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The Best Editions of Arabic Books

20 Apr

This page is continuously updated as more editions become available

Updated 26th January 2024

One familiar with the Arabic publishing world knows that editions of texts can vary considerably in their accuracy and quality. See here:

http://attahawi.com/2009/05/12/understanding-arabic-book-publications-an-enlightening-conversation-with-shaykh-husain-kadodia/

One thus needs to know the best available edition of each text. As a rule, one generally avoids commercial publishers such as Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah (DKI), Dar al-Fikr, and Dar Ihya Turath al-Arab unless they have the only edition available. The best publishers are generally (in no order and with the caveat that each book depends on the editor more than the publisher, with good publishers having bad editions sometimes):

  • Mu’assasah al-Risalah, aka al-Risalah, and its offshoots: al-Risalah al-‘Alamiyyah and Mu’assasah al-Risalah Nashirun (all based in Damascus) with the former somewhat a direct successor with the same core research team led by shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut and the latter more commercially focused with less voluminous works
  • Dar Ibn al-Jawzi (Riyadh)
  • Dar al-Minhaj (Jeddah)
  • Dar ‘Alam al-Kutub (Riyadh)
  • Dar Ibn Hazm (Beirut)
  • Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyyah (Beirut)
  • Dar al-Gharb al-Islami (Tunis)
  • Dar al-Hadith (Cairo)
  • Dar al-Diya’ (Kuwait)
  • Dar al-Ta’sil (Cairo)
  • Dar al-Nafa’is (Amman)

Good editors are rare, but if you find a book edited by any of the following then usually it will be one of the best, if not the the best, available:

  • ‘Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah
  • Abd Allah al-Turki
  • Muhammad ‘Awwamah
  • Bashar ‘Awad Ma’ruf
  • Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut

Here are what we have managed to find so far, having consulted various scholars, students, and booksellers alike.

Qur’anic and Related Sciences

Tafsir

  • Tafsir al-Tabari (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi ed. al-Wakil is the best, then Dar ‘Alam al-Kutub ed. al-Turki in 26 vols. The first edition was Dar al-Hijr, the second edition is this one, which is the first edition for Dar ‘Alam al-Kutub, but the second edition for the book)
  • Tafsir al-Qurtubi (Mu’asasat al-Risalah ed. al-Turki)
  • al-Kashaf by al-Zamakhshari (Dar al-Lubab/Maktabat al-Irshad, Tukey in 10 vols. is the critical edition)
  • al-Bahr al-Muhit by Ab Hayyan ed. al-Turki for Dar al-Hijr in 27 vols. or al-Risalah ed. in 22 vols.
  • Ruh al-Ma’ani by al-Alusi (Dar al-Risalah al-Alamiyyah in 30 volumes [2010])
  • Tafsir al-Razi (ed. Sayyid ‘Umran for Dar al-Hadith in 16 vols. is the best so far but wait as a critical edition is being made in Istanbul in sha Allah)
  • Tafsir Abu al-Su’ud – the critical edition is published by Dar al-Rayhan and the waqf al-diyyanah in Turkey in 9 vols.
  • al-Muharrar al-Wajiz by Ibn ‘Atiyyah (Wazarat al-Awqaf fi Qatar)
  • al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir by Ibn ‘Ashur (Dar Ibn Hazm)
  • Tafsir al-Baghawi (Dar al-Taybah in 4 vols.)
  • Tafsir al-Jalalayn (ed. Fakhr al-Din Qbawah with the title al-Mufassal)
  • Tafsir al-Baydawi (Dar al-Lubab is the closest to a critical edition)
  • Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi 2nd ed. in 8 vols. is the best) 
  • al-Durr al-Ma’thur by al-Suyuti (Dar al-Hajr/’Alam al-Kutub ed. al-Turki)
  • Zad al-Masir by Ibn al-Jawzi (al-Maktab al-Islami)
  • al-Tashil li-‘Ulum al-Tanzil by Ibn al-Juzayy (ed. ‘Ali b. Hamad al-Salihi in 4 volumes)
  • al-Jami’ li-Ahkam by Ibn al’-Arabi (Dar al-Jil)
  • Fath al-Qadir by al-Shawkani (Dar Ibn Hazm)
  • Tafsir al-Nasafi (Dar al-Nafa’is)

Ulum al-Qur’an

  • al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Qur’an by al-Suyuti  (Mujamma’ al-Malik Fahd in 7 volumes)
  • Manahil al-‘Irfan by al-Zarqani edited by Khalid al-Sibt 
  • al-Burhan by al-Zarkashi ed. al-Mur’ashali [المرعشلي] et al. or Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim
  • al-Tibyan by al-Nawawi (Dar al-Minhaj)

Sunnah and Related Sciences

Primary Sources

  • Sahih al-Bukhari finally got a worthy modern edition by Bayt al-Sunnah in Makkah! I haven’t personally reviewed it but some scholars in Saudia whom I respect and trust have reviewed it favourably over all others. Previously the Sultaniyah reprint by Dar al-Minhaj ed. Muhammad Zuhayr Nasr al-Nasr was the critical edition, even after all these years! Dar al-Ta’sil came very close, and basically copied it footnotes and all, but inexplicably omits at least one hadith in their first edition, which they amended by their third edition! Their third edition also has some valuable footnotes missing that are in the first edition! Their mistakes with their first editions makes recommending newer editions tricky, because they need to be completely reviewed and checked by our scholars. Dar al-Qalam have a nice 6 volume edition which includes the hashiyah of Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri. Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut’s edition is also very good and matches the Sultaniyyah edition number for number, unlike the Dar al-Ta’sil.
  • Sahih Muslim (Dar al-Ta’sil came very close to improving on the critical old al-‘Amirah Turkish edition, reprinted by Dar al-Minhaj ed. Muhammad Zuhayr al-Nasr, but strangely places some hadiths in the footnotes when they are attested to by figures such as al-Bayhaqi, al-Nawawi, al-Dhahabi, al-Mizzi, Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Humaydi, Ibn Taymiyyah, and others!) Get the old Amirah one if you can. Bayt al-Sunnah are working on a critical edition which I’m excited about.
  • al-Muwatta’ by Malik in Yahya b. Yahya’s recension (al-Maknaz al-Islami 2nd edition 2018 ed. Ahmad Ma’bad Abd al-Karim, thereafter al-Majlis al-‘Ilmi al-A’la, second edition, 1440/2019: Casablanca). The Moroccans had to amend after al-Maknaz published an exceptional edition. al-Maknaz have been doing an outstanding job since their publication of Musnad Ahmad. There are two phases for this publisher. The first phase was late 90s/early 2000s when they improved upon the old publications of the six books, with some mistakes. Since publishing Musnad Ahmad around late 2009, they have produced second editions as well as first editions of other books which are all outstanding efforts. 
  • Sunan Abi Dawud (Dar al-Ta’sil with al-Lu’lu’i recension is the outstanding edition, far superior to all previous editions whilst the Muhammad ‘Awwamah edition for Dar al-Minhaj 3rd edition is good)
  • Sunan al-Nasa’i al-Mujtaba (al-Risalah Nashirun ed. Yasir Hasan, et al.) – This book is yet to get a proper critical edition despite some good efforts! Still waiting.
  • Jami’ al-Tirmidhi (al-Risalah Nashirun ed. Yasir Hasan, et al. but there is a new third edition from Dar al-Ta’sil that looks very promising but I haven’t yet seen it. I have their second edition)
  • Sunan Ibn Majah (ed. Dr. Ahmad ‘Abd al-Karim for al-Maknaz al-Islami’s second edition (2016), published via Dar al-Minhaj in 2 vols. or Dar al-Ta’sil second edition, or al-Risalah Nashirun one vol.)
  • Musnad Ahmad (Dar al-Minhaj print of al-Maknaz al-Islami is the critical edition and the best tahqiq we have seen of any hadith book since Ottoman times, but Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut’s edition has decent gradings)
  • Sahih Ibn Hibban (Dar al-Ta’sil but use Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut for Mu’assasat al-Risalah for takhrij)
  • Sunan al-Darimi (al-Maknaz al-Islami then Dar al-Ta’sil)
  • Sunan al-Daraqutni (al-Maknaz al-Islami)
  • Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah (Dar al-Ta’sil)
  • al-Musannaf by Abd al-Razaq (Dar al-Ta’sil, 2nd edition in 12 vols. should be the best. I have the first edition, which is better than all previous editions)
  • al-Musannaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah (The Dar Kunuz Ishbiliya of Riyadh ed. by Sa’d b. Nasir al-Shathri in 25 volumes has finally replaced Muhammad ‘Awwamah’s edition, though still contains mistakes)
  • al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn by al-Hakim (Dar Minhaj al-Qawim of Damascus, corrects the deficiencies in all previous editions, including Dar al-Ta’sil and Dar al-Mayman)
  • al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (Dar Hajr is easily the best but not a critical edition)
  • Sharh Mushkil al-Athar by al-Tahawi (Mu’assasat al-Risalah)
  • al-Mu’jam al-Saghir by al-Tabarani (al-Maknaz al-Islami)
  • Musnad al-Humaydi (al-Maknaz)

Abridgements and Compilations

  • Majma’ al-Zawa’id by al-Haythami edited by Husayn Saleem Asad al-Darani over 25 years in 23 vols! (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • Mawarid al-Zaman (Zawa’id Ibn Hibban) by al-Haythami ed. by Husayn Saleem Asad al-Darani
  • Sharh al-Sunnah by al-Baghawi ed. by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut
  • Riyadh al-Salihin (Dar al-Minhaj) 
  • al-Tajrid al-Sarih Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari (Mu’assasat al-Risalah) or (Dar al-Minhaj) or Tariq ‘Awad Allah (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi)
  • Mukhtasar Sahih Muslim by al-Nawawi, which is better than al-Mundhiri in preserving content and arrangement (Dar al-Nawadir)
  • Bulugh al-Maram (Abdullah al-Sa’d)
  • ‘Umdat al-Ahkam (Dar al-Taybah) ed. Nazr al-Fariyabi or Samir al-Zuhayri
  • al-Adhkar li al-Nawawi (Dar al-Minhaj) fourth edition
  • al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib edited by al-Albani, or Mistu, al-‘Attar, and al-Badawi
  • al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhari ed. ‘Isam Musa Hadi (Dar al-Sadiq)
  • al-Shama’il (Dar al-Qalam) edited by Mahir al-Fahl and supervised by Bashar ‘Awad Ma’ruf (best version according to both, better than both of their previous efforts)

Commentaries

  • Fath al-Bari (al-Risalah al-Alamiyyah) – Dar al-Ta’sil were working on it but have gone silent for years now
  • ‘Umdat al-Qari by al-‘Ayni (al-Muniriyah)
  • Irshad al-Sari (ed. Muhammad Zuhayr Nasr al-Nasr based on al-Bulaq 7th ed.)
  • al-Minhaj li Sharh Sahih Muslim by al-Nawawi  – 2nd ed. by Mazin al-Sarsawi for Dar al-Minhaj al-Qawim of Damascus in a critical edition by a promising young shaykh
  • Fath al-Mulhim + Takmila (Dar al-Qalam – otherwise go for Dar al-Salam)
  • al-Tamhid by Ibn Abd al-Barr ed. Bashar ‘Awad Ma’ruf for al-Furqan in London in 17 vols. 2nd edition (2018) is the critical edition, but the rearranged ed. of al-Turki is easier for some to navigate
  • al-Istidhkar by Ibn Abd al-Barr ed. by Abd al-Mu’ti Qal’aji in 30 volumes but I’ve heard good things about the al-Furqan edition
  • Hashiyat al-Suyuti/al-Sindi ‘ala Sunan al-Nasa’i (Dar al-Ma’rifah) in 5 volumes
  • ‘Awn al-Ma’bud (Dar al-Fayha/Dar al-Salam)
  • Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi (Dar al-Fayha/Dar al-Salam)
  • Badhl al-Majhud (Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyah)
  • Ma’alim al-Sunan (Mu’assasat al-Risalah)
  • Sabul al-Salam (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi) edited by Muhammad Subhi Hallaq 
  • Ihkam al-Ahkam li Ibn Daqiq al-Id published by Markaz Asfar in 4 vols. is now the critical edition
  • Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam edited by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut or Tariq ‘Awad Allah 
  • Nayl al-Awtar (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi) edited by Subhi Hallaq in 16 vols. 

