The Refinement of Character

The Refinement of Character is an English translation of a treatise by Imam Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi on the cultivation of good character and the correction of moral and spiritual flaws. Drawing on the Qur'an, hadith, and statements of the early Muslim scholars, the book discusses traits such as patience, humility, sincerity, and contentment, alongside blameworthy qualities like envy, arrogance, and anger, and offers practical means of overcoming them. It functions as a companion volume to the same author's Inner Secrets of Worship. The book suits readers interested in classical Islamic ethics and self-development literature, presented in short, topic-based chapters rather than as a single continuous argument.