A Classical Book and Its Content: Masa’il al-Muhtadi li Ikhwanil Mubtadi, The Guide for the Right Path for Beginners

Author: Shaikh Dawud b. Ismail
Editor: Mehmet Ozay 
ISBN: 9789839379730
Publisher Name: ISTAC - IIUM Publications
Country: Malaysia
Language: English
Weight: 325gsm
Price: RM80

This book originates from the book titled Masail al Muhtadi li Ikhwanil Mubtadi which can be translated as 'The Guide for the Right Path for Beginners' a classical Malay Jawi text written by Shaikh Dawud b. İsmail b. Mustafa Rumi. It is a teaching material catering to individual needs of fundamental Islamic knowledge, say, fiqh, or designated as course material for the initial stage of a traditional Islamic education centre. The importance of this work is based on its having been actively used since it is written and recurringly produced generation by generation in larger segments of the Malay world.

The work aims to introduce both the work and its author. The former is aligned with its importance, about its teaching methodology. In addition, the intellectual biography of Baba Dawud which is mainly based on his being one of the salient disciples of Abdurrauf as-Singkili is believed to introduce us both his personal life story as much as the sources allowed peculiarly his engagement with scholarly circles in Aceh and the socio-cultural and political environment during his lifetime.