Book Review: Tafseer wa Bayaan li-A’thami Soorati fee al-Quraan

Continuing my posts with the booklets of Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zeeno, may Allah have mercy upon him, I found this next booklet to be of great importance. The title itself “Commentary and Explanation of the Greatest Chapter in the Quran” deals with Soorat-ul-Faatihah; the opening chapter of the Book of Allah.

This particular booklet was done by Daar-ul-Kharraaz in Jeddah and is primarily a non-profit printing that is given out freely throughout the Kingdom and abroad. The quality is impressive and the type is excellent for a twenty-one page treatise. Here is my translation of the sections contained within:

How do we interpret the Quran?
Soorat-ul-Faatihah and its various names
From the benefits contained within Soorat-ul-Faatihah
The sections of seeking Allah’s protection and its benefit
The meaning of Seeking Allah’s protection
The sections containing the Bismillah and its benefit
The meaning of the Bismillah 
The meaning of Al-Hamdullilahi Rabbil-‘Alaameen
The meaning of ar-Rahmaan, ar-Raheem 
The meaning of Maaliki-Yawmi-Deen 
The meaning of Iyyaaka Na’budu wa Iyyakaa Nasta’een 
The meaning of Ihdinas-Siratil-Mustaqeem 
The meaning of Siraat-al-Latheena An’amta Alayhim 
The meaning of Ghayril-Maghdhoobi Alayhim wa Laa Dhaaleen 
Warning from the descriptions of the deviants
The meaning of Aameen and its emphasis in the prayer
Summary of the commentary of al-Faatihah
Understanding guidance and deviance
Reciting al-Faatihah in prayer
Is it obligatory for the Faatihah to be recited by the one being lead in prayer?
Various mistakes made in reciting the Faatihah 

Without a doubt, this is a very important work to have, maybe it can be found online for free. I am not sure if it has been translated into English, however the Shaykh’s style of Arabic is ideal for the beginner as well as the more advanced reader. In closing, if you want a summarized detail on the Faatihah and the benefits surrounding it, then this booklet is one of the best.

Book Review: Mu’jizat-ul-Israa’I wal-Mi’raaj

I received a large amount of free booklets from the Imam of the Islamic Center of El Paso this weekend that were authored by the late Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zeeno. For those who do not know the Shaykh, I hope to post future book reviews on all of the booklets that I received, one in particular that deals with his autobiography and Islamic upbringing. Briefly, the Shaykh was originally from Damascus, Syria and taught in Daar-ul-Hadeeth al-Khairiyyah in Makkah for many years until he passed away, may Allah have mercy upon him. He was known for his knowledge and for writing many short treatises concerning Islamic issues. This book is an attestation to the Islamic legacy he left behind for the students of knowledge, regardless of their levels of understanding.

In his “Mu’jizat-ul-Israa’I wal-Mi’raaj,” Shaykh Muhammad covers very important aspects surrounding the Israa and the Mi’raaj in addition to deriving benefits based on the Book and Sunnah; he is known for taking difficult areas of the religion and explaining them in layman’s terms. What is most profound is that he relies on authentic narrations concerning the biography of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and presents them in a very intriguing arrangement that flows like a short research paper filled with evidences. The treatise is brief, only about 64 pages, however all twenty subjects found within, contain beneficial knowledge from the difference between a miracle and using magic to linguistically defining the words Israa and Mi’raaj. The historical background is also presented in an easy to follow manner as well as the controversial issues some Muslim differ on such as the dispute concerning whether the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw Allah or not. There is also a short section that covers a few of the innovations that are practiced throughout the Muslim and non-Muslim world today.

This particular booklet was published by Dar at-Tarafeen, but there is no inside information for their location. I tried the website listed, it was a dead link. I assume from the contact numbers that the publisher is in Saudi, and Allah knows best. So in brief, this is an excellent work to have concerning the historical, religious, knowledge-based, and legalistic views of the Israa and the Mi’raaj.