Imam ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz on the Mistakes of Imām al-Nawawī and Imam Ibn Ḥajar

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Question: Some students of knowledge hesitate (or are reluctant) with regards to saying “Imām an-Nawawī,” because an Imām is someone who is followed and taken as a role model.

Answer: There is no harm (or hindrance) regarding it (i.e. no harm or hindrance in saying “Imam An-Nawawi”.) He had mistakes. (But) he is called an Imām, for indeed, he is followed and taken as a role model in his knowledge, virtue, and fiqh. (However), he had mistakes, may Allah pardon us and him. He had mistakes, and there is hardly any Imām who does not have mistakes. Every child of Adam errs.

Question: As for Ibn Ḥajar and an-Nawawī, is it said that they were Ashʿarī?

The Shaykh: No. They had some taʾwīl. He was not an Ashʿarī in an absolute sense. He had some taʾwīl, they had some mistakes.

 https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/22644/%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%BA%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%88%D9%88%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%AD%D8%AC%D8%B1