THIS IS BY FAR the best book that I have seen on the subject. Out of the few that are generally available in the market, some of which I have browsed through previously, this one stands out for its depth, genuineness, scholarship, many years of experience of the author as an imam and marriage counsellor, mentor, mufti and academic. It is thoroughly referenced with classical Islamic works and mainstream sources with a highly skillful fusion of the Islamic-academic and the practical realities of the ‘worldly’. It comprises 262 pages of essential advice for those planning to get married, as well as those who are already married (including those who have been married for a long time!). I only read it because I received it as a random gift. A quick glance at the contents page led my curiosity to read some sections. This then led me to read more – eventually ending up reading the whole book!
As with his other books, Shaykh Dr. Abdur-Rahman Mangera has produced a high-quality work, which is impressively researched. It is obvious that he has invested a lot of time in authoring this book. The breadth of classical Islamic Arabic references of tafsīr, ḥadīth and fiqh that he has accessed, and applying these to his years of experience and the reality on the ground in our modern troubled world where the institution of marriage and the family unit is becoming more and more a thing of the past – at least, in the western world – makes this a fascinating read. He explores and shares his knowledge and experience of the good, bad and the ugly regarding marriage. Ranging from laws of marriage (fiqh/aḥkām al-nikāḥ) to the actual conducting of the nikah ceremony, preparation for marriage, criteria and qualities to seek in a spouse, the actual ‘searching’ for the dream spouse, customs and practices relating to the wedding event, dealing with the in-laws, privacy and intimacy, having and raising children, the western problem with multiple wives (up to four at any one time – to be precise), when marriages do not work out – disputes and disagreements between the husband and wife, financial problems, emotional problems, differences in outlook and priorities in life, infertility, domestic violence, the ugly issue of talaq (divorce) and complications even when having to part their ways as a last resort … and a lot more is thoroughly explored.
In the multitude of topics explored, some cultural norms, values and practices are critically analysed. The author presents some of his personal views, which other scholars may not fully agree with, or may articulate differently.
The book ends on a positive note – the husband and wife in Jannah. Overall, an excellent read that is highly beneficial – especially, for those who are hoping to marry, or are still in the first decade or so of their marriage.
Abu Asim Badrul Islam Northampton, ENGLAND 14 Jumāda ‘l-Ᾱkhirah 1445/28 December 2023
Dār al-Mīzān’s Publication of Taʾwīlāt al-Qurʾān (Tafsīr al-Māturīdī) in 19 volumes
Reviewed by Mawlana Kamil Uddin Chair, Department of Qur’anic Exegesis at Darul Qasim College Librarian, Mawlana Anwar Shah Kashmiri Library at Darul Qasim College
A brief history of the Dar al-‘Ulum in Deoband in the Urdu language. For those who are unable to read Urdu, this would be a good project for the Urdu-capable to translate and share with others. Besides the history of the school, students will also find other benefits such as the original curriculum of the madrasah.
Mufīd al-Ṭālibīn. A must-read for all Shaykh al-Hind students at Darul Qasim. It consists of two main sections: one on Arabic idioms and axioms and the other on short stories. Reading, translating, and parsing the book’s contents will greatly accelerate the students’ memorization of vocabulary and common Arabic expressions. https://www.aghalibrary.com/storage/books/1611733168_AghaLibrary.pdf
Recently, someone was searching for a suggested reading list for English books that I had posted some years ago. I was able to locate it for them, but also suggested that they consider searching for the reading lists of some of the most well-read Muslim scholars I am aware of. I was referring to a few reading lists that I have come across over the years, which I believe are quite robust and cover incredible ground, including those of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad. Below I am linking a 2009 compilation by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, which I am sure could be updated with a long list of more recent additions.
Abdel, Haleem M. A., trans. The Qurʼan (New York: Oxford UP, 2005).
Du Pasquier, Roger. Unveiling Islam (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1990).
Emre, Yunus. The City of the Heart: Yunus Emre’s Verses of Wisdom and Love. trans. Süha Faiz (Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element, 1992).
al-Haddad, Abdullah. The Book of Assistance (London: Quilliam Press, 1989). Hammad, Ahmad Zaki. Lasting Prayers of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (Bridgeview, IL: Quranic Literacy Institute, 1996).
Hofmann, Murad Wilfried. Islam: the alternative (Reading: Garnet, 1993).
Ibrahim, Izzedien and Denys Johnson-Davies. trans. Forty Hadith (Beirut, 1983).
Khan, Maulana Wahiduddin. Islam and Peace (New Delhi: Goodword, 1999).
Lawrence, Bruce. The Qur’an: a biography (New York, 2007).
Lings, Martin. Muhammad: his biography based on the earliest sources (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1986).
Maqsood, Ruqaiyyah Waris. The Muslim Marriage Guide (London: Quilliam, 1995). Masri, Al-Hafiz Basheer Ahmad. Animal Welfare in Islam (3rd ed. Leicester: Islamic Foundation, 2007).
Murad, Abdal Hakim. Muslim Songs of the British Isles, Arranged for Schools (London: Quilliam Press, 2005).
al-Nawawī, Yaḥyā Ibn-Šaraf. Al-Maqasid: Imam Nawawi’s Manual of Islam. trans. Noah H. Keller (Evanston: Sunna Books, 1994). English translation and appendices by Sheikh Noah Ha Mim Keller.
Schleifer, Aliah. Mary the Blessed Virgin of Islam (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1998).
