Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
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Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (1292-1350 CE) was a prominent Hanbali scholar, jurist, and spiritual writer. Born in Damascus, he was the most devoted student of Ibn Taymiyyah, with whom he was imprisoned in the Citadel of Damascus. He remained with his teacher until Ibn Taymiyyah's death in prison in 1328 CE.
Major Works
Ibn al-Qayyim was an extraordinarily prolific author: Zad al-Ma'ad (Provisions for the Hereafter): A comprehensive guide to the Prophet's way of life covering worship, medicine, governance, and military campaigns. Madarij al-Salikin (Stations of the Seekers): A commentary on the spiritual stations, bridging Hanbali orthodoxy with genuine spirituality. I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in: A masterwork on the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. Al-Da' wal-Dawa' (The Disease and the Cure): On spiritual ailments and their treatments. Al-Jawab al-Kafi: On the power of dua and the consequences of sin.
Contributions
Ibn al-Qayyim is particularly celebrated for his ability to combine rigorous textual scholarship with deep spiritual insight. His works on the heart, spiritual diseases, and the path to Allah are among the most beloved in Islamic literature. He approached Sufism critically but sympathetically, accepting its valid spiritual content while rejecting practices not grounded in the Quran and Sunnah.