📖 23 min read
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Some books sum up an entire religion. Al-Arba’in An-Nawawiyyah (الأربعون النووية) — An-Nawawi’s 40 hadiths — is one of them. In forty-two carefully selected sayings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Imam An-Nawawi achieved the remarkable feat of condensing the pillars of belief, the rules of worship, the foundations of ethics and the principles of human relationships into a single collection that fits in the palm of your hand. Eight centuries later, thousands of Muslims around the world still memorise this collection. It is taught in mosques from Dakar to Jakarta and explained by Islam’s greatest scholars. If you have never read An-Nawawi’s forty hadiths — or already know them but wish to understand them more deeply — this article is for you. To deepen your daily practice, also see our complete guide to prayer, a pillar of Islam directly mentioned in several of these hadiths.
This article organises the collection’s 42 hadiths by major themes — faith and belief, worship, personal ethics, relationships with others and worldview — with the Arabic text, translation, official collection number and authenticated source for each hadith.
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى
“Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will be rewarded according to their intention.”
— Hadith no. 1 — Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, from ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه
📋 Table of contents
- Who was Imam An-Nawawi?
- The collection: what to know before reading
- Theme 1 — The foundations of faith and belief
- Theme 2 — Worship and the relationship with Allah
- Theme 3 — Personal ethics and character
- Theme 4 — Relationships with others and justice
- Theme 5 — The Islamic view of the world and the Hereafter
- Summary table of all 42 hadiths
- ❓ Frequently asked questions
- Sources and references
1. Who was Imam An-Nawawi?
Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf An-Nawawi (631–676 AH / 1233–1277 CE) is one of the greatest scholars of Sunni Islam. Born in the village of Nawa in Syria — hence his name ‘An-Nawawi’ — he moved to Damascus at a young age to study. In fewer than two decades of active scholarly life, he produced an immense body of work: Riyad As-Salihin, the commentary on Sahih Muslim entitled Al-Minhaj, the dictionary of jurists Tahdhib Al-Asma’ wa Al-Lughat, and many others. He died at only 45, having never married and having devoted his entire life to Islamic scholarship. Ibn Kathir described him as ‘the imam of his time in the sciences of hadith and fiqh’. His Al-Arba’in An-Nawawiyyah remains his most widely read work around the world.
2. The collection: what to know before reading
An-Nawawi did not ‘invent’ these hadiths — he selected them. His selection criterion is explicit in his introduction: each hadith had to be ‘a major foundation of the religion’ (qa’ida ‘adhima min qawa’id al-din), described by scholars as ‘the axis of Islam’, ‘half of Islam’ or ‘a third of Islam’. Each of these hadiths, taken individually, is enough to guide an entire Muslim life.
The actual number: The collection actually contains 42 hadiths, rather than 40. An-Nawawi initially planned 40 hadiths, then added two more. The title ‘Forty Hadiths’ remained through traditional usage.
Sources: The vast majority of the hadiths come from Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim — the two most authentic collections of the Sunnah. Some come from other collections (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah), with their authenticity grading stated.
Status: An-Nawawi himself explained in his introduction that all the hadiths in this collection are sahih (authentic) or hasan (good) — it contains no weak hadith.
3. Theme 1 — The foundations of faith and belief
Several hadiths in the collection establish Islam’s doctrinal foundations: what it means to be Muslim, what faith is, and the relationship between the believer, Allah and His decree. These are the collection’s most foundational hadiths.
Hadith no. 1 — The primacy of intention
Narrated from ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى
“Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will be rewarded according to their intention. Whoever migrated for Allah and His Messenger will obtain what they migrated for. Whoever migrated for a worldly purpose or to marry a woman will obtain what they migrated for.”
This is the most famous hadith in the entire Sunnah. Imam Ash-Shafi‘i said that it constitutes ‘a third of Islamic knowledge’. Ibn Daqiq Al-‘Id explains in his commentary that every human action — worship, work, trade or family relationships — changes completely in value according to the intention behind it. A smile can be charity. A prayer can be nothing more than physical exercise. Everything depends on the heart.
