AL-BAYHAQĪ'S LESSER FORTY
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AL-BAYHAQĪ'S LESSER FORTY

Al-Arbaʿūn Al-Ṣughrā
by Imam Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Bayhaqī (d. 458 AH / 1066 CE)
Tr. Fahim Choudhury
Waraq2026June 2026

Compiled by the eminent ḥadīth scholar Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Bayhaqī, al-Arbaʿūn al-Sughrā (The Lesser Forty Ḥadīths) is a concise guide to spiritual and ethical formation built around 125 narrations arranged in forty thematic chapters. Beginning with faith, repentance, and sincerity, the collection proceeds through topics such as steadfastness, remembrance of Allah, righteous companionship, humility, and noble character, offering a practical framework for embodying Prophetic teachings in daily life. This bilingual edition presents the complete Arabic text with full vocalization alongside an English translation of both the chains of transmission (isnāds) and the narrations themselves, together with source documentation (takhrīj), paragraph numbering, explanatory notes, a glossary of key terms, and comprehensive indices.

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46 Chapters
Transliteration Key Symbols and Abbreviations al-Bayhaqī: A Short Introduction Introduction to the Translation AL-BAYHAQĪ'S LESSER FORTY مُقَدِّمَةُ الْمُؤَلِّفِ Author's Introduction الْبَابُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ فِي عِبَادَتِهِ دُونَ سِوَاهُ 1. On Rendering Worship Solely to Allah to the Exclusion of Others الْبَابُ الثَّانِي فِي التَّوْبَةِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَا كَرِهَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى 2. On Repenting From Everything Which Allah Most High Abhors الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي إِرْضَاءِ الْخَصْمِ وَإِرْضَاءُ الْخَصْمِ مِنْ شَرَائِطِ التَّوْبَةِ 3. On Appeasing the Adversary, and Appeasing the Adversary Is Among the Conditions of Repentance الْبَابُ الرَّابِعُ فِي هِجْرَانِ إِخْوَانِ السُّوءِ وَهِجْرَانُ إِخْوَانِ السُّوءِ مِنْ كَمَالِ التَّوْبَةِ 4. On Forsaking Evil Companions, and Forsaking Evil Companions Is Part of the Perfection of Repentance الْبَابُ الْخَامِسُ فِي غَضِّ الْبَصَرِ، وَكَفِّ الْأَذَى، وَحِفْظِ اللِّسَانِ 5. On Lowering the Gaze, Refraining from Causing Harm, And Guarding The Tongue الْبَابُ السَّادِسُ فِي تَرْكِ مَا يَشْغَلُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى 6. On Abandoning What Preoccupies One From The Remembrance of Allah Most High الْبَابُ السَّابِعُ فِي الِاسْتِقَامَةِ 7. On Uprightness الْبَابُ الثَّامِنُ فِي دَوَامِ الْمُرَاقَبَةِ 8. On Remaining Vigilant الْبَابُ التَّاسِعُ فِي الْحَيَاءِ مِنَ اللَّهِ ﷿ 9. On Shame Before Allah – The Mighty and Sublime الْبَابُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي الْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَاءِ 10. On Fear and Hope الْبَابُ الْحَادِيَ عَشَرَ فِي قِصَرِ الْأَمَلِ وَالْمُبَادَرَةِ بِالْعَمَلِ قَبْلَ بُلُوغِ الْأَجَلِ 11. On Curtailing Hope and Rushing to Action Before the Arrival of the Term الْبَابُ الثَّانِيَ عَشَرَ فِي الِاجْتِهَادِ فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ ﷿ 12. On Striving to Obey Allah – the Mighty And Sublime الْبَابُ الثَّالِثَ عَشَرَ فِي إِخْلَاصِ الْعَمَلِ لِلَّهِ ﷿ وَتَرْكِ الرِّيَاءِ 13. On Sincere Action For Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and Forsaking Ostentation الْبَابُ الرَّابِعَ عَشَرَ فِي مَحَبَّةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَمَحَبَّةِ رَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَالْحُبِّ فِي اللَّهِ، وَشُحِّ الْمَرْءِ بِدِينِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَكْرَمَهُ بِهِ 14. On the Love of Allah Most High, the Love of His Messenger – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – Loving for the Sake of Allah, and Zealous Preservation of the Religion with Which Allah Has Honored One الْبَابُ الْخَامِسَ عَشَرَ فِي الْمُوَاظَبَةِ عَلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ﷿ وَتِلَاوَةِ كِتَابِهِ 15. On Maintaining Remembrance of Allah – the Mighty and Sublime – and The Recitation of His Book الْبَابُ السَّادِسَ عَشَرَ فِي الشُّكْرِ عَلَى السَّرَّاءِ، وَالصَّبْرِ عَلَى الضَّرَّاءِ 16. On Gratitude in Prosperity and Patience in Adversity الْبَابُ السَّابِعَ عَشَرَ فِي الرِّضَا بِالْقَضَاءِ 17. On Satisfaction with the Divine Decree الْبَابُ الثَّامِنَ عَشَرَ فِي الْكَسْبِ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ صِيَانَةً عَنِ السُّؤَالِ 18. On Lawful Earning as a Safeguard Against Begging الْبَابُ التَّاسِعَ عَشَرَ فِي الِاكْتِفَاءِ بِمَا فِيهِ أَقَلُّ الْكِفَايَةِ وَالْقَنَاعَةِ بِمَا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى 19. On Being Content with the Bare Minimum and Satisfied with What Allah Most High Has Bestowed الْبَابُ الْعِشْرُونَ فِي التَّوَكُّلِ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى 20. On Relying Upon Allah Most High الْبَابُ الْحَادِي وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِيمَنْ تَوَسَّعَ فِي اكْتِسَابِ الْمَالِ الْحَلَالِ فَوْقَ الْكِفَايَةِ إِنِ اسْتَفَادَهُ مِنْ وَجْهٍ حَلَالٍ، وَأَخْرَجَ مِنْهُ حَقَّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِيهِ، وَاسْتَغْنَى هُوَ وَعِيَالُهُ بِبَاقِيهِ 21. On Expanding One’s Lawful Wealth Beyond Basic Sufficiency, Provided It Is Gained Legitimately, the Rights of Allah Most High are Discharged, and It Suffices for One’s Family الْبَابُ الثَّانِي وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي الْأَخْذِ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ وَاجْتِنَابِ الْمَحَارِمِ وَالتَّوَرُّعِ عَنِ الشُّبُهَاتِ 22. On Partaking of What Is Permissible, Avoiding the Forbidden, and Abstaining from Doubtful Matters الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي بِرِّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ 23. On Filial Piety الْبَابُ الرَّابِعُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي صِلَةِ الرَّحِمِ 24. On Maintaining Kinship Bonds الْبَابُ الْخَامِسُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي رَحْمَةِ الْأَوْلَادِ وَتَقْبِيلِهِمْ، وَالْإِحْسَانِ إِلَيْهِمْ وَإِلَى الْأَهْلِينَ 25. On Showing Mercy to Children and Kissing Them, and Being Kind to Them and One’s Family الْبَابُ السَّادِسُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَى الْمَمَالِيكِ 26. On Kindness Toward Bondservants الْبَابُ السَّابِعُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَى الْجِيرَانِ 27. On Kindness Toward Neighbors الْبَابُ الثَّامِنُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي إِكْرَامِ الضَّيْفِ 28. On Honoring the Guest الْبَابُ التَّاسِعُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي تَرَاحُمِ النَّاسِ 29. On Mutual Mercy Among People الْبَابُ الثَّلَاثُونَ فِي رَحْمَةِ الصَّغِيرِ وَتَوْقِيرِ الْكَبِيرِ وَخِدْمَةِ الْمَشَايِخِ 30. On Showing Mercy to the Young, Honoring the Elderly, And Serving the Shaykhs الْبَابُ الْحَادِي وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي النُّصْحِ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ وَالدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ 31. On Sincere Counsel to Every Muslim and Guiding to What Is Good الْبَابُ الثَّانِي وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي الْمُؤْمِنِ يُحِبُّ لِأَخِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ 32. On The Believer Loving For His Believing Brother What He Loves for Himself الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي أَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَجَسَدٍ وَاحِدٍ 33. On The Believers Being Like a Single Body الْبَابُ الرَّابِعُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي مُرَاعَاةِ حَقِّ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ 34. On Upholding the Right of His Muslim Brother الْبَابُ الْخَامِسُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي الْإِصْلَاحِ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَتَرْكِ مَا يُفْسِدُ بَيْنَهُمْ مِنَ النَّمِيمَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا 35. On Reconciling People and Avoiding What Corrupts Their Relations, Such as Talebearing and Other [Vices] الْبَابُ السَّادِسُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي التَّوَاصُلِ وَالتَّحَابُبِ وَمَا يُنْهَى عَنْهُ مِنَ التَّقَاطُعِ وَالتَّحَاسُدِ وَالتَّدَابُرِ وَالِاغْتِيَابِ 36. On Maintaining Ties and Mutual Love, and What is Forbidden: Severing Relations, Mutual Envy, Turning One’s Back on Others, and Backbiting. الْبَابُ السَّابِعُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي حُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ وَمَا يُسْتَحَبُّ مِنْ كَظْمِ الْغَيْظِ وَالتَّوَاضُعِ 37. On Noble Character and the Desirability of Restraining Rage and Exercising Humility الْبَابُ الثَّامِنُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي مُخَالَطَةِ النَّاسِ وَعِشْرَتِهِمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ 38. On Mixing With People And Interacting With Them Amicably الْبَابُ التَّاسِعُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ فِي كَرَاهِيَةِ الْبُخْلِ وَالشُّحِّ وَمَا فِي بَذْلِ الْمَالِ وَالسَّمَاحَةِ فِيهِ، وَحُسْنِ الْمُعَامَلَةِ مَعَ النَّاسِ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالثَّوَابِ 39. On the Repugnance of Stinginess and Avarice, the Goodness and Reward Found in Spending Wealth, Generosity Therewith, and Excellent Conduct with People. الْبَابُ الْأَرْبَعُونَ فِي الْمُؤْمِنِ يَجْتَهِدُ فِي اسْتِعْمَالِ مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ 40. Concerning the Believer Who Strives to Practice What We Have Mentioned in This Book
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