:sd:
How many authentic collections of hadiths are there like Sahih Al-Bukhari?
Sahih Bukhari is the most authentic collection. However, there are also works of later hadith scholars, like Imaam Al-Albani who collected volumes of authentic hadith from all the previous collections.
Where is it said that a martyr gets 70 virgins in heaven?
In the hadith. Please see:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/...h-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545194
It has been reported in the authentic hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad and Tirmidhi {Saheeh Al-Jaami' No. 5058}, on the authority of Miqdam Ibn Ma`d, that: "The martyr has seven special favours from Allah:
He is forgiven with the first spurt of his blood,
He sees his place in Paradise,
He is clothed with the garment of Faith,
He is wed with seventy-two wives from the beautiful Houris of Paradise,
He is saved from the punishment of the grave,
and he is protected from the Great Terror on Qiyamah On his head is placed a crown of dignity, the jewel of which is better than the world and all it contains.
He is granted intercession for seventy people of his household."
Please see this thread for a discussion on the reward of men women in Paradise:
http://www.islamicboard.com/basics-islam/5366-women-paradise-how-they-will-made.html
Are there more books for Islam beyond the hadiths and the Quran for tafsir,etc?
Of course, there are books of fiqh, aqeedah, usool al-fiqh, etc. the list goes on and on.
so they regard anyone in the west who studied Islam from the west's point of view to be a 'specialist'?
These so-called 'specialists' are actually very ignorant on the subject. They are trying to study Islamic sciences as an outside observer on Islam.
