Reading Lists

Alhamdulilah, I’m fortunate to travel & speak across many campuses & congregations, and I’m often asked for book recommendations on Islamic topics.  I’ve always tried to seek out authentic, high-quality Islamic literature that I can comfortably recommend to friends & students.  So here’re my reading lists!  A few quick points:

  • I’m familiar with & trust these authors & their work.
  • This list is *not* comprehensive; rather, it contains “Introductory” and “Intermediate” texts/resources that are accessible & useful for students & young professionals who have limited time.  There’re many more texts that I could’ve included, but I wanted to keep it manageable.
  • In each category, I tried to put the most accessible (and sometimes most essential) texts at the top, and then they get more complex/advanced.  Thus, if you want to explore further/deeper then you can go on to the next text.  This is my subjective perspective.
  • These resources are all in English, they’re well translated/produced, and they’re all easily purchasable online.  I’ve tried to hyperlink as many resources as I could.

New Muslims

  1. “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
  3. “How to Perform Salat (Prayer)“ video by Mufti Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf

Aqidah (theology)

  1. “Submission: Faith & Beauty” by Prof. Joseph Lumbard [ PDF ]
  2. “Introduction to Islamic Creed“ by Imam al-Bajuri [ PDF ]
  3. “77 Branches of Faith” by Imam Bayhaqi (trans. T.J. Winter) [ PDF ]
  4. “Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained” by Imam Abu Hanifa (trans. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf)
  5. “The Creed of Imam Tahawi” by Sh. Hamza Yusuf
  6. “An Introduction to Islamic Theology: Imam Nur al-Din al-Sabuni’s Al-Bidayah fi usul al-din” trans. by Sh. Faraz A. Khan
  7. “Love for Allah” by Sh. Zulfiqar Ahmad [ PDF ]
  8. “The Lives of Man” by Imam Haddad [ PDF ]
  9. “Vision of Islam” (audio CD set) by Sh. Hamza Yusuf [ transcript ]
  10. “Vision of Islam” by Sachiko Murata & William Chittick
  11. “Modern Muslim Theology“ by Martin Nguyen
  12. “The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage Of Atheism” by Hamza Tzortzis

General

  1. “Islam: Religion of Life” by Abdul Wadod Shalabi
  2. “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
  3. “Unveiling Islam” by Roger DePasquier (trans. by T.J. Winter)
  4. “Being Muslim: A Practical Guide” by Dr. Asad Tarsin
  5. “War Within Our Hearts” by Habeeb Quadri & Sa’ad Quadri
  6. “Towards Empowering the Common Muslim” by Dr. Sherman Jackson
  7. “Who Speaks for Islam?: What A Billion Muslims Really Think” by Dr. John Esposito & Dalia Mogahed
  8. “Western Muslims and the Future of Islam” by Dr. Tariq Ramadan

Fiqh

  1. “The Absolute Essentials of Islam” by Sh. Faraz Rabbani [ PDF ]
  2. “The Beginner’s Gift” by Imam Ibrahim bin Hasan al-Mulla [ PDF ]
  3. “Ascent to Felicity” by Imam Shurunbulali (trans. Sh. Faraz Khan)
  4. “The Book of Assistance” by Imam Haddad [ PDF ]
  5. “Al-Maqasid: Nawawi’s Manual of Islam” by Imam Nawawi (trans. Sh. Nuh Keller)
  6. “Introduction to Uṣūl al-Fiqh” by Mufti Furhan Zubairi
  7. “Birgivi’s Manual Interpreted: Complete Fiqh of Menstruation & Related Issues” trans. Hedaya Hartford & Ashraf Muneeb
  8. “The Essentials of Jumu’a” by Sh. Ibrahim Madani
  9. “The Inseparability of Shari’a & Tariqa: Islamic Law & Purification of the Heart” by Sh. Muhammad Zakariyya
  10. “The Fiqh of Dawah” by Mufti Muhammad Sajaad
  11. “The Differences of the Imams” by Sh. Muhammad Zakariyya
  12. “Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence” by Mohammad Hashim Kamali

