Qut al-Qulub fi Muamalat al-Mahbub wa Wasf Tariq al-Murid ila Maqam al-Tawhid
- Author died
- 386 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah
Qut al-Qulub fi Muamalat al-Mahbub wa Wasf Tariq al-Murid ila Maqam al-Tawhid (The Nourishment of Hearts in Dealing with the Beloved and the Description of the Way of the Novice to the Station of Divine Unity) is a foundational classical work on Sufism and spiritual ethics authored by Abu Talib al-Makki (d. 386 AH / 996 CE) . Written in the terminology and discourse of early Sufis, the book systematically expounds the cultivation of inward spiritual life, devotional practices, and the spiritual stations of the seeker .
Subject and Scope
The book addresses the "actions of the heart" (a‘mal al-qulub) and the stages of spiritual wayfaring, including patience (sabr), gratitude (shukr), divine love (hubb), reliance on God (tawakkul), and the realization of monotheism (tawhid) . It incorporates discussions on ascetic discipline, the afflictions and spiritual defects of the lower soul (afat al-nufus), the path of early pious predecessors (al-salaf al-salih), and the inward states of those possessing certainty (ahwal ahl al-yaqin) . Al-Makki also scatters discussions of spiritual stations (maqamat) across various chapters and provides detailed treatments of day and night devotional prayers, litanies, and ascetic practices .
Influence
Qut al-Qulub served as a major primary source for later spiritual compendia. Ibn Taymiyyah observed that Abu Hamid al-Ghazali relied directly on Qut al-Qulub in structuring and writing the sections on the inward actions of the heart—such as patience, gratitude, love, reliance, and divine unity—in his Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) . Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi likewise cited al-Makki's treatment of spiritual stations in al-Qut when analyzing the methodology of classical ascetic and mystical authors .
Reception and Critique
The work drew varied assessments from Muslim scholars and traditionists:
- Traditionist critique: Early biographers noted issues regarding the book's hadith material; al-Utayqi commented that al-Makki recorded baseless narrations in the text . Ibn al-Jawzi strongly criticized Qut al-Qulub in Talbis Iblis, asserting that it contained fabricated reports, ungrounded descriptions of day and night prayers, objectionable doctrines, repeated citations of unnamed mystics ("some unveilers said"), and assertions that God manifests Himself in this world to His saints . Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi recorded that it was composed in the idiom of the Sufis and contained objectionable and repulsive assertions regarding the divine attributes .
- Comparative evaluation: Ibn Taymiyyah held that al-Makki had greater knowledge of Hadith, historical reports (athar), and the discourse of spiritual authorities than al-Ghazali, considering al-Makki's discourse sounder, better verified, and further removed from theological innovation, even while noting that Qut al-Qulub contains weak and fabricated hadiths and rejected material .
Answer updated