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Manhaj al-Ḥaqq: The Path of Truth
A poem on sound beliefs and upright morals by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nāṣir al-Saʿdī — encompassing the essential aspects of tawḥīd, noble character, and the foundations of all knowledge. Year 1345 AH.
Treatise One
Introduction & Overview
This poem encompasses the essential aspects of tawḥīd: the unity of worship, the unity of lordship, and the unity of names and attributes. It highlights the key doctrines that unite Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah, encouraging reflection on Allah's creation and His signs (ayāt) that clearly point to Him. It invites contemplation of His names and attributes and promotes noble character and purification from negative traits—since these form the roots and foundations of all knowledge.
The verses are attributed to Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nāṣir al-Saʿdī—may Allah reward him with goodness.
Tawḥīd al-ʿIbādah
Unity of Worship
Tawḥīd al-Rubūbiyyah
Unity of Lordship
Tawḥīd al-Asmāʾ
Unity of Names & Attributes
Noble Character
Purification from negative traits
١- فَيَا سَائِلًا عَنْ مَنْهَجِ الْحَقِّ يَبْتَغِي *** سُلُوكَ طَرِيقِ الْقَوْمِ حَقًّا وَيَسْعَدُ
1 O seeker who yearns for the path of truth, earnestly desiring to tread the way of the people, so that he may truly prosper and find felicity—
٢- تأمَّلْ هَدَاكَ اللهُ مَا قَدْ نَظَمْتُهُ *** تَأَمُّلَ مَنْ قَدْ كَانَ لِلْحَقِّ يَقْصِدُ
2 Consider well—may Allah guide you aright—what I have composed here for you, with the contemplation of one who sincerely aims for the truth.
On Tawḥīd
Affirming the Oneness of Allah
٣- نُقِرُّ بِأَنَّ اللهَ لَا رَبَّ غَيْرُهُ *** إِلَهٌ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ مُمجَّدُ
3 We affirm that none is Lord besides Allah— the One God, exalted upon the mighty Throne, glorified and revered.
٤- وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ اللهَ مَعْبُودُنَا الَّذِي *** نُخَصِّصُهُ بِالحُبِّ ذُلّاً وَنُفْرِدُ
4 And we bear witness that Allah alone is our object of worship— Him we single out in love, in humble devotion, and in exclusive servitude.
٥- فلِلَّهِ كُلُّ الْحَمْدِ وَالْمَجْدِ وَالثَّنَا *** فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَا كُلٌّ إِلَى اللهِ يَقْصُدُ
5 To Allah belong all praise, all majesty, and all exaltation; and for this reason, every creature turns toward Allah as its ultimate goal.
٦- تُسبِّحهُ الْأَمْلَاكُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَالسَّمَا *** وَكُلُّ جَمِيعِ الْخَلْقِ حَقًّا وَتَحْمَدُ
6 The angels glorify Him, and so do the earth and the heavens, and all created beings indeed praise Him in truth.
His Lofty Transcendence
The Attributes of the Noble Lord
Verses 7–16 affirm the divine attributes as they have come, without distortion or denial, and call the believer to surrender to what the Messenger ﷺ has declared.
٧- تَنَزَّهَ عَنْ نِدٍّ وَكُفْءٍ مُمَاثِلٍ *** وَعَنْ وَصْفِ ذِي النُّقْصَانِ جَلَّ المُوَحَّدُ
7 He is exalted far above having any equal, peer, or likeness, and far above every description that entails deficiency— glorified is He who is singled out (with what is rightfully His).
٨- وَنُثْبِتُ أَخْبَارَ الصِّفَاتِ جَمِيعَهَا *** وَنَبْرَأُ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ مَنْ كَانَ يَجْحَدُ
8 We affirm all the reports of His attributes as they have come, and we repudiate the interpretations of those who deny them.
٩- فَلَيْسَ يُطِيقُ الْعَقْلُ كُنْهَ صِفَاتِهِ *** فسَلِّمْ لِمَا قَالَ الرَّسُولُ مُحَمَّدُ
9 For the human mind cannot grasp the reality of His attributes; so surrender, then, to what the Messenger Muḥammad ﷺ has declared.
١٠- هُوَ الصَّمَدُ الْعَالِي لِعِظْمِ صِفَاتِهِ *** وَكُلُّ جَمِيعِ الْخَلْقِ للهِ يَصْمُدُ
10 He is al-Ṣamad— the One to whom all creation turns in absolute need—exalted by the greatness of His attributes; and to Allah every creature directs its plea and dependence.
