Shaykh ‘Abdur-Razzaaq al-‘Abbaad – may Allaah protect and preserve him – mentioned on tape one of his explanation of [al-Imaam] an-Nawawee’s Forty [Hadeeth]:
And here, I recall something novel which occurred…and that was about twenty years ago; I [held lessons where I] explained the Forty [Hadeeth of al-Imaam an-Nawawee] in one of the masaajid.
And I made it incumbent upon the gathering in the masjid that they memorise the Forty [Hadeeth of al-Imaam an-Nawawee].
So a man came and joined the lesson after I had explained seven hadeeth, and he said: I want to take part with you.
I said: On the condition that you memorise the seven previous hadeeth.
So he memorised them with precision and joined us in the lesson. And we continued every day with a hadeeth; I would let them hear [the hadeeth] and then I would explain [it]. [We continued in this manner] until [such time] we approached the end. [I point out here that] this man was an unmarried labourer who was living with other labourers.
[So] when we approached the end, on my way out of the masjid he caught up with me and said to me: “I would like to say something to you.”
I said: “Please [go ahead].”
He said: “By Allaah, I feel that I am now a scholar!”
I said to him: “Why [how so]?”
He said to me: “[With] all of us unmarried labourers [living together], whenever they err, I respond to them with a hadeeth; I mention the narrator [of the hadeeth] and I [also] mention to them the transmitter [of the hadeeth] – in regard to whatever they err in.”
So I said to him: “Certainly that which you have attained of knowledge, then it is considered to be the beginning of [seeking] knowledge, the basics and the keys to [seeking further] knowledge. Knowledge is a path/journey which necessitates patience from you, and [that you] change [according to the knowledge you acquire], and [that you remain] committed, and strive [upon this noble path]. However, that which you have attained are the basic principles [in seeking knowledge] and the comprehensive speech of the Messenger upon whom be prayer and salutation.”
So the point being that these Forty [Hadeeth of al-Imaam an-Nawawee] are indeed very great, and it is befitting upon every muslim that he [likewise] offers them great care and attention, [how?]:
Firstly: That he memorsies them;
Secondly: That he encourages his sons and daughters and his wife at home to memorise them.
Translator’s Note
Such is the level of the knowledge of the scholars, that we have this layman who has only memorsied al-Imaam an-Nawawee’s Forty Hadeeth and feels he is now a scholar, subhaa-nAllaah! With due humuility I ask, if this is his affair with just forty hadeeth, then what can be said about the likes of Shaykh al-Albaanee who had memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth?!
…Allaahu-Akbar!
أهمية الأربعين النووية
قال الشيخ عبد الرزاق العباد حفظه الله في شرحه الأربعين النووية الشريط الأول:
و أذكر من طريف ما يورد هنا…أنه قبل سنوات تقارب العشرين، شرحت الأربعين في أحد المساجد، و كنت ألزمت جماعة المسجد أن يحفظوا الأربعين، فجاء رجل التحق بالدرس بعد أن شرحنا سبعة أحاديث…و قال: أنا أريد أن أشارك معكم.
قلت: بشرط أن تحفظ السبعة الماضية.
فحفظها حفظا متقنا و دخل معنا الدرس، و مضينا كل يوم حديث أسمعهم ثم أشرح.
إلى أن قاربنا إلى النهاية، و كان هذا الرجل عاملا…كان هذا الرجل من العمال مع عزبة عمال يسكن معهم.
و لما قاربنا النهاية و خرجت من المسجد لحقني و قال لي: أنا أريد أن أقول لك شيء.
قلت: تفضل.
قال: أنا و الله أنا حسيت إني عالم الآن.
قلت له: ليش ؟
قال لي: أننا في العزبة ومع العمال و الأصحاب أي غلط يغلطون أرد عليهم بحديث، و أذكر لهم الراوي و أذكر لهم من خرجه، في أي خطأ يخطئون فيه.
فقلت له: أن هذا الذي حصلته من العلم، هو يعتبر بداية العلم و أوله و مفاتيح في العلم. و العلم مشوار يحتاج منك إلى صبر، و إلى بدل، و إلى جد، و إلى مجاهدة، لكن هذا الذي حصلته هذه أصول في العلم و جوامع كلم الرسول عليه الصلاة و السلام.
فالشاهد أن هذه الأربعين عظيمة جدا، و ينبغي على كل مسلم أن تعظم عنايته بها.
أولا: يحفظها؛
و ثانيا: يشجع أولاده و بناته و أهله في البيت على حفظها.
