The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said "Whosoever memorizes and preserves for my people forty hadith relating to their religion, Allah will resurrect him on the Day of Judgment in the company of jurists and religious scholars.” A prolific scholar by the name of Imam Nawawi took this hadith to heart, and it drove him to put together what has become one of the most cherished shorter collections of rigorously authenticated hadiths.
The hadith in this collection are unique among hadith because these are the Messenger of Allah’s most comprehensive utterances, each one of which is eloquent and full of meaning. By studying these 40 hadiths, one gains a greater knowledge of the sunna than one would gain by studying hundreds of other hadiths.
In this course, you will unpack the 42 hadiths from Imam Nawawi's collection Forty Hadith of Imam Nawawi. The course will focus on the language of the hadiths, their implications in Sacred Law, and their relevance to our lives as Muslims in the 21st century. They were related almost 1500 years ago, yet they speak to the innermost concerns of our hearts and souls. Indeed, these hadiths are timeless and are together a collection that no serious, devoted Muslim should be without on his or her journey through life.
Each lesson focuses on a selection of hadith grouped by a central theme so that you can you learn the essential meaning of each hadith. Throughout this journey, you will also learn concepts related to the study of the hadith and aspects of the life of the Companion who narrates each hadith. You will also memorize 40 key Arabic words either related to the study of hadith in general or related to the key concepts discussed in the hadiths.
Through learning, reflecting upon, and implementing these hadith, you will insha’Allah come away with an understanding of the beauty of Islamic beliefs, ethics, and morals. You will gain a general understanding of the basic norms of Islam, Iman, and Ihsan. You will taste the spiritual and practical advice of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and find solutions within them to all types of problems.
The life lessons learned in this course are invaluable on your journey to Allah. The hadiths provide guidance on strengthening your relationship with Allah and improving your interaction with fellow humans. These lessons may be applied to your worship, work, studies, marriage, and family and community life in the short-term. And in the long-term, our Beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, left us with these words so that we could prepare ourselves for the appointed meeting with Allah.
Besides the practical lessons you will learn from these hadiths, you will also benefit from the manifold barakah (blessing) there is in reading, learning, and memorizing the words of our Beloved Messenger, peace be upon him. You will feel the beauty and conciseness of each Prophetic tradition. In a few words, a hadith sums up life lessons that are profound in their meaning and resonate with believers from all walks of life.
This course has something for everyone. It speaks to the new Muslim, the returning Muslim, and anyone wishing to gain further insight into the beautiful tradition of our Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace.