Salam Alaikum everyone,
If you were assembling a small home library for your own consumption, what are some of the texts that you would consider as essential for timeless knowledge? What texts do you currently have that have proven beneficial whether it’s the lives of early muslims, or scholars throughout timespan.
JazakAllah. Please write out the full name of author/book title.
PS: Quran, Sahih Muslim, and Sahih Bukhari have already been accounted for. 
Re: Your home library
Wa Alaykum salaam respected brother
'Islam Between East and West’ - by Alija Izetbegovic, the former President of Bosnia.
It is a must read. He explains Islam from European perspective. He literally proves why Islam is the natural religion and way of life.
Extracted from last paragraph of Izetbegovic's book - 'Islam Between East and West':
Submission to God
*Nature has determinism, man has destiny. The acceptance of this destiny is the supreme and final idea of Islam. Destiny -- does it exist and what form does it take? Let us look at our own lives and see what has remained of our most precious plans and the dreams of our youth? Do we not come helplessly into the world faced with our own personality, with higher or lower intelligence, with attractive or repulsive looks, with an athletic or dwarfish stature, in a king's place or in a beggar's hut, in a tumultuous or peaceful time, under the reign of a tyrant or a noble prince, and generally in geographical and historical circumstances about which we have not been consulted? How limited is what we call our will, how tremendous and unlimited is our destiny!
Man has been cast down upon this world and made dependent on many facts over which he has no power. His life is influenced by both very remote and very near factors. During the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944, there was, for a moment, a general disturbance in radio communications which could have been fatal for the operations under way. Many years later, the disturbance was explained as a huge explosion in the Andromeda constellation, several million light years away from our planet. One type of catastrophic earthquake on the earth is due to changes on the sun's surface. As our knowledge of the world grows, so does our realization that we will never be complete masters of our fate. Even supposing the greatest possible progress of science, the amount of factors under our control will always be insignificant compared to the amount of those beyond it. Man is not proportional to the world. He and his lifetime are not the measuring units of the pace of things. This is the cause of man's eternal insecurity, which is psychologically reflected in pessimism, revolt, despair, apathy, or in submission to God's will.
Islam arranges the world by means of upbringing, education, and laws. That is its narrower scope; submission to God is the broader one.
Individual justice can never be fully satisfied within the conditions of existence.
We can follow all Islamic rules which, in their ultimate result, should provide us with the "happiness in both worlds"; moreover, we can follow all other norms, medical, social and moral but, because of the terrific entanglement of destinies, desires and accidents, we can still suffer in body and soul. What can console a mother who has lost her only son? Is there any solace for a man who has been disabled in an accident?
We ought to become conscious of our human condition. We are immersed in situation. I can work to change my situation, but there are situations which are essentially unchangeable, even when their appearance takes a new look, and when their victorious power is veiled: l must die; I must suffer; I must fight; I am a victim of chance; I get inevitably entangled in guilt. These basic conditions of our existence are referred to as "the border situations."[1]
Sure, "man is bound to improve everything that can be improved in this world. After that, children will still go on dying unjustly even in the most perfect of societies. Man, at best, can only give himself the task of reducing arithmetically the sufferings of this world. Still, injustice and pain will continue and, however limited, they will never cease to be blasphemy."[2]
Submission to God or revolt -- these are two different answers to the same dilemma. In submission to God, there is some of every (human) wisdom except one: shallow optimism. Submission is the story of human destiny, and that is why it is inevitably permeated with pessimism: for "every destiny is tragic and dramatic if we come down to its bottom."[3]
Recognition of destiny is a moving reply to the great human theme of inevitable suffering. It is the recognition of life as it is and a conscious decision to bear and to endure. In this point, Islam differs radically from the superficial idealism and optimism of European philosophy and its naive story about "the best of all possible worlds." Submission to God is a mellow light coming from beyond pessimism.
As a result of one's recognition of his impotence and insecurity, submission to God itself becomes a new potency and a new security. Belief in God and His providence offers a feeling of security which cannot be made up for with anything else. Submission to God does not imply passivity as many people wrongly believe. In fact, "all heroic races have believed in destiny."[4]
Obedience to God excludes obedience to man. It is a new relation between man and God and, therefore, between man and man. It is also a freedom which is attained by following through with one's own destiny. Our involvement and our struggle are human and reasonable and have the token of moderation and serenity only through the belief that the ultimate result is not in our hands. It is up to us to work, the rest is in the hands of God.
