While seeking assistance and blessings by every name of Allaah—the Possessor of Limitless Mercy, the Bestower of Mercy—I begin. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger. May Allaah grant commendation and protection to His Messenger as well as to the Messenger’s family, Companions, and followers.

To begin preparing these discussion notes for selected portions of the existing English book entitled “Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi,” I returned to the book during the Summer 2026 academic term, which was 24 years after I read it. By Allaah’s kindness and favour, He enabled me to begin learning some things about Islaam and the Arabic language from a few teachers in Toronto towards the end of September 2001; and Allaah enabled me to acquire the aforementioned book in 2002, which was still quite early in my development as a student of Islaam. My respected and beloved father supported me materially and financially, and it was through him that Allaah enabled me to acquire the book. I implore Allaah to reward my father immensely for looking out for me throughout life; and I implore Allaah to grant my father continued wellbeing, to grant him lasting cure from any of the less-than-positive things he might feel on some days, and to grant him continued steadfastness in adhering to the path of Islaam (striving to submit to Allaah inwardly and outwardly, in the manner prescribed by Allaah). 

When I read this book over the course of the Summer 2002 academic term, I had finished my second year in York University’s Information Technology undergraduate program and I was enrolled in some courses at university during that summer as well. After reading the book back then, I do not recall reading it again or returning to it in any significant way until now. In addition, since that time—especially from early 2007 until late 2024—Allaah enabled me to acquire a basic grasp of the Arabic language and to learn a bit more about Islaam than I knew back then. During a number of those past years, my copy of the book had been in the home of my dear younger brother Bilal Khalil; and I pray that Allaah protects him—as well as his household and family—from all harms, and I pray that Allaah keeps all of them strong and well inwardly and outwardly. 

At my request, our brother Bilal returned the book to me in mid-2025 so that I could try to have a look at it, and I ended up thinking that it might be useful for us to read and discuss some selections from it. In preparing the selections, I plan to incorporate some suggested amendments in various places; sometimes due to comparing translated meanings and passages in the book with their original Arabic sources, and sometimes due to word choices that I prefer based on how scholars of Islaam explain various concepts and terms in Arabic. The edition of the book that I will use was published in 3 volumes by the “Al-Basheer Company for Publications and Translations” during 1999. We implore Allaah to grant us correctness and acceptance regarding our intentions, statements, and actions.

- Note read by Aboo Shaybah on 14 June 2026 at the home of Umm Bilal (aunt of al-Ustaathah Umm Ilyaas), in the presence of several of our esteemed brothers in Islaam, including my father and Bilal.

Imam al-Nawawi's Life

Before commenting on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi, it would be proper to introduce Imam al-Nawawi to the reader. It is important for Muslims to take the time to learn about the lives of the pious predecessors. The great scholars and pious individuals of the past can be great examples for the living… Their examples demonstrate that in every age, there were pious Muslims who followed the way of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) and his noble Companions, without compromise and without giving into the {influence} of {factors in} this world {that can lead people to disobey Allah}. They demonstrate to the Muslims of today that the guidance of the Quran and hadith was sufficient for them to lead their lives in manners pleasing to Allah… Today, Muslims face many of the same problems, temptations and difficulties that these pious predecessors faced. The pious predecessors read and intensely studied the Quran and hadith to attain guidance for their lives. They applied the Quran and sunnah in their lives under various circumstances. What they derived from the Divine Guidance should be considered a light for all of those who come after them who face circumstances similar to theirs… The goal here is to be brief. Therefore, only some aspects of his life will be highlighted…

{A Bit About His Early Life and His Learning:} The Seventh Century of Islam was a very turbulent time, especially for the area of Sham ("Greater Syria")… By the grace and mercy of Allah, these turbulent times did not mean the end of lslamic studies for the inhabitants of that area… {O}ne does not find a shortage of scholars and learning even during that turbulent century of lslamic history… 

{أَبُو زَكَرِيَّا} Abu Zakariya {يَحْيَى بْنُ شَرَفٍ…النَّوَوِيُّ} Yahya ibn Sharaf…al-Nawawi was born in 631 A.H. (1233 C.E.) in the village of {نَوَى} Nawa, south of Damascus, Syria. Coming from Nawa, he is given the descriptive name {النَّوَوِيُّ} al-Nawawi, which is also sometimes written {النَّوَاوِيُّ} al-Nawaawi… 

From his youth, Yahya al-Nawawi was not attracted to sports or playing… From an early age, he turned his attention to his studies… It is not surprising then that he memorized the Quran at an early age. At the age of eighteen, his father took him to Damascus to continue his studies… He performed the pilgrimage to Makkah, visited Madinah and other locations but then returned to Damascus to continue his studies. He remained in Damascus until just prior to his death, when he returned to his hometown of Nawa… 

