the fragrance of east feb,...

THE FRAGRANCEOF EAST

Vol. XXI No. 2 February 2019

Post Box No. 93,Nadwatul Ulama

Tagore Marg,Lucknow – 226 007

Ph. No. : 0522-2740406 E-mail: [email protected]

Fax : (0522) 2741221 E-mail: [email protected]

Rs. 25/-

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THE FRAGRANCE OF EAST, February, 2019

Founder:

Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (RAH)

Patron:

S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi

Advisory Board :

Shah Ebadur Rahman

Mohd. Hamza Hasani Nadwi

Shamsul Haque Nadwi

Editor:

Shariq Alavi

Asstt. Editor:

Obaidur Rahman Nadwi

The Fragranceof East

S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

Allah is the One Who sends down rainafter men have given up ail hope, andscatters His mercy far and wide. He isProtector, of all praise.

(al-Shürä 42:28)This Qur’anic verse embodies

immeasurable guidance for everyone. The“rain” in the verse may also be taken to meananything that rescues one and provides onewith help in a crisis. It is Allah alone Whocomes to man’s rescue as he facesproblems. Again, it is He Who lends man asupporting hand. As a dying person isrevived when a drop of elixir is given him.Allah provides solace to the scorching earthby blessing it with rainfall. Allah responds toman’s petition. At a time when everyone,including the high and the mighty, haddespaired of rain. Allah sends down rainwhich revives the dead land. Thus Heshowers mercy. For He alone is man’sprotector deserves all praise.

The divine attributes mentioned in thiscontext appear to be very carefully chosen.All of His names are excellent. His is thebest example. Reference is made,nonetheless, to two of His attributes —Protector and Worthy of all praise, for theseare directly linked with rescuing humanityand with truth. Allah is the Protector ofhumanity. No owner would like to see hisfield as barren. As mankind’s Protector, Allahensures its revival. In equal measure, Allahis deserving of ail praise. It does not befitHis mercy and majesty to abandonhumanity. n

Divine Judgement AboutMankind

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CONTENTS

1- Muslims’ Abiding S trength - S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi 7

2- Reform of The System - S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi 10

of Education And Mentoring

3- Imperatives of Regeneration - Saiyid Hamid 17

Administrative Dimensions

4- Islam’ s Journey into Latin America - M. Nasir Jawed 21

5- The Qur ’an’ s Contribution to - Zaheer M. Quraishi 25

Medieval Literary Renaissance

6- The Holy Prophet And The - S. Habibul Haq Nadwi 29

Orientalists

7- Maulana S.M. Wazeh Rasheed - Obaidur Rahman Nadwi 34

Nadwi (1933-2019)

8- Appeal - 39

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Wisdom of Qur ’anWe have revealed for you [O men!] aBook in which is a message for you. Willyou then not understand?

(al-Anbiya’ 21:10)The above Qur’anic verse contains awealth of meaning. One learns that theQur’an is like a transparently clear mirrorin which everyone can see their ownimage reflected. One realises onstudying it what role one has to play insociety. Likewise, one finds in its light theway to gain proximity with Allah. For theQur’an deals, in the main, with man —his conduct and character. Contained init are some role models for man. Moreimportantly, it is concerned solely withman, his features and conditions. Littlewonder then that classical ‘Ulama’ lookedupon it as a lively Book, holding out as amirror to the human condition. They didnot take it as some archaic work, dealingwith dated history and communities ofyore. They recognised that it isconcerned with man’s everyday life, withthe ever-changing situations faced byman and the varying challengescontingent upon time and space.Our worthy ancestors knew well theirstrengths and weaknesses. Theyrecognised reality. They derived all theirguidance from the Qur’an. To resolvetheir problems they turned to it and foundin its pages the images of their mindsetand features. As a result, they did nothave much difficulty in identifyingsolutions to their problems. They thankedand glorified Allah for this, sought Hisforgiveness and strove to mend theirways.n

Pearls From theProphet Muhammad (PBUH)

Sufiyan bin Abdullah Saqfi has related to usthat, once, he asked the Prophet, ‘to Apostle ofGod ! Tell me an all-encompassing thing aboutIslam so that, after you, I may not have to askfrom anyone in this regard.” The Prophetreplied, “Say, I believe in God, and remain trueto it.” -—MuslimCommentary.—- It is enough for a man to makehimself the faithful bondsman of God byaffirming faith in Him as the Lord and Creatorof the Worlds, and, then, to make theconscientious fulfi l lment of the dutiesstemming from it his characteristic behaviourand way of life.This Tradition is included among the “all-embracing sayings.” The sacred Prophet hassummed up the fundamental meaning andpurpose of Islam in a few words. Faith in Godand constancy and steadfastness in itconstitutes the pith and essence of Islam. Thesignificance of faith in God has already beenexplained in the commentary of the Traditionplaced at the head of the present compilationwhile steadfastness means to pursue faithfullyand unchangingly the Straight Path and topersevere in it at all times. Strict observance ofthe Divine injunctions, positive as well asnegative, is, so to speak, the name ofconstancy in Faith. Some of the leading Sufi-saints have remarked that “steadfastness isbetter than a thousand supernatural deeds.”Once a person has learnt the lesson ofsteadfastness, he has learnt everything. Afterit, there is left nothing for him to aspire for. Atvarious places in the Quran, felicity has beenassociated with faith in God and steadfastness.Take the following verse, for instance.

Lo! those who say Our Lord is Allah, andafterward are upright, the angels descendon them saying: Fear not nor grieve, but heargood tidings of the Paradise which yepromised. (xli : 30)

Seeing that the Traditions of the Prophet werebased upon Quranic teachings it can be saidthat the reply to Sufiyan bin Abdullah Saqfi wasin the light of the verses like the one reproducedabove. n

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Editor’s Note @

Adieu Maulana W azeh

On the eve of the last century, December 31, 1999, a great

Islamic scholar, revered cleric and an emblem of “Itihad bain-ul

Muslimin” (Unity between different sects of Muslims). Syed Abul

Hasan Ali Nadwi left this world for heavenly abode. He breathed his

last while getting ready to go to nearby mosque to offer Friday

prayer.

Almost in the same situation his able nephew and trusted

disciple Syed Mohammed Wazeh Rasheed Nadwi passed away

after 18 years and 15 days on January 16, 2019. He was getting

ready for his morning prayer when he suddenly collapsed.

An eminent Arabic scholar and authority of “Sharia” laws, author

of many Arabic and Urdu books, editor of a fortnightly magazine of

global repute “Al-Raid” Maulana Wazeh was an epitome of Islamic

culture. A man of a few words, shy in nature avoiding public gaze he

was a living personality of an intellectual breed. He left a gap in the

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We solicit articles for publication in The Fragrance of East. Suitableremuneration will be paid to writers. We prefer receipt of articles on:

e-mail: [email protected] with a hard copy, duly signed, by post.

academic and literary environment which is difficult to be filled.

He was a man of eminence in the Arab world because of his

excellent knowledge and grasp of Arabic language. Well aware of

the world affairs he, in his magazine, wrote regular columns to warn

of the effects of rivalry between different Muslim nations. He was

equally concerned about the political situation of this continent and

expressed his views through editorial guidance of English monthly

“The Fragrance of East.”

Maulana Wazeh Rasheed Nadwi will be missed badly by his

friends and students. The best tribute to him will be to carry out his

unfinished academic work by his students and fellows.

We mourn his loss and pray for his soul to rest in peace. n

S.A.

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O Believers! If you fear Allah, Hewill make for you a distinction and willexpiate for you your misdeeds andforgive you. And Allah is the owner ofmighty grace.

(al-Anfal 8:29)

A Muslim has two roles. As anordinary human being he is born in thisworld according to the divinely-ordainedlaws of nature. He resembles any otherhuman being in his body, limbs, humanweaknesses and physical ailments. Hehas all these features in common with.all other men. In line with the laws ofnature, once again, he grows into anadult and turns old. At his appointedhour, be it in youth or old age, he willdie, no matter whether he be a devoutperson, a great scholar, a distinguishedwriter, philosopher, thinker, intellectual,or spiritual master. He has to leave thisworld. For Allah has declared that manis mortal. Given this, Muslims are notan exception to divine law.

In other respects, however, aMuslim attains uniqueness anddistinction if he adheres to his faith. Inthis case he develops proximity withAllah. Allah may thus suspend or deferfor the time being His laws in such aperson’s case. For Allah grants a truebeliever honour, victory and fame for heis true to his pledge with his faith andthe Shari‘ah, and if he instinctively obeysdivine commands.

Faith and piety may be gainedconsciously. One is not born with theseit depends on one’s intention and effortto develop such faith and piety. Aninstance in point is of a torch and itsbattery. With the latter the former worksvery well, far better than an empty torch.It is called a torch only when the batteryis inside it. A torch, it goes withoutsaying, provides light and overcomesdarkness. Equipped with a torch and ledby its light one is not likely to stumble indarkness. Nor will one collide with a wallon the way, or mistakenly trample onsomeone. A torch is thus of muchassistance.

In this respect, the followingQur’anic passage is worth considering:Is he who was dead and We resurrectedhim, and appointed for him a light withwhich he walks among mankind, likehim who is in darkness from which hecannot emerge? (al-An‘am 6:122)

Allah brings home the truth clearlyand cogently in this passage. One whowas dead was revived by Him.Furthermore, He provided him with alight, with which he walks comfortablyamong people. He is definitely differentfrom him who gropes in the darkness,unable to find his way.

Let us resume our analogy of thetorch with its battery. The battery in thecase of a believer is provided by the

Muslims’ Abiding Strength

- S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

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Prophet’s teachings. After the ProphetMuhammad’s demise, no fresh supplyof batteries was possible. One cannotobtain these anywhere. Only what theProphet (peace and blessings be uponhim) taught can guide man. If one isguided by his message, one will walkin light, without difficulty. One will easilyfind one’s way, as also guide others aswell. Islam is the battery for man’sguidance. Others, who lack this batteryare blind, unable to find their way. AMuslim’s distinction consists in hisbeing blessed with divine guidance.Allah has promised believers a criterion,if they fear Him and adhere to His way.

Muslims are promised adistinction, which will exalt their rank. Itwill help them overcome lowliness andattain heights of glory. Those whodeprive themselves of the light providedby Allah have no chance of success.They are without inner strength.