Therefore, to properly understand our position in the world means to submit to God, to find peace, not to start making a more positive effort to encompass and to overcome everything, but rather a negative effort to accept the place and the time of our birth, the place and the time that are our destiny and God's will. Submission to God is the only human and dignified way out of the unsolvable senselessness of life, a way out without revolt, despair, nihilism, or suicide. It is a heroic feeling not of a hero, but of an ordinary man who has done his duty and accepted his destiny.
Islam does not get its name from its laws, orders, or prohibitions, nor from the efforts of the body and soul it claims, but from something that encompasses and surmounts all that: from a moment of cognition, from the strength of the soul to face the times, from the readiness to endure everything that an existence can offer, from the truth of submission to God. Submission to God, thy name is Islam!*
[1] Karl Jaspers, An Introduction to Philosophy
[2] Albert Camus
[3] Gasset
[4] Emerson
Re: Your home library
The must-have religious books:
before any of these, start by reading "Sins and their Punishment" by Imam ibn Jawziyya
but your school of thought/sect matters somewhat here; if you're following the Sufi sect for instance (?), you may or may not agree with the teachings of the aforementioned titles as they follow the Quran/Sunnah quite sternly.
What I like most about these books is the minimal 'I think' or 'I believe' approach. All these books do is cite straight from Quraan/Ahadeeth and minimalist third party opinions which makes for a clearer and less confusing read. At least that's what they've done for me.
Re: Your home library
The must-have religious books:
before any of these, start by reading "Sins and their Punishment" by Imam ibn Jawziyya
but your school of thought/sect matters somewhat here; if you're following the Sufi sect for instance (?), you may or may not agree with the teachings of the aforementioned titles as they follow the Quran/Sunnah quite sternly.
What I like most about these books is the minimal 'I think' or 'I believe' approach. All these books do is cite straight from Quraan/Ahadeeth and minimalist third party opinions which makes for a clearer and less confusing read. At least that's what they've done for me.
Sorry to differ but all the sufis I know follow the traditional fiqh (hanafi, maliki, shafi or hanbali). The reason why they don't follow/agree with the authors mentioned above is because they're ghair muqqalid.
As for the books...I have been reading "breaking the two desires" by Imam Ghazali.
Re: Your home library
Sorry to differ but all the sufis I know follow the traditional fiqh (hanafi, maliki, shafi or hanbali). The reason why they don't follow/agree with the authors mentioned above is because they're ghair muqqalid.
As for the books...I have been reading "breaking the two desires" by Imam Ghazali.
gair muqalid - people who don't follow one of the four imams strictly - yeah I guess that's who these scholars are. I didn't know that's why the Sufis didn't follow/agree with them though; I thought it was because of how Sufis are criticized by these scholars.
Re: Your home library
My recommendations would be Kitaab al Tawhid compiled by as Saduq which lists the sayings and sermons of Prophet Mohammad and aalay Mohammad pbut.
Nahjul Balagha which is compiled by Syed Razi and covers sayings and letters of Imam Ali from during the time when he was a caliph. Both heavy in terms of the wealth of knowledge and the research workload that need to be gone through to understand these mezmerizing gems of ilm.
Re: Your home library
1) 1st book for learning is self awareness. If one is not self aware then one can read any book but will not learn anything from it.
2) 2nd book for learning is environmental awareness ie awareness about universal realities. Not being aware of one's own place and things in it will not help know anything else.
These two things give one as solid a base as is possible. If one has no this foundation to begin with then one can never be stable both mentally or physically. It is because confusion does not let one live in peace internally or externally. This is why one makes all the effort to stabilise oneself by hooking oneself on to something solid otherwise turmoil and upheavals in life do not let one concentrate on anything else.
Once one has the base that helps learn more only then one can benefit from reading what others have written by knowing whether these writers have reached the stage where they should be or not. It is because otherwise one confused person cannot guide another confused person or blind cannot guide blind because neither knows where they are and where they ought to be and how to get there.
This is why most of us are utterly confused and the proof is state of our world in which we live, all this reflects our own mindset, attitude and behaviour. World is what we have made it and it will be what we make of it. Our destiny is in our own hands. Allah has only set up the system and laws whereby it all works. It is like we have been given a bus to drive and it works in certain ways, so long as we learn things about it and use and maintain it properly it will remain useful for us and so long as we use it abusively it will give us troubles.