Hajj/Umrah

  1. “Hajj and Umrah: A Brief Guide” by Mufti Furhan Zubairi
  2. “The Definitive Guide to a Successful Hajj” by Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf – pt 1 / pt 2 / pt 3 / pt 4
  3. Hajj Pro Tips by Mufti Hussain Kamani
  4. Hajj & Umrah lectures by Sh. Husain Abdul Sattar
  5. “Performing Hajj: A Visual Guide to the Journey of Lifetime” (DVD) by Imam Tahir Anwar
  6. How to Perform Umrah by Sh. Saleem Dhorat
  7. How to Perform Ziyaarah by Sh. Saleem Dhorat
  8. How to Perform Hajj by Sh. Saleem Dhorat
  9. Perfecting the Journey: Spiritual and Legal Dimensions of Hajj by Sh. Zulfiqar Ahmad
  10. “Hajj & Umra: The Epic Journey” by Sh. Asim Ahmad

History

  1. Crash Course in Islamic History lectures by Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad
  2. Khulafa al-Rashidun videos by Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad
  3. The Four Great Imams videos by Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad
  4. “Lost Islamic History” by Firas Alkhateeb
  5. “Lessons In Islamic History“ by Sh. Muhammad Khudari Bak al-Bajuri

Quran

  1. “The Qur’an” (trans. M.A. Abdel Haleem) PDF
  2. “The Koran for Dummies” by Sohaib Sultan
  3. “An Introduction to ‘Ulum-al-Qur’an: The Field of Qur’anic Studies“ by Sh. Yousef Wahb
  4. “An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an” by Mufti Furhan Zubairi
  5. “The Holy Qur’an: An Approach to the Qur’anic Sciences” by Mufti Taqi Usmani
  6. “In the Company of the Quran – an Explanation of Sūrah al-Kahf” by Mufti Furhan Zubairi
  7. “In the Company of the Quran – an Explanation of Sūrah Maryam” by Mufti Furhan Zubairi
  8. “How to Read the Qur’an” by article Dr. Ingrid Mattson
  9. “The Story of the Qur’an” by Dr. Ingrid Mattson
  10. “The Endless Banquet: A Thematic Explanation of the Qur’an” by Imam Hamzah Abdul-Malik (vols. 1, 2, 3)
  11. “Tafsir of the Whole Qur’an in 30 Hours“ by Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf
  12. Quran 30 for 30: The Companion Reader
  13. Quran.com
  14. Quran Explorer
  15. Tanzil.net
  16. Maariful-Quran: tafsir by Mufti Shafi Usmani
  17. QuranicAudio.com
  18. Quranic Arabic Corpus

Hadith

  1. “Provisions for the Seekers” trans. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf ( lectures  by Sh. Husain Abdul Sattar [ mp3 (zipped) ] )
  2. “Introduction to Ḥadīth Studies” by Mufti Furhan Zubairi
  3. “The Preservation of Hadith: A Brief Introduction to the Science of Hadith” by Sh. Ibrahim Madani
  4. “Verifying and Understanding Hadith” lecture by Dr. Jonathan A.C. Brown
  5. “40 Hadith” by Imam Nawawi
  6. “In the Company of Scholars – a Commentary on al-Nawawī’s Forty Ḥadīth” by Mufti Furhan Zubairi
  7. 40 Hadith Qudsi
  8. “Riyadh us-Saliheen” by Imam Nawawi
  9. “Al-Adab al-Mufrad” by Imam Bukhari
  10. “The Content of Character” trans. Sh. Hamza Yusuf
  11. Sunnah.com
  12. “The Heirs of the Prophets” by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (trans. Imam Zaid Shakir)
  13. “Al-Muhaddithat: The Women Scholars in Islam” by Sh. Mohammad Akram Nadwi
  14. “A Sufi Study of Hadith” by Sh. Ashraf Ali Thanawi (trans. Sh. Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo)
  15. “The Spiritual Teachings of the Prophet ﷺ” by Tayeb Chourief
  16. “Hadith Literature: Its Origin, Development & Special Features” by Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi

Sirah (Prophetic biography)