Ulum al-Hadith

  • Nuzhat al-Nazar by Ibn Hajar edited by Nur al-Din ‘Itr
  • al-Muwqizah by al-Dhahabi edited by ‘Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah
  • Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah edited by Nur al-Din ‘Itr or Tariq b. Awad Allah
  • Tadrib al-Rawi ed. Muhammad ‘Awwamah
  • Fath al-Mughith (Maktabah Dar al-Minhaj) ed. Abd al-Karim al-Khudayr 6 vol.
  • Ma’rifah ‘Ulum al-Hadith by Hakim al-Naysaburi (Maktabah al-Ma’arif, 2nd ed. Ahmad al-Salum)
  • al-Kifayah fi ‘Ilm al-Riwayah by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi, 2nd ed. by Mahir al-Fahal in 2 vols.)
  • Qawa’id al-Tahdith (Mu’assasat al-Risalah)
  • al-Ba’ith al-Hathith (Maktabat al-Ma’arif)
  • Sharh ‘Ilal al-Tirmidhi by Ibn Rajab, ed. Nur al-Din ‘Itr
  • Talkhis al-Habir by Ibn Hajar ed. Muhammad Umar Musa
  • Nasb al-Rayah by al-Zayla’i ed. Muhammad ‘Awwamah
  • Tawdih al-Afkar by al-San’ani ed. by Muhammad Abu Zayd for Maktabat al-Rushd

Ilm al-Rijal/Tarikh

  • Tabaqat al-Kabir (a.k.a. al-Kubra) by Ibn Sa’d (ed. Muhammad Ali Umar for Maktabat al-Khaniji first ed. in 11 vols. with 5,554 entries [1,358 more than previous editions such as Ihsan Abbas] is the critical edition
  • Tuhfat al-Ashraf by al-Mizzi ed. Bashar Awad Ma’ruf (Dar al-Gharb al-Islami)
  • Tahdhib al-Kamal by al-Mizzi ed. by Bashar Awad (Mu’assasah al-Risalah)
  • Tahdhib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar (ed. Muhammad Nu’man Jad al-Rabb in 16 volumes)
  • Taqrib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar edited by Muhammad ‘Awwamah for dabt or Tahrir by al-Arna’ut/Ma’ruf
  • Mizan al-I’tidal by al-Dhahabi published by Dar al-Risalah al-Alamiyah
  • Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar edited by Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah
  • Tadhkirat al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi edited by Abd al-Rahman al-Mu’allami
  • al-Du’fa by al-‘Uqayli published by Dar al-Ta’sil 
  • Tarikh al-Tabari (Dar Ibn Kathir) edited by Muhammad Subhi Hallaq[محمد صبحي حلاق]
  • al-Bidayat wa al-Nihayah edited by Bashar Awad Ma’ruf and Abd al-Qardir al-Arna’ut (Dar Ibn Kathir 4th ed. 11 vols.) then al-Turki, which is rare to find these days
  • Siyar ‘A’lam al-Nubala (Mu’asasat al-Risalah)
  • al-Kamil by Ibn al-Athir (Dar Sadir ed. Ihsan Abbas)
  • al-Muqaddimah Ibn Khaldun (al-Wafi)
  • Sifat al-Safwah (Dar al-Nafa’is)
  • Zad al-Ma’ad (al-Risalah) edited by al-Arna’ut 
  • Tarikh al-Islam li al-Dhahabi edited by Bashar Awad/Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut
  • Tabaqat al-Shafi’iyyah al-Kubra by Ibn al-Subki (Dar Hajr)
  • Tarikh Madinat al-Salam by Khatib al-Baghdadi (ed. Bashar Awad in 17 vols. for Dar al-Gharb al-Islami)

Fiqh and Related Sciences

Usul al-Fiqh

  • al-Risalah by al-Shafi’i edited by Ahmad Shakir (Dar al-Minhaj 2013) or volume 1 of Abd al-Muttalib
  • al-Shirazi – al-Tabsirah (Dar al-Fikr) edited by Muhammad Hasan Hitu
  • al-Shirazi – al-Lum’a (Dar Ibn Kathir) edited by Muhyi al-Din Mistu and Yusuf al-Badawi
  • al-Shirazi – Sharh al-Lum’a (Dar al-Gharb al-Islami) edited by Abd al-Majid Turki
  • al-Juwayni – al-Burhan (Dar al-Wafa) edited by Abd al-Azim al-Dib in 2 volumes
  • al-Juwayni – al-Talkhis (Dar al-Basha’ir) edited by Abdullah al-Naybali
  • al-Ghazali – al-Mankhul (Dar al-Fikr) edited by Muhammad Hasan Hitu
  • al-Ghazali – al-Mustasfa (Mu’assasat al-Risalah) edited by Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Ashqar
  • al-Razi – al-Mahsul (Mu’assasat al-Risalah) by Taha Jabir al-Alwani in 6 volumes
  • al-Amidi – al-Ihkam (DKI)
  • al-Subki – al-Ibhaj fi Sharh al-Minhaj li’l-Baydawi (Al-Azhar) ed. by Sha’ban Muhammad Isma’il
  • al-Isnawi – Nihayat al-Sul fi Sharh Minhaj al-Wusul (Dar Alam al-Kutub) ed. Muhammad al-Muti’i
  • al-Zarkashi – al-Bahr al-Muhit (Kuwait: Wazarat al-Awqaf) in 6 volumes edited by Abd al-Qadir b. Abdullah al-‘Ani, Abd al-Sattar Abu Ghudda, and Umar b. Sulayman al-Ashqar
  • al-Zarkashi – Tashnif al-Musami’ (Maktab Qurtuba) edited by Sayyid Abd al-Aziz and Abdullah Rabi’
  • al-Suyuti – al-Kawkab al-Sati (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi or Dar Ibn Taymiyah) ed. al-Itiyubi
  • al-Sam’ani – Qawati’ al-Adillah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Tawbah) in 5 volumes edited by Ali b. Abbas al-Hakami and Abdullah b. Hafiz al-Hakami
  • Ibn al-Qayyim – I’lam al-Muwaqiin (Dar al-Taybah) or Mashur Hasan Al Salman
  • al-Shatibi – al-Muwafaqat published by Mu’assasah al-Risalah in 2 volumes in four parts edited by Muhammad Murabi or (Dar al-Ma’rifah) edited by Ibrahim Ramadan or Mashur Hasan Al Salman

Hanafi

  • al-Hidayah by al-Marghiyani, ed. Saa’id Bakdash (سائد بكداش) in 7 volumes for Dar al-Siraj
  • Maraqi al-Falah (Dar al-Nu’man li ‘Ulum) a.k.a. al-Khayr al-Baqi edited by Abd al-Jalil Ata in 3 volumes, or (Dar al-Quba) edited by Bakri Arrabi
  • Mukhtasar al-Quduri with Al-Lubab edited by Saa’id Bakdash in 6 volumes
  • Kanz al-Daqa’iq (Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyah/Dar al-Siraj) edited by Saa’id Bakdash (سائد بكداش)
  • Nur al-Idah (Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyah/Dar al-Siraj) ed. by Saa’id Bakdash (سائد بكداش)
  • al-Mukhtar (Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyah) ed. by Saa’id Bakdash (سائد بكداش)
  • al-Ikhtiyar li Ta’lil al-Mukhtar (Mu’asasat al-Risalah) edited by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut in 4 volumes; or (Dar al-Quba) edited by Bakri Arrabi in 2 volumes
  • Bada’i al-Sana’i li al-Kasani (Dar al-Hadith Cairo) 
  • Usul al-Shashi edited by Akram al-Nadwi for Dar al-Gharb al-Islami

Maliki

  • Ibn ‘Arafah – al-Madkhal al-Fiqhi (Dar Ibn Hazm in 16 vols.)
  • Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani – al-Risalat al-Fiqhiyah (Dar al-Gharb al-Islami) edited by Hamu al-Hadi and Muhammad Abu al-Ajfan
  • al-Qarafi – al-Dhakirah (Dar al-Gharb al-Islami)
  • al-Qarafi – al-Furuq (Dar al-Salam)
  • Sharh al-Saghir with Hashiyat al-Sawi (Dar al-Ma’arif)
  • Fiqh al-Maliki wa Adilatihi (Dar Ibn Hazm)
  • Mawahib al-Jalil (Dar ‘Alam al-Kutub)
  • al-I’tisam by al-Shatibi (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi)

Shafi’i

  • al-Umm (Dar al-Wafa/Dar Ibn Hazm) fourth edition by Rif’at Fawzi ‘Abd al-Muttalib
  • al-Muhadhab (ed. Muhammad al-Zuhayli for Dar al-Qalam)
  • Nihayat al-Matlab (edited by ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Dib for Dar al-Minhaj)
  • al-Hawi al-Kabir ed. ‘Ali Muhammad Mu’awwad and ‘Adil Ahmad ‘Abd al-Mawjud
  • Minhaj al-Talibin (Dar al-Basha’ir) in 3 volumes by Ahmad b. Abd al-Aziz al-Haddad (highly recommended by al-Qawasimi); then the Dar al-Minhaj edition
  • al-Isnawi – al-Muhimmat (Dar Ibn Hazm, 2009, in 10 volumes)
  • al-Anwar li’A’mal al-Abrar (ed. Khalaf Mustafa al-Mutlaq)
  • Tuhfat al-Muhtaj (Dar al-Diya’) in 10 volumes (finally a critical edition!) although Dar al-Hadith’s edition is very good also, esp. for takhrij
  • Nihayat al-Muhtaj (DKI) in 6 volumes without hashiya
  • Nihayat al-Muhtaj with Hashiyat al-Shabramallisi (Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi reprinted by DKI in 8 volumes)
  • Mughni al-Muhtaj (Dar al-Hadith or Dar al-Fayha) both in 6 volumes
  • al-Majmu’ Sharh al-Muhadhab (Dar al-Muqtabas ed. Nizam Ya’qubi, is a facsimile copy of Taqi al-Subki’s own handwritten manuscript copy, based on al-Nawawi’s original handwritten copy – though I still prefer Maktabat al-Irshad’s edition for ease of use
  • al-Bayan (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • Tashih al-Tanbih (Mu’asasat al-Risalah) edited by Muhammad Ibrahim
  • Rawdat al-Talibin (Dar ‘Alam al-Kutub) ed. ‘Ali Muhammad Mu’awwad and ‘Adil Ahmad ‘Abd al-Mawjud in 8 volumes
  • al-Ghayat wa al-Taqrib by Abi Shuja’ ed. Majid al-Hamawi (Dar Ibn Hazm)
  • Fath al-Qarib (Dar al-Minhaj or Dar al-Diya)
  • Hashiyat al-Bajuri (Dar al-Minhaj, 2016)
  • Kifayat al-Akhyar (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • Tuhfat al-Labib by Ibn Daqiq al-‘Id (Dar Ibn Hazm in 2 volumes)
  • Umdat al-Salik (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • Fath al-Mu’in (Dar Ibn Hazm)
  • I’anat al-Talibin (Dar al-Hadith of Cairo or Dar al-Fayha’)
  • al-Manhaj al-Qawim (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • Bushra al-Karim (ed. Mustafa b. Hamid b. Sumayt for Dar al-Diya’ of Kuwait)

