In 2024, I embarked on a significant reading challenge, starting the year by diving into over 25 foundational books on Islam. These books were thoughtfully recommended and curated by QuranicThought.com, an organization based in Amman, Jordan. This platform is a treasure trove of millions of Arabic Islamic manuscripts, with the broader aim of gathering every classical Arabic manuscript in the Islamic tradition and making it available online. They also provide supplementary notes and audio lectures, making the site an invaluable resource for students, researchers, scholars, and teachers.
Their site states: “Our mission is to preserve Islamic Civilization by making all its jewels available to the whole world for free using the latest technology.” Furthermore, it states:
Because the religious sciences produced by Islamic Civilization are so vast, we have categorized them by main subject to make access easier: e.g., Qur’an (for listening); tafsir; hadith, usul, seerah, ‘aqidah, fiqh; ihsan, falsafa, and so on. We have chosen a list of 25 books for the essential texts of all disciplines which all Muslims should know. Beyond that, however, we have made a special section for the 500 most influential books on Sunni Thought (according to the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institution’s seminal survey). Most people—even many scholars—will not read much more than 500 books (especially as these are long books) in their lifetimes so this should suffice as a roadmap for most people to read throughout their lives.
The goal of this reading challenge is to read through a foundational corpus of authoritative Islamic thought and take notes. As time goes on, I intend to upload some edited versions of these notes for selected texts, just as a way to share my personal learning and as a reference for later use.
Why This List?
- Educational Value: Each book is a treasure trove of knowledge, offering insights into the history, culture, and beliefs of one of the world’s largest religions.
- Cultural Understanding: In a world where misconceptions about Islam are rampant, this challenge provides an authentic source of understanding and empathy.
- Personal Growth: Engaging with these texts can be a transformative experience, offering spiritual, moral, and philosophical insights.
- Traditional Perspectives: The selection includes works from various scholars, providing a well-rounded view of Islamic thought.
- Historical Insights: Understanding the past is crucial to comprehending the present. These books offer historical context that is often missing in contemporary discussions about Islam. The following page outlines all 25 introductory texts on Islam. In reality, the list is greater than that if one considers that some texts are actually a series of numbered volumes, depending on which edition one reads. I will consider all volumes in a series to be included as an individual text. Some texts reads at over a thousand pages while other shorter treatises sit at under a hundred pages.
The Reading List
The reading list is as follows:
- Tafsir al‐Jalalayn: Great Commentaries on the Holy Qur’an. Translated by Feras Hamza.
- English Translation of Sahih Muslim. Darrussalam.
- Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik by Malik Ibn Anas.
- Riyad Al-Salihin (Vol 1-3) Set by Imam Nawawi.
- Al-Shafi’i’s Risala: Treatise on the Foundations of Islamic Jurisprudence by Majid Khadduri.
- Tafsir al-Qurtubi (Vol 1-4) by Abdul Haq Bewley.
- The Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith by Imam al-Bayhaqi. (Completed Jan 2024).
- Fath Al-Bari: Victory of the Creator Commentary on Sahih Al-Bukhari by Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani.
- Revival of the Religious Sciences: An Abridgement by Imam al-Ghazali. Abridged by Salih Ahmad al-Shami. Translated by Mokrane Guezzou.
- The Beginning of Guidance (Bidayat al-Hidaya) by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali. (Completed 2021)
- Al-Ghazali’s Adapted Summary of Ihya Ulum al-Din: The Forty Principles of the Religion.
- Path of the Worshipful Servants to the Garden of the Lord of All the Worlds: Minhaj Al-‘Abidin Ila Jannati Rabbi ‘l-‘Alamin by Imam al-Ghazali.
- The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi by Imam al-Tahawi and Hamza Yusuf. (Completed 2020).
- The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum): Biography of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) by Saifur Rahman Mubarakpuri. (Completed April 2024).
- Al-Adab Al-Mufrad with Full Commentary: A Perfect Code of Manners and Morality by Imam al-Bukhari.
- The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History - Abridged Edition by Ibn Khaldun.
- Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings. (Completed 2017).
- Introduction to Islamic Creed by Imam Ibrahim al-Bajuri. (Completed 2022).
- Usul ash-Shashi: Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence by Nizam Ad-Din Ash-Shashi.
- The Venture of Islam (Vol 1-3) by Marshall G. S. Hodgson.
- A History of Islamic Societies by Ira M. Lapidus.
- The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf.
- A Thinking Person’s Guide to Islam: The Essence of Islam in 12 Verses from the Qur’an by H.R.H. Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad.
- Absolute Essentials of Islam by Shaykh Amin Jundi and Faraz Rabbani. (Completed 2018)
- Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy Ibn Yaqzan: A Philosophical Tale by Ibn Tufayl.
- Imam Abu Hanifa’s Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained by Abu ’l-Muntaha al-Maghnisawi.
- The Translation of the Noble Qur’an. Translation by The Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.
- The Litanies of Love (Awrad al-Hubb) by H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad.
- 1000 Pearls of Wisdom from the Prophet by Moustafa Elqabbany.
- The Straight Path: A Commentary on the Holy Qur’an by Nur Al-Din Ahmad Al-Kazaruni.
- A Detailing of the Two Creations and the Attainment of the Two Happinesses by Al-Raghib Al-Asfahani. Translated by Lamya Al-Khraisha. (Completed Jan 2024)