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What is Book 5 of the Iḥyāʾ?
The Mysteries of Zakat, or the Book of the Secrets of Zakat, is Book 5 of Imam al-Ghazālī's Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, in the first quarter, the Acts of Worship. Al-Ghazālī wrote the Iḥyāʾ in the 11th–12th century. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. This book asks a question beyond the rules: what does giving do to the giver? Al-Ghazālī shows how charity purifies the soul, sets out the etiquette of giving and receiving, and uncovers the spiritual mysteries behind both obligatory and voluntary charity.
The audiobook has four chapters. Chapter 1 sets out the types of zakat and the reasons for their obligation. Chapter 2 is on disbursement, with its apparent conditions and its hidden ones. Chapter 3 turns to the recipient: the reasons for eligibility and the duties that come with receiving. Chapter 4 covers voluntary charity, its virtue, and the etiquettes of taking and giving. In this way the book looks at charity from both sides, the hand that gives and the hand that takes.
It opens with praise of Allah, who enriches and impoverishes, who has chosen some of His servants for wealth and left others in need as a test and a trial. Al-Ghazālī recalls that Allah made zakat a foundation of religion and paired it with prayer: "Establish the prayer and give zakat." He quotes the hadith that Islam is built on five pillars, and the warning to those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah. The listener is asked to see wealth as a test, before learning how to pass it on.
Is there an English audiobook of The Mysteries of Zakat?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Book 5: The Mysteries of Zakat as an English audiobook (about an hour and a half), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It covers how charity purifies the soul, the etiquette of giving and receiving, and the spiritual mysteries behind obligatory and voluntary charity.
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 an hour and a half, in four chapters: the types of zakat and why they are obligatory; disbursement and its apparent and hidden conditions; the recipient and the duties of receiving; and voluntary charity with the etiquettes of taking and giving.
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.
