Biographies - Imam Nawawi

Birth and Birth place:
The complete name ofImam Nawawiis Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya, son of
Sharaf An-Nawawi, son of Murry,son of Hassan, son of Hussain, son of
Muhammad, son of Juma,son of Hazam. Nawawi refers to Nawa, a place
near Damascus, in the suburb of the city of Howran. One of his
ancestors named Hazam had settled at this place.Imam Nawawiwas born at
Nawa in the year 631 A.H. His father, a virtuous and pious man,
resolved to arrange for proper and befitting education as he had
discovered the symptoms of heavenly intelligence and wisdom in his
promising child at an early stage.
Shaikh Yasin bin Yousuf Marakashi, a saintly figure of Nawa says: "I
sawImam Nawawiat Nawa when he was a youth of ten years of age.Other
boys of his age used to force him to play with them, but Imam Nawawi
would always avoid the play and wouldremain busy with the recitation
of the Noble Qur'an. When they tried to domineer and insisted on his
joining their games, he bewailed and expressed his no concern over
their foolish action. On observing his sagacityand profundity, a
special love and affection developed in my heart for young Nawawi. I
approached his teacher and urged him to take exceptional care of this
lad as he was to become a great religious scholar and most pious saint
of future. His teacher asked whether I was a soothsayer or an
astrologer. I told him I am neither soothsayer nor an astrologer but
Allah caused me to utter these words." His teacherconveyed this
incident to Imam's father and he keeping in view the learning quest of
his son, decided to dedicate the life of his son for the service and
promotion ofthe cause of Islamic Faith.
In a short period, Nawawi learnt to read the Holy Qur'an and by that
time he nearly had attained puberty. Nawa had no academic or scholarly
atmosphere andthere were no religious academies or institutes where
one could earn excellence in religious learning, so his father took
him to Damascus, which was considered the center of learning and
scholarship, and the students from far and wide gathered there for
schooling. During that period, there were more than three hundred
institutes, colleges and universities in Damascus. Imam Nawawi joined
Madrasah Rawahiyah which was affiliated withthe Ummvi University. The
founder and patron of this Madrasah was a trader named Zakiuddin
Abul-Qassim who was known as Ibn Rawahah. Madrasah was named after
him. Noted and eminent teachers of the period taught in that Madrasah.
Imam Nawawi says, "I studied in this institution for two years. During
my stay in Madrasah Rawahiyah, I never had complete rest and lived on
the limited food supplied by the institution." As a routine he used to
sleep very little at night. When it became irresistible as a human
being, he would lean and slumber for a while against the supportof
books. After a short duration he would again be hard at his scholastic
pursuits.
His Teachers and Guides:
During his stay at Damascus, he studied from more than twenty
celebrated teachers. These teachers were regarded as masters and
authority of their subject field and disciplines they taught. Imam
studied Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, its principles, syntax and
Etymology from great scholars of his time. Abu Ibrahim Ishaq bin Ahmad
AI-Maghribi, Abu Muhammad Abdur-Rahman bin Ibrahim Al-Fazari,
Radiyuddin AbuIshaq Ibrahim bin Abu Hafs Umar bin Mudar Al-Mudari, Abu
Ishaq Ibrahim bin Isa Al-Muradi,Abul-Baqa Khalid bin Yusuf An-Nablusi,
Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Salim Al-Misri, Abu Abdullah Al-Jiyani, Abul-Fath
Umar bin Bandar, Abu Muhammad At-Tanukhi, Sharafuddin Abdul-Aziz bin
Muhammad Al-Ansari, Abul-Faraj Abdur-Rahmanbin Muhammad bin Ahmad
Al-Maqdisi, Abul-Fada'il Sallar bin Al-Hasan Al Arbali etc.
