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What is Book 22 of the Iḥyāʾ?
The Book of Disciplining the Soul is Book 22 of Imam al-Ghazālī's Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, the Revival of the Religious Sciences. Al-Ghazālī wrote in the 11th–12th century, and the Iḥyāʾ is his work on reviving the inner life of Islam. Book 22 belongs to the third quarter, the Destructive Vices. It answers a practical question: how does a person change a bad character? Its answer is that the lower self, the nafs, can be trained, and that blameworthy traits can be turned into praiseworthy ones through sustained spiritual effort. The full heading adds two more aims: refining morals and treating the diseases of the heart.
Inside, the book moves through six chapters. It begins with the virtue of good character and the condemnation of bad character, then explains the reality of good and bad character and the reason by which good character is attained. A later chapter gathers testimonies from possessors of insight on the path to treating the diseases of the heart. The book closes with the signs of good character, so that a reader can measure his own state against them rather than guess at it.
The opening describes the heart as a battleground between the pull of worldly desires and the call of the Hereafter. The believer's heart stands between two influences, the angels and Satan, and allegiance can shift between them, which is why continuous steadfastness is rare. It warns against Satan's three promises: that God is merciful so there is no need to worry, that others do not fear God either, and that there is time to repent later. These, it says, are illusions that lead to destruction.
Is there an English audiobook of The Book of Disciplining the Soul?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Book 22 of the Iḥyāʾ, The Book of Disciplining the Soul, as an English audiobook (about 2.5 hours), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It covers the methods of training the lower self and turning blameworthy traits into praiseworthy ones through sustained spiritual effort.
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.
What does it cover?
Six chapters: the virtue of good character, the reality of good and bad character, how good character is attained, testimonies from people of insight on treating the diseases of the heart, and the signs of good character. It runs about 2.5 hours.
Last updated 2026-09-11
Four minutes inside the book.
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.
