Sharh al-Arbaeen al-Nawawiyya - al-Abbad
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- Sharh al-Arbaeen al-Nawawiyya - al-Abbad
Sharh al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyyah (full title: Fath al-Qawiyy al-Matin fi Sharh al-Arba'in wa-Tatimmat al-Khamsin lil-Nawawi wa-Ibn Rajab) is a commentary by the Saudi hadith scholar Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad on the famous collection of comprehensive prophetic traditions compiled by al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH / 1277 CE) and supplemented by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (d. 795 AH / 1393 CE) .
Composition and Scope
Al-Abbad wrote the book to elucidate forty-two hadiths compiled by al-Nawawi in his al-Arba'in, along with the eight additional hadiths appended by Ibn Rajab in Jami' al-Ulum wa-l-Hikam to bring the total to fifty traditions . These narrations represent foundational maxims of the Islamic faith that embody concise yet comprehensive speech ( جوامع الكلم ) .
The author titled the work Fath al-Qawiyy al-Matin, drawing upon one of the divine names of God mentioned in the Quran: إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ ("Indeed, Allah is the Provider, the Possessor of Firm Strength") . Al-Abbad advised students of Islamic knowledge to commit all fifty hadiths to memory due to their foundational significance across Islamic jurisprudence, creed, and ethics .
Method and Sources
Al-Abbad adopted an intermediate style leaning toward brevity, dividing the commentary on each hadith into structured paragraphs . Each exposition covers the biographical background and kunya of the Companion who transmitted the hadith, the linguistic clarification of uncommon terms, and an analysis of its doctrinal and legal implications . At the end of every tradition, he includes an itemized list of key benefits and rulings derived from the text .
In compiling his commentary, al-Abbad drew primarily upon four earlier expositions of the collection, as well as classical hadith commentary literature :
- The commentaries on the Arba'in by al-Nawawi, Ibn Daqiq al-'Id, Ibn Rajab, and Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin .
- Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani's commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Fath al-Bari .
Reception and Publication
The work has been published under its full title by publishers including Dar Ibn al-Qayyim in Dammam . Contemporary scholars, such as Abd al-Karim al-Khudayr, noted it among the most suitable concise commentaries on al-Nawawi's collection for beginning and intermediate students .
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