“Windows To Spirituality”
Islamic Sacred Texts
The Quran and the Hadith are the two major texts of Islam. These books teach and illustrate Islamic beliefs, values, and practices. They are also important historical documents (especially the Quran), which tell the story of the origins of the Islamic faith.
The Quran is the most sacred text, as it is believed to be the literal word of God (Allah) as revealed to Muhammad. The text of the Qur’an consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths, each known as a Surah. Each surah is formed from several verses, called ayahs.
The Hadith is a secondary text that records sayings of Muhammad and his followers. These two texts form the basis for all Islamic theology, practice and Sharia (Islamic law).
Sunnah denotes the practice of Islamic prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar.
Al-sīra al-Nabawiyya (Prophetic biography) is the traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad from which, in addition to the Quran and trustable Hadiths, most historical information about his life and the early period of Islam is derived.
Jesus In The Hadith Jesus, son of Mary, is mentioned in 93 verses in The Quran. We have collected prophet Muhammad’s sayings and actions called “Jesus In The Hadith“. According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, a hadith (plural ahadith) is an account of what Muhammad said or did, or of his tacit approval of something...
Tanwir al-Miqbas Tanwir al-Miqbas or Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr ibn ʿAbbās (تنوير المقباس من تفسير بن عباس) is a tafsir, attributed to Abd-Allah ibn Abbas, but which contains much atypical content for a tafsir of the sahabah. It is said to have been collected by Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Fayruz Aabadi (1329–1414)....
Anwar Ul Bayan Tafsir Anwar Ul Bayan is a five-volume commentary (exegesis) on the Quran that was written by Ashiq Elahi Bulandshahri. It was written in Urdu. Major features of this Tafsir are that it provides: simple and easy-to-understand language, complete explanation including virtues of each surah, the theme of the surah,...
Maariful Quran Maariful Quran or Ma’ariful Qur’an (معارف القرآن) is an eight-volume tafsir (exegesis) of the Quran written by Islamic scholar Mufti Muhammad Shafi (1897–1976). Originally written in Urdu, it is the most prominent work of its author. Background About the background and start of the Ma’ariful Qur’an, Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has written in the foreword of the English...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim (تفسير القرآن العظيم, lit. ‘Exegesis of the Great Qur’an’), also known as Tafsir Ibn Kathir, is a tafsir by the 14th-century Islamic scholar, exegete, muhaddith, historian Abu al-Fiḍā ‘Imād Ad-Din Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathīr al-Qurashī Al-Damishqī, known as Ibn Kathir. Background Tafsir Ibn Kathir references other verses of...
1. Surah Al Fatihah (The Opening) Name This Surah Al-Fatihah is named because of its subject-matter. Fatihah is that which opens a subject or a book or any other thing. In other words, Al-Fatihah is a sort of preface. Period of Revelation It is one of the very earliest Revelations...
Qur’an On Non-Muslims This article covers verses from the Qur’an on non-Muslims. The Qur’an has many verses on Kafir or “those who reject faith”. One Arabic language analog to the infidel, referring to non-Muslims, is kafir (“kaafir”, “kufr” or “kuffar”) from the root K-F-R, which connotes covering or concealing. The term KFR may...
Canonization Of Islamic Scripture This article covers the answer to the question: “What is the Canonization of Islamic Scripture?“ Canonized Islamic scripture is texts which Muslims believe were revealed by God through various prophets throughout humanity’s history — specifically the Quran and Hadith. Muslims believe the Quran to be the final revelation of God to mankind and...
Abul A’la Al-Maududi Abul A’la Al-Maududi (ابو الاعلی مودودی, Abul Alā Al-Mawdūdī – alternative spellings of last name Maudoodi, Mawdudi; 25 September 1903 – 22 September 1979) was an Islamic scholar, Islamist ideologue, Muslim philosopher, jurist, historian, journalist, activist, and scholar active in British India and later, following the partition, in Pakistan. Described by Wilfred Cantwell...
Ali Ünal Ali Ünal is a renowned scholar, Muslim philosopher, journalist, and prolific translator of works with an Islamic theme into English. He has written for many periodicals and is a columnist for Zaman daily newspaper. His published books include Living in the Shade of Islam, Islamic Perspectives on Science,...
