Imaam an-Nawawi

He is Abu Zakariyyah Yahyah ibn Sharaf ibn Murree ibn Hasan ibn Hussein ibn Muhammad ibn Juma an-Nawawi. He was born in Nawa, the capital of Julaan in the land of Huraan in Muharram, 631H, which is a place near Damascus, Syria.

He memorized the entire Qur’an before puberty. Nawa had no religious institutes or scholarly atmosphere, so at the age of 19 his father took him to Damascus, which was the hub for learning and scholarship at that time with over 300 colleges, institutes and universities and students gathered there for studying from all over the world.

In 649H he enrolled in Madrasah Rawaahiyyah. During this time he study 12 lessons a day and would not waste time, revising these lessons on his way to class and on his home from class. He had an endless thirst for knowledge and would write notes and commentary of every lesson he took and every book he read. Allah blessed him with a strong memory, prolific thought and righteousness. He used to dress modestly, eat simple food and observe excellent manners and character which garnered him the respect of both the learned elite and the general public.

During his time in Damascus he studied from over twenty celebrated scholars who were regarded as masters and authorities in the field of subjects they taught. He studied Hadith, Fiqh (Jurisprudence) and Grammar from the major scholars of his era. For a detailed account of his teachers and students refer to Tadhkiratul-Hufaadh by adh-Dhahabi 4/1470.

After spending 29 years in Damascus, he traveled to Jerusalem, then back to his hometown. Soon after his arrival at Nawa, he fell ill and died in the house of his father in Rajab 676H. He did not live long but the impact of his books and scholarly efforts live on till this very day.

Books authored by him available in English:

• Collection of an-Nawawi 40 Hadith

• Riyadh us-Saliheen

• Explanation to the Introduction of Sahih Muslim