Not many scholars have had the blessing of leaving as lasting of an impact as Shaykh ul Islam Muwaffaq ad-Dīn Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi. With the authorship of staple texts that still wield much influence in contemporary studies, such as al-Mughni, al-‘Umdah, and Lum’at ul-I’tiqad, as well as personal achievements that include serving as Salahuddin’s spiritual adviser during the liberation of Jerusalem, and acting as a devoted student of Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilānī during the last 50 days of his life, Ibn Qudamah — for severe lack of a better comparison — is like the Forest Gump of Islamic scholarship. Positioned at exactly the perfect point in history to learn from some of the greatest minds our religion has ever produced, both in outward and inward practice, Ibn Qudamah’s extensive output and incredible life story served as a scholarly catalyst for future titans to grow and build from, profoundly impacting figures like Imam an-Nawawi, Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam Ibn ul-Qayyim, Imam Ibn Rajab, and more. In Al-Wasiyyah, Ibn Qudamah produces a compilation of personal advice synthesized from years of studies and application, breaking down structure for how a spiritual seeker should approach worship, obligations, impermissible acts, and more. If anything at all, the short book is a glimpse into the mindset (and incredible humility) of one of the most profound scholars to ever exist.