His Students:
There were hundreds of Imam's students, among them some notables are:
Alauddin bin Attar, Ibn Abbas Ahmad bin Ibrahim, Abul-Abbas
Al-Ja'fari, Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Farah, Rashid Ismail bin Mu'allim
Al-Hanafi, Abu Abdullah Al-Hanbali, AbulAbbas Al-Wasti, Jamaluddin
Sulaiman bin Omar Az-Zar'i, AbulFaraj Abdur-Rahman bin Muhammad bin
Abdul-Hamid AlMaqdisi, Badr Muhammad bin Ibrahim, Shamsuddin Muhammad
bin Abu Bakr, Ash-Shihab Muhammad bin Abdul-Khaliq, Hibatullah
Al-Barizi, Abul-Hajjaj Yusuf bin Az-Zaki etc.
His Desire and Crave for Learning:
Imam Nawawi had endless thirst for knowledge, and it can beguessed
from his daily practice of studies. He used to read daily twelve
lessons and write explanation and commentary of every lesson and also
made important additions. Whatever the book ImamNawawi read, he put
down the marginal notesand explanations on that book. His
intelligence, hard work, love, devotion and absorption in his-studies
amazed his teachers and they become fond of him and began to praise
and admire him. According toImam Dhahabi, Imam Nawawi's concentration
and absorption in academic love gained proverbial fame. He had devoted
all his time for learning and scholarship.Other than reading and
writing, he spent his timecontemplating on the interacted and complex
issues and in finding their solutions. Allah had also conferred upon
him the gift of fast memory and depth of thought, and he who makes the
right use of this boon, there remains no doubt in his sagacity and
discernment. Imam Nawawi made full benefit of his God given qualities
and potentialities and earnedthe highest degree of honor.
Imam's Simplicity and Niceness of Manners:
The learned persons, eliteof the society and the public greatly
respected the Imam on account of his piety, learning and excellent
character. He used simple dress and atesimple food. Devout scholars do
not care about worldly chattels, they give preference to religious and
academic pursuits, propagation of Faith etc. They experience more
heavenly delight and joy in such activities than those who seek
satisfaction in luxurious foods, precious clothes and other worldly
things.Imam Nawawi had a prominent place among the erudite notables of
his age. He was God-fearing person having illustrious and glorious
aims regarding propagation of Faith. Celebrated Sheikh Mohiuddin
expresses his impression about Imam Nawawi as thus:
"Imam Nawawi had threedistinctive commendable qualities in his person.
If anybody have only one out of these three, people return to him in
abundance for guidance. First, having knowledge and its dissemination.
Second, to evade completely from the worldly inclinations, and the
third, inviting to all that is good ( Islam) enjoining Al-Ma'ruf
[i.e., Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and
forbidding Al-Munkar [polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has
forbidden]. Imam Nawawi had all three in him."
Imam Nawawi's worksand his death
The learned Imam had a very short life but even during this short
period, he had written a large number of books on different subjects.
Every work of the Imam is a masterwork and a treasure of knowledge.
Hundreds and thousands of people benefit from these works.
Some of the Prestigious Works of Imam Nawawi are:
Commentary on Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Minhaj fi Sharh Sahih Muslim,
Riyad-us-Saliheen, Kitab-ur-Raudah, Commentary on Mohadhdhab,
Tahdhib-ul-Asma was-Sifat, Kitab-ul-Adhkar, Arba'een, At-Taqreeb fi
Ilmil-Hadith wal-Irshad fihi, Kitab-ulMubhamat, At-Tibyan, Al-Idah fi
Manasikil-Hajj, Sharh Sahih AlBukhari (Naqis), Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud
(Naqis), Tabaqat Ash Shafi'iyah, Muhimmatul-Ahkam,
Manaqib-ush-Shafi'i, Bustan-ulArifeen, Al-Khulasatu fil-Hadith,
Mukhtasar At- Tirmidhi, A1Masa'il Al-Manthurah, Al-'Umdah fi
Tashihit-Tanbih and others.
After spending 28 years of age, Imam Nawawi returned to his hometown.
Soon after his arrival at Nawa, he felt ill and died. Imam Nawawi is
still living in the hearts of Muslims. His works are of everlasting
value. May Allah bless Imam Nawawi.

Ramadan: A free training opportunity

It has become clear to themajority of specialists in psychology and
behavioral experts that emotional intelligence)E.I.(, also known as
the emotional quotient )E.Q.(,is more important than academic
intelligence, also known as the intelligence quotient)I.Q.(.
