Islamic Books
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa
Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be
upon all of you)
One of our
brothers/sisters has asked this question:
Dear brother, Asselamalaikoom, I mainly read english
quran, but I feel that I am not getting all the
information that I need to know.Would you please
recommend me some books that I can go and buy. I am interested in Hadith. I am also interested in knowing as where will our uma stand in this harsh times?
What will happen to Islam in this evil times? Are
there any answers in quran which could give us some guidence? So please brother guide me to the path where I
can find answers to my inner questions. People say read Bookhari
or similar books where you will get most of your answers. Jezal
alla khair
(There may
be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does
not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our
readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
Answer:
In the name of Allah, We praise
Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can
misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We
bear witness that there is no one (no idol,
no person, no grave, no
prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone,
and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of
His Messengers.
The first and foremost Book all
believers must read and understand well is the very Message of our Merciful
Lord and Creator; the Al Quran! That is the source of all knowledge in
Islam, and it guides to nothing but the
Allah says in Chapter
2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185:"Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for
mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a
Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."
Once,
one has the basic knowledge of the Holy Quran, it
would be prudent to read the ‘tafseer’ of the Quran.
Many an eminent scholar of Islam has written extensively about the ‘tafseer’ of the Holy Quran,
whereby one gets the knowledge of when and under what circumstances the
specific Surahs of the Quran
were revealed, and how did the Messenger of Allah (saws) understand these
commands and how exactly did he and his noble companions implement these
commands of wisdom. That will, Insha Allah, greatly increase your knowledge and
understanding of the Quran.
After that, if one reads any of
the authentic and accepted ‘hadith’
books of Bukhari or Muslim, it would really be
beneficial to him in his life. These
books of hadith are extensive and will, Insha Allah, greatly enhance your knowledge on the manners,
commands, deeds, and sayings of the Messenger of Allah (saws).
If one finds reading Bukhari or Muslim hadiths
laborious or repetitive in its manner, then there are some books written by
eminent scholars whereby they have categorized the hadiths
of the Messenger of Allah (saws) by subject and chosen only the most authentic
of them from all the recorders of hadith; be they Bukhari, Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawood,
Tirmidhi, Muwatta, etc. These are indeed great books of ahaadiths and, Insha Allah, would really help one to easily understand the ahaadiths in a much simpler manner.
The names of these books are:
Riyadh-us-Saleheen
by Abu Zakariya Yahya Ad-Dimashqi and published by Dar-us-Salaam in
Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum by Safi-ur-Rahmaan al Mubarakpuri published by Maktaba
Dar-us-Salaam in
Al-Lu-Lu
wal Marjaan by Fuwad Abdul Baqi published by Kazi Publications,
There are many other books of
similar collections by eminent scholars in the English language.
After understanding the Quran and the books of ahaadiths,
it would really help if one reads the Seerah
(life-story) of the Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool
Allah (saws). There are literally
hundreds of eminent scholars who have written about the life story of the
Prophet (saws). Although no work of man
can do justice in recording a life so full of wisdom
as the one lived by the Messenger of Allah (saws), it would really help the
reader in grasping whatever lessons he can learn from the life of the Prophet
(saws).
Then, if one has more quest for knowledge, there are books of Islamic
Jurisprudence (fiqh), biographies of the noble
companions, and countless other Islamic books.
But for a reader who wants to
understand and implement Islam in his life to the full, the least he must read
and understand is the Holy Quran, the hadiths, and the Seerah of the
Prophet (saws). Try to get the following books from Amazon.com
Forum’s remarks: The above two
books are very authentic and we recommend them to all our brothers/sisters who
are interested for a a good
translation of the Holy Quran and the history of
early Islam.
Your Question: I am also interested in knowing as where will
our uma stand in this harsh times?
What will happen to Islam in this evil times? Are
there any answers in quran which could give us some guidence?
It is indeed true that the Ummah of Islam is going through some of its most trying
times in the history of mankind. Thus,
there is all the more reason that one who sincerely believes in Allah and the
Last Day, must strive to align his life and get as close as possible to the
guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran. That is the one and only path to success in
this world, and in the Hereafter.
However harsh and evil the times
that have fallen on the Muslim Ummah, in our humble
opinion, the only ones who should bear responsibility for these times, are the muslims themselves!! Our Merciful Lord has guided us to the
Straight Path, revealed His Glorious Message in the form of the Holy Quran, and has promised to make the deen
of Islam prevailent over all the other religions of
the world. It is us muslims, who have betrayed this great Trust that
Allah honored us with… and the only way for the Muslim Ummah
to attain success in this world and the hereafter, is to abide by the guidance
and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws). If we follow the guidance and the teachings
of Allah and His Messenger (saws), we will always be on the path of success;
and if we leave this guidance and adopt any other ideology or thought, it will
lead to nothing but humiliation, disgrace and ignominy!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 5 Surah Al Maidah verse 3:Today I (Allah)
have perfected your deen for you and completed my
Blessing on you and approved Islam as your way of life.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imran verse 19:Indeed, Islam in
the ONLY right way of life in the sight of Allah.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imran verse 85:And whoever adopts
any other than this way of Islam, that way shall not be accepted from him and
in the Hereafter, he shall be among the losers.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 110:You (muslims) are the best community which has been raised for
the guidance of mankind. You enjoin what
is right, and forbid what is evil and you all believe in Allah Alone.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 33:He is Allah, Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and
the Right Way so that He may make it prevail over all the other ‘deens’, even though
the pagans be much opposed to it.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 58 Surah Mujadalah verse 22:They
(the believers) are of the party of Allah.
Truly it is the Party of Allah which will achieve True Success.
Thus, brother, no matter how
trying the times are; our duty is to be obedient to Allah and His Messenger
(saws)… that is
the one and only way to achieve success in this world and in the Hereafter.
Your Statement: So please brother guide me to the path where
I can find answers to my inner questions. People say read Bookhari
or similar books where you will get most of your answers.
In our humble opinion, brother,
please read and understand the Holy Quran with its ‘tafseer’…. That will
answer each and every one of your innermost questions, for it is indeed the ‘Furqaan’ or Criterion between the Truth and falsehood. All the other books of hadiths, Seerah, fiqh, etc. will only help to further increase the knowledge in
Islam; but the Holy Quran
is the Book which is the spring and source of all knowledge. If one reads all the other books of the
world and does not understand the Glorious Quran, he
will remain ignorant, no matter how many degrees he
might be holding and how many years he spent studying! But if one understands, accepts, obeys and
follows the Glorious Quran and does not have
knowledge of the other books of man, he will be the most knowledgeable of all
mankind!
The Glorious Quran
is undisputedly the source and inspiration of all the other books of
Islam. These are the very words of our
Merciful Lord and Creator, which He, in His Sublime and Infinite Mercy, has
revealed for the guidance of all mankind.
And in all matters of guidance, there is no book that comes even close
to the clear guidance and teachings of this Glorious Book!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Isra verse 88:Declare this! ‘Even
if all human beings and the jinns should co-operate
with one another to bring forth a book like the Quran,
they would never be able to bring anything like it, even though they all helped
one another!”
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verses 43-44:So, hold fast
to the Book that has been revealed to you, you are surely on the Siraat al Mustaqeem. The fact is that this book is a great honor
for you and your people, and soon you shall be CALLED TO ACCOUNT for it.
Whatever written of Truth and
benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error
is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He
is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