Hanbali

  • al-‘Uddah Sharh al-‘Umdah (Mu’asasat al-Risalah) edited by al-Turki or Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut
  • al-Muqni’ by Ibn Qudamah ed. Muhammad al-Arna’ut
  • al-Kafi by Ibn Qudamah ed. al-Turki
  • Zad al-Mustaqni’ (Dar al-Watan ed. by ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Askar)
  • al-Rawd al-Murbi’ (Dar al-Watan)
  • Kashaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti published by Wazarat al-‘Adl or Dar Alam al-Kutub
  • Sharh al-Mumti’ li Ibn ‘Uthaymin (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi)
  • al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah (Dar ‘Alam al-Kutub) edited by al-Turki
  • al-Furu’ by Ibn al-Muflih ed. al-Turki
  • Manar al-Sabil (al-Maktab al-Islami) or (Dar al-Jil al-Jadid)
  • Akhsar al-Mukhtasarat ed. Muhammad al-‘Ajami
  • al-Adab al-Shar’iyyah by Ibn al-Muflih, ed. Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut

Other

  • al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm ed. Khalid al-Ribat (Dar Ibn Hazm in 19 volumes!)
  • Bidayat al-Mujtahid (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi)

Aqidah

  • Sharh Aqidah al-Tahawiyah by Ibn Abi al-‘izz (Mu’asasat al-Risalah) edited by Abdullah al-Turki and Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut [الأرنؤوط] in 2 volumes
  • al-I’tiqad by al-Bayhaqi (Dar al-Fayha’/Dar al-Hadi al-Nabawi)
  • al-Asma wa al-Sifat by al-Bayhaqi ed. Muhammad Abu Zayd
  • al-Shari’ah by al-Ajuri ed. Abdullah al-Dumayji
  • al-Ibana by al-Ash’ari published by Jami’at al-Imam Muhammad b. Saud
  • al-Tawhid by Ibn Khuzaymah ed. Sameer al-Zuhayr
  • Shu’ab al-Imam by al-Bayhaqi (al-Rushd)
  • Sharh Usul al-I’tiqad by al-Lalika’i (al-Maktabat al-Islamiyyah) then (Dar al-Taybah)
  • al-Aqidah al-Wasitiyah by Ibn Taymiyah ed. Ahmad Shakir
  • Iljam al-‘Awwam by al-Ghazali (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • al-Iqtisad fi al-I’tiqad by al-Ghazali (Dar al-Minhaj)

Arabic Studies

  • Lisan al-Arab by Ibn Manzur (Dar al-Ma’arif)
  • al-Qamus al-Muhit by al-Fayruzabadi (Mu’assasat al-Risalah)
  • Mukhtar al-Sihah by al-Razi (Dar al-Hadith)
  • al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith by Ibn al-Athir (al-Awqaf al-Qatariyah) or (Dar Ibn al-Jawzi) or (Mu’assasat al-Risalah)
  • Sharh Qatr al-Nada ed. Muhammad Muhyi al-Din Abd al-Hamid
  • Sharh Shudhur al-Dhahab ed. Muhammad Muhyi al-Din Abd al-Hamid
  • Sharh Ibn ‘Aqil ed. Muhammad Muhyi al-Din Abd al-Hamid

Tazkiyah

  • Ihya Ulum al-Din published in 2011 by Dar al-Minhaj in a wonderful 10 volume set, republished in 4 vols. or the more scholarly 2010 Dar al-Fayha’/Dar al-Manhal Nashirun ed. by Ali al-Mahasini 
  • Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin (Dar al-Bayan) edited by al-Arna’ut  [الأرنؤوط], or Zuhayr al-Shawish [زهير الشاويش]
  • Minhaj al-Abidin (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • Bidayat al-Hidayah (Dar al-Minhaj)
  • al-Wabi al-Sayyib by ibn al-Qayyim (Dar Alam al-Fawa’id)
 
207 Comments

Posted by on April 20, 2012 in Arabic, Books

 

207 responses to “The Best Editions of Arabic Books”

  1. islamclass

    April 23, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Best editions of Bulugh al-Maram:

    http://www.ahl-alsonah.com/vb/index.php?page=topic&show=1&id=1783

    Reply
     
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  3. livingdi

    July 29, 2013 at 1:31 pm

    Salaamun ‘alaikum,

    Ṛamaḍaanu Mubaaṛak. There have appeared quite a few new editions over the past years; what are the best / most standard / most useful editions of the 9 ḥadeeth books (most popular with scholars) and on what numbers do their numberings end? So far we use the editions with the following end numbers for referencing: http://ahaadeeth.wordpress.com/abbreviations. Which numbering systems should not be missing according to you? Jazaakumuḷ-ḷaahu khaiṛaa.

    Was-salaamu ‘alaikum

    Reply
     

  4. Wan

    December 7, 2013 at 5:23 am

    Assalamualaikum,

    I have few inquiries:

    What is the best edition for al-Tafsir al-Kabir?

    How do you rate the publisher Dar al-Hadith?

    Shukran

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      December 7, 2013 at 9:01 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam!

      Dar al-Hadith in Cairo are actually a fairly decent publisher. They tend to have dabt of the text and do a fairly good bit of tahqiq. My only criticism is with the quality of the print and binding. That said, I think their target audience is students and their publications suit this purpose, being cheap but relatively accurate prints. In that sense they are similar to Maktabat al-Asriyah.

      As for al-Razi’s Tafsir, there isn’t any edition at present that really stands in terms of a proper academic tahqiq. Most researchers tend to use the Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyah print. Dar al-Fikr is 32 volumes in also okay. However, as of yet, there isn’t a ‘critical edition’ so to speak and that’s why I left it out of the original post. It’s lamentable really that we haven’t yet given it a proper service. It would be a momentous task.

      Wa iyyak wasalam!

      Reply
       

  5. Wan

    December 9, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    Assalamu’alaykum,

    I would like to share some reviews written by Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad on Arabic books published recently:

    1) Quite a number of books: http://www.abc.se/home/m9783/ir/ez/in/bn/Arabic2009new.html

    2) His remarks on DKI: http://www.abc.se/home/m9783/ir/ez/in/bn/Conc_Two_Publishers.html

    Hope Sidi Al-Asiri could include some of them (like Mufradat by Raghib al-Asfahani, Dar al-Qalam’s edition) into the list above.

    We need to do more crowd sourcing among scholars who has managed to review good books like Shaykh Gibril did as well as from this wonderful website.

    Wassalam.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      December 9, 2013 at 5:52 pm

      Wa ‘alaykum salam and thank you for this! I will double-check and cross-reference to see if this can be incorporated.

      Reply
       

  6. mahmoud

    December 18, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    How is the Mustafa al-Azami edition of the Muwatta? See here:

    https://archive.org/details/memmem

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      December 19, 2013 at 10:24 am

      It is a decent edition. However, I personally prefer the Bashar Awad edition in two volumes by Dar al-Gharb, followed by the Risalah edition.

      Reply
       

  7. Abu Ammar

    February 14, 2014 at 10:54 pm

    Salam’alaik.

    What do you think the edition of Tahafut al-Falasifah, Maqasid al-Falasifah by al-Ghazali edited by Sulaiman Dunya? I was taught his edition is among the best with regards to philosophy books by al-Ghazali. Thanks and regards.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      February 15, 2014 at 10:21 am

      Wa ‘alaykum salam. Thank you for your contribution. Sulayman Dunya’s editions were done almost three decades ago. At publication they instantly became popular editions. Another noteworthy edition is Maurice Bouyges Beirut edition from 1927.

      Reply
       

  8. m7ia

    April 3, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    “Fath al-Mughith (Maktabah Dar al-Minhaj) edited by Abd al-Karim al-Khudayr in 6 volumes”

    This seems to be in 5 volumes; see https://archive.org/details/fathul

    Reply
     

  9. m7ia

    April 10, 2014 at 9:02 pm

    Has anyone seen the ed. of Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah with the tahqiq of Shaykh Mahir al-Fahl of Dar al-Mayman الميمان in 6 vols.? I’ve seen it recommended over that of Shaykh al-A’zami, though without any particular reason given.

    Also, it seems Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyah also has an ed. of Bidayat al-Hidayah of Imam al-Ghazali now. Any comments?

    Jazakum Allahu khayra

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      April 14, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      Shaykh al-A’zami’s edition is usually given preference. I haven’t seen the Dar al-Mayman edition, but will keep an eye out for it. Likewise, I haven’t seen the new edition of Bidayah but I imagine it’ll be given preference as the Dar al-Minhaj one is quite basic.

      Reply
       

  10. adam

    May 9, 2014 at 3:58 pm

    assalamualaikum akhi..can i know how to wholesale kitab/books from above publisher?

    Reply
     

  11. Ibn Adam

    July 29, 2014 at 2:25 am

    As Salaamu Alaykum,

    What are the differences between the Dar al-Hadith edition of Badaa’i as Sanaa’i and the DKI and Dar al-Ma’rifah editions?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      July 31, 2014 at 8:19 am

      Wa ‘alaykum salam. Whilst studying the text with shaykh Akram al-Nadwi in Oxford, we, the students, had the various versions and found the Dar al-Hadith version to have the soundest text. I don’t recall any of us finding errors in the text, though we did in the other versions. I hope this helps.

      Reply
       

      • Abdulraheem

        July 31, 2014 at 8:38 pm

        As Salamu Alaykum,
        What year was the DKI book published and do you know if those errors have been corrected in another edition? How major were the errors, or were they minor? I am asking because I am hearing from book stores in my area LA and surrounding areas that DKI is putting out Some good Editions of their Newer stuff. So i wanted to know if you have been finding mistakes in the text of their newer editions, and what your sheiks and scholars know about their newer editions.

