What are the best books on Islamic history?

Best books on Islamic history

Learning about Islamic history is essential for every Muslim, and we all should seek to learn more and more about it, therefore, today we will talk about the best books on Islamic history.

What is the most important book for Muslims?

The most important books for Muslims to read include:

1-     The holy Quran.

The Quran is the holy book of Islam that was revealed to the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). The Quran carries Allah's guidance in all aspects of life. It includes law and commandments, and how should Muslim behavior be, it shows right from wrong and the stories of the prophets. It also tells the stories of the people who didn’t believe in Allah and what happened to them.  The Holy Quran consists of 114 surahs and 30 juz (chapter). Each surah has a different length and message. The shortest Surah of the Quran is Surah Al-Kawthar which has only 3 verses and 10 words. While, the longest surah of the Quran is Surah Al-Baqarah, the second surah of the Quran.  The text of the holy Quran remained unchanged over the years, as Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Surely it is We Who have revealed the Exposition, and surely it is We Who are its guardians” (15:10)

2-     History of Islam.

One of the largest religions around the world is Islam it comes as the second-largest religion after Christianity, with more than 1.8 billion Muslims. It started in Mecca, which is known now as Saudi Arabia. The beginning of Islam was when the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) got his first revelation and he shared the words of Allah he received. The prophet and his followers were persecuted and not many people believed in Islam, so they had to leave mecca and went to medina in 622. The people in the medina welcomed the prophet and the followers of Islam and the Islam religion spread. When the number of Muslims grew, they were able to return to Mecca in the year 630 to become the center of Islam. Then Islam grew and reached many people and places in the middle east. After the prophet's death started the period known as the Rashidun Caliphate, where the Islam empire ruled the middle east. With time the Islam religion spread beyond the middle east through conquests to reach the big cities like Baghdad, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. Also, the North and Western parts of Africa were conquered taking control over much of the Byzantine and Persian territory. The third Caliph Uthman created a version of the Quran to keep the words of Allah spreading for many generations so that people can read Quran at any time without having to memorize it. Also, many mosques were built for people to worship Allah. After which was the beginning of the Umayyad Caliphate, where the Islamic empire grew to its peak and reached parts of Asia, India, Northern Africa, and parts of Europe. To unite the people and cultures, a common currency was made and the official language was Arabic, and also measurements were standardized. This led to the golden age, during which the Abbasid Dynasty took over by overthrowing the Umayyad. 

3-     Life of the prophet and hadiths.

To learn about Islam we should learn about the prophet and his teaching, and we can learn all of this from books. But here are some quick information about him: Prophet Muhammad was born in the town of Mecca in the year 570, his father was Abd Allah bin Al-Muttalib and his mother was Amina bint Wahb. He was raised by a nurse named Halima. Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) is the last prophet, and he came with the Islamic religion. He was known for his honesty and being trustful. Even before being the prophet, people always trusted him. Being honest was rare at that time in Arabia. Because they were all merchants that always deceived customers to gain more money. The prophet was not like them he was honest with his customers, and loyal whilst conducting trade. The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) always took the opinion of his followers in policymaking and leading the ummah. He never forced his opinion on others. For example, during the Battle of the Trench, he actively took advice from his companions. He took Hazrat Salman Farsi’s advice of digging a strategic trench to gain an advantage over the enemy. Because he listened to them, they made a great strategy that resulted in making Muslims win the battle of the trench. By learning about the life of the prophet we learn how to be true Muslims and apply what we learn from him in our daily life. The prophet once said: “Blessed be he who humbles himself before Allah without having any deficiency, and who humiliates himself without poverty.” [Tanbih al-Khawatir]. The prophet taught us to be humble with others. The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was humble with everyone, friends, family, followers, and even enemies. During the incident of Taif, the prophet forgave the people who throw rocks at him. He never treated others with arrogance, he was so humble and was always there for people to help them and guide them. He ate and wore like the rest of the people.   

What are the 4 main books in Islam?

We learned from the Quran that the main four holy books that were revealed by Allah are Tawrat, Zabur, Injeel, and The Holy Quran.

1-     Tawrat.

Tawrat is the holy book that was revealed to the prophet Musa however it’s different from the Torah that is followed by Jewish these days. the real Tawrat was lost millions of years ago. Allah says in the holy Quran: “Verily, We did send down the Torah [to Musa], therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah’s Will, judged the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests [too judged the Jews by the Torah after those Prophets] for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book, and they were witnesses thereto. Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable price. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the disbelievers.” (Quran, 5:44)

2-     The Zabur.

The Zabur is the holy book that Allah all mighty revealed to prophet Dawud, and also its original text is lost. Allah says in the holy Quran: “…and to Dawood, We gave the Zaboor.” (Quran, 4:163)

3-     The Injeel.

Injeel is the holy book revealed by Allah to the prophet Eesa. The Bible known by people now is different from the Injeel as real text was also lost millions of years ago. Allah says in the holy Quan:  “…and My mercy encompasses all things; so I will ordain it (specially) for those who are pious and give Zakah (Obligatory Charity), and those who believe in Our Ayahs. Those who follow the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Injeel (who) enjoins them good and forbids them evil, and makes lawful to them the good things and makes unlawful to them impure things, and removes from them their burden and the shackles which were upon them; so (as for) those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, these it is that are the successful.” (Quran, 7:156)

4-     The Holy Quran.

The last book was revealed by Allah to the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) and it is the only holy book that is preserved in its true text. As Allah said in the holy Quran the Quran will be preserved and protected forever. Allah says in the holy Quran: “[It is] He Who has sent down the Book (the Quran) to you (Muhammad (PBUH)) with truth, confirming what came before it. And he sent down the Torah and the Injeel. Aforetime, as a guidance to mankind, And He sent down the Furqaan (The Criterion) [of judgment between right and wrong (this Quran)].” (Quran, 3:3-4)

What books should I read for Islam?

