The Beneficial Summary Regarding What is Impermissible for the Responsible Slaves to Neglect By Qāđi Allāma Ahmed al-Qurayshi Translator‘s Introduction In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful… All praise is due to Allah, the Exalted and Majestic; the One who has no partners or associates; the One who provides the light of guidance to His slaves so that they may attain spiritual perfection and illumination by means of it. May Allah send His choicest blessings upon His slave and seal of the Messengers, Muhammad bin Abdullah. May Allah bless his pure Progeny, righteous Companions, and those that follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. As to what follows… One of the most important parts of the Islamic literary tradition is the Mukhtaŝar. The Mukhtaŝar literature refers to those condensed booklets developed by the scholars for easy distribution and/or memorisation to the layperson. It is a very logical conclusion because the average lay Muslim didn‘t have the time, effort, and money to access much of the scholarly literature and pursuits required of a savant. Instead, the scholars endeavoured to extract the most basic concepts from the voluminous collections in their disposal and abbreviate it so that the layperson would be able to benefit and accurately practise those religious injunctions obligated upon him/her. Of course, such effort requires a high level of scholastic acumen as well as the wherewithal to assess the conditions and capacities of the common folk. One such scholar was Qāđi Ahmed al-Qurayshi. Author’s Biography He is Ahmed bin Ismā‘īl bin Sālih al-‗Alafi al-Qurayshi. He was a Chief Justice (Qāđi), scholar, verifier/editor (muhaqqiq), and a well-known ascetic. He studied under some of the most well-known imams and scholars of his time; one of whom was Imam Nāšir ‗Abdullah bin al-Hasan, upon him be peace. He accompanied the imam to Yemen in the year 1257 A.H. He remained with the imam until the latter was killed. After which, he emigrated to Sa‘dah, the then seat of Zaydi knowledge. It is there that he met Imam Ahmed bin Hāshim. He served as a judge for the imam and called others to pledge allegiance to him. He served a series of other imams after that but it was under the imamate of Imam Ahmed bin Hāshim that Qāđi Ahmed authored the present book. He served as the Chief Justice of Sana‘a and remained there until he died. He passed away in a small village of Sana‘a called Jadr in the year 1282 A.H. His untiring devotion to the Household of the Prophet earned him the nickname ―Supporter of the Purified Imams‖ (Našīr al-A`immati al-Aťhār). He authored three books: 1. Al-Mukhtaŝar al-Mufīd fī mā Lā Yajūz al-Ikhlāl Bihi li Kulli Mukallaf min al-A’bīd (Tr. ―The Beneficial Summary Regarding What is Impermissible for the Responsible Slaves to Neglect‖) 2. Sulāfa al-Muā’šir fī Nubdha min Sīrat al-Imam Nāšir ‘Abdullah bin al-Hasan bin Ahmed bin Mahdi (Tr. ―The Contemporary‘s Wine concerning the Overview of the Biography of Imam Nāšir ‗Abdullah bin al- Hasan...‖) 3. Ar-Risālat al-Gharā` (Tr. ―The Beautiful Letter‖) About the Book This text is named Al-Mukhtaŝar al-Mufīd fī mā Lā Yajūz al-Ikhlāl Bihi li Kulli Mukallaf min al-A’bīd. However, it has also been alternatively titled: Ad-Durrat al-Muntaţima fī Madhhab al-‘Itrat al-Mu’tašima (Tr. ―The Well-formed Pearl concerning the School of the Protected Prophetic Descendants‖). This book compiles the tripartite aspects of Islam: the perfection of faith, the perfection of practice, and the perfection of character. In a well-known hadīth, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and his Companions were visited by the archangel, Gabriel, upon him be peace. During the exchange between the two, the Muslims were instructed that the religion is divided between Islām (jurisprudence), Imān (belief/creed), and Ihsān (spiritual purification). Therefore, this book is divided into three main sections focusing on three main parts. The creedal section of this book is the smallest—comprising of about two pages. There are no detailed theological discussions because engaging in such dialectics is not considered necessary for the Muslim. Instead, the confirmation of simple brief creedal statements is sufficient to make the believer sound in belief. The jurisprudential section of the text is the largest. One can‘t help but notice that much of the wordings are direct quotations from the Zaydi standard jurisprudential text, Matn al-Azhār fī Fiqh al-A`immat al-Aťhār. The Mukhtaŝar is actually a condensation of Matn al-Azhār. The section dealing with spiritual purification covers the praiseworthy