The Author’s Introduction by Imām al-Nawawī

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise belongs to Allah—the One, the Subduer; the Mighty, the Ever-Forgiving—Who rolls the night over the day as a reminder to those endowed with hearts and sight, and as an enlightenment to people of intellect and reflection. He awakened, from among His creation, whomever He chose, causing them to renounce this abode, occupying them with vigilance of Him, continuous contemplation, and constant admonition and remembrance,(1) enabling them to persevere in obedience to Him,(2) to prepare for the Abode of Permanence, to beware of what angers Him and leads to the Abode of Ruin, and to hold fast to that through every change of circumstance and age. I praise Him with the most eloquent, pure, comprehensive, and ever-increasing praise. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah—the Benevolent, the Generous, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful—and I bear witness that our master Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger, His beloved and intimate friend, the guide to a straight path and the caller to an upright religion. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, upon the rest of the prophets, upon the family of each of them, and upon all the righteous.

To proceed: Allah the Exalted has said, “I did not create jinn and humankind except that they worship Me. I do not desire from them any provision, nor do I desire that they feed Me.” ⦗51:56–57⦘. This is an explicit statement that they were created for worship; therefore, it is incumbent upon them to devote themselves to that for which they were created and to turn away from