There are many books that you can read to learn about Islam and to increase your knowledge, here are some of them: 1-     Rise Of Islam. To learn about Islam, we should see how it started, and this amazing book teaches us about the first stages of Islam, the prophet Muhammad and how he carried Allah’s message and spread it. Additionally, it teaches us about the history of the four caliphs in a simple way to understand.   2-     Stories Of The Prophets by Ibn Kathir. Learning about the prophets is essential for each Muslim because as Muslims we believe in All of them. In the book ‘Stories of The Prophets by Ibn Kathir’ the author wrote the stories of all the prophets that were mentioned in the holy Quran. and the stories are illustrated in an interesting way that will grape your interest and makes you eager to keep reading until you finish the whole book. This makes the book one of the best Adult Islamic Books.
3-     Authentic Stories by Prophet Muhammad. This book illustrates the previous nation's stories that the prophet himself told us about. The book includes fifty-seven stories that are divided into:

•       Stories of the Prophets and Messengers.
•       Stores illustrating the wonders of Allah’s miracles
•       Stories of virtuous deeds
•       Stories of Noble Faithful Models.
•       Stories of Immoral Behavior

4-     The Simplified Encyclopedia Of Islamic History Part1. The Simplified Encyclopedia Of Islamic History literally contains all the information you need to know about Islamic history. Starting from the life of the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him), the stories of the four caliphs, and how Islam was spread in the Ottoman empire, Mongols, and In Africa. All of this is written in a capturing way that will make you unable to stop reading.
5-     Life Of Rasulullah Makkah Period. This book teaches us about what the Prophet went through at the beginning of revelation and the events that occurred at his residence in Mecca. Life Of Rasulullah Makkah Period book explains the life of the prophet in a way that helps the reader learn from and understand what it means to be a true Muslim with good behavior. The book is divided into chapters and each one of them starts with a new story. Some of the Lessons of this book are:

•       If Allah wished, Allah could let Aminah, Abdullah, and Abd al-Muttalib live longer so that our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) doesn’t become an orphan. But Allah didn’t do this. What could be the divine wisdom behind the tragedies in Rasulullah’s (S) life?
•       Allah could let the Quraish win over Abrahah, but why it didn’t happen, and what could be the divine reason behind it?
•       Why did Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib help and protect Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) when he was fully aware that he was working against pagan religious ideologies?
•       Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) prayed to Allah to make either Umar al Khattab or Abu Jahl accept Islam. Umar al Khattab accepted Islam, but why Abu Jahl did not accept Islam?
•       Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) sent some Muslims to Abyssinia in order to avoid oppression; however, he didn’t include any people who were severely oppressed. What could be the divine wisdom behind this act?

This book truly helps the reader understand everything about Islamic history. 6-     Life Of Rasulullah Madinah Period. This book teaches us about what the Prophet went through and the events that occurred at his residence in Madinah. Life Of Rasulullah Madinah Period book explains the life of the prophet in a way that helps the reader learn from and understand what it means to be a true Muslim with a good behavior. The book is divided into chapters and each one of them starts with a new story. Some of the answers included in this book are:

•       After arriving in Madinah, Muslims got permission to fight. Why Muslims didn’t get permission during the Makkah period when the Muslims were oppressed and tortured most?
•       Muslims achieved a resounding victory during in the Battle of Badr, but the Battle of Uhud was quite a different story. What could be the divine wisdom for allowing the Muslims to suffer in the Battle of Uhud?
•       During the Battle of The Trench, the siege of Madinah lasted about 25 days. Eventually, without fighting an actual battle, Muslims could defeat their enemies. What was the divine wisdom behind making the siege lasted so long? What lesson can we learn from this battle?
•       Abdullah Ibn Ubayy, a notorious hypocrite, worked his entire life to destroy Islam. Umar Ibn Al-Khattab wanted to kill him on several occasions. Even, the son of Ubayy asked for Rasulullah’s (S) permission to kill his own father. But, Rasulullah (S) did not give him permission. What could be the reason behind this?
•       The slander against Rasulullah’s (S) wife ‘Ā’ishah had been unresolved for about a month; however, after a month, a divine revelation declaring the innocence was sent. What could be the divine wisdom behind this delay?
•       Muslims didn’t have to fight a battle during the expedition to Tabuk; however, they suffered a lot in the hot summer during this journey. Allah could have informed Rasulullah (S) about the Byzantines not showing up for the Battle to relieve the distress of Muslims. What could be divine wisdom behind that expedition?
•       After the Battle of Badr ended, Rasulullah (S) released the war prisoners before receiving divine permission for such action. What was the divine wisdom for not sending the permission? 

Which is the most care book of Islam?

We have mentioned above some of the best books to read about the Islamic history, but here are the names of the best books:

•       Rise Of Islam.
•       Stories Of The Prophets by Ibn Kathir.
•       Authentic Stories by Prophet Muhammad.
•       The Simplified Encyclopedia Of Islamic History Part1.
•       Life Of Rasulullah Makkah Period.
•       Life Of Rasulullah Madinah Period.
•       The Year Of The Elephant.
•       Islam In Focus Introduction To Islam-مقدمة عن الاسلام.
•       The Messenger of God – Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him.
•       Golden Stories Of Muslim Women.
•       Great Women of Islam Who Were Given the Good News of Paradise.
•       The Honorable Wives Of The Prophet Peace Be Upon Him.

By this we end our todays article, I hope you’ve found it helpful, if you have any questions visit our website madinahmedia.com