Miftah Tariq al-Awliya
- Author died
- 711 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah lil-Tiba'ah wa-al-Nashr wa-al-Tawzi'
Miftah Tariq al-Awliya (The Key to the Path of the Saints) is a short treatise on spiritual counsel, ethics, and ascetic devotion by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Shaykh al-Hizamayn (Imad al-Din Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Wasiti, 657–711 AH / 1259–1311 CE) . It outlines the core disciplines required for the spiritual traveler (al-sa'ir ila Allah) seeking proximity to God and salvation on the Day of Judgment through adherence to the Sharia and the prophetic tradition .
Purpose and Themes
The work is intended as an admonitory and pedagogical guide (wa‘z wa-tadhkir) detailing the spiritual journey rooted in traditional Sunni orthodoxy . Ibn Shaykh al-Hizamayn emphasizes that true spiritual realization (al-irfan) and sainthood (wilayah) cannot be divorced from scrupulous observance of legal obligations, purification of intention, and strict adherence to the Quran and Sunnah .
Structure and Content
The treatise opens with praise of the righteous ascetics who dedicate their nights and days to worship, followed by several short topical sections (fusul) :
- Eschatological Preparation and Piety: The author warns of the tribulations of the Day of Judgment, urging the reader to prepare through piety (taqwa), guarding the physical limbs from forbidden acts, fulfilling neglected obligations (such as missed prayers, fasts, and zakat), and clearing grievances with fellow humans to enter the ranks of the righteous .
- Seeking Sacred Knowledge: The seeker aspiring to join elite spiritual scholars is directed to study Hadith purely for God’s sake, to maintain daily litanies (awrād) of authenticated prophetic supplications, and to cultivate constant blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ . The author also urges the study of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) free from worldly ambitions—such as seeking judicial posts, professorships, or regular salaries (jamakiyyah)—contrasting sincere scholars of the hereafter with scholars driven by worldly prestige .
- Chastity and Inward Integrity: Ibn Shaykh al-Hizamayn stresses the importance of preserving chastity in youth, noting that early self-restraint prepares the heart to receive wisdom, dignity, and saintly friendship with God, while unchastity corrupts one's innate disposition (fitrah) .
- Modesty and Constant Vigilance: The author instructs the seeker to habituate oneself to modesty before God (al-haya' min Allah) in privacy, cultivating awareness of God’s omnipresence for periods each day while keeping this inward spiritual exercise concealed .
- Companionship and Prayer: The work advises cutting ties with idle individuals and evil companions while keeping company with pious jurists and Sunni Sufis grounded in Hadith and traditions . It concludes with counsel on maintaining deep focus, reverent awe, and presence of heart during ritual prayer (salah) .
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscript copies of the treatise are preserved in the Awqaf Library in Baghdad and King Saud University in Riyadh, titled in some records as Miftah Tariq al-Awliya wa-Ahl al-Zuhd min al-Ulama . Another three-leaf copy, transcribed in 1320 AH by the Kuwaiti scholar Abd Allah ibn Khalaf al-Dihyan, is held at the Library of the Fiqh Encyclopedia at the Ministry of Awqaf in Kuwait .
The treatise was edited by Muhammad ibn Nasir al-Ajmi and published by Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah in Beirut (1420 AH / 1999 CE) as the first entry in its Liqa' al-Ashr al-Awakhir bi-al-Masjid al-Haram publication series .
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