40 Hadith of
Imam Nawawi
"The most well-known, foundational collection of prophetic sayings that capture the essence of the Islamic faith."
Actions are by Intentions
Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have only that which he intended. Thus he whose migration (Hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.
Islam, Iman, Ihsan
One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), there came before us a man with extremely white clothing and extremely black hair... He said: 'O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.'
The Pillars of Islam
Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakat, making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.
Creation and Human Destiny
Verily the creation of any one of you takes place when he is assembled in his mother's womb; for forty days he is as a drop of fluid (nutfah), then he becomes a clot ('alaqah) for a like period, then a morsel of flesh (mudghah) for a like period. Then an angel is sent to him who breathes the soul into him and is commanded to write four things: his provision, his lifespan, his deeds, and whether he will be wretched or blessed...
Rejection of Innovations
Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected.
Avoiding Shubuhat (Doubtful Matters)
Indeed, the lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor...
Religion is Sincerity (Nasihah)
Religion is Nasihah (sincerity/advice). We said: 'To whom?' He said: 'To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.'
The Sanctity of a Muslim
I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and they establish prayer and pay the zakat...
Obligations are according to Ability
What I have forbidden for you, avoid. What I have commanded for you, do as much of it as you can... Verily, what destroyed those who were before you was their excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their prophets.
Allah is Pure and Accepts Only Pure
Allah the Almighty is Pure and accepts only that which is pure. And verily Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers... Then he (ﷺ) mentioned [the case] of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying 'O Lord! O Lord!' while his food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, and he has been nourished with haram, so how can [his supplication] be answered?
Leaving Doubt for Certainty
Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.
Leaving That Which Does Not Concern One
Part of the excellence of one's Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.
Loving for Your Brother What You Love for Yourself
None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.
The Sanctity of a Muslim's Life
The blood of a Muslim who confesses that there is no deity but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah cannot be shed except in three cases: a married person who commits adultery, a life for a life, and the one who forsakes his religion and separates from the community.
Islamic Manners and Hospitality
He who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him show hospitality to his neighbor; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him show hospitality to his guest.
The Virtue of Self-Control
A man said to the Prophet (ﷺ): 'Counsel me.' He said: 'Do not become angry.' The man repeated [his request] several times, and he said: 'Do not become angry.'
Excellence in Everything (Ihsan)
Verily Allah has prescribed Ihsan (excellence/perfection) in all things. So if you kill, then kill well; and if you slaughter, then slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters.
Fear Allah Wherever You Are
Fear Allah wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed and it will wipe it out, and behave towards the people with a good character.
Be Mindful of Allah, He Will Protect You
Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the whole world were to gather together in order to help you, they would not be able to help you except with that which Allah has written for you...
Modesty is Part of Faith
Among the words of the early prophets that have reached the people are: 'If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.'
Steadfastness in Faith
I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam which I can ask of no one but you.' He said: 'Say: I believe in Allah — and then be steadfast.'
The Path to Paradise
Suppose I perform the obligatory prayers, fast in Ramadan, treat as lawful that which is halal, and treat as forbidden that which is haram, and do not increase upon that in anything, shall I enter Paradise? He (ﷺ) said: 'Yes.'
Purity and Good Deeds
Purity is half of faith, and 'Alhamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah) fills the scales, and 'SubhanAllah' (Glory be to Allah) and 'Alhamdulillah' fill that which is between the heaven and the earth...
Allah's Prohibition of Oppression
O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another... O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you...
The Simple Acts of Charity
Verily in every 'SubhanAllah' there is a charity, and in every 'Allahu Akbar' there is a charity, and in every 'Alhamdulillah' there is a charity, and in every 'La ilaha illa Allah' there is a charity, and enjoining what is good is a charity, and forbidding what is evil is a charity...
Daily Charity on Every Joint
Every joint of a person has a charity due upon it every day the sun rises: bringing about justice between two people is a charity; and assisting a man with his beast by helping him upon it or lifting his luggage onto it is a charity; and a good word is a charity...
The Definition of Righteousness
Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you would hate for people to find out about.
Cling to the Sunnah
I counsel you to have Taqwa of Allah, and to listen and obey even if a slave were to be made your leader... Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (the Rightly Guided Caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [with your molar teeth]...
The Doors of Goodness
Shall I not guide you to the doors of goodness? Fasting is a shield, and charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire, and the prayer of a man in the middle of the night...
Respecting the Limits of Allah
Verily Allah the Almighty has prescribed the obligatory deeds, so do not neglect them; and He has set limits, so do not transgress them; and He has forbidden some things, so do not violate them; and He has been silent about some things as a mercy to you, not because of forgetfulness, so do not seek after them.
How to be Loved by Allah and People
Renounce the world and Allah will love you, and renounce what people possess and people will love you.
No Harming or Reciprocating Harm
There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.
The Burden of Proof
Were people to be given according to their claims, men would claim the wealth and blood of others. However, the burden of proof is upon the claimant and an oath is upon the one who denies [the claim].
Changing Evil with Action
Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.
The Qualities of Brotherhood
Do not envy one another, do not inflate prices for one another, do not hate one another, do not turn your backs on one another, and do not undercut one another in trade, but be you, O servants of Allah, brothers...
The Virtue of Helping Others
Whosoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Resurrection. Whosoever alleviates the lot of a needy person, Allah will alleviate his lot in this world and the next...
Allah's Mercy and Recording of Deeds
Verily Allah has recorded the good deeds and the evil deeds and then He explained how [that is so]: he who intended to do a good deed and did not do it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed; but if he intended it and did it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times that or many times more...
Nearness to Allah through Voluntary Deeds
Whosoever shows enmity to a wali (friend) of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him; and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him...
Forgiveness for Errors
Allah has pardoned for me my ummah: their mistakes and their forgetfulness, and that which they have been coerced into doing.
Be in This World Like a Stranger
Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.
Submitting Desires to the Sunnah
None of you [truly] believes until his inclination/desire is in accordance with what I have brought.
The Expanse of Allah's Forgiveness
O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you... O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.
Why Study the 40 Hadith?
Imam Nawawi’s Forty Hadith is a foundational Islamic text that summarizes the entire religion. Each hadith was selected because it represents a "great principle" of faith.
From the importance of sincerity to the definition of good character, studying these prophetic sayings provides a clear roadmap for living a meaningful life.