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What is Book 14 of the Iḥyāʾ?
Book 14 of Imam al-Ghazālī's Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn is The Lawful and the Unlawful, the Book of Halal and Haram. It is the fourth book of the quarter on Norms of Daily Life. Imam al-Ghazālī wrote in the 11th to 12th century. The book answers a question he presents as one of the hardest in the religion: how do I know whether my food, my money, and my dealings are lawful? He quotes the Prophet, peace be upon him, that seeking the lawful is an obligation upon every Muslim, and notes that knowledge of it has diminished, so its practice has eroded.
The book has seven chapters. Chapter 1 is on the virtue of the lawful and the blame of the forbidden. Chapter 2 is on the levels of doubtful matters, their origins, and how to tell them apart from the lawful and the prohibited. Chapter 3 is on inquiry and questioning, and when they become rashness or neglect. Chapter 4 is on how a repentant person frees themselves from financial wrongs. Chapters 5 and 6 deal with incomes and gifts from rulers, and with mixing with oppressive sultans and attending their assemblies. Chapter 7 gathers various issues that often need attention.
It opens with praise of Allah, who restrained man's desires through the duty of seeking lawful sustenance. Al-Ghazālī says that Satan flows through the son of Adam like blood, but lawful sustenance constricts his path. He then describes the confusion of his time: some believe the lawful is lost, that only simple vegetation is permissible, and that all else is tainted. Since contentment with so little is out of reach, people fall into the forbidden. The lawful is clear, the forbidden is clear, and the unclear matters lie between. The book was written to draw that line.
Is there an English audiobook of The Lawful and the Unlawful?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Book 14: The Lawful and the Unlawful as an English audiobook (about 5 hours), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It is a guide to distinguishing halal from haram, examining the categories of lawful and unlawful in wealth, food, and daily transactions.
Is it free to listen?
The whole library is open to everyone. Every member gets five hours of listening free each month; Joyful+ removes the time limit.
How long is it?
About 5 hours, in seven chapters, from the virtue of the lawful and the levels of doubt to freeing oneself from financial wrongs, incomes and gifts from rulers, and mixing with oppressive sultans.
Last updated 2026-09-11
Inside the book.
Chapters
Word-synced with the narrator.
The first three minutes are transcribed here. In the app, the Living Manuscript scrolls through the entire book in rhythm with the audio — Arabic alongside English.
Living Manuscript
Listen to the full book in the app for the complete Living Manuscript.
The full, word-synced transcript in Arabic and English is in the app.