١١- عَلِىٌّ عَلَا ذَاتًا وَقَدْرًا وَقَهْرُهُ *** قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ بِالوَرَى مُتَوَدِّدُ
11 He is Most High in His essence (dhāt), Most Lofty in His rank (qadr), His dominion (qahr) prevailing over all; yet He is near, responsive, and lovingly benevolent to His servants.
١٢- هُوَ الْحَيُّ وَالْقَيُّومُ ذُو الْجُودِ وَالْغِنَى *** وَكُلُّ صِفَاتِ الْحَمْدِ للهِ تُسْنَدُ
12 He is the Ever-Living (al-Ḥayy), the Self-Sustaining (al-Qayyūm)— the One endowed with generosity and absolute independence; and every attribute of praise is ascribed to Allah alone.
١٣- أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ الْخَلْقِ عِلْمًا وَقُدْرَةً *** وَبِرًّا وَإِحْسَانًا فَإِيَّاهُ نَعْبُدُ
13 He has encompassed all creation with His knowledge and His power, and with His beneficence and His grace— and it is Him alone that we worship.
١٤- وَيُبْصِرُ ذَرَّاتِ الْعَوَالِمِ كُلَّهَا *** وَيَسْمَعُ أَصْوَاتَ الْعِبَادِ وَيَشْهَدُ
14 He beholds every particle in all the worlds, He hears the voices of His servants, and He witnesses all things.
١٥- لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَالْحَمْدُ الْمُحِيطُ بِمُلْكِهِ *** وَحِكْمَتُهُ الْعُظْمَى بِهَا الْخَلْقُ تَشْهَدُ
15 To Him belongs the dominion, and to Him belongs the praise that pervades His entire kingdom; and His supreme wisdom is testified to by all creatures.
١٦- وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ اللهَ يَنْزِلُ فِي الدُّجَى *** كَمَا قَالَهُ الْمَبْعُوثُ بِالحَقِّ أَحْمَدُ
16 And we bear witness that Allah descends in the depth of night, just as the one sent with the truth—Aḥmad—has reported.
Faith & Doctrine
The Messengers, the Companions, the Qurʾān & the Decree
١٧- وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ اللهَ أَرْسَلَ رُسْلَهُ *** بِآيَاتِهِ لِلْخَلْقِ تَهْدِي وَتُرْشِدُ
17 And we testify that Allah sent His messengers with His signs, guiding and directing all creation.
١٨- وَفَاضَلَ بَيْنَ الرُّسْلِ وَالْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمْ *** بِحِكْمَتِهِ جَلَّ العَظِيمُ الْمُوَحَّدُ
18 And He granted degrees of superiority among the messengers and all created beings, by His wisdom—exalted is the Mighty, the One and Only.
١٩- فَأَفْضَلُ خَلْقِ اللهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَا *** نَبِيُّ الهُدَى وَالعَالَمِينَ مُحَمَّدُ
19 And the best of all creation—in heaven and on earth— is Muḥammad, the Prophet of guidance and of all the worlds.
٢٠- وَخَصَّ لَهُ الرَّحمنُ أَصْحَابَهُ الأُلَى *** أَقَامُوا الْهُدَى وَالدِّينَ حَقًّا وَمَهَّدُوا
20 And the Most Merciful granted him his earliest Companions—those who established the guidance and the religion in full truth and laid its firm foundations.
٢١- فَحُبُّ جَمِيعِ الآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ عِنْدَنَا *** مَعَاشِرَ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ فَرْضٌ مُؤَكَّدُ
21 So love for all his family and his Companions is, for us—the people of truth—an affirmed and binding duty.
٢٢- وَمِنْ قَوْل ِ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ أَنَّ كَلَامَهُ *** هُوَ اللَّفْظُ وَالمَعْنَى جَمِيعًا مُجَوَّدُ
22 Among the affirmations of the people of truth is this: that His speech—both its wording and its meaning—is recited in perfect clarity and beauty, truly His.
٢٣- وَلَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ وَأَنَّى لِخَلْقِهِ *** بِقَوْلٍ كَقَوْلِ اللهِ إِذْ هُوَ أَمْجَدُ
23 And it is not created; for how could the speech of His creation resemble a speech like that of Allah—He whose word is the most exalted of all?
٢٤- وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ الْخَيْرَ وَالشَّرَّ كُلَّهُ *** بِتَقْدِيرِهِ وَالْعَبْدُ يَسْعَى وَيَجْهَدُ
24 And we bear witness that every good and every evil comes by His decree; yet the servant strives, exerts himself, and takes action.