{A}t the age of 24, he began teaching at the Ashrafiyah school. His reputation and excellence as a scholar began to be recognized by the scholars and inhabitants of Damascus. His pursuit of knowledge dominated his entire life. He would put all of his time into studying, learning and teaching. It is even stated that he would not sleep except when sleep would overtake him. He would rest on his book and sleep for a little, then…upon awakening {he would} continue studying. He once said about himself, "I spent two years without lying on the ground [to sleep] on my side." That is, he would always study and write until {sleep} overtook {him} while in a sitting position… He would not waste any moment of the day or night but he would spend it busy with attaining knowledge. Even when he {was} walking in the streets he {would} be busy going over what he had {memorized} and reviewing his notes. He continued gaining knowledge in that way for a period of six years… 

Al-Nawawi desired to live a simple and pure life, although it would have been possible for him to live otherwise, given his teaching position and influence… He did not accept a stipend for his teaching. It seems that he may have accepted money for the first year or two. That money that he did receive, he would spend on books that were left as endowments after him. However, after that time, he refused to accept any money whatsoever for his services. One material possession of this world that al-Nawawi did have was books. In general, a student is greatly in need of books. He is perhaps as much in need of books {as} he is of food and water… It seems clear, though, that al-Nawawi's goal was not simply to possess a large library. His books were not for decoration or display. Instead, he benefited greatly from those works and, from his lectures and writings, numerous people have benefited from them since then…

{An Aspect of His Personal Life:} Al-Nawawi is one of the famous scholars throughout history who never married…Different explanations are offered as to why al-Nawawi remained single… Some may point to the fact that he did not have the means to wed. It does seem obvious that he never had the means to marry. However, this might have been due to his personal choice. It seems just as obvious that if he wanted to, he could have obtained such means by, for example, receiving a salary for his teaching… It is {also} possible that he did not marry because he feared that he would not be able to fulfill the rights of his wife and, therefore, he would be displeasing Allah. Allah states that women have {various} rights {that must be fulfilled towards them, just as there are various rights that they must fulfil towards others}. The household is like a small society with the husband being the head of that society. Hence, he is in a very serious position with a great deal of responsibility on his shoulders… If that was the reason that al-Nawawi did not get married, it may have been extreme on his part. However, it is a lesson that all husbands should take note of: marriage is not a laughing matter but it is a very serious relationship that Allah will hold one responsible for on the Day of Judgment. In fact, al-Nawawi was once told that marriage is a great sunnah and it is perhaps the only sunnah that he had not fulfilled. His reply was, "I fear that I may follow one sunnah and thereby get involved in many forbidden acts"… 

There is a lesson in this for many of the young Muslim men of today, especially those living in non-Muslim societies. They find themselves looking at women, which is forbidden, and therefore they think that the only solution is to get married. However, they are neither financially, emotionally or mentally ready for marriage—they are only physically ready to get married. They then get married but since they were not ready for marriage, they end up wronging their wives. Many times they beat their wives. Other times they force their wives to work and support the family when that is the responsibility of the husband. Such marriages often end up in divorce—many times after children have arrived. Hence, instead of correcting themselves by fasting and other means, they get married. They end up hurting their wives, their communities who are usually called in to solve the problems{,} and the children who grow up in broken homes or in a confused state. All of this is because they do not realize that they may be avoiding one sin by marriage, but they end up committing many others…

{His} Beliefs and Creed (Aqeedah){:} There is no question that the correct and only true form of Islam is that of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him), his Companions and those who follow their path. This can be proven from many verses of the Quran and hadith. This path is also known as the way of the salaf or pious forefathers of Islam. This methodology has always been present… 

Before discussing al-Nawawi's views, it is proper to mention the correct approach to the attributes of Allah. The correct approach coming from the Salaf is that whatever Allah has stated about Himself or whatever the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) has stated about Him is accepted as true and stated clearly, without any need for reinterpretation. (This reinterpretation is known as {تَأْوِيلٌ} taweel.) For example, if Allah states that He has a hand, then it is {to be accepted} that He has a hand. It is not to be understood that "hand" here stands for power, mercy or any other kind of interpretation. At the same time, though, it is understood that, as Allah has made clear in the Quran, there is none like…Allah. Therefore, if Allah has a hand, it is not like a human hand. Instead, it is a hand that is becoming of His Majesty and Godliness…

{In} his commentary on Sahih Muslim…al-Nawawi…would sometimes resort to taweel, sometimes he would leave the meaning of an attribute to Allah ({تَفْوِيضٌ} tafweedh) and other times he would remain silent… Tafweedh implies recording the wording as it is and then stating that the meaning of the word is known only to Allah and has no understandable meaning to humans… al-Nawawi sometimes made taweel; sometimes he rejected taweel; sometimes he made tafweedh. On most other matters related to aqeedah, however, he followed the ways and beliefs of the Salaf… 