The true distinction of Muslimswhich serves as their battery is theiradherence to the teachings of theProphet (peace and blessings be uponhim) imparted to him by Allah. Hismessage appeals to man’s heart andmind. It is directly related to hisconscience and his mental faculties. Itproduces in him a certain moral outlook.Moreover, in its light a Muslim leads lifein a particular way. He learns how tobehave with his fellow human beings.He gains the gnosis of Allah, developslove for His creatures, and entertains afear of Allah. His main characteristics

are: fear of Allah and love for Him, asalso sympathy for his fellow humanbeings. He takes pity on the poor, shunsdishonesty and theft, and stays clearfrom crime and injustice. In sum, themessage of Islam transforms him. Thistransformation is on account of hisadherence to Islam.

If Muslims deviate from themessage of Islam, this amounts to self-destruction. It is a simple case ofdeliberately committing suicide. If aMuslim is not characterised by thefeatures special to Islam, he does nothave any distinctive mark. For Allahplainly states that if Muslims fear Allah,He will bless them with distinction.Muslims are thus urged to fear Allah andlead a pious life. If they act on theProphet’s teachings, this will make thempious. Piety is generally construed asone’s devotion to prayers throughout thenight. However, piety rather consists inrefraining from what is forbidden by Allahand His Messenger. Even the thoughtof evil should not cross a Muslim’s mind.He should seek Allah’s refuge fromanything unlawful. He is obliged to followwhat he is commanded. Even thelargest empire on earth pales intoinsignificance in comparison to themessage of Islam. If a Muslim is offeredKorah’s treasures, he should abandonthese in preference to divine teachings.The really precious possession is theProphet’s message and the distinctionbestowed by Allah on those who adhereto Islam. This is an evidently plain truth.

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It is no mystery to assert that Muslims’abiding distinction, strength and exaltedrank consists in their observance ofIslam. As long as they are true to theirfaith, they are distinctive andindomitable. No one can thwart theironward march.

Muslims owe their distinction totheir adherence to their faith, morals andmanners, noble objectives and purposeof-life. Allah will grant them distinction,contingent on their loyalty to faith.Studded, with faith they stand out aboveeveryone else. They are bound to earnhonour and success, if they are sincereto their faith.

Allah exhorts Muslims to lead apious life. Piety stands for consistencyand resolve in practising the Shari‘ah.Muslims will be blessed with piety, if theyconform to the Shari‘ah. Allah will blesssuch with distinction and confer honourupon them.

Muslims will be granted a light,with which they will advanceunhampered. They will be welcomed asAllah’s obedient servants. The versequoted above thus contains asignificant glad tiding. It guaranteessuccess and honour to Muslims. Aboveall, it promises them a reward. Let it berealised that this promise is made bythe Creator of the universe. Muslims arepromised a mark of distinction, providedthat they lead a pious life.

Such promised distinction may bedefined as unique strength which will bebestowed on Muslims. This will make

First AIMPLB W oman MemberPasses Away

Muhammad Shameem Akhtar*

Begum Naseem Iqtidar Ali, the firstfemale member of All India Muslim PersonalLaw Board (AIMPLB) passed away after aprolonged illness on January 19, 2019 ather residence in Lucknow. She was 82. Asocial worker, author of several books andan activist, Begum Naseem’s death wasmourned by people from all sections of thesociety.

Begum Naseem did her M.A. andPh.D in Urdu from Lucknow University. Shepossessed a variety of good qualities andnorms. Feeling pain and suffering of otherswas her main trait. She later formed anorganization to help widows and the needy.She helped the needy irrespective of caste,religion, colour and region. Besides shealso contributed public run schools andmadrasas.

Begum Naseem is survived by threedaughters and a son. She was buried ather ancestral graveyard at Usman Bagh,Shahjahanpur U.P. We pray Almighty Allahto forgive her shortcomings and bestowupon her His special mercy. Ameen!

them stand out. They will serve asguides for mankind. Allah has promisedthis unique reward to Muslims.Nonetheless, it should be realised thatthis privilege is in return for piety. Asalready indicated, piety rests in followingthe Shari‘ah and leading life in strictconformity with it.n

* Student, Department of Journalism andLanguages, Darul Uloom Nadwatul UlamaLucknow.

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Reform of The System of Education and Mentoring

- S. M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi*

Sheikh Nadwi’s vision of educationwas shaped in a unique environment. Hismother was a purely religious person. Hisfather Sheikh Syed ‘Abdul Hai Hasani (d.1923) was an accomplished scholar ofreligion, history, literature, and poetry; hehad several acclaimed publications inIslamic history to his credit. Sheikh Nadwihas thus inherited strong religious andliterary aptitude from his parents.

He was also acquainted with themodern education as several of his closerelatives were educated in the modernsystem of education and some of themhad gone to America, England, andGermany for higher studies in thebeginning of the last century.

Furthermore, he was associatedwith the environment of Nadwatul ‘Ulamafrom his very childhood. Nadwatul ‘Ulamawas established in 1893 by SheikhMuhammad ‘Ali Kanpuri-Mongheri with thecollaboration of Sheikh ShibIi Numani,Sheikh Nadwi’s father Sheikh, ‘Abdul Hai,and Nawab Sadar Yaar Jang, SheikhHabibur Rahman Khan Sherwani (head ofReligious Affairs of Hyderabad State) withthe mission to develop a dynamic andcomprehensive educational system byincorporating new ideas and discoveriesof education into the traditional religiouscurriculum. His association with thisinstitution enabled him to understand

another dimension of religious education— how to make it versatile to meetcontemporary needs and challenges.

Those who were just above SheikhNadwi in the family hierarchy were closelyconnected to Shah Fazlur Rahman GanjMoradabadi (d. 1895) and Sheikh RasheedAhmad channel, he got exposed to thetraditional Islamic educational system thathad started in Deoband in 1862.

As a result, Sheikh Nadwi on onehand developed a solid foundation inQuran and hadith — two primary sourcesof Islamic knowledge — by studying themunder the tutelage of very distinguishedscholars. And on the other hand, hebecame well versed in secular subjectssuch as history, literature, and languagesas well. Thus he developed expertise inthree areas — Quran, hadith and secularsubjects and excelled in each one of them.

From the study of history, heunderstood how important both traditionalIslamic and modern knowledge systemswere in meeting contemporary needs andchallenges. He also understood that theextraordinary progress of the Westernnations had resulted mainly from theiradvancement in empirical knowledge.Thus Muslims, who have fallen very lowtoday, need to examine which aspect ofthe modern knowledge could fulfill theirneeds, help them get out of the position ofdisgrace and enable them regain their lost* Rector, Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow.

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dignity and power. They also need to lookat how their system of religious educationshould be re-tooled and improved so thatit becomes vibrant and meets newchallenges — the very purpose for whichSheikh Nadwi’s predecessors hadlaunched the mission of Nadwatul ‘Ulama.

That is why Sheikh Nadwi, uponentering practical life, put special emphasison the need of revamping the educationalsystem of Muslims. He proposed thatsome subjects of the existing curriculumshould be re-designed whereas priority ofsome others should be rearranged. Quranand hadith must be used as the primaryand direct source for acquiring expertisein religious knowledge. A good commandof language and literature should beacquired for discharging the duty of islahand d‘awah which are the primaryobligations of the ummah (Muslims),especially of ‘ulama. Additionally, oneshould also acquire essential knowledgeof the history of Islam and reformistmovements.

A thorough and deep knowledge ofArabic and a working knowledge of theinternationally spoken languages areessential for working in academic andreligious fields. It is also important to befamiliar with contemporary issues andsubjects that impact everyday life. Thesecan be achieved by introducing in thecurriculum of religious institutions newsubjects in place of those which wereintroduced in the past out of necessity, buthave now become obsolete or lessrelevant.

Through his own study and contactwith the relatives who were educated inthe modern system, Sheikh Nadwi hadbecome fully aware of the reasons of theprogress of the Western nations. He wasconvinced that the Western nations did notprogress because they were geneticallysuperior to other nations. Rather, it wasthe result of their hard work andadvancements in education. He was fullyconvinced that Islam is the divine religionand the practices of the ProphetMuhammad are most suited for themankind. He believed that Muslims couldof success than the Western nations ifthey could combine Islamic principles withthe know-how of the West.

He realized that Muslims, in order toregain their lost power and dignity, mustcome out of the intellectual and ideologicaldomination of the West. It is useless to besimply apologetic and defensive. Muslimsare the custodian of the divine knowledgeand guidance that Prophet Muhammadbrought for the benefit of mankind. Thusthe success and progress of Muslimsdepend strictly on following that very codeof conduct and the real cause of theirdecline is the failure to adhere to it. SheikhNadwi expressed this viewpoint moreforcefully in Arab countries than in India.

Sheikh Nadwi had both aspects ofeducation in his mind — secular andreligious. With respect to the seculareducation, we need to see what our currentneeds — religious, worldly, individual, andcollective — are and which disciplines ofsecular education are required to fulfill

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those needs and necessary expertiseshould be acquired in them.

The purpose of religious educationis two-fold: (1) to instill in students theunderstanding that Islam is the divine andnatural way of life for the mankind, and (2)to develop in students the skills andabilities to properly convey the messageof Islam to mankind which is the basicrequirement for being called the bestnation. Sheikh Nadwi argued that we needto design a curriculum that develops theabove-mentioned qualities and capabilitiesin our young generation.

Regarding the institutions of seculareducation, he felt that their curricula forhumanities and social sciences are notcompatible with the needs andtemperament of Muslims as they havebeen developed mainly by people whohave been greatly influenced bymaterialism and aversion to religion.Muslim experts of these disciplines needto make them compatible with the Islamicprinciples, but it is unfortunate that theyhave not yet paid attention to it.

Modern knowledge has become anecessity of life, but it must be madecompatible with the condition andtemperament of the Muslim ummah.These subjects by themselves are not tobe blamed for turning young generation ofMuslims away from Islam. Rather, the realculprits are the materialistic and irreligioustwists and interpretations that have beenadded to them. Thus it is necessary tochange the purpose and content of the

educational material that is being used inthese subjects.

Sheikh Nadwi felt that those who arerunning Muslim institutions of seculareducation have not yet paid enoughattention to this problem. In subjects suchas philosophy, psychology, geography,and history, they are still using materialwhich is prepared by those who aregenerally indifferent towards Islam. It isunfortunate that we feel contented andcontinue using such material without firstadapting it to Islamic beliefs and values. Itis harmful to use material which is theproduct of an environment that is opposedto the belief in Allah and Islamic principles.The least harm that it can inflict is that itwill devalue Islam and illustrious Muslimsof the past in the eyes of students.

Regarding the Islamic education,Sheikh Nadwi held the view that oneshould try to acquire and understand itfrom the original sources instead of relyingon translations, especially in the case ofQuran. Though it may be beneficial andnecessary to know opinions of differentinterpreters in understanding a verse ofQuran, one should try to benefit from it inthe same way as the Companions ofProphet Muhammad benefitted despitebeing totally illiterate. To fully understanda Quranic verse, it is also necessary toknow the specific condition andenvironment under which it was revealed.Quran is revealed by Allah not only forthose who are learned, but also for thosewho are unlettered and possess only

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natural instinct. Also, the effect of Quranis greater (in making a person act upon it)if it is approached directly.

