Tips for Building Islamic Library in your home

    Innal-Hamdalillah was-Salaatu was-Salaam `alaa Rasoolillah
    as-Salaamu `alaykum wa-raHmatullaahi wa-barakaatuhu


    Start building an Islamic “library” in your home


    Another thing that will help in teaching your family and letting them develop a understanding of their religion and help them adhere to its rules, is having one’s own Islamic library at home. It does not have to be extensive; what matters is choosing good books, putting them in a place where they are readily accessible, and encouraging family members to read them.

    You could put books in a clean and tidy corner of the living room, and in a suitable place in a bedroom or guest room; this will make it easy for any member of the family to read constantly.

    In order to build a library properly – and Allaah loves things to be done properly – you should include references so that family members can research various matters and children can use them for their studies. You should also include books of varying levels, so that old and young, men and women can all use them. You should also have books for giving to guests, children’s friends and family visitors, but try to get books that are attractively presented, edited properly and with the sources and classification of the ahaadeeth properly given. You can make the most of Islamic bookstores and exhibitions to build a home library, after consulting and seeking advice from those who have experience in the field of books. One way in which you can help family members to find a book when they want it is to organize the books according to subject, with books of Tafseer on one shelf, books of hadeeth on another, fiqh on a third, and so on. One of the family members could also compile alphabetical or subject indexes of the library, to make it easier to look for books.

    Many of those who want to start a home library may ask for titles of Islamic books. Here are a few suggestions:

    Tafseer:

    Tafseer Ibn Katheer

    Tafseer Ibn Sa’di

    Zubdat al-Tafseer by al-Ashkar

    Badaa’i’ al-Tafseer by Ibn al-Qayyim

    Usool al-Tafseer by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

    Lamahaat fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan by Muhammad al-Sabbaagh

    Hadeeth

    Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib

    ‘Aml al-Muslim fi’l-Yawm wa’l-Laylah (or: Al-Saheeh al-Musnad min Adhkaar al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah)

    Riyaadh al-Saaliheen and its commentary Nuzhat al-Muttaqeen

    Mukhtasar Saheeh al-Bukhaari by al-Zubaydi

    Mukhtasar Saheeh Muslim by al-Mundhiri and al-Albaani

    Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer

    Da’eef al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer

    Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb

    Al-Sunnah wa Makaanatuhaa fi’l-Tashree’

    Qawaa’id wa fawaa’id min al-Arba’een al-Nawawiyyah by Naazim Sultaan

    ‘Aqeedah

    Fath al-Majeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed (edited by al-Arnaa’oot)

    A’laam al-Sunnah al-Manshoorah by al-Hakami (ed.)

    Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, edited by al-Albaani

    The series on ‘Aqeedah by Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar in 8 parts

    Ashraat al-Saa’ah by Dr. Yoosuf al-Waabil

    Fiqh

    Manaar al-Sabeel by Ibn Duwiyyaan

    Irwa’ al-Ghaleel by al-Albaani

    Zaad al-Ma’aad

    al-Mughni by Ibn Qudaamah

    Fiqh al-Sunnah [also available in English translation]

    Al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi by Saalih al-Fawzaan

    Collections of fatwas by different scholars (‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Muhammad Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen)

    Sifat Salaah al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by Shaykh al-Albaani and Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz [available in English under the title The Prophet’s Prayer Described]

    Mukhtasar Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz by al-Albaani

    Good manners and purification of the soul:

    Tahdheeb Madaarij al-Saalikeen

    Al-Fawaa’id

    Al-Jawaab al-Kaafi

    Tareeq al-Hijratayn wa Baab al-Sa’aadatayn

    Al-Waabil al-Sayib

    Raafi’ al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim

    Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif by Ibn Rajab

    Tahdheeb Maw’izat al-Mu’mineen

    Ghadhaa’ al-Albaab

    Seerah and biographies

    Al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer

    Mukhtasar al-Shamaa’il al-Muhammadiyyah by al-Tirmidhi, abridged by al-Albaani

    Al-Raheeq al-Makhtoom by al-Mubaarakpoori [available in English translation]

    Al-‘Awaasim min al-Qawaasim by Ibn al-‘Arabi, ed. by al-Khateeb and al-Istanbooli

    Al-Mujtama’ al-Madani (2 vols.) by Shaykh Akram al-‘Umari [available in English under the title Madinan Society at the Time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)]

    Siyar A’lam al-Nubala’

    Minhaj Kitaabat al-Taareekh al-Islaami by Muhammad ibn Saamil al-Salami

    There are many other good books on various topics, such as those by:

    Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab

    Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Naasir al-Sa’di

    Shaykh ‘Umar Sulaymaan ibn Ashqar

    Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Muqaddim

    Prof. Muhammad Muhammad Husayn

    Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zayno

    Prof. Husayn al-‘Awayishah’s books on al-Raqaa’iq (topics to soften the heart and strengthen eemaan)

    Al-Eemaan by Muhammad Na’eem Yaaseen

    Al-Walaa’ wa’l-Baraa’ by Shaykh Muhammad Sa’eed al-Qahtaani [available in English translation]