What then should be one's stance towards al-Nawawi{? A}fter all, such taweel are definitely heresies and go against the way of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him)… Some people flee from him and all of his writings because he made taweel on some occasions… Others take and follow what he said even if it goes against the way of the Quran, sunnah and the Companions. Both of these approaches are incorrect and very dangerous… Not every mistake in the realm of aqeedah means that the person must be condemned or implies that he is a heretic. Indeed, there is a difference between a heresy ({بِدْعَة} bidah) and a heretic ({مُبْتَدِع} mubtadi)… Perhaps a person may be forgiven by Allah for a mistake he made in matters of aqeedah… A person may be known for his calling to the sunnah and the way of the Prophet and his Companions. He may also be clear that one must always obey the Quran and sunnah and there is no room for compromise or following others when they differ from the Quran and sunnah. This may be something that echoes throughout his writings and speeches. Even if someone sincerely wishes to stick to that path, it is possible for him to make mistakes. It is hoped that Allah will forgive him for his mistakes while, at the same time, it is recognized that it is not acceptable to follow or accept those mistakes he made…

His School of Fiqh{:} In the realm of fiqh, al-Nawawi was a {specialist in} the Shafi'ee school {of Islamic law}… Al-Nawawi was a great faqeeh or jurist. However…he did not have such an allegiance to his school of fiqh that he would continue to follow that school even if its views contradicted the Quran and sunnah. In fact, that is not the meaning of being a faqeeh or jurist whatsoever. Instead, it means to understand and derive the laws of {Islam} directly from the Quran and sunnah… Furthermore, he had a great love for the hadith of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). He was much better grounded in the hadith of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) than many of the other jurists. This, in the long run, made him a superior jurist also…

His Writings{:} There are three aspects that definitely stand out concerning al-Nawawi's writings. The first aspect is how accepted and appreciated his writings are. The second aspect is how much al-Nawawi was able to write in a fairly short period of time. The third aspect {is} al-Nawawi's clarity of expression, conciseness and comprehensiveness. 

Concerning the {acceptance of his writings}… Allah has made his writings appreciated and accepted among the people. Hundreds, in fact thousands, of scholars have compiled collections of forty hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but none of them have had the acceptance and approval like that of The Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi… {H}undreds of scholars have written commentaries on Sahih Muslim but never have had the fame of Sharh al-Imaam al-Nawawi, known as {الْمِنْهَاجْ فِي شَرْحِ صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجْ} al-Minhaaj fi Sharh Saheeh Muslim ibn al-Hajaaj. The same is true for the remainder of his writings. Upon al-Nawawi be the mercy and pleasure of Allah.

Concerning the {scope and amount of his writings}, al-Nawawi died at the relatively young age of 44. He started writing in the year 663 or 664. Hence, in a span of twelve or thirteen years, he compiled some of the most important works in the history of Islam… It was said that he wrote a notebook full every day of his writing career. This is proof, once again, that his time was truly blessed and he spent all of his waking moments- and almost all of his moments- writing, researching and spreading his knowledge. In fact, it is said about him that he would continue writing until his hand would hurt him so much that he could not write any more.

Concerning his style of writing… Al-Nawawi wrote about various topics. His writings were distinguished by their clarity {and} easy expressions… When he gave a topic a thorough treatment, he would not leave {any} detail, narration or important point out. If he dealt with something in an abridged {manner}, he would bring out what was interesting and wonderful…

His Students{:} Besides his writings…al-Nawawi cast his influence over numerous students. He taught for many years and many people benefited from him. Some of his better known students include {اِبْنُ الْعَطَّارِ} ibn al-Attar, the great scholar of hadith {جَمَالُ الدِّينِ الْمِزِّيُّ} Jamaal al-Deen al-Mizzi, {and الْبَدْرُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَمَاعَةَ} al-Badr Muhammad ibn Jamaah…

His Death{:} Shortly before al-Nawawi's death, he returned to his hometown of Nawa… After a short period of time in Nawa, he fell ill and passed away. He died on the 24th of Rajab, 676 A.H. (1277 CE). He died at the age of forty-four. However, by the grace and mercy of Allah, his accomplishments during his short life span were equal to or greater than many who lived even twice as long as he did. May Allah reward him greatly for all of his efforts and striving for the sake of Allah… As his student ibn al-Attar mentioned and as is clear from his commentary on Sahih Muslim, he wished that his grave would be according to the sunnah. That is, it was to be leveled and not prominent. However, the people—perhaps one could say the ignorant people- refused that. They wanted to make his grave site prominent and a place for visitation. They decided to build a dome over his grave. However, Allah willed that al-Nawawi's wish be fulfilled. Every time they tried to build something over his grave, it was destroyed. His grave, after many attempts, was finally left flat, slightly marked and according to the sunnah.

