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The Art of Cultivating Noble Character: Raghib al-Isfahani's Kitab al-Dhari'a ila Makarim al-Shari'a
The Art of Cultivating Noble Character: Raghib al-Isfahani's Kitab al-Dhari'a ila Makarim al-Shari'a
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Translator
Yasien Mohamed
Description
The Means to the Noble Qualities of the Sacred Law (Kitab al-Dhari'a ila Makarim al-Shari'a) is Imam Raghib al-Isfahani's treatise on ethics, examining how the soul's faculties may be cultivated toward the noble character that the Sacred Law intends. The work weaves Qur'anic principles together with philosophical inquiry into human nature, offering readers a rigorous yet accessible account of moral virtue and spiritual refinement.
The treatise opens with a discussion of the human condition, the soul's faculties, and the distinguishing excellence of the human being among creatures. Imam Raghib al-Isfahani examines the purpose for which man was created, the standing of the human being between the animal and the angelic, and the qualifications for the vicegerency of God on earth. He addresses the purification of the self as a condition for that vicegerency, the contest between reason and desire, and the difference between innate disposition and acquired character—including whether character can be changed and why people differ in their moral formation.
This edition presents Yasien Mohamed's translation of the Arabic original, edited by Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera following a three-year review process. It is well suited to students of Islamic ethics and philosophy, and to readers seeking a deeper grounding in the sources of Islamic virtue.
About the Contributor(s)
About the author
al-Raghib al-Isfahani: Al-Raghib al-Isfahani rahimahullah, whose full name was Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mufaddal al-Raghib al-Isfahani, died in 502 AH / 1108 CE. He was a recognized authority within the traditional Sunni discipline of akhlaq (Islamic ethics). His celebrated treatise al-Dhari'a ila Makarim al-Shariah is regarded as a foundational classical work on the Islamic science of self-cultivation and noble character, laying out the path toward virtuous conduct in accordance with the Shariah. The work has attracted sustained scholarly attention across the centuries and remains a key reference in the classical canon of Islamic moral philosophy.
About the editor
Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera: Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera (b. 1974 CE) is a British Islamic scholar, author, translator, and publisher working firmly within the Hanafi school of law and the Deobandi tradition. A memorizer of the Qurʾan, he studied with accomplished teachers across the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, and Syria. He graduated from the Darul Uloom seminary in Bury and earned a specialized license to issue fatwa (ifta) at the renowned Mazahir ʿUlum in Saharanpur, India. Pursuing learning in both the Islamic and Western traditions, he took a BA at Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg and completed an MA and PhD in Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. He is the founder of the Whitethread Institute, a postgraduate institute for training Islamic scholars, and of Zamzam Academy, and he directs the publishing house White Thread Press, through which much of his written and editorial work appears. His scholarship spans Hanafi jurisprudence, creed, hadith, and practical guidance for Muslim life. His best-known book is Fiqh al-Imam: Key Proofs in Hanafi Fiqh; he also produced an explained edition of Imam Abu Hanifa's Al-Fiqh al-Akbar and translated classical works such as Zad al-Talibin (Provisions for the Seekers). He was named among The 500 Most Influential Muslims, and serves as a teacher and imam in the UK and the United States.
Specifications
EAN 13 / ISBN
9781933764238
Binding
Hardback
Publisher
White Thread Press
Author
al-Raghib al-Isfahani
Pages
304
Translator
Yasien Mohamed
Editor
Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera
Year Published
2024
Size
W-6 in | H-9 in | D-
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