Wassitat al-Suluk fi Siyasat al-Muluk (Arabic: واسطة السلوك في سياسة الملوك ) is a political theory treatise belonging to the genre of Islamic mirrors for princes. The work was written by Sultan Abu Hammu II, the ruler of the Kingdom of Tlemcen between 1359 and 1389 CE (760–791 of the Hijra). The exact date of the book's composition is not precisely known, but it is likely that it was written between 1364 and 1376 (765–777 of the Hijra). This ruler succeeded in regaining control of Tlemcen, which had been under the control of his rivals, the Marinids, and in restoring the territories that had once been under the authority of his Zayyanid ancestors. The book is also one of the few available primary sources documenting the reign of the Zayyanids in the central Maghreb (parts of present-day Algeria). The book contains a series of political advice and recommendations from Sultan Abu Hammu II to his son and heir, Abu Tachfin II, as well as to other princes and kings. The author addresses essential themes such as the ethics of governance, justice, wisdom, courage, generosity, and insight. He also discusses the pillars of state management, such as the military, ministers, jurists, finances, etc., asserting that his book and the advice it contains are the foundation necessary for the success of any reign. The style adopted by the author in this book combines political wisdom with an analysis of reality, avoiding the traditional moralizing approach. It also reflects the influence of Islamic political thought of the time, making it a document that contributes to tracing the evolution of this thought within the Islamic world. The book also served as a political reference for some rulers, such as the Alaouite rulers and their heirs (in present-day Morocco). However, the irony lies in the fact that his son, Abu Tachfin II, did not follow these recommendations and rebelled against him, allying with his Marinid rivals, which led to a reversal of the situation and the death of the sultan, orchestrated by his own son who succeeded him. This work is unique within this literary genre because its author, Abu Hammu II, was not only a thinker or philosopher of this school of thought but also a ruler who exercised power. He attempted to reconcile political theory and practice, whereas the task of writing such political works was typically entrusted to court writers, jurists, or intellectuals. This work thus reflects a rare duality in the Islamic world. The book was first published in print in Tunis in 1862, but this edition was incomplete and lacked scientific rigor in its establishment. Subsequently, the work has been translated into several languages, including Spanish, and Turkish. A group of historians and researchers became interested in locating manuscripts of the book to establish a new critical text and study its content as well as the sources used by the sultan. This interest grew after the 1974 publication of the book Abu Hammu Mussa al-Zayani: His Life and Works by Algerian historian Abdelhamid Hadjiat, which highlighted the life and accomplishments of the sultan, thus encouraging further research and studies on this ruler. The book has also been subject to criticism, with some arguing that it merely summarizes earlier works in the field without offering anything new. Others dispute this claim, asserting that the book presents innovative political ideas. Among the criticisms also leveled at the book is the use of certain stories, narratives, and hadiths without rigorous verification of their authenticity, which can be explained by the absence of a critical approach at the time, where the goal of such works was often to justify the legitimacy of the sultan and demonstrate his profound knowledge of the subject matter. Source: Wikipedia (en)