Imam Nawawi’s “Forty Hadith”: Hadiths 11 and 12 taught by Sheikh Gomaa
Who was Nawawi?
Nawawi (631 – 676 A.H / 1234 – 1278 A.D.), was a brilliant Muslim scholar with a high reputation among Muslims, both Sunni and Shia, to this day. He has a famous collection of traditions called the “Forty Hadiths”; althought they are forty-two in number. Studying the ahadith is in some ways similar to studying the Bible because the ahadith are a type of revelation; although they are not inspired like the Bible. Studying al-Nawawi is similar to studying a great Christian commentator like St. Augustine. In order to avoid a non-Muslim and Western slant I have been learning under the tutelage of Sheikh 1The Islamic Dictionary defines Sheikh as: (1) A man over 40, (2) A Muslim who is a student of knowledge, (3) One who has completed their undergraduate university studies in Islamic studies and are trained in giving lectures. Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt. Sheikh Gomaa is the author of numerous works on Islam and also the editor of the Encyclopaedia of Hadith.
The eleventh Hadith compiled by al-Nawawi, first in Arabic and then in English,
عن أبي محمد الحسن بن على بن ابي طالب سبط رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وريحانته رضي الله عـنهـما ، قـال : حـفـظـت مـن رســول الله صلى الله عـليـه وسلم : ( دع ما يـريـبـك إلى ما لا يـريـبـك ).
رواه الترمذي [ رقم : 2520 ] ، والنسائي [ رقم : 5711 ] ، وقال الترمذي : حديث حسن صحيح.On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (radi allahu anhuma 2Arabic to English translation, May Allah be pleased with them.), the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam 3Arabic to English translation, May Allah bless him and grant him peace. Often abbreviated SAWS), and the one much loved by him, who said: I memorised from the Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam):
Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt. [It was related by at-Tirmidhee and an-Nasaa’ee, with at-Tirmidhee saying that it was a good and sound (hasan Saheeh) hadeeth.]
A Hasan (Good) Hadeeth which was related by at-Tirmidhee and others in this fashion.
Sheikh Gomaa’s Explanation of Imam Nawawi’s Hadith 11
Listen to Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt and hadith scholar, teach about this hadith. My notes follow,
Hadith 11: Leave what is doubtful for what is certain
0:00-4:13
The Sheikh discusses the 11th hadith and the Arabic word for “doubt” – “yoribak’. The gist seems to be that we should leave doubtful things for more certain things.
Hadith 12: Mind your own business
4:13-end
Sheikh Ali Gomaa discusses the 12th hadith,
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه ، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( من حسن إسلام المرء تركه ما لا يعـنيه ) .
حديث حسن ، رواه الترمذي [ رقم : 2318 ] ابن ماجه [ رقم : 3976 ]On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radi allahu ‘anhu 4English Translation from Arabic, May Allah be pleased with him.)who said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam 5Arabic to English translation, May Allah bless him and grant him peace. Often abbreviated SAWS. The Quran commands Muslims to use this, or like expression, when referring to Muhammad and promises to reward them ten times) said:
Part of the perfection of one’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.
A Hasan (Good) Hadeeth which was related by at-Tirmidhee and others in this fashion.
5:20-5:41
“Nothing pitches people headlong on their faces into hellfire more than the ins of their tongues. As the Prophet (SAWS) taught Mu’adh, “If you safeguard the thing between the jaws (tongue) and the thing between your two legs (provate organs), I guarantee your entrance into Paradise.”
My Christian comment: Comments about the tongue and hellfire are similar to James 3. The Proverbs are also full of teaching about the tongue. As to minding your own business it is hard to beat Solomon (Proverbs 26:17).
6:57-7:14
“May Allah have mercy on that who is occupied with his own faults rather than others’ faults. The Prophet (SAWS) said, “You see the small piece of wood in your brother’s eye and leave the palm-tree trunk in your eye.”
My Christian comment: This is similar to Jesus teaching in Matthew 7:3-5.
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