The Islamic Book Cafe LLC

08/01/2026

Allah is the one true God — the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists, the only One who deserves to be worshipped. The word Allah is simply the Arabic word for God: the same God that Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa (peace be upon them all) called their people to worship. Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians use the very same word for God in their scriptures and prayers. So when a Muslim says "Allah," he is not naming a different or foreign deity — he is naming the one God who created the heavens and the earth.

To answer the question "Who is Allah?" fully, we turn to the two sources a Muslim relies on above all else: the Qur'an, the literal speech of Allah, and the authentic Sunnah of His final Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). What follows is Allah described as He has described Himself.

Who is Allah? A clear answer from the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah — the meaning of His name, tawhid, and His beautiful names and attributes.

07/24/2026

Imam Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (541–620 AH) was one of the greatest scholars of the Hanbali school — an imam who followed the way of the Salaf as-Salih, celebrated for his precision in hadith and his sincerity in practice. His legacy reaches across two very different kinds of writing: the monumental fiqh works for which the Hanbali school is famous, and a beloved series on purifying the soul that treats the heart with the same care and structure he brought to law.

If you have searched for books by Ibn Qudamah in English and felt unsure where to begin, this guide will help. Below are the titles we carry at The Islamic Book Cafe, grouped by theme, so you can build a shelf that matches what you most want to study.

https://theislamicbookcafe.com/blogs/islamic-book-recommendations/books-by-ibn-qudamah

07/20/2026

21. O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2). 22. Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unto Allâh (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped) surah 2:21-22

07/13/2026

Few scholars in the history of Islam left behind a body of work as vast, as bold, or as enduring as Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H). An imam who followed the way of the Salaf as-Salih and defended it against the innovations of his age, he wrote on creed, jurisprudence, the diseases of the heart, refutations of misguided sects, and the path of the sincere believer — often from inside a prison cell, and often from memory. Centuries later his books are still among the most read and most translated works in the Muslim world.

If you have searched for books by Ibn Taymiyyah in English and felt unsure where to begin, this guide will help. Below are the titles we carry at The Islamic Book Cafe, grouped by theme, so you can build a shelf that matches what you most want to study

07/12/2026

Allah is the one true God — the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists, the only One who deserves to be worshipped. The word Allah is simply the Arabic word for God: the same God that Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa (peace be upon them all) called their people to worship. Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians use the very same word for God in their scriptures and prayers. So when a Muslim says "Allah," he is not naming a different or foreign deity — he is naming the one God who created the heavens and the earth.

To answer the question "Who is Allah?" fully, we turn to the two sources a Muslim relies on above all else: the Qur'an, the literal speech of Allah, and the authentic Sunnah of His final Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). What follows is Allah described as He has described Himself.

07/11/2026

When Muslim parents think about Islamic books for their children, they usually think about picture books for toddlers or aqeedah workbooks for older students. What they rarely think about is a novel — a real story with real characters, real tension, and real Islamic values woven naturally through the narrative rather than tacked on at the end as a lesson.

That gap is exactly what Umm Assad fills.

Abdullah Hakeem: Cherishing a Sweet Legacy ($17.00) is a middle-grade Islamic novel for Muslim children ages 8–13 — a book that trusts young readers to engage with a real story rather than a pamphlet dressed up as fiction.

07/11/2026

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah opens Chapter One with the foundations of the straight path — the place of the Sunnah, and the meaning of misguidance, deviation, and right guidance. The passage below is reproduced from the book's own translation.

Chapter One: The Straight Path of Asceticism, Worship and Piety
[1.1: The Importance of Adhering to the Sunnah]
The right course of asceticism (zuhd), worship ('ibada) and piety (wara') is to abstain from the unlawful acts (muharamat) and desires (shahawat) and to be moderate (iqtisadat) in worship. It is [to know that] adherence to the Sunnah preserves [its adherents] from the evil of the [desirous vile] self (sharr al-nafs) and Shaytan without the need for embarking upon the paths of innovators. This is because those who follow the paths of innovation cannot escape falling into the holes of sins and cannot but be chained with its shackles, even if their error is due to following an [alternative] interpretation, because it is inevitable for them to follow desires (hawa). It is for this reason; innovators are called the people of desires (ashab al-ahwa'). Indeed, the path of the Sunnah is paved with knowledge ('ilm), justice ('adl), and guidance (huda), whereas the path of innovation (bid'ah) is paved with ignorance (jahl), oppression (zulm), and pursuit of speculation (zann) and all that which the [desirous vile] self is apt to desire,

07/11/2026

After praising a long line of Prophets and those who followed them, Allah turns in Surah Maryam to the generations who came after — and He names two failings that undid them. It is a warning that speaks directly to how we treat our five daily prayers.

Allah, the Most High, said:

"But there came after them successors [i.e., later generations] who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil —" [Maryam (19): 59]

07/08/2026

What happens to the heart when trials strike wave after wave? Explore this powerful excerpt from Winning the War Within by Umar Quinn — featuring the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman and commentary from Ibn al-Qayyim on the two types of hearts.

07/05/2026

“Until the hearts return to two hearts: a heart that is the throne of the Merciful; in it is light, life, joy, happiness, delight, and the treasures of goodness. And a heart that is the throne of Satan; therein is constriction, darkness, death, sorrow, and anxiety; it is sad for what has passed, worried about what is to come, and distressed in the present moment…”

Ibn al-Qayyim on the two hearts — one the throne of the Most Merciful, one the throne of Satan. A reflection from Winning the War Within (Tibb al-Qulub).