Infamies of the Soul and Their Treatments

by Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, Musa Furber

Infamies of the soul (ʿUyūb al-nafs) is one of Islam’s earliest comprehensive theories for the purification of the soul. In this short guide, the hadith narrator, Shāfiʿī legist, and historian of the early sufis, Imam Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, presents sixty-nine wicked traits and habits of the soul, including anger, laziness, negligence, self-pity, envy, avarice, lying, and pride. Each infamy is described with its common causes and treatments, usually with relevant Prophetic narrations and statements from early Muslim sages. These infamies incline the soul towards evil and self-reproach. Treating them restores its serenity and certainty. With this translation, English readers can now benefit from the simplicity and practicality of Imam al-Sulamī’s classic self-help manual that Arabic readers have utilized for the past millennium.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Self Help, Psychology, Spirituality

120 pages, Paperback

Published November 13, 2018

Reviews

[Farzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes a short time to read but a lifetime to implement.

[Tuscany Bernier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. I read it on Kindle and the format was great. This is definitely a book that seems short and easy to read, but each page is deeply thought-provoking. In fact, it is a book I hope to re-read soon to ponder upon its pages once again. Quite lovely for those seeking a path through the heart's desires for personal suluk, but best read with a teacher or beloved spiritual friend in my personal opinion.

[Whimsicalmaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a translation of the book ‘Uyub al-nafs wa adwiyatuha which was written by Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, and translated by Musa Furber. The book is thin, and sized like a handbook, only 106 pages including references. It is about diseases of the heart (when Muslim say heart in this context, it means spiritual heart. Not the four-chambered organ with muscular walls and three major vessels running outside), and how to treat them. This version contains footnotes and references for each infamy. The chapters are written in short paragraphs, but it triggers you to introspect deeper, reflect further, and contemplate longer about yourself.

Going to through the table of contents itself made me nervous. I asked myself, what will I find in this book that will show me how corrupted my heart is? How much “cleaning” do I have still have to do for my heart? How much will I be able to take? Will I improve myself after this?

Reading the first few chapters itself made me thank God that I have read another book before this – Forty Hadiths on Good Moral Values by Captain Yahya MA Ondigo. Forty Hadiths woke me up in some sense, and made me regret some of the things I have done in life, at the same time encouraged me to be a better person. So, when I read Infamies, at least I’m not starting from zero.

How does infamies of the soul correlate with good moral values?

For us, a pure heart will be shown through someone’s character, manners and values.

While Infamies of the Soul talked about preoccupation with the infamies of others, preoccupation with adorning the outward, greed for the world, avarice, seeking revenge, anger, lying and envy, Forty Hadiths on Good Moral Values preached about humility, moderation, contentment, moderation, forgiveness and forbearance, peacefulness, honesty and love. In order to achieve success in this world and the next, especially the next, it is crucial to treat our infamies, so that we could attain excellent character and manners.

This is the kind of book that should accompany Forty Hadiths of Good Moral Values in our quest to be a better person, in our stride to get Allah’s acceptance and approval. These are the books that we should revise repeatedly, and follow their examples and advice, so that we could achieve the highest level of paradise, as Prophet Muhammad SAW said,

“I am a guarantor of a house in the outskirts of paradise for a person who refrains from opinion-based arguing, even if he is in the right; and a house in the middle of paradise for the one who refrains from lying even when he is joking, and a house in the highest part of paradise for the one who makes his character good.”

[Rumana Khair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is short yet highly impactful. I read this book last year and have since been re-reading a few pages of it every week. It explains every flaw of our inner soul and how to tackle it in a very brief yet effective way. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who's seeking to work on their inner selves.

[Steven]

I stumbled on this book recently to discover it as one of -- if the Internet is to be believed -- an early and influential set of commentaries on purification of the self in Islam. I'm fascinated with "purity" as an idea (often a creepily dangerous idea -- though I'm not asserting that about this particular book). But on some other level you could just as easily call this a Muslim "Self Help" book, to use modern terminology. It's a catalog of the things we humans do to mislead ourselves and take the comfortable paths that lead us to dangerous and negative activity.

I hate saying things are timeless (I'm fond of God mocking Job, in the book of Job, in a rare use of divine sarcasm -- was I around at the beginning of the universe to know just how timeless a thing might be?), but it's fair to say that reading this catalog of the stupid things that people do to themselves still hold's true today.

PLUS, another thing this book did -- though it is hadith and not the Qur'an per se -- was provide me with a really comprehensive set of observations about what it means to be a Muslim, ethically and spiritually, and it is really well-cited in terms of supporting itself with passages from the Qur'an and other Islamic practitioners. I learned a lot here.

If you're a Westerner not interested in reading the whole Qur'an (heretic!) and want to learn about Islam in terms of how a Muslim should live a good, ethical life, I'd say this book is a nice start. Don't trust a Westerner's opinion of that, obviously, but, IDK, I do teach ethics and have lived overseas, so I'm not entirely an uninformed moron on the issue.

[Abd Al-Wajid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infamies of the Soul is a concise and piercing guide to the subtle diseases that corrupt the heart. Al Sulami’s wisdom, presented clearly in Musa Furber’s translation, invites honest self reflection without overwhelming the reader. It is the kind of book you revisit often: a page a day or week becomes a powerful spiritual check in, helping you refine your intentions, strengthen sincerity, and stay aware of the ego’s tricks. Brief but transformative, it is an essential read for anyone serious about tazkiyah and inner growth.

[zaid faridi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great primer on understanding the evil of our own selves.

It's a step towards understanding oneself better and using the treatment to work on ourselves. Identify the infamies within yourself and try to apply the treatment offered in this book.

[totesintobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise. Gives us a brief description of the infamies and its cure. Really a much needed book!

[مجيدة · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple read filled with insightful & thought-provoking gems. This book defines less is more.