A hadith is a window into how the Prophet ﷺ lived and what he taught. We have gathered short, well-known sayings from the collection of Imam an-Nawawi, each with its Arabic text, a plain-English summary and where it is reported. Choose a theme to begin.
عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبِي حَفْصٍ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: ” إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إلَيْهِ”
In brief: Every deed is judged by the intention behind it, so do even the smallest things sincerely for Allah.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 1 · Narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab · Reported in Bukhari & Muslim
عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو وَقِيلَ: أَبِي عَمْرَةَ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قُلْت: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قُلْ لِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ قَوْلًا لَا أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ أَحَدًا غَيْرَك؛ قَالَ: قُلْ: آمَنْت بِاَللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ
In brief: Say “I believe in Allah”, and then stay steady on the straight path.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 21 · Narrated by Sufyan ibn Abdullah ath-Thaqafi · Reported in Muslim
عَنْ ابْن عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: أَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَنْكِبِي، وَقَالَ: كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّك غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ. وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا يَقُولُ: إذَا أَمْسَيْتَ فَلَا تَنْتَظِرْ الصَّبَاحَ، وَإِذَا أَصْبَحْتَ فَلَا تَنْتَظِرْ الْمَسَاءَ، وَخُذْ مِنْ صِحَّتِك لِمَرَضِك، وَمِنْ حَيَاتِك لِمَوْتِك
In brief: Live in this world like a traveller passing through: do not tie your heart to it, and use your health and your life before they slip away.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 40 · Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar · Reported in Bukhari
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ حُسْنِ إسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ
In brief: A sign of good Islam is to leave alone what does not concern you.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 12 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Reported in Tirmidhi
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَوْصِنِي. قَالَ: لَا تَغْضَبْ، فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا، قَالَ: لَا تَغْضَبْ”
In brief: When a man asked for advice, the Prophet ﷺ answered again and again: do not let anger control you.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 16 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Reported in Bukhari
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ جُنْدَبِ بْنِ جُنَادَةَ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْت، وَأَتْبِعْ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا، وَخَالِقْ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ
In brief: Be mindful of Allah wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good one, and treat people with good character.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 18 · Narrated by Abu Dharr and Mu’adh ibn Jabal · Reported in Tirmidhi
عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْأَنْصَارِيِّ الْبَدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إنَّ مِمَّا أَدْرَكَ النَّاسُ مِنْ كَلَامِ النُّبُوَّةِ الْأُولَى: إذَا لَمْ تَسْتَحِ فَاصْنَعْ مَا شِئْت
In brief: Modesty has always been part of the teachings of the prophets. Lose it, and a person feels free to do whatever he likes.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 20 · Narrated by Abu Mas’ud al-Badri · Reported in Bukhari
عَنْ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ سِبْطِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَيْحَانَتِهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: حَفِظْت مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ دَعْ مَا يُرِيبُك إلَى مَا لَا يُرِيبُك
In brief: When something makes you doubtful, leave it and choose what puts your heart at ease.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 11 · Narrated by al-Hasan ibn Ali · Reported in Tirmidhi & Nasa’i
عَنْ أَبِي رُقَيَّةَ تَمِيمِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ الدَّارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: “الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ.” قُلْنَا: لِمَنْ؟ قَالَ: “لِلَّهِ، وَلِكِتَابِهِ، وَلِرَسُولِهِ، وَلِأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَامَّتِهِمْ.”
In brief: Religion is sincere well-wishing: towards Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims and the people at large.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 7 · Narrated by Tamim ad-Dari · Reported in Muslim
عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ خَادِمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ
In brief: Real faith grows when you want for others the same good you want for yourself.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 13 · Narrated by Anas ibn Malik · Reported in Bukhari & Muslim
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاَللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاَللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاَللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ
In brief: Let your faith show in your manners: say something good or stay silent, honour your guest and respect your neighbour.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 15 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Reported in Bukhari & Muslim
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ سَعْدِ بْنِ مَالِكِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ الْخُدْرِيّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: ” لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ”
In brief: Do not harm others, and do not answer harm with harm.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 32 · Narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri · Reported in Ibn Majah & ad-Daraqutni
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كُلُّ سُلَامَى مِنْ النَّاسِ عَلَيْهِ صَدَقَةٌ، كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَطْلُعُ فِيهِ الشَّمْسُ تَعْدِلُ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ صَدَقَةٌ، وَتُعِينُ الرَّجُلَ فِي دَابَّتِهِ فَتَحْمِلُهُ عَلَيْهَا أَوْ تَرْفَعُ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا مَتَاعَهُ صَدَقَةٌ، وَالْكَلِمَةُ الطَّيِّبَةُ صَدَقَةٌ، وَبِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ تَمْشِيهَا إلَى الصَّلَاةِ صَدَقَةٌ، وَتُمِيطُ الْأَذَى عَنْ الطَّرِيقِ صَدَقَةٌ
In brief: Each day offers many chances to give charity: being fair, helping someone, a kind word, a step towards prayer, clearing harm from the road.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, no. 26 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Reported in Bukhari & Muslim
Arabic text is taken from the well-known collection Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi. The English summaries are our own short explanations, not word-for-word translations.
For rulings and deeper explanation, please refer to a qualified scholar.