However, in order to benefit fromQuran directly, it is essential to know Arabicand its dialect that was prevalent in theearly days of Islam. Additionally, all otherprerequisites that scholars have identifiedfor understanding Quran must also befulfilled. A good command of Arabic is veryessential for d’awah as well.

Sheikh Nadwi held the view that it isvery important for students of madaris(institutions of Islamic learning) to be wellversed in the Arabic language andliterature. It greatly helps in getting a betterunderstanding of Quran and hadith: itgreatly helps in explaining meaning andpurport of deen; it enables one todischarge the duty of d’awah moreeffectively. That is why he felt that theinstitutions of religious learning mustinclude and give due importance to Arabiclanguage and literature in their curriculum.Furthermore, it will make the graduates ofthese institutions more confident and theywill not feel inferior and marginalized in thesociety and in front of those who areeducated in the secular system ofeducation.

In addition to being well versed inArabic and the mother tongue, one mustalso be familiar with the languages (suchas English) which are commonly spokenin the society. It greatly helps in d’awahand proves quite useful in everyday life.Thus madaris should also include such

languages in their curriculum.

These institutions should also makestudents aware of the ongoing fitnah(misguided viewpoints which distract andconfuse people) and anti-Islamic efforts sothat they can protect themselves as wellas others from getting affected by them.

Sheikh Nadwi observed theseguidelines in his own personal life and triedto implement them in institutions whichwere under his supervision. Hisknowledge of Quran and hadith wasoutstanding and he made good use of it inhis academic and d’awah works. His studyof history was very broad and thorough.He had mastered language andarticulation. Though Arabic was not hismother tongue, his proficiency in it waslike that of a native Arab; in fact, there wereoccasions when he even excelled nativeArab scholars. He was also familiar withEnglish to the extent that he could use itwhen needed. Given the importance ofEnglish in today’s world, he deemed itessential for the Islamic educationalinstitutions to include English in theircurriculum.

All the qualifications and expertisethat Sheikh Nadwi possessed were theoutcome of the balanced andcomprehensive education that he received.He had developed keen interest inlanguage and literature which heexpeditiously utilized later in his religious,academic, and d’awah endeavors. He hadstudied Quran and hadith under thesupervision of eminent scholars of his

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time. He had thoroughly studied world andIslamic history. Thus when he wasappointed to Nadwatul ‘Ulama as amember of the faculty, he was assignedto teach Quranic studies and Arabicliterature. He taught these two subjects forten years with full dedication. In additionto teaching, he also used to spare timefor d’awah.

Sheikh Nadwi did not limit his effortof d’awah and islah to lectures andspeeches only. He devoted his time towriting and composition as well which kepton increasing as the time passed by.Ultimately, he resigned from the full-timeteaching position and agreed to teach onlyon volunteer basis so that he could focusmore on writing and public speaking ford’awah and islah. His effort of d‘awah andislah did not merely involve presentingideas in an eloquent and attractive way. Itwas based upon solid scholarship andwas geared up to nurture human minds.As a result, he was able to produce anumber of highly acclaimed books on avariety of topics.

Whenever Sheikh Nadwi was invitedby Arab universities and educationalinstitutions for speaking or consultation, hereminded them about the need ofdeveloping a balanced andcomprehensive curriculum. His advicewas welcomed by experts of education.He advocated that a subject should betaught using the principle of progressiveapproach which was recommended by theeminent Arab philosopher and sociologist

Ibn Khaldun (d. 1332) in his famous bookMoqaddimah. He also advocated that asubject should be taught in depth with itsunique flavor and taste without mixing itwith other subjects like a hodgepodge. Thisis exactly how he himself was taught. Healso stressed upon developing skills ofspeaking and articulation which areessential tools not only for d’awah, but alsofor academic and scholarly pursuit.

Sheikh Nadwi held the view thatQuran which is the fountainhead of allIslamic knowledge should be taught in itsoriginal form so that students get a deepunderstanding of its message andmeaning. This viewpoint was stronglyadvocated by both Sheikh Syed SulaimanNadwi and Sheikh Abul Hasan ‘Ali Nadwiand was very conspicuous in their writingsand interpretations of Quranic verses.

Sheikh Nadwi did not confineteaching of Quran to classroom only.Rather, he made it a part of his effort ofd’awah and mentoring as well, as isevident from his speeches and writings.From the very beginning of his career, heconducted Quranic classes in hisneighborhood mosque on a weekly basis.These classes were attended mainly bymodern educated people and he used toexpound upon the guidance that Quranprovides with respect to real-life situationsand problems.

With the same goal in mind, heestablished an institute known as IdarahT’alimate Islam in Aminabad, Lucknow,with the co-operation of his friend Sheikh

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‘Abdus Salam Nadwi. The objective wasto provide a facility where people couldlearn Quranic Arabic and study the entireQuran with translation during a shortperiod of time. It helped the participantslearn Arabic and develop affinity with Quranas well. In addition to conducting regulardaily programs, the institute also offeredweekly Quran and hadith classes for highlyeducated members of the society. SheikhNadwi conducted the Quran class andSheikh Abdus Salam Nadwi conducted thehadith class.

Since the Arabic language andliterature have very strong connection withQuran and hadith, Sheikh Nadwi, in hisapproach of teaching Arabic, used toemphasize on Quran and hadith from thevery beginning. After a student hadacquired necessary level of competencyin the Arabic language and literature, hecould then move on to tafseer of Quran,hadith, fiqh (jurisprudence), and otherbranches of Islamic shari’ah (code ofconduct) for specialization according tohis ability and interest.

In Arabic language and literatureclasses, Sheikh Nadwi used to put moreresponsibility on students. He believed thata student should be helped only when itbecame impossible for him to understandthe material on his own. He madestudents read the text (in Arabic), translateit (into Urdu) and derive the underlyingmeaning on their own by using a dictionaryand their prior knowledge. He did nottolerate their slackness or inattentiveness

and strongly admonished them for thesame. This forced them to work harderwhich in turn developed in them the abilityto read the Arabic text correctly and extractthe underlying meaning.

In tafseer (of Quran) classes,though he allowed students to consultexisting interpretations so that they did noterr in determining the real meaning, herequired them to translate the text [fromArabic to Urdu] on their own. This was hisstrategy for the beginners. But for thosewho were in the advanced class (Fadhillevel which is equivalent to M.A.), hisstrategy was different and the goal was todevelop in them the ability to interpret ontheir own.

What has been described above isthe standard mode of teaching atNadwatul ‘Ulama. But Sheikh Nadwi alsotaught without adhering to the formalstructure of a classroom. He taught hisnephew Syed Muhammad Al-Hasani (sonof Sheikh Nadwi’s elder brother Dr. Syed‘Abdul ‘Ali Hasani) using this approach.

In teaching hadith, if a fiqh(jurisprudential) issue was encountered,Sheikh Nadwi went in detail only to theextent which was necessary for thatparticular hadith. But in case Of issueswhich dealt with manners, character, andsocial life, he discussed them in greatdetail because of their impact andapplication in everyday life.

For the teachers of tafseer, SheikhNadwi’s recommendation was that theyshould themselves study books of tafseer

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before teaching the text of Quran tostudents. He recommended students alsoto consult books of tafseer on their own.He preferred to interpret Quranic versesin such a way that it transformed the lifeof an individual and developed (in student)the ability to appreciate the beauty ofQuran.

Whenever he had an opportunity todevelop or revise a curriculum at Nadwatul‘Ulama or any other institution, he tried toincorporate the above—mentioned ideasin it. He strongly felt that the curriculumshould be designed with contemporaryneeds and challenges in mind and it shouldinclude commonly spoken languages andother subjects which were deemedessential for survival in the society. Thatis why he deemed it necessary to includesubjects such as social sciences,humanities, history, geography, andmathematics in the curriculum to make itcomprehensive and meaningful.

In Sheikh Nadwi’s opinion, the mainobjective of the curriculum of a religiousinstitution is to prepare students to carryout the work of d’awah and tarbiyah,disseminate Islamic knowledge, lead theMuslim ummah, and represent Islam to theworld correctly. Graduates of theseinstitutions should also possess mannersand qualities of a pious Muslim and sincered’ai. Thus it is not enough for theseinstitutions to simply teach studentssubject matter and make them meredepository of knowledge. They must alsostrive to inculcate Islamic character and

values in students and provide them withopportunities for practical training so thatthey can apply their knowledge to real-lifesituations.

With that goal in mind, SheikhNadwi, in the beginning years of histeaching, used to take his students everyThursday evening to nearby villages wherethey could do the work of d’awah andpractice conversation in Arabic. He alsoused to involve students (who had thepotential to excel in research) in researchprojects, polish their research skills, andtrain them as researchers.

More details about Sheikh Nadwi’svision of education and curriculum can befound in the educational policy statementof the catalog of Nadwatul ‘Ulama. It canalso be found in the book Nahw al-Tarbiyyatal-Islamiyyat al-Hirrat (Arabic) which is acollection of his essays on curriculum andeducation.

Sheikh Nadwi agreed with themodern concept that education does notmerely entail acquisition of knowledge, butit also means tarbiyah — nurturing ofcharacter and personality. Thus purposeof education should be to equip newgeneration with both sound knowledge andhigh moral ethics and this should be keptin mind at the time of designing aneducational system and its curriculum.The curriculum should have proper mix ofsubjects and it should develop in studentsthe ability to make theoretical knowledgeapplicable and beneficial to real-lifesituations. n

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Imperatives of Regeneration Administrative Dimensions*- Saiyid Hamid

The role of minorities in the strugglefor independence was ignored. Muslimsin particular appear to have been ‘cut tosize’, as if their present condition ofignoring was not enough, it was used tocolour their past. It seemed to be madeout that condition stemmed directly fromtheir past when they allegedly keptthemselves aloof from the independencestruggle. Muslim freedom fighters who hadloomed large on the Indian political sceneappeared to be eliminated by a nation thateven in a moment of jubilation andthanksgiving thought it fit to minimise theircontribution. Little did those who wrote thescript for these celebrations realise howhurt Muslims felt at this niggardlytreatment. Is such a treatment calculatedto enthuse and hearten them about thenational mainstream or, conversely, topush them back into their shell? Thepresent denial to Muslims of the sense ofparticipation in the national resurgence andreconstruction was deepened andaccentuated when callously and cruellytheir patriotic endeavours in the past wereminimised.

