Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (Urdu: ابوالحسن علی حسنی ندوی) (affectionately 'Ali Miyan') (Raebareli, India, 5 December 1913 - 31 December 1999) was an outstanding historian, Islamic scholar, and author of well over fifty books in various languages.

Early life and education

Nadwi was born on 6th Moharam ul Haram 1333 Hijree (1914 AD) at Takia Kalan (Daira Shah Alamullah) Raebareli, ^[1] India in a family which had a long tradition of service to Islam like Syed Ahmad Shaheed. His father, Shaikh Hakim Abdul Hai, was also such a scholar, who amongst other writings, produced an eight volume encyclopedic biographical work entitled Nuzhatul Khawatir, containing biographical notices of some 5000 Islamic scholars, theologians, and jurists of India. Maulana Nadwi received his early education at home, and later joined the Nadwatul 'Ulama where he qualified with distinction. He specialized in Hadith under the tutelage of Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani and Tafsir under Maulana Ahmad Ali Lahori. The renowned Indian Sufi, Shaikh 'Abdul Qadir Raipuri, honored him with the mantle of Khilafat.

His education was started by his mother Khairun Nisa with teaching of 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 graduating from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama and Darul Uloom Deoband). Nadwi began his formal Arabic education under the guidance of Allama Khalil Arab in 1924 A.D. factually he completed his Arabic studies under him. In 1926 He got admission in Nadwatul Ulama. He attended the Dars of Hadith by Allama Muhaddith Haider Husain Khan and Sahihayen-Sanan-Abu Daud and Jamay-Tirmizi word by word from him. Same year in the session of Nadwatul Ulama at Kanpur, he 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. In the year of 1927 He took admission in Lucknow University. From where he obtained his graduation in Urdu literature. From 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 stayed few months at Darul Uloom Deoband where he took lessons from Shiekh ul Islam Mualana Husain Ahmed Madni in Sunan Tirmizi 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.

Maulana Nadwi started his academic career as a teacher of Arabic literature and Qur'anic exegesis, but later expanded to include history, Hadith, and other disciplines too.

Works and thought

In his lifetime, Nadwi, who was fondly known as 'Ali Mia, won the acclaim of not only the Indian race, but the Arabs took a special appeal to his writings. This was mainly because he selected Arabic more than Urdu, his vernacular, as his main vehicle of disseminating his thought, writing, and lectures. He ranked from the foremost of scholars in the Islamic world, and rightly deserved the position.

Maulana was invited to deliver various topics in the Hijaz in various Islamic disciplines. His book: "Islamic Concept of Prophethood,” derives from such a lecture tour in 1963. The intellectual elite of the time attended these lectures. Every lecture was introduced by the then Dean of the faculty of Education - Atiya Muhammad Salim, and concluded by an applaud and comment by the now late Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz. In this book, Maulana, avoiding the usual scholastic euphemism and doctrinal subtleties, proved that the material and spiritual prosperity of any order hinged upon their concept of following divine guidance; and amongst other things, through text and rational evidence, the finality of Prophethood. Incidentally, a few years thereafter, the Pakistani government was confronted with the idea of pronouncing the Ahmadi minority population as infidels. At this stage, Maulana provided vital motivation in explaining as to why a sect who claim to believe in Allah and other requisites of Islam, be expelled from its pale by rejecting the finality of the Prophet of Muhammad. In another brief but incisive exposition called: 'Religion and Civilisation,' Maulana, after explaining the various basis of civilisation - materialistic, intellectual, philosophical, and mystic - proved how these were inadequate to meet the needs of mankind. A further more charismatic basis is needed, and this is prophethood.

