بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

(Sheikh Abul Hasan Kamaa Araftuhu)

I saw Sheik at the time when a popular leader of Turkey, Professor Najmuddin Arbakan came to a hotel of Istanbul to meet Sheikh. I saw that the conversation initiated by Sheikh with that top political leader was the conversation of a scholar, a sincere and an honest preacher.

Sheikh mentioned the importance of Istanbul and the importance of its conquest and the significance of the participation of a great and venerable companion of the prophet (s.a.w.) Hadhrat Abu Ayoob Ansari in a battle among the battles that took place for the conquest of Istanbul and his martyrdom and burial near the border of Istanbul. After that Sheikh mutually correlated those topics and mentioned the importance of Islam by associating it with that city and Turkey.

The complete discussion took place in such a profound and influencing manner that it penetrated deep into the hearts. It cannot be determined how many obscurities it removed to the extent that tears began to flow from the eyes of the listeners. Moreover even the body parts of the leader, who came there, could not be helped against being influenced. Sheikh's exhortation took its abode in his heart and he promised Sheikh that he would guard Islam in that country. Later, when he was ready to leave, tears were flowing from his eyes and he kissed Sheikh's hand very gratefully.

I have seen this attribute of Sheikh many times and have heard it myself; when Sheikh annotated (explained) a verse or spoke of a topic then that topic or that thought/view would accentuate and come forth and would enlighten the hearts and his discussions/speech would spread deep into the body parts of the listeners without their own consent.

Muhammed Hasan  Bareighesh

(Aakhir ur-Raahileen Fi 'Aam il-Huzn)

When I was a student in Egypt, I used to hear that there is a man in India who carries an excellent reputation and is such a preacher that the Muslim sector of India is very much influenced by him.

After that, conversations concerning this began to spread about him in spheres of al-Azhar and these conversations continued to increase among the organizations working for Islamic propagation/preaching like Jamaat Ikhwanul Muslimeen until I heard my teacher Sheikh Hasan Al-Banaa'  mentioning him again and again in his discussions concerning Islam and faith especially when the partition of India became a hot topic and that the country might be split into two states – The Islamic state and the Hindu State .

Since that time this Scholar and Preacher seized my attention.

Doctor Abdul Aziz Al-Kheyat

The revolutionary (reformer) imam Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi in my opinion (in my knowledge)

 Among the reformers and revolutionists who bear a high rank in my heart and with whom I have obtained benefit is Sheikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi. Moreover the list includes personalities of his group like Imam Shaheed Hasan AlBanna, Imam Abul Ala Maududi, Syed Qutub Shaheed and Sheikh Muhammed Ghazali  (May Allah be pleased with them all.)

During the beginning of the sixth decade of the previous century when I was in the thirties of my age, I reached a stage of maturity and this forced me to gain from the leaders of the Islamic movement and the movement of reinstating Islam. Therefore I started studying them and started knowing their circumstances and conditions

And in 1968 when I began composing the syllabus for Islamic schools of Yemen, I prepared an article whose chief source was a book of Sheikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi  . Syed Qutub Shaheed motivated me to read this book. This happened during the period when I was in Cairo. From beginning of 1964 to the mid of 1965 I used to visit Syed Qutub regularly.

Imam Abul Hasan Nadvi was a possessor of attributes that set apart divine leaders from others of which the most important and distinct attribute was that by using his innate abilities he presented a living example of the companions' era in each stage of his life. Hence his acquaintances and students have seen this thing and felt it in him many times to the extent that we said for him

 Nay! We shall never exaggerate in characterization O Abul Hasan that we have seen in thee asceticism of Salman Farsi. Thou did not demand vanities of the world and its embellishments and neither did thou havest any worth for it in thy heart.

Organisers of the At-Tajamu' ul-Yamani lil-Islah and all the members of this organisation and all the Muslim populace of the world heard the news of passing away of the great imam and reviver of Islam, President of The Universal League of Islamic Literature, Rector of Nadwatul-Ulema---Hadhrat Allamah Sheikh Abul Hasan Ali Al-Hasani An-Nadvi-(May Allah be pleased with him), with sadness, grief and wounded hearts.

It is further saddening that this event took place at a time in the history of Ummah when all the nations are uniting against it and venomous snakes are crawling out of every nook and corner and are rushing towards it. The ummah has lost an eminent scholar in the person of Sheikh at a time when ummah is suffering from many problems concerning Islam and Muslims and is struggling in defending itself.

