al-Fātiḥah in every rakʿah of our prayers—obligatory and voluntary alike—because it contains tremendous secrets, foremost among them this exalted supplication: that Allah guide us to follow the path of those who possess beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, the path that brings salvation in this world and the Hereafter; and that He keep us away from the path of the doomed, who have fallen short either in righteous action or in beneficial knowledge.

Then know, dear reader, that beneficial knowledge is drawn only from the Qur’an and the Sunnah through careful understanding and reflection, with the aid of sincere teachers and the books of exegesis, hadith commentary, jurisprudence, grammar, and the Arabic language in which the Qur’an was revealed. These works are the gateway to grasping the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Accordingly, my Muslim brother, it is obligatory—if your deeds are to be sound—that you learn whatever will set your religion aright: the rulings of your prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and the zakat due on your wealth. You must also study the rulings on financial transactions that concern you, so that you may take what Allah has permitted and avoid what He has forbidden, rendering your earnings lawful, your food lawful, and your supplications answered. All of this you urgently need to learn, and it is attainable, by Allah’s permission, whenever your resolve is firm and your intention sincere.

Therefore, be diligent in reading beneficial books and in keeping close to the scholars—ask them about anything unclear to you and receive from them the rulings of your religion. Likewise, make a point of attending religious seminars and lectures.