Maulana's appreciation was not only limited to his country. The English-speaking and French-speaking world also realized his worth. This prompted Maulana to undertake many journeys in Western countries in order to assess the situation whence he delivered many learned speeches to the lay class and academic class alike. Fortunately, some of his speeches have been preserved in publications like 'Speaking Plainly to the West,' and 'Western Civilization: Islam and Muslims,' the latter which brings the reader to grips with a fresh all-engulfing civilization along with the conflicts of the spiritual East and the materialistic West. As a word of advice on page 13 of this book, Maulana said: "Whenever an Islamic country has tried to seek protection from the onslaught of modern civilization by keeping itself to itself and shunning even the really valuable advantages offered by the West, as for instance, in the field of modern sciences and technological inventions, it has invariably proved to be of no avail." Discussing the various issues in his usual inimitable and thought-provoking style, Maulana would introduce fresh themes and interesting research which made his discussions more informative and dynamic, besides merely presenting a clear-cut view on any issue. His eloquent exposition of intricate concepts made the comprehension of Islam intelligible to western-educated people who, not unoften, find it difficult to follow the metaphysical issues explained in a religious frame of reference.

Of the book, 'Islam and the World,' Sayyid Qutb rightly remarked: "If by reading this book, the Muslim is filled with shame and contrition for his criminal neglect and carelessness, he also becomes acutely aware of the tremendous potentialities that have been given to him, and begins to feel an overpowering desire to regain the world leadership he lost through his own neglect and lack of appreciation of its quality." Whilst commenting on Maulana's methodology, Qutb further commented that although Maulana spoke of the general depravity of the Muslims (which came about as a lack of leadership), he always attributed it to the prevalence of ignorance and lack of a clear understanding of Islam. In materiality terms, this is unacceptable; but in Islamic terms, the world today endures the ignorance that is found in every phase of history, and unless one adopts the conviction that Islam alone can save humanity from degradation, all is lost. The book had been written with no pre-conditions or influence of ideology and environment, philosophy or religions prejudices - a trait which western historians tend to adhere to, thus shedding their accounts of human value and rendering it prone to many travesties and aberrations.

Although Maulana was well versed in many fields of Islam, his greatest contribution was to the history and cultural studies of Islam. It pained him to note that at a time when the western revolutionaries were adulated in academic circles, claims were being made that Islam never produced, besides its Prophet, men who revived Islam on a global scale. In order to fill this void, he compiled his 'Saviours of Islamic Spirit' (trans. Mohiuddin Ahmad) in four volumes which seemingly deals with separate individuals, but every one of them was portrayed as a reviver and restorer of Islam on a global scale in a particular aspect. Maryam Jameelah reported that this was his magnum opus, whilst Impact International commented then that this book dispelled the misconceived notion that the attempt for the renovation and rejuvenation of the Islamic faith lacked in coherence and continuity.

Honours and Awards

• 1956 Visiting member of Arabic Academy Damascus
• 1962 Secretary of the first inaugural session and foundation of World Muslim League in Mekkah Mukarama.
• 1963 Member of the advisory council ,Madina University Madina Munawara.
• 1980 King Faisal Award
• 1980 Chairman of Islamic Centre Oxford.
• 1981 Honorary Degree of Ph.D. from Kashmir University.
• 1999 ‘The personality of the year’ award by UAE.
• 1999 Sultan Brunei Award by Oxford Islamic Center on his work of ‘Tareekh Dawat-o-Azeemat’

Institutional positions and affiliations

Maulana was a founder member of the Muslim World League (Rabita), a member of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), a member of the World Supreme Council of Mosques, and a member of the Fiqh Council of Rabita. He was also a member of Advisory Council of the Islamic University of Madinah al-Munawwarah, a member of its Supreme Council, and a member of the Academy of Arts and Letters of Damascus, Syria. He was also a founder member of the League of the Islamic Literature in India.

This was in addition to his participation in many other activities through Islamic organizations and institutions such as the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY). In India, he was a rector of Nadwatul Ulama, and president of the Academy of Islamic Research and Publications. He was highly respected by Ulama and political leaders alike, and in 1980, he was awarded the prestigious King Faisal Award for serving Islam. He was also awarded the Sultan Hassan Bolkhaih International Prize and an 'Islamic Scholarship' plaque by Oxford university in 1999.

Death

Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi died on 23 Ramadan, 1420 AH (Dec. 31, 1999) in Raebareli, India at the age of 86. More than 200,000 people attended his funeral and the prayer was led by his nephew and successor Mulana Muhammad Raby Nadawi. He was buried near Shah Alam-u-llah, founder of Takiah Kalan.

External links

• Central Mosque Website
• IIIM Website

References