Risalat al-Mustarshidin
- Author died
- 243 AH
- Editions
- Maktab al-Maṭbūʿāt al-Islāmiyyah
Risalat al-Mustarshidin (Treatise for Seekers of Guidance) is a work on Sufism, spiritual ethics, and self-discipline by the ascetic and theologian Abu Abd Allah al-Harith ibn Asad al-Muhasibi (d. 243 AH / 857 CE) .
Purpose and Content
The treatise serves as a manual of moral and spiritual counsel for seekers on the spiritual path . Al-Muhasibi opens the text by praising God as the First, the Eternal, and the One without peer, stating that God chose people of discernment who observe His covenant and possess noble character and fear of Him . He emphasizes that the path of uprightness rests upon adhering to the limits of the Sharia through the Quran, the prophetic Sunnah, and the consensus of the guided imams .
Throughout the treatise, al-Muhasibi outlines practical spiritual guidance, including:
- Rooting personal rectitude in following the scripture, adhering to the Sunnah, and maintaining solidarity with the Muslim community .
- Avoiding dubious matters (shubuhat), curbing worldly reliance, and cultivating continuous mindfulness and repentance .
- Observing refined conduct with others, showing forbearance against harm, and shunning ostentation, excessive laughter, and idle jesting .
- Maintaining inner trust in God (tawakkul), satisfaction with divine decree, and humility while concealing hardship .
Modern Publication and Reception
The text gained widespread circulation in the modern era through the critical edition prepared and annotated by the Syrian scholar Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda, which underwent multiple printings and revisions based on surviving manuscript copies . The former Grand Mufti of Egypt, Hasanayn Muhammad Makhluf, commended this edition for its scholarly rigor and beneficial annotations .
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