'Narrated by the glorious scholars' (qasida 15:47)

This is the motto of this section, which is for preserving and the knowledge about the valuable books of our great religious predecessors.

You can find all special expressions in the Glossary. We need your comments to develop this site for you.

Great Ancestors' Books

Since we are constantly in need for the non-distorted books of our predecessors, and since some irresponsible groups had intentionally or unintentionally printed distorted books and spread them either in the markets or on the internet, there aroused an insisting need to find reliable sources for the books and knowledge of the virtuous predecessors. So, we are nominating to you some sister sites that choose accurately every book they present. This way you can easily find the books and texts of our predecessors which some people tried to hide and conceal, but Allah will complete His guidance, even if biased people dislike.

We will mention some of the books, from these sites, that sheikh Fakhr Eldin quoted from in his books and lessons. More information about these sites are in the library page in our main site. 

A Selection of brother’s readings:

The Knowledgeable Glorious Scholars

Thanks to Allah who has made the knowledgeable scholars successors to the prophets to inherit their manners and became role models for everyone. Many people got strayed and got away from the guidance of the Beloved [PPBUH] when they did not take the great old knowledgeable scholars of this nation as their source of knowledge, instead they became addicted to taking from the recent simple ones. This way they got away from what their righteous ancestors used to have and what was settled by the Islamic nation for decades and centuries.

The Prophet [PPBUH] said: (People are still in blessing as long as they took their knowledge from their knowledgeable elders. When they start taking from their young unknowledgeable ones then they are doomed). The Prophet [PPBUH] also said: (This religion is knowledge, so be careful who to get from). He [PPBUH] also said: (When the knowledgeable scholars die, people will choose their leaders from unknowledgeable ones. When they ask them, they will answer without knowledge, so they will lead astray and mislead everyone, and there is no strength no power but from Allah).

sayydi Fakhreddin Mohamed Osman [AAH] said:

[If you were asked: What is the book? It is       from what is narrated by the great scholars] (qasida 15:47)

All scholars agreed that no one can disparage any word from the Prophet [PPBUH] or judge it as being fabricated or weakly narrated, unless he has an absolute proof from Qur'an or Sunna of the Prophet [PPBUH]. From the start of the first century and up until now, great scholars [AAT] have taken the mission of preserving Turath of our true religion [inherited knowledge from the Prophet, His companions, and our great scholars]. They have been preserving it the same way as the Prophet [PPBUH] wanted them to do. That is how the authentic Hadith, true interpretations, and Historical events from the start of Mohammad' Message till our current day, were preserved and predicated honestly and truthfully. One of the main glorious scholars, with a great resume, is:

Imam ibn Sirin [AAH]

He is the one with sedated mind, the one who gives great hope to the sinners and believers, Abo-Bakr Mohamed ibn Sirin. He was with piety, honesty, caution, and maintaining. He used to be weeping by night and smiling traveling by day. He used to fast a day and break another. It was said that Sufism is giving, feeding, and gracing. His manners were knowledge and worship as good as the Sufi knowledgeable scholars can be, and if his manners are not Sufi then there is no Sufi ones. He is one of the follower scholars and he was contemporary with the companions and learned from them. He was one of the scholars who build the followers' Fiqh and who transferred to us the Fiqh of the companions and of our preceding knowledgeable ones. If it was not for them we would not have got the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH].

It was said to Mohamed ibn Sirin: O, Abo-Bakr, a man has backbitten you, would you make it lawful for him? -i.e. by forgiving him- he said: I was not to make lawful what Allah forbad. Also as-Saryy ibn Yahya said to ibn Sirin: I have backbitten you, so resolve it make it lawful for me. Ibn Sirin said: I hate to make lawful what Allah, Almighty, forbad. Ubaid-Allah ibn Mohamed said: I heard a sheikh mentioning Mohamed; saying that he was asked once about and issue and he gave a very good answer about it. A man said to him: By Allah, o, Abo-Bakr, you gave a good Fatwa and answer about it. The described as if he said that companions would have not said better. Mohamed said: if we wanted their Fiqh, our minds would not comprehend it.

Mohamed ibn Sirin said: it used to be said to the man when he wants to travel in a trade: Fear Allah, and seek what was meant for you lawfully, as if you seek it otherwise, you would not get more than what was meant for you… ibn Awn said: I heard Mohamed saying something and I argued with him about it, and he said: I did not say: it was alright, I said: I do not know anything wrong about it… Look at how they were precise in their Fatwa and how they were afraid of Allah and his Messenger. Mohamed ibn Sirin, if he was asked about something lawful or forbidden, he used to change in color and state as if he was someone else. Ibn Awn said: I talked to Mohamed ibn Sirin about some one and said: O, Abo-Bakr, he is one of the knowledgeable people. Then I came back to him the next day, and said: O, Abo-Bakr, how did you find our friend? He said: he is far from what you said. He meant that this man knew knowledge, but did not say "I did not hear it" for what he did not hear.

