1982-July-23

A.M. Journal

Muhammad Speaks

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

QUESTION: What are the 10 most recommended books?

IMAM: Well, there are a lot of books to list; 10 would be quite easy for me. However, I do not care to do that. If I were to list 10 books for our readers of the A.M. Journal, I think they would give too much attention to that list. I am sure that if I had more time there would be other books I would think are just as valuable.

What I will do is address the writer in this way:

The first book is the Quran in its original language, Arabic, with good translators that the majority of Muslims accept.

The second book next to that is authentic Hadith. These are the first two books.

If he is a citizen of America, or the West, or one who has been exposed to life in the West, especially if the writer is a Bilalian, I would suggest that he read "As the Light Shineth from the East/* It is not a book on Hadith or Quran, but it is a book that helps us understand life in America in this present time. It helps us to better understand our own situation and how we, ourselves, are responsible for many of the different situations in which we find ourselves.

I would say that 10 books could be gotten from one author, the late Maulana Maudoudi He has authored more than 10 books, and I have found his books to be excellent.

There are many other books by authors I consider excellent. We have a book department here in Chicago and most of the large communities of the American Muslim Mission's local masajid have a large book list.

If the writer would consult his local masjid, the Imam there could give him our list of books that we suggest for our community. Most of these books are by authors of the Islamic world outside the United States.

We hope in the future to have a large selection of books (Islamic books) whose authors will be the Imams, members of the Council of Imams, and learned persons of the American Muslim Mission, as well as myself.