al-Mughnī (selection)
The standard work on Hanbali fiqh, but useful for all Muslims. Read the sections on the farḍ acts of worship to strengthen your fiqh foundation.
Knowledge
Book Club
One classic Islamic work per month, for the whole year. No subscription, no feed — just a reading plan for those who want to build their knowledge systematically. Classic works, mainstream Sunni.
The whole year
12 books · 12 months
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january Rajab Riyāḍ aṣ-Ṣāliḥīn
A structured compilation of ~1900 ahādīth on character, deeds and ʿibādah. The classic starting point for anyone who wants to systematically internalise the Sunnah. 4 weeks = 1 section per week.
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february Shaʿbān Hayāt aṣ-Ṣaḥābah
Life stories of the ṣaḥābah, arranged thematically. Not dry history but inspiring — concrete examples of īmān in practice.
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march Ramaḍān In the Shade of the Qur'an (Fī Ẓilāl al-Qur'an)
Iconic tafsir. Read alongside your Ramadan Qur'an plan. Not accessible to everyone, but if you want to go deeper, an indispensable lens.
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april Shawwāl al-Kabā'ir
An enumeration of the major sins, with Qur'an + hadith evidence. For those who want to audit their own lives after Ramadan.
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may Dhū al-Qaʿdah al-Mughnī (selection)
The standard work on Hanbali fiqh, but useful for all Muslims. Read the sections on the farḍ acts of worship to strengthen your fiqh foundation.
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june Dhū al-Ḥijjah Zād al-Maʿād
The Prophet ﷺ's habits — eating, sleeping, travelling, family life. An important month to read this just before Hajj preparation — Ibn al-Qayyim has a thorough Hajj section.
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july Muḥarram What Has the World Lost with the Decline of Muslims (an-Nadwī)
A history book about what the world looked like before Islam and how Islam transformed human civilisation. For perspective on your own time.
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august Ṣafar al-ʿAqīdah aṭ-Ṭaḥāwiyyah (with commentary)
The most widely accepted Sunni aqida work across all 4 madhāhib. Short text (~50 points) but deserves a commentary for proper understanding.
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september Rabīʿ I Madārij as-Sālikīn
Spiritual growth in 100 stations — from repentance (tawbah) to inner peace (riḍā). Deep, slow, transformative. Not to be read once, but to be inhabited.
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october Rabīʿ II al-Ḥikam al-ʿAṭā'iyyah
~260 spiritual aphorisms. Short sentences, profoundly penetrating truths. Read one per day with your morning coffee. A classic from the Sufi heritage (mainstream Sunni).
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november Jumādā I Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm ad-Dīn (selection)
The greatest classic on self-purification. Read Book 1 (knowledge) + Book 32 (patience + gratitude). Not everything in one year — a lifetime.
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december Jumādā II Bidāyat al-Hidāyah (Beginning of Guidance)
A short, practical guide: how to live a day from fajr to after ʿishāʾ — all your actions supported in the silence of īmān. A small book, applicable daily. End your year with this.