Books recommended by Sheikh Saleh Al Uthaymeen

Sheikh Saleh Ibn Uthaymeen recommended the following books in response to a question.
(Adapted from Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen rahimallah, Kitaab al-‘Ilm, p. 92)

‘Aqeedah (basic tenets of faith):

• Thalaathat al-Usool – The Three Fundamental Bases of Islamic Theology (English – Questions and Answers based on explanation from Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan: Download; Arabic – شرح الأصول الثلاثة لشيخ الإسلام محمد بن عبد الوهاب لمحمد بن صالح العثيمين – Read / Download; Urdu – Download Audios)
• Al-Qawaa’id al-Arba’ah – Four Principles of Tawheed (English: Download; Urdu: Read / Download, Audio [part 1, part 2, part3, part4]; ; Arabic – Read / Download)
• Kashf al-Shubahaat – Removal of Doubts (English: Read / Download; Arabic: تحميل, تصفح; Urdu – Download pdf; Download Audios)
• Al-Tawheed (English: Download; Urdu: Read / Download; Arabic – تحميل, تصفح)
• Al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah (Principles of Islamic Faith ) – Access from here
• Al-Hamawiyyah  – Access from here
• Al-Tadmuriyyah – These two books are more comprehensive than al-Waasitiyyah (Arabic: Download; English [Summarization in charts: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06)
• Al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, by Shaykh Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahhaawi – Access from here
• Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah by Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Abi’l-‘Izz – Access from here
• Al-Durar al-Saniyyah fi’l-Ajoobah al-Najdiyyah ( الدرر السنية في الأجوبة النجدية), compiled by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Qaasim – (Arabic: Vol1, Vol2, Vol3, Vol4, Vol5, Vol6, Vol7, Vol8, Vol9, Vol10, Vol11, Vol12, Vol13, Vol14, Vol15, Vol16, Title)
• Al-Durrah al-Madiyyah fi ‘Aqeedah al-Firqah al-Mardiyyah (الدرة المضية فى عقد الفرقة المرضية) by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Safaareeni al-Hanbali (This book contains some general statements which go against the madhhab of the salaf, such as his saying, “Our Lord is not an essence or an attribute or a physical entity, exalted be He.” Therefore the seeker of knowledge has to study it with a shaykh who is well versed in the ‘aqeedah of the salaf, so that he can explain the general statements in it that go against the ‘aqeedah of the righteous salaf) – (Arabic – Introduction [Muqadimah], book)

Hadeeth

• Fath al-Baari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari, by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani –  (English [selected sections only] – Download; Arabic: All parts in zip file; Urdu: Part 1,2,3; Part 4,5,6; Part 7,8,9; Part 10,11,12; Part 13,14,15; Part 16,17,18; Part 19,20,21; Part 22,23,24; Part 25,26,27; Part 28,29,30)

• Subul al-Salaam Sharh Buloogh al-Maraam, by al-San’aani (this book combines between hadeeth and fiqh) – (Arabic – Title, Vol1, Vol2, Vol3, Vol4)
• Nayl al-Awtaar Sharh Muntaqaa al-Akhbaar by al-Shawkaani (Arabic – تحميل, تصفح)
• ‘Umdat al-Ahkaam by al-Maqdisi (This is an abridged book; most of its ahaadeeth are narrated in al-Saheehayn so their authenticity does not need to be researched) – (English: Download; Urdu: Read / Download; Arabic: تحميل, تصفح​)
• Al-Arba’een al-Nawawiyyah, by Abu Zakariyya al-Nawawi (This book includes ahadith on etiquettes and a good methodology, and important basic principles) – Access from here
• Buloogh al-Maraam, by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani (This is a very useful book, especially because it mentions the narrators, and quoted the opinions of others scholars, who said whose hadeeth is saheeh and whose is da’eef, and he comments on the hadeeth to say whether they are saheeh or da’eef) – Access from here
• Nukhbat al-Fikr by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani (This is considered to be a comprehensive work. If the seeker of knowledge understands it completely then he will have no need of many other books of mustalah or the science of hadeeth. Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) has a useful way of writing, which involves examining every issue in depth and categorizing the topics he discusses. If the seeker of knowledge reads it he will find it stimulating, because it is based on making one think. I say: it is good for the seeker of knowledge to memorize it because it is a useful summary of the science of mustalah) (Urdu: Read / Download; English: Download; Arabic: الكتاب)
• The Six Books (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Sahih Muslim, al-Nasaa’i, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah and Tirmidhi) – I advise the seeker of knowledge to read them often, because that will serve two purposes: reviewing the main sources of Islam and reviewing the names of hadeeth narrators. If you often review the names of hadeeth narrators, then whenever you come across the name of one of the narrators of al-Bukhaari in any isnaad, you will know that this is one of the narrators of al-Bukhaari, so you will benefit from this knowledge of hadeeth) – Access from here