Ibn Awn said: Ibn Habira sent to ibn Sirin, so he came to him. Ibn Habira asked him: How did you left the people of your country? He said: I left them with oppression spreading among them. Ibn Awn said: He considered it as a testimony that was asked from him, then he hated to hid it. Gafar ibn Marzuq said: ibn Habira sent to ibn Sirin, al-Hasan, and ash-Shwaby. They came to him. He said to ibn Sirin: O, Abo-Bakr, what did you see as you approached our door? He said: I saw a spreading oppression. His nephew winked him with his shoulder, so ibn Sirin turned to him and said: you are to be asked about it, but I am to be asked. So ibn Habira sent four thousands to al-Hasan, three thousands to ibn Sirin, and two thousands to ash-Shwaby, but ibn Sirin did not take it. Yunis ibn Ubaid was describing al-Hasan and ibn Sirin, and said: ibn Sirin was never showed two issues in his religion unless he took the most authenticated of them.

Some of his Fatwa [AAH]:

Yahya ibn Atiq said: I said to Mohamed ibn Sirin: the man following the funeral not seeking reward, but embarrassed from its folks, would he get reward for that? He said: not one reward, but two. One for praying to his brother, and the other for being kind to the living. Ibn Sirin said: If Allah, Almighty, wanted something good to a servant, He would make him a preacher from his heart commanding and forbidding him… Shabib ibn Shaba said: I heard Mohamed ibn Sirin saying: the words are too wide to lie in it. Omran ibn Abdel-Aziz said: I heard Mohamed ibn Sirin, when asked about those who hear Qur'an and get stung, said: they are to sit on a wall and the Qur'an is to be read for them from beginning to end, and if they fall then they are what they say. Salam ibn Qatiba used to come to Mohamed ibn Sirin on a wasted riding animal. Then he came to him one day without it. Ibn Sirin asked him: where is your animal? He said: I sold it. He said: Why? He said: because of its provision. Ibn Sirin said: did it left its provision to you… he meant that Allah provides for every soul, so if you sold it to be relieved from its feed, then would it leave its provision for you. Al-Asmaie said: I met ibn Abo-Atared, who was a very old man, and I asked him: what did memorize from your father from ibn Sirin? He said: my father told me that Mohamed ibn Sirin said to him: marry a woman who looks for what is in your hand, and do not marry a woman you look for what is in her hand.

Mohamed ibn Sirin used to say: do not be generous to your brother with something that is hard on you… ibn Sirin used to hate to describe the woman's period with a word other that what is in Qur'an.

His piety and the views of his contemporaries about him [AAH]:

Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Mazny said: who likes to look at the most pious of his time, let him look at Mohamed ibn Sirin, as by Allah, we never saw any one more pious than him… Asem al-Ahwal said that he heard Muriq al-Agaly saying: I never saw any man of Fiqh who is pious or a pious man who knows about Fiqh more than Mohamed ibn Sirin… Sufyan ibn Oyayna said: there was no Kufi or Basri more pious than Mohamed ibn Sirin. Hisham said that Mohamed ibn Sirin bought something that cost him almost 80 thousands, but then he got some doubts in his heart about it, so he left it. Hisham said: it was not usury. As-Sarey ibn Yahya said: ibn Sirin left the profit of 40 thousands for something inside him, and I heard Soliman at-Tamimy saying: he left it for something that none of the scholars would differ about.

Ibn Sirin used to enter his house, after being invited to a banquet or a wedding party, and says: give a drink of juice. And he was to asked: O, Abo-Bakr, do you need a drink after coming from a banquet or a wedding. He used to say: I hate to burden my hunger on the food of the people… Ibn Awn said: Mohamed did not use to eat at anyone's place, so if was to be invited to a banquet, he would go but not eat, and he was giving away Dirhams of his money. Hisham heard ibn Sirin saying: a Muslim is a Muslim with the dirhams and dinars. Ibn Awn said: Mohamed hated too buy with these dinars and dirhams that has the name of Allah on it, saying: Muslim is a slave to dirham. Asem al-Ahwal said: I was with ibn Sirin when a man came to him and said: O, Abo-Bakr, what do you say about so…? Ibn Sirin said: I do not remember any thing about it. The man said: then tell me just you own opinion about it. He said: I tell you my opinion then I draw back my words, No, by Allah. Ayyoub said: Mohamed ibn Sirin was mentioned to Abo-Qulabah, so he said: who of us can stand Mohamed ibn Sirin? Mohamed is as sharp as the edge of the arrowhead… Asem said: ibn Sirin did not let anyone walk with him. Ibn Garir ibn Hazim said: I heard Mohamed ibn Sirin said to me: Do you see that black man. Then he said: I ask Allah for forgiveness, I see that we backbitten him… ibn Awn said: ibn Sirin had houses that he only rents to the people of custody [non-Muslims], and he was asked about that and he said: at the top of each month I would frighten him, and I hade to frighten any Muslim.

