The Complete Forty Hadith

by Yahya ibn Sharaf al Nawawi

For more than 800 years, Imam Nawawi's Matan al-Arba'in has lighted the path of believers "whose hope is in Allah and the last day." Each of the Hadith included in this collection sets forth one of the fundamental points of Islam. Also includes Arabic text.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Faith, Theology, Reference

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2013

About the author

Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (Arabic: أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف النووي‎;‎ 1233–1277), popularly known as al-Nawawī or Imam Nawawī (631–676 A.H./1234–1277), was a Sunni Shafi'ite jurist and hadith scholar.[3] He authored numerous and lengthy works ranging from hadith, to theology, biography, and jurisprudence.[4] Al-Nawawi never married.[5]

Reviews

[Huda Aweys · Rating 4 out of 5]

اربعون حديث طيبة من السنة المعطرة
..
جازى الله الإمام النووي عن نقلها .. كل خير ، و اثابه ان شاء الله

[Sahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of ahadith by Imam an-Nawai was first brought to my attention six years ago at our weekly halaqah, my teacher held aloft the forest green and gold cover and told us this was our next study. I vaguely recall analysing a select handful of these ahadith in class (In fact, I certainly remember the first few - whether we examined all forty I cannot recall, however I will interrogate my old notebooks to soon find out the extent to which my memory has failed me). Half a decade later I finally got around to reading it cover to cover myself - a feat that most likely would not have been possible if not for the global lockdown this Ramadan.

Imam an-Nawawi is a renowned hadith scholar and shafi’i faqih, and has been praised over the centuries for his unwavering devotion to knowledge-seeking and academia, so much so that he never married in his lifetime, conscious that his dedication to ‘ilm would disavow his wife her rights. This compilation of forty(two) ahadith intend to comprise all the essentials of the religion and shariah (islamic law). Each hadith is selected specifically for its high classification and foundation in the Islamic tradition. The ahadith mentioned in this work are primarily sourced from Sahih Muslim and Bukhari.

I found this edition very useful - not only was it translated into english, it also had the original arabic preceding the text (helpful for someone studying arabic). I valued the commentary of each hadith (most hadith are straightforward in message, but further clarity is never a bad thing). The footnotes were also beneficial, particularly for contextualisation, and giving details on the narrators of each hadith (sahaba). It gave details of their life, relationship to the Prophet ﷺ and how many ahadith they narrated in their lifetime. I had no idea Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated 5,000+ ahadith.

Of the ahadith that comprise this work, the ones that I particularly valued included:
* The Hadith of Jibreel (Islam, Iman & Ihsan)
* Istiqamah (going straight)
* Easing Someone’s Distress
* Be Mindful of Allah and He will be Mindful of You

In addition to being easy to read and understand, the majority of ahadith in this work are also easy to memorise, and will serve as great reminders.

[Najla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear explanation of some of the most important sayings of the prophet Muhammed. Gives a great idea of what Islam is really about

[Mohammed Jawad Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may the blessing, and peace of Allah be upon him), from among the things he reports from his Lord (mighty and sublime be He), is that he said:

A servant [of Allah's] committed a sin and said: O Allah, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari).


(This book Forty Hadith Qudsi was a breath of fresh air. It gave me a good boost to be steady on my path and helped in opening the meaning of Allah's countless blessings on humankind. A must read!)

[Afifah · Rating 5 out of 5]

setiap hadis ditampilkan dengan gambar dan pemandangan yang indah (very2 amazing photography)yang berkaitan dengan hadis yang diulas.huraian hadis memang agak ringkas, tapi berbaloi juga untuk starter yang macam aku ni...first hadis book yang aku baca...lepas ni boleh cuba yang lebih tebal dan panjang lebar keterangannya...buku ini insyaallah dapat dihabiskan dalam masa satu hari atau dua hari saja...

[Syed Shahrom Wafa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku tafsir hadis dari ulama yang tidak perlu diperkenalkan lagi. Kitab asalnya bernama Matan Arba'in.

