Commentary On the Forty Hadith of Imam Al Nawawi - Timeless Prophetic Gems of Guidance and Wisdom

By Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi

The collection of the Forty Hadith by Imam Nawawi has been known, accepted, and appreciated by Muslim scholars over the last seven centuries. Its significance lay in the fact that these selected forty-two Hadith comprise the most essential and fundamental concepts of Islām. And these prophetic gems also reflect the minimum level of knowledge needed for each and every Muslim. This work provides the reader with a simple and practical exegesis of each Hadith through the Qur’an, other Hadith, and commentary of various classical scholars. This work also provides discussion on many contemporary issues such that these Prophetic advices are connected with real-life situations and practical implications in current times. It is hoped that this commentary will lead one to better understand and practice these indispensable Hadith in his or her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365503450

Book preview

Foreword

The aḥādīth of the Prophet are the pillars of Islām since his Sunnah is essentially the tafsīr or explanation of the Qurʹān itself. Al-Imām al-Nawawī greatly benefited the ummah by extracting a few aḥādīth out of several thousand, which form the foundation of Islām. These Prophetic gems have become a source of guidance and wisdom to many generations of Muslims, including those laypersons with limited religious knowledge and depth. It is my deep conviction that the Muslim Ummah could advance so much more in their understanding and practice of Islām by simply studying and applying these few aḥādīth treasures. Many of this ummah are in dire need of the correct understanding of the religion and of Prophetic guidance.

The original commentary or first edition on the Forty Aḥādīth by Al-Sheikh Jamāl Bādī was published by Muazzin Productions in Malaysia in 2008. It is an excellent work which expounds much on contemporary applications and benefits from the Arbaʼūn. It connects the collection of Arbaʼūn with many related Qurʹānic āyāt and other aḥādīth along with other classical commentary. 

Personally, I have found a great deal of benefit from the Dr. Jamāl’s original commentary. I have been referring to it numerous times as a reference point for knowledge, and have enthusiastically referred it to family and colleagues. It has been ironic that I have found several of my colleagues already using his commentary. It is without doubt that this work has been an important factor in increasing my love of the Sunnah of the Prophet. My love and attachment to these pearls of wisdom also encouraged me to commit these aḥādīth to memory and obtain an ijāzah from Al-Sheikh Moḥammad Daniel from the Cordoba Academy.

Over the past five years and after the original website address changed, it has been unfortunate that Dr. Jamāl’s Commentary has greatly lost accessibility. Furthermore, the commentary in text, though published¹ has not been readily available. It was after correspondence with Dr. Jamāl that he agreed with my recommendation that we publish this work again on a more global platform. I am honored that Dr. Jamāl has allowed me to edit the original work, improve its organization, and publish it on his behalf. The original work has been edited for better readability, organization, and other small corrections in grammar and its redundancies. Furthermore, related Qurʹān, aḥādīth, and other materials have been more accurately cited and referenced. Dr. Jamāl made it clear to me that he did not seek any compensation, and preferred that we not even elaborate on his introduction, credentials, or his qualifications.

And that has been the starting point, or more accurately a renewal of the original endeavor to spread the sacred knowledge regarding the treasures of the Forty Aḥādīth of Al-Imām al-Nawawī. 

Dr. Masood Ahmed Ranginwala                                                                           

Islamic Learning Foundation - ICNA Teaneck, NJ, USA                                                                                                                                                                      August 2019

Acknowledgements

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to all those who helped in making this book a reality and inshāʹ Allah to be benefitted by the Muslims around the world.

I thank the IIUM Mosque administration for supporting the class and Ustādh Ḥamidon ʼAbdul Ḥamid for supporting the idea of publishing the book. I also like to thank the staff of Masjid Sulṭān Ḥāji Aḥmad Shah, such as Ustādh M. Farīd bin Samad Al-Ḥafiz and Ustādh Zunaiddīn bin Ibrāhīm al-Ḥafiz.

