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What is Book 25 of the Iḥyāʾ?
Condemnation of Rancor and Envy is Book 25 of Imam al-Ghazālī's Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, written in the 11th–12th century, and the fifth book of the quarter on the Destructive Vices. Its full heading in the audiobook is The Book of Condemning Anger, Rancor, and Envy, because al-Ghazālī treats the three together: anger comes first, and spite and envy are described as its offspring, by which many have perished. The question it answers is how a believer learns the pitfalls of these traits, uproots them from the heart if they are present, and treats them if they have become ingrained.
The book explains the reality of anger, then asks whether anger can be removed entirely through discipline. A chapter on the causes that incite anger follows. The final chapter gives the remedy for envy from the heart. The opening says the source of all these defects is a morsel within, which, if rectified, sets right the entire body. It also warns that whoever does not know evil may fall into it, and that mere knowledge is insufficient if one does not know the way to fend off evil and be rid of it.
It opens with a picture. Anger is like a spark of fire, nestled deep within the heart like embers beneath ashes, drawn out by hidden arrogance. Whoever is provoked by the fire of anger has strengthened his kinship with Satan, whose nature is burning and disturbance, while the nature of clay is calm and composure. The reader is asked to know these defects well enough to shield against them before they take root.
Is there an English audiobook of Rancor and Envy?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Book 25 of the Iḥyāʾ, Condemnation of Rancor and Envy, as an English audiobook (about 2 hours), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It covers the roots and manifestations of rancor and envy and the practical remedies for purifying the heart from them.
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?
Five chapters: the condemnation of anger, rancor and envy, the reality of anger, whether anger can be removed entirely through discipline, the causes that incite anger, and the remedy for envy from the heart. It runs about 2 hours.
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.
