Didactic poem explaining ethics in daily life according to Islam and Malay traditions. Contains advices how to behave in daily life. After an introduction of 3 pages we find the following sections in poetry (syair) form: 1. Pasal pada menyatakan nasehat memegang pekerjaan orang supaya sempurna atau pun pekerjaan kita sendiri; 2. Pasal pada menyatakan petuah ‘ilmu dan kelebihannya; 3. Pasal pada menyatakan keelokan surga dan kelebihannya; 4. Pasal pada menyatakan neraka ke’azapannya dan kesusahan di dalamnya; 5. Pasal pada menyatakan nasihat memeliharakan diri supaya sempurna; 6. Pasal pada menyatakan malas dan lalai dan kebinasaannya; 7. Pasal pada menyatakan nasehat menerima orang yang datang ke rumah kita; 8. Pasal pada menyatakan nasehat hendak mencari jalan kehidupan diri supaya sempurna; 9. Pasal pada menyatakan nasehat kepada orang yang hendak berkawan berteman atau memelihara orang. Creator: Haji Ahmad bin Raja Haji Hasan; date: 4 Zulhijah 1338 Hijriah bersamaan dengan Kamis 19 Agustus 1920 Miladiah.
Notes: Handwritten manuscript in black ink. Margins of the manuscript are damaged and the whole is fragile and unstable, rules and writing has corroded the paper. Written in a ruled note book, front cover missing, back cover brown thin paper. On the first page is a signature of Syamsu as the owner of te ms in jawi; in the spine there are holes of the thread that once held it together. The syair is written in two framed columns. The author is one of Raja Ali Haji’s grandsons through his son Raja Hasan, known under the names Raja Ahmad, Raja Haji Ahmad Riau, Raja Haji Ahmad bin Raja Haji Hasan Raja Haji Ahmad Tabib. Born in Pulau Penyengat in 1228 AH or 1865 AD. After his pilgrimage to mecca in 1299 AH or 1881 AD he travelled in the Middle East and came back to Penyengat a year later. Is known to have written the following works: Syair Tuntunan Kelakuan, preserved in Balai Maklumat di Pulau Penyengat - katalog No. 34/Naskah. As tabib (practitioner of the medical art of Malay in contra to a European doctor) of the last Sultan of Riau, Sultan Abdulrahman Mu’azzamsyah, he wrote the book Roemah Obat di Poelau Penyengat Riau printed at Mathba’at Al-Riauwiyah Pulau Penyengat in 1311 AH or 1894 AD, which is also preserved in Balai Maklumat Kebudayaan Melayu Riau di Pulau Penyengat – katalog No. 55/Cetakan, see Ian Proudfoot, 1993: p. 447.
Colophon: Tamatlah Sya’ir Hidayah al-ikhsan Karangan Haji Ahmad bin Haji Hasan Peranakan Riau tiada keliru Di Pulau Penyengat Kampung di Kampung Baru Disitulah pula beta berguru Tiada diizinkan orang meniru Tamat pada 4 Zulhijah sannah 1338.
