A suggestion from the students regarding the method of explanation in the book *Iqtida' Sirat al-Mustaqim*, and the manuscript copies and their collations.
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The Shaykh : This is a suggestion; he says: I suggest that no one speak in the *Iqtida'* lesson except one who has a copy with him.
The student: Correct, yes, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : We agree, right away.
The student: Right away, what about the manuscripts?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: Yes, we agree, O Shaykh, that is good.
The Shaykh : Good? Meaning, without any questions here.
The student: That is up to you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: How should the method of questions be?
The Shaykh : The method of questions: every time we pass ten lines, three questions; every ten lines, three questions.
The student: A little, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : A little, every five questions.
The student: Because right now, even the verses in the Shaykh's speech are numerous, so if we count five lines.
The Shaykh : In my opinion, the verses, if we really wanted to speak about them, it would mean the lesson becomes an exegesis lesson.
The student: No, I say if we count every five lines, a verse might pass by us that occupies five lines.
The Shaykh : I mean, look, we add to ten lines twenty lines per page; well, by what do we consider a page? The Qari's copy is fine.
The student: Because, may Allah reward you, the speech in some parts is clear with no issue, it is flowing, and in some parts it needs clarification.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no doubt, this is the reality. But look, see, "clear" is known by those firmly grounded in knowledge, and "ambiguous" is not known by the firmly grounded except... yes, "clear" is known by those firmly grounded in knowledge, and the "ambiguous" is known only by those firmly grounded in knowledge. But in any case, there is no harm; we say a page is considered by the Qari's copy.
The student: May Allah reward you, this brother Abd al-Rahman suggests to me to read from this copy, saying it has no errors at all. Do you see this, O Shaykh, if it has no errors?
The Shaykh : We do not know, again.
The student: Yesterday, O Shaykh, it was all correct.
The Shaykh : Strange, which edition?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Of the same kind as the one you have.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Of the same kind as the one you have, Khalid.
The student: The one you gave me...
The Shaykh : The one who took it from me, there is no god but Allah, look, other men replaced it and came... You told me that I had left it in Egypt, so I said, take my copy.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah, my name is written on it. Well, perhaps I took it in haste and brought you this one. Let us see, let us get it. In any case, also, Hamad al-Faqi has the fewest marginal notes; the one with Abd al-Rahman has the fewest marginal notes.
The student: But O Shaykh, there is a difference in the reading of brother Khalid.
The Shaykh : How?
The student: It has additions.
The Shaykh : Strange, you have it.
The student: There are things we noted and wanted to point out; it has additions. The same edition, some of the brothers pointed it out...
The Shaykh : By Allah, we say let the correction be postponed to the copy I have; it is only handwritten, that is all. And if I approve of Khalid, it means it matches what I have, perfect.
The student: So it remains on the copy of Shaykh Nasser.
The Shaykh : No, the copy of Abd al-Rahman, as long as it has fewer errors.
The student: Al-Faqi.
The Shaykh : Yes. Most of the copies, what are they?
The student: Most of the copies of Shaykh Nasser 'Aqil.
The Shaykh : It does not contradict; if they differ, it is possible.
The student: Correct, yes, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : We agree, right away.
The student: Right away, what about the manuscripts?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: Yes, we agree, O Shaykh, that is good.
The Shaykh : Good? Meaning, without any questions here.
The student: That is up to you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: How should the method of questions be?
The Shaykh : The method of questions: every time we pass ten lines, three questions; every ten lines, three questions.
The student: A little, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : A little, every five questions.
The student: Because right now, even the verses in the Shaykh's speech are numerous, so if we count five lines.
The Shaykh : In my opinion, the verses, if we really wanted to speak about them, it would mean the lesson becomes an exegesis lesson.
The student: No, I say if we count every five lines, a verse might pass by us that occupies five lines.
The Shaykh : I mean, look, we add to ten lines twenty lines per page; well, by what do we consider a page? The Qari's copy is fine.
The student: Because, may Allah reward you, the speech in some parts is clear with no issue, it is flowing, and in some parts it needs clarification.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no doubt, this is the reality. But look, see, "clear" is known by those firmly grounded in knowledge, and "ambiguous" is not known by the firmly grounded except... yes, "clear" is known by those firmly grounded in knowledge, and the "ambiguous" is known only by those firmly grounded in knowledge. But in any case, there is no harm; we say a page is considered by the Qari's copy.
The student: May Allah reward you, this brother Abd al-Rahman suggests to me to read from this copy, saying it has no errors at all. Do you see this, O Shaykh, if it has no errors?
The Shaykh : We do not know, again.
The student: Yesterday, O Shaykh, it was all correct.
The Shaykh : Strange, which edition?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Of the same kind as the one you have.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Of the same kind as the one you have, Khalid.
The student: The one you gave me...
The Shaykh : The one who took it from me, there is no god but Allah, look, other men replaced it and came... You told me that I had left it in Egypt, so I said, take my copy.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah, my name is written on it. Well, perhaps I took it in haste and brought you this one. Let us see, let us get it. In any case, also, Hamad al-Faqi has the fewest marginal notes; the one with Abd al-Rahman has the fewest marginal notes.
The student: But O Shaykh, there is a difference in the reading of brother Khalid.
The Shaykh : How?
The student: It has additions.
The Shaykh : Strange, you have it.
The student: There are things we noted and wanted to point out; it has additions. The same edition, some of the brothers pointed it out...
The Shaykh : By Allah, we say let the correction be postponed to the copy I have; it is only handwritten, that is all. And if I approve of Khalid, it means it matches what I have, perfect.
The student: So it remains on the copy of Shaykh Nasser.
The Shaykh : No, the copy of Abd al-Rahman, as long as it has fewer errors.
The student: Al-Faqi.
The Shaykh : Yes. Most of the copies, what are they?
The student: Most of the copies of Shaykh Nasser 'Aqil.
The Shaykh : It does not contradict; if they differ, it is possible.