What books are suitable for a beginner in the pursuit of knowledge?

Question : What books do you advise a beginner in the pursuit of knowledge to acquire, especially in the field of creed? Yes.

Answer : I consider the best book on creed to be *Al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah* by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. It is a concise book that summarizes the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the community, but in reality, it requires explanation. A beginner must take a person to study it with, because it contains meanings that a person does not understand merely by reading it; it needs clarification. The error here is not easy, so we cannot say, "If he errs in understanding the text, let it be his error," because we say this is an important matter of creed. Also, there is *Al-'Aqidah al-Safariniyyah*. It is a poem, but it contains some errors and some generalizations that, on their surface, contradict the methodology of the Salaf. For example, it says, "And our Lord is not a substance, nor an attribute, nor a body; Exalted is He, the Most High." This statement contradicts what the Salaf were upon. In any case, if a person studies *Al-'Aqidah al-Safariniyyah* with a Shaykh who is well-versed in creed and explains to him the meanings and the generalizations that contradict the methodology of the Salaf, he will benefit from it. Thank you. That is enough. No, he did not say it, he did not say it. We say in creed. That is enough. That is enough.
If he is a small beginner, he should memorize *Umdat al-Ahkam*. This is the book we are reading now. It is a concise book containing general hadiths from the two Sahihs, meaning a person does not need to seek out their sources, but rather relies on them because they are authentic. It opens the doors of knowledge in hadith for him. In the chapter of terminology, *Nukhbat al-Fikr* by Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) is the most comprehensive of the books. It consists of three or four pages; a person memorizes it, it remains in his mind, and he benefits from it after he grows up. In the chapter of tafsir, the tafsir of Ibn Kathir is good, beneficial, and reliable. The tafsir of Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di is also a good, easy, and reliable tafsir. Let him start with these two tafsirs and benefit from them, and then proceed. In the chapter of fiqh, *Zad al-Mustaqni* with its commentary.
Named *Al-Rawd al-Murba'*; *Al-Rawd al-Murba'* is the commentary on *Zad al-Mustaqni*. Because this book is a blessed, concise, and comprehensive book. Our Shaykh, Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him), recommended it to us, even though he had memorized the text of *Dalil al-Talib*. But he told us, "Memorize *Zad al-Mustaqni*, for it has more issues." It is beneficial. And in grammar, grammar—what is grammar?—which few people know. If you start with *Al-Ajrumiyyah*, *Al-Ajrumiyyah* is also a concise and detailed book that a student memorizes and reads.
And it is good. Then, after that, some people say to start with the text *Qatr al-Nada* by Ibn Hisham, and some say to start with *Alfiyyat Ibn Malik*. I advise memorizing *Alfiyyat Ibn Malik* and I repeat the advice, because this book, *Alfiyyat Ibn Malik*, is the essence of grammar. The essence of grammar. And a person, whenever he needs to cite evidence for a grammatical ruling, he finds it in this book. So it is very beneficial for the student. Yes, is there anything else? As for the biography, as you know, it does not require great effort. But the best book I have seen in the chapter of biography is *Zad al-Ma'ad* by Ibn al-Qayyim, because it mentions the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in all his circumstances: his personal circumstances, his social circumstances, his military and combat circumstances, and so on. And with this, he (may Allah have mercy on him) adds the derivation of many rulings from the battles. So it is a beneficial book for a student of knowledge. Yes, this is history. What do I have?
We have reached fiqh. Usul al-fiqh is actually difficult. But I do not like to mention the book I authored on usul, because this book is concise and opens the door for the student. It opens the door because it contains beneficial principles, especially the definitions, such as the definition of the general and the specific, and the absolute and the restricted. It is beneficial for a beginner student. Yes, as for fara'id, the best concise and beneficial book is *Al-Barhaniyyah*. *Al-Barhaniyyah* is concise and comprehensive for all fara'id, by Muhammad al-Barhani, and it is very useful. Even the chapter on those who inherit two-thirds, he mentioned it in one verse. How many categories are there for those who inherit two-thirds? Four categories: daughters, daughters of sons, full sisters, and paternal sisters. He mentioned all four categories in one verse and said, "And two-thirds to two who are equal or more, from those who have a half." This is the entire chapter. It is a concise, comprehensive, and beneficial book. Yes.