Himpunan 42 hadis sahih huraian Imam Nawawi ini telah diterjemah & diringkaskan oleh 2 penterjemah. Seperti yang dinyatakan oleh mereka, sanad asal dalam Bahasa Arabnya tidak diterjemah sepenuhnya & disertakan, cuma diringkaskan saja. Sekiranya ingin dikaji & didalami lebih lanjut, kitab huraian yang berkaitan perlulah dirujuk. Ini kerana tujuan utama penerbitan versi ini adalah untuk dijadikan rujukan mudah buat semua golongan, dari muda ke tua, golongan profesional & biasa.

Sebagai buku hadis terjemahan pertama yang saya baca, buku ini sememangnya bagus buat mereka yang baru ingin bermula untuk mendalami ilmu hadis. Buku ini juga sesuai untuk golongan bukan Islam yang ingin mengetahui secara ringkas apakah yang dimaksudkan dengan hadis Nabi. Sesuai dijadikan sebagai hadiah & rujukan awal buat golongan-golongan ini.

Seperti yang diperkatakan oleh ramai ulama dan ilmuwan lain, sememangnya seleksi hadis yang dipilih & dihuraikan oleh Imam Nawawi ini adalah hadis-hadis Rasulullah yang telah menjadi tunjang dalam pelbagai bidang ilmu, yang kemudiannya dirujuk & digunapakai para ulama dalam menetapkan hukum & sempadan syarak, selepas rujukan Al-Quran tentunya.

Antara bidang ilmu yang dibahaskan dari hadis-hadis ini seperti dari bidang akidah (rukun Islam, Iman & Ihsan, hal bidaah), tauhid, akhlak, hal halal & haram beserta syubhah, hukum hudud, sains penciptaan, hubungan sesama manusia dan pelbagai lagi.

Saya bukanlah sesiapa untuk mengulas lanjut kitab agung dari Imam terkenal ini. Saya bukannya orang berilmu serta alim ulama untuk membahaskannya. Apa yang boleh saya katakan untuk kita golongan biasa, cubalah kita dekati kitab sebegini. Kerana semua sudah sedia maklum, mendalami ilmu agama itu wajib. Apatah lagi buat kita yang beraliran Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah ini. Yang mana hadis-hadis sahih Rasulullah juga adalah rujukan utama kita selain Al-Quran yang utamanya.

Cari buku ini untuk pemula. Selepas itu bolehlah dicari pelbagai video kuliah huraian oleh pelbagai ustaz tempatan di media sosial pula.

Boleh dirujuk di laman web ini untuk senarai penuh 42 hadis yang dibahaskan Imam Nawawi: http://afuad.blogspot.com/2010/10/had...

[Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Les paroles essentielles du Prophète saws concernant l'iman et l'ihsan ont été regroupées par an-Nawawi (ra) dans son Arba'oun pour être lu, mémorisé et intégré à notre quotidien. Cette édition simple sans masse de notes ni sharh d'autres muhaddithin mais avec le texte original en face à face en est un très agréable véhicule.

[Cavanşir Gadimov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forty Hadith and everything you need to know about hadith. Look at the detailed review: https://bookimov.blogspot.com/2025/02...

[Shannen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book for another class I took and we covered about half of the hadiths. I still use this as a reference, it is a great collection.

I don't have the version with the commentary though, so I can't comment on that.

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s be honest, this is a must read for every Muslim. These 40 ahadith have been chosen very carefully by Imam Nawawi rahimullah and we should all do our best to memorise them, to reflect on and apply in everyday life.

[Myles Zakariyya Vine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the most essential hadith that every Muslim should own a copy of, also works as a great starter for those wanting to learn more about hadith/read hadith that isn't going through one of the huge collections which can be intimidating.

[Syed Waqas Saghir · Rating 5 out of 5]

So that's how I started my 2020🥳🎉🤩, the first book I picked is Forty Hadith (translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim) , indeed a great content to read.
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#SyedReads

[Arsh Yusuf · Rating 5 out of 5]

may allah have mercy upon this man 🤍

[Suzane D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice hadith book with detailed commentary.

[Nur Rashidah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book long ago during secondary school. Hadith 40 gathered Muttafaq 'alaih hadith (cited by Bukhori and Muslim). I will read this one again with my husband.

[Izziewizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kecil tapi padat. Boleh dibawa ke mana-mana. Ini adalah buku 40 hadis aku yang pertama.

