Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi Totally Explained

Everything about Nawawi totally explained

Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (1234 - 1278) (Arabic:أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف النووي), popularly known as al-Nawawi, an-Nawawi or Imam Nawawi (631 - 676 A.H. / 1234 - 1278 CE), was a Sunni Muslim author on Fiqh and hadith. His position on legal matters is considered the authoritative one in the Shafi'i Madhhab. He was born at Nawa near Damascus, Syria. As with many Arabic and Semitic names, the last part of his name refers to his hometown.

Biography

He studied in Damascus from the age of 18 and after making the Hajj in 1253 he settled there as a private scholar. From a young age he showed signs of great intelligence, and so his father paid for a good education. As a qadi (judge), he was much sought after for advice and adjudication of disputes.
During his short life of only 45 years he wrote many books on Islamic studies and other topics. He collected and sourced 40 hadiths back to one of the sahabaeen (companions of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace)), which was no small task.
In 1267 he succeeded Abu Shama as professor of hadith at the Ashrafiyya school in the city. He died at Nawa at a relatively young age, having never married.

Views

Shaykh Mohiuddin expresses his impression of Imaam an-Nawawi thus:

Imaam an-Nawawi had three distinctive commendable qualities in his person. If anybody has only one out of these three, people turn to him in abundance for guidance. First, having knowledge and its dissemination. Second, to evade completely from the worldly inclinations, and the third, inviting to all that's good (Islam) enjoining Al-Ma'ruf [for example,Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and forbidding Al-Munkar [polytheismand disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden]. Imaam an-Nawawi had all three in him.

Shi'a Muslims have a sympathetic view of him. They regard some of his works favourably and have translated some into Persian.

Works

Al Minhaj bi Sharh Sahih Muslim شرح صحيح مسلم, making use of others before him, and is considered one of the best commentaries on Sahih Muslim. It is available online (External Link).

Riyadh as-Saaliheen رياض الصالحين is a collection of hadith on ethics, manners, conduct, and is very popular in the Muslim world today.

al-Majmu' sharh al-Muhadhdhab المجموع شرح المهذب is a comprehensive manual of Islamic law according to the Shafi'i school has been edited with French translation by van den Bergh, 2 vols., Batavia (1882-1884), and published at Cairo (1888).

Minhaj al-Talibin منهاج الطالبين وعمدة المفتين في فقه الإمام الشافعي, a classical manual on Islamic Law according to Shafi'i fiqh.

Tahdhib al-Asma wal-Lughat تهذيب الأسماء has been edited as the Biographical Dictionary of Illustrious Men chiefly at the Beginning of Islam by F. Wüstenfeld (Göttingen, 1842-1847).

Taqrib al-Taisir التقريب والتيسير لمعرفة سنن البشير النذير, an introduction to the study of hadith, it's an extension of Ibn Silah's work, was published at Cairo, 1890, with Suyuti's commentary "Tadrib al-Rawi". It has been in part translated into French by W. Marçais in the Journal asiatique, series ix., vols. 16-18 (1900-1901).

Forty Hadiths الأربعون النووية collection of the forty (actually forty-two) chief traditions has been frequently published with commentaries in Cairo. For other works see C. Brockelmann's Geschichte der arabischen Litteratur, vol. i. (Weimar, 1898), pp. 395-397.

Ma Tamas ilayhi hajat al-Qari ما تمس إليه حاجة القاري لصـحيح البـخاري

Tahrir al-Tanbih تحرير التنبيه

Kitab al-Adhkar الأذكار المنتخبة من كلام سيد الأبرار is a collection of supplications of prophet Muhammad.

al-Tibyan fi adab Hamalat al-Quran التبيان في آداب حملة القرآن

Adab al-fatwa wa al-Mufti wa al-Mustafti آداب الفتوى والمفتي والمستفتي

al-Tarkhis fi al-Qiyam الترخيص بالقيام لذوي الفضل والمزية من أهل الإسلام

Manasik متن الإيضاح في المناسك on Hajj rituals.

al-Maqasid, Presents the basic teachings of Islam from a traditional perspective.

Sharh Sunan Abu Dawood

Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari

Mukhtasar at-Tirmidhi

Tabaqat ash-Shafi'iyah

Rawdhat al-Talibeen

Bustan al-`arifin

Recent English Language Editions

Bustan al-`arifin (The Garden of Gnostics), Translated by Aisha Bewley

Minhaj Et-Talibin

Minhaj et talibin: A Manual of Muhammadan Law ; According To The School of Shafi, Law Publishing Co (1977) ASIN B0006D2W9I

Minhaj et talibin: A Manual of Muhammadan Law ; According To The School of Shafi, Navrang (1992) ISBN 8170130972

Minhaj Et Talibin: A Manual of Muhammadan Law, Adam Publishers (2005) ISBN 817435249X

Al-Maqasid

Al-Maqasid: Imam Nawawi's Manual of Islam, Sunna Books (1994) ISBN 0-9638342-1-5

Al-Maqasid: Nawawi's Manual of Islam, edited by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Amana Publications; 2nd edition (2003) ISBN 1-59008-011-4

The Forty Hadith

Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadith, Translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim, Islamic Texts Society; New edition (1997) ISBN 0-946621-65-9

The Forty Hadith of al-Imam al-Nawawi, Abul-Qasim Publishing House (1999) ISBN 9960-792-76-5

The Complete Forty Hadith, Ta-Ha Publishers (2000) ISBN 1-84200-013-6

The Arba'een 40 AHadith of Imam Nawawi with Commentary, Darul Ishaat

Commentary on the Forty Hadith of Al-Nawawi (3 Vols.), by Jamaal Al-Din M. Zarabozo, Al-Basheer (1999) ISBN 1-891540-04-1

Riyadh As-Salihin

Gardens of the righteous: Riyadh as-Salihin of Imam Nawawi, Rowman and Littlefield (1975) ISBN 0-87471-650-0

Riyad-us-Salihin: Garden of the Righteous, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah

Riyadh-us-Saliheen (Vol. 1&2 in One Book) (Arabic-English) Dar Ahya Us-Sunnah Al Nabawiya

Further Information

Get more info on 'Nawawi'.

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