Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-Nasik
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'Umdat al-Salik wa 'Uddat al-Nasik (Reliance of the Traveller and Tools of the Worshipper) is a manual of Fiqh for Sunni Muslims, consisting mostly of the teachings of Imam al-Nawawi, a Shafi'i scholar, translated into English by Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller.
The author of the original work is Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri. The book is not just a translation of the original text but several sections have been added to it from other classical texts to create a handbook of traditional Shafii Fiqh. It also contains appendices on various topics and a mini biography of every person mentioned in the book. The book is the first translation of a standard Islamic legal reference in a European language to be certified by Al-Azhar.
[edit] Additions and omissions
Certain sections of the book have been left untranslated (although the original Arabic text is retained) as Sheikh Nuh considers them not relevant to modern societies. These parts include section the section on slavery and the rights and duties of slaves and their masters as well as some smaller sections like those about fixing utensils using gold. Critics argue that Sheikh Nuh did not translate the section on slavery in order not to offend modern sensitivities. However, the question of slavery in Islam in modern times is one which most traditional scholars consider of only theoretical interest since the practice is no longer prevalent. They also highlight verses from the Quran and references to Hadith which encourage muslims to treat slaves well and to free them ([1], [2]). Some critics argue that Shaykh Nuh left the sections untranslated since the topic of sexual rights of male masters over female slaves in Islam hurts modern sensitivities ([3], [4]). For more details, please consult the slavery in Islam article.
Many additions have been made to the book as well. Sections from other famous classical Islamic texts (like Imam Al-Ghazzali's Ihya' 'ulum al-din and Imam Nawawi's Riyadh as-Saaliheen) have been incorporated into the book. A complete section on traditional Islamic Sufism is added too.
