Surrenderworks.com / Essays
on
Islam and Sufism / Karbala: What does
it Mean? /
And here are my Top Picks from Islamic books Online
1. Kitab al Irshad -
$12
-Compilation of the lives, accomplishments and sayings of the Twelve
Imams beginning
with Imam Ali and concluding with Imam Mahdi.
2. Brother of the Prophet
- $14 A
comprehensive biography of the life of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, this work
unveils his
achievements in every facet of life, from the home to the battlefield
to the
mosque to the seat of government. Shaykh Chirri is meticulous in his
description of the complex yet beautiful life and character of Ali. He
is able
to capture the depth of Ali's relationships with his family, with the
Prophet,
with the people and with God. This book is a beautiful complement to
Ali's own
sermons that are presented in the Nahjual Balagha.
3. The Right Path - $6
4. Inquiries about Islam
- $5 - A
comparative study and dialogue between Shaykh Mohammed Jawad Chirri of
the
Islamic Center of Detroit, and Dr.
Wilson H.
Guertin of the University
of Florida.
Through their
debate on Islam and Christianity they explore the evolution, beliefs
and
current practices of both faiths.
5. Know Your Islam -
$7 -
A simple
and basic guide to the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, and
a brief
outline of Islamic history. Suitable for those seeking a factual
summary of the
elements of Islam.
6. Peshawar Nights -
$10
7. Nahj ul Balaagha -
$12
8.
Hayat
Al
Qulub Vol 1,2,3 - Stories of the Prophets: $12.00 -
Allamah Muhammad
Baqir Al
Majlisi Translated by Sayyid Athar Hussain S H Rizvi
HABIB'S
TOP
TEN - picked
from from
this page
More Important Selections from Imam Al-Khoei
Online Book Store
Hayat
al Qulub
- $26 - Writtten by Allama Baqar Majlisi. This is one of the best known
works
of allamah Majlisi., published in three volumes, the first volume deals
with
the lives and times of all the Prophets up to the Holy Prophet Muhammad
SAWA.
H/B Pages 664 The second volume is exclusively about the biography of
the Holy
Prophet SAWA translated by James L.Merrick under the title “ The life
and
Religion ofMuhammad SAWA. H/B Pgs. 462 The third volume explores the
question
of succesion to the Prophet Muhammad SAWA and describes the lofty
position of
Ahl Al-Bayt in Islam. H/B Pgs. 495
Hayat
Al-
Qulub vol. 2- $26 -
Hayat
Al-
Qulub vol. 3- $26 -
Spiritual
Discourses - $5 - The book is a collection of 13 discourses by
Shahid
Mutah'hari. The lectures were delivered under the following titles: 1.
Spritual
Freedom part 1, 2. Spiritual Freedom part 2, 3. Worship and Prayer part
1, 4.
Worship and Prayer part 2, 5. Repentence part 1, 6. Repentence part 2,
7.
Dignity and Glory of spirit, 8. Belief in Unseen, 9. The Criteria for
Humanity,
10. Migration and Jihad part 1, 11. Migration and Jihad part 2, 12.
Migration
and Jihad part 3, 13. The School
of Humanity
The
Origin
and Early Development of Shia Islam - $8 - A critical
reassessment
to trace out those earlier tendencies and ideas which gave Shia Islam
its
distinctive character.P/B
A
Shi'ite
Anthology - $8 - Allama Tabatabaie points out lucidly three
basic dimention
of Shiite tradition. 1- The profession of Unity ( Al-Tawhid ) or the
metaphysical and theological principles of the faith 2- the political
social
and moral teachings. 3- Inward spritual and devotional life of the
community .
These dimensions stress the principles and fundamentals of Islam. The
aspects
of Divine Law have been reflected in Imam Ali's (A.S) instructions to "
Malik Ashter " and to a lesser degree in the prayers.P/B, Pgs. 150
A
Probe
into the History of Hadith - $6 - A probable in to the
History of the
delicate Institution of Hadith by Allama Murtaza Askari, a renowned
contemporary scholar and historian, who unveiled the picture of this
institution
in such a manner that every line and contour of its countenance becomes
distinctly
clear. His unbiased analysis invites the attention of the Muslim
scholars to
dispassionately differentiate between authentic and fabricated
Hadith.P/B
Uyun
Akhbar
Ar-Reza vol. 1 & 2(a.s)- $50 - This attractive, hard
bound book
is not only a detailed account of the Biography of our Eighth Imam Abul
Hassan
Ali ibni Musa AR-Ridha a.s. and a narration of the life-story of the
Imam AS’
but it gives an insight into the erudition and holiness of the Imam AS.
