Riyazus Salihin 2.0

Riyadus-Saliheen

Almost 7.5 centuries ago, during the time of Imam Nawawi, enemies of Islam surrounded the Islamic world from all sides, causing numerous adversities internally and externally. The Crusader armies and Mongol invasions were wreaking havoc everywhere. Some Muslims became enamored with wealth and desires, neglecting their religious duties and adopting a different lifestyle. Others turned to a life of asceticism, renouncing worldly responsibilities as if they had none. A third group engaged in efforts to defend against the enemies of Islam in various regions. Imam Nawawi, understanding what needed to be done in such circumstances, determined that the solution was to guide people back to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. He aimed to unify the three distinct groups of people during that era by outlining the paths of learning and living through this book. By precisely aligning the practices that should be observed at individual, familial, and societal levels with verses from the Quran and sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he endeavored to show the true essence of Islam to those who had deviated into misguidance and innovations. Without falling into extremism or negligence, he presented in this book the methodology of establishing an Islamic structure devoid of pretentiousness and devoid of assertion by categorizing under main headings and subunits with verses from the Quran and hadiths. As a result of Imam Nawawi's devotion and sincerity, his work gained immense acceptance in the Islamic world, achieving his intended goal.

Comprising 18 main sections and 372 chapters, this work serves as a reminder for every Muslim to read it at least once a year.

Concerning Riyadus-Saliheen; contemporary scholars such as Abdul Fattah Abu Ghudda, Nasir al-Din al-Albani, and Shuaib al-Arnaout mention that there may be some weak chains of transmission among a few hadiths based on their personal verification and assessment. However, it should be noted that these scholars also mention that although some hadiths may have weakened chains of transmission, they have been corroborated through other chains and means. It is worth mentioning that for seven centuries no scholar has criticized this work, but rather it has consistently been lauded.

To the best of our knowledge, this book contains around 260 repeated hadiths. This repetition is not meant to inflate numbers but rather serves a necessary purpose since these hadiths were related by different narrators on similar topics.

Arabic commentaries have been made on this work throughout history:

• Delilul Falihin – Muhammad ibn Allan (996-1057) (4 volumes)
• Sharhu Riyadus-Saliheen – Abdul Majid Hashim (2 volumes)
• Menhel-ul Varidin by Subhi Salih (1 volume)
• Nuzhat-ul Muttaqin (by a committee of 5 individuals) (2 volumes)

In addition to detailed exegeses, concise summaries have been produced, along with English and French translations. While several Turkish translations exist with variations in the number of volumes and publishers, due to linguistic antiquity, printing errors, and organizational flaws which make comprehension challenging in many instances, we find ourselves embarked on this translation and revision process.

"... Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us..." (Al-i Imran: 3/8)