Diseases of the Hearts and Their Cures

Diseases of the Heart and Their Cures by Ibn Taymiyyah explains that the heart suffers from two major illnesses—shubuhāt (doubts) and shahawāt (desires)—and that these diseases are more destructive than physical sickness because they corrupt faith and distance a person from Allah. Ibn Taymiyyah outlines how sins, heedlessness, arrogance, and following desires weaken the heart, while ignorance of Allah is the root of all spiritual decay. He teaches that the heart can only be healed through sound knowledge of Allah and His names, sincere repentance, consistent remembrance, obedience, humility, and clinging to the Qur’an and Sunnah. The book ultimately emphasizes that true life and happiness come from a purified heart, and that salvation depends on constantly treating its illnesses before they lead to spiritual ruin.