It may be recalled that on behalf of atriumphant nation Sardar VallabhbhaiPatel had held out an assurance in theConstituent Assembly that the minoritieswould be very well looked after. Lesser

men who followed failed to keep up thepromise. Muslims slid back at a staggeringrate. The climax of their downfall has beendocumented in a series of reports — allofficially sponsored — including GopalSingh Panel report, Government’s ownstatement in the Programme of Action ofthe New Education Policy, 1986,comparative community-wiseassessment made in the course of the43rd round of N.S.S. and the report of thesurvey conducted by the National Councilof Applied Economic Research.

It was a situation that should havemade the nation sit up, look hurriedly intothe reasons for a slide-back that engulfedaround 12% of the country’s population.No such thing happened. The couldn’tcare less attitude only accelerated thedecline. A Fifteen Point Programme for theregeneration of Minorities was introducedand announced with fanfare. The promisedpanacea did not work. Varadarajan,formerly of the Minorities Commission,dissected the Programme only to beshocked at the fact that out of the fifteenpoints the first seven, being of a generaladministrative character, did not relatespecifically to minorities. As regards theremaining eight points the better half — agroup constituted by the Ministry of HumanResource Development in the early‘nineties to evaluate the implementation ofthe Fifteen Point Programme, came to thestark conclusion that the points, except for

* The paper was presented at the NationalConference on “Regeneration of India - ItsImperatives” on 26 September, 1998.

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the coaching scheme, remained on paper.They failed miserably to be transferred tothe ground.

The State Government officialsphlegmatically took the plea that theCentral Government should have backedthe Programme with financial resourceswhich they failed to do making itinfructuous. The Programme of Action —New Education Policy — which also theGroup reviewed fared even worse underthe all - pervasive official apathy.

Although poverty and backwardnessare common to the weaker sections ofsociety, the Muslim minority remains stuckat the bottom of the rung in so far as officialcorrective action is concerned. It remainspitifully deprived of the sense ofparticipation in the management anddevelopment of their country. Its membersare nowhere to be seen in the echelons ofpower. Surprisingly it is not being realisedthat a community having a past replete witheducational and cultural achievementscould easily be helped to its feet.

There are a number of reasons forthe decline of Muslims but the mostimportant, pervasive and ubiquitousreason is the fatal sense of insecurity. Thisexplains to some extent the vast differencebetween the graph of progress of Muslimsrespectively in North and South India. If youfeel insecure you cannot concentrate andcompete. The Central and StateGovernments have failed miserably overthe last fifty years to remove this gnawingsense of insecurity. The nation seems tohave taken in its stride and faced stolidly

and with equanimity the spate ofcommunal riots that have plagued thecountry of which the major victims havebeen the Muslims. This is what theCommissions of Inquiry have concluded.This is what experienced and unbiasedpolice officers have reaffirmed. TheSociety for Communal Harmony who haveorganized a National Conference onRegeneration of India — Its Imperatives,have circulated a well-documentedbackground note on how grievouslyMuslims have suffered in communal riots.Vibhuti Narain Rai, an IPS officer of the1975 batch, has documented thesesufferings and the attitudes in his objectiveand analytical report ‘CombatingCommunal Conflicts’. He has also broughtout in bold relief a more sinister aspect ofthe nationally disgraceful chain ofcommunal riots in. his recently publishedbook ‘Combating Communal Conflicts -Perception of Police Neutrality duringHindu-Muslim Riots in India. His mainfindings are as follows:

(a) Police behave partially during mostriots. In all the riots discussed in thisstudy, they did not act as a neutrallaw enforcement agency but more asa ‘Hindu’ force.

(b) Perceptible discrimination was visiblein the use of force, preventive arrests,enforcement of curfew, treatment ofdetained persons at police stations,reporting of facts and investigation,detection and prosecution of casesregistered during riots. Muslimssuffered in all the above mentioned

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areas.

(c) The perception by Hindus andMuslims of the police duringcommunal strife is diametricallyopposed. Hindus view policemen astheir friends and protectors datingcommunal riots. Muslims, by andlarge, consider policemen theirenemies in similar situations.

(d) An average policeman does not shedhis prejudices and predeterminedbeliefs at the time of entry into theforce, and this is reflected in his biasagainst Muslims during communalviolence.

(e) The expectation of the Indian societyfrom an average policeman iscommunal.

(f) The inimical relationship between thepolice and the Muslims makes themoverreact in a confrontation-likesituation.

After 1960 there has hardly been a riotin UP, where the role of the PAC hasnot been found partisan andspecifically anti-Muslim by the Press,social activists and human rightschampions.

Rai has suggested that therepresentation of minorities in the policeshould be increased in proportion to theirpopulation. He has also suggested (a)training interventions to drive out persistingprejudices; (b) enforcement ofaccountability; and (c) participation of thepeople in the form of Peace Committees.

One such form of participation is theconstitution of Peace Committeesincluding genuine, influential and effectiverepresentatives of different regions.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri NationalAcademy of Administration in Mussoorieutilised the completion of fifty years forstock-taking and for an essay inregeneration of administration. Theperformance of the services, with focuson the I.A.S., during this period wasreviewed by senior retired officers of theservice assisted by young serving officersat two Retreats between which a yearintervened. Curiously communalism wasnot identified at all as a problem that hasto be tackled, far less frontally attacked.The seasoned bureaucrats completelymissed the point that communalism is acancerous growth that assisted by itsyounger sister, casteism, is eating into thevitals of the Indian democracy. This showsa lack of imaginative sympathy, soconspicuous, alas, along the bureaucraticline.

During the course of discussionsthe problem of communalism was pointedout but was brushed aside. Thedistinguished civil servants failed toappreciate that communalism has beenas injurious to India’s interests ascorruption. A worse sinner, however, is thelack of political will. Bureaucrats draw theirinspiration from political bosses.

Having dealt at some length with theerosion of sense of security that has notonly crippled the Muslim community but

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sapped the foundations of the great Indiandemocracy, I would like to suggest threeimperatives for the rehabilitation ofMuslims and the regeneration of IndianRepublic:

(1) Muslims should be recruited in thepolice armed constabulary and para-military forces according to theirproportion in the population. This isessential for administrative reasonsand for restoring their confidence. In-service training of police personnelshould be designed, among otherthings, to fight the virus ofcommunalism.

(2) All-out and comprehensive effortsshould be made to remove theeducational backwardness ofminorities and in particular of theirwomen. Curiously, the educationauthorities have tended to defeat,rather than support, the infrequentattempt, made by socially orientedMuslims to open schools and effecteducational uplift. Recognition ofminority institutions is delayed to thepoint of no return.

(3) Reservation should be allowed toMuslims for a period of twenty-fiveyears (not to be renewed) in thelegislatures, government services,and in admissions to technical’ andprofessional institutions. One wouldhave thought that our Constitution isthe bastion of democracy and theshield of the minorities. It guaranteesthem equal rights and opportunities.By a weird twist it is being used to

ward off the entry of minorities inseats of influence and progress. It iscommon knowledge that theConstitution makers had intended toprovide reservation in the legislaturesand adequate representation inservices. It was, however, feltevidently under pressure and strain,by some representatives of theminorities that their interests would besafe even without reservation. Thiswas the measure of their confidencein the good sense and goodwill of themajority community. Now that half acentury’s experience has revealedthat Muslims have regressed to analarming extent; their representationin government offices floating around3% and in Parliament around 4%, itis time that drastic steps were takento stem the rot and give them a shotin the arm. The demand forreservation ought to be irresistible forpeople who are objective and have thelong term interest of the country inview. If the Constitution stands in theway, it ought to be amended; it ispresently being reviewed.

One of the redeeming features of thepresent situation is that, we find in thiscountry even at the worst of times menbelonging to the majority community whofirmly believe in human rights and in justiceand who refuse to be swept away by thetide of communalism. It is around thesesecular elements that the regeneration ofIndia that we are contemplating will bebuilt.n

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Islam’s Journey into Latin America- M. Nasir Jawed

This article focuses on the history andgeographical presence of Islam in LatinAmerica, the gradual growth of Muslimpopulation, the prevailing prejudiceagainst Islam and the lack of supportfrom the Muslim community .

Introduction

Latin America is as far as some12,000 kilometers from Makkah, the birthplace of Islam. The continent is home toover 600 million people, with Muslimsaccounting for less than 6 million, or nearly1% of the total population.

Nonetheless, Muslims played animportant part in discovering Americas inthe 12th century, as also in inhabiting theregion. This we can understand this way:in the Middle Ages, Muslims were far moreadvanced, they ruled Spain and Sicily andwrote history’s some remarkablechapters. It was the time when Europeanuniversities were modeled on the famousmadrassas (Islamic seminaries) of Spain,like that of Al-Hamra, and Muslims wereteaching the world how to acquireknowledge.

Therefore, it comes as no surprisethat Muslim astronomers and marinersplayed a significant role in discovering theNew World in the 15th century. Forinstance, the Muslims, whom in fact havemade contact with the New World evenbefore Columbus, had perfected theastronomical tools and maps, which

Columbus used.

For his voyages into India, Vasco deGama too consulted with Ahmad bin Majid,an astronomer, and a map created by anavigator and cartographer, Piri Muhyi Al-Din Reis (d.1554).

This suggests that it could only havebeen made through the first-handexperience in the Americas.

According to Syed A. Ahsani, anauthority on medieval history, Portugueseand Spanish discovery missions “were ledby Muslim mariners, then known asMoriscos,” or Spanish Muslims.

The early Muslims

Latin America is generally defined asa continent that consists of the whole ofSouth America in addition to Mexico,Central America, and the islands of theCaribbean whose inhabitants speak aRoman language. Besides theconquerors, many laborers were broughtfrom Africa and they settled down incountries like Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia,some Caribbean islands, and majoritiesof them were Muslims.

Islam Reborn

Sylviane A. Diouf in his book,Servants of Allah: Enslaved in theAmericas,1998, wrote that with thepassage of time, Islam was reborn as aresult of new waves of Muslim migrants.

At the end of the 16th century, after

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the liberation of slaves and the return ofmany of them to these lands, together withimmigration from India, Pakistan andIndonesia, new concentrations of Muslimsappeared. They settled down in countrieslike Suriname, Guyana, and Trinidad andTobago. Both Guyana and Suriname aretoday members of the Organization ofIslamic Cooperation (OIC).

Between CE1850 and CE1860, amassive immigration of Arab Muslims toAmerican lands took place. The majoritycame from Syria and Lebanon, and settledin countries like Argentina, Brazil,Venezuela, Colombia and Paraguay,together with immigrants from Palestine,Bangladesh and Pakistan. Thisimmigration was very intense.