         

      • Al-Asiri

        August 6, 2014 at 8:01 am

        Wa alaykum salam. It all depends on the individual editor of each particular book. The list here is relatively up-to-date and I reccommend obtaining the listed editions, where possible. If DKI is all you can find, then obtain it only if you will study the text with a teacher who can correct it. I have lost faith in much work published by DKI, to be honest. Too many times, in my early days of buying books, I purchased DKI only to later find multiple errors. The majority of their editions that I had were in this state. As such, I haven’t really looked at many of their newer editions, except under certain conditions. For example, if they have been copying critical editions (which they often do), then it may be decent. As an illustration of this, they basically typed out the old Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi edition of Fath al-Wahhab (including its brief hashiya). I haven’t found anything wrong with it so far. When they copy a non-critical edition (which they often do too), they copy the exact same mistakes from the copied work and then add some photos of manuscripts at the beginning as if it is based on those. One excellent edition of theirs, however, is the recent Nihayat al-Muhtaj in 6 volumes without hashiya. My only criticism is lack of a decent index. The text itself is fully vocalised and our teachers in Madina say that there is nothing wrong with it. I do believe that this is an original edition, not based on previously published editions. The editor has to be commended for doing a decent job. So basically, my advice would be to enquire about a particular edition from scholars, where possible, or students. Booksellers want to sell books.

         

  12. ashrafh

    September 9, 2014 at 3:42 am

    Assalamu Alaikum

    What is the best edition of Al-hidayah sharh bidayat al mubtadi? Allamah Laknawi’s sharh on it by Idarat al Quran is good, but I wanted a separate work for it.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      November 17, 2014 at 3:29 pm

      Wa ‘alaykum salam,

      At present, there isn’t an edition (to my awareness) of the text of al-Hidayah that really stands out among the crowd. I know that at one stage shaykh Taha Karaan in South Africa was working on an edition that corrects the attribution of certain views to the Shafi’i madhab. However, I don’t know the present status of that project. When I discover a ‘critical’ edition of al-Hidayah I will post an update here insha’Allah.

      Reply
       

  13. Khalid Khaldoun

    December 20, 2014 at 3:07 am

    Can you just clarify in the above list when you refer to Al-Risalah, which one you mean, is that Al-Risalah Alamiyya or Mu’assasa al-Risalah

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      December 21, 2014 at 5:47 am

      They were the same publisher, under the name of Mu’assasat al-Risalah, before splitting into two with different names: Mu’assasat al-Risalah Nashirun and al-Risalah al-Alamiyah. When both publish the same book, it is essentially a reprint of an earlier edition from when it was one publisher. As such, both count and the differences between their editions amount to styling, binding, paper, etc. and not content, which is basically the same. Al-Risalah on the list above refers to the original parent publisher as they published the original edition. Keep in mind though that shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut has migrated his research team to al-Risalat al-Alamiyah. I hope this helps.

      Reply
       

  14. Ibn Saeed

    December 22, 2014 at 5:20 pm

    which aqeedah book is used in Shafie Madhab, is it Aqeedah Tahawiyyah ?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      December 23, 2014 at 2:37 pm

      The Shafi’i madhab is a legal school, more than a theological school. The legal-theological schools are those of Abu Hanifah, best represented by al-Tahawiyah, and Ahmad, best represented in Lam’at al-I’tiqad by Ibn Qudamah. Imam al-Shafi’i detested ilm al-kalam and forbade his students from engaging in it. Nevertheless, there have historically been two theological strands among subsequent Shafi’i scholars. The first is the Athari strand with early figures such as Ibn Khuzaymah and later ones such as al-Dhahabi. The other strand is the Ash’ari, which has three phases. The early Ash’aris culminate in al-Bayhaqi. The middle phase is represented by al-Juwayni and al-Ghazali, who signal a distinct turn. The later phase begins with Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. All of these Athari and Ash’ari Shafi’is have texts in aqidah. If you must, I would recommend al-Bayhaqi’s al-I’tiqad and al-Ghazali’s Qawa’id al-Aqa’id and Iljam al-Awwam, both of which have been translated.

      Reply
       

      • Ibn Saeed

        December 23, 2014 at 4:00 pm

        Jazak ALlahu Khairan for the detailed answer, it was quite helpful.

         

      • Ibn Saeed

        December 23, 2014 at 4:01 pm

        Can you also recommend the arabic publisher for al-Bayhaqi’s al-I’tiqad ?

         

      • Al-Asiri

        December 23, 2014 at 4:12 pm

        The only one that I know of is by Dar al-Fadila in Riyadh, edited by Abu Abdullah Ahmad b. Ibrahim Abu al-Aynayn. This is a decent edition and is popular among students in Saudi Arabia.

         

  15. Ibn Saeed

    December 22, 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Also, which publisher to buy from for Sharh Aqeedah Tahawiyyah in arabic ?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      December 23, 2014 at 2:44 pm

      If you mean Ibn Abi al-‘Izz’s sharh then the best edition is Mu’assasat al-Risalah in two volumes, edited by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut. There is a nice simple modern sharh by Ahmad Jabir Jubran published by Dar al-Minhaj.

      Reply
       

      • Ibn Saeed

        December 23, 2014 at 4:02 pm

        Jazak Allahu Khairan, ill go to the book shops and see which edition do they carry. its much appreciated.

         

      • Al-Asiri

        December 23, 2014 at 4:13 pm

        Wa iyyak. Glad to be of service.

         

      • Khalid Khaldoun

        January 10, 2015 at 12:54 am

        Isn’t Ibn Abi al-Izz’s Sharh problematic with the anthropomorphism? – Has Shaykh Shu’ayb removed or highlighted these errors?

         

      • Al-Asiri

        January 10, 2015 at 9:53 am

        There are some contentions therein but shaykh Shu’ayb seems to have left them without comment. My own preference is for shaykh Ahmad Jabir Jubran’s commentary called al-Ta’liqat al-Saniyah. It is very clear and straightforward.

         

  16. Khalid Khaldoun

    January 14, 2015 at 4:20 pm

    Out of interest, could you provide us with some details regarding yourself sidi Al-Asiri? – Where you have studied, madhabb, theological lenience etc, and how you determine which is the “best” edition of a book

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      January 15, 2015 at 3:48 pm

      The best editions of books are determined through consultation and correspondence with scholars, students of knowledge, and publishing houses. Such figures include Dr Sami al-Khayyat, Yahya Khalil, Ahmad al-Khudari, Abd al-Karim al-Khudayr, and Muhammad al-Kaf. This may be a subjective process, however there is a degree of consensus amongst those involved in this field. Where there is disagreement, I list more than one edition. An overview about my training is at the About section.

      Reply
       

  17. HadiHamid

    January 18, 2015 at 11:40 am

    Assalaamu Alaykum Shaikh,

    What tafsir books would you recommend as references? Would you also be so kind to share your reasons for recommending those books?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      January 18, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      Wa ‘alaykum salam wa rahmatullah. Tafsir preferences ultimately come down to personal choice. A good habit for students is to ask one’s teachers about tafsir. As for references, then it depends on what you are looking for. For linguistic purposes I check Ibn Ashur’s al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir because it is late and summarises much of the previous works. It also has some unique observations. It really is fantastic. For i’rab my first reference is Dr. Muhamad Taha Ali al-Durrah of Aleppo. If I don’t find what I’m looking for in these two (very rare) then I check Abu Hayyan and Abu Su’ud.. For ahkam al-Qur’an I check al-Qurtubi’s magnificant tafsir (which contains much more than just ahkam) as well as al-Sabuni’s thematic Rawa’i al-Bayan. Although a Hanafi, al-Sabuni is fair in his presentation of views. One criticism I have is his tendency to do tarjih. It is better that the reader make up his own mind in my view. For narrations of hadith and aqwal al-tabi’in my first point of reference is Ibn Kathir, followed by al-Baghawi, and finally al-Tabari. Al-Tabari’s tafsir is full of wonders, but Ibn Kathir (almost an abridgement of it) has chosen the strongest narrations in his view. Bearing in mind that Ibn Kathir is the son-in-law of al-Mizzi, his training and standing in assessing chains is without question. Go for the full unabridged tafsir. Al-Baghawi’s tafsir is a refinement of al-Tha’labi’s and has a good abridgement by Dr. Abdullah al-Zayd. Finally, if you want a single tafsir resource, which summarises much of the above, as your starting point, then Safwat al-Tafasir by al-Sabuni is my choice. It is very clear and intended to suffice the student and layman alike. I hope this helps.

      Reply
       

      • HadiHamid

        January 18, 2015 at 8:16 pm

        MasyaAllah,
        Jazakallahu khairan,

        This is more than enough for us to start with.

        I hope i have the honour of meeting you one day.

         

      • Al-Asiri

        January 19, 2015 at 4:18 am

        Wa jazakum. You are more than welcome. If you ever come to Madinah in sha Allah you can contact me.

         

  18. Abdullaah

    February 13, 2015 at 8:29 am

    Assalaamu Alaykum.

    Maa shaa Allaah this is a very beneficial post which is being updated. I’m currently in Egypt and was planning to buy Fath al-Bari before I leave in shaa Allaah. I heard/read dar Taybah is best version but then I noticed you wrote “the forthcoming Dar al-Ta’sil edition will be noteworthy” do you have more details about this please?

    Also I’m after Mukhtasar fil-Fiqh/al-Khiraqi and only found one copy in the book fair. Do you know where else I can get this from?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      February 13, 2015 at 4:28 pm

      Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullah,

      Dar al-Taybah is a good edition of Fath al-Bari, though al-Risalah al-Alamiyah edges it in my view. However, it is not perfect and could do with some improvement. We are all awaiting Dar al-Ta’sil’s edition which is still in development. You should be able to find someone in Cairo who could update you on it.

      As for Mukhtasar al-Khiraqi, there isn’t an edition that stands out. It hasn’t been given the service it deserves given its importance. The best bet might be the text contained in Dar Alam al-Kutub’s edition of al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah.

      Saudi Arabia is probably the best place for Hanbali works, particularly Dar al-Watan, Dar Ibn al-Jawzi, and Dar Alam al-Kutub. If you come here for Umrah or Hajj read my post about bookshops in al-Hijaz.

      I hope you enjoyed the fair! I couldn’t go this year. Next year in sha Allah.

      Reply
       

      • Abdullaah

        February 14, 2015 at 3:39 pm

        جزاك الله خيرا

        Which publisher are you referring to when you say it needs improvement? I wouldn’t know who to ask about Dar al-Ta’sil version really. Why do you say al-Risalah al-Alamiyah is maybe better? Is there somewhere I can see screenshots?

        The muhtasar al-khiraqi I found is by dar al-nawaadir in darusalam tent in the fair. Apparently there was a dar al-nawaadir stall but I was too late.

        I know a family that are in umrah there right now akhee. Where can they get a copy of the mukhtasar? And what is the going price of fath al-Bari over there? Both prints.

        Forgive me for all the questions akhee 🙂

         

      • Al-Asiri

        February 15, 2015 at 1:32 pm

        Fath al-Bari by al-Risalah al-Alamiyah is what I meant. If you google it you might find screenshots.

        Tell the family that you know to visit the bookshops in Makka and Madina that I mentioned in the post. Fath al-Bari might cost about SAR 800.

         

  19. Abdullaah

    February 15, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    I spoke to the local bookstore owner and he never heard of father al-Bari published by al-Risalah al-Alamiyah. He said there is one by Dar al-Alamiyah which is 17 volumes which costs 350ج whereas dar at-taybah version is 880ج.