Shalabi, Abdul Wadod. Islam Religion of Life (London: Quilliam Press, 1990). Stockton, Peter. Transcending Jerusalem (Stockton, 2008). Web. <http://www.transcendingjerusalem.com>.
Tawfiq, Idris. Gardens of Delight: A Simple Introduction to Islam (London: Stacey International, 2007).
Winter, Tim, and John A. Williams. Understanding Islam and the Muslims: The Muslim Family and Islam and World Peace. (Louiville KY: Fons Vitae, 2002).
Wolfe, Michael. The Hadj: an American’s pilgrimage to Mecca (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1993).
Wolfe, Michael, ed. Taking Back Islam: American Muslims Reclaim their Faith (New York: Rodale, 2002).
Yusuf, Hamza. The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (Hayward CA: Zaytuna, 2007). Intermediate
Akhtar, Shabbir. A Faith for All Seasons: Islam and the challenge of the modern world (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1990).
al-Akiti, Shaykh Muhammad Afifi. Defending the Transgressed by Censuring the Reckless against the Killing of Civilians (U.K.: Aqsa Press, and Germany: Warda Publications, 2005).
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Quran (new edition, London: The Book Foundation, 2008).
Ayub, Muhammad. Understanding Islamic Finance (New York: Wiley, 2008). Burckhardt, Titus. Art of Islam: language and meaning. Commemorative edition (Bloomington: World Wisdom, 2009).
Esposito, John and Mogahed, Dalia. Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion MuslimsReally Think (New York: Gallup Press, 2007).
Hallaq, Wael B. Islamic Legal Theories: an introduction to Sunni usul al-fiqh. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997).
al-Hanbali, Ibn Rajab. The Compendium of Knowledge and Wisdom (London: Turath Publishing, 1428/2007).
Helminski, Camille Adams. Women of Sufism: a Hidden Treasure (Boston: Shambala, 2003).
Izetbegovic, Alija. Islam between East and West (Indianapolis: American Trust Publications, 1984).
al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim. The Invocation of God: al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al- Tayyib. Tr. Michael Abdurrahman Fitzgerald and Moulay Youssef Slitine (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 2000).
Kamali, Mohammed Hashim. The Dignity of Man: An Islamic Perspective (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 2002).
Legenhausen, Muhammad Islam and Religious Pluralism (London: Al-Hoda, 1999). Lumbard, Joseph E.B. ed. Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition (Bloomington IN: World Wisdom, 2004).
Mahmutcehagic, Rusmir. The Mosque: the heart of submission (Fordham: Fordham University Press, 2007).
Momen, M An Introduction to Shii Islam (London: George Ronald, 1999).
Roald, Anne Sofie. Women in Islam: the Western experience (London: Routledge, 2001).
Sheikh, Aziz and Gatrad, Abdul Rashid. eds. Caring for Muslim Patients. Second edition (Abingdon: Radcliffe, 2008).
Siddiqi, Muhammad Zubayr. Hadith Literature: its origin, development and special features (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1993).
Tura, M. Nusret. The Path of Love (Istanbul: Insan, 2008).
Winter, Timothy. ed. The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008).
Yaran, Cafer S. Understanding Islam (Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press, 2007).
Advanced
Açar, Halil Rahman. Is Scientific Knowledge Rational? (Istanbul: Insan, 2008). Açıkgenç, Alparslan. Being and Existence in Sadra and Heidegger (Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC, 1993).
Akhtar, Shabbir. The Quran and the Secular Mind: A Philosophy of Islam (London: Routledge, 2007).
Bakar, Osman. Classification of Knowledge in Islam (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1998)
Hacinebioglu, Ismail Latif. Does God Exist? Logical foundations of the cosmological argument (Istanbul: Insan, 2008).
Iskenderoglu, Muammer. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Thomas Aquinas on the Question of the Eternity of the World (Leiden: E.J.W. Brill, 2002).
Jackson, Sherman A. On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam: Abu Hamid al-Ghazali’s Faysal al-Tafriqa (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2002).
Kamali, Muhammad Hashim. Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1997).
Koshul, Basit Bilal and Kepnes, Steven, eds. Scripture, Reason and the Contemporary Islam-West Encounter: Studying the ‘Other’, Understanding the ‘Self’ (New York and Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007).
al-Misri, Ibn Naqib. Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law. Trans. Nuh Keller (Beltsville: Amana, 1993).
Murad, Abdal Hakim. Bombing without Moonlight: the Origins of Suicidal Terrorism (Bristol: Amal Press, 2008).
Murata, Sachiko. The Tao of Islam: a sourcebook on gender relationships in Islamic thought (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992).
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein and Leaman, Oliver, eds. History of Islamic Philosophy (New edition. London: Routledge, 2001).
al-Said, Labib. The Recited Koran: a history of the first recorded version (Princeton: Darwin Press, 1975).
Sentürk, Recep. Narrative Social Structure: Anatomy of the Hadith Transmission Network 610-1505 (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2005).
al-Shafi’i. Al-Shafi’i’s Risala: Treatise on the Foundations of Islamic Jurisprudence, tr. Majid Khadduri (Repr. Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1987).
Shihadeh, Ayman, ed. Sufism and Theology (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007).
Shihadeh, Ayman. The Teleological Ethics of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (Leiden: E.J.W. Brill, 2006).
Yazdi, Mehdi Ha’iri. The Principles of Epistemology in Islamic Philosophy (Albany NY: State University of New York Press, 1992).
at-Tahawi 