Maalim fi al-Suluk wa Tazkiyat al-Nufus
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- Dār al-Waṭan
Maalim fi al-Suluk wa Tazkiyat al-Nufus (Landmarks in Conduct and the Purification of Souls) is a treatise on Islamic spirituality, ethics, and self-rectification by the contemporary Saudi scholar Abd al-Aziz bin Muhammad Al Abd al-Latif, expounding spiritual conduct according to the creed and methodology of the Sunni predecessors (Ahl al-Sunnah).
Purpose and Background
The author composed the work to address what he viewed as a scarcity of contemporary literature handling spiritual conduct (suluk) and self-purification (tazkiyah) strictly through the Sunni-Salafi framework. He observed behavioral shortcomings and deviations among many Sunnis and sought to articulate an orthodox Sunni perspective on spirituality. In doing so, he emphasized that early Muslim scholars consistently paired doctrinal creed with moral conduct, integrating ethical traits into their theological compilations. He also highlighted that outward actions and inward beliefs are intrinsically interconnected, arguing that ideological trends such as Murji'ite theology historically contributed to the neglect of behavioral and spiritual discipline by reducing faith to mere intellectual assent.
Structure and Content
The book is structured into two main parts, balancing theoretical foundations with practical illustrations from the early generations (al-Salaf):
- Part One: Landmarks in Conduct and Soul Purification (Ma‘alim fi al-suluk wa-tazkiyat al-nufus): Lays out the theoretical principles and methodological guidelines of the Salaf in approaching spiritual matters. It establishes that the exclusive source for determining lawful spiritual conduct and manners is the Quran and Sunnah, adhering strictly to revealed textual expressions and meanings rather than mystical intuitions, subjective opinions, or theological scholasticism.
- Part Two: Selected Behavioral Topics (Namadhij mukhtarah li-mawdu‘at sulukiyyah): Serves as a practical application of these principles, examining five core spiritual subjects with illustrative narrations and sayings of the early scholars:
- Ahl al-Sunnah know the truth and show mercy to creation (Ahl al-Sunnah ya‘lamun al-haqq wa-yarhamun al-khalq).
- Purification of souls (Tazkiyat al-nufus).
- Actions of the heart (A‘mal al-qulub).
- The plots of Satan (Maka'id al-Shaytan).
- Sincerity and self-admiration (Al-Ikhlas wa-l-‘ujb).
Publication
The work was published in Riyadh in 1414 AH (c. 1993–1994 CE) in printings by Dar al-Watan and Dar Taybah.
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