The Cure of Souls: On Forced Conversion

Joseph ben Judah Ibn ‘Aqnīn was an Andalusi philosopher, exegete, and physician. It is thought that he was born in Barcelona and then moved to Fez, but little is known for certain of his biography. He wrote The Cure of Souls (Ṭibb al-nufūs), a moral guidebook, in Judeo-Arabic, and a Hebrew translation, reworking, and elaboration of Maimonides’ Eight Chapters, called The Book of Ethics (Sefer ha-musar). In his Judeo-Arabic philosophical commentary on the Song of Songs, titled The Divulgence of Mysteries and the Appearance of Lights (Inkishāf al-asrār wa-ẓuhūr al-anwār), he reported that he outwardly converted to Islam following the Almohad persecutions. He articulated a desire to return to a public expression of Judaism, but it is not known if he was able to do so.