{Foreword from other than the author of the Commentary}

al-Nawawi's Forty Hadith…are known to be among the most important sayings of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him)...  

Many readers will, I am sure, be surprised to discover, after reading a commentary on one of the hadith, how meager their knowledge of the hadith was before they read the commentary and how wrong they were in assuming that their meager knowledge was all that was to be gotten from the hadith…  the reader will not be studying explanations of the hadith in a narrow sense; the reader will, in fact, be introduced to many branches of the Islamic sciences…  It is sometimes better to study these sciences in contexts like these than to study them in isolation in textbooks. Such contextual study makes it easier for the learner to remember the rules, to apply them and also to recall them whenever he reads the texts in whose context he studied them.

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Author's Introduction 

The Quran and the sunnah are the sources of guidance for every Muslim. The sunnah consists of the Prophet Muhammad's own statements, own deeds and others' acts that he approved of tacitly. Perhaps, the most important of those three aspects are his statements. These statements are captured in the authentic hadith literature. Therefore, the authentic hadith, along with the Quran, constitute the basic source of guidance for every Muslim until the Day of Judgment…  

{T}he Prophet's speech was something special. With just a few words, he could convey many truths. His words have deep meanings to them that the layman may be unable or unqualified to derive. Therefore, he must turn to what the scholars have stated in explaining such important words of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him)... Throughout the ages, Muslim scholars have written commentaries on hadith that have highlighted other relevant texts in order for the reader to get a complete picture of what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said… {C}ommentaries fill an important gap and take the reader from a basic understanding of the words of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) to a deep and comprehensive understanding…  

Al-Nawawi has done an excellent job of collecting together a small number of vital hadith of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). These hadith are considered some of the most comprehensive and important hadith for the individual Muslim. Allah willing, if a Muslim truly understands these hadith and implements them in his life, his path to Paradise will be made easy. That is why they need to be understood in detail, in the light of the explanations by scholars throughout history. 

The goal of this work, therefore, is to present in English a detailed explanation, based upon well-known commentaries, of these very important hadith. The method that will be followed is the following: First, {1} the {Arabic} text of the hadith with {2} an English translation shall be presented. Then {3} a selected vocabulary of the Arabic text will be given, in the hopes that this may aid those who are trying to learn and understand Arabic. {4} The sources for the hadith and {5} the "grade" of the hadith will then be given. After that will follow {6} a brief discussion of the life of the Companion who narrated the hadith. Then {7} each portion of the hadith will be discussed in some detail, with an emphasis on points that help one understand and apply the hadith properly in his or her life. After that will come {8} some related points that can be derived from the hadith. Finally, there will be {9} a short summary of the main points of the hadith.

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Commentary on Al-Nawawi's Introduction

{الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينْ} All praise is due to Allah, the {One Supreme} Lord {over all of creation}, {قَيُّومِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرَضِينْ} the [One who] Sustains the Heavens and the Earths, {مُدَبِّرِ الْخَلَائِقِ أَجْمَعِينْ} {the} Director of all that is created.

Al-Nawawi always began his works with praises of Allah… {T}he  Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) began his {خُطْبَةُ الْحَاجَةِ} khutbah al-haajah with the praise of Allah… One should also mention the testimony of faith {(i.e. the Shahaadah)} in the opening of one's speech. Al-Nawawi does this later in this introduction. This is based on what is recorded from Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah ({blessings and} peace be upon him) said,..."Every speech that does not include the testimony of faith is like a hand that has been cut off [that is, without any benefit]." This hadith…is {authentic at the level of} hasan or sahih. The testimony of faith, of course, forms part of the khutbah al-haajah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught his Companions…

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{بَاعِثِ الرُّسُلِ -صَلَوَاتُهُ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِمْ- إِلَى الْمُكَلَّفِينْ} {[All praise is due to Allah]} who sent the messengers (peace and…blessings of Allah be upon all of them) to {all individuals who are accountable to Allah for their actions}, {لِهِدَايَتِهمْ وَبَيَانِ شَرَائِعِ الدِّينْ} to guide them and explain the religious laws to them {بِالدَّلَائِلِ الْقَطْعِيَّةِ وَوَاضِحَاتِ الْبَرَاهِينْ} with clear proofs and undeniable arguments.

In this passage, guidance is in reference "to showing the straight path". The prophets and messengers showed mankind the straight path and it is up to the individual to choose to follow that path or not. However…the guidance or {acceptance} that is actually put into {people's} hearts, cannot come from the prophets, for it is a bounty that comes from Allah only. Hence, there are two distinct types of guidance. One is guidance in the sense of showing another person what is the correct path to follow while the other is guidance in the sense of giving a person {acceptance} in his heart.