  1. “Who is the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?” by Habib Umar bin Hafiz
  2. “Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction” by Dr. Jonathan A.C. Brown
  3. The Last Prophet
  4. “The Life of the Prophet Muhammad” (audio CD set) by Sh. Hamza Yusuf [ mp3 (zipped) ]
  5. “Muhammad: his life based on the earliest sources” by Martin Lings
  6. “Love for the Prophet” by Sh. Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshibandi
  7. “Seeratul Mustafa” (Abridged) by Hadrat Moulana Muhammad Idrees Kaandhelwi
  8. “Muhammad: His Character and Beauty” by Sh. Yusuf Nabahani
  9. “The Khulasa: A Summary of Abu Isa at-Tirmidhi’s ash-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyyah”
  10. “Al-Shama’il Al-Muhammadiyya” by Imam al-Tirmidi (Imam Ghazali Institute edition)
  11. “Shamail of Imam at-Tirmidhi” [ lectures by Sh. Husain Abdul Sattar: mp3 (zipped) ]
  12. “Shamaa-il Tirmidhi” (The Virtues and Noble Character of the Prophet Muhammad saw) commentary by Sh. Muhammad Zakariyya
  13. “Ash-Shifa” by Qadi Iyad
  14. “Prophet of Mercy” by Sh. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

Sahaba/Companions

  1. “Companions of the Prophet” by Abdul Wahid Hamid (2 volumes)
  2. “Saviors of the Islamic Spirit” (audio CD set) by Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf [ SoundCloud ]
  3. “The Perfect Family: The Virtues of Ahl al-Bayt” trans. Khalid Williams
  4. “The History of the Four Caliphs” by Sh. Khudari Bak
  5. “Mothers of the Believers” (audio CD set) by Imam Suhaib Webb [ mp3 ]
  6. “Stories of the Prophets” (audio CD set) by Dr. Tariq Suwaidan [ mp3 ]
  7. “Famous Women in Islam” (audio CD set) by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah [ mp3 ]
  8. “The Beauty of the Righteous & the Ranks of the Elite” trans. Sh. Muhammad al-Akili

Spirituality

  1. “Purification of the Heart” by Imam Mawlud (trans. Sh. Hamza Yusuf) [ e-book ]
  2. “Foundations of the Spiritual Path“ by Sidi Ahmad Zarruq
  3. “Agenda to Change Our Condition” by Sh. Hamza Yusuf & Imam Zaid Shakir
  4. “Reclaim Your Heart” by Yasmin Mogahed
  5. O Son! A Translation of Imam al-Ghazali’s “Ayyuhal Walad” (Imam Ghazali Institute edition)
  6. “Treatise for the Seekers of Guidance” by Imam Muhasibi (trans. Imam Zaid Shakir)
  7. “The Beginning of Guidance” by Imam al-Ghazali (edit. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf) [ PDF ]
  8. “The Forty Principles of the Religion” – Imam Ghazali’s adapted summary of Ihya Ulum ad-Din (trans. Nasir Abdussalam)
  9. “Islamic Manners” by Sh. Abdul-Fattah Abu Guddah
  10. “Mutual Reminding“ and “Good Manners“ by Imam Haddad [ PDF ]
  11. “The Poor Man’s Book of Assistance” (audio CD set) by Sh. Hamza Yusuf
  12. “The Reformation of Character” by Mawlana Hakim Akhtar
  13. “The Path to Perfection” by Sh. Masihullah Khan
  14. “Refinement of the Hearts” (audio CD set) by Sh. Hamza Yusuf
  15. “Sufism for Non-Sufis?“ by Dr. Sherman Jackson
  16. “Al-Ghazali on Discipling the Soul & on Breaking the Two Desires” (trans. T.J. Winter)
  17. “Al-Ghazali on the Remembrance of Death & the Afterlife” (trans. T.J. Winter)

Dua

  1. “Reflections of Pearls” by Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf
  2. “Salat & Salam: In Praise of Allah’s Most Beloved” trans. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf
  3. “40 Salaat & Salaam” : free E-book with Arabic text, English translation, transliteration & Arabic audio
  4. “Al-Hizb Al-A’zam (abridged)” by Hadrat Sufi Iqbal Madani
  5. “Prayers For Forgiveness” trans. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf
  6. “The Accepted Whispers” by Sh. Ashraf Ali Thanawi (trans. Khalid Baig)
  7. “The Prayer of the Oppressed” trans. Sh. Hamza Yusuf [ PDF ] [ audio ]

