Introduction

Riyad as-Salihin (The Gardens of the Righteous), is one of the most famous works of Imam Nawawi. The author’s real name is Muhyiddin Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf ibn Murri (1233–1277 CE). He is a great scholar of Hadith whose opinions are accepted as proof in his field. This work of Imam Nawawi has become so famous that it is commonly found in most Muslims’ homes. In this compilation, along with taking the prime Hadith references known as the Six Books (Al-Kutub as-Sitta) as basis, he benefited from other sources as well. He related authenticated hadiths with their sources, and took the relevant verses of the Qur’an at the beginning of every chapter.

The hadiths he preferred to include his collection are about:
a. Enhancing morality
b. Purifying hearts
c. Protecting body parts from sin
d. Being a means for happiness in this world and the next
e. Encouraging for goodness, warning against evil, and revealing the outward and inward manners of journeying on the spiritual path
f. Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil
Thus, Riyad as-Salihin can be briefly defined as a book of enhancing morals, mannerliness, encouraging goodness, and warning against the evil. This work consists of the wisdom of the noble Prophet setting the criteria about the manners to be observed by individuals.
Since the time it was published, Riyad as-Salihin has been a must read on the way to deepening in Islamic teaching.
This work we present to you with pride is an abridged version of the full compilation. This abridged version consists of 876 hadiths chosen from among more than 1800 hadiths on 18 main topics. There are so many different annotated versions of this classic. In our version, we rather tried to translate the intended meaning to be derived from the hadiths, rather than making a word for word translation. Annotations are added to clarify the meaning when needed. The Qur’anic verses and hadiths are presented with their sources. Rather than the entire chain of narration, name of the particular Companion who reported a given hadith is stated at the beginning. We pray Allah that it serves as an encouragement to goodness and benefits people.