FIQH
Al-Murshid al-Muʿīn of Imām Ibn ʿĀshir
Al-Murshid al-Muʿīn ʿalā Ḍarūrīyāt al-Dīn (“The Helpful Guide to the Essentials of the Religion”) by ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Āshir (d. 1040 AH / 1631 CE) is one of the most well-known and widely taught didactic poems in traditional Islamic education in North and West Africa. Composed by the Moroccan Mālikī scholar and Sufi, ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Āshir, the text is written in rajaz metre and is designed for easy memorization and instruction.
The poem presents a concise yet comprehensive summary of three essential sciences every Muslim is expected to know:
1) ʿAqīdah (Islamic Creed) – Rooted in the Ashʿarī theological tradition, the opening section covers the core beliefs in God, His attributes, prophecy, and the unseen, in a manner accessible to beginners.
2) ʿIbādāt (Acts of Worship) – Following the Mālikī school of law, this section provides practical guidance on purification, prayer, fasting, zakāt, and pilgrimage. It serves as a foundational manual for ritual observance.
3) Taṣawwuf (Spirituality) – Informed by the ethical teachings of Sufism, this part emphasizes sincerity, purification of the soul, good character, and the importance of intention and inner states in worship and daily conduct.
Al-Murshid al-Muʿīn has been central to traditional curricula in the Maghrib and beyond, often serving as the first text committed to memory by students in the maḥāḍir (Islamic seminaries). It reflects a holistic approach to Islamic education—combining belief, practice, and spiritual refinement in one accessible work. Its clarity, brevity, and balance between outward knowledge and inner cultivation have secured its place as a foundational teaching text for centuries.
Consists of 96 classes.
The course was held in year 2022-2024 by Shaykh Zuhayr Qazzān.