Hisham said: Anas ibn Malik [AAH] asked to be washed by Mohamed ibn Sirin when he dies. Mohamed ibn Sirin was imprisoned, so they told him about the wish of Malik. He said: I am imprisoned. They said: we got permission from the prince. He said: the prince did not imprison me, but the right did. So the one who had the right gave him permission and he got out and washed Malik.

His generosity [AAH] with his friends and visitors:

Ibn Awn said: I entered to Mohamed ibn Sirin while he had one Shahd [some fruit] in his hand. He said: come on eat, as food is too low to be sworn for. Qurra ibn Khalid said: I ate in the house of Mohamed ibn Sirin some food until I was full then I took the handkerchief and stopped. So Mohamed said to me: al-Hasan ibn Ali said: Food is too trivial to be sworn for… ibn Awn said: we never came to Mohamed ibn Sirin unless he fed us Khabis or Falawzaj [some kind of sweets] … Abo-Khalda said: I entered to Mohamed ibn Sirin with ibn Awn and Sahm al-Fra'idy, so he said: I do not know what to give you, as you all have meat and bread at your home. Then he told his servant to bring us the Shahd [some fruit] and started cutting it for us and feeding us with his hands.

Ibn Awn said: there was a wedding for the kinship of ibn Sirin. Faqad as-Sabkhy came to congratulate them. So they gave him Khabis [some kind of sweet], but he refused to eat it. So they brought him some butter, honey, and bread not mixed, and he started eating. Ibn Sirin said: is not what you left, what you are eating… Ibrahim ibn Habib ibn al-Shahidnarrated from his father that he said: I entered to ibn Sirin one day and he saw the tiredness on my face, so he said: O, Gareya [young girl, usually a servant], get some lunch to Habib, get and get.. he said that several times. I said: I do not want it. He said: get. Then when she got the food, I said: I do not want it. He said: take one bite, then it is your choice. When I ate a bite, I was activated then I ate until I was full… Hisham said: the family of Sirin used to give food to whoever visits them. Later when their state became lighter, they used to buy the Besr; whether cooked or boiled [cheap food]. So if someone entered to them they would give him from that Besr… Abo-Helal ar-Rasy said: ibn Sirin called us to lunch, while we were sitting with him, and his food was that Samk [some kind of tree leaves], so no one got up to him except Abo-Atared.

His Fiqh [AAH] and his benefits to people:

Ibn Awn said: I have never seen any one who was greater in hope for the believers than Mohamed ibn Sirin. He used to recite the verse [For when it was said unto them, There is no God save Allah, they were arrogant] as-Saffat 37:35. And recite [What has brought you to Sqar [level of hell] ¤ They said: We were not of those who prayed] al-Muddathir 74:42-43. And recites [Which is only endured by the most wretched ¤ He who denies and turns away] al-Lail 92:15-16. Abdel-Samad ibn Yazid said: I heard al-Fudayl ibn Eyad saying "al-Hasan said: it is the obedience to Allah or Hell. Ibn Sirin said: it is the mercy of Allah or hell". Ibn Awn narrated from Mohamed ibn Sirin that he said: in that horrible day, they would hope for even the unborn baby in his mother's womb.

Ibn Awn said: a man recited [If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease…] al-Ahzab 33:60 in the presence of ibn Sirin, so he said: we do not know of any verse that was more hopeful for the hypocrites than this verse. As he tempted them until he died [PPBUH].

Ibn Sirin heard some one cursing al-Hajjaj so he went to him and said "Stop it man, as when you reach judgment day, you will find that the smallest sin you ever did is greater for you than the greatest sin al-Hajjaj ever did. And know that Allah is a Just Judge; if He takes from Hajjaj to whoever he oppressed, He will also take for al-Hajjaj from whoever oppresses him. So do not be busy cursing anyone".