and the
narration of His ahadith which has gone down in history as
“Al-Silsilatul
Dhahabiyyah” (The Golden Chain) that is transmitted from Imam to Imam
from The
Prophet SAWW. Uyoon Akhbar Al-Reza is divided into thirty chapters,
each of
which treats a certain topic related to the Imam AS. Chapter One gives
a
rationale of the name Al-Reza. The book describes Imam Al-Reza’s
appointment to
Imamah by his father. It carries detailed accounts of the debates that
took
place on the Infallibility of prophets and the legitimacy of the
immediate
successorship of Imam Ali AS in which Ma’moon also argued in favor of
Imam Ali
AS’ legitimate immediate succession after The Prophet SAWW. The Imam AS
brilliant
expose on Imamah and the difference between ‘itrah’ and ‘ummah’ are
recorded in
this book which has thirty pages of endnotes with references and
elaborations.
H/B Pgs. 688
The
Prolegomena
to the Quran - $18 - The great author Ayatullah Saiyyid
A.
Al-Khoei,stresses the importance of understanding the historical
setting in
which the Quran was revealed. He expounds his own views, and refutes
Sunni
beliefs and concepts categorically concerning the theories of
alteration and abrogation
in Quran. He discusses many critical and controversial topics connected
with
the collection and canonization of the text, that has received little
attention
since classic age.
The
Life
of Imam Al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s)- $22 - The book is the biography of
the
Twelfth Imam, Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s) also referred to as the
"Qaim of Aale Muhammad" the awaited Imam and the Last of the
successors. It also covers major objections that the opponents of Shias
aim
against belief in Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) which the respected author, has
refuted
in a convincing way. H/B Pgs. 400
The
Book
of Occultation ( Kitab Al-Ghaibah)- $25 - (Volume 51 of
BIHARUL
ANWAR). Compiled by
Allamah Muhammad
Baqir al-Majlisi. Translated by Hassan Allahyari.
To know the Imam
of The Time
is one of the Prophetic injunctions to all mankind accepted unanimously
across
the different schools of thought. Imam Mehdi AFS, The Twelfth Imam
after The
Prophet SAWW, is our Imam of the Time. Thus, to teach us who the Imam
is our scholars
have penned erudite books. One is Allamah Majlisi’s Kitabul
Ghaibah. (A similar work is AL-GHAYBAH :OCCULTATION by
Ibn
Abu Zaynab An-Nu’mani, Translated by
Abdullah Al-Shahin, Ansariyan, Qum.$18.00 + s&h (HB). 488 pp )
Allamah
Majlisi’s book is
divided into xxv chapters with prefatory matter and appendices that
take the
reader through from the Imam AS’ birth, lineage, names and titles and
ahadith
foretelling his birth and advent to the period of his ghaibah, both the
short
(al-ghaybah al-sughra) and long (al-ghaybah al-kubra), his deputies
(emissaries) reappearance and rule, impostors who laid claim to being
the
emissaries and gateways to the Imam AS, the holy letter from The Imam
AS about
Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali al-Shalmaghani’s blasphemous claims and falsehood.
The translator
of Allamah Majlisi’s book has incorporated the original Arabic
narrations that
are culled from a wide variety of sources, inter alia, Nahjul Balaghah,
Al-Kafi, Al-Ghaiba of Sheikh Tusi, Ikmal al-Din, Al- Ghaibah of
Al-Nu’mani
rendering the book rich in its content. His sources are not confined to
the
Shi’a texts only; rather, he also quotes Sunni texts, which testifies
to the
authenticity of the presence of The Imam AS in Ghaibah. Abdullah ibn
Umar, for
example is quoting The Prophet SAWW “The Mahdi will rise and there will
be a
cloud over his head, from which a caller will be calling: ‘This is the
Mahdi,
the Caliph of Allah.’” One of the rare veritable ahadith from Abu
Huraira is
also quoted: “The Hour shall not rise until a man from my Household
reigns. He
will conquer Constantinople and the Mount of Dailam. If there should
remain but
no more than one day, Allah will prolong that day.” The book, however,
does not
identify the geographic locations of many place-names cited in the
ahadith,
though once in a while there is a footnote to a place-name.
