05

Early books of the Sunnah

كتب السنة

Before later groups named themselves, hadith scholars wrote books called The Sunnah and The Sacred Law: what the first generations held. These are source books. They are not the first read for a new Muslim. They sit behind Tahawi’s creed.

1. The Sunnah

   السنة

   Abdullah ibn Ahmad, and Ibn Abi Asim

   Reports from the first generations on belief.

2. Explanation of the Sunnah

   شرح السنة

   al-Barbahari (died 329 AH)

   A short, stern book from Baghdad. Useful, and easy to misuse. Read it with good manners.

3. The Sacred Law

   الشريعة

   al-Ajurri (died 360 AH)

   A wide early book: faith, the Quran, the Companions, the last things.

4. The Book of Oneness

   كتاب التوحيد

   Ibn Khuzaymah (died 311 AH)

   Allah’s names and qualities as the hadith scholars reported them. For someone who already has Tahawi.

These books assume you already pray, and you already love the Companions. They are not the shahada class.