Hisham narrated that Mohamed said: whoever sits without taking his shoes off, is like the riding animal when they take its load off without taking off its saddlebag. Ibn Awn said: I heard Mohamed ibn Sirin saying: three things with them you do not feel strange: good manners, refraining from harm, and avoiding doubtful things. Mohamed ibn Sirin said: two men wrangled about some land borders, so Allah, Almighty, inspired the land to talk to them, so it said: O, poor ones, you wrangle about me and I was owned by a thousand one eyed men save the intact ones… Hisham narrated from Mohamed that he said: that redness in the sky was never seen until al-Husain ibn Ali [AAT] was killed, and the piebald horses was never lost in the battles until Osman [AAH] was killed… Marhoum ibn Abdel-Aziz said: I heard my father saying: when it was the trail of Yazid ibn al-Muhaleb, I went with a man to ibn Sirin and we said: What do you see? He said: look at the happiest man after the murder of Osman and follow him. We said: that was ibn Omar, he refrained his hands.

Mohamed ibn Sirin said: this knowledge is a religion so see from whom you take it. He also said: they did not use to ask about the predication until the Trial came then they said: name to us your men, so we would take from the people of Sunna and not from the people of heresy.

Mohamed ibn Sirin narrated from many companions like: Abo-Huraira, Abo-Saied al-Khudry, Abdullah ibn Omar, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Emran ibn Hasin, Abo-Bakrah, Anas ibn Malik, and another group.

His worship and his patience [AAH]:

Ibn Awn narrated from Mohamed ibn Sirin that he had grief when he was indebted. So he said: I know this grief is because of a sin I did 40 years ago. Abdullah ibn as-Saryy narrated that ibn Sirin said: I know what was the guilt that got me this debt, as 40 years ago I said some man: You broke. When they told that to Abo-Soliman ad-Darny, he said: they had few sins so they knew the causes of their affliction, but you and we have many sins, so we do not know the causes of what our afflictions… Thabit said: Mohamed ibn Sirin said to me O, Abo-Mohamed, I was not detained from your sittings because I was afraid of the fame, but the trial continued with me until I sat on the steps and they said: that is Mohamed ibn Sirin, he ate people's money. At that time he was deeply indebted. Ibn Awn said: when ibn Sirin was indebted, he lightened his eating until I visited him while his food was that small Samk [tree leaves].

Anas ibn Sirin said: Mohamed ibn Sirin had 7 Awrad that he reads by night, and if misses any of it, he would read by day. Abdullah ibn al-Harith narrated that ibn Sirin slept through al-Esha prayer, until it was finish, then he woke up, so he prayed it and continued worshiping the rest of the night. Ibn Sirin used to fast a day and break the other, and during his break day, he would have lunch then Sahour and comes the next day fasting. Om-Ebadah, the wife of Hisham ibn-Hassan, said: we were staying at the home of Mohamed ibn Sirin, so we used to hear his weeping by night and his laughing by day. Abo-Ewanah said: I have seen Mohamed ibn Sirin in the market, and no one saw him unless he recited the name of Allah, Almighty… Musa ibn al-Mughirah said: I saw Mohamed ibn Sirin entering the market in the middle of the day, reciting: Allahu-Akbar and Subhan-Allah, and doing Dhikr of Allah, then a man said to him: O. Abo-Bakr, in this hour. He said: it is an hour of heedlessness. Mohamed ibn Sirin, when death was mentioned, used to have each organ of his body dying separately. Al-Gariry said: we were at Mohamed ibn Sirin, and we wanted to leave, we said: O, Abo-Bakr, give us a prayer. He said: O, Allah, accept from us the best of what we do, and forgive us to enter paradise the true promise that they were promised… Mohamed ibn Sirin said: there was a tree in the dessert worshiping someone other than Allah, so A man took an axe and went for it and cut it, so Allah forgave him. Mohamed ibn Sirin used to use poetry examples and remembers things that he laughs for, until Hadith is mentioned, then he would be pale and gathered to his parts.

One of Sirin's family said: I never seen Mohamed talking to his mother unless he was supplicating. Ibn Ewanah said: a man entered to Mohamed ibn Sirin while he was with his mother. The man said: what is with Mohamed , is he complaining of anything? They said to him: No, but that is how he is when with his mother.

His simplicity [AAH] and his lack of affectation:

Qurrah ibn Khalid said: I said to Mohamed ibn Sirin: did they use to joke? He said: they were not but like other people, ibn Omar used to joke and say poetry. He used to say: he likes the wine from the purse of the drinkers… and hate to be separated from the money. Ibn Sirin said: they used to see that good manners are help for the religion. He also said: they loved without being in the doubt.

