Remembering Two Pure Souls of Nadwah
From the village maktab to Oxford, I can never discharge my debt to the honourable teachers and masters of knowledge and skill from whom I was fortunate enough to benefit. However, there are two pure souls from Nadwah whose influence truly shaped my intellect and thought. Alas! Their like cannot be found in the East or the West: Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Wazih Rashid Hasani and Maulana Shahbaz Islahī. How distant both were from the clamour of fame and the deceptions of ostentation! What depth and richness they possessed, what sincerity they embodied! A Western philosopher once said: “A lack of knowledge may be compensated by sincerity, but a lack of sincerity can never be compensated by knowledge.” These were indeed the noble ones and the soaring spirits through whom the college by the Gomti River remained illuminated:
The river surges with its own being;
The straw thinks the struggle is with him.
Over the past few nights of this blessed month of Ramadan, their memory has haunted me. The comprehensive character they both had is now lost to us. Their balanced temperaments have left the gatherings of the wise barren. How shall I speak of such elect ones of the Divine court and dervishes of knowledge and awareness? Which pen shall I employ, how shall I open my tongue? What should I say and what should I leave unsaid? May God have mercy on these pure-hearted lovers. Each one of their noble qualities makes me repeatedly pray that I may be granted a portion of them:
Value the night of companionship, for after our days
The heavens will revolve and bring many nights and days.
From Maulana Wazih Sahib, I acquired Islamic thought and Arabic prose. I have already elaborated on this at an appropriate place. While Maulana shone as a beacon of thought and literature, he also stood peerless in piety, asceticism, and humility. When people speak of the virtues of Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Sahib Partapgarhi, Maulana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, and Qari Siddiq Ahmad Bandwi, I immediately recall that I had the fortune of being in the company of the purest essence of these three. Wherever in the world goodness is discussed, or asceticism described, or piety praised, or angelic qualities lauded, or the closeness of the Divine recognised, the image of this rare jewel appears vividly before my eyes.
In this Ramadan, one quality of Maulana that comes to my heart again and again is that I never once heard him speak ill of anyone. Backbiting and Maulana were opposites. Backbiting was too far from him – even vain and idle speech had no place in his tongue. Even his words of benefit were measured and weighed. He spoke little, but whatever he said was more precious than ruby and more fragrant than musk. And when he smiled, hearts would fall for that smile.
As the years pass, I feel I have still not aligned myself with the righteous. My heart desires that this Ramadan my prayer is accepted – that my tongue becomes as pure and clean as Maulana’s, or that I am granted even a tenth of that blessing.
Maulana Shahbaz Sahib possessed a penetrating intellect. He reached the core of every issue. He had no interest in the outer shells, only the essence and its very essence. He was the embodiment of the verse, “That glance which appears lesser than a gaze.” The training in discourse and critical thought that he provided is now rare in our madrasas: “In whose old age lies the colour of youth like dawn.”
Maulana awakened in my heart reverence for Allah and His Messenger. In this Ramadan, one saying of his repeatedly echoes in my heart. He used to say: people love others because they are from the same family, or because they share the same school of thought, or because they have similar tastes, are close companions or comrades. Maulana said to me: You should love every person who believes in your Lord, and who accepts the Prophethood of your Messenger.
Love every Muslim – whether he is Hanafi or Salafi, whether a graduate of a religious institute or a secular one, whether a scholar or a layman, whether a Nadwi or not – even if he is an opponent of Nadwah, still love him. There is no bond greater than that of Allah and His Messenger. In comparison to this bond, all other connections hold no value.
The mosque in Oxford where I pray is a Barelwi mosque. Whenever I see people coming for the Fajr prayer, I remember Maulana’s words. My heart fills with love for these worshippers. I think to myself: these people are seekers of servitude to my Lord – their love and honour are binding upon me. When I see a Muslim eating with his right hand, my heart wishes to kiss that hand, for this person walks upon the path of the Beloved of the Lord of the Worlds.
O Allah, in this Ramadan, grant me the qualities of these two noble souls that are pleasing to You. Protect me from vain speech, and fill my heart with reverence for You and Your Messenger. Ameen.
Translated by AI. Original article: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/5918
