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𝐈𝐦ā𝐦 𝐀𝐧-𝐍𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐰ī - 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐡'𝐚𝐫𝐢 🧵

Shaykh ‘Alā’ud-Dīn ibn Al-‘Attār (d. 724 a.h), the student of Imām An-Nawawī and one of his many biographers who witnessed karamāt as well as sat in his many circles of knowledge, stated about him:

“My Shaykh narrated to me that he held twelve classes a day explaining and reading the texts. Two classes go over the Wasit, one class going over the Muhadhdhab, a class going over both of the two Sahih works [i.e. Bukhari and Muslim], a class specifically covering Sahih Muslim

a class over the Luma’ of ibn Al-Jnni, a class reviewing Islah al-Mantiq (logic) by Ibn As-Sikkit, class on language, a class in Tasrif, a class in Usul al-Fiqh [foundations of jurisprudence], a class regarding the “names of men” in hadith (أسماء الرجال)

and a dars in the Usul [foundations] of the Religion. He also said:

"He was an ‘Ālim, a Rabbānī, upon whom agreement [of the scholars] is there upon his knowledge and his Imāmship"

[Al-Minhaj As-Sawi fi Tarjamat Imam An-Nawawi page 57-60]

Imām ash-Sakhāwī states that “Shaykh ul-Islām” signifies one who follows the Kitāb and the Sunnah, has mastered the Usūl of the religion, who has plunged deep into the differences of the amongst the scholars, and has become able to extract the legal evidences from the texts

and has understood the rational and transmitted texts at a good level.

[al-jawahir wad-durar]

Imam ash-Sharif Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan Al-Wasiti al-Husayni (d. 776 A.H) said in his al-Matalib Al-‘Aliyyah fit-Tabaqat ash-Shafi’iyyah regarding Imam An-Nawawi:

“The Shaykh, The Imam, The ‘Alim (scholar), the Rabbani, the Hafith (master of Hadith), the Faqih (jurist), the Shaykh ul-Islam of his time, and after his time. He was from the scholars who implemented [their knowledge]

and from the Imams of immense knowledge, from the friends of Allah who know (‘arifin), and from the true ascetics”
He also mentions of his many classes he had within a day, except that he clarifies that in Usul al-Fiqh he would review al-Luma’ of Abi Ishaq and the Muntakhib

of Imam Fakhrud-Din ar-Razi, and in Usul ad-Din he would go over the Irshad of Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni! The Irshad’s title is: الإرشاد إلى قواطع الأدلة في أصول الاعتقاد al-Irshad ila qawati’ Al-Adillat fi Usual al-‘Itiqad.

His commentary in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim regarding the narration of “descent/an-Nuzul”:

This hadith is from the hadith of the Sifat (of Allah), and regarding it there are two well known madhdhabs: the first, and it is the madhhab of the salaf and some of the Mutakallimin

(scholars of kalam) that it is believe in their [i.e. the attributs] reality according to what befits Allāh ta’ala, and that the literal meaning that we commonly apply to ourselves is not what is meant, and that one does not speak regarding its interpretation while holding the

belief that Allah ta’alā is free from the attributes of the created, and from translocation, and movement, and the rest of the attributes of created beings. The second is the madhdhab of the majority of the Mutakallimīn, and a group from amongst the Salaf

and it is what is reported from Mālik and al-Awzā’ī that they are interpreted figuratively but only according to their appropriate contextual meanings. On this basis there are two interpretations (ta’wils). The first is the ta’wil of Imam Malik ibn Anas and other than he

that its meaning is the descent of His mercy and decree and His angels. [as is said regarding the Sultan …] and the Second interpretation is that it is an Isti’arah (metaphor) to signifiy turning to (iqbal) to those who supplicate to Him with fulfillment by answering [the du’aa]

and showing lutf (kindness, generosity) [to those beseeching Him]

[Sharh Sahih Muslim; Kitab Salat al-Musafirin]

He also says in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim:

“Verily there is nothing like Allah ta’ala, and he is free from tajsim (corporeality), and displacement, and being within direction, and from the rest of the attributes of the created beings.” [3/19]

Imam An-Nawawi also said in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim:

“And from the scholars are those who refrain from interpretating [the narratives of attributes]. They say we believe that they are real and that the literal meanings of the texts are not what are intended

and the meaning is what befits His majesty and this is the madhhab of the majority of the Salaf, and it is most upright, and safest. The second school is one of interpretation of the texts in a manner which befits His Majesty

while denying any imperfections from Allah ta’ala, as there is nothing like unto Him!” [16/166]

Imam An-Nawawi states in Al-Majmu:

“There is disagreement regarding the verses of the attributes of Allāh and their narrations. Do we delve into its interpretation or not? And some of the scholars have said that they are to be interpreted according to what befits Allāh

and this is the most known opinion of the two schools of the Mutakallimīn. Another group said that it is not interpreted, rather one refrains from speaking about its meanings and entrusts its knowledge to Allāh while believing in the denial of the attributes of created beings

from Him. And so they said, for example, “We believe that ar-Rahman ‘alal ‘arsh istāwa – (literally translated here as: that the merciful rose upon the throne), and we do not know its real meaning that was intended by it

and we believe this while believing there is nothing like unto Allāh, and while He is free from Hulūl and the attributes of the originated matters (al-ḥudūth), and this is the path of the Salaf, and the majority of them, and it is the safest [path]."

Imam an-Nawawi praising the madhdhab of Imam Abul Hasan al-Asha’ri in his Tahdhib al-Asma’i wal-Lughat under the entry of Ustadh Abū Isḥāq Al-Isfrā’īnīi:

“This teacher was one of the three who gathered in one era upon supporting the madhdhab of the Hadīth and the Sunnah in the issues of Kalām, and they were steadfast in supporting the madhhab of the Shaykh Abil Hasan Al-Asha’rī,

and they [the three] were the ustādh Abū Isḥāq Al-Isfrā’īnī, Qāḍī Abū Bakr al-Bāqilānī, and the Imām Abū Bakr ibn Fūrak.”

Imām adh-Dhahabī said in his tārīkh al-Islām :

‘Verily his madhdhab regarding the attributes as-sam’iyyah was as-sukūt (to remain silent regarding them). And he narrated them as they came, and maybe he interpreted them a small number of times in his Sharḥ of Saḥīḥ Muslim!”

Imam As-Sakhawi quoted these words and said after them in his bio of Imam An-Nawawi:

“This is what he says! And there is a lot of ta’wīl (interpretations) in what he said!”

He also said:

“It was forwarded by Imams al-Yafi’i and At-Taj As-Subki (may Allah have mercy upon them both), that he was an Asha’ri!”

As-Subki’s exact words in his Tabaqat ash-Shafi’yyah are:

"and verily An-Nawawi was an Asha’ri in creed!”

Imam an-Nawawi said in Sharh of the Sahih of Imam Muslim:

and from it [i.e. the text] is the affirmation of the charismatic acts [karamaat] of the friends of Allah (awliya’), and this is the madhhab of ahlus Sunnah, which contradicts that of the Mu’tazilah

and this is what is correct (sahih) according to our companions of the Mutakallimin!”

He also stated in his Sharh of the Muhadhdhab:

“Our companions of the Mutakallimin said…” (1/174)