Maktab-e-Hayat
مكتبة الحياة

An open-access classical library preserving over 21,000 texts, 45,000+ volumes, and 6,583 scholars across 14 centuries of Islamic scholarship. Available online with sub-millisecond search, and physically at Dargah Sharif, Ajmer.

18,460 Master Classical Books (14,033 Sunni + 4,427 Shia works)
6,583 Classical Scholars (biographies from 100 AH to 1400 AH)
19,577 Search Slugs across 366 scholarly genres and disciplines
Instant Full-text search across thousands of classical volumes

Comprehensive Classical Corpus

Maktab-e-Hayat organizes classical Arabic literature into clean digital formats. The collection spans major Islamic disciplines including Hadith compilations, Qur'anic exegesis (Tafsir), comparative jurisprudence (Fiqh) across all schools, theology (Aqeedah), biographical dictionaries (Rijal), philosophy, and historical chronicles.

Every book is indexed with its historical death year (AH), author biography, chapter hierarchy (Abwaab), and exact Volume and Page citations corresponding to printed editions.

TRADITION 01

Sunni Classical Heritage

Over 14,000 primary works across the four Sunni jurisprudential schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali) and major theological traditions.

  • The Six Canonical Hadith Compilations: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasai, and Sunan Ibn Majah.
  • Foundational Hadith & Musnads: Muwatta Imam Malik, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Sunan al-Darimi.
  • Major Classical Exegeses: Tafsir al-Tabari, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Tafsir al-Razi.
  • Encyclopedic Jurisprudence: Al-Hidayah, Radd al-Muhtar (Fatawa Shami), Bada'i al-Sana'i, Al-Mabsut.
Browse Sunni Catalog on makteb.org →
TRADITION 02

Shia Classical Heritage

Over 4,400 classical Imami works with dedicated indexing for Shia scholars, Hadith chains, and jurisprudential references.

  • The Four Canonical Books (Al-Kutub Al-Arba'ah): Al-Kafi (Kulayni), Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih (Saduq), Tahdhib al-Ahkam (Tusi), and Al-Istibsar (Tusi).
  • Spiritual & Theological Texts: Nahj al-Balaghah (Sharif al-Radi), Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, Kitab al-Tawhid.
  • Hadith Encyclopedias: Bihar al-Anwar (Allamah Majlisi), Wasa'il al-Shia (Hurr al-Amili).
  • Rijal & Bio-Bibliographies: Rijal al-Najashi, Rijal al-Tusi, Al-Dhariah ila Tasanif al-Shia.
Browse Shia Catalog on shia.makteb.org →

Built for Scholarly Study & Open Access

Maktab-e-Hayat brings classical Islamic heritage into clean, searchable digital formats for students, researchers, and readers worldwide. Every book is preserved with verified volume splits, chapter trees, and page citations matching trusted printed editions.

The library is completely open access with zero paywalls or login requirements, and connects directly with modern AI tools through the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for verified research.

Full-Text & Transliteration

Search in Arabic script, English, or Roman Urdu/Hinglish. The search engine normalizes diacritics and transliteration variants automatically.

Model Context Protocol

AI assistants connect directly to the library via MCP (api.makteb.org/mcp) to retrieve exact manuscript passages and page citations.

100% Free & Open Access

No paywalls, subscriptions, or login requirements. All texts are freely accessible for scholars, students, and readers worldwide.

Our Research Library in Ajmer

Alongside our digital platforms, the Quran and Sunnah Research Academy maintains a physical library and archive at Dargah Sharif in Ajmer. The physical collection houses rare printed editions, lithographs, manuscript reproductions, and interfaith research volumes.

Location

Located at the historic institution in Ajmer, providing quiet reading spaces for researchers and visitors.

Address: Dargah Sharif, Gate Number 8, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India

Visiting Hours

Open on weekdays for textual research, study, and manuscript inspection.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM

Admission

Open to students, academic researchers, and the general public without membership fees.

Fee: Free for all visitors