    Brother what gives it the edge over dar at-taybah? Are there more corrections in it?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      February 16, 2015 at 12:45 pm

      Al-Risalah al-Alamiyah is edited by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut et al. I’m surprised he doesn’t know it. Go for Dar al-Taybah if you cannot find it. It is a decent edition too.

      Reply
       

  20. Abdullaah

    February 16, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    I’m gonna pop into darrusalam tomorrow in shaa Allaah and ask them. But brother can you please state why you believe dar al-risaalah version is better? Quality of the print, better corrections? How many volumes is it?

    Reply
     

  21. Imran

    February 18, 2015 at 1:21 am

    Great post barakallahu feekum.

    Quick note regarding the Mu’assasa al-Risala print of the Ikhtiyar – I studied the first volume and noticed a fair few mistakes in the print, even another student with a DKI print was correcting me.

    The tahqiq (being by Sh Shu’ayb) is clearly more hadith-orientated and is useful for takhrij, less so for fiqh-related issu.es

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      February 22, 2015 at 5:19 am

      You are right. That’s why I think it complements the Dar al-Quba edition very well. Thank you.

      Reply
       

  22. Imran

    February 19, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    Some comments from a brother who has unable to post here himself:

    _______________________________

    In regards to Shafi’i fiqh books, the older prints and Halabi should be considered as well.

    (1) The old Egyptian print of Kitab al-Umm has been digitally enhanced and reprinted by Dar al-Nawadir. Dr. Rif’at’s is a good edition too.

    (2) Matba’ah Mustafa Muhammad prints of Tuhfat al-Muhtaj can be found in circulation, which are superior to DKI’s. Habib Musfata Sumayt has an article online that compares two old editions, one of them Matba’ah Muhammad’s, and points out corrections from that. This edition is usually printed in ten with Sharwani and Ibn Qasim’s hawashy. Dar Sadir has been reprinting this version in recent years.

    (The also are reprinting Ibn Hajar’s Fatawa Fiqhiyyah Kubra, which is a more valuable edition than DKI’s. Dar al-Fikr reprints this as well.)

    Dar al-Fikr also prints Tuhfah in ten volumes with the hawashy. Still, the aforementioned edition is superior.

    (3) Halabi still circulates their edition of Nihayah. DKI’s is an abomination. No one should waste their time or money on DKI’s six volume print of Nihayah that is edited by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Qadir. The only notable editions of Nihayah are Halabi and the reprints from their edition.

    (4) There are mistakes in Mughni al-Muhtaj that all publishing houses circulate. This work is seriously in need of a critical edition. Halabi might still be one of the better editions, perhaps followed by Dar al-Ma’rifah, and DKI. (I admit I have not seen Dar al-Fayha’s.)

    (7) Dar al-Nawadir’s reprint of I’anat al-Talibin should be noted as well.

    (8) Better than Dar al-Minhaj’s print of al-Manhaj al-Qawim, is their new edition of Hashiyat al-Jarhazi. Both are one volume, and both include al-Manhaj al-Qawim in a very readable format. In acquiring Hashiyat al-Jarhazi one gets al-Manhaj al-Qawim with an additional work included.

    (9) Dar al-Faqih has a good edition of Bughyat al-Mustarshidin too.

    In regards to the usul titles:

    (1) Halabi’s print of Shirazi’s Luma’ is good. Dr. Mustafa Abu Sulayman al-Nadwi also edited the work and Dar al-Kalimah of Mansurah, Egypt printed it. The edition seems okay.

    (2) Taqi and Taj al-Din al-Subki’s Ibhaj is also available published by Dar al-Buhuth al-Islamiyyah, Dubai and edited by Dr. Ahmad al-Zamzami and Dr. Nur al-Din ‘Abd al-Jabbar. This one is very good too. I think it is no longer printed, and thus reprints are available in some places.

    (3) Maktabat Bahr al-‘Ulum reprints Muti’s edition of Nihayat al-Sul along with his hashiayh. Dar al-Faruq in Giza has done an okay job in editing both Nihayat al-Sul in a single large volume, and they also print Muti’s hashiyah, Sullam al-Wusul.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      February 22, 2015 at 5:35 am

      Al-salamu ‘alaykum and thank you for your informative response, Imran. I shall look into the editions mentioned.

      The Halabi prints are quite hard to find in Saudi Arabia. I have had to print and bind pdf copies of a few works of theirs. I imagine that they are easier to find in Egypt.

      I agree that Matba’ah Mustafa Muhammad’s print of Tuhfah is the best and am surprised that it slipped my mention, though am surprised to hear criticism of the 6 volume DKI edition of Nihayah. Admitedly, I haven’t looked through the whole work, but when I have looked in for reference I haven’t found any problems. It is recommended by Hadrami scholars in Madinah. Do you have more specific criticisms as I would love to know.

      The best edition by far of Mughni al-Muhtaj that I have seen is Dar al-Hadith.

      Thanks once again for the response. It has enriched this post.

      Reply
       

  23. alhanifiyyah

    February 27, 2015 at 1:17 am

    السلام عليكم

    I have a question. Are Dar Al-Hadith Al-Qahirah (دار الحديث القاهرة) the same peoples as http://www.daralhadeeth.com? In my edition of Majmu Al-Fataawa is their website and phone number but both doesnt work.. Ive looked on google and found the address above..

    Which print of Majmu Al-Fataawa (20 vol) is best one?

    جزاك الله خيرا

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      February 28, 2015 at 2:44 pm

      Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullah,

      Most Arabic publishers websites are poorly maintained. By Dar al-Hadith I mean the Cairo publisher. They usually do good editions apart from the poor binding. Recently, they have outsourced printing and binding their texts to another Egyptian company called Khotout Binding. I have seen other small publishers use this same outsourced company too.

      As for Majmu’ al-Fatawa, there are problems with all current editions which completely change what shaykh al-Islam intended. We do not presently have a critical edition, unfortunately. Perhaps the best edition presently is the King Fahd one. However, I would wait for Tariq Awad Allah’s edition to come out in the next couple of years in sha Allah. He is a decent editor.

      Wa jazakum.

      Reply
       

      • alhanifiyyah

        February 28, 2015 at 4:09 pm

        السلام عليكم

        جزاك الله خيرا

        Yes, thats true.. Im not sure if we talk about the same peoples..

        You mean this 36 (im not sure if im right)l edition

         

  24. Kunooz

    February 28, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    السلام عليكم

    Are Dar al-Risalah and Mu’assat al-Risalah the same publisher? If not the same, have both published Ruh al-Ma’ani?

    جزاك الله خيرا

    Reply
     

    • Kunooz

      February 28, 2015 at 9:53 pm

      I think I may have found the answer:

      مؤسسة الرسالة للاسف انقسمت واصبحت مؤسستين
      الاولى: مؤسسة الرسالة ناشرون وهذا موقعها : http://www.resalah.com/test/index.php
      والثانية: دار الرسالة العالمية وهذا موقعها: http://www.resalahonline.com/index.php?m=525

      والتي يشرف عليها الشيخ شعيب الارنؤوط هي دار الرسالة العالمية وهي التي لها اصدارات جديدة مميزة لامهات الكتب التراثية

      From: http://majles.alukah.net/t107494/

      Reply
       

      • Kunooz

        February 28, 2015 at 9:57 pm

        Can it be confirmed that the Ruh al-Ma’ani Dar al-Risalah mentioned above is this one which says Mu’assat al-Risalah?

         

    • Al-Asiri

      March 7, 2015 at 5:16 am

      Wa alaykum salam. They used to be the same but then split into two factions. They often print the same books, which are based on the earlier prints when it was a single publishing house.

      Reply
       

  25. m7ia

    March 4, 2015 at 6:54 am

    Assalamu alaykum shaykh,

    I was wondering whether you had any comments on Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyah’s ed. (looks to be a reprint of older Maktab al-Matbu’at al-Islamiyah ed. maybe) of Sunan al-Nasa’i (with Sharh al-Suyuti and Hashiyat al-Sindi and edited by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah in 5 vols.) compares to Dar al-Ma’rifah’s ed. of the same.

    Jazakum Allahu khayra
    Imran Ahmed

    Reply
     

  26. Abdullaah

    March 8, 2015 at 6:44 am

    Assalaamu Alaykum

    Which version of tafsir at-Tabari is recommended to buy? There is a darrusalam version available for 350ج (Egypt) which is I think 10 volumes but has a like sticker cover on the hardback cover.
    http://old.dar-alsalam.com/ar/Books/GetBook?id=89

    Is there anything wring with this?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      March 8, 2015 at 2:42 pm

      Wa alaykum salam,

      If you can acquire the edition by Abdullah al-Turki then go for that. Dar al-Qalam’s edition is also decent. By Dar al-Salam, if you mean the Cairo publisher then their editions are usually good in terms of content and editing. Their main fault, however, is in binding quality. Their recent editions have been bound by an outsourced company and are much better. As for their edition of al-Tabari, I have not seen it to give an honest assessment.

      I hope this helps.

      Wasalam

      Reply
       

      • Abdullaah

        March 15, 2015 at 3:08 pm

        I found the version edited by Turki but its 1500ج, and the text didn’t seem sharp. This is the one I found which is 350ج http://old.dar-alsalam.com/ar/Books/GetBook?id=89

        Are there any omissions from different publishers?

         

  27. Abdullaah

    March 28, 2015 at 10:53 am

    Assalaamu Alaykum

    Which shop has المختسر في الفقه in Makkah akhee? And is it just by dar Al nawaadir?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      April 13, 2015 at 3:30 pm

      Which author?

      Reply
       

    • Abdullaah

      April 21, 2015 at 7:35 am

      There’s a bro in Madeenah right now and he can’t find mukhtasar al-fiqh. Do you know which shop has it? New leaving Saturday in shaa Allaah

      Reply
       

  28. Mehdi Sheikh

    April 1, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    Asslamualaikum,

    Brother, do you think you can put a date besides additions when you update this post. I visit it often but have a hard time knowing which ones you added recently and which ones were already there. Jazak allahu khayr.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      April 13, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      Wa alaykum salam,

      It is something we could look into but it would take a bot of time.

      Reply
       

  29. m7ia

    April 28, 2015 at 6:06 pm

    “Irshad al-Sari (al-Bulaq, 7th edition with Sharh al-Nawawi ‘ala al-Bukhari in the margin)”

    I recently saw the 6th ed. (Bulaq) of this work, printed in 1302 AH, and it had Al-Nawawi’s sharh on Sahih Muslim rather than Al-Bukhari in the margin. Did they change it for the next edition?

    Reply
     

  30. Ibn Saeed

    May 3, 2015 at 8:03 am

    Assalamualiakum

    Is there any good recommendation for basic tafsir book for beginners in arabic ?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      May 19, 2015 at 8:34 pm

      Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullah. The most obvious place to start is al-Jalalayn. However, I personally really like Safwat al-Tafasir by al-Sabuni. It’s really clear and summarises the classical tradition. It is however more of an intermediate work in length, though very easy to read. I hope this helps.

      Reply
       

      • Abdullaah

        May 19, 2015 at 10:20 pm

        http://islamqa.info/en/39771 al-Saabooni and his book Safwat al-Tafaaseer

         

      • Al-Asiri

        May 21, 2015 at 10:35 am

        Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullah. Criticisms don’t deter from the overall value of the book. There are many more endorsements too. Read it and judge for yourself. It is a summary of the tafsir tradition, thus includes what many of the mufassirin stated.

