This spiritual guide to the self is a handbook of tazkiyah or 'self-purification'. Not only does it illustrate the maladies of the human spiritual condition, it recognises the struggles and insecurities we all succumb to from time to time, and offers up the remedies too.
In the current climate, most of us are undergoing an angst that sometimes can only be cured through self-reflection. In seeking a cure, we look to improve ourselves, especially during this anxious and uncertain time as we live a 'new normal' during this pandemic.Sometimes the journey begins in the hope to better ourselves as a human being and relieve the inner turmoil. Sometimes the journey develops a more spiritual path where we reach out to the Divine in some capacity.In either case, a feeling of contentment can be attained leading to an inner peace. Yet, we can only begin to do this once we identify those feelings that cause anxiety or negative emotions that lead to a sense of heaviness in our day-to- day lives.The Coronavirus outbreak has led to many industries and Government authorities promoting self-care and urging many to look after their mental well-being more than ever before. The virus has forced most of the world to slow down, which in turn has had an impact on many people's daily routines. Many of us are staying at home, spending time with family and now have some new-found time to reflect on ourselves.As a result of this, many of us experience moments of frustration on a daily basis, from being confined to social distancing, or have a fear of losing one's job (or indeed already have), or are unintentionally feeling ungrateful for what we do have. Prior to the pandemic taking over, we would still face similar thoughts and feelings towards something we had seen on social media perhaps, or heard about from family, a friend or colleague. This could include being envious of someone's belongings or achievements, which they have shared on social media, or indeed boasting about our own.Whilst these emotions make us human, it's our intentions and actions that decide whether we are a 'good' person, whether in the eyes of one's self, our friends and family, our colleagues, or in the eyes of the Divine.Pre-Coronavirus, many of us lost the capacity to sit still and reflect upon ourselves. Now that we have the time to look back and contemplate, perhaps we need to think about why we are feeling these negative emotions.Why do we feel a sense of loss within our workday grind or within our family relationships or friendships?A Handbook of Spiritual Medicine is arranged in a unique way, by breaking down the core maladies of the heart into bite size chunks that are much easier to reference for the layperson. It provides a clear presentation using modern management techniques: a tabulated and color-coded format that enables easy access to definitions and signs and symptoms of spiritual illnesses, their cures, and exceptions.The antidotes to our ailments are drawn from Qur'anic verses and authentic ahadith (Prophetic sayings),inspiring mindfulness of the Almighty Cherisher and His Beloved Prophet. This guidebook, drawing on the 11th and 12th Century works of the 'Proof of Islam' and wondrous sage, Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali can be applied to our busy lives in the modern, hi-tech era, and will prove accessible to people of all ages, all denominations: believers and non-believers alike.This book encourages us to continually self-analyse, in order to begin to experience the positive impact of such changes. It encourages us to look after ourselves during this time, acting as a guide on how to do this now and beyond the pandemic. Making this science accessible to a new generation is of utmost importance especially in times of a spiritual vacuum and great uncertainty.
“"This work will enable the reader to self-analyse and assist him or herself in meeting their Creator with a 'sound heart'." Dr. Shaykh Ashraf Makadam Director of Trust, Madani Schools Federation, UK”
"This work will enable the reader to self-analyse and assist him or herself in meeting their Creator with a 'sound heart'."Dr. Shaykh Ashraf MakadamDirector of Trust, Madani Schools Federation, UK "A beautifully structured and well-presented work, highlighting one of the most important aspects of Islamic teachings."Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam Al-KawthariDirector of the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence (Darul Iftaa) "The Handbook of Spiritual Medicine is to be commended as a clear presentation of science of internal purification in a format which enables easy access to symptoms of spiritual illness and their cures."Shaykh ZaqirDirector of Darul Arqam Educational Trust
The author, Jamal Parekh (Ibn Daud), grew up in Britain as a first-generation Muslim and realised in his adolescent years a need for such a book. Once settled in his professional life as an IT consultant, he settled down into married life. The ardent desire to create a handbook that addressed the daily struggles he faced himself was still there.Being neither a scholar nor a professional writer, he was deeply inspired by the text, 'Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart', by Hamza Yusuf Hanson, but he wanted to go a step further and give the antidotes to the insecurities we all face in the modern context.The ideas for the book were borne almost 20 years ago, yet it was only 3 years ago when he began his journey in earnest, and after a long and challenging self-publishing journey, with the help of some very special people (The Handbook Team), as well as his family, Ibn Daud managed to launch the book during the blessed month of Ramadan 2020.
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