The new immigrants integrated wellwith the local cultures, and earned respectfor their hard work as also their love fortheir host countries. Many of them joinedhands to create Islamic societies, centers,mosques, etc. in order to worship freely.

The Largest Mosque

There is said to be a mosque in thecapital city of every nation of the continent.In some cities, there are 3 or 4 and insome, there is only one.

Islam’s firm ground in the continentis reflected in the majestic and arguablythe largest King Fahd Mosque located inBuenos Aires, Argentina. Named after the5th King of Saudi Arabia, the mosque isrun by the Islamic Cultural Center. Notably,Argentine President Carlos. Menem

granted a huge piece of land in the Palermosection of Buenos Aires to the mosque in1995. There are several other mosquesin the country.

The Population

There is great variation whiledenoting the actual number of Muslimpopulation in the continent, but it isgenerally that they range anywherebetween 5 and 6 million out of LatinAmerica’s total population of approximately625 million. The rapid growth of Islam inLatin America is attributed to the high rateof conversions, which indicates possiblya higher number of Muslims.

Brazil is home to around 1.5million Muslims, less than 1% of thenation’s population. “The majority ofMuslims hail from Lebanon next come theSyrians and the Palestinians.”

In Argentina, as of the year 2000,nearly 700,000 Muslims lived there, about1.3% of the total population. Thispercentage has not changed, since 1980,says Ahsani. Most of the Muslims here areof Syrian descent. Argentina actually hada two-term president (1989-1999), namedCarlos Saul Menem, who was originally aMuslim from a Syrian family.

Chile, on the other hand, had only2,000 Muslims in 1980. Similarly, Columbiahas approximately 5,000 Muslims, far lessthan 1% of its total population of 46 millionand Ecuador has very few Muslims.

Guyana, on the other hand, has over90,000 Muslims, about 12% of the total

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population. What makes Guyana uniqueis that these Muslims are not of MiddleEastern origin. Rather, they are mostly ofSouth Asian origin, namely India. In fact,the majority of the total population ofGuyana (51%) is of South Asian descent.African labors brought Islam to Guyana inthe 16th and 17th centuries. Islam wasreintroduced “with the arrival of SouthAsian Muslims in the year 1838.” (Chickrie)From 1835 to 1917, over 240,000 EastIndians immigrated to Guyana.

Paraguay, although it is listed ashaving no Muslims in the current internetMuslim population lists, is known to havea fairly significant population of Muslims.Peru, like the other Andean nations, boastsa very small population of Muslims. In1980, about 5,000 Muslims lived in Peru,mostly in Lima. Like other Latin Americancountries, they are mostly of Palestinian,Syrian, and Lebanese origin.

Surinam is home to over 80,000Muslims, nearly 20% of the totalpopulation. This is largely due to the factthat many of them came to work fromIndia and Indonesia in the late 19th andearly 20th centuries. Uruguay has anunknown number of Muslims, likely a veryminiscule number.

Finally, Venezuela is home toapproximately 90,000 Muslims, about 35%of the total population. Islam was notreintroduced in Venezuela until the earlypart of the 20th century by Syrian,Lebanese, and Palestinian immigrants.

As Central America is considered to

be a part of Latin America, a brief look atthe Islamic presence in these countries isnecessary. Of these countries, Belize,Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, andNicaragua have only a small, relativelyunknown population of Muslims. Hondurashas about 130,000 Muslims of totalpopulation) and Panama has more than150,000 Muslims (5% of total population).Mexico, home to over 107 millionresidents, has only about I ,000 Muslims.About 500 Muslims live in Mexico City,where they congregate at the IslamicCultural Center. Dozens of Mexicans .arereported to have been converted to Islamsince the center opened. Finally, of theCaribbean islands, only Trinidad andTobago has a significant number ofMuslims. About 110,000 Muslims live here,approximately 8% of the total population.Most of them are originally from the Indiansubcontinent. In 1984, there were 70mosques with Qur’anic schools. Severalschools have been set up.

New Muslims

By the end of the 1990s, peopleparticularly youth and women developeda keen interest in studying andunderstanding Islam.

This resulted in a huge number ofconversions. A large number of neo-Muslims — mostly students — convertedto Islam while studying in Europe and theUnited States and who now live in Mexico,Haiti, Cuba and Ecuador. Interestingly,these new Muslims have been muchmore sincere in their faith and active in

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Islamic mission than immigrants.

Reasons for Latin Americansembracing Islam could be many, butbasically they may not be much differentfrom those that are attracting non-Muslimsworldwide and at a fast rate.

What is of significance here is thatIslam continues to attract more people.Many of the converts are convinced thatIslam is a religion of peace, love, affectionand friendship, based on the generoushospitality and warm welcome theyreceive from the Muslim friends in theirnew social milieu.

Sources suggest that convertsaccount for approximately 1% of all theMuslims in Latin America. There-is a lackof Islamic literature in Spanish and theremust be special efforts made tocomplement this need.

Practice of Islam

Things have changed with the Arabdiplomatic envoys coming to the region)as also many of the Latin AmericanMuslims traveling to the Arab countries forstudies and, more importantly, visitingSaudi Arabia for pilgrim ages.

Needs attention

Islam is the fastest growing religionin the world. However, in Latin America,this is not the case. Why? Maria Moreira,a Brazilian convert who teaches at theState University of Rio de Janeiro,examined the history and current state ofthe Muslim community in Latin America’s

largest country. She found two mainreasons for the low conversion rate.

The first is the lack of trust andunderstanding by Brazil’s Arab-Muslimcommunity. The new converts get verylittle support from Muslims to adapt to anew Islamic environment. The feeling ofisolation leads some to abandon Islamafter a while. The second reason is theshortage of good books and otherresources about Islam in the Portugueselanguage.

Conclusion

The Muslims of Latin America,though small in number, have a rich history.Theirs is an important chapter in thehistory of Islam. Kudos to the earlyMuslims who remained bonded to the faiththat ultimately paved the way for the laterMuslims to settle down and spread themessage of Islam. What is important isthat those Muslims went there in individualcapacity as laborers and nonetheless kepttheir faith the first and the foremost.

Today Muslims have establishedsuccessful businesses there and enjoy arespectable social status. They have theirconspicuous presence in politics withmany being members of parliament incountries like Venezuela. Ecuador andArgentina have had a Muslim presidenttoo,

Yet, the Muslims in South Americaneeds attention, they needs proper Islamiceducation, training and infrastructure andthey need an all-encompassing plan.n

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The Qur’an’s Contribution to Medieval Literary Renaissance- Zaheer M. Quraishi

This is true that English, in bothBritish and American versions, prevailsas an international medium during theTwentieth Century in view of dominanceof Anglo-Americans in internationalforums, including the League of Nationsand United Nations. The Europeanscramble for colonies, likewise, madeRoman as the fashionable script of theworld.

Some dialects of smallcommunities certainly became literarylanguages by adopting Roman orCyrillic scripts. But this was not assporadic a process as under the impactof the Qur’anic language and script.Under the impact of printing technology,mostly developed in Euro-Americanenvironment, some literary languages,Spanish, Turkish, Swahili and BhashaIndonesia, however, abandoned theiroriginal Arabic scripts and acceptedRoman on grounds of practical needs.

In the USSR, many Central Asianlanguages resorted to Cyrillic scripteither under the Communist pressure todistinguish them from their Turkic andPersian character. However, fromseventh to twelfth centuries, Arabscreated and maintained a globalsociety and had given currency to theQur’anic script. As a result, numberlessliterary languages over a vast area fromSpain and Portugal to Mongolia andChina and from Warsaw to Dar-es-

Salam, adopted the Qur’anic script. Infact, at that juncture of human history thiswas the civilized world. In order toappreciate the role of the Qur’anicscript in medieval literary renaissance,it is necessary to comprehend thestance the Qur ’an has taken onknowledge: both its appeal on pursuitof knowledge and its epistemologicaltheory.

Quest for Knowledge

Tawhid (oneness of Allah) isundoubtedly the key-note of the Qur’an.The quest for knowledge and rationalinvestigation are only next in order ofimportance as its main themes. Itscontent analysis reveals that while Allahand His “beautiful names” aboundthrough its next, ‘ILM (knowledge) andderivatives therefrom occur no less than850 times, followed by Aql (reason) andderivatives therefrom about 53 times.

The tiding of the Revelation wasannounced by “iqra” (recite). Allahswears, first of all, by “pen and whateverit jots down” and the only prayerspecified for the Prophet is foraugmentation of his knowledge. Thenames of Allah include “the Learned ofthe Latent,” “The knower of the Latentand the Manifest” and ‘PerfectKnowledgeable.”

From the Qur’anic vantage point,therefore, the universe is created with

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a purpose and its meaning andsignificance can be grasped throughempirical probing. While the Qura’nadmits miracles as proof of earlierrevelations, it underlines bayyinat(evidences) for the Perfect Religionrevealed through itself. It is a firmpronouncement of the Qur’an that realityof the universe and its purpose can begrasped by every individual person if heseeks knowledge in earnest, becausethe demonstrative proofs of the Lord ofthe Universe are scattered all over.

In the chapter entitled al-Rahman(the Embodiment of CreativeKindness), no less than 31 themes ofinvestigation have been recommendedas the decisive evidences of theProvidence and in different parts of itstact at 13 places, issues of commonknowledge have been mentionedfollowed by “A Fala ta’gilun” (Can younot see it with reason?). Further, “InKuntum Talamun’ (If you had known it)and Antum ta’lamun appear 11 and 6times respectively in similar contexts.

Mankind is fully equipped to attainthis objective. Man, as therepresentative of Allah on the earth, isthe crown of creation, who has beenbestowed upon the comprehensiveconceptual framework (Asma’haKullaha) as well the art of expression (al-bayan) to facilitate accumulation ofretrievable knowledge. With the help ofthe two, he can master arts andsciences of the universe that have been“subdued” for thinking among them as

evidence of the Al-mighty.

Universe of Knowledge

The concept of Tawhid has a farreaching ontological implications: theunity of the mundane and the serene.The physical existence is linked up withthe spiritual (the other-worldly) domainso that the life of man is a continuumfrom pre-mundane through mundane topost-mundane. This continuum conferson our lives in this world a meaning anda significance which we may fail tocomprehend if we have propensity toignore it.

The universe of knowledge istherefore, comprehensive and unified.It is a sort of spectrum on which themanifest (shahada) and the latent(ghayb) are arranged. Whatever isaccessible to humans is the manifestand whatever is beyond their purviewis the latent. The science and the art ofcreation, for example, lies exclusively inthe domain of the Almighty. Similarly, thetotal comprehension of the worldhereafter lies beyond human quest forknowledge. He can at best get aninkling into it through the eyes of thesoul, and that too, in terms of mundanestereotypes.

