Selected of the good people in virtues of actions and prohibitions

Forward Al-Nawawi Arrangement Abu Abdulrahman Jamal Al-Qarshi In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the most honorable of messengers, and upon his family and companions, and those who follow his guidance and adopt his Sunnah until the Day of Judgment. Afterward, it is from Allah’s grace upon us, His favor, and His great generosity, that Allah has appointed for this religion distinguished men who dedicated themselves, spent their lives, and devoted their years to serve this firm religion. Among these eminent scholars was the distinguished scholar, the hadith scholar, the ascetic, the Sheikh of Islam, Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Sharf Al-Nawawi Al-Dimashqi, may Allah have mercy on him. The hadith scholar Abu Al-Abbas ibn Farh said: The Sheikh Muhyiddin reached three ranks, each of which would draw camels’ reins from all corners of the earth if it belonged to a person. The first rank: knowledge and fulfilling its duties; the second: asceticism in this world and all its types; the third: enjoining good and forbidding evil. Imam Al-Nawawi left us abundant beneficial knowledge, which scholars have praised, appreciated, and been grateful for. Among his most prominent books, distinguished by its topics, and most circulated among both specialists and the general public, is the book "Riyadh Al-Saliheen," which contains the most necessary matters for a Muslim in his individual and social life. How beautiful it is for the youth of the nation to be enlightened by the meanings of this blessed book! In which Imam Al-Nawawi placed most of what a person needs to know about what Allah commanded, what He forbade, what He disliked, and what He liked. It is a book of virtues, a book of prohibitions, a book of commands, a book of remembrances, supplications, manners, education, encouragement, and deterrence. It is the Muslim’s essential book that no individual can do without. It is worthy for us to give this book the attention it deserves, by dedicating time after prayer to read a chapter from it aloud to the worshippers. It is also our duty to teach it to our children and those involved in الدعوة, as it opens many ideas, illuminating meanings, and rich arts for the caller to Allah Almighty. This motivated me to summarize this blessed book, gathering topics with similar meanings into a single organized index to help the reader grasp its meanings, aims, and content. I drew this from Imam Al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, through his method of collecting related topics, making it easier for the reader to understand the subject. I classified the book’s topics as follows: First chapter: Selected virtues of actions, including (noble morals, acts of worship, manners, and recommended acts). Second chapter: Selected prohibitions, including (forbidden matters, disliked acts). I paid attention to ensuring the hadiths I selected are authentic, either agreed upon, or narrated by Al-Bukhari or Muslim, or authenticated by Sheikh Muhammad Nasser Al-Din Al-Albani or Sheikh Shuayb Al-Arnout in their verification of "Riyadh Al-Saliheen." When I transferred the hadith, I referred to the original books from which Imam Al-Nawawi took it, especially when clarification or summarization was needed. Although this effort is small, I mentioned it for the credibility of the narration. I mostly abbreviated the chain of narration, though it is better to mention the companion, as they are pleased with Allah and Allah is pleased with them. But the goal was brevity, considering people’s busy lives. This message was written to bring closer the meanings of this blessed book. Those interested in the chain of narration can refer to the original sources. I also created symbols for verification to facilitate the reader, as follows: (P): Agreed upon. (B): Al-Bukhari. (M): Muslim. (T): Tirmidhi. (N): Nasa’i. (Ham): Musnad Ahmad. (D): Abu Dawood. (K): Al-Hakim. (H): Ibn Majah. I pray to Allah, the Most High, the Great, that I have provided the callers with something beneficial to help them in their الدعوة journey—the path of goodness. I ask Allah, the Almighty, Lord of the Great Throne, that this work be sincerely for His face, beneficial to Muslims, and a means of drawing closer to Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing, Near, and Responding. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon His servant and Prophet Muhammad, his family, and companions. And our last supplication is: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Abu Abdulrahman Al-Qarshi