The following individuals also deserve thanks and appreciation. Muḥammad Farrah was involved in compiling the aḥādīth. Azul Sidek Adnān converted the aḥādīth onto the website. Fāṭimah Zainal ̒ Ābidīn edited the web version making it suitable into a book form. Ṣaif Ulizan proofread and edited the first manuscript. Mukhriz Maḥmūd did the final editing and formatting while Mazlan Huzam arranged the book in its final layout for its first edition in 2008 published by Muazzin Productions.  I also appreciate Dr. Masood Aḥmed Ranginwala for the great effort of editing this current second edition of this book and helping me to turn it into a more professional academic work. Prior to publishing, the manuscript was also reviewed by Al-Sheikh ʼAbdur Raḥmān Khan, head of Tarbiyah Department of ICNA. It was also reviewed by Dr. Asif Hirani who is a scholar teaching at the Boston Islamic Seminary and the Islamic Learning Foundation. May Allahh reward them.

I also would like to acknowledge that I benefitted greatly from two scholarly works in this Commentary on the Forty Aḥādīth. The first is none other than Jāmiʼ al-ʼUlūm al-Ḥikam, the famous work by Al-Imām ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī². The second work is the contemporary work by Al-Sheikh Jamāl al-Dīn Zarabozo³, whose work has also been very beneficial. It is an excellent academic work, but perhaps more suitable for academicians and scholars.

Preface

This book, which serves as a commentary to the Forty Aḥādīth of Al-Imām al-Nawawī was essentially a series of evening lessons I conducted at the International Islāmic University Malaysia’s Mosque for over one and a half years, commencing from April 2001. It was thereafter edited and published on the internet⁴.

Due to the great demand from readers from different parts of the world, the web version of this commentary has been improved, proofread, and edited to be published into a book, the one which you now have in your hand today.

The commentary is a humble effort made to benefit the layman as well as intellectuals from different disciplines with little background in Islāmic studies. In addition, this commentary also offers discussions on related important contemporary issues. 

I have followed a systematic approach in commenting on, and explaining the aḥādīth. Every ḥadīth is given a title which conveys its main message. The methodology is as follows:

First, the ḥadīth in cited in Arabic followed by its translation in the English Language. 

Second, a brief introduction is given regarding the ḥadīth.

Third, lessons and wisdoms are extracted from the ḥadīth including the following:

Relevant Qurʹānicāyāt and aḥādīth are highlighted and used to elaborate on the respective Nawawī ḥadīth.

Definitions of concepts are highlighted and explained.

Application of ḥadīth to contemporary issues.

An attempt is made to relate the respective ḥadīth to real life and to draw some practical implications that will enable the Muslim to better understand and practice it today.

Finally, a conclusion is given, summarizing the salient points, concepts, and lessons to be learned from the ḥādīth.

This commentary incorporates various classical interpretations from Muslim scholars. When there are differing viewpoints, those are also presented, and an attempt is made to reconcile between them. If I have my own opinion, then that is also presented as well in the light of contemporary internal and external challenges.

I have tried my best to use simple and direct English throughout the book. Philosophical issues and discussions have been avoided in order to achieve the objective of the commentary. Whenever a particular ḥadīth has a correlation with another ḥadīth (or aḥādīth), it is mentioned in order to link the aḥādīth to each other. Altogether, this will greatly benefit the reader in understanding the significance of every aḥādīth of this great collection.

I hope and pray to Allahh that this book will be of a benefit to English speaking Muslims wherever it reaches. Āmīn

Dr. Jamal Ahmed Bashier Badi

دكتر جمال أحمد بشير بادي

Kuala Lampour, Malaysia                                                                                        October 2016

About the Author

Dr. Jamāl Aḥmed Bashier Bādī is a Professor at the Department of General Studies at the International Islāmic University of Malaysia (IIUM). Currently, he is the Director of the International Students’ Division, IIUM. He specializes in Islāmic ʼaqīdah, Islāmic daʼwah, and Islāmic thought.

Dr. Jamāl was born and raised in Libya, and currently resides in Malaysia. He earned a B.S. in Science along with a Minor in Psychology from Portland State University, USA in 1982. Thereafter, he continued his education in Madīnah al-Munawwarah Islāmic University in Saudi Arabia where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree with honors in Usūluddīn and Daʼwah. He continued his studies there obtaining his Master’s degree in Usūluddīn with honors in 1990. He finalized his studies at Madīnah University in 1994 obtaining his PhD in Usūluddīn with honors.

Since that time, Dr. Jamāl has been involved in teaching numerous university courses spanning different Islāmic disciplines across three different universities in fiqh, ḥadīth, Qurʹān, daʼwah, comparative religion, among others. He recently authored the works Creative thinking in Islam: concepts and issues and [منهج الشيخ عبدالرحمن الدوسري في مواجهة الماسونية], among other works. He continues to supervise PhD and Master Degree students in their research and study. He has been involved in numerous academic publications, journal articles, and conferences within and outside of Malaysia. Dr. Jamāl currently lives in Malaysia with his family.

