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Islamic Non-Fiction, Fiction, and Poetry

Leisure reading from the world of Islam is a not-to-be-missed experience! Here are some very enjoyable books, both classic and modern, to feast your mind upon: Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid Muhammad. The Alchemy of Happiness. London: The Octagon Press, 1983. Al-Jahiz, Abu Uthman ibn Bahr. The Book of Misers. Translated by R.B. Serjeant. London: Garnet Publishing Limited, 1997. Asad, Muhammad. The Road to Mecca. Gibralter: Dar Al-Andalus, 1980. Atiyeh, George N. The Book in the Islamic World. Albany: State University of New York, 1995. Attar, Fariduddin. The Conference of Birds. New York: Penguin, 1995. Baig, Reshma. The Memory of Hands. New York: International Books and Tapes Supply, 1999. Burton, Sir Richard. The Arabian Nights. New York: The Modern Library, 1932. Hafiz, Shamsuddin Muhammad. The Gift: Poems by Hafiz. Translated by Daniel Ladinsky. New York: Penguin, 1999. Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Books, 1978. Helminski, Kabir and ...

His Knowledge of the Various Types of Related Information

As for his knowledge of both authentic and weak narrations, he was like a mountain in this that nobody could climb. It was very rare that a narration would be mentioned to him without him knowing who said it, who narrated it, who transmitted it, or who recorded it, in addition to knowing the condition of each narrator in light of the sciences of jarh and ta’dil.

One person who witnessed this describes that he was one day in a class in which a Muhaddith was reading to him from a book of Hadith. He was reading very fast, and the Shaykh corrected him in the name of a man in the isnad of a hadith that the reader had sped by, mentioning that his name was such and such as opposed to what was read by the Muhaddith. They looked into it and found that it was exactly as the Shaykh said.

So, look at this swift comprehension and detailed, precise knowledge that nobody can compare to unless they are granted extreme precision!

This is clear as day when looking at the ability Allah granted him to take the Prophetic narrations and extract concepts and proofs for various issues from them, clarify the intended meanings of their words, explain which narrations specify and restrict the general rulings, point out which narrations are abrogated or abrogating, delve into the guidelines and principles associated with each narration, explain what each narration implies, and point out what additional knowledge one needed to understand each one – to the point that whenever a verse or hadith was mentioned to him, he would proceed to bring out from it meanings and concepts that would only be expected from the most amazing of scholars due to how thoroughly he would derive them, and he would mesmerize any who happened to hear him.

He was once asked about the hadith: “Allah has cursed the one who marries a divorced woman to make her permissible for her first husband, as well as the husband who takes her back.” So, he kept elaborating and explaining to the point that everything he said took up an entire volume.20 It was quite rare that a hadith or ruling would be mentioned to him except that he’d spend his entire day explaining it if he wanted to, or that a verse from the Book of Allah would be mentioned in his presence except that he’d spend the entire gathering explaining it.

As for his opposition to the innovators and the people of desires and what he wrote refuting their opinions, exposing their likes, dividing their ranks, cutting off their sustenance, replying to their devilish doubts and opposition to the pure Shari’ah of Muhammad (peace be upon him), as well as what Allah granted him of divine insight, comprehension of the texts, and clear logic that allowed him to remove the mask of falsehood - this is as clear as day. With all that he collected and authored, he clarified the truth from falsehood, to the point that if the followers of this falsehood were alive, they would have no choice but to submit to his words and enter correctly into the Sacred Religion.

Everyone who met him or comes to know of what he had to offer should thank Allah for leading this Imam to aiding and supporting the truth in such clear and easily understandable manner.

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