 In view of his parting and high position-The thing that has increased much more the loss of ummah is that Shiekh was an eminent person in facing and defending against the problems concerning Islam and the Muslims. He was in the foremost row as a leader of reformers who participated with all their enthusiasm in enriching the modern Islamic movement. This mournful event of his demise has struck us and shocked us—demise of that struggler that Imam whose eminence is recognized by each and every sphere in different parts of the world. We hope for his heirs in Nadwa and Darul-uloom that they be the best successors to the best predecessor.

(Deputy President of At-tajumu' ul-Yamani lil-Islah)

 It is no wonder that the merits, eminence and attributes owned by Sheikh Abul Hasan (of which we can mention only a few at this moment) became a causative of the fact that every Muslim who knew Sheikh, no matter whether he is related to the Islamic world or to the outside, maintains a devotion in his heart towards Sheikh and considers this (devotion) a means of his closeness with Allah (s.w.t.) and makes it so because this devotion is only for the sake of Allah and not for this trivial world and neither for its transitory materials and neither due to genealogical closeness or national fraternity.

Those who love Sheikh do so only due to his religiousness and fear of Allah and due to the fact that Sheikh had an earnest concern in Islam and was the one who understood and knew Islam very much and was a missionary; Was the one who would sacrifice in every way in the path of Islam, the one who would die for the Islamic nation; Had a concern in its problems and would defend it against them. He lived for Islam alone. In fact he made a resolution that his striving and his diligence would all be for Islam alone and that his life and his property would all be spent for the aid of Islam.

Another reason for their devotion towards him is that they were certain that Sheikh was very sincere, far away from worldly desires and was true to his words and deeds. Due to this they accompanied Sheikh with their hearts and this way acted upon the command of Allah (s.w.t.)

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Even the one who did not see Sheikh with his own eyes, who has just heard about him or read about him, loves him for the sake of Allah hoping that Allah will shelter him under His shadow on the day when there will be no shelter except His. (2)

And I declare, making Allah the witness, that I love this devout man and I hope that my love for him is only for the sake of Allah and that Allah may place both of us among those who love each other only because of His being without any relationship and without any material dealing. Concerning this love it has appeared in an Authentic Hadith:

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Verily Allah would say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who have mutual love for My Glory's sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but the shadow of Mine. (3)

And I testify that I have seen the general and the special all loving the Sheikh, Yes, however, if there was a disease in someone's heart then it is a different matter, May Allah give us refuge.(4)

Doubtlessly, this love for Sheikh that you find and feel in the hearts of all the Muslims and that started for the sake of Allah and remained for the sake of Allah only and kept expanding and flourishing, is a proof that Sheikh bears a high rank in Allah's sight because such widespread love is not there for no reason . And it is sated in a Hadith:

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i.e you are Allah's witnesses on the earth.

And it has been narrated by Hadhrat Abu Hurairah in an agreed upon Hadith that

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Allah's Apostle said, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel, saying, 'Allah loves so and so, O Gabriel love him' So Gabriel would love him and then would make an announcement in the Heavens: 'Allah has loved so and-so therefore you should love him also.' So all the dwellers of the Heavens would love him, and then for him is placed approval (of the people) on the earth."

 It was the same case with our Sheikh alaihirrahmah that for him was placed approval on the earth. The scholars, the pious, the missionaries all loved him except that someone may possess hypocrisy and because of that may be opposed to him. (May Allah protect us all from it). Or he may be a person who did not know the f Sheikh's reality and the one who is ignorant to something is generally opposed to it.

Rather, the fact is that Sheikh received both love and reverence because people are of different types. Some are those who would respect and revere you but if you want them to love you, it is not possible. And some are those who would attract your heart towards themselves by means of their love for you but if you want to revere and respect them, it is not possible. But there are some to whom you are compelled to revere along with loving them. In your hearts exists extremity of reverence along with a love of greatest degree. (3)

It was the same case with Sheikh alaihirrahmah that he was loved as well as revered and respected in the entire Arabic world and Islamic world and even among the peripheries. And if it were possible that consensus occur on the excellence, perfection and high rank and position of a person then it would certainly happen in case of Hadhrat alaihirahmah. However, it is a rule of Allah that people have some or the other differences between them. Except those who have been especially bestowed by Allah. In fact, Allah has created men for this only.