         

  31. tTalut DAwood

    June 2, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    As salaamu ‘alaykum

    Thank you for the list. It’s quite helpful. Do you know, or have you heard from teachers or other students, what the best version is of “Mishkat al-Masabih”?

    Jazak Allahu khayran

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      June 3, 2015 at 9:47 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam wa rahmatullah. A really good edition for students is the one published by Bushra from Karachi in Pakistan in two volumes. You won’t go wrong with that in sha Allah.

      Reply
       

  32. kaperio

    June 2, 2015 at 11:22 pm

    Reblogged this on Kaperio's Blog.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      June 3, 2015 at 9:15 am

      Thanks for the reblog. Remember to check for updates every month or so. Wasalam.

      Reply
       

  33. Bilal Ali

    June 17, 2015 at 11:02 pm

    Reblogged this on at-Tahawi.

    Reply
     

  34. Hussain

    June 20, 2015 at 10:04 pm

    السلام عليكم
    What is the best of the availabe editions of Radd ul Mukhtar?
    جزاك الله خيرا

    Reply
     

    • Muhammed

      July 2, 2015 at 2:46 am

      Is darul kitab a Arab good publishers??
      Also Is Khalid tartoosy good??

      Reply
       

      • Muhammed

        July 2, 2015 at 2:46 am

        Darul kitab alaraby??

         

      • Al-Asiri

        July 2, 2015 at 8:49 pm

        To be honest I don’t know much about them to make a sound judgement.

         
  35. Pingback: The Best Editions of Arabic Books | Sunnah Muakada

  36. ashrafh

    July 12, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    Assalamu alaikum,

    What do you think of the Dar al Basha’ir al islamiyyah and ibn hazm editions of Sunan Ad Darimi vs the Dar at ta’sil edition? Also, there is a commentary on it called fath al mannan? Are you aware of it, and if so what are your thoughts on it? Jazak

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      July 13, 2015 at 2:49 am

      Wa alaykum salam,

      Both editions are decent and were the best until Dar al-Ta’sil published theirs. Generally, both publishers are good.

      I am unaware of the sharh. Could you elaborate? Wasalam.

      Reply
       

      • Waleed

        August 13, 2015 at 5:17 am

        Al Salam Alaykum wa rahmatuLLAH wa batakaatuh

        The sharh is by shaykh Nabeel al Ghamri in Makkah.

        http://waqfeya.com/book.php?bid=9179

        Via brother al Kakazai, otherwise I wouldn’t have known

         

  37. Adeeb Shums

    September 2, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    What about al-Mabsut of al-Sarakhsi by Dar al-Nawader?
    سنة النشر (ميلادي) 2012

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      September 3, 2015 at 10:40 am

      I have yet to have a look but I expect it to be decent based on what I have of Dar al-Nawadir.

      Reply
       

  38. Adeeb Shums

    September 3, 2015 at 12:00 am

    What about Zad al-Masir of Ibn ‘l-Jawzi by Dar ibn Hazm? How does it compare with al-Maktab al-Islami?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      September 3, 2015 at 10:38 am

      It is more concise being a single, thick volume. It’s not bad at all.

      Reply
       

  39. Ensar Demirkan

    September 15, 2015 at 1:53 pm

    Assalamu Alaikum

    I am seeking advice in which editions of the two below-mentioned tafsirs to get.

    1- Ibn Ashur’s al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir
    (In Turkey two versions are available right now.
    a-Daru Sahnun-Tunus-1997/12 volumes,
    b- Muassat Al tarih-Lebenon- Unknown year/30 volumes)

    2- Tantawi Jawhari’s Al-Jawahir fi Tafseer al-Qur’an al-Kareem
    (In Turkey only DKI’s 1st edition/2004 is available for now. Being DKI version is enough to be scared.+ it is from 2004 and its 1st edition)

    I am not in a rush and if you know that some good publishers like Muassat Al Risalah is working on new editions of these I can wait.

    Ma’assalamh

    Ensar

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      September 29, 2015 at 7:32 pm

      Wa ‘alaykum salam wa rahmatullah,

      Sorry about the delay, we’ve been busy here in al-Hijaz with the Hajj. Excuse my brevity too. In response to your questions, the Tunisian version of Tafsir Ibn Ashur is preferable, and Tafsir al-Tantawi is okay with DKI. DKI usually do a good job with modern works as there are less mistakes to be made than in transcribing manuscripts. I hope this helps. Taslam.

      Reply
       

  40. Ensar Demirkan

    October 2, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    Thank you very much brother. I have ordered both tafsirs per your suggestion.

    I need your advice for one more tafsir. It is called “Al Bahrul Medid Fi Tafsirul Qur’anul Majeed” by Ibni Ajiba Al haseni. There is only DKI version available here in Turkey. I have means to special order any other publisher’s version if you know one better edited and/or with better paper&binding quality.

    Ma’assalamah

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      October 5, 2015 at 5:30 pm

      You are welcome. As for Tafsir Ibn Ajibah, I am not aware of an edition that stands out. DKI is the most readily available but I have my reservations with their editions if I haven’t had a proper check myself or haven’t been given a commendation by a trusted source.

      Reply
       

  41. Ensar Demirkan

    October 31, 2015 at 11:07 am

    Thanks for all your replies.

    Have you heard any positive or negative feedback for the works of marhoom Abdullah al Harari? Especially for his tafsir and sharh of Muslim. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_al-Harari

    Reply
     

  42. muhammad

    November 17, 2015 at 7:50 am

    assalaamu a’leykum

    first of all, sry for my bad english. But thank u very much for ur help. If i would not read this before, i would buy a low priced tafsir. its rly hard to find a good site or bookstore but i think i found a tafsir from ibn kathir from the publisher دار ابن الجوزي from 2010. What do u think should i buy it? For 100 euros. Here is a picture > http://fs5.directupload.net/images/151117/3gm85jlq.jpg < .

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      March 23, 2016 at 6:20 am

      Wa alaykum salam. Buy it if you wish. Wasalam.

      Reply
       

  43. Hashim

    November 26, 2015 at 1:08 am

    Dar-assalaam ive been told, 4 vols, got it from zamzam- UK East london

    Reply
     

  44. Hashim

    November 26, 2015 at 1:11 am

    repost-What is the best editions of Radd ul Mukhtar aka hashiya ibn abideen?

    Reply
     

  45. Mohd Hilmi Ramli

    December 19, 2015 at 1:51 am

    Salam. Does anybody know where to get the manuscript of al-Mabsut by al-Sarakhsī (d. 483/1090)? I have been looking for it but it seems difficult to find it. Tqvm

    Reply
     

  46. SHAMEEM AHMED

    February 28, 2016 at 7:01 am

    i didn’t get book about MUSTHAFA SAEED AL-KHIN PLZ SENT IT OR POST IT IN YOUR BLOG

    Reply
     

  47. Shaukat Ali

    March 20, 2016 at 6:55 am

    Link to Badhl al-Majhud (Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyah) :
    https://archive.org/details/BazlulMajhoodNadwi

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      March 28, 2016 at 6:58 am

      Great ma sha Allah!

      Reply
       

  48. nayef abbas

    March 21, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    I am visiting meccah inshallah,would it possible to get in touch with you?please email me.

    Reply
     

  49. m7ia

    May 20, 2016 at 4:52 am

    I asked Sh. Tariq Iwad Allah today (he is visiting NJ) about the best eds. of the six books and thought it would be nice to add his thoughts here. This is what he said in summary (he gave only a brief answer):

    Sahihayn: Sultaniyyah eds. and those based on them
    Abu Dawud: Sh. Shu’ayb Arna’ut
    Al-Tirmidhi: Sh. Shu’ayb Arnaut or Sh. Bashar Awad Ma’ruf (but he said Sh. Arna’ut’s is better overall even though Sh Bashar used his ed. too), he said the best would have been Sh. Ahmad Shakir’s ed. due to its good discussions and research but it wasn’t completed
    Al-Nasai (which he said is 3rd most sahih of the 6 books): Al-Risalah or Al-Ta’sil eds. for Al-Kubra and for Al-Sughra again Al-Ta’sil
    Ibn Majah: Sh Bashar or Sh. Arna’ut
    He also added Musnad Ahmad: Al-Risalah ed. is one of the best eds., Maknaz ed. is also good for dabt but doesn’t have as much takhrij, ahkam on the riwayat

    Any inaccuracies are my own.

    Imran Ahmed

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      June 7, 2016 at 10:47 am

      Ma sha Allah what a great contribution!

      Reply
       

    • Ahmad

      April 22, 2017 at 3:18 pm

      Salam brother do you know what Sh. Arnaut edit of Abu Dawud edition is called and where is it sold. Jazak Allah

      Reply
       

  50. Ensar Demirkan

    May 20, 2016 at 6:34 am

    SLM ALKM

    I got the “Ihya Ulum al-Din (Dar al-Minhaj) in 10 volumes”. Very nice quality & work. I also got Ithafu’s-Saadeti’l-Muttaqin / إتحاف السادة المتقين. Is there any other preferable edition of this work? As far as I know it is the only Sharh to Ihya Ulum al-Din and I found only from DKI.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      June 7, 2016 at 10:50 am

      Wa alaykum Salam. There is a much better older print but it is both hard to find and difficult to read. The DKI edition is the only modern version that so know of.

      Reply
       

    • bint umar

      April 15, 2020 at 11:46 pm

      Assalamu alykum,
      I want to find out please if the Saudi publishers called darul had al jadeed are reliable quality for hadith books, as they have an Arabic sahih al Bukhari, available in a bookstore in UK as one volume, with tahqiq and tarteeb by Ahmad Jaad.
      Jzakumullahu khayran for your help.

      Reply
       

  51. m7ia

    June 1, 2016 at 6:52 pm

    Regarding editions of Tadrib al-Rawi, I saw some critiques of Shaykh Tariq’s ed. here: http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40448

    Ya Shaykh, do you have any comments on Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah’s recent edition of Tadrib along with Hashiyat Ibn Ajami? Also, I’ve seen recommended the ed. of Al-Sarsawi. Have you seen it?

    Barak Allahu fikum
    Imran Ahmed

    Reply
     

  52. Shaukat Ali

    June 12, 2016 at 8:10 pm

    What is critical and good editions of
    Tafseer e Kabeer of Imam Razi r.a
    and
    Tafseer Abi Saood r.a ?

    And if you have links of its pdf,
    plz share it ?

    Reply
     

  53. Sardar Rizvi

    July 20, 2016 at 10:23 am

    Salaam. Can you please tell me the oldest accurate version of Fathul Bari and Umdatul Qari. I know there can be variations depending on the writers but I’d like to know the oldest “untampered” version of both great texts that are closest to the authors (may Allah Ta’ala have mercy on them). JazakAllah khair.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      July 23, 2016 at 8:49 am

      Wa alaykum salam. As a rule of thumb, the old Bulaq or Halabi editions are accurate. For modern editions, the ones listed above are good enough in sha Allah.

      Reply
       

      • Sardar Rizvi

        July 23, 2016 at 9:18 am

        JazakAllah khair. Would you happen to know which year both were published. I’m trying to locate the oldest versions of both works.

