Introduction to the Critical Edition

All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his Companions.

We now present a book whose critical edition has long been awaited within the blessed project “The Works of Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya and Related Works.” This is not because it has never been published—indeed, it has appeared in numerous editions—but because it has not received the scholarly attention it deserves, following sound scholarly methods and meeting readers’ hopes.

Zād al-Ma‘ād (Provisions for the Hereafter), also known as al-Hady al-Nabawī (The Prophetic Guidance), is unquestionably Ibn al-Qayyim’s best-known work. It is his foremost book, his largest, his most widely circulated, and the one most closely concerned with the guidance of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his noble life. Unique in its field, it describes the Prophet’s guidance in his worship, dealings, and all aspects of his life. It also recounts his military campaigns and the lessons to be drawn from them. The author devoted a volume to the hadiths concerning prophetic medicine, extending his discussion to other material as well. He then treated the Prophet’s rulings and judgments at length, filling two volumes of our edition. Thus, the book brings together every aspect of the Prophet’s manners, habits, conduct, and judgments, peace and blessings be upon him, in all religious and worldly affairs. It is therefore rightly regarded as a comprehensive scholarly encyclopedia. Indeed, Shaykh Abū al-Hasan ‘Alī al-Nadwī said of it: “It is considered one of the most important books of Islam, taking the place of an entire library” (1).

We shall not leave readers wondering for long about the merits of this edition, what it offers that is new, or what distinguishes it from its predecessors. Rather, in this preamble we shall outline some of these features