Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (Ali Miyan) (Raebareli, 1914 - 31 December 1999) was an Islamic scholar.

He was born into a family of Islamic scholars on the 6th Moharam ul Haram 1333 H (1914) at Takia Kalan (Daira Shah Alamullah) Rae Bareily. In 1934, he was appointed as teacher in Nadwa, later in 1961, he became Principal of Nadwa and in 1980, he was appointed as Chairman of Islamic Centre Oxford, UK. He has been awarded King Faisal Award (1981) and Sultan of Brunei Award (1999) for his contributions. He was a prolific writer in Urdu and Arabic, his books are part of syllabic studies in various Arab Universities, several books have been translated in English.

Education

His education was started by his mother with teaching of Holy Quran and then formal education of Arabic and Urdu was started.

When he was nine years old, his father Hakim Syed Abdul Hai died. (1923 AD). The responsibility of his education then came to his mother and his elder brother Maulana Hakim Syed Abdul Ali Hasani, who was himself a medical student (after graduation from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama and Darul Uloom Deoband).

He began his formal Arabic education under the guidance of Allama Khalil Arab in 1424 A.D. factually he completed his Arabic studies under him.

1926 He got admission in Nadwatul Ulama. He attended the Dars of Hadith by Allama Muhaddith Haider Husain Khan and Sahiyen-Sanana-Abudaud and Sanan-Tirmzee word by word from him.

1926 AD. Session of Nadwatul Ulama of Kanpur. Maulana attended and impressed the one and all by his Arabic conversation. The Arab guest made him their companion on the tour of the city as a guide.

1927 He took admission in Lucknow university. He obtained the degree of Fazil from the university.

He studied the select Urdu literature which helped him in his Dawah work.

1927-30. He learnt English language which helped him to study English books on various Islamic topics and gain useful information directly.

He received the teaching in the commentary (Tafseer) in selected surah from his Sheikh Maulana Khalil Ahsan and studied the complete Tafseer of Al-Quran at Lahore in 1932 by Maulana Ahmad Ali Lahoree.

In 1932 he also stayed few months at Darul Uloom Deoband where he took lessons from Shiekhul Islam Mualana Husain Ahmed Madni in Sanan Trimzi and Sahih Bukhari. He also took advantage of his stay and learnt commentary and Quranic science and subjects. He also took lesson in Fiqah from Shiek Aizaz Ali and in Tajweed as per the reference of hafs from Qari Ashgahr Ali Sahib

Literary Work and Dawah Life

1931 Wrote first article on Syed Ahmad Shaheed at the age of 17 years, which was published in the journal Al-Manar edited by Syed Rashid Raza of Egypt

1934 he was appointed as a teacher in Nadwatul Ulama. He taught Tafseer, Hadith, Arabic literature, History and Logic.

1938 His first book the life history of Syed Ahmad Shaheed was published which became popular amongst the Deeni and Dawah circles.

1939 He journeyed to acquaint himself with the centers of Islamic importance in India in which he met Maulana Shiekh Abdul Qadir Raipuri and the great reformer Maulana Mohammed Ilyas Kandhlawi and kept a continues contact with them and obtained spiritual training from the former and following the later, learnt the Dawah work and the work for reformation of Muslims.

He undertook many journeys for it and continued such journeys for quite sometime.

He was invited by Jamia Millia in 1942 to where he delivered a lecture which was later published by the title of "Deen-wo-Mazhab"

1943 established an Association by the name of ‘Anjuman Taleemat-e-Deen’ and delivered Lectures on Tafseer and sunnah which became very popular particularly in Modern educated persons and persons in Govt. service.

1945 Was selected as a member on the administrative council of Nadwatul Ulama.

1951 He was proposed as deputy Director Education Nadwatul Ulama by Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadwi and was appointed and after the death of Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadwi, he was made the Director of education in 1954.

