This present text is based on the poem known as Matharat al-Qulub
(literally, Purification of the Heart), which offers a means by which
purification can be achieved. It was written by a great scholar, Shaykh
Muhammad Mawlud al-Ya'qubi al-Musawi al-Muratani, may Allah be pleased with him.
As his name indicates, he was from Mauritania in West Africa. He was a
brilliant scholar who mastered all of the Islamic sciences, including
the inward sciences of the soul. Imam Mawlud directs his attention to
the diseases, discusses their causes, and offers cures. His teachings
imply that purification is a life-long process, not something that is
applied once and then forgotten. Purity of heart never survives a
passive relationship. Rather, it requires constant consideration. This
book hopes to introduce to readers how that is done.