The Question of Abū al-Qāsim al-Maghribī

Would the shaykh and imam, a living legacy of the early generations and an exemplar for later ones, the most learned person I have met in the lands of the East and West, Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-‘Abbās Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, kindly advise me on what will set right my religious and worldly affairs? I also ask him to direct me to a book on which I may rely in the science of hadith, and likewise in the other Islamic sciences; to point out to me the best righteous deeds after the obligatory duties; and to explain to me the most preferable means of earning a livelihood—all in the form of brief pointers. May Allah Most High preserve him. Noble greetings of peace be upon him, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

He replied:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. As for “advice,” I know of no counsel more beneficial than the counsel of Allah and His Messenger for one who understands it