This shall be a generic in-depth functionality guide for newbies to learn easily the first steps to get things running up to the high end finetuning as seen in some configs of ConfigList & ConfigTricks.
A different approach is covered by the UseCases.

It's meant to be an alive guide: we need YOU the newbie to build it, [help us] help yourself!
If you have specific requests as to Form, Structure, Style, Content, Topics, Items of the guide, then please have a look at the given items first to make sure it isn't provided yet. If it's still really lacking put it here for somebody to pickup: /ToDo.
Or just provide it yourself.

Basics to get going

  • /Introduction: How to use this guide.
  • MailConcept: the way of mail between computers and inside yours.
  • /Setup: compile-time, install, extra pkgs.
  • /Syntax: run-time config file.
  • /Folders: management, mbox, maildir, subfolders, shortcuts.
  • Views, Menus /Actions: modes, save, reply, forward, change folder, macros.
    • /Index: display formats, colors, flags, errors.
    • /Message: filter, charset, header weeding, colors.
    • /Attachment: MIME for sending and reading, autoview.
  • /Send: concept, compose, encoding.
    • /Headers: change From-ID, envelopes, alternates.
    • /Aliases: address management, external database.
    • /Edit: pre-, post-processing, body, header
  • /Receive: concept, spoolfile, mailboxes, notifications.
    • /Filesystem (local, NFS, permission, locking, mutt_dotlock.
    • /UsePOP: getting + processing, filter: fetchmail, procmail
    • /UseIMAP: remote folders.

Advanced stuff

  • /Charsets (what and why things can go wrong)
  • /Encryption (why, why not, security in stored files)
    • /UsePGP
    • /UseGPG
    • /UseSMIME
  • dynamic & complex configuration for special tasks
    • /Macros: save typing a lot same stuff
    • /Hooks: automatic actions.
    • /MailingLists
    • /MultiAccounts: change profiles/ roles/ identities/ accounts/ From:-addresses.
    • /Scoring
    • general ConfigTricks.
    • /Archiving

Misc:

  • /XFace inclusion and display
  • /ShellScripting: using mutt to automate sending mail
  • /Groups
  • /Caching: Cache message headers (POP, IMAP, MH, Maildir) and bodies (POP, IMAP)

If this guide didn't suit you, maybe one of the UseCases will.