1951 He founded his famous movement Payam-e-Insaniyat

1955 Editor - The journal Al-Baas (Arabic)

1959 Founded Academy of Islamic Research and Publications

1959 Editor - The journal Al-Raid (Arabic)

1961 After the death of his brother Dr. Abdul Ali Hasani, he was appointed the General Secretary of Nadwatul Ulama.

He was appointed by AMU to recast the BA course on Islamics

In 1963 he delivered many lectures in Jamia Islamia Madina Munawara which were published by the name of "Al Nabuwatu wal-anbiya-o-fee zauil-Quran"

1963 Editor in chief of Nida-e-Millet

1963 Advisor - Urdu journal ‘Tameer-e-hayat’

1968 He was invited by education minister of Saudi Arabia to participate in the critical study of the curriculum and system of the department of Sharia. He delivered many lectures in Riyadh University and Department of teaching

He was in the editorial board of the Arabic Journal "Al-Zia" of Nadwatul Ulama in 1932 and the Urdu journal Al-Nawa 1940 and published a Urdu Journal Tameer in 1948 and took the responsibility of editorial of a journal from Damascus in 1959.

He was the chief controller of all the above papers which were published from Nadwa

Honours and awards

In 1956 he was made visiting member of Arabic Academy Damascus. At the first inaugural session and foundation of World Muslim League in Mekkah Mukarama in which His Royal Highness the King of Saudi Arabia Saud Bin Abdul Aziz and King of Libya Idris Sanussi were present. Hazrat Maulana performed the duties of secretary at that session.

At the inauguration and foundation of Madina University Madina, he was made the member of the advisory council and remained as member till the administration was changed, and was a Foundation member of the League of Islamic Universities.

1962 The first inaugural session and foundation of World Muslim League in Mekkah Mukarama in which His Royal Highness the King of Saudi Arabia Saud Bin Abdul Aziz and head of Libyan Idress Samosi was present Hazrat Maulana performed the duties of secretary at that session.

1963 At the inauguration and foundation of Madina University Madina Munawara, he was made the member of the advisory council and remained as member till the administration was changed.

Foundation member of the League of Islamic Universities.

In 1980s, he was made a Member of Arabic Academy of Jordan, won the King Faisal Award, became Chairman of Islamic Centre Oxford, was given an Honorary Degree of Ph.D. bny Kashmir University awarded and was appointed as Chairman by Adab Islamic

1980 King Faisal Award

1980 Chairman of Islamic Centre Oxford.

1981 Kashmir University awarded Honorary Degree of Ph.D.

1984 Adab Islamic -Inauguration and appointed as Chairman

1999 was awarded the ‘The personality of the year’ award by UAE for which a special plane was sent for the Shiekh to take him to Dubai and bring him back also.

In 1999 he was awarded Dubai International Holy Quran award by the government of Dubai. Special arrangements were made through sending a personal plane to bring him to the award ceremony which was held in Dubai. He also won the Sultan Brunei Award by Oxford Islamic Center on his work of ‘Tareekh Dawat-o-Azeemat’

Travels

1935 He travelled to Bombay to invite Mr. Ambedkar, the schedule caste leader, to accept Islam

1939 The first distant journey. He met Ulama and elites. He met Dr. Sir Mohmmed Iqbal. He had already translated a few of Dr. Iqbal’s poem in Arabic prose.

1939 Travelled to acquaint himself to Islamic Centres in India

1947 Travelled to perform Hajj - He stayed for a few months at Hijaz. This was his first ever trip to a foreign land.

1951 Travelled to Egypt. Where his book ‘Maza Khasral Aalam Binhitat Ulmuslmin’ had already become popular and was a means of his introduction in the elite.

In the same journey he travelled to Palestine he visited Baitul Muqqadus and saw ‘Madinatul Khaleel’ and ‘Baitul laham’ In return he met King of Jordan Shah Abdullah.

1963 He travelled to Europe and visited Geneva, London, Paris Cambridge, Oxford and important elites of Spain. He met many a Arab and western professors and delivered many lectures.

1965 He visited Turkey for the first time. He visited Kuwait and other Gulf countries time again. He travelled to Afghanistan, Iran and Lebanon with the delegation of WML.

1976 Travelled to far west (Agiers)

1977 first journey to America.

1985 Trip to Belgium

1987 Trip to Malaysia

1990 Travelled to Burma

1993 Second trip to America

1993 Samarkand and Tashkent

Death

Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi(RA) passed away on 23 Ramadan, 1420 (Dec. 23, 1999) at the age of 86. A great scholar, thinker, writer, daa’ee and world-renowned personality, at the age of thirteen he had learned Arabic fluently and by twenty had graduated as a scholar of knowledge. With over fifty books and numerous speeches written in Arabic & Urdu, Maulana Nadwi was tireless in advancing the cause of Islam.

References

Nadwat-ul-Ulama

Kitaabun