Al-Nu’mani’s
book also
carries the Arabic text and has information that Majlisi has not
included in
his book. For example, there is a whole chapter entitled “The Shia when
Al-Qaim
Appears” with ahadith that need to be pondered over. One such
perplexing hadith
is reportedly from Imam Al-Sadiq AS: “When al_Qaim(s) appears, those
who have
thought themselves as his followers will apostatize, and those who are
somehow
like the worshippers of the sun and the moon will follow him.” No
further explanation
is forthcoming in the book. Al-Nu’mani has also quoted a hadith that
apparently
alludes to the corruption in The Qur’an and appends a footnote to
clarify that
this is not the opinion of the Shi’a. Thus, intellectual integrity of
Al-Nu’mani is demonstrated along with his strong faith in the Shi’a
belief that
The Qur’an between the two bindings is the real, uncorrupted text.
Incidentally, Al-Nu’mani quotes from Majlisi’s Bihar also in his
narrations.
These two books together constitute a rich mine of information, albeit
duplicated.
Yet, if there is more information in one book than in the other, both
are
equally worth reading.
Imam
Hasan
(a.s) and Caliphate- $5 - A short biography of the Holy Imam,
sixth
in the line of succession to the Holy Prophet of Islam . A narration of
the
wisdom, knowledge, and unmatchable sagacity in revival of the orthodox
Islam
free from any deviation or manipulations . No doubt existence of Islam
is
always indebted to the blood of Hussain and the knowledge of Imam
Al-Sadiq A.S.
The
Light
of Holy Qur'an vol. 2- $16 - Tafseer from Baqarah (Chapter 2)
Verse
153 upto Baqarah verse 252). An enlightened commentary of the holy
Quran. The
traditional approach to commentary on the verses of the Quran has been
re-adapted to provide an unique approach towards understanding the
rationale
behind each surah in the respective parts of the Quran.
The
Qa'em
in the Qur'an- $20 - an expremely strong and unique
resource,
for it boasts beautiful collection of the chosen verses of the Holy
Qur'an
about the rising Imam from the family of Mohammad (s.a.w.a) the Imam of
the
time and Allah's Decisive Proof on His creation. These Ahadith have
been collected
from the Tafseer of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s). The original book is in
Arabic
entiled as " Al-Mahajjah Fi Ma Nazala Fil Qa'em Al-Hujjah" H/B Pgs.
313
The
Ways
of Enlightened - $18 - As a unique Zakir e Hussain A.S, Allama
Rashid
Turabi needs no introduction. Not only he was a matchless orator, but
was also
a first rate researcher, a broad minded Scholar of Theology and an
eloquent
Poet. Mirza Mahdi Pooya, one of the most respected Exegetes of the
Quran, was
his contemporary and a great admirer of Allama. Allama Turabi was a
poineer in
selecting specific tipics and announcing the titles of his addresses
from the
pulpit of the Majlis. In a short span of time, he used to present a
brief inventory
of Quranic verses relevant to his topic and supplement his expounding
with
ample quotations from Imams of Ahlul Bayt, especially from the Sermons
of Imam
Ali A.S. This work is volume 2 of Majalis-e-Turabi, the sequel to the
first
volume of the English translation of lectures and covers eighteen
speeches of
the late Allamah Turabi. Many of these lectures were broadcast from
Radio
Pakistan and his objective was to give a message to the Nation wihtin a
sort
span of time. These titles include the code of conduct for true
servants of
Allah. For example Sajdah, Yaqeen, Tasleem, Raza-e-Rab, Taqwa, Sabr and
many
more. Allama goes on to draw heavily from the brilliant passages from
Nahjul
Balagha, and also quotaing spontaneously from the poetry of Allamah
Iqbal in
the passing. They are from the most popular speeches of Allama Turabi
proving
his great talent in providing his audience with maximum knowledge in
minimum
time.
Al-Mawaaizh,
Sifat-ush-Shia,
Fadhaail-ush-Shia- $13 - As the above titles show,
they are
the 3 books by Sheikh Sadooq, a great traditionalist of Shia School
from early
4th century Hijrah, which have been compiled together by the publisher
for the convenience
of the readers. They are the grand collection of Ahadith, from the
Ahlul Bayt
A.S.in Arabic text together its English translation. H/B
Biography
of
Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib a.s - $25 - A translation of
"Sirat-e-Amir
Al-Miminin" . The original book is written in Urdu language, which
describes impressions of the life and achievements of Imam Ali a.s at
length.