Hadith no. 2 — Islam, Faith and Excellence (the Hadith of Jibril)
Narrated from ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه — Muslim
أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
An excerpt from the Hadith of Jibril عليه السلام: ‘Excellence (Ihsan) means worshipping Allah as though you see Him, for even if you do not see Him, He sees you.’ — This foundational hadith also defines Islam (the 5 pillars), Iman (the 6 pillars of faith) and the signs of the Hour.
This hadith — known as the ‘Hadith of Jibril’ — is one of the most comprehensive in the entire Sunnah. It alone sums up the three dimensions of the Islamic religion:Islam (outward practice),Iman (inner conviction) andIhsan (spiritual excellence). Scholars have often described it as ‘the mother of hadiths’, just as Al-Fatiha is ‘the mother of the Quran’.
Hadith no. 3 — The five pillars of Islam
Narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
بُنِيَ الإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَحَجِّ الْبَيْتِ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
“Islam is built on five pillars: bearing witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying Zakat, performing the pilgrimage to Mecca and fasting during Ramadan.”
Hadith no. 4 — Predestination and the creation of the human being
Narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُهُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا نُطْفَةً، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يُرْسَلُ إِلَيْهِ الْمَلَكُ فَيَنْفُخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ
“Each of you is formed in your mother’s womb: forty days as a drop of semen, then an equal period as a blood clot, then an equal period as a lump of flesh. Then the angel is sent to breathe the soul into you, with instructions to write four things: your provision, your lifespan, your deeds and whether you will be among the blessed or the doomed.”
This hadith establishes two fundamental realities: the gradual creation of the human being — broadly confirmed by modern medicine — and divine predestination (qadar). Ibn Al-Qayyim devotes entire pages in Shifa’ Al-‘Alil to explaining that this hadith does not remove human free will, but places human actions within the framework of Allah’s prior knowledge.
Hadith no. 5 — Rejecting innovations in religion
Narrated from ‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
“Whoever introduces into our religion something that does not belong to it will have their act rejected.” — In Muslim’s version: ‘Whoever performs an act that does not conform to our religion will have their act rejected.’
4. Theme 2 — Worship and the relationship with Allah
These hadiths guide the believer’s relationship with Allah: the conditions for accepted worship, sincerity, obedience and complete trust in Allah.
Hadith no. 7 — Religion is sincerity
Narrated from Tamim ibn Aws Ad-Dari رضي الله عنه — Muslim
الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ
“Religion is sincerity (an-nasiha).” The Companions asked: ‘Towards whom?’ He replied: ‘Towards Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and the leaders and ordinary members of the Muslim community.’
The word nasiha is often translated as ‘sincere advice’, but it encompasses more: purity of intention, loyalty to Allah and His religion, and goodwill towards the whole community. Ibn Daqiq Al-‘Id notes that this hadith is ‘the axis of the religion’, like the hadith about intention.
Hadith no. 9 — Obeying without excessive questioning
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
مَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْهُ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ، وَمَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
“Whatever I forbid you, avoid it. Whatever I command you, do as much of it as you can. The nations before you were destroyed only because they burdened their prophets with questions and opposed them.”
Hadith no. 10 — Allah accepts only what is pure
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — Muslim
إِنَّ اللَّهَ طَيِّبٌ لَا يَقْبَلُ إِلَّا طَيِّبًا
“Allah, the Most High, is pure and accepts only what is pure.” — The Prophet ﷺ then describes a dust-covered traveller who raises his hands to the sky, saying ‘Lord! Lord!’, while his food, drink and clothing have been acquired unlawfully — ‘How could his supplication be answered?’
This hadith establishes a direct link between lawful earnings and the acceptance of supplication. Scholars conclude that consuming haram is one of the main obstacles to having du’a answered. To explore lawful and unlawful finances further, see our complete article on Islamic finance.
Hadith no. 19 — Complete trust in Allah
Narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas رضي الله عنهما — At-Tirmidhi (authenticated), Ahmad
احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ
“Be mindful of Allah’s commands, and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah’s commands, and you will always find Him with you. If you need to ask for something, ask Allah. If you seek help, seek it from Allah. Know that if the entire community gathered to harm you, they could only do what Allah has written against you. And if they gathered to benefit you, they could only do what Allah has written in your favour.”
