Kitab al-Raqa'iq (2 Volume Set) كتاب الرقائق

Kitab al-Raqa’iq (كتاب الرقائق) by Imam 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak is one of the earliest and most vital foundational works in Islamic history dedicated to heart-softening narrations (raqa’iq), asceticism (zuhd), and spiritual purification (tazkiyat al-nafs).

About the Author: Imam Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak

Imam 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak al-Marwazi was an extraordinary Amir al-Mu’minin fi al-Hadith (Master/Commander of the Believers in Hadith), a righteous jurist, brave Mujahid, wealthy merchant, and exemplary ascetic (zahid). He studied directly under towering early figures such as Sufyan al-Thawri, Imam Malik bin Anas, Abu Hanifah, Al-Awza’i, and Layth bin Sa’d. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said of him: “There was no one in the time of Ibn al-Mubarak more seeking of knowledge than him.”

He was renowned for combining knowledge, worship, jihad on the frontiers, and extraordinary generosity.

Significance of Kitab al-Raqa’iq / al-Zuhd

1. First of Its Kind: It is among the earliest surviving compiled texts in Islamic history dedicated specifically to Raqa’iq (traditions that soften the heart), Zuhd (detachment from worldly extravagance), piety (wara’), remembrance of death, the afterlife, and moral rectitude.

2. Hadith-Based Spirituality: Unlike later mystical treatises, Ibn al-Mubarak’s work consists directly of prophetic traditions (hadiths), sayings of the Companions (Athar al-Sahabah), and wisdom from the Successors (Tabi’un), evaluated through early Hadith methodology.

This critical edition represents a major scholarly milestone, meticulously collating and editing the entire text from manuscript sources for the first time:

Volume 1: Dedicated entirely to a detailed biography of Imam 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, accompanied by comprehensive analytical notes on his academic methodology and the historical development and transmission of his book.

Volume 2: Houses the complete critically edited text of the book, structured into 16 distinct sections containing a total of 1,674 authentic narrations and hadiths.

By presenting the complete, rigorously verified text alongside exhaustive academic context, this 2-volume set provides researchers and students of knowledge with an invaluable primary source on early prophetic traditions and heart-softening wisdom direct from one of Islam’s greatest early authorities.