Introduction (cont.)

2 Those readers interested in more details about the life of Imam al-Nawawi may consult Alaa al­ Deen ibn al-Attaar, Tuhfat al-Taalibeen fl Tarjumah al-Imaam Muhiy al-Deen (Riyadh: Daar al­ Sami'ee, 1414 A.H.), passim; Jalaal al-Deen al-Suyooti, al-Minhaaj al-Sawi fl Tarjamah al­ /maam al-Nawawi (Beirut: Daar ibn Hazm, 1994), passim; Abdul Ghani al-Diqr, Al-/maam al­ Nawawi: Shaikh al-lslaam wa al-Muslimeen wa Umdat al-Fuqahaa wa al-Muhaditheen (Damascus: Daar al-Qalam, 1980), passim. Al-Suyooti relied greatly on al-Attaar, quoting lengthy passages from his work. The Life of Imam al-Nawawi Syria. Coming from Nawa, he is given the descriptive name al-Nawawi, which is also sometimes written al-Nawaawi. Al-Nawawi did not come from a well-known family. There is very little mention, if any, of his grandfather, father and other relatives. This implies that they were a modest family. They also were not known for producing great scholars. However, his father did have a reputation for being very pious and God-fearing. His father had a garden in which he would grow food for his family. He would avoid, and taught his family to avoid, eating anything which may be forbidden in any way whatsoever. This was a true application of the following hadith from Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 0 - ..i ,,,,. .... J ""' "' ,,,. tx/ "(/ */•• // "(/ +/ ,/ \S -/ \S U\ JI ./ 0 //.