[Burhaida Ilyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

inshaaAllah buku ini akan memudahkan untuk memahami langsung dan menerapkan hadits-hadits Rasulullah Saw dalam kehidupan sehari-hari,,,,

[Dewi Wardani · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome ...

[ｱﾑﾒ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have memorized them a few years ago, the greatest & the most important hadith in its benefit, & around which Islam revolves is still "All actions are by intentions".

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more an explanation of the 40 Hadiths than the 40 Hadiths themselves.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 40 hadith understood well is comprehensive in understanding the religion of islam.

[nas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good reminder and beneficial read.

The writing was very easy to digest and I appreciated the extra commentary/discussion on each hadeeth.

[Spartacus7 · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're of a religious frame of mind, it's clear that this collection of hadith has meaning and value. I don't think that value is limited to a single religion (in this case Islam) but to anyone of a religious mind following the monotheistic religions. These are mantra and there are gems to found in them.

To anyone else, the repetition - an essential part of mantra - can quickly become tiresome and pointless, and the contradictions between hadith - especially around peace versus frank notions of violence - offsets much, if not all, of the pearls of wisdom.

For the philosophically and/or intellectually minded, it's these weaknesses that probably provide the most interest: What draws people to repetition ad nauseum? Why are obvious contradictions not seen, ignored, or finessed? How is it possible to keep a religion intact when interpretation, re-interpretation, and re-re-interpretation, together with the inevitable nuances of translation, are going to lead to different empahases, views, and rules for life?...followed by, just as inevitably it seems, schisms, the formation of sects, and intersectarian disquiet running the gamut from distrust, to disgust, and more.

[Arefin Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's important to take help from the traditional scholars in order to get the proper understanding of these hadiths. These are the most important hadiths in Islam outlying the entire religion with its foundation. So, you have to take their proper understanding if you really want to learn Islam.

[Loukaraba]

j'ai lu d'une traite, mais évidemment, je pense qu'un musluman les lirait doucement, un par jour peut-être, y reviendrait, pour méditer etc. je pense que pour le croyant, un hadith se médite, fait sa place dans le corps et l'esprit, attend, le croyant croit l'avoir oublié et le hadith revient, mais chargé de sens, parce que quelque chose dans la vie su croyant à suscité la compréhension.

[salmareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im so so happy i read this, i started studying it in a course, but I couldn’t finish it. So alhamdulilah i was able to complete it!

Alhamdulillah this is my introduction to Hadith, I’ve benefited so much and can’t wait to read and starry more books of Hadith.

[Maktabah Nouraniyyah]

It’ goog book contain fundamental hadith for islamic teaching

[Saytun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great it has many Hadith from some very well know and authentic authors such as Bukhari , Muslim and so much more. one of my favorite Hadiths in the book was in the beginning, the prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his companion Omar where sitting in the Masq and a man with "exactingly black hair, and exactingly white cloth" come up to them and asked the prophet some question , after the prophet s.a.w answered the question the prophet Muhammad s.a.w asked his friend do you know who that man was? Not knowing he said “god and you know best”... (Read more)don’t want to spoil it.. But from this Hadith I learned what Islam is? What do Muslims believe? And a few other questions that never come to my head as a Muslim but it was good to know because now when people ask me what I believe I can just quote the book...

[Ree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite quotes from this (partially quotes some hadith”:


“Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart.” - Hadith 6

“Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by was not going to befall you and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship..” - Hadith 19


“Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or bringing about its ruin.” - Hadith 23


I definitely recommend this gem. It’s light, easy to understand and quick to reference. I’ve ear-marked hadith I want to reread every day, to remind myself of these messages. Insha’Allah I will be able to memorise them all one day.

[KEITH · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed his hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful and to remove the wrongs of the aggrieved."

"He has no faith in me who sleeps replete while his neighbor is in hunger and is aware of the fact."

Some good Hadith. The commentary is definitely a little Islamic-exceptionalist for better or worse. Besides the Hadith themselves, the most interesting part is the introduction wherein the translator describes the social dynamics of Hausaland as it transitioned from African to Islamic to Western influence. Worth reading, but not a must-read.