Riyad-us-Saliheen - English - 2 Volume Set

Riyad-us-Saliheen (رياض الصالحين), "The Gardens of the Righteous", is Imam al-Nawawi's collection of Hadith on how a Muslim should live: sincerity, prayer, manners, family, money, knowledge, and remembrance of Allah. This Darussalam edition gives the Arabic text of every hadith with an English translation and explanatory notes, in two hardcover volumes. It is a natural first Hadith book for any Muslim home.

What the book is

Al-Nawawi compiled the book in 13th-century Damascus as a practical guide, not a technical Hadith work. He chose narrations that teach what to do and how to behave, and grouped them by topic so a reader can find everything on one subject in one place. Wikipedia counts 1,896 hadith in 372 chapters. Most come from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, with others from Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and the Muwatta of Imam Malik.

Each chapter follows the same pattern. It begins with the verses of the Quran on the subject, then gives the Hadith that explain and apply them. That structure is what makes the book so easy to teach from. A teacher can read one chapter in ten minutes and cover the Quranic basis and the Prophet's practice together.

What it covers

The chapters move from the inner life to daily conduct. Some of the main areas:

• sincerity of intention, repentance, patience, truthfulness and fear of Allah
• good character, kindness to parents, relatives, neighbours and orphans
• manners of eating, dressing, greeting, visiting the sick and travelling
• the virtues of prayer, fasting, charity and reading the Quran
• seeking knowledge, remembrance of Allah and supplication
• funerals, and matters forbidden or disliked

The first chapter is on sincerity and opens with the well-known hadith that actions are judged by intentions.

About this Darussalam edition

This set prints each hadith in Arabic with the English translation beside it, then adds short explanatory notes after many of the narrations. According to Darussalam, the notes were first written in Urdu by Hafiz Salah-ud-Din Yousaf, author of Tafsir Ahsan-ul-Bayan, and were adapted into English by Dr. Muhammad Amin and Abu Usamah al-Arabi bin Razduq. The notes explain difficult words, give the lesson of the hadith, and point out the rulings it contains. For a reader who is not a scholar, those notes are the main reason to choose this edition over a plain translation.

About Imam al-Nawawi

Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi was born in Nawa, a town in today's southern Syria, in 631 AH (1233 CE). He moved to Damascus as a young man, studied there, and in 665 AH (1267 CE) was appointed head of the Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiyyah, one of the main Hadith schools of the city. He died in 676 AH (1277 CE), aged only 45. In that short life he wrote the Forty Hadith (al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyyah), a full commentary on Sahih Muslim, and al-Majmu', a major work of Shafi'i law.

How to read it

The book works best in small portions. Reading one chapter a day and talking it over, as a family or in a study circle, suits the way it is written. Because chapters are short and self-contained, you can also go straight to a topic when you need it: the chapter on visiting the sick before a hospital visit, or the chapters on parents and neighbours when teaching children. Reading the notes along with each hadith is what turns it from a list of narrations into a course on Islamic character.

Who this set suits

It suits English-speaking readers in the UAE who want an authentic, practical Hadith book with the Arabic text in front of them. It works for family reading, mosque and school study circles, new Muslims learning the Sunnah, and students moving on from the Islamic Studies textbooks. Arabic readers can choose the Arabic-only edition, and Urdu readers the Urdu set.

Related books

This title is also available as Riyad us Saliheen in Arabic and as the Urdu 2 volume set. For a shorter selection to start with, see Collection from Riyad-us-Saliheen. To read further in the main Hadith books, try Summarized Sahih al-Bukhari and Summarized Sahih Muslim. For a practical guide to belief, worship and manners in one place, Minhaj al Muslim pairs well with it, and The Sealed Nectar gives the life of the Prophet behind these Hadith. See the full Hadith collection for more.

Frequently asked questions

What is Riyad-us-Saliheen?

Riyad-us-Saliheen (رياض الصالحين), "The Gardens of the Righteous", is a collection of Hadith on faith, worship, manners and character compiled by Imam al-Nawawi in the 13th century. It is arranged by topic, and each chapter opens with Quran verses before the Hadith.

How many hadith are in Riyad-us-Saliheen?

About 1,900. Wikipedia gives 1,896 hadith across 372 chapters. Al-Nawawi took them mainly from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, with others from the Sunan collections and the Muwatta of Imam Malik.

Does this English edition include the Arabic text?

Yes. Every hadith is printed in Arabic with an English translation next to it, followed by explanatory notes.

Who wrote the commentary in this edition?

The explanatory notes were written in Urdu by Hafiz Salah-ud-Din Yousaf and adapted into English by Dr. Muhammad Amin and Abu Usamah al-Arabi bin Razduq, according to Darussalam's own listing.

Who was Imam al-Nawawi?

Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi was born in Nawa, in today's southern Syria, in 631 AH (1233 CE) and died in 676 AH (1277 CE) at the age of 45. He was a Shafi'i scholar who headed the Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiyyah in Damascus. He also wrote the Forty Hadith and a commentary on Sahih Muslim.

What are the page count and size?

Two hardcover volumes, 1,454 pages in total, 14x21 cm.

Is it suitable for beginners and children?

Yes for adults and teenagers new to Hadith, since each chapter is short and the notes explain difficult words. Younger children do better with a smaller selection first, such as Collection from Riyad-us-Saliheen.

How long does delivery take in the UAE?

Orders dispatch from Sharjah. Standard delivery takes 2 to 4 working days, and delivery is free on orders over AED 300.