This is one of the hadiths scholars cite most often when discussing tawakkul — trust in Allah. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali devotes a full commentary to it in Jami’ Al-‘Ulum wa Al-Hikam, explaining that ‘being mindful of Allah’s commands’ means respecting His limits in private and in public, and that the divine protection that follows is both spiritual and material.
Hadith no. 38 — How to obtain Allah’s love
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari (hadith qudsi)
مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ
Allah says: ‘Whoever takes a close friend of Mine as an enemy, I declare war upon them. My servant draws near to Me through nothing more beloved than what I have made obligatory upon them. My servant continues drawing near to Me through voluntary deeds until I love them. When I love them, I become their hearing with which they hear, their sight with which they see, their hand with which they strike and their foot with which they walk.’
This is one of the most profound hadiths qudsi — in which Allah speaks in the first person — in the entire Sunnah. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali explains that ‘I become their hearing’ means that Allah guides every faculty of the believer who has drawn near to Him: they hear only what Allah approves, see only what pleases Him and act only according to His guidance.
5. Theme 3 — Personal ethics and character
Much of the collection addresses the believer’s character: self-control, caution in doubtful matters, their relationship with worldly possessions and their everyday moral conduct.
Hadith no. 6 — The lawful, the unlawful and the doubtful
Narrated from An-Nu’man ibn Bashir رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
إِنَّ الْحَلَالَ بَيِّنٌ وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ
“The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between them are doubtful matters that few people know about. Whoever avoids doubtful matters has protected their religion and honour. But whoever falls into doubtful matters will fall into the unlawful.” — The hadith concludes with the famous comparison: ‘Know that in the body there is a piece of flesh which, if sound, makes the whole body sound, and if corrupt, corrupts the whole body. That piece of flesh is the heart.’
Scholars cite this hadith as one of ‘the axes of Islam’ — An-Nawawi himself explains that it alone contains the foundations of religious scrupulousness (wara’). The final image of the heart is essential: all Islamic morality rests upon the inner state.
Hadith no. 11 — Leaving doubtful matters
Narrated from Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali رضي الله عنهما — An-Nasa’i and At-Tirmidhi (hasan sahih)
دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لَا يَرِيبُكَ
“Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt.”
This hadith, succinctly expressed in three Arabic words, is a universal principle for Islamic decision-making. When you hesitate between two options and one troubles your conscience, this hadith says: choose the other. Ibn Rajab comments that this sentence is ‘one of the Prophet’s ﷺ most concise and comprehensive sayings’.
Hadith no. 12 — Leaving what does not concern you
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — At-Tirmidhi (no. 2318) and Ibn Majah (no. 3976) — hasan
مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ
“Part of a person’s excellence in practising Islam is leaving what does not concern them.”
Hadith no. 16 — Controlling anger
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari
لَا تَغْضَبْ
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ: ‘Give me advice.’ He said: ‘Do not become angry.’ The man repeated his request, and each time the Prophet ﷺ repeated: ‘Do not become angry.’
The repetition is intentional. Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalani explains that anger is the root of most human mistakes — errors in judgement, speech and action. Controlling it is not simply a social virtue: it protects both religion and relationships.
Hadith no. 17 — Excellence in everything
Narrated from Shaddad ibn Aws رضي الله عنه — Muslim
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ
“Allah has prescribed excellence (ihsan) in everything. So when you must execute someone, do it properly. And when you must slaughter an animal, do it properly — sharpen the knife and spare the animal suffering.”
Hadith no. 18 — Piety and good conduct
Narrated from Abu Dharr and Mu’adh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنهما — At-Tirmidhi (no. 1987) — hasan (hasan sahih in some versions)
اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ، وَأَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا، وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ
“Be mindful of Allah wherever you are. Follow a bad deed with a good one — it will erase it. And treat people in the best manner.”
