Joy of viewers explanation of Gardens of the Righteous 1/3

Authored by Salim Eid Al-Hilali Introduction In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate All praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; and whomsoever He misguides, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. As for what follows: Among the most enjoyable compilations of prophetic news and the most beneficial writings on the Muhammadan traditions is the book "Riyadh as-Saliheen" (Gardens of the Righteous) from the words of the Master of the Messengers, authored by Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him. It is one of the most comprehensive hadith books and the most widely spread, circulated, and famous. It is not patterned after others in collecting the Sunnah of the forbidden and permissible, nor in knowing the virtues of times and deeds. Its compiler, may Allah have mercy on him, paid special attention to it and took full care of it, hoping that it would include what serves as a path for its owner to the Hereafter, and would cultivate his inner and outer manners, gathering encouragement and warning, and all kinds of manners for the wayfarers—such as hadiths of asceticism, soul training, refinement of morals, purifying hearts and healing them, protecting the limbs, removing their crookedness, and other goals of the knowledgeable. Therefore, he selected his hadiths from the collections of Islam, which are the core of the prophetic Sunnah: "And I committed myself not to mention except authentic hadiths that are clear, in addition to the well-known authentic books." He arranged them with precision, categorized them beautifully, clarified the ambiguous, explained the strange, and his work is wonderful and solid, with a lofty stance and distinguished effort. He skillfully gathered its pearls, and many benefited from its benefits. May Allah grant him sincerity and piety, and complete what he sought: "I hope that if this book is completed, it will guide the diligent to goodness and shield him from all kinds of evil and destruction." May Allah reward his effort, and make Al-Firdaws Al-A’laa (the highest paradise) our and his abode. The overwhelming majority of Muslims have accepted and embraced it. It became a teacher of teachers in education and reform, and hardly a Muslim home is without it. Therefore, scholars and students studied and taught it, and many annotations were made by righteous people. Fugitives of success flocked to it, inhaled its fragrant scent, and enjoyed its sweet aroma. Some summarized and refined it, others verified and brought closer, and some explained it extensively. I wished Allah to grant me a share of this inheritance, and the generous, forgiving Lord fulfilled my wish and answered my prayer. My part is to explain its hadiths, chapters, and make them easy for students. This is my moderate, organized commentary based on the principles of the righteous predecessors in reception and evidence, and I named it: "Joy of the Viewers in Explaining Riyadh as-Saliheen." I ask Allah to make it purely for His sake and in pursuit of His pleasure, as a provision for a good ending, and to make it a means for approaching Him. He is fully capable of all beautiful things, and He is my sufficiency and the best disposer of affairs. Now, I begin with the purpose, seeking help from the Forgiving, the Merciful, mentioning an introduction that includes three chapters: Chapter One: About the biography of an-Nawawi. Chapter Two: About the explanations of Riyadh as-Saliheen and their scholarly value. Chapter Three: About the motivation behind this explanation, its methodology, and sources.