    Al-Inhiraafaat al-‘Aqdiyyah fi’l-Qarnayn al-Thaani ‘Ashara wa’l-Thaalith ‘Ashara by ‘Ali ibn Bukhayt al-Zahraani

    Al-Muslimoon wa Zaahirat al-Hazeemah al-Nafsiyyah by ‘Abd-Allaah al-Shabaanah

    Al-Mar’ah bayn al-Fiqh wa’l-Qaanoon by Mustafa al-Sibaa’i

    Al-Usrah al-Muslimah amaam al-video wa’l-tilifiziyon by Marwaan Kijik

    Al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah I’daadaatuhaa wa mas’ooliyaatuhaa by Ahmad Abu Bateen

    Mas’ooliyat al-Abb al-Muslim fi Tarbiyat Waladihi by ‘Adnaan Baahaarith

    Hijaab al-Muslimah by Ahmad al-Baaraazi

    Wa Jaa’a Dawr al-Maajoos by ‘Abd-Allaah Muhammad al-Ghareeb

    Books by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd

    Abhaath al-Shaykh Mashoor Hasan Salmaan

    There are many other useful, good books – what we have mentioned is only by way of example, and is by no means a complete list. There are also many useful pamphlets and booklets, but it would take too long to list everything. The Muslim should consult others and think hard. Whomever Allaah wishes good for, He helps him to understand His religion.

    Home audio library

    Having a cassette player in every home may be used for good or for evil. How can we use it in a manner that is pleasing to Allaah?

    One of the ways in which we can achieve this is to have a home audio library containing good Islamic tapes by scholars, fuqaha’, lecturers, khateebs and preachers.

    Listening to tapes of Qur’aan recitation by some Imaams, for example those recorded during Taraaweeh prayers, will have a great impact on family members, whether by impressing upon them the meanings of the Revelation, or by helping them to memorize Qur’aan because of repeated listening. It will also protect them by letting them hear Qur’aanic recitation rather than the music and singing of the Shaytaan, because it is not right for the words of al-Rahmaan (Allaah) to be mixed with the music of the Shaytaan in the heart of the believer.

    Tapes of fatwas may have a great effect on family members and help them to understand various rulings, which will have an impact on their daily lives. We suggest listening to tapes of fatwas given by scholars such as Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani, Shaykh Muhammad al-‘Uthaymeen, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, and other trustworthy scholars.

    Muslims must also pay attention to the sources from which they take fatwas, because this is the matter of religion, so look to where you take your religion from. You should take it from someone who is known to be righteous and pious, who bases his fatwas on sound ahaadeeth, who is not fanatical in his adherence to a madhhab, who follows sound evidence and adheres to a middle path without being either extreme or too lenient. Ask an expert. “… Allaah, Most Gracious: ask, then about Him of any acquainted (with such things).” [al-Furqaan 25:59 – interpretation of the meaning – Yusuf Ali’s translation].

    Listening to lectures by those who are striving to raise the awareness of the ummah, establish proof and denounce evil, is very important for establishing individual personalities in the Muslim home.

    There are many tapes and lectures, and the Muslim needs to know the features of the sound methodology so as to distinguish sound lecturers from others and look for their tapes, which they can listen to with confidence. Among these features are:

    The lecturer should be a believer in the ‘aqeedah of the Saved Group, Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, adhering to the Sunnah and firmly rejecting bid’ah. The speaker should be moderate, neither extremist nor lenient.

    He should base his talks on sound ahaadeeth, and beware of weak and fabricated ahaadeeth.

    He should have insight into people’s situations and the realities of the ummah, and should offer the appropriate remedy for any problem, giving the people what they need.

    He should speak the truth as much as he can, and not utter falsehood or please the people by angering Allaah.

    We often find that tapes for children have a great influence on them, whether by helping them to memorize Qur’aan by listening to a young reader, or du’aa’s to be recited at various times of day and night, or Islamic manners, or nasheeds (religious “songs” with no instrumental accompaniment) with a useful message, and so on.

    Putting tapes in drawers in an organized fashion will make it easier to find them, and will also protect them from getting damaged or from being played with by young children. We should distribute good tapes by giving or lending them to others after listening to them. Having a recorder in the kitchen will be very useful for the lady of the house, and having a recorder in the bedroom will help a person make good use of time until the last moments of the day.

    Inviting good and righteous people and seekers of knowledge to visit the home.

    “My Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer, and all the believing men and women…” [Nooh 71:28 – interpretation of the meaning].

    If people of faith enter your home, it will increase in light (noor), and will bring many benefits because of your conversations and discussion with them. The bearer of musk will either give you some, or you will buy from him, or you will find that he has a pleasant scent. When children, brothers and parents sit with such visitors, and women listen from behind a curtain or screen to what is said, this offers an educational experience to all. If you bring good people into your home, by doing so you keep bad people from coming in a wreaking havoc.

    Wallahu 'Alam

    Wasalamu'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakahtahu