Who is Imam al-Nawawi, and what are his most important books?

Question:
May Allah reward you with good. Among the questions we received, Shaykh Salih, before the program began, is one asking about the most prominent books of Imam al-Nawawi. He says, "And I hope for a brief overview of this unique scholar."

Answer:
Imam al-Nawawi is a distinguished scholar in Shafi'i jurisprudence, a distinguished scholar in hadith, and a scholar of the Arabic language. He is a great imam in many sciences, and he has writings in every field of his specialization. He has many well-known works in jurisprudence within the Shafi'i school, the most famous of which is al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, if it had been completed.
Among his works in hadith are Riyad al-Salihin, al-Arba'un al-Nawawiyyah, and his commentary on Sahih al-Imam Muslim, which is a good, concise, brief, and beneficial commentary. He had precedence in knowledge and authorship, and despite his short life (may Allah have mercy on him), Allah placed blessing and much good in him.