It is not just about reading but thinking and putting things together in a way that they make sense. We have all the parts of a car but if we do not know where they fit or why then we have the parts but we do not know what to do with them and we are not bothered with finding out either. A very bad reflection of human society. Billions of people in the world are living below poverty line and we think our prayers are most important because our priests have told us that.
Most of us never think what we are doing and why. We live in imaginary world more than we live in real world and that is reflected in results of our actions. Any problems we have, we see there solutions beyond ourselves. A very wrong way to look at life when Allah says, we have not placed any responsibility on mankind which is beyond its capability. It is because we want to run away from our responsibilities that we look for easy options and we have fallen in trap of false imaginary solutions. The more we run away from our given task the deep we dig ditch for ourselves. This is why life is becoming more and more difficult for mankind around the globe.
Why don't we think over things? We pray to God for what? We go to holy men for what? The only answer is to get our worldly problems solved ie we have no work and have no money and have no life etc etc and we want someone to help us out. The quran is solution for that but we do not want to use it for all this because we think it is about God and some other life in some other place. The quran is first and foremost for putting this world in order and any future life will be result of what we do with this world. If we are given a house to live in it and maintain it and we wreck it then we will be most stupid people to think we will be given another one and that will maintain itself.
The stupid people will be stupid no matter where they are and they will only do stupid things because only that is consistent with their mindset, attitude and behaviour. This is why we should try to get out of our stupidity by learning and doing things that help us do that so that we become real human beings that quran wants us to be.
Re: Your home library
An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith. (Technically 42, because he included 2 bonus Hadiths at the end).
Re: Your home library
Qur'an with translation
Al-Fiqh Al-Islami Sh Akram Nadwi (Hanafi Fiqh)
Aqeedah At-Tahawiya translated by Sh Hamza Yusuf
Breaking the Two Desires Ilya Uloomudeen, Ghazali, transl. Sh Abdal Hakim Murad
Kitab-ut- Tanwir fi isqat ut tadbir .... Book of Illumination in the Dropping of Self-Direction by Ibn Ata'illah Al-Askandari
501 Arabic verbs - Barron's
Hans Wehr Arabic Dictionary
fortification of the believer - du'a book
Riyad us Saliheen - An Nawawi
An -Nawawi 40 hadith
Fazail e amaal - Kandhlawi
Mukhtasar al Quduri
Nur ul idah - imam Shurunbulali
Al Fiq Al-Akbar - Imam Abu Hanifah
Muhammad: His life based on the earliest sources - Martin Lings
Re: Your home library
Fantastic! JazakAllah friends.
Re: Your home library
Peace Mughal1
You didn't answer the thread question ... LOL
I think you would want everyone to have your blog site's URL saved on their browser and that would be enough for them ... Is that true?
Re: Your home library
Peace brother psyah, I think all books are informative and can help us develop provided we use them for that purpose and in the order I stated. Otherwise any doctored information for purpose of indoctrination can lead us to tunnel vision which can become an obstacle in the way of our development.
There is nothing wrong with reaching conclusion but it has to be based on as wide spectrum of information as possible and its understanding.
To begin with we must learn a language as best as we can which then helps understand other languages if we decide to learn them. Language is biggest barrier for us all to cross, why? Because even if I learn it and you do not then we cannot communicate that effectively. A lot of time is then needed for me to help you bring up to my level so that we could have discussion about something we both ought to be talking about.
The other thing we need is development of our mathematical ability. Without knowing maths it is very difficult if not impossible to understand anything.
We must learn biology, chemistry, physics etc ie material sciences. Without knowing science we cannot understand what things are made of, how they come about or develop and how they do what they do and what purpose they serve etc etc.
We need to learn about map not just of the earth but universe because without that we will have very limited knowledge of resources, history of humanity and nature including universe etc etc.
We need to learn about societies, politics, cultures, economics etc.
The other main sources of information are scriptures. Some divine some human interpretations.
If we do not have some knowledge about each and everything possible then we will not be able to make reasonable conclusions. The result of that will be that we will not be able to write books worth writing.
General up to date encyclopaedias are good source for basic information and people must have at least one good one for children and one for adults.
At least some good dictionaries will be good idea to have, general as well as some subject specific.