Therefore we have seen that our Sheikh was a member of most of the academies, organizations and societies, no matter whether these be from Arab world or from Islamic world or be local or international; All people wanted to benefit from him by making him a member of their organizations and if possible making him head of the organization.

Special Rank and position of Hadhrat Sheikh in India

 Although Sheikh held an enviable position among the Muslims of the entire world because Allah had endowed him with such attributes which would seldom occur together in a person except those to whom Allah has especially endowed, however in his country itself and among the Muslims of his country (which is the second largest Muslim population next to Indonesia) Sheikh held a position that was higher than that in other areas. Sheikh was an iris of their eyes and a center of there hearts. People's hearts were filled with love for him and with this love for him did their hearts beat. And Sheikh was an alert protector and an able guard for their rights and their honour and such an earnest anticipator of this thing that his Islamic identity still remains with its complete distinction. It is this reason due to which Indian Muslims had made him head of their many organizations.(1) 

I saw him a few years back when the government of India decided to alter the personal law of Muslims and decided to obligate upon them certain things concerning divorced women which were not in accordance with the Islamic shariah .So Sheikh stood up to become a stable mountain against this great violation. And challenged these with a roar of a powerful lion saying "This cannot be" and he made these words reach the non-muslim authorities of the country. And gathered and united all the Muslims to combat these and mentioned it in various cities of the Arab so that Islamic organizations could together raise their voice against these conspiracies and this way this person who was apparently of a lighter body and a mild temperament and a humble attitude became a rash horseman and a sharp sword.

            At this moment I remembered the stand of Hadhrat Abu Bakr during the event of apostasy. He was extremely mild-tempered and of humble nature but when the event of apostasy took place and payment of poor-due (zakat) was denied then he acquired such a historic position that Allah exalted Islam by means of him.

Anyway, Sheikh achieved victory in this combat and the government of India was compelled to recede and thus dissolved its decision and law. All this happened by means of Allah's benevolence and after that by means of Sheikh's resolution and steadfastness and the fact that Hadhrat was not ready to negotiate or make peace in this case.

Hadhrat Sheikh held a special position in the hearts of general and particular Muslims and non-Muslims of India which cannot be ignored. Its public revered him because they considered him an auspicious and a pure-soul person and the reason for the reverence by the particular was that they considered him a great personality and thought that Hadhrat has given India a unique position among the Muslims around the world.

And I have myself seen at the time of 85th Scholastic celebration of Nadwatul-Ulema , how thousands of non-Muslims came and took part in this gathering of Nadwa. It is clear that this was due to Sheikh's position in their eyes.

Maulana Noor Alam sahib Ameeni said about Hadhrat Sheikh and said it right that when Sheikh passed away there was no Islamic scholar or any Islamic leader across the length and breadth of India with whom the government was subdued or feared him as it did with Sheikh. While passing a law or any other thing especially making new laws against Islam or Muslims it happened many times that the government had to take back its proposals and had to alter their wishes because of Hadhrat sheikh.

The state government of Uttar Pradesh passed a new law concerning students of western education, whether Muslims or non-Muslims, that they should start their daily routine in schools by a song known as "Vande Mataram" which contains mentioning of idol worship against the Islamic doctrine of unity of God. At this Hadhrat Sheikh proclaimed aloud that he and all the Muslim population would prefer death to this life in which it is forced to sing such songs which are comprised of reverence and consecration of other than Allah. And as soon as this knock pertaining to (Islamic) belief reached the in-charge people of the country they took back this proposal. And they said it emphatically, "we will not force upon the Muslim citizens of our country something which is against their religious beliefs".

And the most amazing thing, which I have witnessed myself, is that Sheikh kept compassion and empathy for his country and its people, Muslims and non-Muslims. And he feared a lot about the future of his country especially at this time when it has been deprived of meritorious and historic leaders and the leadership fell in the hands of people who are extremely bigoted and narrow-minded who do not hold any view that this country needs broad-minded approach so that all its habitants can live with harmony and help each other. Differences in religions and mores may remain but these differences should not become deterrents and meddlers in other affairs.

Hadhrat Sheikh feared these short-sighted politics that this might become a means of evil and disorder for a big country with a population exceeding a billion and that fissures might form in it such that covering those would not only be difficult but would be impossible.

