A collection of the gardens of the righteous

A lengthy, practical book, this edition of Riyad-us-Salihin has selected hadiths from the complete two-volume edition. It contains the Arabic text, followed by an English translation and commentaries. Imam Nawawi was a prominent scholar of hadith and jurisprudence of his time. He compiled Riyad-us-Salihin, which has occupied a prominent place in hadith collections. It is a popular and highly useful book of authentic hadiths. Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf Pakistan has added commentaries to the hadiths. Considering the problems of our time, Darussalam has printed a concise volume of Riyad-us-Salihin. For this volume, Shaykh Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri has selected the hadiths.

Publisher's Note

We thank God that He has enabled us to publish many books on religious topics in Arabic, Urdu and English, which have gained great popularity in the Arab countries as well as in America, France and European countries, in addition to Pakistan, India and many African countries.

We strive to provide publications based on authentic research materials that are consistent with the Qur’an and Sunnah, and free from all kinds of vague concepts, weak authority, and misconceptions.

Now, we have published Riyad as-Salihin in the same spirit and tradition of good research, professional editing, and excellent printing standards.

The book was compiled by Imam al-Nawawi, a prominent scholar of hadith and jurisprudence of his time. Commentaries on the hadiths were added by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf al-Pakistani, who originally prepared the Urdu edition of this book. The English translation and commentaries were done by Dr. Muhammad Amin and Abu Usama al-Arabi ibn Razdaq, who performed their task with great care and attention. We hope to confirm that this book is the best translation of Riyad as-Salihin ever, in any language and anywhere. We ask Allah to accept our sincere efforts in spreading His religion throughout the world and to grant us success in fulfilling our resolutions in this regard— Ameen!

Abdul Malik Mujahid
General Manager Dar es Salaam

Excerpts from Riyadh as-Salihin

Chapter Eleven: Jihad in the Cause of God

God Almighty says:

• “And whoever strives in Us - We will surely guide him to Our ways (i.e., the religion of Allah - Islamic monotheism). And We “Worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty” (15:99) “And mention the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with full devotion” (73:8) “And whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it” (99:7) “And whatever good you send forth for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward” (73:20) “And whatever good you send forth for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward” (73:20) “And whatever good you send forth for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward” (73:20) Hadith 95. On the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: He said The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Allah the Almighty said: “Whoever shows enmity to a righteous servant of Mine, I declare war against him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the duties I have enjoined upon him. My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts of worship until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I protect him.” [Bukhari]

  Commentary: 1. Those who innovate religion and associate partners with God (such as the Halulites—who believe in the light residing in the human soul, the Existentialists—who believe in the material form of God, and the pagans who worship other than God) interpret this hadith to support their basic argument and thus seek support for another’s error, even though the meaning and interpretation of the hadith are not at all what they describe. In simple, unambiguous terms, the hadith means that when a person adds voluntary prayers to the obligatory prayers, he becomes a favored servant of God and, as a result, receives special assistance from God. God then protects him to the point that He oversees every organ of his body. Thus, he is saved from disobeying God. He endures what God loves, sees what is beloved to Him, and acts in a manner that pleases Him. If he attains that lofty status of loving and obeying God, God will answer the prayers of His obedient and sincere servants. 2. A saint is not someone who has a special aura and appearance, or someone who takes over the position of a saint after him, or someone who is immersed in contemplation, or someone who is almost insane, or someone who has invented his own style of remembering and worshipping God. Rather, he is someone who performs the duties of Islam meticulously, loves voluntary prayer, and adheres to divine commands in all aspects of life.

  3. Loving these saints is a reason for attaining God’s pleasure, and opposing them (hating and aversion to them) is a reason for His intense wrath and anger.

  4. Voluntary prayer is undoubtedly a means of attaining God's pleasure, but it must be preceded by obligatory prayer. The former is worthless if the latter is neglected. Desiring to attain closeness to God without strictly adhering to the obligatory prayers is wrong and meaningless.

  Hadith 96. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah Almighty says: ‘If My servant draws near to Me a handspan, I draw near to him an arm’s length. If he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.’” [Bukhari]

  Comment: This hadith mentions God’s generosity, kindness, gentleness, and infinite consideration for His servants, which is evident in the reward He gives His servants even for their small good deeds.

  --Riyadh as-Salihin, pages 112-114