As a matter of fact, a totalcomprehension of the mundane worldwill remain outside the human capacity,for the convergence of myriadprocesses, the exact picture of futureand perfect scientific knowledge areideals impossible to attain. Since no

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individual can pretend to know themental processes of his counterparts,total picture of reality cannot emerge inhuman mind.

Nevertheless, empiricalinvestigations conducted by humanscan always enable them to see theharmony prevailing in a betterperspective. They may not know realityin perfect form, though they can form anearly exact idea about it. The empiricalprobing of phenomena is built in thespiritual search for salvation. Theprimitive conception of haqq is key ofthe epistemology of the Qur’an. Theword haqq means simultaneously theTruth, the Real and the Right. It is notonly name Allah (al-haqq) but also refersto empirical realities (haqa’iq) as wellas sets out regulative principles ofrelationships, the system of rights andduties in relation to Allah (hu-quq al-Allah) and between humans inter (hu-quq al-Ibad).

As the last point suggests, thisepistemological stance is, in ultimateanalysis, praxiological, for while itregulates relations, on one hand,between the Almighty and humanbeings, it sets out the rules of socialconduct between human beingthemselves, on the other. It is, further,significant to note that whenever theQur’an recommends haqq as a guideto action, it is imposes a considerationof sabr (patience) in view of actualconstraints of an objective situation. Itis in this context that the ummah

(community) of the articulate individualshas taken history as a seriousenterprise.

The Qur’an enjoins on every onea responsibility to continually probe intonature of the physical world with a viewto understanding his own understandingof the Absolute Creator. As the word ofGod, it is required to be read,understood and taken as guide tohuman conduct. A believer has to learnits verses to recite in his prayers fivetimes a day. The Qur’an is, therefore,core of believers’ life and must be read.

Attainment of knowledge is aresponsibility for all and sundry,irrespective of sex, race or status and itis to be sought even if one has toundertake journey to farther lands.Theoretically, it is not possible toconceive of an illiterate Muslim. In fact,the first generation members of thecommunity had retrievable knowledge:they could either read and write ormemorize and recite. In the process ofIslamic expansion, this position suffereda set-back, but did not abate a cravingto know and express.

Universal Literary Renaissance

The expansion of Islam over alarge part of the eastern hemisphere ina remarkably short time was a feat ofhuman history whose parallel is difficultto find. Its process, content andcharacter have received close scrutinytea the hands of competent scholars.There is, therefore, no need to repeat

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them herein. It may, however, be usefulto mention briefly the three phasesthrough which it passed make thepresent argument plausible.

In the first onslaught, Islam spreadout of the Peninsula arabizing all thecommunities that came on the way sothat the cultural barriers againstdemographic movements werecompletely shattered. In its adventbeyond this circle, it Islamized virtuallythe entire populations without abridgingthe local cultures. Then, it created a thirdcircle, a zone of composite societies inwhich, as a result of the process ofacculturation, a local non-Muslim elitegrew to acquire the predominant culturaltinge of the Muslim minority.

In the first circle, of course, Arabiclanguage in the form standardized bythe Qur’an established its hegemony.The local languages with theirisomorphic scripts and dialects wereabandoned in favour of the Peninsularlanguage and script. This helped thecultural and technological renaissancefor which the medieval Islam is known.

In the second circle, Arabic scripteither substitute the established localones for spiritual as well as temporalreason or provided one to local spokendialects. These non-Arabs who learnArabic language as such bug read theQur’an naturally found it convenient towrite their own literary languages orspoken dialects in Arabic script. Persia,for instance, abandoned Pahalvi script

in favour of Arabic alphabets for it wouldfacilitate the cultural exchange andsocial mobility in the region.

Turkish, on the other hand, wasspoken dialect which acquired thestatus of a literary language with the helpof Arabic script. The case of Aljamiado(in Arabic al-hamidiya) is perhaps themost interesting phenomenon: theAndalusian Muslims started writingSpanish and Portuguese in the Qur’anicscript at a time when the literarytraditions of the two dialects were notall established, thus, leaving upon themthe influence which survived thedestruction of Islam there as a result ofreconquista.

In some of the compositor culturalzones, the central place that the Qur’anin Muslim education curriculum helpednot only in raising many spoken dialectsto literary level but also in carving newmarket language like Swahili, Hausaand Urdu and enriching them withliterature. A list of dialects which cameto be established as literary languageswith help of Qur’anic script has not beencompiled as yet. However, it is possibleto assert that practically all the spokendialects and lingua franca in the entirebelt of Islamic influence in the easternhemisphere proliferated with literarylanguages which were written in theQur’anic script. It can be favourablycompared with the current renaissanceprovided by mathematical symbols andcomputer languages.n

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After having failed to efface -Islamin the battlefields, attempts were madeby the anti-Islamic forces to distort theimage of Islam in the academic andintellectual hemispheres. A class ofprofessional writers, known asOrientalists, was raised through thecenturies to write books against Islam.They could not see any beauty in Islambecause they viewed it throughcontorted glasses and preconceivednotions.

Right from the seventh centuryC.E. down to the fifteenth century, theHoly Prophet of Islam was maligned bythe Orientalists as an imposter, a liar,an epileptic, sick, a pious fraud, adiplomat and a cunning politician. TheColonialists, during the colonial periodfrom the seventeenth century down to thesecond world war in 1945, when theentire Islamic world was virtually underthe colonial rule, hired and employed theOrientalists to disfigure the image ofIslam through massive anti-Islamicliterature. The twentieth century Orientalscholarship, despite its claims toobjectivism, neutralism and impartialityin approach, remained unchanged andfollowed the same spirit of the Dark andMedieval Ages. The language and tonesof accusation did indeed change fromtime to time, but not the hostile andrevengeful attitude. A cursory glance at

the Oriental scholarship -through thecenturies will reveal the basic nature ofsavage treatment of the Prophet by theOrientalists.

In order to condemn the HolyProphet as a liar and an imposter andto perpetuate the anti-Islamic polemics,numerous fairy tales were fabricatedand stories were invented against theProphet, which, in fact, laid thefoundations of Byzantine historicaltraditions and served as primaryauthorities and sources on Islam for theOrientalists. They not only served asclassical themes but also cultivatedhatred and fanaticism against theProphet, whose personality wasenshrouded by popular romances,legends and fabricated stories. Themonastic order used ‘these stories formissionary purposes. Both poetry andprose were employed for this purpose.The most interesting story circulatedabout the Prophet was that Muhammadwas in fact a Cardinal in the ChristianChurch and since he failed to getelected as a Pope, he seceded from thechurch and founded his own religion,known as Islam, as a revenge on thechurch of Rome.

The Latin traditions continued todominate the centuries including theRenaissance mind when the Prophetwas condemned as a master of magic

The Holy Prophet And The Orientalists

- S. Habibul Haq Nadwi

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and cunningness. Dante, whoseindebtedness to the Prophetic traditionsof Ascention (Mi’råj) is an establishedfact, showed him in the twenty-eighthsphere of Inferno suffering perdition forhis schism. The Orientalists eitherrefused to accept the Islamic sourceson the Prophet or distorted andexploited them to their own advantage.The most profane titles and adjectiveswere coined to describe him, such ascunning imposter, lying deceiver,blasphemous and emissary of Satan. Aslight change in their attitude isnoticeable in the seventeenth century. Itwas because of political considerations.Since the colonial powers wereoccupying the Muslim lands and the Ageof Enlightenment was dawning inEurope a demand was made toappreciate and tolerate other religionsand to recognise Islam as a religion.

The militant thinkers like Bacon,Martin Luther and Rodwell among manyothers even rejected the idea of politicalexpediency. The general theory aboutthe Prophet as a false prophetcontinued. Rodwell condemned him asa blasphemous seducer. The eighteenthcentury did not see any change. Someof the moderate scholars, whodemanded justice for the Prophet, werecondemned by others. George Saleand Edward Gibbon painted him as animposter and sex-maniac. Voltaire, therepresentative of the eighteenth centuryintellectual life, condemned Sale and

others for their soft attitude towards theProphet of Islam. Voltaire condemnedIslam as a false and barbarous religionand its Prophet, as an imposter, Thenineteenth century, -like the precedingeighteenth century was dominated bythe medieval theme, treating theProphet as an imposter. Carlyle, whodemanded a more sympatheticappraisal of Muhammad (SAW), not asa Prophet but as a great human person,was also condemned by his fellowOrientalists. Sir William Muir, the Britishcivil servant in India and an orthodoxCatholic of Scottish origin, emitted hisvenom and hatred against the Prophetin his book entitled ‘Life of Muhammad’in four volumes and condemned him asa false Prophet. He completely rejectedthe idea of revising the westerntraditional attitude towards Muhammador Islam. He, writing from a missionarypoint of view, declared both Islam andits Prophet as being the most stubbornenemies of civilisation, liberty and truth.

The new era of historical criticism,initiated by Ranke, imparted a newlesson to the Orientalists, that is, Islamwas a distorted form of Judaico-Christian traditions. The theme of theorigins of Islam ever since became themost fascinating subject for writers suchas Sprenger, Noldeke and others. Theformer diagnosed epilepsy inMuhammad (SAW) who created Islamand wrote the Qur’an under the spell ofsickness. Islam was the result of

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Muhammad’s hallucination andhysterical frenzy. Sprenger founded apathological school for the examinationof the Prophet. Noldeke condemnedhim suffering from the fits of emotionswhich led him to claim divinity.Goldziher, the founder of anti-Hadithmovement in Europe questioned theauthenticity of Hadith, Isnad as well asthe material on Sira. Noldeke joined themovement and declared Hadith materialas concoction of later age. H. Lammernalso adopted a savage attitude towardsthe Prophet. The Orientalists madeconcerted effort to reject the religioussignificance of both Islam and itsProphet. Psychological andpathological principles, applied toMuhammad for analysing his ideas,revealed to the Orientalists that theQur’ån was written by Muhammad(SAW).

