Al-Nawawi's Manual of Islam

by Yahya ibn Sharaf Al-Nawawi

Imam Nawawi's classic manual of Islam, al-Maqasid, was first composed as a fiqh matn, or synopsis of the practical requirements of Islam -- faith, purification, the prayer, zakat, fasting, and pilgrimage -- for students to memorize. This English translation has been expanded to include explanative notes taken from Ahmad ibn Naqib's Umdat al-Salik, (The Reliance of the Traveler) to enhance its usefulness.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Theology, Nonfiction

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Abū Zakariyyā Yahya ibn Sharaf Al-Nawawi (Arabic: 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. He authored numerous and lengthy works ranging from hadith, to theology, biography, and jurisprudence. Al-Nawawi never married.

Reviews

[Parker · Rating 1 out of 5]

+5 stars for being a thorough and useful manual for the proper practice of religion.

-2 stars because it's a bad religion.

-2 stars because this is the most tedious book I've ever had the misfortune of reading.

[Omar Alhashimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read, plain and simple. AlNawawi's manual is concise yet with so much detail packed into so little. Furthermore Nuh Keller's essays at the end are essential to every muslim of this time, as we have clearly lost way with what traditional Islam is, what it entails, and more importantly what it requires of us.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a scholar of the Hadith or the Qur'an or Shari'a. I still learned a lot from this text and recommend it for others who seek deeper and greater understanding of Islam, particularly the Shafi'i school Imam Nawawi is part of. I appreciated the clarity of teaching in each section and especially the section on Sufism.

[George Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book onShafi'i jurisprudence

[Izzat Halim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A succinct manual for the shafiis with excellent additions on the common problems faced by a common muslim in this world today. A definite recommendation for all the muslims out there. May the author be rewarded greatly for this book

[Umar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed, but reads like it was written in a hurry. Sometimes a whole act of worship is whittled down to one sentence with a few of the words being completely vague. Would be much better if it were better organized. A new version is necessary.

I felt the additions at the back of the book were unneeded, and in my estimation if those additions can be included (that Imam Nawawi never wrote) then Shaykh Nuh could definitely toss in some commentary and footnotes, for the countless but all too common 'what-if' scenarios that crops up daily. A much more organic explanation would be very helpful. Comparable to Za'd al-Ma'ad of Ibn Qayyim in approach.

Nonetheless, this is one of the few Islamic books that attempts to cover a great deal of ground so its a welcomed but necessary addition to fiqh books.

[Hamza · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? It's a great book, and very helpful especially for followers of the Shafi'i school. Worth reading straight through, including the end notes at least once. Also worth keeping close by for a quick reference if you're not looking for something super-detailed like you might find in the Reliance.

[Ahsun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good resource to have on your shelf

[Juliana Es]

Soon to own, ordered from BookDepository.com.

Updated 11 August 2010: Received my copy from BD.

[David Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable

[Safendrri Ragamustari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise yet good resource on Shafii fiqh.
Written by Imam Nawawi, translated by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller.

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantastic primer for anyone interested in the basics of Islam.

[Ashna Thaher · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a good start and beneficial to those seeking sacred knowledge. I highly recommend it.