Imam al-Ghazali · Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din
Book 1: The Book of Knowledge
"Whoever treads a path in search of knowledge, Allah makes easy for him the path to Paradise."
— The Book of Knowledge
Free · iPhone & Android · No account to start ✦ Joyful Muslims · Audiobook A thousand years
A thousand years
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Listen to the greatest books in Islam — al-Ghazālī, Ibn Kathīr, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa and the masters — translated from the original Arabic and narrated cover to cover. Start free, no card.
The greatest books in Islam — translated from the Arabic, narrated cover to cover.
- 68+ audiobooks
- 7 named scholars
- Shamela-sourced
- Growing week by week
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The Living Manuscript
Press play and watch the real narration light up the text, line by line — al-Ghazālī's Book of Fasting, in your browser.
Play the manuscript →The Lantern
The living lamp that burns with your listening and dims when you rest — al-Ghazālī's Mishkāt, made interactive.
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Every book opens with a film.
How we verify
Trust is specific, named, and citable.
01
Named masters, open method
Every book is authored by the named masters — Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Battuta, Imam al-Nawawī, Ibn al-Qayyim, Imam al-Dhahabī, Ibn Hishām — and translated in-house from the original Arabic through our documented 7-step method. Read exactly how we translate →
02
Shamela-sourced manuscripts
Originals come from al-Maktaba al-Shāmila — the most comprehensive digital library of classical Arabic texts, used by working scholars across the Muslim world.
03
A real business in Denmark
Joyful Muslims — EMV-registered, CVR 46387996. Not a shell, not an AI wrapper, not an anonymous app. A registered publisher under Danish law.
Today's passage · Tuesday, July 28
The canon, digitised
Every canonical text, volume by volume.
68+ audiobooks published today, across 7 scholars — al-Ghazālī's Iḥyāʾ, Ibn Kathīr's Stories of the Prophets, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa's Riḥla, al-Nawawī's Forty, Ibn al-Qayyim on the heart, al-Dhahabī's Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ arriving. The canonical works of tafsīr, hadith, fiqh, sīrah, kalām, taṣawwuf, and adab are still to come. Volume by volume, week by week, free for the Ummah.
Open the library →
Arabic, not just translated
The Arabic you can hear.
The key Arabic terms stay in the text, glossed in plain English — and the Living Manuscript scrolls in rhythm with the narrator, line by line.
How we translate → ٱلْحَمْدُ al-ḥamdu · “the praise”
Sourced, always
From the books scholars actually cite.
We translate from Shamela-sourced manuscripts. Every claim is anchored in the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, or one of the four madhāhib. No folklore dressed up as fiqh.
Read the method → Scholar, in your pocket
Ask a question. Get a sourced answer.
JM Scholar is a study aid, not a muftī. Trained on the library, grounded in the tradition, citing its sources. For personal matters, ask a qualified imam — always.
How JM Scholar works →
What did al-Ghazali say about envy?
Envy is the first sin — Iblīs's sin. In the Iḥyāʾ, al-Ghazali writes…
— Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, Book 25
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Things people ask before installing
Honest answers.
Is the app really free?
Yes. Every book is fully open to every account, and you get five full hours of listening every month — forever. No locked books, no credit card to start, no trial countdown. Joyful+ adds unlimited time and the study system on top.
Who translates the books?
The books are authored by the named masters — al-Ghazālī, Ibn Kathīr, Ibn al-Qayyim. The English is translated in-house from the original Arabic (sourced from al-Maktaba al-Shāmila — the digital library used by working scholars across the Muslim world) through our documented 7-step method, cross-checked against printed critical editions and reviewed for accuracy before release. Read the method →
How is the narration made?
The narration is an AI voice — chosen for clarity, consistency, and reverence, and produced under our documented method: correct Arabic pronunciation, proper honorifics, the weight each passage deserves, with review before release. Judge it for yourself — play the Living Manuscript demo: the real narration with the real synced text.
Can I listen offline?
Yes — offline downloads are part of Joyful+ ($6.99/month or $59.99/year). The free tier streams online with five full hours of listening every month; every book is fully open on either plan.
Is my listening data private?
Yes. We don't sell your data, ever. The app stores your library and progress so you can sync across devices, but nothing is shared with third parties. Full details in our privacy policy.
How often is new content added?
The library grows week by week — and when a book lands, it is open to everyone at once. There are no tiers of access to knowledge: every book reaches every reader from day one. The canon being adapted spans tafsīr, hadith, fiqh, sīrah, kalām, taṣawwuf, and adab.
Is there an Android app?
Yes — Joyful Muslims is live on Google Play: the whole library, the Living Manuscript transcript, downloads, and widgets. The Lantern and the Masterclasses arrive with the Android v2 update, in progress now. Get it on Google Play →
Will it work on my older iPhone?
Yes, on iOS 17 or later — that covers iPhone XS (2018) and newer. The app is designed to be light on battery and storage.
Who built this? Is this a real business?
Joyful Muslims — EMV-registered in Denmark, CVR 46387996. Not a shell, not an AI wrapper, not anonymous. A registered publisher under Danish law. Read our story →
A thousand years of scholarship,
in one app.
Preview every book for three minutes on the web. Install the app for the full library, offline downloads, synced follow-along transcripts, and the full JM Scholar. Free forever for the first five hours of listening each month.