al-Akhlaq al-Zakiyya fi Adab al-Talib al-Mardiyya
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Without publisher (King Fahd National Library Cataloging - Riyadh)
al-Akhlaq al-Zakiyya fi Adab al-Talib al-Mardiyya (The Pure Morals Regarding the Pleasing Etiquettes of the Student) is a concise pedagogical treatise on the ethics and etiquettes of Islamic scholarship by the Meccan educator Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Ahdal, completed in 1418 AH (1997 CE).
Background and Purpose
The author, Ahmad ibn Yusuf ibn Muhammad al-Ahdal, was a graduate of al-Madrasa al-Sawlatiyya and an instructor and student of knowledge at the Grand Mosque in Mecca. He composed the manual after observing that many contemporary students applied themselves diligently to religious studies yet failed to attain their intended benefits because they neglected the essential moral conditions and etiquettes of learning. He concluded the composition of the work on Friday, 17 Muharram 1418 AH.
Structure and Contents
The book opens with introductory chapters addressing three foundational topics: sincerity of intention for God Almighty, the virtue of knowledge and religious scholars, and the virtue of the student of knowledge alongside the encouragement to seek it.
The core text is organized into five main sections (aqsam):
- The student's etiquettes with himself (Adab al-talib ma'a nafsih)
- The student's etiquettes with his teacher (Adab al-talib ma'a shaykhih)
- The student's etiquettes with his lessons (Adab al-talib ma'a durusih)
- The student's etiquettes with books (Adab al-talib ma'a al-kitab)
- The etiquettes of social interaction with people (Adab al-mu'ashara ma'a al-khalq)
The work closes with a concise concluding overview (khatima) summarizing the character, virtues, and manners of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Method and Reception
The treatise draws upon authoritative classical works in the genre of scholarly ethics, distilling their insights and key sayings of earlier scholars into an accessible manual. It omits the extended chains of transmission (asanid) characteristic of early sourcebooks to make the material direct and suitable for contemporary students.
The work received commendations (taqariDH) from several contemporary scholars and educators in the Hijaz and Yemen. Commendators included Hashim Muhammad 'Ali Mahdi, advisor at the Muslim World League; Taha 'Abd al-Wasi' al-Barakati, former director of preaching and guidance at the Grand Mosque; Ahmad Jabir Jubran, former teacher at the Institute for Preparing Imams and Preachers; Hasan Muhammad al-Ahdal, vice president of Sana'a University; Majid Sa'id Mas'ud Rahmat Allah, director of al-Madrasa al-Sawlatiyya; and Ayyub Abkar Asad ibn 'Ali al-Ahdal.
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