The writer has made no efforts to make a colorful presentation nor to
exaggerate
any fact. Rather the facts presented are free from the slightest
element of
bias. All the facts in this book have been presented in the light of
authentic
historical references. H/B Pgs. 720
Nahjul-Balagha
Vol.1-2(
Peak of Eloquence) - $35 - Known also as "Peak of
Eloquence
" A collection of Imam Ali's (A.S ) sermons, epistles and sayings in
Arabic text with English translation. H/B
Essence
of
Life ( Ain Al-Hayat ) - $25.00 - Allama Muhammad Baqir
Majlisi is a renowned Shi’a scholar. This book is another translation
of his famous work, which includes (HAYATUL QULOOB in 3 parts, THE BOOK
OF OCCULTATION, for example). The book begins with the biographical
descriptions of some of the truest Companions of The Prophet SAWW,
namely, Salman Farsi, Abu Dharr Ghifari and Miqdad Al-Aswad. Then in
each chapter he picks up various themes related to the Existence of
Allah SWT, His creation of the universe, the angels, His Attributes,
Prophethood, followed by Imamah, The Day of Judgment, the value and
rewards of good deeds etc. Allama Majlisi elaborates upon the aqaeed
(tenets of beliefs) in their various ramifications and shows us how to
attain total devotion to Allah SWT. One chapter is devoted to the
benefits of reciting The Qur’an as a whole and verses from various
chapters. There is also very good advice about dealing with rulers and
about helping one’s brethren in faith, examples from the lives of Imam
Husain AS and Imam Zaynul Abideen AS as well as supplications to be
recited after each salaat and before going to bed. Negative behavioral
traits that show the degree of one’s belief and faith are listed and
discussed. These include, inter alia, lying, greed, backbiting, false
allegations, pride etc. The book also includes various supplications to
be recited after each prayer, especially the tasbeeh and its merits.
The book concludes with The Prophet SAWW’s Will concerning Abu Dharr,
the most truthful person. H/B Pgs 416
ONLINE
READING FROM
AL-ISLAM.ORG
Al-Islam.org
-
Home
Peshawar Nights Online
A Shi'ite Encyclopedia Online
Nahj al-Balaghah Online
Islamic Laws Online
Ashura’, the 10th of
Muharram
Remembering Karbala - Once Again
Verses of Ghadir
Al-Serat
journal
- Al Kafi - Kulayni
MISC. READING
Khutbat (Sermon) Mola Imam
Ali Ibn e
Abi Talib a.s from Nehjul Israar and Nehjul Balagah
Last-Sermon-of-Imam-Hussain-a-s-in-Karbala-English.pdf
AND
MORE GOOD
STORES
ShiaBooks.ca - Online
orders
Tahrik Tarsil e
Quran -
Islamic Literature
IslamicBookstore.org.uk
IHS
Booklist
Novemeber 2006.pdf
World Islamic Network
Al-Itrah Foundation - Dar-es-Salaam,
Tanzania
Ansariyan
Publications
Inner
Secrets
of the
Path-
Asadullah ad-Dhaakir Yate.
Published by: Elements Books in association with Zahra Publications -
1989 .
www.al-islam.org/innersecretsofthepath/
Notes on Nahjul Balaagha from
wikipedia
- ^
The
preface
of Nahj al Balagha
- ^
Alternative
Sources
of the Contents of Nahj al-Balaghah
- ^
The Glimpses
of Nahj al Balaghah Part I - Introduction
- ^
Bibliography
for
Alternative Sources of Nahj al-Balagha
- ^ What is Nahjul
Balagha?
- ^
Al-Dhahabi,
Siyaar
A'laam (17/589)
External links
Notes on The Last
Sermon
Thalaqayn
in
The Last Sermon ~ Tirmidhi
Differences
in Renditions ~ Wikipedia
A Useful Analysis
~
Sunni perspective
The
Last Sermon ~ Shia Perspective
Thalaqayn
~Qur`an
and Ahli Bait - Verified Sources
Article
from
Jafariya News