٢٥- وَإِيمَانُنَا قَوْلٌ وَفِعْلٌ وَنِيَّةٌ *** مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالطَّاعَاتِ فِيهَا نُقَيِّدُ
25 Our faith consists of speech, action, and intention— and through righteous deeds and acts of obedience, it becomes firmly bound.
٢٦- وَيَزْدَادُ بِالطَّاعَاتِ مَعْ تَرْكِ مَا نَهَى *** وَيَنْقُصُ بِالعِصْيَانِ جَزْمًا وَيَفْسُدُ
26 It increases through obedience and the abandonment of all that He has forbidden; and it diminishes—certainly—through disobedience, and may even be ruined thereby.
٢٧- نُقِرُّ بِأَحْوَالِ القِيَامَةِ كُلِّهَا *** وَمَا اشْتَمَلَتْهُ الدَّارُ حَقًّا وَنَشْهَدُ
27 We affirm all the states and events of the Day of Resurrection, and everything that the Hereafter contains in truth—and we bear witness to it.
The Signs of Allah
Reflecting on the Almighty's Work
٢٨- تَفَكَّرْ بِآثَارِ العَظِيمِ وَمَا حَوَتْ *** مَمَالِكُهُ العُظْمَى لَعَلَّكَ تَرْشُدُ
28 Reflect upon the traces of the Almighty and upon all that His vast dominions contain— perhaps such reflection will guide you aright.
٢٩- أَلَمْ تَرَ هَذَا اللَّيْلَ إِذْ جَاءَ مُظْلِمًا *** فَأَعْقَبَهُ جَيْشٌ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ يَطْرُدُ
29 Have you not seen the night as it arrives in its darkness, only for an army of dawn to come in its wake and drive it away?
٣٠- تَأَمَّلْ بِأَرْجَاءِ السَّمَاءِ جَمِيعِهَا *** كَوَاكِبُهَا وَقَّادَةٌ تَتَرَدَّدُ
30 Contemplate the expanses of the heavens—their stars blazing with light, moving in continual harmony and motion.
٣١- أَلَيْسَ لِهَذَا مُحدِثٌ مُتَصَرِّفٌ *** حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ وَاحِدٌ مُتَفَرِّدُ
31 Is there not, behind all this, One who originates and directs—the all-wise, the all-knowing, the One and Only, without partner?
٣٢- بَلَى وَالَّذِي بِالحقِّ أَتْقَنَ صُنْعَهَا *** وَأَوْدَعَهَا الأَسْرَارَ للهِ تَشْهَدُ
32 Indeed—by Him who fashioned them in perfect truth, Who placed within them hidden marvels and mysteries— they all bear witness that they belong to Allah.
٣٣- وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ مُوقِنًا *** وَمَا تَنْفَعُ الْآيَاتُ مَنْ كَانَ يَجْحَدُ
33 And upon the earth are signs for whoever is certain in faith; yet signs do not benefit the one who persists in denial.
٣٤- وَفِي النَّفْسِ آيَاتٌ وَفِيهَا عَجَائِبُ *** بِهَا يُعْرَفُ اللهُ العَظِيمُ وَيُعْبَدُ
34 And within the human soul are signs—wonders woven into its very nature—by which the great Allah is known and worshipped.
٣٥- لَقَدْ قَامَتِ الْآيَاتُ تَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ *** إِلَهٌ عَظِيمٌ فَضْلُهُ لَيْسَ يَنْفَدُ
35 The signs have arisen in full clarity, testifying that He is the mighty God whose bounty never ceases or diminishes.
٣٦- فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ غَرْسِ الْإِلَهِ أَجَابَهُ *** وَلَيْسَ لِمَنْ وَلَّى وَأَدْبَرَ مُسْعِدُ
36 So whoever is of the planting of the Divine responds to His call; but the one who turns away and withdraws— no helper shall he find.
Taqwā & Sincerity
The Command to Fear Allah, Be Sincere & Rely on Him
٣٧- عَلَيْكَ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ فِي فِعْلِ أَمْرِهِ *** وَتَجْتَنِبُ الْمَنْهِيَّ عَنْهُ وَتُبْعِدُ
37 Hold fast to the fear of Allah by fulfilling His commands, and avoid what He has forbidden—keeping far away from it.
٣٨- وَكُنْ مُخْلِصًا للهِ وَاحْذَرْ مِنَ الرِّيَا *** وَتَابِعْ رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْبُدُ
38 Be sincere to Allah in all that you do, and beware of showing off; and follow the Messenger of Allah if it is truly Him you worship.
٣٩- تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الرَّحمنِ حَقًّا وَثِقْ بِهِ *** لِيَكْفِيكَ مَا يُغْنِيكَ حَقًّا وَتَرْشُدُ
39 Rely upon the Most Merciful with full trust, and place your confidence in Him—so that He may suffice you in all that enriches your soul and guides you aright.
On Patience and Purifying the Heart
٤٠- تَصَبَّرْ عَنِ العِصْيَانِ وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِهِ *** وَصَابِرْ عَلَى الطَّاعَاتِ عَلَّكَ تَسْعَدُ
40 Restrain yourself from sin, be patient with His decree, and persevere in acts of obedience—that perhaps you may attain happiness.
٤١- وَكُنْ سَائِرًا بَيْنَ الْمَخَافَةِ وَالرَّجَا *** هُمَا كَجَنَاحَيْ طَائِرٍ حِينَ تَقْصِدُ
41 And walk your path between fear and hope, for they are like the two wings of a bird with which it directs itself toward its destination.
٤٢- وَقَلْبَكَ طَهِّرْهُ وَمِنْ كُلِّ آفَةٍ *** وَكُنْ أَبَدًا عَنْ عَيْبِهِ تَتَفَقَّدُ
42 Purify your heart of every affliction and blemish, and be ever mindful of uncovering and correcting its faults.
Noble Character
Counsel, Companionship & Detachment from the World
٤٣- وَجَمِّلْ بِنُصْحِ الْخَلْقِ قَلْبَكَ إِنَّهُ *** لَأَعْلَى جَمَالٍ لِلْقُلُوبِ وَأَجْوَدُ
43 Beautify your heart by having goodwill and offering sincere counsel to Allah's creation, for it is among the noblest and most excellent adornments of the heart.
٤٤- وَصَاحِبْ إِذَا صَاحَبْتَ كُلَّ مُوَفَّقٍ *** يَقُودُكَ لِلْخَيْرَاتِ نُصْحًا وَيُرْشِدُ
44 And when you keep company, then keep it with one who is rightly guided—one who leads you toward goodness through his counsel and direction.
٤٥- وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْمَرْءَ الَّذِي إِنْ صَحِبْتَهُ *** خَسِرْتَ خَسَارًا لَيْسَ فِيهِ تَرَدُّدُ
45 And beware of the person whose companionship brings you only loss—a loss about which there is no uncertainty.
٤٦- خُذِ العَفْوَ مِنَ أَخْلَاقِ مَنْ قَدْ صَحِبْتَهُ *** كَمَا يَأْمُرُ الرَّحْمَنُ فِيهِ وَيُرْشِدُ
46 Take what is easy and gracious from the character of those you accompany—as the Most Merciful commands and as He guides.
٤٧- تَرَحَّلْ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا فَلَيْسَتْ إِقَامَةً *** وَلَكِنَّهَا زَادٌ لِمَنْ يَتَزَوَّدُ
47 Detach yourself from this worldly life, for it is not a place of lasting residence; rather, it is a storehouse of provisions for whoever strives to prepare.
٤٨- وَكُنْ سَالِكًا طُرْقَ الَّذِينَ تَقَدَّمُوا *** إِلَى المَنْزِلِ البَاقِي الَّذِي لَيْسَ يَنْفَدُ
48 And walk the paths of those who went before you toward the everlasting abode—the dwelling that never perishes.
Remembrance of Allah
On the Remembrance of Allah — Dhikr
٤٩- وَكُنْ ذَاكِرًا للهِ فِي كُلِّ حَالَةٍ *** فَلَيْسَ لِذِكْرِ اللهِ وَقْتٌ مُقَيَّدُ
49 Be ever mindful of Allah in every state, for the remembrance of Allah is not confined to a single time.
٥٠- فَذِكْرُ إِلهِ الْعَرْشِ سِرًّا وَمُعْلَنًا *** يُزِيلُ الشَّقَا وَالهَمَّ عَنْكَ وَيَطْرُدُ
50 The remembrance of the Lord of the Throne—whether whispered in secret or proclaimed aloud—drives away misery and sorrow from your heart and casts them off.
٥١- وَيَجْلِبُ لِلْخَيْرَاتِ دُنْيًا وَآجِلًا *** وَإِنْ يَأْتِكَ الْوَسْوَاسُ يَوْمًا يُشَرِّدُ
51 It draws all forms of goodness, both in this world and in the next; and should whisperings of doubt come to trouble you one day, it scatters them and banishes them.
٥٢- فَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ المُخْتَارُ يَوْمًا لِصَحْبِهِ *** بِأَنَّ كَثِيرَ الذِّكْرِ فِي السَّبْقِ مُفْرِدُ
52 For the Chosen One once informed his Companions that the one abundant in remembrance is the one who outstrips all others in spiritual race.
