Bahya ibn Paquda c. 1050 – c. 1120
Bahya ibn Paquda was an Andalusian Jewish philosopher and rabbinic judge whose Duties of the Heart, written in Judeo-Arabic in the late eleventh century, became the first major work of Jewish moral and devotional philosophy. Drawing on Sufi sources as well as on the Bible and the Talmud, he distinguished between the duties of the limbs, the outward observances of religion, and the duties of the heart, the interior commitments of love, trust, humility, and devotion to God. The work was translated into Hebrew within a century and remains central to Jewish ethical literature.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Andalusian-Jewish
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Jewish, Medieval
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Bahya ibn Paquda:
“Days are scrolls; write on them only what you want remembered.”
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Attributed to Bahya ibn Paquda:
“Examine your inner life every day, before you close your eyes for sleep.”
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Attributed to Bahya ibn Paquda:
“The gates of heaven are opened by the prayers of a sincere heart.”
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Attributed to Bahya ibn Paquda:
“Trust in God means relying on him for everything, while still attending to your own labor.”
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Attributed to Bahya ibn Paquda:
“Humility is the foundation upon which every other virtue stands.”