This means that people who are in control of their emotions and are
able to curb their anger are distinguished in various fields of human
life and have greater opportunities to achieve success. Those who
cannot control their emotional lives or manage their emotions,
experience internal conflicts that undermine their ability to think
clearly and concentrate on work.
For this reason, there are numerous training courses that are
organized all over the world providing diverse strategies in the
development of emotional intelligence. As Muslims, we are blessed to
practice a mandatory training course every year in all parts of the
Islamic worldfree of charge in order tosharpen our emotional
intelligence in the most powerful way.
Training to delay gratification of the strongest biological urge in
human beings )i.e. hunger and thirst(, is considered the most
significant contribution to enhancing and developing one's emotional
intelligence. The importance of this training course lies in preparing
the individual to postpone his strongestbiological urges. Such
self-regulation is required to override the impulse to seek immediate
gratification of his desires that require a constant delay since
frustration is the main characteristic for most events in this life.
Indeed, )man does not attain all that his heart desires, for( the
winds donot blow as the ships wish. We cannot imaginethat one attains
everything he looks forward to. This leads to embracing frustration
which may sometimes beat the expense of one's mental health.
Therefore,training to cope with frustration )in our lives( helps in
building a balanced and cohesive character.
Fasting in Islam is either obligatory or recommended so as to serve as
an important factor in self-regulation and self-adaptation. It
inhibits pressures and helps cope with frustrations with commendable
flexibility and adaptability.
The other aspect of training with regards to fasting is related to
acquiring and developing empathy for others. Empathy )i.e. the ability
to understand what another goes through(, is one of the most important
criteria that distinguish a personality from being normal or abnormal.
Enduring hunger and thirst helps one to identify himself with all the
needy and suffering people and consequentlydrives him to extend a
helping hand to them. These commendable feelings of compassion and
empathy towards those who are less fortunate are enough to train an
individual to curb and wear down his ego and begin thinking of others
instead of thinking merely of himself. This undoubtedly
strengthensone's mental health and develops skills of emotional
intelligence.
Moreover, we should not overlook other benefits of fasting such as
controlling sexual desiresand anger management. A fasting person is
expected to control his anger and should respond to )what provokes( it
by saying, "OAllaah, I am fasting". Perhaps there is no psychological
skill that is more important than curbing rashness as it is the core
of self-control. Obliging oneself to delay gratifications and curb
rashness to achieve a desired goal is the essence of emotional
self-regulation.
Taking into consideration all that hasbeen mentioned, is thereany
better training course that can emulate Ramadan in providing training
for emotional intelligence?

Why Ramadan is Special: Characteristics and Features – II

… Continued
It is the month of Thikr)remembrance of Allaah( and supplication.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
• }and remember Allaah often that you may succeed.{ ]Quran 62:10[
• }and the men who remember Allaah often and the women whodo so -
for them Allaah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.{ ]Quran
33:35[
• }And invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of
Allaah is near to the doers of good.{ ]Quran 7:56[
• }And when My servants ask you, ]O Muhammad[, concerning Me -
indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when
he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me]by obedience[ and believe
in Me that they may be ]rightly[ guided.{ ]Quran 2:186[
This last noble verse in particular highlights the intimate relation
between fasting and supplication.
In Ramadan, there is Laylatu Al-Qadr )the Night of Decree(, in
connection with which Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}The Night
of Qadr )Decree( is better than a thousand months.{ ]Quran 97:3[
According to the scholars, any righteous deed performed therein is
better than the actions of one thousand months, i.e. almost 83 years.
Thisis sufficient commendation of its superiority and honor, and the
magnificence of the deed done on it for the one whom Allaah guides to
stay up in worship on that night– we ask Allaah The Almighty to guide
us to that always, by His bounty and generosity. It is narrated in an
authentic Hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaahsaid: "Hewho stands )in
prayer( on the Night of Al-Qadr, out of sincere faith, and expecting
the reward with Allaah, his previous sins would be forgiven for him."