         

  54. Ameer

    September 28, 2016 at 6:17 am

    Assalamu alaikum,

    Regarding: al-Minhaj li Sharh Sahih Muslim by al-Nawawi (al-Qurtaba) then (al-Ma’rifah) or (Dar Ibn Hazm)

    Where is al-qurtaba publishers? where can i find a copy of this book?

    JazakAllah for you help.

    Reply
     

  55. Ameer

    September 30, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    Assalamu alaikum brother Al-Asiri

    May Allah Azza wa Jall reward you for your efforts.

    Re: al-Minhaj li Sharh Sahih Muslim by al-Nawawi (al-Qurtaba) then (al-Ma’rifah) or (Dar Ibn Hazm) under the “commenteries” section

    I am in search of a copy. I can not find the mentioned al-Qurtaba copy anywhere, any ideas where I might find it. What advantages does it hold over the alternatives mentioned? Your help will be much appreciated.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      September 30, 2016 at 3:37 pm

      Wa ‘alaykum salam!

      As mentioned above, it is a rarity and can only be found in specialist stores. Cairo would be a good bet. I haven’t seen it in al-Hijaz but Riyadh may have some copies.

      Here’s a link for a scanned copy:

      https://archive.org/details/waq13422

      In my view, the editor did a better job transcribing the manuscripts. It has better dabt of the text. Compare the editions yourself and you’ll see what I mean. I hope this helps!

      Reply
       

      • Ameer

        October 1, 2016 at 2:05 pm

        JazakAllah for your help.

        I’ll look into the new risalah copy too inshaAllah

         

  56. Al-Asiri

    September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm

    The page has been updated. Please note the changes to Sunan Ibn Majah, Sharh al-Nawawi ‘ala al-Muslum, and Hashiyat al-Bajuri in Shafi’i fiqh.

    Reply
     

    • Mohammed

      November 23, 2016 at 4:44 pm

      As salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu,
      When you mentioned ‘Sharh al-Nawawi ‘ala al-Muslim’ published by ‘al-Ma’rifah’, did you mean the older edition, or the new edition of 2016 or either?

      http://jamalon.com/en/3028144.html (old)
      http://jamalon.com/en/3045266.html (2016)

      Jazaakumullaahu khair brother, also do you think it’d be beneficial to wait for the upcoming edition?

      Reply
       

      • Al-Asiri

        February 28, 2017 at 5:19 am

        Wa ‘alaykum al-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

        I personally own the older edition but the newer edition appears to be a slight improvement. Get it if you can because we don’t know how long it will take the new edition to be released.

         

      • Mohammed

        April 7, 2017 at 5:27 am

        Do you know how much the new edition costs approximately in the bookshops of hijiaaz? Jazaakallaahu khairan

         

    • Mustafa Efendi

      February 4, 2017 at 8:02 am

      As Salaam alaykom.

      Under section “Fiqh Maliki”, there is missing word “Mudawwanatu” in line al Fiqh al Maliki wa adillatuhu.

      Also, i have a question in regard to History section.
      1. Tarikh al Baghdad from Al Khatib al Baghdadi
      2. Tarikh Dimashq from Ibn Asakir
      3. Al Kamil fi al Tareekh from Ibn Al Atheer

      What are good publications for these titles?

      Reply
       

      • Al-Asiri

        February 28, 2017 at 5:49 am

        Wa ‘alaykum al-salam,

        I believe that is a different book with a similar title.

        As for the history books, I can’t believe I’ve overlooked those! Tarikh Madinat al-Salam by al-Khatib is edited by Bashar Ma’ruf for Dar al-Gharb al-Islami. For al-Kamil look for Dar Sadir. Tarikh Dimashq hasn’t been properly edited or published in full, but Dar al-Fikr have some volumes available.

         

  57. f 999

    December 30, 2016 at 9:22 am

    what is the best version for mukhtasar at-Tabari and do you know where I can purchase it from.

    Reply
     

  58. shabazhus

    February 28, 2017 at 7:14 pm

    Assalamu Alaykum, I was wondering if you know anything about Shaykh Shuayb al Arnaut’s edition of Musnad Ahmad, which I heard was over 50 volumes. Does it include a commentary by the shaykh as well the grading of the hadiths. Also what is your opinion on the Shaykh’s Jami al-Kabir at-Tirmidhi in 6 volumes.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      March 1, 2017 at 7:21 pm

      Wa alaykum al-salam,

      His Musnad includes his research into the grading of each hadith but not much in the way of a traditional commentary.

      His Tirmidhi is a good edition which was the best for some time. His footnotes and research therein is very useful. May Allah have mercy on him!

      Reply
       

  59. Suved

    March 21, 2017 at 12:06 pm

    Asalamu alaykum Shaykhuna

    What is your recommendation on Khatibul Baghdadi’s Al Faqih wal Mutafaqqih?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      March 21, 2017 at 12:18 pm

      Wa alaykum al-Salam. Dar Ibn al-Jawzi has a good edition that I saw in their bookstore in Jeddah.

      Reply
       

      • Suved

        March 21, 2017 at 7:55 pm

        I couldn’t find the Dar Ibnul Jawzi edition anywhere online or locally, what do you think about the Dar Ibn Hazm or DKI editions? Will they suffice?

        Jazakallahu Khayran Shaykh

         

  60. Al-Asiri

    March 22, 2017 at 9:57 am

    I would take Dar Ibn Hazm over DKI for any book that they both publish. Dar Ibn Hazm is a good publisher and usually do a good job but I haven’t seen their edition of al-Faqih wa al-Mutafaqqih.

    Reply
     

    • Suved

      March 22, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      Jazakallahu Khayran dear Shaykh

      Is there a way i can contact you about something privately please Shaykh? I have something i wanted to ask you if thats ok

      Reply
       

  61. shabazhus

    March 29, 2017 at 6:44 am

    Assalamu Alaykum, how does Shaykh Shuayb al Arnaut’s (May Allah have Mercy Upon Him) edition of Sahih Bukhari – al-Jami’ al-Saheeh: Arabic 5 Vol published by Ar Risalat al Alamiyyah – compare to Dar al Minhaj’s reprint of Sultaniyah’s edition edited by Muhammad Zuhayr an Nasr. Is their any reason why you prefer it over the edition edited by Shaykh Shuayb al Arnaut and his team. JazakAllahu Khayran.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      March 29, 2017 at 4:41 pm

      Wa alaykum al-salam! It’s an excellent edition but the Sultaniyyah has more notes on variant readings from the manuscripts and thus is more scholarly. For the general reader shaykh Shu’ayb’s edition is excellent (may Allah have mercy on him!)

      Reply
       

  62. shabaz

    March 29, 2017 at 8:01 pm

    JazakAllahu Khayran, for your previous answer (May Allah have mercy on him indeed!). I also wanted to ask about Shaykh Awwamah’s work on Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah does it include his authentication and commentary of every hadith and how much authority does his authentication hold. If he were to grade a hadith Sahih would it be fine to trust this. I’m a bit new to the world of Hadith authentication so I’m not sure. I don’t mean any cast any doubt on Shaykh Awwamah’s expertise as I’ve heard a lot of good about him. I just one to be thorough and careful. JazakAllahu Khayran.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      April 25, 2017 at 5:54 am

      Wa jazak and apologies for the late reply. The shaykh does not tend to authenticate his editions. Rather, his focus is on precision of the text based on the manuscripts. He learned his trade from Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah, possibly the best editor of the late 20th century. For verification, you should look elsewhere.

      Reply
       

  63. shabaz

    March 29, 2017 at 8:41 pm

    Forgive me for the addition, Iwas supposed to add it in earlier but forgot. I wanted to ask if his
    authentication holds as much weight as Shaykh Shuayb al Arnaut’s. JazakAllahu Khayran.

    Reply
     

  64. Abu_Syrena

    April 6, 2017 at 9:56 pm

    salaam sidi,

    Is there a recommendation for Tafsir al kabir by Ar Razi?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 7:25 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been very unwell alhamdu lillah. I haven’t found an edition with which I am completely satisfied.

      Reply
       

  65. Saad

    April 7, 2017 at 7:09 am

    As Salamu Alaikum Akhee al-Kareem,

    May Allah Reward you for this mammoth of an effort

    I was curious as to the best print of Ibn Majah; There is the print by Mussasah al-Risaalah and Sh. Shuayb al-Arnaut too; are the editions you listed that much better?

    Thank you in advance

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 7:28 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been very unwell alhamdu lillah. Dr. Ahmad ‘Abd al-Karim for al-Maknaz al-Islami’s second edition (2016), published via Dar al-Minhaj; then al-Risalah Nashirun ed. Yasir Hasan et al.; then Dar al-Sadiq

      Reply
       

  66. haadiderbas

    April 7, 2017 at 7:17 am

    Regarding Al-Shamaa’il published by Daar al-Gharb; the Muhaqqiq is Sheikh Maher al-Fahl. Dr Bashaar only wrote an intro to it and made a revision of his student’s Tahqeeq I believe.

    May Allah reward you.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 7:29 am

      Thank you for that info.

      Reply
       

  67. Saad

    April 7, 2017 at 7:18 am

    And Afwann,

    I heard the best print for al-Ibaanah for Imam al-Ashari, was the Cairo print edited by Dr. Fawqiyyah

    أحسن الله اليكم

    Reply
     

  68. Ahmad

    April 12, 2017 at 4:59 pm

    Jazak Allahu Khair this page is really helpfully 🙂 Thanks a Million

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 7:29 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been very unwell alhamdu lillah. You are most welcome.

      Reply
       

  69. Ensar Demirkan

    April 22, 2017 at 8:02 pm

    SLM ALKM

    Dear Al-Asiri,

    Regarding Tadrib al-Rawi, I believe the version of Dar al-Minhaj edited by Muhammad ‘Awwamah needs your attention. It seems like it is the critical edition. At least the best so far IMHO.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      April 25, 2017 at 5:58 am

      Wa alaykum al-salam. It is a very good edition but is a hashiya rather than just the Tadrib. The text therein is precise as can be expected by his editorial skill. My only qualm is the size – four volumes is a bit much and touches Fath al-Mughith territory. It’s also quite heavy. Nevertheless for sure it’s a scholarly edition and perhaps I should make mention in my next update. Thanks.

      Reply
       

  70. Suved

    April 25, 2017 at 6:37 am

    Asalamu Alaykum

    Shaykh, what are your thoughts on the best edition for Al Haakim’s Ma’rifatu ulumul Hadith?

    Also, you may have seen the new edition of Al Muhalla that was released this year and heard about Sh. Bashar Ma’ruf’s completed Tahqiq of Al Muhalla and Al Tamhid which is currently being printed. Any insights on this would be helpful insha Allah 🙂

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      May 1, 2017 at 9:26 am

      Wa alaykum al-salam! We are excited about shaykh Bashar’s upcoming publications. He’s an excellent editor. We’re blessed to be living in an age where these books are readily available in good editions. May Allah bless us in it. As for Ma’rifah, either of Dar Ibn Hazm or Maktabat al-Ma’arif are good.

