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What is Book 39 of the Iḥyāʾ?
The Book of Contemplation is Book 39 of Imam al-Ghazālī's Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, the ninth book of the fourth quarter, The Saving Virtues. Al-Ghazālī wrote the Iḥyāʾ in the 11th–12th century. This is a short book, and it answers a question most people never ask: what is thought for? Al-Ghazālī's claim, stated at the start, is that thought is the key to illumination, the beginning of insight, and the net of knowledge, and that most people recognise its value but do not know its true essence. The book is his attempt to explain that essence.
After the opening, the book has two sections. The first, The Courses of Contemplation, maps the paths that reflection can take: over creation, over the self, and over the signs of God. The second, Reflection on the Majesty and Greatness of Allah, turns from the created world to its Maker. Here al-Ghazālī is careful. He tells the seeker to reflect on the humility of servitude, because contemplating the majesty of lordship itself is beyond grasp, to observe how God's blessings have showered upon them, renewing gratitude, and to ponder the seas of fate that bring both ease and difficulty.
The book opens with praise of Allah, whose majesty is beyond bounds and whose greatness no human understanding can fully hold. Then comes the sentence the whole book rests on: it is transmitted in the Sunnah that an hour of reflection is better than a year of worship, and emphasis on contemplation is abundant in the Book of Allah. The reader is not asked to do more, but to think, and to learn what to think about.
Is there an English audiobook of The Book of Contemplation?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Book 39: The Book of Contemplation as an English audiobook (about 1.5 hours), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It covers tafakkur, deep reflection on creation, the self, and the signs of God, as a means of drawing closer to Him.
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 1.5 hours. It has two sections: The Courses of Contemplation, and Reflection on the Majesty and Greatness of Allah.
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.
