Imam al-Nawawi

Life and Education

Abu Zakariyya Muhyi al-Din Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (631 AH / 1233 CE – 676 AH / 1277 CE) was born in the village of Nawa, south of Damascus, from which he took his nisba (epithet). He came to Damascus as a young student and devoted himself entirely to learning, reportedly studying twelve different lessons each day from different teachers. He was known for the extraordinary speed of his writing — sometimes copying three volumes a day — and for sleeping very little, preferring to devote the night to worship and study.

He never married, citing the demands of knowledge as his sole priority. He lived in extreme simplicity, wearing rough clothing, eating little, and owning almost nothing. He held the position of professor at the Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiyyah in Damascus, where he taught and wrote until his death at the age of 44. Despite this short life, his output was prolific enough to fill volumes and sustain Islamic scholarship for centuries.

Major Works

Riyad al-Salihin (Gardens of the Righteous) is perhaps the most widely read hadith compilation in the world after the six canonical collections. Organized by ethical and spiritual theme, it draws from the Quran and the most authentic hadiths to present a comprehensive guide to Islamic moral life. It is taught in mosques, homes, and madrasas across the entire Muslim world.

Al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyyah (Nawawi's Forty Hadiths) — actually forty-two hadiths — is one of the most memorized texts in Islamic tradition. Each hadith was selected because it represents a foundational principle of the religion. It has been translated into dozens of languages and is typically the first hadith text given to new students of knowledge.

Al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim is the most authoritative and comprehensive commentary on Sahih Muslim ever written. It discusses the chains of narration, explains difficult terminology, reconciles apparent contradictions, and derives legal rulings — all with exceptional clarity. It remains a primary reference in Shafi'i scholarship.

Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab is arguably the most detailed work of comparative jurisprudence produced by any madhab. Al-Nawawi expanded upon the unfinished commentary of his predecessor al-Shirazi, and though he did not complete it himself (it was finished by al-Subki), the sections he wrote are considered definitive references for understanding Shafi'i fiqh in relation to other schools. Al-Adhkar is a comprehensive collection of authentic supplications and remembrances for every occasion, remaining in active use today.

Character and Conduct

Imam al-Nawawi was widely known for his moral courage. He wrote a letter to the Mamluk sultan Baybars advising him to lift the taxes he had imposed on his subjects, and when courtiers warned him that the sultan might execute him for it, he reportedly said that anyone whose life is spent in fear of other than Allah is not truly alive. The sultan, struck by the scholar's courage, reportedly lifted some of the taxes.

He was also known for the consistency between his outward scholarship and his inward state. Students reported that he would weep while teaching, particularly when discussing the consequences of sin and the mercies of Allah. He ate only the food he brought from Nawa, refusing to eat from the endowments of Damascus lest there be any doubt about their permissibility — a level of scrupulousness (wara') that characterized the most pious scholars of his generation.

Legacy

Al-Nawawi returned to his village of Nawa shortly before his death and died there in 676 AH at the age of 44. Despite his brief life, his works have shaped Islamic scholarship more profoundly than many who lived twice as long. The Shafi'i school in particular considers his rulings and commentaries definitive. His name has become synonymous with hadith organization, clarity of legal reasoning, and exemplary personal piety — a combination that is rare in any age.