Foreword
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the leader of the Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, altogether. To proceed:
“Their taste for writing began with journaling, then they began to write the diary of Hazrat Mawlana Rahmatullah Alayh (Mawlana Ali Miyan), producing dozens of diaries which now serve as cherished mementoes and a great treasure. Their inclination towards biographical writing came from their maternal grandfather, Hazrat Mawlana Muhammad Thani Hasani, which continued to flourish. They prepared dozens of voluminous works in a short time. Their pen was fluid—when they wrote, they would produce ten to twenty pages in one sitting. Their memory was strong, sources were always before their eyes, and writing was their passion.”
The scholar about whom Mawlana Sayyid Bilal Hasani Nadwi (Director of Nadwatul Ulama, may his blessings continue) penned these words is the very personality whose memory we now honour through these lines.
These words are being written on a joyous occasion: we are blessed to present to the esteemed readers a comprehensive and organised collection of the invaluable sermons of a scholarly, religious, spiritual, reformative, and intellectual personality—Mawlana Sayyid Mahmood Hasan Hasani Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him). This compilation reflects his sharp intellect, his passionate heart, and his eloquent tongue. It not only demonstrates his profound knowledge, intellectual depth, and religious insight but also reflects his reformative concern, spiritual fervour, and his anxiety and worry for the Muslim Ummah.
The credit for this significant service goes to our honourable and diligent brother, the teacher at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Mawlana Muhammad Salman Bijnori Nadwi. He painstakingly transcribed these sermons with great scholarly insight and editorial skill, enhancing them further with beneficial annotations for the benefit of readers. He also included a detailed biography of Mawlana Sayyid Mahmood Hasan Nadwi at the beginning, which not only offers a thorough overview of his life and contributions but also bears witness to Mawlana Salman’s scholarly acumen and refined sense of arrangement.
Only those who are familiar with the challenging process of compiling sermons into book form can truly appreciate the significance of this work. Although these sermons already existed in recorded form, converting them into written format was a painstaking and demanding task, which Salman Nadwi carried out with sincerity, attention to detail, and a strong sense of responsibility.
My acquaintance with the late Sayyid Mahmood Hasan Hasani began during his student days at Nadwatul Ulama. Many of his classmates were also my students. Even then, one could observe his exceptional enthusiasm for reading, his intellectual curiosity, and his special interest in history and genealogy. I remember on one occasion asking our respected teacher, Mawlana Sayyid Muhammad Wazeh Rashid Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him), about the historical background of his family, and he responded, “Ask Mahmood—he has a special interest in this subject.”
Professor Mohsin Usmani Nadwi (may Allah preserve him), in describing his many talents, writes:
“People know him as a writer and author, both near and far, but few are aware that he was also a deep diver in the oceans of Sufism, spirituality, and genealogy.”
I had many meetings with the late Mawlana, enjoyed lengthy scholarly discussions, and spoke often over the phone. He wrote the foreword to my book A Day at Nadwa, published in Karachi. He also wrote a detailed book on our teacher, Shaykh Muhammad Yunus Jaunpuri (may Allah have mercy on him), and gave me the manuscript to read. He was filled with love and kindness. He followed the path of the sincere Sufis, feeling others’ pain as his own.
His inner self was a living reflection of the saying: “The children of Adam are limbs of one another.” Though he never officially affiliated with any Sufi order, he lacked nothing compared to the true Sufis. His soul was healthy, and he occupied a lofty station of sincerity and truthfulness. Upon his passing, I wrote an article highlighting many of his distinguishing qualities.
The sermons in this collection span around five hundred pages, and the topics covered are immensely beneficial and purposeful for every reader and student with a religious inclination. Among the topics are: Tawheed and Prophethood, the Seerah of the Prophet, the Qur’an as a book of guidance, complete faith and its characteristics, true love for Allah, the doctrine of finality of Prophethood, the responsibilities of the Muslim Ummah, the demands of love for the Prophet (peace be upon him), the status of the noble Companions, social reform, the duties of Muslims, the character and lives of great scholars, and precious advice for seekers of knowledge.
We are grateful to Mawlana Salman Bijnori for the publication of this scholarly gift, as he has preserved a great intellectual legacy and presented it to the Ummah. This compilation will benefit not only students and scholars but also ordinary readers seeking a better understanding of the religion, social reform, and spiritual development.
There were many high hopes attached to Mawlana Sayyid Mahmood Hasan Hasani, and his untimely death deeply grieved the circles of knowledge and spirituality. May Allah forgive him, raise his ranks, and keep his intellectual and spiritual legacy alive. May Allah grant Mawlana Salman Bijnori Nadwi immense reward for this noble service, bless his scholarly life, and enable him to serve the religion even more.
“My success is only through Allah; upon Him I rely, and to Him I return.”
https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6040
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This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6040
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