Imam Al-Nawawi (written as Al-Nawawi but pronounced An-Nawawi—see explanation below) was born in the village of Nawa in southern Syria. His full name was: Imam Muhyiddin Abi Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf Al-Nawawi (d. 676/1277). He spent most of his life in Damascus, living simply and devoting himself to Allah. Although best known for his works in hadith, he was also the leading Imam of the later Shafi'i school of jurisprudence. A renowned scholar and jurist, he dedicated his life to the pursuit of Islamic knowledge. Despite passing away at the young age of 44, Imam Al-Nawawi left behind numerous works of great scholarship and lasting impact.
Imam Al-Nawawi (written in Arabic as النووي) is pronounced An-Nawawi. This is because, in Arabic, when the definite article "Al" (ال) precedes the letter "ن" (noon), the "ل" (laam) becomes silent due to a phonetic rule known as Idghaam Shamsiyyah (إدغام شمسي). This rule applies when certain letters, including "ن", cause the merging of sounds. As a result, the correct pronunciation is An-Nawawi (النَّوَوِي) instead of Al-Nawawi.
