Uloom Academy UK

Presents:

40 Hadith
of Imam Nawawi

Explanation prepared by
Ustadh Abdullah Al-Mawdud
 Imam Al-Nawawi
Al-Imam Muhyi Al-Deen Abu ZakariyyaYahya ibn Al-
Sharaf Al-Nawawi
Born in Nawa, a township near Damascus in Syria 631
AH (1233 AD)
Studied in Damascus in his early age and youth from
20+ renowned Sheikhs
He diligently studied 12 lessons daily, writing notes &
explanations for each!
He spent 28 years in seeking and teaching knowledge
away from home
Returned to Nawa and shortly passed away in 676 AH
(1292 AD) at the young age of 44/45
 • Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn
• Commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
• Commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Al-Minhāj
Imam fi Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Al-Nawawi’s • Sharḥ Sunan Abī Dāwūd
other notable • Mukhtaṣar Al-Tirmidhī
works • Kitāb al-Rawḍah
• Kitāb al-Adhkār
• Al-Taqrīb fī ʿIlm al-Ḥadīth wa al-Irshād fīhi
• Al-Tibyān
• Bustān al-ʿĀri n
 The 40 Hadith Collection
This collection of 40
Hadiths is one of the most
important collections of
hadiths we have today.
He was one of the greatest
scholars of Islam
Allaah granted him success
in his work so that he could
make great contributions
to Islam before his death.
Imam al-Nawawi was a
scholar in many different
He was one of the
disciplines of Islamic
foremost figures of the
studies. The vastness of his
Shafi’ madhab and the
works in these different
largest and most
areas is so great that if an
substantial book he wrote
individual decides to study
in this regard is called Al
fiqh, hadith, spirituality, or
Majmua’ which is about 30
Quran; one would need to
volumes.
pass through Imam al-
Nawawi.
 Why 40?

There is a hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad

which was the reason the 40 Hadith were compiled.

The hadith states that anyone who memorises 40

Hadith will be resurrected amongst the scholars.

However, Imam Al-Nawawi actually collected 42

hadith
 How were the 40
Hadith selected?

• There were already many collections of 40

hadith. The Imam wanted to collect hadith
that were comprehensive and covered all
aspects of the religion
• They should be relatively short so they can be
easily memorised
• They must be authentic or at least
acceptable (hasan), no weak hadith
Hadith 1 – Intentions
and Sincerity
 ‫‪Hadith 1 – Intentions & Sincerity‬‬
‫ع‪‬ن‪ ‬أَم‪‬ﲑ‪ ‬الْم‪‬ؤ‪‬م‪‬ن‪‬ﲔ‪ ‬أَبِي ح‪‬فْصٍ ع‪‬م‪‬ر‪ ‬بنِ الْخَطَّابِ ر‪‬ض‪‬ي‪ ‬ا‪ ُ‬ع‪‬ن‪‬ه‪ ‬قَالَ‪:‬‬

‫س‪‬م‪‬ع‪‬ت‪ ‬ر‪‬س‪‬ولَ اللَّه‪ ‬صلى ا‪ ‬عليه وسلم ي‪‬قُولُ‪ " :‬إنَّم‪‬ا الْأَع‪‬م‪‬الُ بِالن‪ّ‬ي‪ّ‬ات‪،‬‬
‫و‪‬إِنَّم‪‬ا ل‪‬كُلِّ ام‪‬رِئٍ م‪‬ا نَو‪‬ى‪ ،‬فَم‪‬ن‪ ‬كَانَت‪ ‬ه‪‬ج‪‬ر‪‬تُه‪ ‬إلَى اللَّه‪ ‬و‪‬ر‪‬س‪‬ول‪‬ه‪ ‬فَهِج‪‬ر‪‬تُه‪ ‬إلَى‬
‫اللَّه‪ ‬و‪‬ر‪‬س‪‬ول‪‬ه‪ ،‬و‪‬م‪‬ن‪ ‬كَانَت‪ ‬ه‪‬ج‪‬ر‪‬تُه‪ ‬ل‪‬د‪‬نْي‪‬ا ي‪‬ص‪‬يب‪‬ه‪‬ا أَو‪ ‬ام‪‬ر‪‬أَة‪ ‬ي‪‬ن‪‬ك‪‬ح‪‬ه‪‬ا فَهِج‪‬ر‪‬تُه‪ ‬إلَى‬
‫م‪‬ا ه‪‬اج‪‬ر‪ ‬إلَي‪‬ه‪“‬‬
‫ر‪‬و‪‬اه‪ ‬الْب‪‬خَارِي‪ ّ‬و‪‬م‪‬س‪‬ل‪‬م‬
 Translation
• On the authority of the Commander of the Faithful, Abu Hafs `Umar ibn al-Khattab may
Allaah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah peace and
blessings upon him say:

