The Path of Rightly Guided Knowledge

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