Hadith no. 20 — Modesty is part of faith
Narrated from Abu Mas’ud Al-Ansari رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari
إِنَّ مِمَّا أَدْرَكَ النَّاسُ مِنْ كَلَامِ النُّبُوَّةِ الأُولَى: إِذَا لَمْ تَسْتَحْيِ فَاصْنَعْ مَا شِئْتَ
“Among the words people have retained from the earliest prophethood are: If you feel no shame, do as you wish.”
Hadith no. 27 — Piety and noble character
Narrated from Al-Wabisah ibn Ma’bad رضي الله عنه — Ahmad and Ad-Darimi — hasan
الْبِرُّ مَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ إِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ وَاطْمَأَنَّ إِلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ، وَالإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي النَّفْسِ وَتَرَدَّدَ فِي الصَّدْرِ
The Prophet ﷺ said to Al-Wabisah, who had come to ask him about righteousness: ‘Righteousness (birr) is what brings tranquillity to the soul and peace to the heart. Sin is what troubles the soul and stirs uneasily in the chest — even if people give you fatwa after fatwa.’
Hadith no. 40 — Being a stranger in this world
Narrated from Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما — Al-Bukhari
كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ
“Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a passing traveller.” — Ibn ‘Umar would add: ‘When evening comes, do not expect the morning. When morning comes, do not expect the evening. Take from your health for your illness, and from your life for your death.’
6. Theme 4 — Relationships with others and justice
Islam regulates relationships between people as much as the relationship between a person and Allah. These hadiths establish Muslims’ mutual rights and the foundations of justice.
Hadith no. 13 — Loving for your brother what you love for yourself
Narrated from Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ
“None of you will truly have faith until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.”
Hadith no. 15 — Honouring neighbours and guests
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — Al-Bukhari and Muslim
مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honour their neighbour. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honour their guest.”
Hadith no. 24 — The prohibition of injustice
Narrated from Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari رضي الله عنه — Muslim (hadith qudsi)
يَا عِبَادِي إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الظُّلْمَ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَجَعَلْتُهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرَّمًا فَلَا تَظَالَمُوا
Allah says: ‘O My servants! I have forbidden injustice for Myself and made it forbidden among you. So do not wrong one another.’ — This hadith qudsi continues with foundational statements about Allah’s mercy, knowledge and guidance.
Hadith no. 25 — Every good deed is charity
Narrated from Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari رضي الله عنه — Muslim
يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلَامَى مِنَ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ
“Every morning, charity is due for each joint of each one of you. Every declaration of Allah’s glory is charity. Every expression of praise for Allah is charity. Every word of praise for Allah is charity. ‘There is no deity except Allah’ is charity. ‘Allah is the Greatest’ is charity. Enjoining good is charity. Forbidding evil is charity. And two rak‘ahs of Duha suffice for all of this.”
Hadith no. 32 — Causing harm to no one
Narrated from Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri رضي الله عنه — Ibn Majah and Ad-Daraqutni — authenticated
لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ
“There should be neither harm nor retaliation through harm.” — Islamic jurists consider this five-word Arabic hadith one of the five universal principles of fiqh. It means that causing harm to others is forbidden, as is taking revenge through equivalent harm.
Hadith no. 35 — Islamic brotherhood
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — Muslim
لَا تَحَاسَدُوا، وَلَا تَنَاجَشُوا، وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا، وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا
“Do not envy one another, do not compete dishonestly, do not hate one another, do not turn your backs on one another, and be brothers, O servants of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim: they do not wrong them, abandon them, lie to them or despise them.”
7. Theme 5 — The Islamic view of the world and the Hereafter
Some hadiths in the collection outline a complete worldview: how the believer understands this world, the Hereafter, divine mercy and their own destiny.
Hadith no. 21 — Uprightness and the straight path
Narrated from Abu ‘Amr Sufyan ibn ‘Abdullah رضي الله عنه — Muslim
قُلْ آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ
A Companion said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I will not need to ask anyone else about after you.’ He replied: ‘Say: I believe in Allah, then remain steadfast.’
Hadith no. 29 — What leads to Paradise
Narrated from Mu’adh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه — At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah — hasan sahih
رَأْسُ الأَمْرِ الإِسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذُرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
The Prophet ﷺ explains to Mu’adh ibn Jabal the keys to Paradise and how to draw closer to it: ‘The head of the matter is Islam. Its pillar is prayer. Its summit is striving in the path of Allah.’ — He then adds the recommendation to ‘control your tongue’, saying that most people fall into the Fire because of what their tongues reap.
