The Beneficial Books on Creed

Question:
We ask for his Eminence’s permission to read some of the questions, and there are many, until the 'Isha' prayer is called, if Allah wills. A brother asks, may Allah bless you, and he says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good for this good hadith. We hope you will point us to some books on creed so that we can read them and benefit from them.

Answer:
Praise be to Allah, there are many books on creed, and the greatest and most important of them is the Book of Allah, the greatest and most noble book on creed and other matters. So I advise you and myself alike to engage with the Book of Allah through reading, reflection, understanding, studying, and reviewing the expected tafsirs, such as those by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, al-Baghawi, and the like. This is the greatest book, the greatest evidence, and the greatest clarifier of creed; nothing like it has been revealed before it. It is the greatest and most noble book. He, the Exalted, says: Those are the ones whose hearts are... and He, the Exalted, says: We say, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "the best of stories," and He, the Glorious and Majestic, says: in a state of arrogance, meaning it resembles itself in its excellence. So it is the best of speech, the best of stories, the most noble book, the greatest book, and the most truthful book. So hold fast to the Book of Allah. Hold fast to it always, through memorization, recitation, reflection, understanding, and studying it among yourselves, and with those you see who have benefit in what is difficult for you, along with consulting the trusted, well-known books of tafsir for further benefit and to remove difficulties. Then comes the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after his Book. The greatest and most noble books after the Book of Allah are the authentic books containing the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), such as the two Sahihs of the two Imams, al-Bukhari and Muslim, and the four Sunans, Musnad Ahmad, and Muwatta Malik, and other books of hadith of varying ranks. But the most important and greatest of them are the two Sahihs; they are the greatest and most noble books after the Book of Allah. This is an advice for everyone and for myself. As for the books authored by the scholars, they are numerous. The scholars have written many books. Among the earliest is the book al-Tawhid by Imam Muhammad ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him), which is a great book, famous and beneficial. And the books of Sunan authored by the scholars, such as the book of Sunan by Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him), and the response to Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Darimi, and other books authored by the early scholars. And like the books authored by the well-known scholars for their sound creed, defense of the Sunnah, and striving in the path of truth, such as Abu al-Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim. Their books are among the best and most beneficial, such as al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah, al-Tadibiyah, and al-Humawiyyah. Among them is the one that responded to the people of the Rasil and the Mu'tazilah, and other great books of his. Most of these small books have been collected in the book Jami'at al-Fatawa, which our brother the scholar, the beloved of the people (may Allah have mercy on him), collected in thirty-five volumes, and two volumes of al-Faylas, in which he collected most of the Shaykh's concise, small books. Also, the book al-Sabab al-Ma'na by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him), and the book al-Imamah by Allah, and others of his books (may Allah have mercy on him), such as al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah and Ijtima' al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah. All these books contain creed and clarification that is not found in other authored books. The explanation of al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah by a group of our brothers, the explanation of al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah by Ibtida' ibn al-'Azib, which is also a good and beneficial book. Fath al-Mazid by Shaykh al-Rahman ibn Hasan, which is authentic, the book of his grandfather (may Allah have mercy on him), al-Tawhid, Tashrif al-Shubuhat, Taysir al-'Aziz al-Hamid by Shaykh Sulayman, which is the original of al-Tanbih, and the fatwas of the Imams of the Dawah, al-Dawrah al-Sunniyyah. In the first volume, there are many treatises on creed. And there is no harm in this. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good.