A Blog for Muslim Educators By Ramzy Ajem, Executive Director of Risalah.ca

The Path of Rightly Guided Knowledge

3/23/2026

طَرِيقُ العِلْمِ الرَّشِيد لِكُلِّ طَالِبٍ مُبْتَدِئٍ جَدِيد
The Path of Rightly Guided Knowledge for Every New Beginning Student
A Didactic Poem Composed by:
Shaykh Dr. Aḥmad Saʿd al-Azhari al-Ḥasanī al-Mālikī al-Ashʿarī
(May Allah Most High preserve him)

The present poem, Manẓūmah fī Muhimmāt Ṭalab al-ʿIlm (“A Poem on the Essential Matters of Seeking Knowledge”), belongs to the long tradition of didactic texts that structured the classical Islamic madrasa curriculum. Composed in the ramal metre, whose balanced rhythmic cadence lends itself to memorization and instruction, it reflects a pedagogical style widely employed in the transmission of foundational knowledge. For centuries, students of the Islamic sciences began their studies by memorizing concise foundational texts (mutūn) that summarized the essential principles of a discipline. These texts were then unpacked through lessons, commentaries, and glosses within the scholarly tradition. Within this tradition, didactic poetry (manẓūmāt) served as a powerful mnemonic tool. By casting key principles into verse, scholars produced concise guides that students could commit to memory while gradually deepening their understanding through study with teachers.

In this poem, Shaykh Dr. Aḥmad Saʿd al-Azhari offers a concise orientation to the traditional path of Islamic scholarship. The verses point to the disciplines that historically formed the backbone of Islamic learning, beginning with the ancillary sciences (ʿulūm al-āla) such as Arabic grammar, morphology, rhetoric, and logic, before turning to the revelatory sciences including Qurʾānic recitation, ḥadīth, Qurʾānic exegesis, theology, jurisprudence, and legal theory. Alongside these disciplines, the poem highlights the ethical and spiritual qualities expected of the student of knowledge.

In the translation that follows, the poem has been arranged into thematic sections, each given a brief heading intended to capture the central idea of the verses that follow. These headings are not part of the original text but are provided as a guide to the reader. The translation seeks to convey the meaning of the Arabic clearly and faithfully while preserving the concise and instructional character of the original. The author has also reviewed the translation and, where appropriate, contributed clarifications through his commentary.

May God reward Shaykh Aḥmad for this illuminating work and grant benefit through it to all who study it.

To learn more about the text visit: https://www.ihsaninstitute.co.uk/

Ramzy Ajem, Translator of the Manẓūmah
Ramadan 20, 1447 / Monday March 9, 2026

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What is Islamic Creed and its Related Science?

3/23/2026

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Ten Foundational Enquiries On Theology (5 Sessions)

Explore the foundations of Islamic Theology (ʿIlm al-Tawḥīd) through the classical framework of the Ten Introductory Enquiries (al-Mabādi’ al-ʿAshara), which outline the essential principles of every sacred science—its definition, subject, founder, sources, name, legal ruling, merits, relation, aims, and issues. This module offers a structured and analytical introduction to theology, demonstrating how these enquiries establish its methodology, significance, and role as the noblest of the Islamic sciences.
All recordings and slides from this module are now available below for continued study and reflection.

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The Creed of the Early Muslims: Al-Aqīda al-Ṭaḥāwīya

3/23/2026

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Al-Aqīda al-Ṭaḥāwīya In Five Sessions

This course returns to the foundation of our faith — the earliest and most authoritative text of Sunni theology: al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah by Imām Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī (239–321 AH / 853–933 CE), a concise statement that preserved the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah for over a millennium.
What This Series Is About

When someone asks, “Who is Allah?” or “What do Muslims believe in?” — how confident are you in your answer?
Do you know what every Muslim must believe about God, destiny, and the Hereafter?
Could you explain Islam’s creed if you were challenged?

Why It Matters
In a world of confusion and misinformation, grounding your faith in the classical creed connects you directly to the clarity of the Prophet ﷺ and his earliest inheritors. Understand what Muslims believe, why we believe it, and how our scholars defended that belief for centuries.

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The Path of Rightly Guided Knowledge

What is Islamic Creed and its Related Science?

The Creed of the Early Muslims: Al-Aqīda al-Ṭaḥāwīya

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“Verily, God did not send me to engage others forcefully nor to bring difficulty, rather He sent me as a teacher who brings ease.” –The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