Introduction

Manhaj al-Salikeen wa Tawdih al-Fiqh fi al-Din is one of the most celebrated concise works in Hanbali jurisprudence, composed by the eminent Saudi scholar Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Sa'di (1889–1956 CE / 1307–1376 AH). Born in Unayzah in the Qasim region of the Arabian Peninsula, al-Sa'di was a prolific jurist, exegete, and theologian whose influence continues to shape Islamic scholarship to this day. He is perhaps best known as the teacher of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin, one of the most prominent Hanbali scholars of the twentieth century.

This primer, whose title may be translated as The Way of the Travellers and Clarification of Jurisprudence in Religion, was composed to serve students and laypeople who require a reliable, accessible guide to Islamic law grounded in the Quran and Sunnah. Al-Sa'di consistently prioritized evidence-based reasoning while remaining firmly within the Hanbali school, often noting when the preponderant view of the madhhab diverged from what he considered the stronger proof. This approach gave the text an authoritative yet accessible quality that has made it a staple of Islamic study circles across the Arabic-speaking world and beyond.

The work covers the major chapters of practical fiqh: purification, prayer, zakat, fasting, hajj, transactions, marriage, divorce, criminal rulings, and related topics. Each chapter is concise yet substantive, presenting the essential rulings with their evidential basis, enabling the reader to understand not merely the what of Islamic practice but also the why. This methodology reflects al-Sa'di's broader pedagogical philosophy that a student of knowledge should understand the purposes and proofs behind rulings, not simply memorize them.

This Islam.wiki edition presents the chapters of Manhaj al-Salikeen in English, Indonesian, and Arabic, making this classical Hanbali primer accessible to a global Muslim readership. Readers are encouraged to study these chapters in sequence, beginning with purification and moving through the acts of worship before proceeding to transactions and personal law. Each chapter can also be read independently as a reference for specific legal questions.