Is there blame in keeping useful books when one has little time to read?
2026-10-13
F193 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Original Q&A · Complete published question and answer
The complete published question and answer, including the repeated qualification 'Allah willing'.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
ما حكم وجود الكتب الشرعية من تفسير القرآن الكريم، أو خلاف ذلك من الأحاديث في مكتبتي في المنزل، علما بأنني أقتني هذه الكتب رغبة مني في بعض الكتب القيمة المفيدة لي ولأبنائي، لكن أبنائي صغار، وأنا أنشغل كثيرا عنها، فهل علي شيء في هجر هذه الكتب؟
الجواب
ليس عليك شيء تحفظ لمصلحتها، إذا جاء أحد يطالع، يستفيد منها، أولادك يستفيدون منها -إن شاء الله- أنت على خير -إن شاء الله- لا بأس بذلك، نعم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
What is the ruling on keeping religious books, such as Quran commentary or books of hadith, in my home library? I acquire them because I want valuable books that will benefit me and my children. But my children are young and I am often too busy to read them. Is there any blame on me for leaving these books unread?
Answer
There is no blame on you. They are kept for the benefit they offer: if someone comes to read, he can benefit from them, and your children can benefit from them, Allah willing. You are doing something good, Allah willing. There is no harm in that. Yes.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website, fatwa 9220
الموقع الرسمي للشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز
Official Ibn Bāz website
Complete published Arabic question and answer checked against the official source, including presenter follow-ups where present. Arabic diacritics omitted and honorific glyphs expanded for display. Source footnotes are kept separate.