Al-Istibsar Al-Istibsar (ٱلِٱسْتِبْصَار فِيمَا ٱخْتَلَف مِن ٱلْأَخْبَار; Al-Istibsar fi-ma ikhtalafa min al-Akhbar lit. Reflection Upon the Disputed Traditions or The Perspicacious or The Book of Insight) is a Hadith collection, by the famous Twelver Shia Hadith scholar Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Hassan Tusi, commonly known as Shaykh Tusi. This work is included in The Four Books of Shia Islam. It includes the same subjects as Tahdhib al-Ahkam (lit. Rectification...
Tahdhib Al-Ahkam Tahdhib Al-Ahkam (تَهْذِيب ٱلَأَحْكَام فِي شَرْح ٱلْمُقْنِعَه) (Tahdhib al-Ahkam fi Sharh al-Muqni’ah lit. Rectification of the Statutes in Explaining the Disguised or The Refinement of the Laws) is a Hadith collection, by Twelver Shia Hadith scholar Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Hasan Tusi, commonly known as Shaykh Tusi. This work is included among the four books of Shia Islam. It is a...
Man La Yahduruhu Al-Faqih Man La Yahduruhu Al-Faqih (مَنْ لَا يَحْضُرُه ٱلْفَقِيه, ‘He Who has no Jurisprudent’ with Him) is a Hadith collection by the famous Twelver Shia Hadith scholar Abu Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn ʿAli ibn Babawayh al-Qummi, commonly known as Ibn Babawayh or Sheikh al-Saduq (lit. The Truthful Scholar). This work is included among the Four Books of...
Kitab Al-Kafi Kitab Al-Kafi is a Twelver Shia hadith collection compiled by Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni. It is divided into three sections: Uṣūl al-Kāfī, dealing with epistemology, theology, history, ethics, supplication, and the Qurʾān, Furūʿ al-Kāfī, which is concerned with practical and legal issues, and Rawdat (or Rauda) al-Kāfī, which includes miscellaneous traditions, many of which are lengthy letters and speeches transmitted...
The Four Books The Four Books (ٱلْكُتُب ٱلْأَرْبَعَة, al-Kutub al-ʾArbaʿah), or The Four Principles (al-Uṣūl al-Arbaʿah), is a Twelver Shia term referring to their four best-known hadith collections: Name Collector No. of hadith Kitab al-Kafi Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni al-Razi (329 AH) 16,199 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih Muhammad ibn Babawayh 9,044 Tahdhib al-Ahkam Shaykh Muhammad Tusi 13,590 Al-Istibsar Shaykh Muhammad...
Prophet Muhammad’s Wisdom We have collected and put the best Prophet Muhammad’s Wisdom for you. Enjoy reading these insights and feel free to share this page on your social media to inspire others. May these Prophet Muhammad’s Wisdom on many subjects inspire you to never give up and keep working towards your...
The Qur’an With Annotated Interpretation The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English is an English translation of the meanings of Qur’an written by Turkish Sunni Muslim scholar Ali Ünal. First published in 2006. The translation comes with interpretation and exposition on the meaning of Qur’anic verses in conjunction with Asbab al-Nuzul (the reasons for revelation or the circumstances of revelation)...
1. Al-Fatiha (The Opening) It is commonly accepted that this sūrah was revealed during the Makkah period of Muhammad’s Prophethood. Some Traditions say that it was also revealed on a second occasion in Madīnah. The majority of scholars hold that the verses first in order of revelation are the initial...
3. Al-‘Imran (The Family of Imran) This sūrah takes its name from the family of Mary (Al-‘Imran). It was revealed in Madīnah and consists of 200 verses. It deals with many matters concerning the relations of the Muslims with the People of the Book, in particular, the Christians. It clarifies...
2. Al-Baqarah (The Cow) This sūrah of 286 verses is the longest in the Qur’ān and may be regarded as a detailed summary of it. The sūrah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) began to be revealed just after the Emigration (Hijrah) to Madīnah and continued to be revealed over almost ten years until...
