al-Dharia ila Makarim al-Sharia
- Author died
- 502 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Salam
Al-Dharia ila Makarim al-Sharia (The Means to the Noble Virtues of the Sacred Law) is a treatise on Islamic ethics and moral cultivation by Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Raghib al-Isfahani (d. 502 AH / 1108 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Al-Raghib al-Isfahani states in the introduction that he had previously touched upon the distinction between the mandatory legal rulings (ahkam al-shari'a) and its noble virtues (makarim al-shari'a) in his work Tahqiq al-Bayan fi Tawil al-Quran . He composed this treatise specifically as an instrument (dharia) to explain and cultivate those noble virtues . According to al-Raghib, "absolute noble virtues" refer to praiseworthy attributes that can be predicated of God—such as wisdom, generosity, clemency, knowledge, and pardon—albeit in an incomparably exalted manner for the Divine, whereas legal ordinances govern overt obligations and acts of worship . By acquiring these moral excellences, a human being realizes the status of being God's vicegerent (khalifat Allah) on earth .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into seven major chapters (fusul), each subdivided into multiple topical sections (abwab) :
- Human origins and faculties (fi usul al-insan wa-quwah)
- The intellect, knowledge, and speech (fi al-aql wa-l-ilm wa-l-nutq)
- The concupiscent faculty (fi-ma yataallaq bi-l-quwa al-shahwaniyya)
- The irascible faculty (fi-ma yataallaq bi-l-quwa al-ghadabiyya)
- Justice and injustice (fi al-adalah wa-l-zulm)
- Crafts and occupations (fi-ma yataallaq bi-l-sinaat)
- Human actions (fi dhikr al-afal)
Throughout these divisions, al-Raghib synthesizes Quranic texts, prophetic traditions, philosophical analysis of the soul, and Arabic literary wisdom . He examines the stages of knowledge and the intellect, categorizing knowledge into progressive ranks—starting from the Arabic language and Quranic memorization up to ethics, piety, and rational demonstration . He also treats human earning and occupations as communal necessities aligned with varying natural dispositions .
Reception and Influence
The treatise enjoyed significant acclaim among later scholars. It is reported that Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505 AH / 1111 CE) held the book in great esteem, admired its refined value, and constantly kept it with him during his travels . Al-Ghazali drew extensively upon al-Raghib's ethical and psychological formulations in works such as Ihya Ulum al-Din and Maarij al-Quds . Haji Khalifa recorded an entry in Kashf al-Zunun attributing a title called al-Dharia ila Makarim al-Sharia directly to al-Ghazali, which modern scholars attribute to confusion arising from al-Ghazali's constant companionship with al-Raghib's book .
Translations and Publications
An anonymous historical translation of the text into Persian is preserved in manuscript at the Masjid-e A'zam library . The Arabic text was published in Cairo in 1299 AH (1882 CE), 1308 AH, and 1899 CE . Modern critical editions include those edited by Abu al-Yazid al-Ajami (published in Mansoura and later Cairo) and by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya in Beirut (1400 AH / 1980 CE) .
Answer updated