An Nawawi 40 Hadith: Complete Guide, Themes & Hadith List
Read an introduction to the Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, explore key themes and follow the individual Arabic and English hadith references on Sirah.
The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, also called Al-Arba’in al-Nawawiyyah, brings together narrations about faith, worship and conduct. Although its familiar title says forty, the referenced edition contains 42 numbered hadiths.
What did an-Nawawi intend to collect?
In his introduction, an-Nawawi describes a collection of broad religious principles rather than a single subject. He says most reports come from the two Sahih collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim, and explains that he omits transmission chains to help memorization and make the material accessible. These are the compiler’s stated aims; they do not replace reading the references and notes for each narration.
The familiar title remains in use for this edition’s 42 narrations. The list below links to each narration individually.
Six references to begin with
Hadith 1: intention
Umar’s report connects actions with their intentions and uses migration to distinguish motivations. Begin with Nawawi Hadith 1, then compare the opening narration of Sahih al-Bukhari. Reflect on the purpose you bring to study and to ordinary actions.
Hadith 2: the questions of Jibril
In Nawawi Hadith 2, a visitor questions the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Islam, iman, ihsan and the Hour. At the end, the visitor is identified as Jibril, who came to teach the companions their religion. Read the dialogue as a whole before separating its themes into a checklist.
Hadith 6: lawful, unlawful and doubtful matters
Nawawi Hadith 6 distinguishes clear lawful and unlawful matters from doubtful matters. Its closing passage turns to the heart. The report offers a starting point for study; applying it to a particular legal question requires context and qualified guidance.
Hadith 11: leaving doubt
Nawawi Hadith 11, transmitted by al-Hasan ibn Ali, gives a concise instruction to leave what causes doubt for what does not. Read its source attribution alongside the narration.
Hadith 13: wanting good for others
Nawawi Hadith 13, reported by Anas ibn Malik, connects faith with loving for one’s brother what one loves for oneself. Consider how this teaching informs your treatment of other people.
Hadith 32: harm and reciprocating harm
Nawawi Hadith 32 concerns causing harm and responding with harm. The referenced edition includes discussion of its transmission routes. Those notes matter when studying how a short formulation is transmitted and understood.
Read the complete hadith list
A practical way to study
- Read one complete narration, including its source notes.
- Compare the available Arabic and English text, remembering that translations and numbering can differ between editions.
- Record a question or a personal reflection separately from the narration.
- Use the lesson on sincerity and intention or the lesson on prayer to continue a theme.
Open the Nawawi collection for its chapter navigation and source information. Sirah’s Sources & Methodology explains imported texts, grading labels and the limits of AI assistance.