The Announcement of Sincere Counsel to Children (Al Inba bi noushi Al abna)

The Announcement of Sincere Counsel to Children is a work of moral and spiritual guidance by the Moroccan scholar, qadi, and gnostic Aḥmad ibn al-Hajj al-ʿAyyashi SKIREDJ. Written in a direct paternal voice, the book gathers counsels meant to shape character, purify the soul, and guide the reader toward upright conduct. Although it is framed as advice addressed to a son, its message extends far beyond the family circle to the youth of the author’s time and to all readers seeking an ethical formation grounded in faith. The work addresses purity of heart, inner composure, caution against envy and hostility, the importance of good character, self-mastery through enlightened reason, avoidance of quarrels that lead to fanaticism, humility, the pursuit of useful knowledge, and warnings against pride, vanity, and empty claims. Through its exhortative tone and deep grounding in lived spiritual experience, the book belongs fully to the Moroccan tradition of educational adab and practical counsel. The volume also includes related texts connected to moral guidance and education, which further strengthens its pedagogical unity.