The most famous collection of 40 hadiths of all times is the one collected by Imam Abu Zakariyyah Moheyiddin Yahya ibn Sharaf An-Nawawi who died in AH 676. The collection is known as An-Nawawi's 40 Hadiths. May Allah reward Imam An-Nawawi and all of us. Amen. The following 10 Hadiths are provided with their English interpretation:
عَنْ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ سِبْطِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَرَيْحَانَتِهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: حَفِظْت مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ :"دَعْ مَا يُرِيبُك إلَى مَا لَا يُرِيبُك." رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ، وَالنَّسَائِيّ ، وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
On the authority of Al-Hasan bin Ali, the grandson of the messenger of Allah, who said: I memorized from the Messenger of Allah his saying:"Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt." Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i, and At-Tirmidhi said it is an authentic hadith (hasan sahih).
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَة قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ :"مِنْ حُسْنِ إسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ." حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ، ابن ماجه
On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: the Messenger of Allah said: "Part of someone's being a good Muslim, is his leaving alone that which does not concern him."An fine hadith narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.
عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ خَادِمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ قَالَ "لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ." رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ، وَمُسْلِمٌ
On the authority of Abu Hamza Anas bin Malik, the servant of the Messenger of Allah, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:"None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself."Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim
عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ:"لَا يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ يشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأني رسول الله إلَّا بِإِحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ: الثَّيِّبُ الزَّانِي، وَالنَّفْسُ بِالنَّفْسِ، وَالتَّارِكُ لِدِينِهِ الْمُفَارِقُ لِلْجَمَاعَةِ." رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ ، وَمُسْلِمٌ
`Abdullah ibn Mas`ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah said :"The blood of a Muslim may not be legally spilt other than in one of three [instances] : the married person who commits adultery; a life for a life; and one who forsakes his religion and abandons the community (gama`ah) [of Islam]."Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ
"مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاَللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاَللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاَللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ."
رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ ، وَمُسْلِمٌ .
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:"Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or keep silent, and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbor, and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest." Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنْ رَجُلا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ أَوْصِنِي. قَالَ:
"لا تَغْضَبْ، فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا، قَالَ: "لا تَغْضَبْ." رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ.
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):"Advise me!" The Prophet said, "Do not become angry and furious." The man asked (the same) again and again, and the Prophet said in each case, "Do not become angry and furious."Narrated by Al-Bukhari.
عَنْ أَبِي يَعْلَى شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ قَالَ:
"إنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الْإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَإِذَا قَتَلْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الْقِتْلَةَ، وَإِذَا ذَبَحْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الذِّبْحَةَ، وَلْيُحِدَّ أَحَدُكُمْ شَفْرَتَهُ، وَلْيُرِحْ ذَبِيحَتَهُ." رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ .
Abu Ya` la Shaddad ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Verily, Allah has enjoined excellence (ihsan) with regard to everything. So, when you kill, kill in a good way; when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way; so everyone of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably."
Narrated by Muslim.
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ جُنْدَبِ بْنِ جُنَادَةَ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّه قَالَ:
"اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْت، وَأَتْبِعْ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا، وَخَالِقْ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ."
رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، وَفِي بَعْضِ النُّسَخِ: حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.
On the authority of Abu Dhar Jundab bin Junadah, and Mu`adh bin Jabal that the Messenger of Allah said :"Fear Allah wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a good one and it will wipe it out, and behave well towards people." Narrated by At-Tirmidhi who said: It is a good (hasan) Tradition. In some copies he says: It is a good and genuine (hasan and sahih) hadith.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: "كُنْت خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ يَوْمًا، فَقَالَ:
"يَا غُلَامِ! إنِّي أُعَلِّمُك كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظْ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْك، احْفَظْ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَك، إذَا سَأَلْت فَاسْأَلْ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْت فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاَللَّهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَك، وَإِنْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك؛ رُفِعَتْ الْأَقْلَامُ، وَجَفَّتْ الصُّحُفُ."
رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.
وَفِي رِوَايَةِ غَيْرِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ:
"احْفَظْ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ أمامك، تَعَرَّفْ إلَى اللَّهِ فِي الرَّخَاءِ يَعْرِفُك فِي الشِّدَّةِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَك لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَك، وَمَا أَصَابَك لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَك، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ النَّصْرَ مَعَ الصَّبْرِ، وَأَنْ الْفَرَجَ مَعَ الْكَرْبِ، وَأَنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا."
Abu Al-`Abbas `Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day I was behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)and he said to me:
"O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice] : Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you (have need to) ask, ask of Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that even if the Nation (or the whole community) were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."
At-Tirmidhi relates this and says: It is an authentic hadith.
In a version other than that of al-Tirmidhi it reads:
"..Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by, was not going to befall you; and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship."
عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْأَنْصَارِيِّ الْبَدْرِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ :
"إنَّ مِمَّا أَدْرَكَ النَّاسُ مِنْ كَلَامِ النُّبُوَّةِ الْأُولَى: إذَا لَمْ تَسْتَحِ فَاصْنَعْ مَا شِئْت." رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ.
Abu Mas`ud `Uqbah ibn `Amr Al-Ansari Al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Among the things that people have found from the words of the previous prophets was: 'If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.'"
Narrated by Al-Bukhari.
