| Full Name |
Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf ibn Mūrī ibn Ḥasan ibn Ḥusayn ibn Muḥammad ibn Jumʿah ibn Ḥizām al-Nawawī |
| Kunya |
Abū Zakariyyā |
| Birth |
1233 CE / 631 AH — Nawa, Syria |
| Death |
1277 CE / 676 AH — Nawa, Syria |
| Title |
Imām al-Nawawī, Muhaddith, Jurist |
| Position |
Shāfiʿī jurist, Hadith scholar, Renewer of his era |
| Notable Works |
Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn, Al-Arbaʿīn al-Nawawiyyah, Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab |
| Regions of Influence |
Syria, broader Islamic world |
Life, Legacy, and His Scholarship
Early Life and Education
Born in Nawa in 631 AH (1233 CE). Known for his deep piety and early devotion to learning. Memorized the Qur’an young and excelled in fiqh and hadith.
Education and Teachers
Moved to Damascus at 18 to study at the Dār al-Ḥadīth and other institutions. Learned from leading Shāfiʿī scholars like Ishāq ibn Aḥmad al-Maghribī and Abū Shāmah.
Expertise and Works
Mastered Shāfiʿī jurisprudence, hadith sciences, and Arabic language.
Key works include:
-
Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn — ethics and spirituality
-
Al-Arbaʿīn al-Nawawiyyah — forty hadith collection
-
Al-Majmūʿ — encyclopedic Shāfiʿī fiqh commentary
Famous For
Character and Political Stance
Lived simply, avoided wealth and politics, and was outspoken against injustice. Prioritized the Sunnah in all matters.
Famous Quote
“The scholar is not the one who knows good from evil, but the one who knows the better of two goods and the worse of two evils.” (Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Legacy
His works remain foundational in Islamic study circles. Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn and Al-Arbaʿīn are taught globally, and his fiqh commentary is a reference for Shāfiʿīs.
Interesting Facts
-
Completed over 40 works despite dying at age 44
-
Known for intense study, sleeping very little to focus on learning
-
Refused political positions, staying independent
References
- Al-Sakhāwī, Al-Iʿlān bi’l-Tawbīkh
- Ibn al-ʿAṭṭār, Tuhfat al-Talibīn bi-Tarjamat al-Imam al-Nawawi
- Al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ