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{أَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى جَمِيعِ نِعَمِهِ} I praise Him for all of His bounties. {وَأَسْأَلُهُ الْمَزِيدَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَكَرَمِهِ} I ask Him to increase His grace and generosity.

This is a general characteristic that one finds in the beginning of almost all of al-Nawawi's works…he fully recognized that the bounties of Allah {consist} of {Eemaan (accepting the Truth and complying with it)}, knowledge and contentment. For these bounties, he regularly thanked Allah.

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{وَأَشْهدُ أَنْ لَا إلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ} I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, alone, who has no partner, {الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ} the One Alone, the [One who] Subdues, {الْكَرِيمُ الْغَفَّارُ} the Generous, the Forgiving. {وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ} I {also} bear witness that our leader Muhammad is {Allaah's} servant and messenger, {وَحَبِيبُهُ وَخَلِيلُهُ} His beloved {one, and an individual to whom He specifically granted a degree of love greater than what is granted to others;} {أَفْضَلُ المَخْلُوقِينَ} the best of all creation.  {المُكَرَّمُ بالْقُرْآنِ الْعَزِيزِ الْمُعْجِزَةِ الْمُسْتَمِرَّةِ عَلَى تَعَاقُبِ السِّنِينَ} He was honored with the Glorious Quran that is the enduring miracle throughout all the years. {وَبِالسُّنَنِ الْمُسْتَنِيرَةِ لِلْمُسْتَرْشِدِينَ} He was also sent with his guiding sunnah that shows the way for those who seek guidance. 

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{الْمَخْصُوصُ بِجَوَامِعِ الْكَلِمِ} Our leader Muhammad has been particularized with the characteristic of eloquent and pithy speech, 

This is another one of the characteristics that distinguishes the Prophet Muhammad ({blessings and} peace be upon him) from the other prophets. The Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) said, "I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects:” {and one of them was} “I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning"...One of the explanations for the statement, "words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning" is that they are in reference to the Quran. There is no question that nothing fits that description better than the Quran. However, there is no need or evidence to restrict it to the Quran only. This was certainly a characteristic of the Prophet's own speech. By just using a few words, he would make statements that were full of meaning and important points…

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{وَسَمَاحَةِ الدِّينِ} and {he was also particularized with} simplicity and ease in the religion.

{T}he entire religion is simple and easy to practice. Allah has not burdened any soul beyond what it can bear. Also, in general, the religion is within the means of the people without any undue hardships.

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{صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى سَائِرِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَآلِ كُلٍّ وَسَائِرِ الصَّالِحِينَ} May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the other prophets and messengers, all of their families and the rest of the righteous.

A number of views have been expressed concerning the meaning of the salaat of Allah upon the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) and the salaat of the angels. 

{Among those views is that t}he salaat of Allah is His {commendation of the Prophet} ({blessings and} peace be upon him) to those angels in {Allaah’s} presence, {and t}he salaat of the angels is their…supplications for the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him).

{Also among the views is that the} salaat {of the angels} upon the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) is {their supplication for Allaah to grant him blessings}.

Ibn al-Qayyim concludes that the strongest opinion is {that} the…salaat of Allah is His {commending} the Messenger of Allah to those angels in His presence, {and t}he salaat of the angels is their…supplications for the Messenger…Explaining further the salaat of Allah, lbn al-Qayyim states that this implies Allah {commending} the Messenger…, making the Messenger's place and honor apparent and known{,} and extolling {his} virtues.  {I}bn al-Qayyim {further} states that there is no contradiction between this view and {another} view {mentioning that the salaat of Allaah is His blessings, and the salaat of the angels is their supplications for Allaah to grant His blessings}. The first view is simply a specific type of blessing and, hence, the two opinions are compatible. The conclusion is that the salaat of Allah for the Prophet…is a special blessing from Allah. It is the blessing of Allah's {commending} the Messenger…to His angels and of raising {the Messenger's} honor, rank and name. When the expression, "blessings of Allah and peace be upon the Prophet…" is stated in this work, it is this special blessing that is being referred to.

A word also needs to be stated about the second component of the expression one says after mentioning the Prophet's…name. Besides making salaat for the Prophet…, one also asks for salaam for him. The word salaam is most often translated as, "peace". {However,} in the phrase used, it actually means, "keep him safe from every form of evil or harm."... When speaking about an individual, as in the expression, "peace be upon him," "peace" implies…connotations of, "freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety,…etc.; tranquility; serenity; a state of tranquility or serenity…" It is these…connotations that are meant by the word, "peace," when used in this expression in this commentary.

{أَمَّا بَعْدُ} To proceed:

It was the practice of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) to use this expression. It is used to show that one is moving from one idea or purpose to another.