To summarize, Sheikh aliahirrahmah did not ignore thinking in favour of his country and about its conditions and outcome in spite of his deep-rooted Islamic nature and that the majority of his country's population was non-Muslim.  

Abul Hasan Al-Nadvi—Man of Faith and Spiritual Insight

 In the late june,1956, Al-mu'tamirul-Islami-l'aam (General Islamic Conference) held its second session in Damascus which was presided , as far as I remember, by Muhammed Nasir, who was at that time the prime minister of Indonesia and head of "Tanzeem Mashuli Islami". This conference was hosted in conference hall of "Ma'had-Ul-Uloom Asshariah" present in "Jami' Chengez". At that time, I had just finished my high-school examinations in the same ma'had. This ma'had was running under the supervision of "Jam'iyyat ul-Ghara`", an educational and scholastic organization.

Pertaining to that, I and some of my friends got an opportunity to see and meet some of the delegates, and this was aided by the fact that in those days we used to visit ma'had for our results and were preparing for our admission in the university. It was during these visits that we got an opportunity to take part in the last sitting of the conference, which was held in the ground of "The Syrian University".  (Later The University of Damascus).

The concluding conference was held at a very grand scale and comprised an exceptional gathering. Thus we heard the speeches of Maulana Abul A'ala Madudi and Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi (Alaihimarrahmah) for the first time and apart from that we heard the addresses of many delegates who came from various Islamic and Arabian countries.

This conference was held to support the Palestinians and with the purpose of defending the Palestinian litigation. And I remember that Hadhrat Nadvi came on the stage twice. First time he translated the speech of Hadhrat Abul A'la Maududi for those present and the second time he gave a speech himself.

In his speech, before he started discussing the actual topic, he conveyed salutations of forty million Muslims of India, whose ardor and fervor concerning Palestinians is well-known and closed his speech with these sentences:

"I don’t say that it is a matter of honour for this conference that it comprises of Indians, However I say that it is a matter of honour for Indians that they got to represent in this conference." On these words of Hadhrat, the entire ground reverberated with applauses and slogans in such a way that this effect was created only one more time when the head of Sudanic delegates Ustadh Ahmed Baely said while initiating his address:

"O my dear countrymen!" And then paused and said, "**********" (i.e. O my countrymen in faith and religion and not in land and region!).

So the effect of his initial words was no lesser than the effect of Hadhrat Nadvi's concluding words.

At that time, we were filled with national and religious fervor. We found, in the initial and concluding words of both these nobles, a complete refutation of those national slogans and cries, which had isolated the Muslims and the Islamic circle from the Palestinian litigation and had altered the true meaning of nationalism because it was adulterated by Ignorance and the meaning of "lineage-worship" and its feelings.

We once again go back to 1956 in which we were blessed with the sight of Hadhrat Nadvi alaihirrahmah and listening to his speech. It was the time of summer when I was busy preparing for the admission in Shariah college of the university. (At that time, only two years had passed since the establishment of  SHariah college). Examination for the admission was before us that included a subject: "Contemporary Islamic Culture".

The institutes in which we studied were non-governmental and in these no such system or syllabus was in vogue. Hence our friends recommended us studying of two books: first, Sheikh Syed Qutub's "Al-Adaalatul-Ijtama'iyyah fil-Islam" and second, Sheikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi's "Madha Khasara-l-'Aalam Bi-inhitati-l-Muslimeen. (Islam and the World)".

Study of both these books exposed such new paths and wide horizons of which we were completely unaware in our former education. Hadhrat Nadvi, on account of the theme of his book and its balance/equilibrium+ and comprehensiveness/completeness of its subject and his eloquence/elegant diction, affected and alarmed us. Particularly, we felt in his book, with his words sincerity of zeal and honesty and spiritual power which was visible and apparent between the lines.

At one place a sub-heading "Taaqat uz-zahr" appeared which we thought to be a misprint or something unintended and that it should have been "Baaqah" but when we looked in the dictionary we found that the word "Taaqah" is itself correct. On this we said among ourselves (we friends were studying this book together) that we should learn even our language from this Indian litterateur.

Later we came to know that he is related to India only in a way that his ancestors settled in India otherwise his lineage is purely Arabic and Hasani because his lineage links to Abdullah Al-Ashtar who was the great grandson of Hasan Bin Ali (R.A.) and his grandson was the son of Muhammed Dhinnafs a-zzakiyyah Bin Abdullah Al-Mahdh.