Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Divine Wisdom and the Problem of Evil
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Translator
Tallal Zeni
Description
About The Book
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 (Miftāḥ dār al-saʿāda) and Remedy for Those who Question on Matters Concerning Divine Decree, Predestination, Wisdom and Causality (Shifā’ al-ʿalīl fī masā’il al-qaḍā’ wa’l-qadar wa’l-ḥikma wa’l-taʿlīl). As with all his other writings, Ibn al-Qayyim’s foremost goal is to establish the wisdom of God, the primacy of the Qur’ān 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 favors the latter position in accordance with the Qur'anic verse 107 of the Chapter Hud and because of God’s mercy.
About the Contributor(s)
About the author
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya: Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Ayyub, known as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (691-751 AH / 1292-1350 CE), was born near Damascus, where his father served as the attendant, or qayyim, of the al-Jawziyya school, the office that gave him his name. He studied the religious sciences in the city and, from around 712 AH, joined the circle of Ibn Taymiyya, becoming his closest disciple over roughly sixteen years. The two were persecuted together and imprisoned in the citadel of Damascus, and Ibn al-Qayyim went on to teach and write prolifically until his death in 751 AH. Hanbali in law, he ranged widely across Qurʾanic exegesis, hadith, legal theory, theology, and what would now be called spiritual psychology. His landmark Madarij al-Salikin is a vast commentary on the stations of the seeker; Zad al-Maʿad gathers the Prophet's guidance in worship and daily life; and al-Tibb al-Nabawi, his treatise on Prophetic medicine, remains widely read. Other works include Kitab al-Ruh on the soul, Uddat al-Sabirin on patience and gratitude, Miftah Dar al-Saʿada on knowledge, and Shifaʾ al-ʿAlil on divine wisdom and human destiny. He is remembered for joining disciplined legal reasoning to a heartfelt, often moving attention to the inner life of faith, and his writings continue to be read and translated across the Muslim world.
About the translator
Tallal Zeni: Tallal M. Zeni is a medical doctor with a sustained interest in traditional Islamic culture and scholarship. He has dedicated himself to making the works of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya rahimahullah accessible to English-speaking readers, serving as the translator of two significant volumes from the Islamic Texts Society series: 'Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Knowledge from Key to the Blissful Abode' (Miftah Dar al-Sa'ada, ITS073-HB) and 'Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Divine Wisdom and the Problem of Evil' (ITS079). His translations bring the theological and spiritual depth of one of the great scholars of the Hanbali tradition to a wider audience.
Specifications
EAN 13 / ISBN
9781911141396
Publisher
Islamic Texts Society
Author
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya
Pages
334
Translator
Tallal Zeni
Year Published
2017
Size
W-6 in | H-9 in | D-0.8 in
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