Knowledge is a light that illuminates the way and guides the one who pursues the path of the Hereafter, and ignorance is straying, dismay, confusion and loss. Hence, it is a shame and an insult for the accountable person to accept for himself to be among the ones disgraced, whom Allah, the Exalted, did not guide, but rather, He distanced them from the ways of guidance and insight. The case of the forsaken one whom Allah did not Will goodness for, is s/he neglects acquiring the immediate knowledge, that is, the knowledge of the religion one needs to know immediately. This is indicated in the hadith of al-Bukhariyy, narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

‏ ”‏مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ“

It means: “Whomever Allah Willed goodness for, Allah makes him knowledgeable in the Religion.”

The author named it The Briefest Summary in the Immediate Obligatory Knowledge in Accordance to the Shafi^iyy School) in reference to its few wordings, ample meanings, small size, and the ease of learning it. He clarified its terms with a brief explanation that he called “Idh-har al-‘Ifadat, among the Briefest of Summaries” in reference to the benefits it contains, for it combines the foundations of the Creed and the branches of the acts of worship.  We ask Allah, the Exalted, to make this summary and its explanation a great widespread benefit.