Book Reviews

Alḥamdulillah, I recently had the opportunity to skim through a book written by Dr. Jamāl Aḥmed Badi, and edited by my friend Ustādh Masood Ranginwala. It is an explanation of the collection of 40 ḥadīth from Imām Nawawī.

I really admire this work because it is a great balance of academic analysis and spiritual enrichment. It is comprehensive, detail oriented, and uses accurate footnotes to attach its content to its sources. This book is great for students and even their teachers and is amongst the best works on the topic in the English language. May Allah accept his work and give him and his family success in both worlds." (Imām Asif Hirani, USA)

I have really enjoyed this commentary on the Forty Ḥadīth. The layout is simple and the author does a nice job of outlining interpretations and arguments over the meaning of the Ḥadīth.  (Andrew J. Nowak, Canada)

Five Stars. Good concise study, examines in detail important Ḥadīth, placing them in historical and religious context.  (Harold King, USA)

A great contribution by Islamic Learning Foundation to make this amazing collection of ḥadīth available to readers in such an easy to understand format. The language is so simple and inviting. Its literally like a teacher is teaching you things to consider in each of these powerful narrations. Also if anyone wants to teach these ḥadīth today then this is an invaluable resource. Highly recommend! (Hina Sami, Pakistan)

Very detailed book (Riasat H., UK)

Very deep book mashallah it gives a great and great understanding of these 40 hadiths. (Abdul Jalil, UK)

Great book. Arabic text with English translation then commentary. (Hakeem J., 3/20, USA)

Nice Surprise. My hubby loved it.  (Dionne Smith, USA,  8/18)

Transliteration Key and Arabic Terminology

This transliteration key is being provided to help bridge the gap between Arabic and English letters. There are several letters that are specific to the Arabic language, and do not have an English equivalent. 

In this book, many Arabic terms are used, and a glossary of their meanings and Arabic form is present in the back. This is to better familiarize readers with terms used commonly in Islāmic texts and literature. All Arabic names and terms are properly transliterated. Arabic terms and terminology are initially italicized until they are repeated a few times. They are also in the lower case unless there is special need for the word to be in the proper tense. Please also note that proper Arabic names also have not been italicized for consistency. 

Repeated Arabic terms or those that need further elaboration can be further referenced in the glossary at the back of this book.  To retain simplicity and consistency, Arabic terms have been transliterated without the definite particle Al when there is no gross change in meaning. Furthermore, an attempt has been made also to retain Arabic plural terminology. However, with the term Arabic term Muslim and Islām, English suffixes have been added for fluency.

Introduction

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصّلاة والسّلام على المبعوث رحمة للعالمين

نبيّنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين

The collection of Forty Aḥādīth by Al-Imām al-Nawawī has been recognized, accepted, and appreciated by Muslim scholars for the last seven centuries. Its significance lay in the fact that these selected forty aḥādīth comprise the main essential and fundamental concepts of Islām. And these are the unique aḥādīth which reflect the minimum level of knowledge required for every Muslim. Various principles are contained within these aḥādīth, such as belief, Muslim ethics, and fiqh. From this, it is very important that these aḥādīth be understood properly and thoroughly based on scholarly interpretations.

Al-Imām al-Nawawī stated the following: "These are forty ḥadīth…each ḥadīth from them is a great foundation of the foundation of the religion. Scholars have described regarding each ḥadīth that Islām revolves around them, or they considered as half of Islām, or a one-third of it and the like…Most are from the authentic books of Al-Bukhārī and Muslim. And I shall mention them with omission of the chains of narrations in order to make its memorization easy and encompass overall benefit by Allah’s grace. Then, I follow it with a chapter of precision and inherent wordings. It is important for everyone hoping for reward in the Hereafter to know all these aḥādīth for all-inclusive importance; and it (the collection) contains the warning on all acts of worship, so that it is apparent to those who ponder over it.  And unto Allah, the Almighty I rely and to Him, I direct my mandate and my request, and all Glory and Blessing belong to Him alone, and with Him success is ascertained and protection is guaranteed."

This text provides a simple and practical commentary on these aḥādīth of Al-Imām al-Nawawī’s collection. It further discusses relative contemporary issues that they shed light upon. Explanations from classical scholars are also mentioned. Wherever relevant, a respective ḥadīth is connected with real life situations and practical implications to current times. It is hoped that this commentary will lead the Muslim to better understand and practice the aḥādīth in his or her life.

The Life of Al-Imām al-Nawawī;

⁵

Muḥyi Ad-Dīn Abū Zakariyya Yaḥya bin Abī Yaḥya Sharaf bin Murri bin Ḥussain bin Muḥammad bin Jamaʼa bin Ḥizām al-Ḥazāmī was born in the month of Muḥarram 631A.H.⁶/1233CE in the village of Nawa in the Ḥawrān district (south of Damascus). He spent his early childhood under the supervision and guidance of his father. Although his family was of humble origin and unconnected with the ʼulamāʹ class, his father was well known in the area for his piety, asceticism, honesty, and simple living. According to Al-Imām al-Dhahabī⁷, he was a blessed sheikh, and Al-Sakhawī⁸ reports that on his death, prayers were offered even by those who were not able to attend the funeral, clearly a mark of great respect. Perhaps it was the ascetic tendencies of his father and the atmosphere of the home which influenced and shaped his personality.

We are fortunate to have some account of Al-Imām al-Nawawī’s early life recorded by his pupils and contemporaries. In particular, ʼAlaudin Ibn ʼAṭṭār⁹ who had lived with Al-Imām al-Nawawī travelled to his village to collect information about him from those who knew him. All the sources ascribed to him the type of background that one expects from a great scholar.

His Childhood

As a child, Al-Imām al-Nawawī was sent to the village mosque to learn the Qurʹān, to which he applied himself diligently. In his free time, he would attend to the shop of his father, Al-Sheikh Sharaf. However, he did not take a great interest in the shop as his energy was devoted to his studies. His inclinations and activities in childhood seemed to show that he was destined for great achievement. One day, he was noted crying because his peers were forced him to play with them taking him away from the recitation of the Qurʹān. This unique incident was indeed a sign that he was a unique child. 

At approximately eighteen years of age in the year 649 A.H., Al-Nawawī was brought by his father to Damascus to study. At that time, Damascus was the center of religious and academic activities, to which students from all over the Islāmic world came to study. This must have been an extraordinary experience for this village youth fond of knowledge to be at the center of learning and scholarship. It was customary for new students to go to the mosques, the likes of Jāmiʼ al-Umawī¹⁰ to look for teacher to begin one’s studies along with a place to live. Following this tradition, Al-Nawawī went to the mosque and explained his plans and ambitions to the khatīb of the mosque, Al-Sheikh Ibn ʼAbdul-Malik bin ʼAbdil-Kafi al-Rab’i. This sheikh guided the young student to the circle of the Mufti of Syria, Ibn Firkah¹¹ who became Al-Nawawī’s first teacher.

His Student Life

Having settled in Rawaḥiyya,¹² Al-Imām al-Nawawī began his studies, and acquired a reputation for a great desire for knowledge. He is reported to have said, I have spent two years without stretching out to sleep even for a moment. Al-Dhahabī says that Al-Nawawī was an example to his contemporaries because of his concentration on his studies day and night. This was typified by his neglect of sleep except when he was overcome by it, his punctuality in attending classes, diligence in taking notes, and his perseverance in visiting teachers. Qutb al-Yuninī¹³ mentioned that he always kept himself busy memorizing, repeating what he had memorized and thinking about academics even while walking. Al-Nawawī would continue this life-style for six years. Once when questioned by one of his students Badr bin Jamaʼa¹⁴ about his disdain for sleep, he replied, When I am overcome by sleep I lay my head upon the books for a moment and then wake up. 

He was so dedicated to his studies that he used to attend an astonishing twelve classes a day. This covered practically the full spectrum of subjects included in the syllabus at that time. Al-Nawawī stated, I wrote everything relating to those subjects, clarification of the ambiguous points, elucidation of the text, and vocalization of the words, and Allahh blessed me with grace regarding my time and activities, and helped me to overcome these difficulties.

