Stories of the Scholars
Imam An-Nawawi
الإِمَام يَحْيَى بْنُ شَرَفٍ النَّوَوِيّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ
Author Riyadhus Shalihin & Arba'in Nawawi (d. 676 H)
Yahya bin Syaraf An-Nawawi lived a relatively short but extraordinarily productive life, producing dozens of major works in jurisprudence, hadith and morals in less than 45 years of his life. His works Al-Arba'in An-Nawawi (forty selected hadiths) and Riyadhus Shalihin (garden of the pious) have become the two books most memorized and studied by students throughout the world to date. He also wrote Minhajut Thalibin, a summary of Shafi'i jurisprudence which has been a reference for the main fatwa of the school for centuries. He was known to live as an ascetic life, rejecting all positions and luxuries in order to devote his time completely to knowledge and worship.
1Muhyiddin, Religious Lifeguard
Yahya bin Syaraf An-Nawawi (631–676 H) was born in Nawa, Syam. Since childhood, he preferred memorizing the Koran rather than playing. He lived a very ascetic life, celibate for the sake of knowledge, and became the main reference for the Shafi'i school of thought throughout the ages.
📖 QS Ali 'Imran: 79
2Immortal Works
Despite his short life, Nawawi left behind works that are studied by people to this day: Riyadhus Shalihin, Al-Arba'in An-Nawawiyah, Syarah Sahih Muslim, Al-Majmu', and Al-Adzkar. The blessing of his knowledge is extraordinary because of his sincerity.
📖 QS Al-Kahfi: 66
3Zuhud, Amar Ma'ruf, and his death
Nawawi dared to advise the rulers gently but firmly, rejecting their gifts, and living only from his father's modest remittances. He died young in Nawa in 676 H, leaving behind an example that the blessings of knowledge are born from sincerity and reason.
📖 QS Al-Ma'idah: 67