Best place to pick up Sahih al-Bukhari?

[Eliphaz]

all,

I am currently reading the Qur'an for the first time properly, and it is really opening my eyes to where many Islamic rulings come from. I know that one cannot get the whole picture without studying the authentic ahadith, which I would like to do after completing the Qur'an.

I am aware that Sahih al-Bukhari is the most reliable source of Islamic law after the Qur'an - I was wondering where the best place to pick up the collection is? I was thinking online or from Regent's Park mosque but I have also seen the collection on sale at conferences and what have you. I have the abridged version but this seems to be rather limited ...

Jazakallah and Ramadan Mubarak,

:wa:
Omar

 

[kawaiigardiner]

all,

I am currently reading the Qur'an for the first time properly, and it is really opening my eyes to where many Islamic rulings come from. I know that one cannot get the whole picture without studying the authentic ahadith, which I would like to do after completing the Qur'an.

I am aware that Sahih al-Bukhari is the most reliable source of Islamic law after the Qur'an - I was wondering where the best place to pick up the collection is? I was thinking online or from Regent's Park mosque but I have also seen the collection on sale at conferences and what have you. I have the abridged version but this seems to be rather limited ...

Jazakallah and Ramadan Mubarak,

:wa:
Omar

If you want the low cost one printed in India you can purchase it from here:

http://islamicbookstore.com/

However, a nicer quality set can be purchased from:

http://www.dar-us-salam.com/

 

[Eliphaz]

Thanks alot kawaiigardiner (33 views and the first reply comes from someone who calls themselves "Other"! Subhanallah fellow Muslims...)

I'll check out the Indian version. I am not sure about dar-us-salam, it is a wahabi publisher so I've heard. But I suppose a book of ahadith cant really be tinkered with, plus my abridged version is actually printed by dar-us-salaam anyhow.

Thanks!

 

[kawaiigardiner]

Thanks alot kawaiigardiner (33 views and the first reply comes from someone who calls themselves "Other"! Subhanallah fellow Muslims...)

I'll check out the Indian version. I am not sure about dar-us-salam, it is a wahabi publisher so I've heard. But I suppose a book of ahadith cant really be tinkered with, plus my abridged version is actually printed by dar-us-salaam anyhow.

Thanks!

The Indian version is translated by the same person who did the dar-us-salam version, Muhammad Mushin Khan ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Muhsin_Khan ); I haven't heard anything negative about the hadith translation (I have Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari) though.

The only negative thing said so far about Muhammad Mushin Khan's work is related to his translation of the Qur'an which he calls 'the Noble Quran' and given out free of charge by the Saudi authorities to Hajj pilgrims; when reviewed by Islamic experts in the major universities in the west the critiques range from being a poor translation at one end of the spectrum to accusations of pushing the Wahhabist Saudi agenda at the other end of the spectrum.

Personally for Qur'an translation I prefer Muhammad Asad's translation or the reformist translation of the Qur'an.

 

[Beardo]

Someone can clarify my advice but:

The Sahih Bukhari is meant for those who give legal opinions. You'll find them at Masajid and/or Imam's offices used for reference. I don't think it's really meant to be a book you pick up and read. Rather, you should go for something with detailed commentary.

My advice would be Provisions for the Seekers, commentary by Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf. You can get it from whitethreadpress.com or al-rashad.com. They have distributors in UK as well. This book is a condensed version of all six authentic books: Nasa'i, Ibn Maja, Tirmidhi, Muslim, bukhari, and I can't remember the last one.. I always forget the last one... Anyway, that's my recommendation. I think Sister Afifa would also agree with me on this one. :X

 

[kawaiigardiner]

Someone can clarify my advice but:

The Sahih Bukhari is meant for those who give legal opinions. You'll find them at Masajid and/or Imam's offices used for reference. I don't think it's really meant to be a book you pick up and read. Rather, you should go for something with detailed commentary.

My advice would be Provisions for the Seekers, commentary by Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf. You can get it from whitethreadpress.com or al-rashad.com. They have distributors in UK as well. This book is a condensed version of all six authentic books: Nasa'i, Ibn Maja, Tirmidhi, Muslim, bukhari, and I can't remember the last one.. I always forget the last one... Anyway, that's my recommendation. I think Sister Afifa would also agree with me on this one. :X

The problem I find with many of these condensed or books with explanations; the person doing it has an agenda based on their own culture - and when you read it, you assume that is 'the Islam' when it is really a cultural interpretation of Islam. Take Saudi Arabia for instance and their treatment of Women - would you want that being 'the benchmark' as to how women are treated in Islam?

Personally, those books are great but at the same time I'd take everything they say with a grain (or two) of salt. 9/10, if your gut instinct says "this is wrong, I shouldn't do it" - its most likely correct (too bad most people ignore their gut instinct and go for it).

 

[Eliphaz]

Someone can clarify my advice but:

The Sahih Bukhari is meant for those who give legal opinions. You'll find them at Masajid and/or Imam's offices used for reference. I don't think it's really meant to be a book you pick up and read. Rather, you should go for something with detailed commentary.

My advice would be Provisions for the Seekers, commentary by Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf. You can get it from whitethreadpress.com or al-rashad.com. They have distributors in UK as well. This book is a condensed version of all six authentic books: Nasa'i, Ibn Maja, Tirmidhi, Muslim, bukhari, and I can't remember the last one.. I always forget the last one... Anyway, that's my recommendation. I think Sister Afifa would also agree with me on this one. :X

Hmmm interesting. oh:

I see your point br. Rashad, I've actually just downloaded Bukhari and Muslim and can see what you're saying. They are quite extensive and more like reference collections or encyclopedias (which the name suggests) rather than books. I can see how and why they are abridged/condensed for the average reader given the number of repeated hadiths from different narrators and the fact many topics aren't directly related to everyday life.

I will check out the book you mentioned, sounds more appropriate. Jazakallah!

kawaiigardiner: I understand your concerns about culture, as I once shared similar fears about not 'drinking from the source' so to speak. Therefore I think it is best to check out an author and where he studied, whom he studied from, and of course if it is a dodgy book corroborate any uncertain hadiths with other books, the sahih collections, etc. The author of this book seems to be knowledgable and learned from the leading Hanafi scholar in Damascus (al-Halabi) so i'll see how I get on!