Books Recommended by Shaykh Ibn Baz for Students of Knowledge

Question:
Your Eminence, father, a questioner asks: What books do you recommend reading in the pursuit of knowledge, with an indication of who explained them, if possible?

Answer:
There are many books, the greatest and most important of which is the Book of Allah. So I advise every student to pay attention to the Qur'an, to strive to memorize it, and to recite it frequently, day and night, with reflection and understanding. It is the greatest book and the most truthful book. Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most straight So I advise you and myself, all of us, to fear Allah, to pay attention to the Qur'an, to recite it frequently, and to reflect on its meanings with sincerity, devotion, and desire for what is with Allah, and desire for knowledge and understanding, along with paying attention to memorizing it or whatever is easy for one to memorize.
Then the books of the Sunnah, the books of the noble hadith. Students of knowledge are on different levels. If they are university students, they have the two Sahihs, al-Bukhari and Muslim, the four Sunans, Malik's Muwatta, al-Darimi's Sunan, and Ahmad's Musnad. These are great books that they should acquire and pay attention to. Similarly, whatever is gathered in that regard in al-Muntaqa, Bulugh al-Maram, 'Umdat al-Hadith, and the like of what has been compiled in hadith. Among the most important books are the books of 'aqidah (creed); because they have a great status, they are the foundation, and they are taken from the Book of Allah, the Qur'an. 'Aqidah is from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, but the scholars compiled them to make it easier for students, such as the Book of Tawhid by Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, the Three Fundamental Principles for students, which is the first thing they learn, the Four Bases, and Kashf al-Shubuhat, also by him (may Allah have mercy on him). These are important books, these three, great in 'aqidah. Like the book al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, a great concise book in explaining the 'aqidah of the people of the Sunnah and the community. He also has the book al-Tahawiyyah and al-Hamawiyyah, two great books in 'aqidah as well. The book al-Tahawiyyah and its explanation by Ibn Abi al-'Izz is a great and important book. The principles of belief, al-Muwaffaq. The point is that books of 'aqidah are important, but these are among the most important: al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah, the Book of Tawhid, Kashf al-Shubuhat, the Three Fundamental Principles, al-Tahawiyyah, and its explanation by Ibn Abi al-'Izz, and similar beneficial and great books, al-Tahawiyyah, al-Hamawiyyah. These books are not something a student should focus on, such as the book al-Tahrim by Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him), the book al-Sunnah by 'Abdullah ibn Ahmad, and similar books of the great early scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) in 'aqidah. Yes.