Question: Why is the book Endless Bliss (titled Se’âdet-i Ebediyye in its Turkish original) so valuable?
ANSWERThe reason why it is so valuable is solely because it is based on naql [transmitting the religious knowledge that has been communicated by Islamic scholars without making any changes], not on personal thoughts.
It is a compilation from hundreds of precious religious books, and these source materials are available in many libraries. However, most of these books have not been translated into other languages. For this reason, it is almost impossible for readers to find and get benefit from them. Why honey is a unique substance stems from the fact that it is produced by deriving the nectars of different flowers. So is the case with the book Endless Bliss. For example, when you guide people who demand a religious book to a big library, you will have advised them not one certain book but thousands of books. In the same way, Endless Bliss is one book at face value, but in reality it is an extraction of a wide range of books.
If we have a look at some comparable ‘ilm-i hâl books on the market, we will see that when they quote the answer of a religious matter correctly from a book, they, somehow, do not give reference to the fiqh book and its page, let alone the erroneous pieces of information they contain. Astonishingly, some of them (those ‘ilm-i hâl books) make errors in conveying information from a credible religious book. However, Endless Bliss, basing all its contents on citations from authentic books, has been checked with meticulous care again and again in order to eliminate even a minor mistake, and the writer of this peerless book has diclosed the reference sources together with their pages of all the information in the book.
Those who read this work of great erudition, composed of information gathered from many books of great value such as Radd-ul-Mukhtâr, Halabî, Hadîqa, Maktûbât-i Rabbânî, will have learned necessary issues pertaining to belief and practice through reading mentioned dependable books. In this book, tenets of belief and the creed of Ahl as-sunna are treated in depth and in a manner that everbody can understand easily. Corrupt groups, religions, and beliefs are listed so that Muslims can protect themselves from their harm. After tenets of belief, the five fundamentals of Islam are touched upon exhaustively. This entire book has been prepared according to the Hanafî Madhhab, but the rules in other madhhabs are included when necessary. Besides, imitating another madhhab in case of an excuse, an issue never addressed in any ‘ilm-i hâl book before, has been dealt with thoroughly. In the chapter concerning imitating madhhab, it is explained satisfactorily how Muslims, when they encounter a difficulty in their own madhhab, can carry out an act by way of imitating any of the other three madhhabs.
This unequalled book, which is the fruit of a painstaking study lasting for over 40 years and now in its 103rd edition, has also undegone rigorous scrutiny of specialists from various fields.
It covers elaborate articles on calling spirits and genies and clarifies, too, the true nature of qadâ’ and qadar and whether people can shape their destinies or not, thereby clearing away the confusions in the minds.
Furthermore, it contains fully comprehensive chapters on the status of women in Islam, the rights of a husband and wife and their duties towards one another, Islamic marriage and such related matters. Besides, there is information on the things that are halâl and harâm to eat and drink.
Briefly, in this valuable book there is religious information in a full degree that will meet the needs of a Muslim. All the information in it is selected from the most precious books. People who read Endless Bliss from beginning to the end carefully will learn all the commandments and prohibitions of our religion and so become well-informed about it; they do not fall for the tricks and lies of the enemies of Islam. It is essential for every Muslim to learn our religion very well. Not having religious knowledge is tantamount to not having a religion. For this reason, all Muslims must read this great book of 1248 pages and strive hard to get their households to read it. It is the best gift to give and the best inheritance to leave. You can read and purchase it online following this link: www.hakikatkitabevi.com It is also possible to listen (in Turkish) to the entire book on this site.
Reading many books
Question: There are many dependable religious books. Do we have to read all of them?
ANSWERIn order to learn our religion accurately, it is necessary for us to read one correctly written book much instead of reading many books voraciously. Because almost all the translated books contain mistranslations and personal thoughts. Especially, since the full meanings of some expressions in original language are not known, they are translated literally, thus giving rise to fatal mistakes.
Ibni Taymiyya was a very profound scholar. However, he has been remembered among savants as the person whose knowledge was made by Allahu ta’âlâ the cause of his lapsing into heresy. As it is seen, knowledge alone does not suffice; learning it without a guide cannot make you find the way to salvation.
We should also bear in mind the fact that thousands of Islamic scholars, who have come for 14 centuries, have written tens of thousands of religious books. And these books were written in accordance with the prevailing conditions of then time and people, and they demonsrated conformity with the codes of Dâr-ul-Islam. Those books contain thousands of qawls [reports]. Which report will you select to act upon? However, a book alone, which transmits the preferred reports [muftabih qawls] of the scholars, will suffice for the purpose.
Once an erudite person said, “I have read more than 1,000 books so far. If only I had read the book Endless Bliss one thousand times instead.” This valuable book provides all the information that is necessary for a Muslim.
Fiqh and ‘ilm-i hâl
Question: Is a fiqh book different from an ‘ilm-i hâl book?
ANSWERHadrat Imâm-i A’zam declares, “Fiqh is to know what is good and what is bad for you.” The knowledge of fiqh teaches you af’âl-i mukallafîn, that is, the things commanded, prohibited and permitted in Islam. The knowledge of fiqh is divided into four parts:
1- ‘Ibâdât [the rules pertaining to namâz, fast, zakât, hajj and jihâd],
2- Munâkahât [it has many divisions, such as marriage, divorce, subsistence, and many others],
3- Mu’âmalât [the rules pertaining to buying and selling, rent, companies, interest, birthright]
4- ‘Uqûbât [punishments for such sins as theft, usurpation, murder and others].
As well as including the rules pertaining to fiqh, the knowledge of ‘ilm-i hâl covers not only other Islamic branches — such as tafsîr, qirâat, hadîth, kalâm, tasawwuf — but also scientific branches — such as (the sciences of) logic, physics, chemistry, medicine and astronomy. Experimental sciences are a part of Islamic sciences. For this reason, learning the knowledge of ‘ilm-i hâl comes to mean learning the religion wholly.
