Sharh of the 40 Nawawi Hadith
Program:
Islamic Studies
Semester:
Semester 3
Code:
AHD102
Credits:
1.5 Hour(s)
Start Date:
September 26, 2026
Timing:
Sat 10:30 AM to 12 PM EDT
Overview
About this Course
This course is a guided reading and commentary (sharh) of the first twenty-one ahadith of Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi’s celebrated collection, Al-Arba’un al-Nawawiyyah. Each session pairs the reading of the hadith text with a study of its chain, its legal and theological content, and the commentary tradition surrounding it. Students will leave the course with a firm grounding in twenty-one foundational statements of the Prophet that together summarize the core of Islamic belief, worship, and character.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Read and translate Hadith 1 through 21 of the Nawawi collection with correct meaning
- Identify the narrator and chain of each hadith studied and explain its authenticity
- Explain the core legal, theological, and ethical principle contained in each hadith
- Apply these principles to contemporary questions of worship, character, and daily conduct
- Situate each hadith within the broader structure of Islamic creed, law, and spirituality
Required and recommended texts:
- Primary text: An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith
- Recommended commentary: Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi, Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo (Al-Basheer Publications, 2 volumes)
- Supplementary: Jami’ al-‘Ulum wal-Hikam, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, and Sharh al-Arba’in al-Nawawiyyah, Ibn Daqiq al-‘Id.
All supplementary readings will be distributed by the instructor; no additional purchase is required.
Assessment and grading:
- Participation and attendance (20%)
- Midterm examination (30%)
- Final exam (50%)
Course policies:
- Attendance: students are expected at all 13 sessions with their cameras on; more than two unexcused absences may affect the participation grade
- No extensions will be allowed for the midterm or final exam
- Academic integrity: all written work must be the student’s own; exams will be closed book
- Communication: questions between sessions should go through the class Telegram channel designated by the administrator
13 Weekly Topics
Course breakdown
Course introduction; Imam al-Nawawi's life and method
No new hadith — orientation session
Intentions and the pillars of the faith
Hadith 1 — Actions Are by Intentions · Hadith 2 — Islam, Iman, and Ihsan
The five pillars and divine decree
Hadith 3 — The Five Pillars · Hadith 4 — Stages of Creation & Decree
Innovation and the bounds of the lawful
Hadith 5 — Rejection of Newly Invented Matters · Hadith 6 — The Halal and Haram Are Clear
Sincerity in religion and sanctity of life
Hadith 7 — Religion Is Sincere Counsel · Hadith 8 — Sanctity of Life and Property
Obedience, lawful earning, and midterm review
Hadith 9 — Take What You Are Able · Hadith 10 — Allah Is Good and Accepts Only Good
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Covers Hadith 1–10
Certainty over doubt; guarding one's own affairs
Hadith 11 — Leave What Causes You Doubt · Hadith 12 — Part of the Perfection of Islam
Brotherhood and the sanctity of blood
Hadith 13 — Loving for Your Brother · Hadith 14 — The Sanctity of a Muslim’s Blood
Noble speech and self-restraint
Hadith 15 — Speak Good or Remain Silent · Hadith 16 — Do Not Become Angry
Excellence and repentance
Hadith 17 — Allah Has Prescribed Excellence · Hadith 18 — Fear Allah, Follow a Bad Deed With Good
Protection, modesty, and steadfastness; course review
Hadith 19 — Be Mindful of Allah · Hadith 20 — Modesty Is Part of Faith · Hadith 21 — Say I Believe, Then Be Steadfast
FINAL EXAMINATION
Comprehensive, Hadith 1–21
Ust. Adnan Khan
Instructor | Tazkiyyah
A multidisciplinary educator currently pursuing a BSc in Islamic Studies (Mishkah University) and MSc in Psychology & Islamic Counselling (IOU), Ustadh Adnan focuses on personal development and the Islamic worldview. He teaches Tazkiyyah, blending inner reform with outward action.