Lote Tree Foundation

Al-Murshid al-Mu’īn - is a widely recognised primary text for learning Islam especially in North Africa. In it the author, Abd al-Wahid ibn ‘Ashir, summarises in verse the three sciences of Islam, Iman and Ihsan: Maliki fiqh, Ash’ari ‘aqida and Junaidi tasawwuf.

The author, the great imam, the sea of knowledge, he who made the hajj from the most distant land (abarr), the mujahid, Abu Muhammad, ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Ashir, of the Ansari line, originally from Andalusia, brought up in Fez which he made his home. He has compositions on various different sciences, amongst them the poem entitled al-Murshid al-mu’in ‘ala daruri min ‘ulum ad-deen about Maliki fiqh.

It parallels the Mukhtasar of Khalil in that it combines both the roots and branches of the deen such that whoever reads it and understands its points is able to abandon once and for all taqleed - imitation - for the soundness of the iman (of the people of taqleed) is disputed. He is thus able to learn what Allah has made incumbent on him of the sciences necessary for each and every Muslim to know. He died in Dhu’l-Hijja 1040 AH. (Ash-Shajara p.299, No. 1161)

For this course, we will use this PDF copy.