      Reply
       

  71. Saados

    May 2, 2017 at 7:58 am

    As Salamu Alaikum

    May Allah Reward you for your efforts

    Two things: 1. are there any updates as far as you know regarding tahqeeq of al-Razi’s Tafseer? 2. Would you by any chance be privy to when Dr. Tariq Awadullah, will be releasing his Tahqeeq of the Majmu3 al-Fataawa

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      May 18, 2017 at 3:47 am

      Wa alaykum al-Salam. Wa iyyak! The answer to both questions, my dear, is no.

      Reply
       

  72. Suved

    May 31, 2017 at 5:49 am

    Asalamu Alaykum Shaykh and Ramadan Mubarak

    What would your recommendation be for Ibn Daqiqul Id’s Al Iqtiraah? I had a read of the online Jama’ between Al Iqtiraah and Al Muqidhah by Dr. Umar Abdul Mun’im Salim and found the footnotes extremely helpful but i’m a bit torn on which I should get between the Jama’ or both books independently (or get both!)

    Jazakallahu Khayran

    Reply
     

  73. Suved

    June 7, 2017 at 10:01 am

    Sorry had another question as well Shaykhunaa

    What would you consider as the best edition for Al San’ani’s Tawdeehul Afkaar?

    Reply
     

    • Suved

      July 3, 2017 at 4:21 am

      I found the answer:

      2011 Maktabatul Rushd print in 4 volumes

      Reply
       

  74. Ibrahim

    June 15, 2017 at 2:23 am

    Assalamu3alaikum Shaykh,

    I need the best prints for the following books, if you don’t mind:

    – Usul Al-Thalatha (Muhammad ibn Abdulwahab)
    – Fiqhul Akbar (Abu Hanifa)

    Jazakallahu Khairan.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 7:32 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been very unwell alhamdu lillah. There aren’t any critical editions of either as far as I’m aware.

      Reply
       

  75. Sohaib

    August 29, 2017 at 1:21 pm

    Assalaamu ‘alaykum,

    Re: Manahil al-‘Irfan, what I know is that Khalid al-Sabt wrote a critique of its Ash’ari content, not an edition of the book.

    Also re: Al-Itqan, by far the best now is the Mujamma’ al-Malik Fahd edition in 7 volumes. I edited one quarter of this work.

    Finally, speaking as a translator of Al-Razi’s tafsir (so far Volume 1 is complete), I share your lament about the lack of critical edition!

    Reply
     

    • Sohaib

      August 29, 2017 at 1:25 pm

      Sorry, I meant to say: I translated a quarter of the Itqan (i.e. volume 2 of the usual 4). Not edited. For the most part, I found the Malik Fahd editors have done a very thorough job.

      Reply
       

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 7:43 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been very unwell alhamdu lillah. I completely concur with your comments! Thank you. I’ve updated that section.

      Reply
       

  76. ibnus3eed

    October 19, 2017 at 6:36 pm

    As-Salāmu ʿAlaykum, Shaykh. Should it be Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb rather than Taqrīb al-Taqrīb?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 7:59 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been unwell alhamdu lillah. Yes, you are right. thanks for pointing out the typo. It’s been corrected.

      Reply
       

  77. Bilal

    November 19, 2017 at 5:43 pm

    AL-ITQAAN FI ULOOM AL-QUR’AAN – AS-SUYUTI (TAHQIQ ARNAOOT)

    is this muhaqiq also good or is the other still better?

    Reply
     

  78. Ali A

    February 9, 2018 at 8:24 am

    Where could i get the maktabat irshad al majmu, and whose takmilah is it, and whose takmilah is better shibrawi or mudi?

    Jazakallahukhair

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 8:03 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been unwell alhamdu lillah. It is very difficult to find. I saw it last in Jeddah.

      Reply
       

  79. m7ia

    May 8, 2018 at 8:21 pm

    Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah,
    I’ve been trying to collect the errors in Dr. Bakdash’s second edition of Al-Lubab as well as any significant differences between editions and some of my own comments and posting them online. This is what I’ve come across so far (and still typing some of them):
    https://akhtakutub.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/lubab-bakdash/
    If anyone has come across any, please let me know so I can add them to the list. Also, please let me know of any typos or mistakes of my own in the comments – this is still a work in progress.
    I’ve also added some errors I’ve come across in the Damascus edition (Shaykh Bashshar Bakri ‘Arrabi).
    Jazak Allahu khayra
    Imran Ahmed

    Reply
     

  80. Muadh

    June 11, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    Alsalaam alaykum

    What are your thoughts on Dar al-ta’seel edition of Sunan al-Trimidhi? I know the first edition left out some ahadith without explanation but did they fix this in the second edition?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      August 20, 2018 at 8:09 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. Sorry about the delay. My family and I have been unwell alhamdu lillah. I’m still investigating that myself.

      Reply
       

  81. m7ia

    June 25, 2018 at 6:04 am

    Concerning this recommendation: “Manahil al-‘Irfan by al-Zarqani edited by Khalid al-Sibt” – has anyone actually seen this tahqiq? It seems like Khalid al-Sibt has a dirasah and taqwim of the book (available as a PDF), but I couldn’t any reference to his having done tahqiq of it.

    There is a recent edition edited by Ahmad ‘Isa al-Ma’sarawi: http://daralsalam.com/ar/Books/GetBook?id=1424&title=

    Reply
     

    • m7ia

      October 8, 2021 at 8:09 pm

      I just wanted to update my own comment here, which I just noticed years later. Do NOT get the Dar al-Salam ed. edited by Dr Ahmad ‘Isa al-Ma’sarawi – it is absolutely terrible and full of typos and mistakes (I’ve gone through about 75% of it). I have no idea who actually edited it, but it is a big disappointment from Dar al-Salam Cairo, since their editions are usually pretty good.

      Reply
       

  82. m7ia

    July 26, 2018 at 10:51 pm

    For Zad al-Ma’ad, it seems the Dar ‘Alam al-Fawa’id ed. may be the new best edition, since they had access to complete handwritten nusakh unlike the editors of the Risalah ed.

    Reply
     

  83. sahihmishkatalmasabih

    September 18, 2018 at 10:57 am

    Tafsir Ar-Razi has been edited.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      September 20, 2018 at 7:59 pm

      Could you provide more details?

      Reply
       

  84. Fahd

    November 29, 2018 at 2:57 am

    Asalamualikum, you should really check tamhid by bashar awadh he used each and every manuscript in the world know and it’s the most accurate but very costly 18 volumes 1900 riyals n I guess there is tafseer ar razi a new print which is better than DKI in 16 volumes

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      June 1, 2019 at 9:57 am

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam. I have updated the list after some research and consultation. You are right in both instances. thank you.

      Reply
       

  85. Bilal

    January 29, 2019 at 1:38 am

    AL-ITQAAN FI ULOOM AL-QUR’AAN – AS-SUYUTI (TAHQIQ ARNAOOT)

    is this muhaqiq also good or is the other still better?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      May 31, 2019 at 10:05 pm

      Al-Arna’ut is usually a good editor.

      Reply
       

  86. Talut Dawood

    March 23, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    As salaamu ‘alaikum,

    Have you seen this Encyclopedia of Hadith? Are you familiar with the editions that it includes?

    https://www.tradigital.de/products-encyclopaedia-hadith.htm

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      May 31, 2019 at 9:51 pm

      Wa ‘alaykum al-salam! Yes, I have that collection. At the time of publication almost two decades ago, most of the books therein were the best available. Since then, however, better editions have been published. Their Musnad Ahmad, though, still remains unchallenged. Perhaps their al-Bukhari too.

      Reply
       

  87. Tahmid Chowdhury

    June 1, 2019 at 6:43 pm

    Assalaamu Alaikum. I just saw that you updated this list! I noticed you updated tuhfat al muhtaaj. Is there anywhere I can find this new edition online? I checked neel wa furat but couldn’t find it. Also for nihayatul muhtaj, if I can find the mustafa al babi al halabi edition should I buy that or the DKI reprint? Also is the dar al hadith cairo edition of the former two books any good? Jazaakalllah Khairun.

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      June 3, 2019 at 8:42 pm

      Wa alaykum al-salam!

      I’m not sure about online, as I usually buy my books from local bookstores.

      It’ll eventually be available online most likely.

      Both the original and photocopy reprint are the same for Nihayah, so get whatever is available.

      Dar al-Hadith are generally a good publisher with regards to textual precision and takhrij, though each book needs to be looked at individually. I have not seen their editions for these two books yet. I am not satisfied with the paper and binding quality of their editions though.

      Wa jazakum!

      Reply
       

  88. Mourad

    June 4, 2019 at 4:28 pm

    What’s the best editions on works in comparative fiqh

    Reply
     

  89. Ahmed

    June 19, 2019 at 3:05 pm

    Zakariyya Books are selling it.

    https://www.zakariyyabooks.com/product/%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D8%A8%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC/

    Reply
     

  90. Fahd

    July 19, 2019 at 4:17 pm

    Sheikh what’s your opinion on hasiyah of syuti/ sindhi on sunan nisai there is a tahqiq done by sheikh Abdul fattah , dar al bashar al islamiya

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      January 23, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      It’s excellent. Get it if you can.

      Reply
       

  91. Ahmad

    September 5, 2019 at 11:15 am

    Assalamu alaykum shaykh, do you have any opinion on the best edition of mukhtasar almuzani?

    Reply
     

  92. Talha

    September 11, 2019 at 11:26 am

    Thank you for your most excellent contributions. May the Lord make it weigh heavy on your scale of good deeds. After an absense, I was worried you had disappeared into the real world. Are you on Twitter?

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      January 23, 2020 at 2:04 pm

      Allahumma amin! Thank you. I have been working on a few projects whilst looking after a sick family and enduring sickness myself alhamdu lillah. The projects will in sha Allah contribute to the development of Islamic studies. I hope to create resources to train students to think critically with erudition. Please pray for my health and that of my family so that I can complete my plans in sha Allah.

      Reply
       

  93. Fahd

    September 23, 2019 at 8:32 pm

    السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته ، with regards to شمائل I would like to ask if you checked دار الصديق edition it seems to be better and just very recently the edition of mahr al Fahad has been reprinted by dar ibn al jaw i with better quality printing and binding

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      January 23, 2020 at 2:07 pm

      I will check. Thank you.

      Reply
       

  94. Umar Rabbani

    December 31, 2019 at 3:05 pm

    As-salamu ‘alaykum.

    Even though Ibn ‘Abidin’s Radd al-Muhtar is not on the list, I was wondering where if anyone knows where to find a reprint of the Bulaq itself? I know someone who has the 8-vol. Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi, but that’s completely off the market it seems…

    Reply
     

    • Al-Asiri

      January 23, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      Wa alaykum al-salam. Only versions I have seen are PDF photocopies.

      Reply
       

      • Umar عمر

        January 23, 2020 at 5:38 pm

        Thank you! (We actually found someone who does professional reprints in Turkey alhamdulillah)

         

  95. Muahid Mubashir

    June 23, 2021 at 4:21 pm

    What do you think of Dar ul Fajr editions of classical books..?

    Reply
     

  96. حسن أشرف

    April 4, 2024 at 7:46 pm

    For Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, can you compare Dār Ibn al-Jawzi ed. al-Wakil with the old al-Turkī edition, and why you prefer Ibn al-Jawzi’s?

    Jazakallah

    Reply
     

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