Hadith no. 36 — The virtues of dhikr and reciting the Quran
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه — Muslim (no. 2699)
مَنْ نَفَّسَ عَنْ مُؤْمِنٍ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ الدُّنْيَا نَفَّسَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ
“Whoever relieves a believer of a worldly hardship, Allah will relieve them of a hardship on the Day of Judgement. Whoever makes things easier for someone in difficulty, Allah will make things easier for them in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals a Muslim’s [faults], Allah will conceal their faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah helps His servant as long as the servant helps their brother.”
Hadith no. 37 — The multiplication of rewards
Narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas رضي الله عنهما — Al-Bukhari and Muslim (hadith qudsi)
مَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً
Allah says: ‘If someone intends to do a good deed but does not do it, Allah records it as one complete good deed. If they do it, Allah multiplies its reward by ten, up to seven hundred times, and even more. If they intend to commit a sin but do not commit it, Allah records one complete good deed. If they do commit it, Allah records only one sin.’
Hadith no. 39 — Mistakes, forgetfulness and coercion are forgiven
Narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas رضي الله عنهما — Ibn Majah (no. 2045) and Al-Bayhaqi — authenticated by An-Nawawi
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَضَعَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي الْخَطَأَ وَالنِّسْيَانَ وَمَا اسْتُكْرِهُوا عَلَيْهِ
“Allah has relieved my community of responsibility for unintentional mistakes, forgetfulness and what they are forced to do under coercion.”
Hadith no. 42 — The immensity of Allah’s forgiveness
Narrated from Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه — At-Tirmidhi (no. 3540) — hasan sahih; also in Al-Bukhari (no. 7405) in a different version
يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ وَلَا أُبَالِي
Allah says: ‘O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and place your hope in Me, I will forgive you for whatever you have done, and I will not hold it against you. O son of Adam, if your sins reached the clouds of the sky and you then asked Me for forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you came to Me with sins almost as great as the earth, and met Me without associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness almost as great as the earth.’
An-Nawawi chose to end his collection with this hadith — and this is significant. After forty-two prophetic sayings outlining the believer’s obligations, rights, limits and responsibilities, he concludes with Allah’s infinite mercy. As if to say: after all of this, do not despair.
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8. Summary table of all 42 hadiths
Here is the complete list of the collection’s 42 hadiths, with their official number, topic and source.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called An-Nawawi’s 40 Hadiths when there are 42?
An-Nawawi initially planned to compile exactly 40 hadiths, following the tradition of Islamic scholars who compiled collections of forty hadiths — a tradition based on a hadith encouraging the transmission of forty hadiths. He ultimately added two more, bringing the total to 42. The title ‘Forty Hadiths’ remained through traditional usage, established by centuries of teaching. The collection’s official title is Al-Arba’in An-Nawawiyyah, and all scholars who explain it recognise the 42 hadiths.
Are all the hadiths in this collection authentic (sahih)?
An-Nawawi himself explained in his introduction that all the hadiths in this collection are sahih (authentic) or hasan (good). The vast majority come from Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim — the two most authentic collections. Some come from other collections (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i, Ahmad and Ad-Darimi), with the status of hasan or hasan sahih. According to An-Nawawi, no weak (da’if) hadith appears in this collection — one reason for its authority and enduring relevance.
Which is the most important hadith in the collection?
Scholars agree that hadith no. 1 — ‘Actions are judged by intentions’ — is the collection’s most foundational hadith, and one of the most foundational in the entire Sunnah. Imam Ash-Shafi‘i said that it constitutes ‘a third of Islamic knowledge’ and that all fiqh revolves around it, hadith no. 6 (the lawful and unlawful) and hadith no. 7 (sincerity). However, hadith no. 2 (the Hadith of Jibril) is often considered the most comprehensive because it alone sums up the whole religion.
What is the difference between a hadith qudsi and a hadith nabawi?
