The challenges of parenthood are experienced by all and many times a parent is hard put to ascertain the correct course of action in bringing up a child in the correct Islamic manner, or, when required, disciplining that child. This treatise is a moving and pertinent advice which Imam Ibn al-Jawzi, himself a great scholar and parent, directed to his carefree and disobedient child. It is important for every parent and child to read since it lays down the principles for providing a solid religious and spiritual education for oneself and one’s family, thereby providing the foundation that every Muslim needs in his journey through this world to the next. The main concept running throughout the work is on acquiring knowledge which is of spiritual benefit, purifying the intention, the challenges, the pitfalls and obstacles the seeker confronts, and acting on the basis of the acquired knowledge.