The style of the Orientalists wasslightly changed in the twentieth century,because the taste of the addressee waschanged. The emergence of the socio-economic and political school at theclose of the nineteenth centurydemanded a different treatment, thesocioeconomic interpretation of history,initiated by Marx and Engels, which hadreduced humans to the level of merelabourers or material animals at the costof sublimer spiritual values, wereapplied to the study of Islam and itsProphet. As a result of the research, itwas discovered that Islam’s

development was a socialisticphenomenon, conditioned by theeconomic situations in Arabia. Islamwas now viewed as a socialistic ratherthan a religious movement as well as away of life. Now the Prophet wasregarded as a social and politicalreformer. Margoliouth in his ‘Muhammadand the Rise of Islam’ examined thepolitical phenomenon of Islam anddeclared the Prophet as a politicalthinker, but he nevertheless condemnedhim as a robber, a thief and a tyrant.Caitani (d.1934), an Italian Orientalist,denying Islam’s religious significance,regarded it merely as a political andeconomic movement. No sooner thepolitico-economic theory lost groundthan Freud appeared on the scene withhis psychological theories. Now theywere applied to Islam and its Prophet.Bull, Surede and Tor Andrae and otherssubjected the Prophet to psycho-analysis and confirmed thatMuhammad was hysteric and not anepileptic. Tor Andrae, after havingapplied intensively the analyticalpsychology to the study of Muhammad(SAW), discovered that Muhammadcreated his theology under the influenceof Syrian Christians.

Expediencies demanded a shift inthe attitude from time to time. BosworthSmith defended Muhammad’s Prophet-hood and J.C. Archer regarded him asa mystic. Pathological theory, applied bySprenger, was further crystallised and

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the mood of scholarship changed withthe exigencies of the time.Philosophical principles were applied tothe study of history and historiography.After having applied such principles tothe study of the Prophet, Toynbeereached the conclusion thatMuhammad was religious only atMecca and he became secular atMedina. This theory became verypopular among the Orientalists.Blachere applied technical methods ofmodern criticism to Islam andMuhammad. Montgomery Watt in hisbooks (i) Muhammad at Mecca (1953),(ii) Muhammad at Medina (1956) and(iii) Muhammad, Prophet andStatesman (1961) projected similarviews. He at least accepted theProphet-hood of Muhammad and hissincerity in his third book. But his basicattitude towards Islam and its Prophetremained unchanged. Professor H.A.R.Gibb commonly known as asympathiser of Islam wrote his bookentitled “Muhammadanism” (1962). Thevery title of the book was offensive tothe Muslims for they do not worshipMuhammad. They worship only OneGod. The title of the work was laterchanged to Islam. His book entitled‘Modern Trends in Islam’ (1947) is moredevastating. Islam has been branded byGibb as the ‘emotional cult ofMuhammad. In Chapter VI, dealing withIslam in the world, Gibb sums up:

“In the field of religion the maininfluence of modernism were found

to be directed to the substitution ofthe emotional cult of Muhammad fora rationally based and spirituallyeffective theology”

He laments the fate of Europewhich inherited the tradition ofromanticism from Islam:

“The imaginative legacy ofromanticism which had indeed beenstimulated in Europe by the influenceof Arabic literature in the Middle Agesand again by the popularity of theArabian Nights in the eighteencentury.”

Professor Gibb has highcommendations for the AligarhMovement and its founder S. AhmadKhan. Praising the Qadiyani Movement,Gibb says:

“Ahmadiya produced the onlysuccessful new sect in Islam. TheAhmadiya Movement started asliberal and pacific reform movementoffering the attraction of a fresh startto those who had lost faith in the oldIslam”.

Islam is neither old nor new, nor ahistorical romanticism, as Gibb hasasserted. It is always fresh and dynamicand the impurities which crept into thebody politic of Islam in different culturalmilieu of the world were purified by thesaviours of Islamic spirit from time totime. So far as the Ahmadiya Movementis concerned, it was the seedling of theBritish to destroy Islam as will be

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discussed later. Muhammad Iqbal, thegreat poet of Islam, has beencondemned by Gibb as a mass ofcontradictions. Prof. Gibb is closer toRennan. The latter condemned Islam asthe enemy of reason, while the formerbranded it as historical romanticism,namely, exaltation of imaginationagainst reason and imagination which,according to Gibb, was bound to fail inthe face of scientific determinism.

Before we close the psycho-semantic war waged against Islam bythe Orientalists, two latest examples ofignorance and arrogance merit ourattention. Bernard Lewis, the renownedhostile Orientalist has compared theHoly Qur’an, with the GermanNibelungenlied, a pagan epic fromwhich Wagner culled out some of hisoperas. His article has been publishedby the “American Scholar” (Summerissue 1 979, P. 373). Can there be anystatement more scandalous than that ofBernard Lewis? Another example is thatof Mr. Anthony Paul, the roving editor ofthe Reader’s Digest, who, analysing theturmoil in Pakistan, regards Islam as a“precept which were designed speciallyfor a nomadic desert society tencenturies ago” (Vol. 118, No. 705January 1981, P. 102). It is surprisinghow the roving editor of the Digest, overthirty million copies of which arepublished in thirty-nine editions and infifteen languages, can express suchunreasonable ideas. Islam has alreadyushered in its fifteenth century and it is

no longer in the tenth century of itscalendar. Moreover it is a universalreligion and a world culture.

Since the value of criticism ismeasured by the breadth of sympathy,the acuteness and delicacy ofperception, the critic should transcendthe limits of hate, bigotry, nationalism,territorialism and religious bias. In thecases cited above no such principleshave been followed by the Orientalistswho not only denied historical justice toIslam and its Prophet but launched asavage crusade against them, Islam isneither a religion misunderstood by theOrientalists, as is generally held, nor isit beyond their comprehension. Theyknow that Islam is a legal conceptualreligion and it is a way of life and notmerely a mass of rituals.

The profound skepticismgenerated by the Orientalists and thereligio-political crusade launched by thechallenge of modernism and scientismare not new in the history of Islam. Theyare merely the repetition of therepeated. The conflict between reasonand revelation and the denial of theUnseen seem to be unending. TheGreek philosophers and their Muslimaides, the Mu’tazilites, the Batinites andthe nonconformists have challengedIslam in the past. But the dynamics ofIslam were never suppressed. On thecontrary, the magnitude of the responsealways matched the magnitude of thechallenge. n

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Maulana Wazeh Rasheed Nadwi,younger brother of All India MuslimPersonal Law Board President and RectorNadwatul Ulama Maulana S.M. RabeyHasani Nadwi passed away on January16, 2019. He was 84. Scion of an illustriousSyed family which produced scholars andspiritual preceptors like Shah AlamullahNaqshabandi, Syed Ahmed Shaheed,Hakeem Syed Abdul Hai Hasani, Syed AbulHasan Ali Nadwi an so on. Maulana S.M.Wazeh was Director of EducationNadwatul Ulama, Chief Editor of the Arabicmagazine Al Raid, Joint Editor Majalla AL-Baas-El-Islami, Secretary Rabatae Adab-e-Islami, General Secretary Academy ofIslamic Research and Publications,Member Maulana Azad MemorialAcademy, Lucknow, Rector MadrasaFalahul Muslimeen Rai Bareli and VicePresident Dare- Arafat Rai Bareli. Besides,he participated in various internationalseminars held in Cairo, Oman, Lahore,Tashqand , Makka Mukarrama, OxfordUniversity, Riyadh, Madina Munauwarah,Istanbul and others.

He was born on November 20, 1933at Takiya Kalan, Rai Bareli, U.P. India. Hehad his basic education at home and gothis higher education at Darul UloomNadwatul Ulama where he did his Fazilatin Arabic literature in 1951. After completinghis education at Nadwa he took the roadto Aligarh and did his B.A in English

literature from Aligarh Muslim University.

Truly speaking, Maulana Wazeh wastrue replica of his maternal uncle HazratMaulana S. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi inthought and action. Allama Nadwi paidspecial attention to the upbringing ofMaulana Wazeh Rasheed Nadwi. AllamaNadwi was fully aware of his tastes andlikings. Accordingly Allama Nadwi guidedMaulana Wazeh and prepared him as well.

Maulana S.M. Wazeh RasheedNadwi was one of the greatest scholarsNadwatul Ulama has produced. He was aman of outstanding vision and intellect. Hewas an erudite scholar. His knowledgewas profound and deep in all the religiousand secular sciences. He was mature inthought and sparkling in intellect. Becauseof his profound knowledge and learning,perspicacity, character, appearance andculture, he is considered to be one of themost distinguished Arabic scholars ofIndia.

This multifaceted genius can bediscussed as an educationist, thinker,theologian, editor, journalist, author,litterateur and critic. The Almighty Allahbestowed upon him extraordinaryknowledge and wisdom. Right from hischildhood, he was quite sharp minded. Hepossessed a wonderful memory, nimblemind, quick grasp and a radiant flame ofintellect. He enshrined in his memory

Maulana S.M. Wazeh Rasheed Nadwi (1933-2019)- Obaidur Rahman Nadwi

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whatever he heard, rarely anything fadedfrom his mind and intelligent as he was,he had a wide knowledge. Thecomprehensive knowledge and intellectualbrilliance of Maulana Wazeh had beenacknowledged by his contemporaries. Hewas a versatile genius. He was at homein Urdu, Arabic and English. He alwaysread English newspaper. Besides Arabiche was also aware of the pros and consof English literature. He closely studiedwestern culture and civilization.

Maulana was kindhearted, pious,self-conscious, God-fearing, righteous andgenerous. In his life of 84 years, he alwaysworked hard and never knew fear. Thestory of his life is noble words and nobledeeds. As tersely poetized by Allama Iqbal:A man self-conscious shook the world.The inimitable symphony of Qura’n hadalways been the greatest source of delightto Maulana Wazeh who showed keeninterest in its recital. He recited the holyQura’n after Fajr prayer daily. No matterhow weak, indisposed or tired he recitedthe Qura’n regularly. His knowledge ofQuran and Hadith was outstanding and hemade good use of it in his academicworks. Besides he was always extremelycareful to perform obligatory prayersalongwith the congregation. He observedthe practices of the Prophet with utmostcare.

Maulana Wazeh left behind himexcellent imprints. He played leading rolein the present educational scenario ofNadwatul Ulama.He paid particular

attention to each of his students to preparehim for the great task of spreading themessage of Islam and moral reformationsof the people. He gave a new impetus tothe students of Nadwa. He left a galaxy ofstudents behind him who impart educationin their respective areas. No doubt, it is aneverlasting tribute to the departed soul.

He never showed egotism, pride andhaughtiness. He was a paragon ofmorality. He met every one cheerfully. Heleft indelible marks behind him. He alwayskept himself away from name and fame.For him duty was supreme. He dideverything merely for the sake of Allah. Heplayed constructive role in Nadwa’sprogress and development. Hispersonality proved a boon for Nadwa. Hisoutstanding contributions andachievements in the cause of Nadwa willalways be remembered.

He started his career as announcerand interpreter at All India Radio Delhiwhere he served from 1953 to 1973.During his stay in Delhi he deeply studiedPolitical Science, Sociology, Englishlanguage and literature. He also intimatelyobserved western culture and civilizationand its impact on normal life. His variousscholarly and literary articles, shortsstories and allegorical dramas had beenbroadcast from Delhi and other Radiostations of India in Arabic language.