Thatis among the merits of standing)in prayer( on it; and sufficient
it is for a prize and profit.
Among the characteristics of Ramadan is the superiority of charity in
it, compared to any other time. It is narrated that theMessenger of
Allaahwas asked, "Which object of charity isthe best?" He said: "An
object of charity to be given in Ramadan."]At-Tirmithi[ It is narrated
on the authority of Ibn 'Abbaasthat he said, "The Messenger of
Allaahwas the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach
the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Jibreel)Gabriel(
met him. Jibreel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him
the Quran.The Messenger of Allaahwas the most generous person, even
more generous and faster in spending charity than the blowing wind."
]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[ According to the narration of Ahmad, "He was
never asked ]for[ anything but hegave it." Generosity is to give
liberally and openhandedly in charity or anything else.
His increased munificenceinRamadanwas a means to avail himself of this
blessed time and of the multiplication of deeds and their rewards in
it. It is narrated on the authority of Salmaanin a Marfoo' Hadeeth,
that hesaid: "Whoever draws near to Allaah in it )Ramadan( with a good
act, it is )multiplied as much( as if he has performed an obligatory
dutyat any other time; and whoever draws near to Allaah with an
obligatory duty in it, it is)multiplied as much( as if he has
performed seventy obligatory duties at any other time."
The combination of fasting and charity has a greater effect in
removing sins and prevention from Hellfire. According to an authentic
Hadeeth: "Fasting acts as a protective shield" i.e., to save one from
Hellfire. According to another authentic Hadeeth, hesaid: "Safeguard
yourselves from Hellfire even with half a date )to be given in
charity(."
A further characteristic of Ramadan is that the 'Umrah)minor
pilgrimage( performed in it is equal to Hajj )major pilgrimage( in
reward. It is proven in the books of Al-Bukhaari and Muslim that the
Messenger of Allaahsaid: "'Umrah performed in Ramadan is equal to
Hajj." Or, according to another narration: "… is equal to Hajj
performed along with me."
Another characteristic lies in the fact that it is the month of the
Quran, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(: }The month of Ramadan
]is that[ in which was revealed the Quran, guidancefor the people and
clear proofs ofguidance and criterion.{ ]Quran 2:185[ The Quran
recited in it mends the hearts and provides guidance for the one who
recites it, reflects upon its meanings, and supplicates Allaah The
Almighty with it. In connection with the superiority of recitation of
the Quran, the Messenger of Allaahsaid:
• "The skillful reciter of the Quran will be with the noble and
dutiful messenger-angels, and the one who recites it with difficulty
will be granted a doublereward."
• "Recite the Quran, because it will come as an intercessor for
itsreciters on the Day of Judgment."
• "Verily, Allaah raises some people by )virtue of( that Book)i.e., the Quran(."
• "The best one among you is he who learns and then teaches the Quran."
All those Hadeeths are authentic, and include the greatest glad
tidings to the person who recitesthe Quran with reflection and
meditation. Then, how much greater would be the reward andbenefit if
it was recited in Ramadan?
May Allaah The Almighty make us of the people of the Quran, who are
counted among the special worshippers of Allaah The Almighty and the
elite among thebelievers.

Why Ramadan is Special: Characteristics and Features – I

Fasting has great merits and beneficial outcomes, which are often
referred to in the Quran and Sunnah )Prophetic tradition(. Allaah The
Almighty enjoined it upon His servants for a month in the year, and
decreed it upon them, just as He decreed it upon those who were before
them. He states )what means(: }O you whohave believed, decreed upon
you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may
become righteous.{ ]Quran 2:183[
Thus, Allaah The Almighty made the fasting of Ramadan an obligatory
duty, binding upon every male and female Muslim, according to certain
conditions stated in the Quran and the Sunnah. This indicates that it
is an act of worship that people cannot dispense with, due to its
benefits and great consequences,the good it brings about in the souls,
and the power it gives to do right, to abandon what is shameful and
turn away from falsehood.