There is plenty of information out there as well as available online for those who are interested in learning for making sense of things. Paper books are only needed for references to ensure the given information is actually in book one is referred to. Even paper books are available online through reference libraries.
There is far too much poverty in the world that people who really need to learn cannot because information is out of their reach. This is where plenty of attention is needed. The dog eat dog world is not really a good way to live so people need to educate themselves to help change all this. It is going to take generations to do that because pace of learning and teaching is far too slow in comparison to our reproduction rate. All because we are not interested in helping each other learn because we look at each other as rival and enemies and a threat. If we are afraid of learning and teaching each other then world cannot become a better place. Our fear of each other does not help us teach others to be cleverer than ourselves.
If I taught you and you became more clever than me then you are going to be a threat for my survival. This is why information is copyrighted and kept secret and we have spies to break into each other's secret closets to see what we are hiding from each other.
Mullahs did the same, they kept holy books under lock and key and only told things to masses they thought will keep them dominant over people. Pope is still hiding books that he thinks could undermine christianity. Mullahs too have been burning books they thought could undermine their credibility. So we will have to get on with what we have openly available for us. We all have top secrets which we do not want others to know or talk about.
In time may be all secrets will become open as humanity gradually moves toward brotherhood.
regards and all the best.
Re: Your home library
Alright browski. Thank you. But can you name some text titles that you feel benefit? Your posts are very informative, but you leave me and the thread sort of vague in terms of where I get this information.
Name the books if you can, please. JazakAllah.
Peace brother psyah, I think all books are informative and can help us develop provided we use them for that purpose and in the order I stated. Otherwise any doctored information for purpose of indoctrination can lead us to tunnel vision which can become an obstacle in the way of our development.
There is nothing wrong with reaching conclusion but it has to be based on as wide spectrum of information as possible and its understanding.
To begin with we must learn a language as best as we can which then helps understand other languages if we decide to learn them. Language is biggest barrier for us all to cross, why? Because even if I learn it and you do not then we cannot communicate that effectively. A lot of time is then needed for me to help you bring up to my level so that we could have discussion about something we both ought to be talking about.
The other thing we need is development of our mathematical ability. Without knowing maths it is very difficult if not impossible to understand anything.
We must learn biology, chemistry, physics etc ie material sciences. Without knowing science we cannot understand what things are made of, how they come about or develop and how they do what they do and what purpose they serve etc etc.
We need to learn about map not just of the earth but universe because without that we will have very limited knowledge of resources, history of humanity and nature including universe etc etc.
We need to learn about societies, politics, cultures, economics etc.
The other main sources of information are scriptures. Some divine some human interpretations.
If we do not have some knowledge about each and everything possible then we will not be able to make reasonable conclusions. The result of that will be that we will not be able to write books worth writing.
General up to date encyclopaedias are good source for basic information and people must have at least one good one for children and one for adults.
At least some good dictionaries will be good idea to have, general as well as some subject specific.
There is plenty of information out there as well as available online for those who are interested in learning for making sense of things. Paper books are only needed for references to ensure the given information is actually in book one is referred to. Even paper books are available online through reference libraries.
There is far too much poverty in the world that people who really need to learn cannot because information is out of their reach. This is where plenty of attention is needed. The dog eat dog world is not really a good way to live so people need to educate themselves to help change all this. It is going to take generations to do that because pace of learning and teaching is far too slow in comparison to our reproduction rate. All because we are not interested in helping each other learn because we look at each other as rival and enemies and a threat. If we are afraid of learning and teaching each other then world cannot become a better place. Our fear of each other does not help us teach others to be cleverer than ourselves.
If I taught you and you became more clever than me then you are going to be a threat for my survival. This is why information is copyrighted and kept secret and we have spies to break into each other's secret closets to see what we are hiding from each other.
Mullahs did the same, they kept holy books under lock and key and only told things to masses they thought will keep them dominant over people. Pope is still hiding books that he thinks could undermine christianity. Mullahs too have been burning books they thought could undermine their credibility. So we will have to get on with what we have openly available for us. We all have top secrets which we do not want others to know or talk about.
In time may be all secrets will become open as humanity gradually moves toward brotherhood.
regards and all the best.
