Book Review

“Purification of the Heart”: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart”, by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson, is a translation and commentary of the poetic treatise Matharat al-Qulub (literally, Purification of the Hearts) by Imam Muhammad Mawlud-al Ya’qubi. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf is an American Islamic scholar who accepted Islam in 1977. Initially influenced heavily by Abdalqadir as-Sufi teachings, after spending time studying Shariah in the UAE under a number of Mauritanian scholars, Shaykh Hamza formally disassociated himself from as-Sufi’s teachings and towards more mainstream Islam. Shaykh Mawlud was from Mauritania, West Africa, and a brilliant scholar who mastered all of the Islamic sciences, including the sciences of the heart. He is considered by many to be a mujaddid, or 'renewer of the faith.' The book begins with a clear goal: “Almost universally, religious traditions have stressed the importance of the condition of the heart. In the Muslim scripture, the Day of Judgment is described as a day in which neither wealth nor children shall be of any benefit [to anyone], except one who comes to God with a sound heart” (QURAN, 26:88-89).“ A sound heart. How can one achieve a sound heart? What are the barriers that come between our hearts and purity? What can be done to purify ourselves of the diseases that plague our hearts? These are the questions that this book aims to address. Chapter by chapter, he breaks down the diseases of the heart: miserliness, hatred, love of the world, envy, ostentation, false hope, fear of poverty, and so on. For each disease, a definition is presented, causes, and a treatment for those looking to rid themselves of the disease. The book is a wonder for those who are introspective, and are looking to, one-by-one, purify their hearts of the diseases that afflict their heart. The book lays out the root of our heart’s diseases so openly and clearly that it becomes quite easy to identify the disease in oneself. Attaching oneself to the treatment, once the disease has been realized, can come only out of love for Allah SWT and desire to be closer to him in the hereafter. References: The full book is freely available as a PDF here: http://www.data.nur.nu/Kutub/English/Hamza-Yusuf_Purification-of-the-Heart.pdf. You can also listen to Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s lecture as he presents his commentary on Matharat al-Qulub here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp9KifxHZy8&list=PLNVqarhUYzInkISPRcMVFnUjnqFMFdpu6