The Islamic definition of Bid’ah: Imaam Ash-Shaafi’i, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “A Bid’ah is anything that has no basis in the Qur’aan, Sunnah or sayings of any of the companions.” Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “A Bid’ah is any form of worship that did not exist (at the time of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his companions) then later it was innovated.” Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “A Bid’ah is any form of worship which has no basis in the Sharee’ah which would warrant its legislation.”
Author: Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali
Reveiwers: Muhammad AbdulRaoof
A brief but nice booklet discussing Zakaah, those items and amounts upon which it is due, and where it is to be spent. Includes a few important fataawa related to Zakaah
Author: Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz
Source: http://www.islamhouse.com/p/1269
Explaining the Fundamentals of Faith: discusses the fundamentals of faith, by outlining and detailing the objectives of the Islamic 'Aqeedah. Numerous references are made to the Qur'an and authentic Ahadith, for establishing the sincere intention and worship to Allaah, liberating the mind and thought from the irrational and chaotic losses, establishing peace of mind and sound thinking, safeguarding the intentions, learning to establish a strong Ummah (community), achieving happiness in this life and the hereafter, and more.
Author: Muhammad ibn Saleh al-Othaimeen
Reveiwers: Jamaal Zarabozo - Ahmad Bolter - Ahmad Bolter
Translators: Abu Salman Diya ud-Deen Eberle
Publisher: Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah
An summarised text detailing the rules governing the Criticism of Hadeeth. From its introduction -'A hadith (pl. ahadith) is composed of two parts: the matn (text) and the isnad (chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an authentic isnad with reliable reporters to be acceptable; 'Abdullah b. al-Mubarak (d. 181 AH) is reported to have said, "The isnad is part of the religion: had it not been for the isnad, whoever wished to would have said whatever he liked." During the lifetime of the Prophet (SAS) and after his death, his Companions (Sahabah) used to refer to him when quoting his sayings. The Successors (Tabi'un) followed suit; some of them used to quote the Prophet (SAS) through the Companions while others would omit the intermediate authority - such a hadith was known as mursal (loose). It was found that the missing link between the Successor and the Prophet (SAS) might be one person, i.e. a Companion, or two persons, the extra person being an older Successor who heard the hadith from the Companion.'
Author: Mahmood Al-Tahaan
An important book shows the corrupt belief of Shi’ites. The author said in the introduction, “I wrote this book for a number of reasons including: (1) The increased efforts of the Shi’ites to spread their ideology in the Muslim world. (2) The danger of this deviant sect poses on Islam. (3) The ignorance of many Muslims about the danger of this deviant sect. (4) The corrupt Aqeedah (belief system) of the Shi’ites, which includes polytheism, defamation of the Quran and defamation of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them all. (5) Their extreme beliefs in relation to their imams."
Author: Abdullah ibn Muhammad As-Salafi
Translators: Abdur-Rahman Murad
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "This (enjoining good and forbidding evil) is a duty that the entire Ummah is obliged to fulfil. It is what the Ulama know as an obligation of collective responsibility, if a group in society undertook to discharge it, the other members of this society are absolved from it. The entire Ummah is commissioned to undertake it, but if a group therein was responsible for discharging it, the rest of society is no longer obliged to undertake it."
Author: Sheikh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah
Reveiwers: Muhammad AbdulRaoof
Translators: Salim Abdullah Marjan