Authors · Islamic scholarship

An-Nawawī

يحيى بن شرف النووي

631–676 AH

An-Nawawī (631–676 AH), a hadith scholar and Shafi‘i jurist, taught in Damascus.

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At a glance

Hadith and transmission
Al-Arbaʿūn an-Nawawiyya · الأربعون النووية
He selects short texts to convey broad principles.

Timeline

631 AHBirth
676 AHDeath

Biographical overview

Full name: Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf an-Nawawī
Arabic name: يحيى بن شرف النووي
Birth: 631 AH
Death: 676 AH

Chapter 1

Life and education

An-Nawawī (631–676 AH), a hadith scholar and Shafi‘i jurist, taught in Damascus. He compiled the Forty Hadith and Riyāḍ aṣ-Ṣāliḥīn.

Sources [1]

Chapter 2

Understanding the work

The Forty Hadith present essential religious principles; Riyāḍ aṣ-Ṣāliḥīn offers a thematic reading of teachings on conduct and worship.

Sources [1] [2]

Chapter 3

Method and contribution

He selects short texts to convey broad principles. The Forty Hadith provide an introduction, while Riyāḍ aṣ-Ṣāliḥīn brings verses and traditions together in chapters on conduct. His Muslim commentary is more technical, linking vocabulary, context, transmission and legal discussion.

Sources [1] [2]

Chapter 4

Transmission and legacy

His short life produced works used at several levels of teaching. Legal writings such as Al-Majmūʿ belong to the Shafi‘i tradition and differ from his hadith anthologies. The Forty also inspired expansions, including Ibn Rajab’s commentary on fifty traditions.

Sources [1] [2]

Chapter 5

A guide to reading

Read a chapter heading alongside its reports. Comparing wording and chains helps explain why an author preserves several versions. Inclusion in a collection does not replace checking a report’s assessment and a commentary; selection aims differ between works.

Sources [1] [2]

Chapter 6

Selected works

Al-Arbaʿūn an-Nawawiyya · الأربعون النووية

Hadith and transmission

A collection of traditions arranged for studying their teachings.

Riyāḍ aṣ-Ṣāliḥīn · رياض الصالحين

Hadith and transmission

A collection of traditions arranged for studying their teachings.

Al-Minhāj, sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim · المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم

Hadith and transmission

Commentary on Muslim’s Ṣaḥīḥ: language, meaning and legal questions.

Al-Majmūʿ · المجموع

Law and argument

Legal questions, evidence and discussion of juristic positions.

Chapter 7

Biographical sources and references

References for further reading on the life and works of An-Nawawī:

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