Imam an-Nawawi and his Forty

Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (631–676 AH) was a great scholar of hadith and fiqh from Nawa, in Syria. His collection known as al-Arba'in an-Nawawiyyah contains 42 hadiths, each one a foundation of the religion.

Students traditionally memorize it early, because it gathers the essentials of belief, worship and character in a short book.