His Teachers

Al-Imām al-Nawawī maintained a special attitude towards his teachers. He always praised them and mentioned them with reverence. Whenever he spoke about his academic achievements, he remembered with great respect his first sheikh, Ibn Firkah. Ibn Firkah introduced him to the study circle of Abū Ibrāhīm Isḥāq al-Maghribī with whom Al-Nawawī stayed for a longer period and benefited from the most. Al-Nawawī described his stay with Al-Sheikh Maghribī:

I started commenting and textual criticism in the presence of Al-Sheikh Maghribī; I followed him assiduously to his admiration. When he saw the dedication to my studies and my abstinence from social interaction, he favored me and made me his teaching assistant.

As it was customary for a student to learn various sciences with the specialists of their fields, Al-Nawawī studied ḥadīth, fiqh, language, and theology with teachers of high repute. He was able to provide the isnād of his shuyūkh in fiqh, through Al-Imām al-Shāfiʼī all the way to the Prophet.

During his stay at Damascus, he studied from more than twenty celebrated teachers¹⁵. These teachers were regarded as masters and authorities of the sciences that they taught. Al-Nawawī studied ḥadīth, fiqh, grammar, and etymology from these great scholars of his time. 

Al-Imām al-Nawawī’s greatest contribution to Islāmic scholarship was in the field of ḥadīth. His biographers record that he studied under at least fourteen ḥadīth scholars. He studied from Abū Isḥāq Ibrāhīm bin ʼĪsa al-Muradi al-Andalūsī (died 668 A.H.) for whom he says: A pious ascetic, he was an authority on ḥadīth. I have been with him for ten years and have not witnessed a single undesirable action on his part. My eyes have not seen so perfect a scholar in my life. He studied the complete text of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim with Abū Isḥāq Ibrāhīm bin ʼAlī al-Wāsiṭī. Another of his teachers was Abū al-Faraj bin Aḥmad al-Maqdīsī (died 682 A.H.), who was a leading figure of ḥadīth at the time. There were several other notable teachers that he learned ḥadīth from¹⁶.

His Students

After finishing his studies, Al-Imām al-Nawawī started teaching and spent the remainder of his academic life in Rawaḥiyya¹⁷. His education essentially became a preparation for his later role as a teacher and subsequently, a prolific author. Al-Imām al-Nawawī took his place in the unbroken chain of authority stretching from the Prophet himself to the present day Muslim community.

Another quality that shines in the life of Al-Imām al-Nawawī was his exceptional ascetic quality. Al-Imām al-Dhahabī commented that he spent the money allocated for his teaching salary on books which he then presented to the Dār al-Ḥadīth al-Ashrafiyyah¹⁸. Ibn Duqmāq¹⁹ adds that he used to leave his entire salary with the controller of the Dār al-Ḥadīth, later donating it. It appears that Al-Nawawī initially accepted money, but later refused all financial recompense for teaching, and managed to live on what his father sent to him from the village. Biographers also note that he went to the extent of refusing material gifts and even meals offered to him by invitation.

Al-Imām al-Nawawī, like other renowned Muslim scholars, had a very wide circle of students, numbering in the hundreds. His devoted pupil, Ibn al-ʼAṭṭār, reported that a great number attended his classes. Among them were well known ʼulamāʹ, ḥuffāẓ, leaders, and ministers. Many of his graduates became accepted fuqahāʹ, and his knowledge and formal legal opinions were accepted throughout the entire Muslim world. Al-Imām al-Nawawī had literally hundreds of students. Among them the following notable names:

Alauddīn bin ʼAṭṭār, Shamsuddīn Muḥammad bin Abū Bakr

Abūl Faraj ʼAbdur-Raḥmān bin Muḥammad bin ‛Abdul-Ḥamid al-Maqdisī

Abū ʼAbdullah al-Ḥanbalī , Abūl ʼAbbās al-Wāsiṭī

Abūl-Ḥajjāj Yūsuf bin ʼAbdur-Raḥmān al-Mizzī

Rashid Ismaʼīl bin Muʼallim al-Ḥanafī

Abūl-ʼAbbās Aḥmad bin Farah

Al-Badr Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm bin Saʼd Allah bin Jama’a

Al-Imām al-Nawawī had other notable students as well. Some of these are listed below²⁰.

