Purification of the Mind (Jila’ Al-Khatir) – Third Edition

This book contains forty-five sermons that Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, arguably the greatest Sufi teacher, delivered at his school in Baghdad in the middle of the sixth century Hijra (the twelfth century CE). The Shaikh’s words are the fruit of many years of personal strife against his lower self and complete dedication to God. They explain the spiritual journey to attain nearness to God in Islam.

In his sermons, Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir addresses the various spiritual diseases, such as envy, greed, and arrogance. He also teaches about the qualities that the seeker of God must acquire, such as love, renunciation, humility, satisfaction, patience, and truthfulness. He explains to the wayfarers in a simple but powerful and effective way how to have their spiritual diseases healed and what they need for the journey to God. The Master’s words and advice are not targeted at certain people but address various spiritual states and stations. His words sate everyone thirsty for practical knowledge that takes them nearer to their Lord.

The editor of the Arabic edition of the book, Shaikh Muhammad al-Muhammad al-Kasnazan, did not publish the manuscript in its original form that has the sermons listed chronologically. Rather, he classified the contents of the sermons into forty different subjects, such as “patience”, “mercy”, “love”, etc. This highlights the main themes in Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir’s teachings, which best represent Sufi thought.