A hadith qudsi (قدسي) is a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ directly reports Allah’s words in the first person — such as hadiths nos. 24, 37, 38 and 42 in this collection. It is not Quran (because the Quran has a particular form of expression and status), but divine speech conveyed by the Prophet ﷺ. A hadith nabawi (نبوي) is simply a saying or action of the Prophet ﷺ himself. Both carry the authority of the Sunnah and form part of Islam’s sources of legislation.
Can An-Nawawi’s 40 hadiths be memorised in full?
Yes — and this is strongly recommended. Scholars have traditionally encouraged memorising this collection as a foundation of Islamic education. Some hadiths are very short and easy to memorise: hadith no. 32 (‘Neither harm nor retaliation through harm’), hadith no. 11 (‘Leave what makes you doubt’) and hadith no. 16 (‘Do not become angry’) are concise sayings of just a few words. Others, such as hadith no. 2 (the Hadith of Jibril), are longer. Gradual memorisation, theme by theme, is the best approach.
Is there a standard commentary on An-Nawawi’s 40 hadiths?
Several commentaries are authoritative. The one most widely used in teaching circles is Jami’ Al-‘Ulum wa Al-Hikam by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (died 795 AH), which explains both An-Nawawi’s 40 hadiths and the 8 hadiths added by Ibn Rajab himself. Imam Ibn Daqiq Al-‘Id’s commentary (Sharh Al-Arba’in) is also a classical reference. More recently, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-‘Uthaymin’s commentary in Al-Qawl Al-Mufid has made these hadiths accessible to a wider audience.
Which hadith is considered half of Islam?
Scholars have described several hadiths in this collection as constituting ‘half of Islam’ or ‘a third of Islam’. Hadith no. 1 (intentions) is often cited by Ash-Shafi‘i as ‘a third of knowledge’. Some scholars describe hadith no. 6 (the lawful and unlawful, with the image of the heart) as ‘the axis of the religion’. Hadith no. 29 (what leads to Paradise) is presented by the Prophet ﷺ himself as a complete summary of the religion. These descriptions are not mutually exclusive — they show that each of these hadiths is a sufficient entry point for understanding Islam as a whole.
Sources and references
Main source text:
Imam Muhyi Ad-Din Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf An-Nawawi (631–676 AH), Al-Arba’in An-Nawawiyyah — a collection of 42 foundational hadiths of Islam. The original Arabic text was checked against sunnah.com/nawawi40.
Hadiths by collection:
Sahih Al-Bukhari — Hadiths nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 26, 30, 37, 38, 40
Sahih Muslim — Hadiths nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 34, 35, 36, 37
Sunan At-Tirmidhi — Hadiths nos. 11 (no. 2518), 12 (no. 2318), 18 (no. 1987), 19, 27, 28, 29, 42 (no. 3540)
Sunan Abu Dawud — Hadith no. 28
Sunan An-Nasa’i — Hadith no. 11
Sunan Ibn Majah — Hadiths nos. 12 (no. 3976), 31, 32 (no. 2045), 39
Musnad Ahmad — Hadiths nos. 19, 27
Sunan Ad-Darimi — Hadith no. 27
Sunan Ad-Daraqutni — Hadith no. 32
Sunan Al-Bayhaqi — Hadiths nos. 33, 39
Reference commentaries consulted:
Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali, Jami’ Al-‘Ulum wa Al-Hikam — commentary on An-Nawawi’s 40 hadiths
Ibn Daqiq Al-‘Id, Sharh Al-Arba’in An-Nawawiyyah — a classical commentary
Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Shifa’ Al-‘Alil — on hadith no. 4 (predestination)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-‘Uthaymin, Al-Qawl Al-Mufid ‘ala Kitab At-Tawhid and commentary on the 40 hadiths
An-Nawawi himself, Sharh Sahih Muslim (Al-Minhaj) — for the hadiths from Muslim
Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalani, Fath Al-Bari — for the hadiths from Al-Bukhari
Sources used for verification:
sunnah.com/nawawi40 — Arabic texts and sources checked
bibliotheque-islamique.fr — hadith numbers cross-referenced
d1.islamhouse.com — reference French translation (Rachid Maach, 2021)
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