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{فَقَدْ رَوَيْنَا عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، وَأَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ، وَابْنِ عُمَرَ، وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَأَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، وَأَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ طُرُقٍ كَثِيرَاتٍ بِرِوَايَاتٍ مُتَنَوِّعَاتٍ} We have narrated, through many chains and various narrations, from Ali ibn Ab{ee} Taalib, Abdullah ibn Masood, Muaadh ibn Jabal, Abu al-Darda, ibn Umar, ibn Abbaas, Anas ibn Maalik, Abu Huraira and Abu Saeed al­-Khudri- may Allah be pleased with all of them- {أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ} that the Messenger of Allah ({blessings and} peace be upon him) said, {مَنْ حَفِظَ عَلَى أُمَّتِي أَرْبَعِينَ حَدِيثًا مِنْ أَمْرِ دِينِهَا بَعَثَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى فَقِيهًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي زُمْرَةِ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَالْعُلَمَاءِ} "Whoever preserves for my {Ummah} forty hadith related to its religion, Allah will then resurrect him in the company of the {scholars of Fiqh} and {the} scholars {of Islam in general}." {وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: بَعَثَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى فَقِيهًا عَالِمًا} Another narration states, "Allah will raise him as an erudite and learned scholar." {وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ: وَكُنْتُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شَافِعًا وَشَهِيدًا} In the narration from Abu al-Darda, it is stated, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will be an intercessor and witness for him." {وَفِي رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ: قِيلَ لَهُ ادْخُلْ مِنْ أَيِّ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ شِئْتَ} In the narration from ibn Masood, it is stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "It will be said to him, 'Enter Paradise through any door you wish."' {وَفِي رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ: كُتِبَ فِي زُمْرَةِ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَحُشِرَ فِي زُمْرَةِ الشُّهَدَاءِ} In the narration of ibn Umar, one finds the words, "He will be recorded among the company of the scholars and will be resurrected in the company of the martyrs."

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{وَاتَّفَقَ الْحُفَّاظُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ حَدِيثٌ ضَعِيفٌ وَإِنْ كَثُرَتْ طُرُقُهُ} The scholars of hadith agree that, although this hadith has numerous chains, it is weak.

Al-Nawawi states that this is a weak hadith. Such has been the conclusion of other scholars also. However…Al-Nawawi's statement that it is weak is an understatement. It seems that it is worse than weak. It is at least very weak and there is good evidence to show that it is a fabrication, given that in almost every chain of the hadith there are either liars, forgers of hadith, unknown narrators or missing links. Allah knows best. 

…a principle from ibn Hajr: If a hadith is considered weak simply due to weakness of the narrators' memories, then it can be raised to hasan if it has many chains that support one another. However, if a hadith has numerous chains but they all contain liars, people suspected of lying and completely rejected narrators, then it moves down to the level where it is not allowed to act upon it under any circumstances whatsoever.

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{وَقَدْ صَنَّفَ الْعُلَمَاءُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ مَا لَا يُحْصَى مِنَ الْمُصَنَّفَاتِ، فَأَوَّلُ مَنْ عَلِمْتُهُ صَنَّفَ فِيهِ: عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، ثُمَّ مُحَمَّد بْنُ أَسْلَمَ الطُّوسِيُّ الْعَالِمُ الرَّبَّانِيُّ، ثُمَّ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ [النَّسَوِيُّ]، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ الْآجُرِّيُّ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْأَصْفَهَانِيُّ، وَالدَّارَقُطْنِيُّ، وَالْحَاكِمُ، وَأَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، وَأَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيُّ، وَأَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْمَالِينِيُّ، وَأَبُو عُثْمَانَ الصَّابُونِيُّ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنْ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ، وَخَلَائِقُ لَا يُحْصَونَ مِنَ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ وَالْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ.}

The scholars (may Allah be pleased with them) have compiled innumerable works of this nature. The first one that I know of who compiled such a work was Abdullah ibn al-Mubaarak. After him came ibn Aslam al-Toosi, a pious scholar. Then came al-Hasan ibn Sufyaan {al­-Nasawi}, Abu Bakr al-Aajuri, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn lbraaheem al-Asfahaani, al-Daaraqutni, al-Haakim, Abu Nuaim, Abu Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sulami, Abu Said al­-Maleeni, Abu Uthmaan al-Saabooni, Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Ansaari, Abu Bakr al-Baihaqi and countless others both from earlier and later times. 

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{وَقَدِ اسْتَخَرْتُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى فِي جَمْعِ أَرْبَعِينَ حَدِيثًا؛ اِقْتِدَاءً بِهَؤُلَاءِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأَعْلَامِ، وَحُفَّاظِ الْإِسْلَامِ} I have turned to Allah for guidance and prayed to Him while compiling these forty hadith, following the example of those Imams and guardians of Islam.

