Al-Shifa bi taʿrif ḥuquq al-Mustafa – An Abridgement

There is no single book dedicated to the blessed person of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that has received as much acclaim, acceptance, and made as profound an impact in the history of Islam than the seminal work al-Shifā bi taʿrīf ḥuqūq al-Muṣṭafā (The Healing by Expounding the Rights of the Chosen One), popularly known as al-Shifā, by the Andalusian Mālikī scholar Qāḍī Abū al-Faḍl ʿIyāḍ (d. 544/1149).

It is unique in its sheer breadth, covering a broad range of Prophetic aspects not found in any other single compilation. The book is organised in four parts: (1) the Most High’s exalting the Prophet’s status in word and deed; (2) the rights people owe him; (3) what is possible in respect of him and what may and may not be ascribed to him; (4) various types of legal judgement against whoever disparages Him. The chapters spanning these parts exposit specific features of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), from his physical form to his character, from his virtues to his miracles, and from his pre-eminence in creation to his infallibility—all of which is presented in a succinct, systematic manner.

The present work is a translation of the earliest available abridged version of al-Shifā, entitled Tuḥfat ikhwān al-ṣafā’ fī ikhtiṣār kitāb al-Shifā (The Gift for the Pure in Abridging the Book al-Shifā), by Imam Shams al-Dīn al-Isnawī (d. 763/1362). The concise format of the abridgement, now available for the first time in English, renders it eminently more accessible to a wider audience and thus serves as an invaluable companion for whoever seeks to broaden and deepen their knowledge of the Prophet’s true stature (Allah bless him and give him peace) and foster their love for him.