40 Hadith – An-Nawawi – Lesson 1: The Introduction – Shaykh Dr. Saleh As-Saleh

بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, I testify that there is no true God worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammed is Allah’s true slave and messenger. May Allah’s salaah and salaam be upon the prophet, his noble and pure family, his noble companions, and those who follow on their path until the day of resurrection.

Tonight insha Allah we’ll start explaining the 40 hadith, or 40+ hadith that were collected by Al-Imam An-Nawawi رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰه تَعَالَىٰ, and as explained by our Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al Othaymeen, may Allah’s Mercy be upon both of them.

In the beginning of the discussion the Shaykh رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰه started with the saying – Inna Alhamdulillahi – All praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, and we seek His help, and forgiveness, and that we seek refuge in Allah, from our own evil, and from our own evil selves, and our own deeds. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide him, and whoever Allah misguides none can guide him. And I testify that there is no true God worthy of worship, except Allah. And that Allah سُبْحَانَه وَتَعَالَىٰ is One and Unique, having no partner, nor an associate, and I testify that Muhammed is Allah’s slave and messenger. May Allah’s salaah and salaam be upon him, and his noble and pure family, and his companions.

Then the Shaykh رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰهُ went on to give an introduction concerning Al-Hafidh An-Nawawi, the great scholar of Islam, Al-Imam An-Nawawi رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰه, that he was from the reliable and trustworthy scholars from the companions of al-Imam ash-Shafi’i. And he was known for his authorship, authoring in many disciplines, in hadith, and it’s sciences, as well as in linguistics.

He in reality is one of the most knowledgeable people, and it is apparent, and Allah knows best, that he is from the most sincere in his authorship because his works spread in the Muslim world, to the degree that you can even find a mosque, except that his book Riyadus Saliheen is recited, or is read, and his books are known, famous, in the world, indicating his correct niyyah – intention.

The acceptance of people, the acceptance of the works, is an indication for the purity of the intention. He is a mujtahid – a scholar of ijtihaad – and the mujthahid arrives at the correct as well as incorrect opinions.

And he رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰه was incorrect in his position regarding the names and attributes of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ. So he resorted to figurative interpretation of some of the attributes of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ.. However without denying them.

Like for example the figurative interpretation of al-Istiwa – Allah’s rising or ascending the throne.

The people of figurative interpretation say that it means that Allah took control of the throne, but they don’t deny that. Because if they were to deny the Istiwa, if they would deny it, then in this case they would commit disbelief.

However the person who denies such attributes by way of figurative interpretations, not belying them, in this case if there is a proof for his figurative interpretation that may be accommodated in the Arabic language, then in this case he does not become a disbeliever. However if there is no way to accommodated that in the, or permitted in the Arabic language, then this entails kufr. Then this entails kufr.

For example if he would say, if one would say, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ does not possess a real hand, and it is not, and he says that it doesn’t mean His Power nor His Favour, you know because some people of figurative interpretation, say that the meaning of Allah’s Hand is His Favour or His Power, so the person who denies all of that, then in this case he denies the reality of Allah’s Hand, that it is real and the true Hand, and of course Allah’s attributes are different from the attributes, and distinct and different from the attributes of creation.

So those who deny the Hand, and they don’t even permit the figurative interpretation, in this case they commit kufr, because they denied that in absolute sense.

As for the people of ta-weel, as for the people of figurative interpretation, they believe, but they distort the meaning through the unsubstantiated figurative interpretation.

Such matters where the imam رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰه, in which he erred, is a matter of, a mistake in ta-weel, the wrong being done in terms of figurative interpretations of some of the texts, of the attributes. And these are few. When compared to the merits and the benefits, the great merits and benefits of the works of this imam, and we have no doubt that what occurred from him is due to his ijtihaad, and his permissible interpretation, you know, at least in his opinion.

And I hope that he is forgiven for that. And that what he authored from, and presented to the ummah from the good and the benefits is from the acceptable work and that may, the saying of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ in Surath Hud, Chapter 11, Verse 114 may be applicable on him, where Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ says:

…إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ…

..verily the good deeds wipe out the bad deeds… or remove the evil ones.

We testify that al-imam an-Nawawi, as far as we know, that he is on righteousness, and that he is a mujtahid, and everyone who is qualified with the degree of ijtihaad may err, and also may reach a correct conclusions. And if he erred then he is rewarded once, and if he is correct, then his reward is doubled.

Imam an-Nawawi authored, as we said many books and this book, the 40 hadith, and it’s actually more than 40, it’s 42, is of the best of his authorship.

And the shaykh رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰه, at the end of this introduction he said, these 40 hadith, he encouraged the seeker of knowledge to memorise it because they are chosen from many hadiths, and covering different topics.

Then the Shaykh رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰه said, and we seek help in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ to commend and explain this hadith, and therefore we go now to the first hadith, al hadith al awwal, the first hadith…

Transcribed from Audio: http://www.understand-islam.net/audio/H – 03. An-Nawawi – 40 Hadeeth/01- An-Nawawi – Introduction —.mp3