The following is a list that may be of some help to new Muslims as well as to Muslims who want to delve into serious study on their own of the principles of Islam. Perhaps we can start with beginning and then intermediate:

BEGINNING LEVEL

Creed:

1. `Aqaa’id an-Nasafi: Introduction to the Islamic Creed by Imaam Abu Hafs an-Nasafi RH
Translated by Dr. Musharraf Hussain, Green Dome Publishing House

It is very brief, but again, only a starter. Upon completing that and understanding it well, you should go to al-`Aqidat ut-Tahaawiyyah

2. al-Aqidat ut-Tahaawiyyah by Imam Abu Ja’far at-Tahawi
Iqra International Education Foundation

This text is available in Arabic and English and the Muslims of the third generation and after have made consensus upon its’ reliability. Therefore, its’ authenticity is beyond question.

3. Traditional Scholarship and Modern Misunderstandings: Understanding the Ahle al-Sunnah by Abu Ammar
Published by Islamic Information Centre

Qur’an

1. The Noble Qur’an: A New Rendering of its’ Meaning in English by `Aisha and `Abdul Haqq Bewley
Bookwork publications

You will need a good translation of the Qur’an and this is affordable. It only has the English, but it is good to start with in the beginning. It does not have too many brackets, nor does it have excessive and over-theological footnotes and interpolations.

It is good to try to read several surahs a day to get an idea of the flow of the Qur’an, even in English. Also, if you can read the Arabic, compare it to the original and try to look at the meanings and learn some of the Arabic of the surahs. You must work on your tajwid, which is the science of reciting and pronouncing the Qur’an properly. The best tapes to acquire for this are the following:

2. The Holy Qur’an by Imaam al-Husary

3. The Holy Quran by Abdel Basit Abdel Samad

These are the two best people of tajwid for the age and their slow and easy to follow recitation will help you. These come in whole sets. They are expensive, but they will help you when you are memorising.

Sunna

1. The Complete Forty Hadith by Imam an-Nawawi
Translated by Abdas-Samad Clarke
Ta-Ha Publishers

This work has the Arabic with it, and would be ideal for the student to memorise the Arabic with the understanding in English and the notes from the Imaam.

1. Riyaad us-Saalihin by Imam an-Nawawi

You should be trying to put this to memory after you have finished the 40 ahaadith. This should give you the strong foundation in Shari`a that you need.

Fiqh

It is best to read these books in this order:

1. Understanding the Four Madhhabs by Abdal Hakim Murad
Ashraf Publications

A simple work that shows the necessity of following proper scholarship. Try to read this chapters on the same subject in Reliance of the Traveller.

2. The Legal Status of Following a Madhhab by Justice Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Zam Zam Publishers

A continuation of the subject, but with more proofs. Check this against the Reliance and refer to it often.

3. The Fiqh of Medicine by Ahmad Aziz Yacoub
Ta-Ha Publishers

This will give the answers to many of the modern questions that are plaguing Muslims with regard to medical practice and Muslims. The author makes a clear distinction between his opinions and that of the scholars, and one can either agree with his opinion or not. He also quotes from the scholars even when his own ‘medical’ opinion differs with their positions. It has all of the proofs and sources in the index.

Ihsaan

You need to know how to purify your tongue, limbs and other things taken from the Sunna and the Book and how the Orthodox before us understood it.

You should attempt to acquire the following:

1. The Complete works of Shaikh `Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
Translated by Muhtar Holland
Al-Baz Publishing, Inc.

If you can buy the entire set, this would be ideal, but if only one or two at a time, that is also fine. These books explain what was the Sunna practice of purification and how the rightly guided did so in their day to day affairs.

Sirah

1. Ash-Shifa by Qadi Iyad
Translated by Aisha Bewley

It is the best sirah book present in English and some even say that it is so in its’ original Arabic.

Du`aas and Sunna Supplications

These can be taken directly from the Qur’an and the hadith that you are reading. They can also be found in a book that summarises many of them and is the most authentic summary on the market.

1. Al-Hizb ul-Azam: The Great Prayer Book of Islam by Allamah Ali bin Sultan Muhammad al-Qari
Waterval Islamic Institute

Many of these du`aas are also in the Reliance if your Arabic is still rusty and you need a transliteration.

Arabic Language

The best books on the market for a beginner are the following:

1. Imdaad us-Sarf: Arabic Syntax by Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada

2. Imdaad un-Nahu: Arabic Grammar by Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada

3. Arabic-English Dictionary by Hans Wehr

Miscellaneous

1. Purchase the work: The Reliance of the Traveller by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Masri
Translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller
Amana Publications

Reference to this work will help you with all of the above and addition questions that may also occur to you. This should be kept as a ready reference.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

By now you should have done two things:

Found a Shaikh or a reliable Imaam who can teach you things at the next level. This can either be done by going to study in another country or searching for one in your own community.

Chosen a madhhab. One of the four schools must be relied on, for you need to know what to do and how to systematise your worship, transactions and such. The Sahaaba had muftis that they turned to and so must we in our affairs.

Creed

By now, if you have not memorised the Arabic text of al-`Aqidat ut-Tahaawiyyah after learning the basics of Arabic, you should be well on your way. The next work that you want to acquire is:

The Tenets of Islam: [Being a translation and extensive commentary on KITAB JAWHARAT UT-TAWHID OF IMAM BURHAN UD-DIN IBN HARUN AL-LAQQANI] by Moulavi H. Babu Sahib
Published by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura
Islamic Religious Council Singapore
Islamic Centre of Singapore

It is a full explanation with Arabic text of the classic, Jawharat ut-Tawhid. This will strengthen some of what you have already learned in the other works. It is very technical, but you should be ready for this by now.

Constant reference to the Reliance will also assist in chapters with chapters that may seem ambiguous.

Qur’an

By now you should know at the very minimum, the last three juz’ (parts) of the Qur’an. You should continue on with studying the Arabic, understanding the text and looking up the meanings of difficult Arabic words with your dictionary. Continue memorising and let nothing stand in your way. Review every night what new things you have learned and always recite in prayer what you have already memorised before.

The Qur’an can fade fast and you need to keep it always fresh in your mind.

Sunna

1. Muwatta of Malik ibn Anas Translated by Aisha Bewly
Published by Book work

You should be memorising this, Arabic/English, trying to memorise the full book.

Fiqh

1. The Salaah of a Believer in the Qur’an and the Sunna by Shaykh Riyadh ul-Haq
Al-Kawthar Publications

Compare and look at the proofs given for the madhaahib in the chapters. You should try to track down some of these resources in your own library. Most of them will probably easily be located.

Ihsaan

1. Reference to the Reliance can help as well as obtaining the Arabic of Shaikh al-Jilaani’s books, which are filled with insight.

Sirah

1. Men of Madina: Vols. 1-2
Another Sirah work, in English but still beneficial.

Arabic Language

You should be able to read Arabic fairly unfettered. The grammar will appear easier and reading it without vowels should now be less of a difficulty. What would now best to do is to purchase Lisaan ul-`Arab, the monumental Arabic dictionary that explains the meaning of every work in the language. Therefore, the purity of the language will help you and you will only have to rely on the Arabic-English dictionary for words you do not understand in the Lisaan.

Make it an effort to try to find an Arabic book that you are interested in, be in whatever subject, purchase it and try to read and make sense of the first chapters.

As for mastering a science or going on to the Advanced level with ijaaza, you will need a sheikh for that. These are just preliminaries to help you in the faith. And may Allah help and guide us all.