafsa's grief soothed by reciting Quranic verses.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

seerah

A Night of Reckoning

A dream prompts a man to confess killing his mother while drunk, leading him to perform charity, free slaves, and adopt lifelong repentance.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

ihsan

Guidance for the Seeker

Practical guidance urging seekers to pursue solitary devotion with reliance on sound knowledge, avoid misleading guides, and adhere to the methodology of the righteous predecessors.

Ibn al-JawziMar 22 min read

hadith

Wealth and Knowledge on Trial

The Prophet ﷺ taught that knowledge and wealth test a person differently—and God may punish someone through their wealth if they leave an unjust bequest.

Ibn al-JawziMar 12 min read

seerah

Finding the Prophet's Way

God sent the Prophet ﷺ to uproot satanic misguidance, restore the prophetic way, and shield believers.

Ibn al-JawziMar 12 min read

aqeedah

God's Sovereignty in Creation

God holds absolute sovereignty over creation: His command brings things into being, His knowledge penetrates hidden hearts, and all worldly life is destined to pass.

Ibn al-JawziFeb 282 min read

hadith

Honoring Your Mother

Prophetic traditions repeatedly teach that mothers have the foremost claim to good companionship and obedience, and that paradise is beneath mothers' feet.

Ibn al-JawziFeb 282 min read

aqeedah

God's Attributes

God's attributes are beyond physical form—He cannot be touched or composed of parts. Those who deny scripture and fall into innovation stray from truth.

Ibn al-JawziJan 272 min read

aqeedah

Signs of God's Transcendence

The text affirms God's transcendence, decree, and signs in creation, warns against likening God to creation or negation, and urges adherence to the predecessors' path.

Ibn al-JawziJan 272 min read

seerah

The Story of Prophet Joseph

God chose His elect—among them Prophet Joseph, who resisted the fiercest temptation. Blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions.

Ibn al-JawziJan 272 min read

aqeedah

Victory Belongs to God

God alone, sovereign without partner, grants victory, breaks tyrants, protects and elevates the devout and those who uphold the prophetic tradition, and all success is from His royal power.

Ibn al-JawziJan 274 min read

aqeedah

Adam and the Rebel

A poetic reflection on God's praise, the ordering of creation, the selection of Adam, and the rebellion of Satan that highlights moral distinctions between sincere devotion and hypocrisy.

Ibn al-JawziJan 272 min read

aqeedah

All Creation Praises Him

A poetic praise celebrating God's creation of humanity and His providence for all creatures, culminating in the command to glorify His name as declared in the revealed verse.

Ibn al-JawziJan 272 min read

aqeedah

Rain and God's Decree

A poetic meditation praising God for sending rain and describing how divine governance sorts people by faith and conduct, preserving the pious through trials while the heedless perish.

Ibn al-JawziJan 272 min read

aqeedah

Death and Decree

A poetic affirmation of God's absolute power and decree, highlighting His creative control and judgment while contrasting the certainty of death with the fleeting nature of worldly life.

Ibn al-JawziJan 272 min read

quran

God's Promise of New Life

Praising divine creation, it depicts parental joy, hardship, and an old woman's fearful disbelief upon receiving a miraculous promise of childbirth.

Ibn al-JawziJan 262 min read

ihsan

Preferring the Hereafter

Worldly life is a fleeting, deceptive trial; attachment to its pleasures like wealth and family leads to ruin, distracting from the true eternal abode.

Ibn al-JawziJan 262 min read

seerah

Gaps in a Collection of Pious Lives

A celebrated collection of pious predecessors' biographies is praised for its scope yet scrutinized for misplaced stories and omitted words.

Ibn al-JawziJan 262 min read

ihsan

Trust in God

True reliance on God means trusting Him inwardly while still using the permissible means He provides to preserve one's life and avoid self-harm.

Ibn al-JawziJan 262 min read

seerah

Raised in the Prophet’s Household

Raised in the household of the Prophet's ﷺ wife, this scholar absorbed wisdom and piety, growing to speak with the words of the truthful.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

seerah

The Grandson's Noble Grief

The Prophet's ﷺ grandson was known for sorrow so profound it was unmistakable—carried with modesty and noble humility that inspired all around him.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

seerah

Grief of the Prophet's Grandson

An eyewitness portrait of the Prophet's ﷺ grandson: outwardly solemn, overwhelmed by grief—yet carrying his sorrow with a humility that moved all who saw him.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Ten Daily Supplications