Allaah The Almighty favors Ramadan with numerous characteristics, one
of which is mentioned in the authentic narration in which the
Messengerof Allaahsaid: "When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are
opened."]Al-Bukhaari[ It is further narratedon the authority of Abu
Hurayrahthat the Messenger of Allaahsaid: "When the month of Ramadan
begins, the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of Hell are closed,
and the devils are chained." It goes without saying that all this
gives glad tidings to the believers of the potential for performing
righteous deeds that lead to Paradise, and the means available to
them, which can helpthem perform and further multiply those deeds.
Besides, of course, Allaah The Almighty strengthens abstinence from
andevasion of sins in Ramadan, Shaytaan )Satan( weakens in his schemes
and fails to achieve his plots.
One of the characteristics of fasting inRamadanis shown in the
narration of both books of authentic Ahaadeeth )narrations( and others
on the authority of Abu Hurayrahthat the Messenger of Allaahsaid:
"He,who observes the fast of Ramadan out of sincere faith,
andexpecting the reward from Allaah, his previous sins would
beforgiven." That is, whoever fasts this month, out of belief in its
being obligatory, expecting the reward for it from his Lord Almighty,
and striving his utmostto follow the Sunnah of His Prophetlet him
receive the glad tidings of forgiveness.
Since the reward of fasting is multiplied immeasurably and the fasting
person receives his reward without reckoning, the deeds of the fasting
person are also multiplied inRamadan, as shown in the Hadeeth of
Salmaanthat the Messenger of Allaahsaid: "Whoever comes near Allaah in
it )Ramadan( with a good act, it is )multiplied as much( as if he has
performed an obligatory duty at any other time;and whoever comes near
Allaah with an obligatory duty in it, it is)multiplied as much( as if
he has performed seventy obligatory duties at any other time." Thus,
both deed and reward are multiplied for the servant in Ramadan: }As
bounty from your Lord. That is the great attainment.{ ]Quran 44:57[
Another characteristic ofRamadanis that the angels beseech Allaah The
Almighty to conceal and erase the sins of the fasting persons. This is
stated in the Hadeeth narrated from the Messenger of Allaahthat he
said, concerning the fasting people: "And the angels continueto seek
the forgiveness of Allaah for them until they break their fast."
]Ahmad on the authority ofAbu Hurayrah[
The angels are pure, honored creatures, entitled to receive the
response of Allaah The Almighty to their supplication, and forgiveness
for those whom they seek forgiveness for, and the servants err again
and again, and need repentance and forgiveness,as shown in the
authentic Qudsi Hadeeth )sacred narration( in which Allaah The
Almighty Says: "O My servants! You commit mistakes during night and
day, and I forgive all sins. So, seek My forgiveness, perchance I
would forgive you."
If a believer seeks forgiveness for himself and this is combined with
the angels seeking forgiveness for him, it is most likely that he will
be awarded thehighest rank. Ramadan is also themonth of consoling and
doing good, and Allaah The Almighty likes those who do good; He has
promised them forgiveness, Paradise, and prosperity. Doing good is the
highest rank of faith, and you need not ask about the position of the
one who is characterized by it in Paradise, and the bliss and various
kinds ofhonor he will receive )as stated by Allaah The Almighty in the
verse )which means(: }Accepting what their Lord has given them.
Indeed, they were, before that, doers of good.{ ]Quran 52:16[
Among the good deeds that are more feasible in this blessed month than
in others is to serve food )to the needy( and providingIftaar for
those who are fasting. These are among the means which help one obtain
forgiveness for one's sins, releasepeople from the Hellfire and
multiply the rewards. These deeds lead to Al-Kawthar, the lake-fount
of the Messenger of Allaahwhich, if one gets a sipthereof, he will
never become thirsty: we ask Allaah The Almighty, by His bounty and
generosity, to cause us to come upon it. Serving food is one of
thecauses that admit one to Paradise, the abode of peace. Ramadan is
an opportunity for Muslims to receive the means of mercy, the factors
that lead to forgiveness, and the requirements of release from
Hellfire. How abundant are the gifts from the Lord, the Generous, the
Forgiver!
To be continued …