Overview

This is a work of tawhid and is a translation of and commentary on Shaykh Daud al-Fatani’s teacher, al-Marzuqi’s Tahsil Nayl al-Maram fi Sharh ‘Aqidat al-‘Awam (Achieving the Goal in Explaining the Common Beliefs). It is a treatise that covers the principle beliefs of Islam such as belief in Allah, the Prophets, and Mala’ika (angels).

Authorship

Completed Safar 24, 1245 AH [August 25, 1829] by Shaykh Daud b. ‘Abd Allah al-Fatani, in Mecca.

Manuscripts

This was the most popular text in the Patani knowledge network in the 1840s and continued to be distributed through its channels until at least the 1860s. It also saw moderate levels of publication in the Middle East from the 1880s onwards. On rare occasions when it was included in manuscript compilations, this text was typically paired with Shaykh Daud al-Fatani’s other works Al-Bahja al-Marḍiyya and Munyat al-Musalli as well as works by other scholars in the network.

14 known manuscript copies

Manuscripts with dated colophons (8):

1. 1843, Jan. Copied “waktu zuhur, hari Selasa, bulaj Dhu’l-Hijja 1258 AH di Mecca.” IAM 152A: 26 pp. Bound together with IAM 152B–Muniyat al-Musalli and IAM 152C: Bahjat al-Mardiyya.
2. 1843, Jan. Copied by Shaykh Muhammad Shihab al-Din b. Shaykh Muhammad Arshad, “waktu zuhur, hari Selasa, Dhu’l-Hijja 1258 AH.” PNM 130: 18 ff. This ms was the source for IAM 359A (see below).
3. 1842/3. Copied by ‘Abd al-Malik b. Muhammad Amin Fatani, 1258 AH, in Mecca. PNM 306: 18 ff.
4. 1843, May 3. Copied 2 Rabi al-akhir 1259 AH in Mecca. PNM 1202: 25 ff., double copper-red, brown, or gray frame, with some pages frameless.
5. 1843/4. Copied by ‘Abd al-Malik b. Muhammad Amin Fatani, 1259 AH, [in Mecca]. PNM 593: 17 ff., double red frame.
6. 1845, Apr 12. Copied by Mahmud b. Muhammad Yusuf al-Tarkanu, 4 Rabi al-akhir 1261 AH. PNM 2768A: 19 ff. [formerly IAM 244]. Bound together with PNM 2768B: Muniyat al-Musalli, PNM 2768C: Bahjat al-Mardiyya, PNM 2768D: Al-Bahjat al-Saniyya fi al-‘Aqaid al-Saniyya, PNM 2768E: [syair nasihat].
7. 1847. Copied 1263 AH. RAS Maxwell 80: 32 ff. Owned by Encik Muhammad Ali b. al-Haji Muhammad Hassan Khatib. Donated by Maxwell in 1898.
8. 1866, Jun. Copied by Haji Muhammad Yusuf b. ‘Abd Allah b. al-marhum Muhammad Salih, hari Sabtu, end of Muharram 1283 AH in Mecca. IAM 359A: 34 pp.

Manuscripts with undated or partially-dated colophons (1):

1. Copied by Shaykh Muhammad Shihab al-Din anak Shaykh Muhammad Arshad, “hari Sabtu, 16 Safar, in Mecca.” IAM 126: 33 pp.

Manuscripts without colophons (4):

1. IAM 295: 41 pp.
2. MNJ: uncatalogued, poor condition.
3. PNM 907(2): 8 ff., incomplete.
4. PNM 2768D: 7 ff. Bound together with PNM 2768A: Al-Bahjat al-Saniyya fi al-‘Aqaid al-Saniyya, PNM 2768B: Muniyat al-Musalli, PNM 2768C: Bahjat al-Mardiyya, PNM 2768E: [syair nasihat].
5. PNM 2899: 11 ff.

Published Editions

1. 1885/6. Mecca: Matbaah al-Miriyya al-Kayna, 1303 AH. Holding: PNM.
2. 1888/9. Constantinople: publisher unknown. Holding: UL.
3. 1912/3. Mecca: Matbaah al-Miriyya al-Kayna, 1331 AH. Holding: PNM.
4. Undated. Yala: Sahabat Press.
5. 1999. Kuala Lumpur: Khazanah Fathaniyah. Holding: UKM.