Seeking refuge with God ten times daily protects against Satan, as He commands an angel to repel the accursed enemy on the believer's behalf.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

aqeedah

Adam's Warning

A sermon urging believers to reflect on Satan's deception that caused Adam's expulsion from Paradise and to choose obedience to God to avoid His displeasure.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

quran

When Scripture Answers Proverbs

The passage pairs common proverbs with Quranic citations that either correct, affirm, or refine those sayings, demonstrating how scripture addresses everyday wisdom.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

fiqh

Justice in the Field

Two anecdotes highlight misinterpretation of scripture and a judicial settlement where a governor resolves a crop damage dispute by ordering compensation.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

seerah

Stories That Soften the Heart

Early transmitters report that scholars advised alternating serious narration with poetry and anecdotes to relieve listeners' fatigue and keep hearts receptive in gatherings.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

seerah

Heedless Choices

A short moral anecdote showing how heedlessness leads to self-inflicted loss and public ridicule.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

seerah

Bedouin Manners

Two anecdotes illustrate how desert worshippers sometimes interpret scripture and supplication literally, producing both naive errors and moments of humble insight.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Reviving the Heart

Companions advise refreshing the heart with wisdom and remembrance, using voluntary acts when lively and obligatory duties when weary to prevent spiritual fatigue.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

seerah

The Reward of Giving

A short anecdote that illustrates how sincere charity is described as a reward in heaven, while literal worldly claims to such rewards reveal a misunderstanding of spiritual giving.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

seerah

Reflections on Literal Obedience

A foolish man's literal interpretation of a medicine's instructions leads to his donkey's death, humorously illustrating the consequences of miscommunication.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Facing God's Tests

Believers are tasked with duties to God, self, and others, embracing this divine trial with patience and seeking guidance for ultimate success and happiness.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Trusting God's Decree

When a believer understands that all events occur by God's decree and will, they attain inner peace, accept trials and blessings with contentment and submission, and avoid anxiety and complaint.

Ibn al-JawziJan 254 min read

ihsan

A Sound Heart Knows

A sound heart recognizes truth but is obstructed by worldly desires; purify it by cutting these off and increasing remembrance of God and righteous companionship.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

aqeedah

Celebration and the Final Hour

The joy of Eid mirrors the Day of Judgment: the righteous are raised radiant and joyful, while sinners are dark with regret, urging preparation through good deeds.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Struggling Against the Self

The passage teaches that the spiritual struggle against one's lower self is the greatest inner battle, requiring long patient effort to overcome desires and attain lasting success and righteousness.

Ibn al-JawziJan 254 min read

ihsan

Think Before You Act

Spiritual prudence calls for using thoughtful foresight to avoid immediate pleasures or small gains that lead to greater future harm and to pursue actions with good consequences.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

While You Still Can

Capitalize on your youth, health, and life to perform good deeds and repent now, for death is unpredictable and time is fleeting.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Seize the Days You Have

Urgently seize your youth, health, time, and wealth to invest in righteous deeds before they are lost and you regretfully face an unexpected end.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Restraining Anger

Anger clouds reason, causing regrettable words and deeds. Strength, as the Prophet ﷺ taught, is self-control in anger—restraining your tongue and hands.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

Paradise Over Pleasure

The passage advises evaluating life’s choices by their eternal outcome, rejecting fleeting pleasures that lead to Hell and embracing hardships that lead to Paradise.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

A Path to Mercy

Reflecting on humanity's humble, decaying origins and the coming judgment erases arrogance, fostering humility before God, fear of His punishment, and hope for His mercy.

Ibn al-JawziJan 252 min read

ihsan

The Discipline of Foresight

Reason restrains immediate desires to prevent long-term harm, and rational self-control is contrasted with impulsive behavior that leads to regret.

Ibn al-JawziSep 27, 20252 min read

ihsan

When Desire Exceeds Its Bounds

Human desire (al‑hawā) is a natural necessity but becomes blameworthy when it exceeds what secures benefits and avoids harm, therefore urging moderation.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read

aqeedah

Intellect and Faith

The intellect is the decisive power that discovers God, confirms the messengers, restrains desire, and secures moral and spiritual excellence.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read

seerah

Luqman's Response to Injustice

Luqman the wise helps a servant by teaching him a clever verbal trick to counter a gambler's demand to drink an entire river, suggesting a counter-demand instead.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read

ihsan

On Sincerity

Sincerity is forged through honest self-assessment, compassionate action, and moral discipline—habits that yield inner peace and spiritual growth.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read

ihsan

Small Daily Habits

Tiny moments of awareness and steady daily practices transform habits, sharpen inner vigilance, and draw you nearer to God.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read

ihsan

Taming the Lower Self

True closeness to Allah demands abandoning whatever distracts you—especially your lower self. Only by disciplining the nafs can you attain nearness to the Truth.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read

ihsan

Faith as Light

A compelling reminder that faith must lead and the soul must be disciplined, because if the soul rules or is indulged it will stray and corrupt actions.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20254 min read

ihsan

Resisting Temptation

The inner struggle against one's own beloved soul is far more difficult than any battle against external enemies, as nature resists only outward foes.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read

hadith

Angels at al-Aqsa

A gate of mercy and healing descends over Bayt al-Maqdis each morning, and seventy thousand angels descend there each night to glorify Allah until the Hour.

Ibn al-JawziSep 21, 20252 min read