His Contributions and Works

Al-Imām al-Nawawī, like other great scholars, was well-versed in all aspects of scholarship. He in addition to the field of ḥadīth also made special contributions to fiqh, philosophy, linguistics, and theology. It had been rare among scholars to combine aḥādīth and fiqh. Al-Imām al-Nawawī was a notable exception. He took special training from one authority, Abū Isḥāq Ibrāhīm bin ʼĪsa al-Muradī al-Andalūsī. With him, he studied Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, most of Al-Bukhārī’s Al-Jāmi’ al-Ṣaḥīḥ,²¹ and a portion of Al-Ḥūmaydī’s Al-Jāmiʼ Bayna al-Ṣaḥīḥayn.²² Al-Imām al-Nawawī’s Sharḥ of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim is the standard reference for this unique aḥādīth collection while his Al-Minhaj is used for the study of fiqh.

Scholars of great repute praised him as a muḥaddith and paid tribute to his scholarship to the field. Al-Dhahabī stated that Al-Imām al-Nawawī combined the qualities of an ascetic with the qualities of a ḥāfiẓ of aḥādīth and its sciences. He knew the qualities of their narrators and was fully aware of their soundness and defectiveness. His student Ibn al-ʼAṭṭār said that he was a ḥāfiẓ of the aḥādīth, being most conversant in all their categories, their soundness and defects, uncommon words, correct meaning, legal deductions, and implications.

Although he prepared his own selections of aḥādīth, his main contribution was in the field of explanation and the utilization of aḥādīth for legal and ethical purposes. Studying all the basic sources in aḥādīth, he acquired the position of a mujtahid in the field. His deep understanding of aḥādīth can be seen by his statement regarding the sciences of aḥādīth. He said:

"The most important of all the categories of sciences is the understanding of the traditions of the Prophet, I mean the knowledge of the text, its soundness, fairness, and weakness, its unbroken chain, its broken one, what is suspended, changed, famous, isolated, accepted, commonly transmitted, single, acknowledged, shādh²³(anomalous), doubtful, inserted, abrogating and abrogated, specific and general, ambiguous, clear, inconsistent, and other well know categories".

A cursory glance over the list of his works shows us his vast knowledge of the various branches of Islāmic sciences. Al-Imām al-Nawawī’s contributions to ḥadīth include the following works:

Arbaʼūn [الأربعون النووية]

Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn [رياض الصالحين]

Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim [شرح صحيح مسلم]

Sharḥ Sunan Abī Dawūd [شرح سنن أبي داود]

Tahdhīb-al-Asma was-Ṣifāt [تهذيب الأسماء والصّفاة]

Mukhtaṣar al-Tirmidhī [مختصر سنن الترمذي]

Al-Taqrīb wal-Taysīr fi Ma’rifāh Sunan al-Bashīr wal-Nadhīr [التقريب والتيسير لمعرفة سنن البشير النذير]

Al-Adhkār al-Muntakhab min Kalām Sayyid al-Abrār

[الأذكار المنتخب من كلام سيد الأبرار]

Al-Irshād fi Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth [الإرشاد في أصول الحديث]

Al-Khulaṣa fiAḥādīth al-Aḥkām [الخلاصة في أحاديث الأحكام]

Al-Imām al-Nawawī also made substantial contributions to the study of fiqh. His works are considered authentic sources for Shāfiʼī²⁴ legal thought and considered the standard reference for jurisprudence and fiqh decisions. His contribution to the field of fiqh is reflected from these following works:

Al-Minhāj [المنهاج]

Muhimmatul-Aḥkām [مهمّة الأحكام]

Ar-Rawḍah [الروضة]

Al-Iḍah fil-Manāsik [الإيضاح في المناسك]

Ᾱdāb al-Mufti wal-Mustafti [آداب الفتوى والمفتي والمستفتي]

Al-Majmūʼ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab [المجموع شرح المهذب]

Daqāʼiq al-Minhāj war-Rawḥah [دقائق المنهاج و الروحة]

Sharḥ al-Wasīṭ[شرح الوشيط]

Al-Masā’il al-Manthurah[المسائل المنثورة]

Masā’il Takhmis al-Ghamā’im[مسائل تخميس الغنائم]

Tuḥfat al-Ṭāliban-Nabīh[تحفة الطالب النبيه]

Al-Uṣūl wal-Ḍawābit[الأصول والضوابط]

Al-Taḥqīq fil-Fiqh [التحقيق في الفقه]

Ṭabaqāt al-Fuqahā’[طبقات الفقهاء]

Although his main contribution was in the fields of ḥadīth, fiqh and lughah, he also wrote works in other fields. Below are given some of his works which do not fall under the categories mentioned previously.

