Imām al-Nawawī’s Commentary on ‘al-Dīn al-Naṣīḥah’

When it comes to commentary, few can do it like Muḥyī al-Dīn al-Nawawī. And when it comes to aḥādīth, few are more celebrated as pillars of religion than the ḥadīth: al-Dīn al-naṣīḥah ('this way of life is goodwill'). What better way to unfurl the ḥadīth, then, than with the masterful commentary of Imām al-Nawawī himself? In his trademark style combining summarization with summation, Nawawī performs a stunning explication of this ḥadīth that is as succinct as it is detailed, and as simple as it is concise. At its core, Nawawī’s commentary is an argument; it endeavors to substantiate the claim that this ḥadīth represents not merely one-quarter of Islam, as is popularly stated, but in fact Islam in its entirety.