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{وَقَدِ اتَّفَقَ العُلَمَاءُ عَلَى جَوَازِ الْعَمَلِ بالْحَدِيثِ الضَّعِيفِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الأَعْمَالِ} The scholars have agreed that it is permissible to act in accord with weak hadith that state the virtuousness of deeds. 

This statement needs to be discussed in detail here because it is a concept that has caused a great deal of confusion. At the outset, it should be noted that there does not seem to be any support for al-Nawawi's claim that such is agreed upon by the scholars. 

Dealing with Weak (Dhaeef) Hadith: Any hadith that does not meet the conditions for a sahih or hasan hadith will be deemed a rejected hadith. For a hadith to be considered acceptable "on its own merit", it must meet the following five conditions: (1) the chain of narrators must be unbroken (in other words, the hadith may be traced all the way back to its source without the names of any narrators missing from the chain); (2) all of the narrators in the chain must be people of integrity…; (3)...all of the narrators in the chain must be either greatly or acceptably proficient narrators; (4) the narration may not contradict stronger reports or narrations; and, (5) there can be no hidden, damaging defect in the chain {or the in narration itself}…

The above are the conditions for a hadith to be sahih lidhaatihi (sahih based on its own merits) or hasan lidhaatihi (hasan based on its own merits). 

There is another category of hasan that is of importance here. A hadith could be weak on its own but if it supported by other evidence, it could be raised to the level of hasan. This is known as hasan lighairihi ("hasan due to other evidence"). 

If a hadith falls short of being graded hasan lidhaatihi or hasan lighairihi, it is a rejected hadith. Rejected hadith are also divided into three categories: weak hadith, very weak hadith and fabricated hadith. The category that is of concern here, that was referred to by al-Nawawi, is weak hadith. The defects of weak hadith are "minor" in comparison to very weak hadith. For example, a weak hadith may contain narrators with poor memories but may not contain narrators who have been accused of lying. 

There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the relating of and acting in accordance with weak hadith{; though it should be noted that} no such difference occurs concerning fabricated hadith. It is absolutely forbidden to relate fabricated hadith unless, and only if, it is done to expose the hadith as being fabricated. 

Basically, one may say that there are three opinions on acting in accordance with weak hadith: (1) The first opinion states that weak hadith may be used with virtually no restrictions on their use… (2) The second opinion states that weak hadith may be acted upon given certain conditions… (3) The third opinion states that weak hadith are never to be acted upon… {In other words,} one should not act in accordance with weak hadith, no matter the subject or topic of the hadith…

{T}his third opinion is…the strongest opinion and it is the safest opinion… {E}veryone must be very careful when it comes to narrating hadith from the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). This is part of having the proper love and respect for the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). Those who do not care whether they are relating authentic, weak or fabricated hadith may fall under the warning of the punishment of the Hell-fire.

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{وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَيْسَ اعْتِمَادِي عَلَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ} Nonetheless, given that fact, I have not relied upon that hadith only in compiling this work. {بَلْ عَلَى قَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ: لِيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ مِنْكُمُ الْغَائِبَ} Instead, I am following the statement of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) found in an authentic hadith, "Let him who was present among you inform those who are absent"; 

This…is an order from the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) to convey his words to those who did not hear them. This hadith also shows that the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) took the steps to make sure that his sunnah was preserved and conveyed. This is a sign that his sunnah was still to be followed even after his death… "Those who are absent" includes those who come after the death of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). 

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{وَقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مَقَالَتِيَ فَوَعَاهَا فَأَدَّاهَا كَمَا سَمِعَهَا} {and I am also following the statement of t}he Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him) {in another authentic hadith}, "May Allah make radiant the man who has heard what I said, preserved it in his memory and conveyed it in the way that he heard it."

This is further evidence that the Companions themselves knew the importance of memorizing and passing on the hadith of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). This hadith also emphasizes the importance of passing on the exact wording of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). This was something that many Companions tried their best to do. Indeed, they feared making even the slightest mistake in narrating a hadith of the Prophet ({blessings and} peace be upon him). 