Books of fiqh

• Aadaab al-mashiy ila’l-Salaah by Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (Arabic: كتاب آداب المشي إلى الصلاة)
• Zaad al-Mustaqni’ fi Ikhtisaar al-Muqni’ by al-Hajjaawi  زاد المستقنع (This is one of the best texts of fiqh. It is a blessed book, brief and comprehensive. Our shaykh, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) told us to memorize it, even though he had memorized the text of Daleel al-Taalib) – (Arabic: تحميل, تصفح; English: Introduction)
• Al-Rawd al-Murbi’ Sharh Zaad al-Mustaqni’ by Shaykh Mansoor al-Bahooti – (Arabic: All volumes in one zip file)
• ‘Umdat al-Fiqh by Ibn Qudaamah – (Arabic – تحميل, تصفح; English – Version 1 [Dr. Hatim Alhaj]: Read / Download / Alternate download; Version 2: Read / Download; Version 3: Download)
• Al-Usool min ‘Ilm al-Usool (This is an abridged book which serves as an introduction for the seeker of knowledge) – (English: Read / Download; Arabic: Read / Download; Sharh)
• Faraa’id (laws of inheritance) – Numberous books on Faraidh can be accessed from our bookshelf on Fiqh
• Matn al-Rahbiyyah by al-Rahbi
• Matn al-Burhaaniyyah by Muhammad al-Burhaani (This is a useful and comprehensive abridged book dealing with all the laws of inheritance. In my opinion, al-Burhaaniyyah is more comprehensive than al-Rahbiyyah in some ways, and it gives more information)m – (Arabic – Download)

Tafseer

• Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem by Ibn Katheer (This book is good for tafseer based on reports and it is useful and trustworthy. But it does pay much attention to matters of grammar and style) – Access from here
• Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan fi Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (This is a good, easy and trustworthy book, and I recommend it) – Access from here
• Muqaddimah Shaykh al-Islam fi’l-Tafseer (This is an important introduction)
• Adwaa’ al-Bayaan by al-‘Allaamah Muhammad al-Shanqeeti (This is a comprehensive book covering hadeeth, fiqh, tafseer and usool al-fiqh) – (English [Selected parts]: Download; Arabic: All volumes in zip file)

General books on some subjects:

Arabic Grammar:

• Matn al-Ajroomiyyah (This is an abridged book on Arabic grammar) – Access from this section
• Alfiyyah Ibn Maalik; (This is a summary of the science of grammar) – Access from this section

On Seerah:

• Zaad al-Ma’aad by Ibn al-Qayyim  (The best book that I have seen. This is a very useful book in which he mentions the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, from all angels, then he discusses many rulings) – (Arabic: All volumes in one zip file; English: Download; Urdu: Read: Vol1,2)
  Vol 3.4; Download: Vol 1,2, Vol 3.4;
• Rawdat al-‘Uqalaa’ by Ibn Hibbaan al-Busti  روضة العقلاء ونزهة الفضلاء (This is a useful book despite its brevity. The author has compiled a large amount of useful material and stories of the scholars, muhadditheen and others) – (Arabic: تحميل, تصفح)
• Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’ by al-Dhahabi (This book is very useful and the seeker of knowledge should read and refer to it) – (Arabic: All parts in one zip file; English [a short portion]: Download)