Al-Tibyān fi Ādāb Ḥamalat al-Qurʹān[التبيان في آداب حملة القرآن]

Bustān al-ʼArifīn [بستان العارفين]

Manāqib al-Shāfiʼī[مناقب الشافعي]

Mukhtaṣar Asad al-Gābah[مختصر أسد الغابة]

Mukhtaṣar al-Tadhnib[مختصر التذنيب]

Al-Tarkhīs fil-Ikrām bil-Qiyām[الترخيص في الإكرام بالقيام]

Al-Imām al-Nawawī had an endless thirst for knowledge. He used to read twelve lessons daily and wrote commentaries on every lesson. For whatever books he read, he would write marginal notes and explanations. His intelligence, hard work, love, devotion, and absorption in his studies amazed his teachers. They became fond of him and began to praise and admire him. He was blessed by Allahh with the gift of fast memorization and deep thought. These great qualities of scholarship were coupled with a life of exceptional piety, righteousness, and simplicity.

Al-Imām al-Nawawī made full benefit of his God given qualities and potentialities, and earned the highest degree of honor. He lived a very short life. Yet, remarkably during this short period, he had written a large number of books on different subjects. Each work of his has been recognized as a valuable treasure of knowledge by the ummah. After more than twenty years, Al-Imām al-Nawawī returned to his hometown of Nawa. Soon after his arrival, he fell ill and died on the 24th of Rajab, 676 A.H (1278 AD) at the age of forty-four. May Allahh bless him and grant him mercy and forgiveness.

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Al-Imām al-Nawawī’s Introduction to the Arbaʼūn

All Praise is to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, the Only Provider and Sustainer of the heavens and earth. The Mastermind of all the creatures, the Sender of the Messengers to all the adolescents in order to guide them, and offer elucidation on the canons of the religion (Islām), with clear cut evidence and explicit peremptory proofs. Praise unto Him for all His grace and I ask Him for more of His bounty and generosity. And I bear witness that there is no god with no partners, the Only One God, The Supreme Mighty, the Glorious, the Forgiving, and I bear witness that the Prophet Muḥammad is His slave, His messenger, His beloved, and His intimate friend, the best of all creatures, who was honored with the Glorious Qurʹān, the everlasting miracle which will remain forever, and for many years to come, it will continue to be an illuminating guidance for those that seek it. Our master Muḥammad was endowed with an idiosyncrasy reflected in his proprioceptive concise speech and religious tolerance, may Allah’s blessings be upon him and all other Prophets and Messengers, and all of their families, and the remaining of the righteous.

Then, it has been narrated from ʼAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, and ʼAbdullah bin Masʼūd, and Mu’ādh bin Jabal, and Abū Dardāʹ, and Ibn ʼUmar, Ibn ʼAbbās and Anas bin Mālik, Abū Hurairah and Abū Saʼīd al-Khudrī, and many other chains of narrations with many marvelous varieties of narrations that, indeed the Messenger of Allah said that: Whoever safeguard or document forty ḥadīth for my ummah on the issues of their religious matters, he shall be resurrected on the Day of Judgment in the congregation of scholars and the knowledgeable. In another narration: Allah shall resurrect him as a jurist (faqīh), knowledgeable. In the narration of Abī Dardāʹ: I shall be his intercessor and a witness on the Day of Resurrection. Further, in the narration of Ibn Masʼūd He would be told that: ‘Enter any of the doors of Paradise that you wish’. In the narration of Ibn ʼUmar: He shall be included among the scholars and shall be resurrected in the group of martyrs. And nonetheless, the experts in the field of ḥadīth agreed that the ḥadīth is weak although it has many chains.

The scholarsf have compiled countless works or treatise on this subject (Forty Ḥadīth). Hence, the first person I knew that authored book on this was ʼAbdullah bin Mubārak, then Muḥammad ibn Aslam al-Ṭūsī (knowledgeable about religious canon), then Ḥasan ibn Sufyān al-Nasā’ī, and Abū Bakr al-Jurrī, and Abū Bakr ibn Ibrāhīm al-Aṣfahānī, and Dāraquṭnī, Al-Ḥākim, and Abū Naʼīm, Abū ʼAbdul Raḥmān al-Sulamī, and Abū Saʼīd al-Mālīnī, and Abū Uthmān, al-Ṣābūnī, and ʼAbdullah bin Muḥammad al-Anṣārī, and Abū Bakr al-Baihaqī, and many others among the predecessors and successors. Indeed, Allah the Almighty has made it possible for me to compile forty ḥadīth by imitating the footsteps of the sagacious, versatile, and eminent experts of ḥadīth in Islām. 

