Ma Yajibu an Yarifahu al-Muslim an Dinhi
- Author died
- 1415 AH
- Editions
- General Presidency for the Administrations of Scientific Research, Ifta, Call and Guidance
Ma Yajibu an Ya‘rifahu al-Muslim ‘an Dinih (What Every Muslim Must Know About His Religion) is an instructional handbook on fundamental Islamic creed, essential acts of worship, and pilgrimage rites written by the Saudi scholar and Grand Mosque preacher Abd Allah al-Khayyat (d. 1415 AH / 1995 CE).
Purpose and Scope
The author composed the work as a direct, accessible guide outlining the essential religious knowledge incumbent upon every Muslim, addressing in particular pilgrims and visitors arriving in the holy places of Mecca and Medina. In his introduction, the author opens with Surat al-Asr to emphasize the necessity of mutual exhortation to truth and patience, presenting the text as concise Islamic guidance aimed at grounding believers in the fundamental obligations of their faith.
Structure and Contents
The book is arranged into sequential topical episodes (halaqat) followed by historical overviews and a concluding section on holy sanctuaries.
Creed and Sincerity of Worship
The early sections elucidate the virtues of Mecca and the Sacred Sanctuary (al-Haram), followed by the concept of worship (‘ibadah) and the imperative of sincerity (ikhlas). The author details that worship must be devoted purely to God alone, establishing that acts such as prayer, supplication (du‘a), seeking assistance (isti‘anah), seeking relief in distress (istighathah), and sacrificial slaughter (dhabh) are the exclusive right of God, and directing them to created beings constitutes association with God (shirk).
The Five Pillars of Islam
The author systematically expounds upon the pillars of Islam:
- The Two Testimonies of Faith (al-Shahadatayn): Sincerity in affirming the oneness of God, coupled with the firm belief in the messengership of Muhammad ﷺ, complete obedience to his commands, and acknowledgment of him as the final prophet.
- Ritual Prayer (Salah): The prerequisite of purification (taharah), covering the removal of impurities, full ablution (ghusl), the complete method and virtues of minor ablution (wudu'), covering the private parts (‘awrah), and facing the Qiblah. It includes the prescribed number of daily obligatory prayers and units (rak‘ahs), a practical description of how to pray based on prophetic traditions, as well as the virtues and rulings of congregational prayer (salat al-jama‘ah) and the Friday prayer (salat al-jumu‘ah).
- Obligatory Almsgiving (Zakat): The conditions of Nisab and the passage of one lunar year (al-hawl), the types of assessable wealth—gold, silver, trade merchandise, agricultural produce, and livestock—the eligible recipients enumerated in the Quran, and the rules governing Zakat al-Fitr.
- Fasting (Sawm): The merits of Ramadan, the determination of the crescent moon, who is obliged to fast, legal exemptions for the sick, traveler, pregnant, and nursing women, and days on which fasting is prohibited.
- Pilgrimage (Hajj and ‘Umrah): The prohibitions of ihram and their expiations (fidyah), the procedure of arrival, circumambulation (Tawaf), sa‘y between Safa and Marwah, standing at Arafat, staying overnight at Muzdalifah, stoning the pillars (rami al-jamarat) at Mina, and the farewell circumambulation (tawaf al-wada‘). The author concludes the rites with a full narration of the Prophet's Farewell Pilgrimage based on the hadith of Jabir ibn Abd Allah.
History of the Ka'bah and Holy Sanctuaries
The work outlines the history and rebuilding phases of the Ka'bah, beginning with the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, through the reconstructions by Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, the Umayyad Caliphate under Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the Ottoman Sultan Murad after the flood of 1039 AH, and the repairs mandated by the Saudi government in 1377 AH.
The conclusion highlights the merits of traveling to the three sacred mosques—al-Masjid al-Haram, the Prophet's Mosque, and al-Aqsa Mosque. It describes the proper etiquette (adab) for visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, greeting the Prophet ﷺ without raised voices or excessive veneration (ghuluw), offering salutations to Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab, and visiting Quba Mosque.
Publication History
The book was published in 1385 AH (103 pages) jointly by the Ministry of Hajj in Riyadh and the Muslim World League in Mecca. A second edition appeared that same year from the Ministry of Hajj, followed by a third edition published by Dar al-Madani in Jeddah in 1407 AH (96 pages).
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