Ibn Sirin would have maybe laughed until he laid on his back and stretched his legs. He used to moan from trials, and he may laugh until his eyes waters… Yusuf ibn Ateyya Abo-Sahl said: I have seen Mohamed ibn Sirin and he had plenty of joking and laughing. He use to joke with his friends saying: Hello, O, Mudarfishin. Which meant: you witness the funerals and carry the dead. Mohamed ibn Sirin also said: pomegranate among the fruits is like Gabriel among the angels.

Guwayriya said: I said to Mohamed ibn Sirin: I bought a girl slave which has big lips. He said: that would make her kiss more soft… that was a joke from him. Abo-Bakr ibn Shwayb said: I was at Mohamed ibn Sirin's sitting and someone came to him and asked him about some poetry, that was before the prayer of Asr, so Mohamed ibn Sirin read to him: As if the drinking and the ginger .. and the smell of lavender and the solution of honey … equals the coolness of her canines … when the star in the middle of sky shows … then he entered in the prayer. He was also asked once: can a man recite poetry while he is with ablution? He said: I was told that a girl I sought to engage … her Shank was as long as the month of fasting … her teeth are a hundred or one more … and the whole creatures are extended from her. Then he said: Allahu-Akbar.

His strange interpretation of dreams [AAH]:

Mohamed ibn Sirin used to say: If the servant feared Allah while awake, he would not be harmed by what he sees in his sleep… when a man used to ask ibn Sirin about a dream, he would say to him: fear Allah when you are awake, and nothing you see in your sleep will harm you… Gafar ibn Abdullah ibn Kardous said: my father told me that Mohamed ibn Sirin said: I saw one, of those who use to sit with me, in my sleep, and his legs were from gold, and I asked him what did Allah do to you? He said: He forgave me and gave, instead of my legs, two legs of gold I walk with them in paradise where I want. I said: for what? He said: for isolating the harm off the way.

Ibn Sirin said: whoever sees his Lord, Almighty, in his sleep, will enter paradise... Khalid ibn Dinar said: I was at ibn Sirin and a man came to him and said: O, Abo-Bakr, I saw in my sleep as if I am drinking from a pitcher that has two holes. One of them was sweet and the other was salty. Ibn Sirin said: fear Allah, you have a wife and you go to her sister also… Abo-Qulabah said that a man said to Abo-Bakr: I saw as if I was peeing blood. Ibn Sirin said to him: you get your wife while she is in her period. He said: Yes. Ibn Sirin said: fear Allah and never do it again… ibn Sirin said that a man saw in his dream that he had a boy on his lap shouting, and he told ibn Sirin. Ibn Sirin said: fear Allah and do not play the lute. He meant the playing of the lute for bad purposes… Habib said that a woman saw in her sleep that she was milking a serpent, so she told ibn Sirin. He said: the milk is natural and the serpent is an enemy and not of the nature, this is a woman that sees the people of subjectivity. Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf saw in his sleep as if two nymphs came to him and he took one of them and missed the other. He wrote that to Abdel-Malek. Abdel-Malek wrote to him: congratulations to you. Ibn Sirin knew that and said: you missed the bottom of the hole, as those are two trials and will be caught up with one and miss the other. And it was done as he was caught up in the trail of the skulls and missed the other one.

A man said to ibn Sirin: I saw as if I am licking honey from a pot of Jewel. He said: fear Allah and go back to reading Qur'an, as you are a man who read the Qur'an then you forgot it… another man said to ibn Sirin: I saw as if I am plowing a land that does not plant. He said: you are a man who isolates from your wife.

Another man said to ibn Sirin: Isaw in my sleep as if I am washing my cloth but it does not become pure. He said: you are a man who boycotts his brother.

A man said to ibn Sirin: I saw as if I am flying between earth and sky. You are a man who wishes too much. And a man came to ibn Sirin and said: I saw as if I have a crown of gold on my head. Ibn Sirin said: fear Allah, your father is in a strange country and he became blind and wants you to come to him. The man did not answer, but he got out of his belt a letter from his father telling him that he became blind and he was in a strange country and telling him to go to him.

Many of the dream interpretations were collected in books known by his name, and other books of knowledge.

His passing away [AAH]:

Mughirah said: ibn Sirin saw as if the Gemini got before the Pleiades, so he started preparing his will, and said al-Hasan [al-Basry] will die and I will follow him, as he is more honorable than me.

Ibn Awn said: when death came to Mohamed ibn Sirin, he said to his son: O, son, pay for me -the debts- and get paid for me, except the loyalty. He said: O, father, do I manumit for you? He said: Allah, Almighty, is able to reward me and you for what you do of good deeds.

Edited by G. Salah

Translated by Ahmed