Composed in the sixth century AH (twelfth century CE), al-ʿAqīda al-Murshida — The Guiding Creed — is among the most concise and enduring summaries of Sunni belief. For over eight centuries, it has been recited, taught, and transmitted across the Muslim world as a statement of pure faith and unity.

Despite its brevity, this text captures the essence of ʿaqīda: to know Allah, affirm His oneness, and live in accordance with that knowledge. It presents the foundational beliefs shared by the Sunni schools: the Atharī way of the Salaf and the later Ashʿarī, and Māturīdī traditions. Its importance is reflected in the practice of the great Sultan Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī (d. 589 AH), who ordered it to be read from the minarets of Cairo as a declaration of sound belief. Scholars such as Imām Tāj al-Dīn al-Subkī (d. 771 AH) praised it for its precision and orthodoxy, affirming that “there is nothing within it that a Sunni would reject.” To study this text today is to join a living tradition; a chain of faith and scholarship passed down through generations.