Book Review: al-Muntaqaa min Akhbaar al-Mustafaa

al-Muntaqaa min Akhbaar al-Mustafaa
By al-Imam, al-Muhaddith, al-‘Allaamah Aboo Barakaat ‘Abdus-Salaam bin ‘Abdullah bin Taymiyyah al-Harraanee (D. 652 A.H.)
Tahqeeq: Khaalid bin Dhayf Allah ash-Shalaahee
Printed by Muassasah ar-Risaalah in 4 volumes

In these upcoming posts, I will focus on the texts that are taught by our Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan within his general study circles given Saturday through Tuesday. These lessons are all taught at Masjid al-Ameer Mu’tib bin ‘Abdil-‘Azeez in the Milaaz district of Riyadh. The Shaykh gives these four lessons and the Friday sermon, but he is not the Imam. The Imam here, Shaykh Naasir reads two texts on the Shaykh which is on Saturday and Tuesday. Another brother reads the text on the Shaykh on Sunday. Three of these lessons are read from texts of the Scholars while the Shaykh’s Tafseer class is done from the Shaykh’s memory based on his Tafseer studies as a youth. For more information on the Shaykh’s lessons and schedule you can click here.


Saturday is the first day of the week in Saudi and it is the first day that the Shaykh begins his general lessons from after al-Maghrib until al-‘Ishaa. This class is over the classical Hanbali text al-Muntaqaa min Akhbaar al-Mustafaa written by al-Imam Aboo Barakaat Majd-ud-Deen, may Allah have mercy upon him, who was the grandfather of the famous scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah enlighten his grave.

The print that I have purchased and which is the most popular print is the four volume version printed by Mua’ssasah ar-Risaalah. I have seen other students with different printings but I am not familiar with who printed them and their volumes. This book is arranged by the main topics of Fiqh such as purification, prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, etc. and presents the title of the subject and then the narration concerning the subject. Volume four contains a nicely arranged index of the topics and narrations.

The following image is an example of my notes taken during the Shaykh’s class. He usually covers 5 to 6 narrations and after each one is read to him, he goes on to explain the meaning of the narration and the vocabulary found in the text along with any Fiqh related aspects associated with the topic.


This particular print is a good printing with the exception of one section in which the Shaykh said is not found in the original text of the Muntaqaa. The quality is good and the pages are wide enough for decent dictation of the Shaykh’s explanations.