Re: Your home library
tibbe Nabwi
Re: Your home library
In order to truly appreciate Quran (The Message), I feel it is also important to get intimate with Rasool Allah (s.a.w.) (The Messenger) because both create a complete comprehension. Having learned the Seerat of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) would no doubt put into context why, and when certain parts of the Quran were revealed in relation to the happenings around the time. This will then make it easy to relate to the Quran, and really understand the message within the message. Allah knows best.
Having said that, I felt it was also important to at least acquire some books on the Seerat. Digital version for only. Though I would definitely prefer the hardcover when the opportunity presents itself, in sha Allah.
So far:
Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)- By Martin Lings
Critical reading of Martin Lings- By G.F. Haddad (Compliments the work of Martin Lings, and almost a must read because apparently there are some discrepancies in Martin Lings' works that this addresses)
Seerat-un-Nabi-By Shaykh Shibli Nomani **(Total of 7 volumes in Urdu, with a lot of authetic research to compile the work from what i've heard of others in praise of the work).
**English Version has also become available, apparently. I have only found Volume II in English so far (Maybe the name of the entire English conversion is named Volume 2?)
Seerat-e-Mustafa-By Maulana Muhammad Idris Kandhalwi (Only found Urdu version so far, Actively in search of English version)
Re: Your home library
Taqwiyat-ul-iman, (Shah Ismail Shaheed)
Hazrat muavia (R.A.) aur Tareekhi Haqa-ed (Mufti Taqi Usmani)
Seerat-un-nabi S.A.W. (Shibli Nomani)
Seerat-un-nabi S.A.W. (Peer Karam Ali Shah)
Raheeq-ul-maqtoom (another seerat book, forgot writer name)
Al Farooq (Shibli Nomani)
Taarikh Ibn-e-Katheer (Ibn-e-Katheer)
Ikhtilaf-e-Ummat aur Sirat-e-Mustaqeem (Molana Yusuf Ludhiyanvi)
Al Muhannad A'la Mufannad
Mukhtisar Zaad-ul-Miyaad
Inqalab A'la Minhaj-e-Nabuwah (Dr. Israr Ahmed)
Aina-e-Parveziyat (forgot writer name)
Re: Your home library
Quran
Quran with Urdu Translation and short Tafseer
Tafseer Ibne Katheer complete set in Urdu published by Darussalaam
Quran with English Translation
Seerat un Nabi SAW complete set in Urdu - Maulana Shibli Naumani / Suleman Nadvi
Muhammad: His life based on the earliest sources - Martin Lings/Abu Bakr Siraj
In The Footsteps of Prophet - Tariq Ramadan
Majalis-e-Hasna - Dr. Hafeez ullah Muhajir Madini
Quran, Bible and Science - Dr. Maurice Bucaille
Atlas of the Prophet's Biography - Darrus Salaam Publications
Aimma Arba - Seerat aqaaid aur fiqhai khidmat - Muhammed Ayyub Supraa
Sunhere Auraaq - Abdul Malik Mujahid
Sunhere Faislay - Abdul Malik Mujahid
Fazail-e-Amaal Urdu
Sharah Asma un Nabi SAW - Ahmed Hassan Qadri
Ikhtilaaf-e-Ummat aur Sirat-e-Mustaqeem by Maulana Yusuf Ludhyanvi
Apkay Masaail aur Unka Hal by Maulana Yusuf Ludhyanvi
Masjid-e-Nabvi kay paas Sahaba kay Makanaat _ Dr. Muhammad Ilyaas Abdul Ghani
Makkah Mukkarrama - Maazo o Hal kay aainay mein - Mehmood Muhammad Hamo
Tauhfaa-e-Qadiyaaniyat - Maulana Yusuf Ludhyanvi
Iraani Inquilaab - Maulana Manzoor Naumani
Re: Your home library
Some eye opening books by allaama parwez.
Re: Your home library
Is he the same Parwaiz as in Parwaizi firqa or Munkireen-e-Hadith ?
Re: Your home library
dear smooth guy, parwez was the main deeni scholar who supported creation of pakistan against nationalist mazhabi ulema who are also called congrasi mullahs. no wonder then that parwez was main target of their attacks after they rushed into pakistan. Ideas of parwez come from iqbal and his ideas come from sir syed and go back to original form of islam, which was deen not mazhab.
mullahs are being forced to come to same conclusions and time is coming that will prove islam is deen not mazhab. Quran is as anti mazhab as it is anti laa diniyat.
