What books do you recommend about Islam?

What books do you recommend about Islam?

Question:

Could you mention as many books as possible that you know of that would blow my mind in regards to knowledge? Books that would insha’Allah increase my mind’s bounds.. Allow me to explore the world of our Blessed Prophet SAW and just Islam in general. Or even specifics. Anything. Books are my treasures. 🙂

Salaam alykum,

The issue I have when people ask for book recommendations on Islam is that they usually do not want to read about formal Islam, but generally about issues that surround Muslim people, and so I think this list I’ll write out, while not comprehensive or exhaustive, is what is my personal bookshelves, and if anyone has requests on specific subjects, I can try to recommend works for you to read, insha Allah.

The books I’d recommend, in no particular order, are:

The Principles of State and Government in Islam by Muhammad Asad

The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State by Noah Feldman

Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of Islamic Sciences) by Imam Al-Ghazali

Ar-Risala fi Usul al-Fiqh (Treatise on the Foundations of Islamic Jurisprudence) by Imam Shafi’i

Tafsir al-Tabari (common name of The Commentary on The Qur’an) by Sheikh Al-Tabari

The Eternal Message of Muhammad by Abd-al-Rahman Azam

Concepts of The Quran by Fathi Osman

Good Muslim, Bad Muslim by Mahmood Mamdani

The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf

Popular Culture in the Arab World by Andrew Hammond

Who Speaks for Islam? by John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed

The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim: The Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon by Jonathan Brown

Kitab al-Umm by Imam Shafi’i

Tafsir al-Manar by Rashid Rida

Al-Muhalla by ibn Hazm

Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Qur’an (The Perfect Guide to the Science of The Qur’an) [Yes, you read that right] by Suyuti

On Suicide Bombing by Talal Asad (don’t let the title mislead you, this is not just about “suicide bombing, very dense work)

Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity by Talal Asad

In Pursuit of Justice: The Jurisprudence of Human Rights in Islam by Maher Hathout

Women in Muslim Family Law by John Esposito

There are more, alhamdulilah, but I figure that is a long enough list, and if people want to know about specific subjects, again, please do not hesitate to ask me, insha Allah.

I pray this reaches you and your families in the best of health and Iman, insha Allah.

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