Bidāyat al-ʿĀbid

Commencement of the Worshiper

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Baʿli

Bidāyat al-ʿĀbid wa Kifāyat al-Zāhid/Commencement of the Worshiper & Sufficiency of the Ascetic is the first rung on the ladder to mastering the science of Islamic Jurisprudence.  This concise juristic manual, by the great scholar ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Baʿli, introduces the fledgling disciple to the illustrious school of the great Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal.  This text, largely based on several primary references of the official canon—as so deemed by the latter era of Hanbalite scholars—including the monumental book Muntaha al-Irādāt by Ibn al-Najjār, presents the most common issues pertaining to the rites and rituals of worship i.e. purification, prayer, funeral proceedings, alms-giving, fasting, pilgrimage, and briefly touches on legal rulings and ethics of military service.  Upon completing a thorough study of this text, the student will have become familiar with the scholarly style and classic approach of leading jurists and is certain to have developed a yearning to learn more.

Module 1 - Purification

In this module, you will learn about istinja, istijmar, personal hygiene, wudu, wiping over socks, invalidators of wudu, ghusl, tayammum, removal of najasah, impurities, and natural blood of women.

Module 2 - Prayer

In this module, you will learn about the adhan and iqamah, prerequisites, pillars, obligations, and recommendations of prayer, the prostration of forgetfulness, recommended prayers, voluntary prayers, prohibited times of prayer, congregational prayer, Imamship, excuses from the congregation, the prayer of the ill, shortening and combining prayer, Friday prayer, Eid prayer, and more.

Module 3 - Funerals

In this module, you will learn about washing and shrouding of the deceased, the funeral prayer, burial, and condolences.

Module 4 - Zakat

In this module, you will learn about the zakat on livestock, earthly yields, gold and silver, zakat al-fitr, distribution, and charity.

Module 5 - Fasting

In this module, you will learn about the obligation of fasting, fast invalidators, expiations, recommended acts, voluntary fasts, and ittifak.

Module 6 - Hajj

In this module, you will learn about miqats, ihram, Hajj types, prohibitions of ihram, expiations, appraisal of game animals, the description of Hajj and Umah, hady, udhiyah, and Aqiqah.

Module 7 - Military Service

In this module, you will learn about recruitment, spoils, booty, pacts, breaking pacts, and more.