Fatwa #343213 July 2025Australia
Recommended books in English
Question
I am very cautious when it comes to reading any book about dean because I do not want to read ones by questionable authors. I am writing to kindly ask you to reccomendme some books to read. I have read books for Ibn Qayim rahimuhullah.
Would you please reccomend me a book about Hassan and Hussan and what happened during the period after the passing of the beloved prophet sala lahu alahi wasalam.
Would you also please reccomend me a book about good manners and character or wisdom, something to encourage me and help me act better.
Please reccomend English books.
Jazakumullah khair
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Your attitude to exercise caution in reading material is correct. The great scholar and well-known Tabi’ie, Muhammed ibn Sireen Rahimahullah mentioned:
إِنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ دِينٌ، فَانْظُرُوا عَمَّنْ تَأْخُذُونَ دِينَكُمْ
Verily this knowledge (the knowledge of Islam) is (your) religion; so look from who you are taking your religion.
Hereunder are a few good reads on the topics you mentioned:
- Good Manners, good character, wisdom:
- Al-Adab Al-Mufrad. By: Imam Muhammed ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari
- Riyadhus Saliheen. By: Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf An-Nawawi
- Politics after the demise of Rasulullah (ﷺ):
- The Martyr of Karbala. By. Mufti Muhammad Shafi
- http://mahajjah.com/
The above-mentioned website contains many informative books and articles which primarily deal with misconceptions surrounding the Islamic history of the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and beyond. Attached below is an excerpt from the homepage of the website:
“The doctrinal history of Islam has not been without challenges. Attempts to part with orthodoxy and institutionalize innovation arose in the earliest period and continue in various forms up to the present day. The rise and spread of heterodoxy found fertile grounds in the vacuums of ignorance to which some societies occasionally tend to fall prey. Given such circumstances, the distortion of history and creed, combined with the fabrication of alternative narratives and meta-narratives, went a long way to entrench deviation.
While many heterodoxies withered and disappeared with the passage of time, some managed to cling to existence and reinvigorate themselves whenever opportunity presented itself. In response thereto arose a scholarly tradition dedicated to the defence and vindication of truth. This website represents a continuation of that tradition.”
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abdullah ibn Mohammed Aijaz
Student Darul Iftaa
Baltimore, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
2015-10-22