• “Actions are only by their intentions and every man shall have
that which he intended. Thus he whose Hijrah was for Allaah and
His Messenger, his Hijrah was for Allaah and His Messenger, and
he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to
take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for
which he migrated.
• Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim
 Why begin with this hadith?
• Many scholars started their books with this hadith
• Al-Imam al-Shafi’ee said: This Hadith is one third of the
knowledge of Islam; related to about 70 topics of Fiqh
• Al-Imam Ahmad (speaking about this statement) said:
Islam is based on three fundamentals (all are among
the 40 hadiths)
• Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali said this is one of the ahadith
that the religion revolves around
• It is equivalent to a third of knowledge because we are
rewarded for three things: what the heart contains,
what the tongue says and what our limbs do, and this
hadith is pinnacle in dealing with matters of the heart
 Intentions

The word ‫ إنما‬is used for exclusivity i.e. Actions are

exclusively done by intentions

Niyyah (intention) has two meanings:

1. The intention before an ibadah
2. The willingness to do a certain action
The second meaning is what is meant in this hadith.
 Ikhlaas
• This hadith emphasises Ikhlaas as one of
the conditions of accepting good deeds.
• The other condition is that the actions
must be done in accordance with the
Shariah as it will be explained in the fifth
hadith.
• Ikhlaas means sincerity - to be truthful and
honest to Allaah alone, performing an act
solely for Allaah's sake whereby no other
witness except Allaah is sought.
• The first 3 people to be dragged into
hellfire are people who do good actions
with insincere intentions
 Ikhlaas
• To perform every action for the sake of Allaah alone.
• The opposite of sincerity is riyaa’, which means
showing off
• Riyaa’ is considered a minor form of shirk, and can
disqualify a person’s good deeds
• Riyaa’ in Islam is when we do an act of worship for
other than the sake of Allaah alone
• Riyaa’ is of many levels, many of which are hidden
 What contradicts Ikhlaas?

1. Ma’siyyaat - committing sins - this will weaken our Ikhlaas

2. Shirk - associating others with Allah
3. Riyaa' - performing an ibadah with the intention of showing off
to others
4. Nifaaq – hypocrisy

Even though we must always make sure that our actions do not
deviate from Ikhlaas, there are actions, which are automatically
considered that of good intentions. For example, seeking knowledge
in Islam, helping the community, doing da'wah, etc.
 Riyaa’

• Some examples of riyaa’ can be:

• You do an action solely for the sake of the people
• When you do an action in front of others, you find it easier
to do
• You feel happy when others know you did this action
• You try hard to let people know you’ve done a certain act of
worship
• You indirectly try to make an action you did known
• You expect to be respected by others because you do such
and such acts of worship
 Distractions

• This hadith mentioned two things, dunya and women, as they distract us
the most from the hereafter
• Many verse from the Qur’an mention distraction
• Al Kahf 46: Wealth and children are the adornment of this worldly life,
but the everlasting good deeds are far better with your Lord in reward
and in hope.
 How to avoid Riyaa’

• Whenever you feel a difference whether people look at

your act of worship or not, then know you have an
element of riyaa’ in you which you must seek to dispel
• Avoid all forms of riyaa’ mentioned in the commentary
above
• To avoid riyaa’ we must know what causes it.
 Causes of Riyaa’
• The Ulama have mentioned 3 main causes:
1. Desiring to be praised
a. Remind yourself of the pleasures of Jannah, and compare if you want to swap them for a
few minutes of being praised in this Dunya?
2. Hating to be criticised
a. Remind yourself of your imminent stand before Allaah and compare which criticism is more
important, the criticism of the people or the criticism of Allaah
b. Know that if Allaah is pleased with you, then He will make the people pleased with you too
3. Desiring what is in the hands of the people
a. Remind yourself that what is with Allaah is far greater
b. Remind yourself that what is in the hands of the people ultimately belongs to Allaah, and
only He decides if you get something or not
 Benefits of Ikhlaas

• It is a reason to be saved on the day of judgement

• It is a great source of good deeds
• It can magnify the reward of a small action
• It can change your habits into acts of worship
• It is a reason for your sins to be forgiven
• It is a reason for calamities to be removed
• It is a reason to be raised in rank
• It saves a person from trials and tribulations
 Ways to obtain Ikhlaas:
• Do righteous deeds - the more good deeds we do and
hence get closer to Allah, the more sincere we will be.
• Before we do any deed we should firstly seek
knowledge (ilm) - our actions/deeds should be guided
by knowledge so that we do them in accordance to
the Shariah.
• Do not give false impressions - do not make others
believe that an action we did was good when it was
not.
• Al-Imam Ahmad said: Before you do anything, check
your intention (niyyah) – ask yourself before
performing an action: "Is it for the sake of Allah?"
 Achieve Sincerity
• See the good actions we do as a blessing from Allaah over us for
giving us the ability to do them
• Not ask for any rewards for it as we know we are slaves of Allaah
and slaves do not ask for rewards for what they do
• Not be pleased with what we do and look for its defects and try
to improve next time (while never feeling that we have reached
perfection in what we do)
• Know what Allaah deserves and that we will never be able to
worship Him as He deserves
• Try our utmost to perfect the action, but be shy from Allaah as it
is not perfect
• Try out utmost to not let anyone see or know about the action
• Understand that we only did this action because Allaah has
written for us to do it so all the credit goes to Him
Wassalaamu
‘Alaikum wa
RahmatuLlaah