This book covers an aspect of knowledge that is both noble and important in that it discusses abstinence of the worldly life and carries a warning from ever being infatuated with it, competing for it, or allowing it to become the main concern of oneself or an ultimate objective. Whoever finds themselves as such will be significantly harmed by it, and it will be the reason for his demise and prevention from all that is good.

This book is a translation of Ibn ʿAqīl al-Ḥanbalī’s (d. 513/1119) essay on Islamic manners, Fuṣul al-Adab wa Makarim al-Akhlaq al-Mashruʿah. It presents a significant number of commendable etiquettes Muslims are required to observe for everyday living and dealings. Ibn ʿAqīl’s essay is considered to be the shortest, and the earliest extant work from the Ḥanbalī school on Islamic manners.