An-Nawawi

Yahya ibn Sharaf came from the village of Nawa south of Damascus at eighteen, studied with extraordinary dedication — twelve lessons a day — and lived simply, never marrying. In a short life of forty-five years he wrote works that are read in every Muslim land: Riyad as-Salihin, the Forty Hadith, al-Adhkar and the commentary on Sahih Muslim. He headed Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiyya and spoke openly to the sultan Baybars. He died in Nawa.