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Verily, scholars have agreed that it is permissible to use the weak ḥadīth on motivational actions or virtues, in spite of this, this is not my reliance on this ḥadīth, but on saying of the Prophet in the authentic narration which goes thus: For the present who witnesses his speech should convey to the absentee. And also the Prophet’s saying that: May Allahh bless a person that listens to my words, and imbibes it and conveys it exactly the way he heard it. Then, there are many scholars who compiled forty ḥadīth on the fundamentals of Islām, some of them in the branches, some in jihād, some in asceticism, some in arts and literature, and some of them in speeches, all these are good purposes and may Almighty Allah reward good intention. 

I see a (new) collection of forty ḥadīth as the most important of all these. These are forty ḥadīth containing all these aspects, and each ḥadīth from them is a great base of religious rules or tenets. Scholars have described (regarding each ḥadīth) that Islām revolves around them, or they considered as half of Islām, or a one-third of it, and the like. Then, I will ensure these forty ḥadīth as being authentic. Most are from the authentic books of Al-Bukhārī and Muslim. And I shall mention them with omission of the chains of narrations in order to make its memorization easy and encompass overall benefit by Allah’s grace. Then, I follow it with a chapter of precision and inherent wordings. It is important for everyone hoping for reward in the Hereafter to know all these aḥādīth for all-inclusive importance; and it (the collection) contains the warning on all acts of worship, so that it is apparent to those who ponder over it. And unto Allah, the Almighty I rely and to Him, I direct my mandate and my request, and all Glory and Blessing belong to Him alone, and with Him success is ascertained and protection is guaranteed.

Al-Nawawī

Ḥadīth 1 - Actions are by Intentions

Introduction

This ḥadīth is considered to be one of the greatest ḥadīth in Islām. According to Al-Imām al-Shāfiʼī;, this ḥadīth is one third of the knowledge of Islām being related to over seventy topics of fiqh²⁶. This ḥadīth was expressed by the Prophet, at the time when a man migrated from Makkah to Madīnah during the Hijrah for the sake of marrying a woman²⁷. 

Niyyah or intention has two meanings:

The intention before performing an ʼibādah (an act of worship such as prayer, fasting, etc.)

The willingness of performing an action

In this ḥadīth, the Prophet, starts with the principle Actions are by intentions, and then gives three practical examples. This is a methodology used by the Prophet when conveying certain Islāmic principles. Examples help illustrate the principle so that it is easier for people to understand it, and so that they can apply it to other situations. The three examples consist of: (1) a single good intention (migration for the sake of Allahh and His Messenger) and (2) two inferior intentions (migration for the sake of worldly gains or marriage).

Lessons

Ikhlāṣ - Sincerity to Allahh

This ḥadīth emphasizes the importance of ikhlāṣ, or sincerity. This is to be truthful and honest with Allahh, performing an act solely for His sake whereby no other entity or thing is sought. Ikhlāṣ is the major condition for the acceptance of good deeds. This ḥadīth is therefore a criterion to help Muslims evaluate and judge what they do and say "as an ʼibādah" in their daily lives. The other condition is that actions must be done in accordance with the Sharīʼah (Islāmic Law) as is explained in Ḥadīth 5. 

The interdependence of these two conditions is illustrated in the Shahādah (declaration of faith). Its first statement I bear witness that there is no god but Allah is ikhlāṣ ensuring that our actions are for the sake of Allahh alone. The second part of the Shahādah, I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah is the Sunnah. These are the sayings, actions, and affirmations of the Prophet - which in turn are really the manifestation of the Qurʹān itself. The Prophet is our model and the best example to follow. Following his Sunnah in our ʼibādah, akhlāq (ethics), and muʼāmalāt (dealings) ensures that we are acting in accordance with the Sharīʼah. Thus, the Shahādah shows us that the conditions for performing an action and its acceptance are that:

Developing and Preserving Ikhlāṣ

There are various ways in which we can gain or increase our ikhlāṣ. These are the following:

Checking the niyyah - Al-Imām Aḥmad²⁸said: "Before you do