٥٣- وَوَصَّى مُعَاذًا يَسْتَعِينُ إِلهَهُ *** عَلَى ذِكْرِهِ وَالشُّكْرِ بِالْحُسْنِ يَعْبُدُ
53 And he advised Muʿādh to seek the aid of his Lord—to worship Him with excellence—in remembering Him and in showing gratitude.
٥٤- وَأَوْصَى لِشَخْصٍ قَدْ أَتَى لِنَصِيحَةٍ *** وَقَدْ كَانَ فِي حَمْلِ الشَّرَائِعِ يَجْهَدُ
54 And he counseled a man who came seeking guidance, a man burdened by the duties of the divine law—
٥٥- بِأَنْ لَا يَزَلْ رَطْبًا لِسَانُكَ هذِهِ *** تُعِينُ عَلَى كُلِّ الْأُمُورِ وَتُسْعِدُ
55 that his tongue should remain ever moist with this remembrance, for it assists in all matters and brings happiness.
٥٦- وَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّ الذِّكْرَ غَرْسٌ لِأَهْلِهِ *** بِجَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ وَالمَسَاكِنُ تُمْهَدُ
56 And he informed that remembrance plants its seeds for its people in the Gardens of Eden, where their dwellings are prepared.
٥٧- وَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّ اللهَ يَذْكُرُ عَبْدَهُ *** وَمَعْهُ عَلَى كُلِّ الْأُمُورِ يُسَدِّدُ
57 And he stated that Allah Himself remembers His servant and is with him, providing support in all of his affairs.
٥٨- وَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّ الذِّكْرَ يَبْقَى بِجَنَّةٍ *** وَيَنْقَطِعُ التَّكْلِيفُ حِينَ يُخَلَّدُوا
58 And he informed that remembrance endures eternally in Paradise, while obligation and duty fall away when its people are made everlasting there.
٥٩- وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي ذِكْرِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ *** طَرِيقٌ إِلَى حُبِّ الْإِلَهِ وَمُرْشِدُ
59 And even if remembrance held no benefit except that it is the path leading to love of the Lord and the guide toward it—that alone would suffice.
٦٠- وَيَنْهَى الفَتَى عَنْ غِيبَةٍ وَنَمِيمَةٍ *** وَعَنْ كُلِّ قَوْلٍ لِلدِّيَانَةِ مُفْسِدُ
60 And it forbids the young person from backbiting and tale-carrying, and from every speech that corrupts one's religious integrity.
٦١- لَكَانَ لَنَا حَظٌّ عَظِيمٌ وَرَغْبَةٌ *** بِكَثْرَةِ ذِكْرِ اللهِ نِعْمَ المُوَحَّدُ
61 Were we to devote ourselves to abundant remembrance of Allah—what a splendid share and what a lofty longing it would be for us, O excellent One worthy of all worship!
٦٢- وَلَكِنَّنَا مِنْ جَهْلِنَا قَلَّ ذِكْرُنَا *** كَمَا قَلَّ مِنَّا لِلْإِلَهِ التَّعَبُّدُ
62 Yet because of our ignorance, our remembrance has grown meager—just as our devotion to Allah has diminished.
Conclusion
Closing Verses & Supplication
٦٣- وَسَلْ رَبَّكَ التَّوْفِيقَ وَالفَوْزَ دَائِمًا *** خَابَ عَبْدٌ لِلْمُهَيْمِنِ يَقْصِدُ
63 Ask your Lord continually for success and for everlasting victory; for ruined is the servant who turns away from the All-Dominating One.
٦٤- وَصَلِّ إِلهِي مَعْ سَلَامٍ وَرَحْمَةٍ *** عَلَى خَيْرِ مَنْ قَدْ كَانَ لِلْخَلْقِ يُرْشِدُ
64 And send, O Allah, blessings, peace, and mercy upon the best of those sent to guide all creation.
٦٥- وَآلٍ وَأَصْحَابٍ وَمَنْ كَانَ تَابِعًا *** صَلَاةً وَتَسْلِيمًا يَدُومُ وَيَخْلُدُ
65 And upon his family, his Companions, and all who follow them with loyalty— blessings and peace unending, everlasting and abiding.
Completed—may Allah forgive its writer, its poet, its reader, and whoever says "Āmīn," and all the Muslims. And may Allah send blessings upon Muḥammad.
Year 1345 AH.

Attributed to: Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nāṣir al-Saʿdī — may Allah reward him with goodness.