and blameworthy traits that Muslims are obligatory to adopt and refrain from respectively. Unfortunately, this part of Islam has been neglected by much of the modern Islamic literature. However, since the classical age, our scholars have emphasised its importance just as they have emphasised correct belief and practice. We pray that the reader is able to benefit from this text. We are confident that the material inherent is wholly sufficient for one to believe in and practice so that they will be secure on the Day of Judgment. If there are any mistakes, it is on our part and may Allah forgive us! If one is able to benefit, then all praise belongs to Allah! Imam Rassi Society 11 Muharram 1433 Translation of Al-Mukhtaŝar al-Mufīd fī mā Lā Yajūz al-Ikhlāl Bihi li Kulli Mukallaf min al- A’bīd Author‘s Introduction In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful… All praise is due to Allah! It is He that we praise and seek help from. We seek protection in Him from the evil from within ourselves as well as the evil consequences of our actions. There is no guidance for the one left astray nor is there deviance for the one guided aright. Peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the guide, and his Progeny, the stars of right guidance! As to what follows… It is religiously obligatory upon every one with sufficient intellect due to widespread calamity, to know the permitted and prohibited and other than that which the Divine Law and Book stipulated. It is a means by which Paradise becomes one‘s destination. Allah, the Exalted, says: {It is not for the believers to go forward in battle all at once. Rather, there should be a separate group from every division that [remains behind] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people towards cautiousness when they return} (Q. 9:122). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((Seek knowledge even if in China)). There are many other proofs that demonstrate that there is no salvation except for the one who is taught that which they should know from the known issues. With the will of Allah, this blessed summary has been compiled by the command of our imam, the Commander of the Believers, al-Manšūr Billah Abu Muhammad Ahmed bin Hāshim bin Muhammad the son of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. May Allah support him with a mighty help in those many issues that no one will avoid in line with the Noble School (al-madhhab ash-sharīf) that Allah has protected from deviance and distortion. We ask Allah to accept our deeds and for protection in our words and actions! What is Religiously Obligatory upon the Morally Responsible Person Regarding the Fundamentals of Religion Divine Oneness (At-Tawhīd) It is religiously obligatory for one to know that Allah is One and Unique. He does not have an equal or partner. He is contrary to what the imaginers imagine and what the describers describe. He does not resemble anything from His creation. {He is unlike anything. He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing} (Q. 42:11). He is not reached by the senses. He is not quantified by human beings. {Vision does not reach Him; rather, He reaches all vision. He is the All-Subtle, the All-Aware} (Q. 6:103). Divine Justice (Al-‘Adl). The Exalted, in all affairs, is All-Just in all of His actions. He is innocent from the statements of the ignorant. He is set apart (muqaddis) from the injustice of the unjust and the judgment of corruption from the corruptors. He is Highly Exalted from being pleased with the disobedience of the disobedient. He is innocent from the actions of the slaves. He does not enter His slaves into the state of disobedience nor does he remove them from the state of goodness and righteousness. {Verily, Allah does not order immorality. Do you say about Allah that which you know not thereof?} (Q. 7:28). Divine Threat and Promise (Al-Wa’d wal-Wa’īd) The Exalted, in all affairs, does not act contrary to His promises. Everything that He promises those close to Him (awliyā) and threatens His enemies with—there is no dispute or ambiguity about it. Whoever enters Paradise or Hell—amongst the righteous and wicked—will never ever exit from there. Prophethood (An-Nubuwwa) It is religiously obligatory for one to know that everything that the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, related was true and Allah was pleased with it. He did not obligate or object to something—whether large or small—unless Allah was pleased with it. He, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, called creation to Allah and struggled in his land until Allah took him to Himself.