He reigned the job of All India RadioStation at the advice of Hazarat MaulanaSheikh Zakaria Kandhalavi. He was

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appointed as teacher in Darul UloomNadwatul Ulama in 1973 and had beenmade editor fortnightly magazine AL-Raid.He had been elected Head of theDepartment of Arabic Nadwatul Ulama andDirector Al-Mahad Al-Ali Liddawati wal FikrilIslami in 2000. After the demise of Dr.Abdullah Abbas Nadwi in 2006 he had beenelected Director of Education NadwatulUlama and he held the post to his lastbreath.

He gave special attention to theArabic language and literature and gainedcommand over it. He delved in it and wasconversant with the terminology of it. Hisproficiency in this field proved immenselybeneficial to him later on in the compositionof his own work. He gained a thoroughknowledge of the entire collection of proseand poetry of Arabic. He devoted himselfto his noble task in a calm and quietmanner with utter humility and meekness.

He assiduously pursued the historyof pre-Islamic Arabia as well as that of thepost –Islamic era. The wide knowledgethus gained by him a breadth of vision notfound amongst his contemporaries. Itseemed that he had all the knowledge ofArabic literature before him. He called upwhatever he liked and left whatever hewanted.

There are some distinguishingcharacteristics of Maulana’s writings. Hiswritings tend to centre round thefundamental bases of the subject matterwhich captivate the heart and mind of the

reader. Another feature of his writings isthat they reflect the ideas, conditions andproblems of the day. One can easily findout from his essays the more andintellectual conditions and cultural life ofthe society. His writings are burdened withexcessive details.

He was a prolific writer. He authoredseveral books in Arabic and Urdu and alsorendered a few from Urdu into Arabic. Hisliterary work is multisided. His creativework is complete in itself. He wrote almostin every style of prose. He not only wroteregarding various dimensions of Arabicliterature but also held the head high of thesame. Some of his major publications areas under:

Arabic Publications

n Tarikh Aladabul Arabi (Al-Asrul Jahili)

n Nahwa Nezamin Alameyin Jadeed

n Masadir Al-Adabul Arabi

n Al-Imam Ahmad bin Irfan al-Shaheed

n Adabu Ahlal Quloob

n Al-Masahhatul Adabiah min kitabatSheikh Abul Hasan

n Sheik Abul Hasan Qaidan Hakeeman

n Mukhtasar Al-Shamail

n Aalam Al-Adabul Arabi

n Al-Dawatul Islamia wa Manahijuha

n Min Senaatil Maut ila Senaatil Qararat

n Harakatul Taleem Al-Deenee waTatawurul Manhaj

n Harakatul Resalatul Insaniyte

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Translated Books

n Fazaelussalat Alan Nabi

n Addeen wal Uloom Al-Aqliah

Urdu Publications

n Muhsane Insaniyat

n Sultan Tipu Shaheed Ek Tarikh SazQaid wa ShakhShiat

n Masala-e- Falasteen

n Nadwatul Ulama Ek Rahnuma TaalimiMarkaz aur Eslah wa Dawat

n Nezam Taleem wa Tarbiat : AndesheTaqaze aur Hal

n Islam Mukammal Nezame Zindaghi

(Hadise Nabawi ki Roshni me)

n Sahabae Kiram ki Misali Zindagi( Thisis his last book. It has been publishedbefore two days of his sudden demise)

Maulana Wazeh was anaccomplished journalist. He carved aniche in the arena of Journalism. Becauseof his profound knowledge of English, hecandidly shed light on every topic at length.He used to write comments on currentsubjects. His main theme was “Al-Gazwul-Fikri” ideological clashes. He alwaysgirded his loins to retort doubts adskepticisms which had been raised byorientalists and other western writersagainst Islam and its ideology. MaulanaWazeh Rasheed Nadwi, no doubt, wasone of those Islamic thinkers of the worldwho realized the gravity of danger ofwestern countries and thwarted theirnefarious designs and disruptive efforts

made against Islam. Maulana WazedRasheed Nadwi writes in one of his write-up, “The western intellectual had fullknowledge of Islamic outlook and termedthe phenomenon as “clash of civilizations”.The western thinkers, intellectuals,historians and literatures have a completeinsight of Islamic message and teachings,as a result of which their own librariesare treasure houses of Islamic topics.They know fully well about the fruitful andhealthy contributions of Muslims, spreadof their teaching and culture, which justmissed encompassing the whole ofEurope, and also the rich heritage and theirgrasp over the pulse of nations. By andlarge, however, there is a blatant effort tomalign Islam and present to the world adistorted, abominable image of itsfollowers. One principal vendetta wasdirected towards convincing the world,posterity included, of the fact that Islamowed its spread and sustenance to thesword. The obvious reality that Islam wasembraced both, by the people where Islamwas the conqueror as well as in landswhere not a single crusader ever ventured,has tacitly been circumvented in a majorityof writings. Historians of the world,irrespective of their affiliation, are fullyaware of the fact the message of Islam,with a healthy way of life and faith, appealsdirectly to minds and hearts of men.”

It goes without saying that thepassing away of Maulana WazehRasheed Nadwi is a personal loss to me.He had been great inspiration to me. He

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treated me as an affectionate son. It wasMaulana Wazeh who first introduced meto Mr. Shariq Alavi, Editor the Fragranceof East saying that this is ObaidurRahman, he is my student, pay your kindattention to him and keep him in yourguidance. I was then a student of FazilatAuwal Takhassus fil Adab( M.A.I in ArabicLiterature). Since then even today I am inMr. Shariq Alavi’s guidance and patronage.It would be an ingratitude if I do not mentionhere about my service in Nadwa. It wasMaulana Wazeh Rasheed Nadwi who firstconsulted his elder brother Maulana S.M.Rabey Hasani Nadwi regarding myappointment in Nadwatul Ulama.Consequently I was provided chance toserve in Nadwa by Maulana S.M. RabeyHasani Nadwi. In 2008 he helped a greatdeal in publishing collection of my lettersappeared in different English dailies,journals and magazines. Later on that hasbeen published as “The Plain Truth” byAcademy of Journalism and PublicityNadwatul Ulama. In 2009 when I went toEngland for three weeks to participate ina training program on “Diversity andDialogue” organized by Foreign andCommonwealth Office (FCO) andMarkfield Institute for Higher Education(MIHE), he duly recommended myapplication. In short, Maulana Wazehalways treated me like a son. I never forgetaffection, love, favors and obligationswhich he showed to me.

Decidedly, Maulana’s death is agreat loss to Nadwatul Ulama in particularand to the Millate Islamiyah in general. His

death has caused a great andunbridgeable vacuum. The Muslim worlddeeply mourned over his death. Allama Dr.Yousuf Qarzawi an internationally knownIslamic scholar and Dr. Abdul Quddus AbuSaleh President Aalami Rabtae AdabiIslami and other noted Islamic scholars ofthe world sent their condolence messagesto Maulana S.M Rabey Hasani Nadwi. TheCongregational funeral prayers wereoffered at Masjid Nabawi and University ofAl-Azhar Egypt in absentia. Home MinisterMr. Raj Nath Singh, opposition leader Mr.Ghulam Nabi Azad, Former Chief MinisterMr. Akhlesh Yadav and Former HealthMinister Mr. Ahmad Hasan called atNadwatul Ulama to condole his demise.

Maulana Wazeh is survived by onlyone son Maulana Jafar Masood HasaniNadwi. He is well Known Arabic scholar.He is senior teacher of Madrasa AliyaIrfaniya Lucknow and Editor Al-RaidNadwatul Ulama. It is hoped that he willcertainly fulfill the work left by his belovedfather. The most surprising event was hislast journey. His funeral prayer was ledtwice. The first funeral prayer was led byDr. Saeedur Rahman Azami Nadwi atNadwa and the second was led by MaulanaS.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi at Takiya Kalanand was buried in his ancestral graveyardat Takiya Kalan, Rai Bareli. It is estimatedthat more than twenty thousand citizensof Lucknow and Rai Bereli attended hisrites. May Allah adorn his grave withluminosity and refulgence and grant peaceto his soul. Ameen! n

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Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama is progressing well under the patronage ofHazrat Maulana S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwi in disseminating knowledge of Islam.Because of heavy rush of students the institution is facing problem of theaccommodation. Because of this Nadwa had to restrict the flow of studentsand many good students are deprived of admission. The Executive Committeeof Nadwatul Ulama has since decided to build a new hostel. Foundation stoneof which has already been laid by Hazrat Maulana S.M. Rabey Hasani Nadwiwith the hope that heavenly aid will come.

New hostel will be a three-storey building with 36 rooms and two big hallsso the students may live there and enjoy recreation.

A sum of rupees 3, 61,74,600 are estimated to cost this project. About fourand half lakh rupees will be spent on one room.

We hope you will come forward to help Nadwatul Ulama in this project. Wehave firm belief that Allah will help us in achieving success in this project.

Contribution be made by cheques or Bank Drafts issued in favour of

“Nadwatul Ulama” A/C No. 10863759733, State Bank of India (Main Branch)

Lucknow (IFSE CODE - SBIN0000125) and posted on the following address;

Nazim Nadwatul Ulama

P.O. Box No. 93, Tagore Marg, Lucknow-226007, U.P. (India)

Appeal Regarding Construction of New Hostel

Athar Husain Khalidi

Motamid Ma’l, Nadwatul Ulama

Saeedur Rahman Azami Nadwi

Mohtamim Darul-Uloom, NadwatulUlama

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OUR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD

Britain : Mr. Akram NadwiO.C.I.S.St. Cross CollegeOxford Ox 1 3 TU (UK)

Dubai : Qari Abdul Hameed NadwiP.O. Box No. 12525Dubai U.A.E.

Pakistan : Mr. AtaullahSector A-50, Near SAU Qrs.Karachi 31 (Pakistan)

Qatar : Dr. Aftab Alam NadwiP.O. Box No. 1513Doha, Qatar

Saudi Arabia : Mr. Zia Abdullah NadwiDirectorAl Waha International SchoolP.B.No. 12491Jeddah, Pin-21473 (K.S.A.)

South Africa : Mr. M. Yahaya Sallo NadwiP.O. Box No. 388Vereninging, (South Africa)

U.S.A. : Dr. A. M. Siddiqui98-Conklin Ave. Woodmere,New York 11598

Annual Subscription:Rs. 250 (per copy Rs. 25) in India

$ 75 (USA, UK, Asian Africa and European Countries)

Cheques and Drafts may please be marked to:“The Fragrance of East”

and sent to, Nadwatul Ulama, P.O. Box 93, Tagore Marg. Lucknow-226007, U.P. IndiaOut-station cheques will not be accepted.

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