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{ثُمَّ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ مَنْ جَمَعَ الْأَرْبَعِينَ فِي أُصُولِ الدِّينِ} {Some s}cholars have compiled forty hadith {collections} on…belief{s}, {وَبَعْضُهُمْ فِي الْفُرُوعِ} {some} on {physical deeds}, {وَبَعْضُهُمْ فِي الْجِهَادِ} {some} on {struggling in Allah's path}, {وَبَعْضُهُمْ فِي الزُّهْدِ} {some} on {shifting focus away from this world and towards the Hereafter}, {وَبَعْضُهُمْ فِي الْآدَابِ} {some} on {sound conduct}, {وَبَعْضُهُمْ فِي الْخُطَبِ} and {some} even on sermons. {وَكُلُّهَا مَقَاصِدُ صَالِحَةٌ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْ قَاصِدِيهَا} All of these [collections] were concerning righteous aims. May Allah be pleased with those who sought them. {وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ جَمْعَ أَرْبَعِينَ أَهَمَّ مِنْ هَذَا كُلِّهِ} However, I have found it best to collect together forty hadith which are more important than all of those. {وَهِيَ أَرْبَعُونَ حَدِيثًا مُشْتَمِلَةً عَلَى جَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ} These forty hadith incorporate all of those separate topics. {وَكُلُّ حَدِيثٍ مِنْهَا قَاعِدَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ مِنْ قَوَاعِدِ الدِّينِ} In fact, each hadith is by itself a great general precept from the foundations of the religion. {وَقَدْ وَصَفَهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ بِأَنَّ مَدَارَ الْإِسْلَامِ عَلَيْهِ} Some {of the scholars} have said about particular hadith {in this collection} that all of Islam revolves around {it}; {أَوْ هُوَ نِصْفُ الْإِسْلَامِ أَوْ ثُلُثُهُ أَوْ نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ} {or} that {it is} one-half of Islam, one-third of Islam and so forth.

The importance of the hadith that al-Nawawi chose is probably one of the main reasons why his work has outlived many other similar collections. Indeed, there have been hundreds of collections of forty hadith, yet today when one hears the word, "Forty Hadith," in general, one immediately thinks of al­-Nawawi's work as if his was the only one or his was the first.  The importance of this collection can be seen in the large number of commentaries that have been written on this work. One of the most famous and most important of those commentaries is ibn Rajab's Jaami al-Uloom wa al­-Hik{a}m, where he commented on these hadith of al-Nawawi and added eight more to make the work fifty hadith. 

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{ثُمَّ أَلْتَزِمُ فِي هَذَهِ الْأَرْبَعِينَ أَنْ تَكُونَ صَحِيحَةً} I have committed myself to including only authentic hadith in these forty hadith. {وَمُعْظَمُهَا فِي صَحِيحَيِ الْبُخَارِيِّ وَمُسْلِمٍ} The majority of them are from Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim. {وَأَذْكُرُهَا مَحْذُوفَةَ الْأَسَانِيدِ لِيَسْهُلَ حِفْظُهَا وَيَعُمَّ الانْتِفَاعُ بِهَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى} I have mentioned them without their chain of authorities in order for it to be easier to memorize them and thus more will be able to benefit from them, Allah willing.  

A couple of comments must be made concerning this passage from al-Nawawi… {M}any times scholars would use the word sahih, usually translated as "authentic", not only to mean the hadith of the highest level but also to mean hadith at the level of hasan. Hence, it is used in a generic sense to mean "acceptable hadith," whether they be sahih or hasan… The second point…is that the grading of hadith…is not always an easy matter. Two scholars may come to different conclusions concerning one hadith. One of the scholars, for example, may have had access to some information concerning the hadith that the other scholar did not have access to. Hence, they both make their conclusions based on the evidence they knew. In this collection of Forty Hadith, there are possibly two, three or four hadith for which the strongest opinion seems to be that they are neither sahih or hasan. They will be discussed in detail later. 

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{ثُمَّ أُتْبِعُهَا بِبَابٍ فِي ضَبْطِ خَفِيِّ أَلْفَاظِهَا} After the hadith, I included a section on the meanings of the obscure expressions found in the hadith.

This is not included in the translation but may be referred to in the commentary. 

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{وَيَنْبَغِي لِكُلِّ رَاغِبٍ فِي الْآخِرَةِ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثَ} Everyone who desires and looks forward to the Hereafter must be familiar with these hadith {لِمَا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمُهِمَّاتِ، وَاحْتَوَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ التَّنْبِيهِ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الطَّاعَاتِ} because they cover the most important aspects of the religion and offer direction to all forms of obedience to Allah. {وَذَلِكَ ظَاهِرٌ لِمَنْ تَدَبَّرَهُ} This is clear to anyone who ponders these hadith. 

{T}hese hadith are deserving of detailed study and understanding… This is why the scholars over the centuries have studied these hadith to the extent that they have… {E}very Muslim—whether he can read or understand Arabic or not—should be familiar with these hadith and understand them to the best of his ability. 

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{وَعَلَى اللَّهِ اعْتِمَادِي، وَإِلَيْهِ تَفْوِيضِي وَاسْتِنَادِي} I rely only upon Allah and I entrust my affair only to Him. {وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَالنِّعْمَةُ، وَبِهِ التَّوْفِيقُ وَالْعِصْمَةُ} To Him is all the Praise and grace, from Him is guidance and protection from error.