Marriage

  1. “Before You Tie the Knot: A Guide for Couples” by Salma Abugideiri and Mohamed Hag Magid
  2. “Handbook of a Healthy Muslim Marriage“ by Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf
  3. “Initiating and Upholding an Islamic Marriage” by Hedaya Hartford
  4. “Muslim Marriage Guide” by Ruqayyah Waris Maqsood
  5. “The Rights and Responsibilities of Marriage” (audio CD set) by Sh. Hamza Yusuf [ mp3 (zipped) ]
  6. “Islamic Guide to Sexual Relations” by Mufti Ibn Adam al-Kawthari
  7. “Birth Control & Abortion in Islam” by Mufti Ibn Adam al-Kawthari
  8. “Heaven Under Your Feet: Pregnancy for Muslim Women” by Umm Hasan bint Salim
  9. “Parenting…who said it was easy: Understanding Our Children” by Habeeb Quadri & Sa’ad Quadri
  10. “When Muslim Marriage Fails: Divorce Chronicles and Commentaries” by Suzy Ismail

Muslim Mental Health

  1. Islamic Spirituality and Psychology Series by Yaqeen Institute
  2. “Prophet Muhammad’s Approach to Mental Health“ with Dr. Rania Awaad
  3. “Islamic Spirituality & Mental Health, What’s the Link?“ by Dr. Asim Yusuf
  4. “Musings of a Muslim Chaplain” by Sondos Kholaki
  5. “Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America” edited by Muhammad Ali, Omer Bajwa, Sondos Kholaki and Jaye Starr
  6. “Abu Zayd al-Balkhi’s Sustenance of the Soul: The Cognitive Behavior Therapy of A Ninth Century Physician” by Malik Badri
  7. “Contemplation: An Islamic Psychospiritual Study” by Malik Badri
  8. “Islamically Integrated Psychotherapy: Uniting Faith and Professional Practice” edited by Carrie York Al-Karam
  9. “Islamic Psychology Around the Globe” edited by Amber Haque and Abdallah Rothman
  10. “Psychology of Personality: Islamic Perspectives“ edited by Amber Haque and Yasien Mohamed

Miscellaneous

  1. “With the Heart in Mind: the Moral and Emotional Intelligence of the Prophet ﷺ” by Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith
  2. “Muhammad (s): 11 Leadership Qualities that Changed the World” by Nabeel Al-Azami
  3. “Sacrifice: the Legacy of Our Beloved Prophet ﷺ” by Sh. Tameem Ahmadi
  4. “Fiqh of Social Media: Timeless Islamic Principles for Navigating the Digital Age” by Omar Usman
  5. “Humanity Before Religiosity” by Habib Ali al-Jifri
  6. “Refuting ISIS” by Sh. Muhammad al-Yaqoubi
  7. “The Road to Mecca” by Muhammad Asad
  8. “Islam & Politics” by Mufti Taqi Usmani
  9. “The Islamic Laws of Animal Slaughter” by Mufti Taqi Usmani
  10. “Green Deen” by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
  11. “Butterfly Mosque” by Willow Wilson
  12. “Scattered Pictures” by Imam Zaid Shakir
  13. “One Thousand Roads to Mecca” by Michael Wolfe
  14. “Blackness and Islam” by Dawud Walid
  15. “Towards Sacred Activism” by Dawud Walid
  16. “Centering Black Narrative: Black Muslim Nobles Among the Early Pious Muslims” by Ahmad Mubarak & Dawud Walid
  17. “Bilal al-Habashi: An Exemplar of Patience and Devotion” by Hilal Kara and Abdullah Kara
  18. “The Spirits of Black Folk: Sages Through the Ages” by Imam al-Suyuti (trans. by Imam Adéyínká  Mendes)
  19. “Futuwwah and Raising Males into Sacred Manhood“ by Dawud Walid

Islam & Media

  1. “Covering Islam” by Edward Said
  2. “Covering Islam and Muslims” lecture by Prof. Sherman Jackson
  3. Fear, Inc. report by Center for American Progress
  4. “Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy” by Peter Gottschalk
  5. “American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear” by Khaled Beydoun