“Al-Rāʾid” (1981–1983): An Analytical and Intellectual Study
From the years 1981 to 1983, a careful reading of al-Rāʾid, the Arabic journal of Dār al-ʿUlūm Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ in Lucknow, reveals a vibrant intellectual, literary, pedagogical and ideological movement. This initiative not only developed students’ proficiency in Arabic composition, but also helped shape their intellectual and spiritual outlook. During this period, al-Rāʾid was no longer a mere institutional newsletter—it became a training platform for serious exercises in Arabic thought, writing, and engagement with global affairs. The journal offered students practical training in authorship and translation, while also nurturing their intellectual and religious inclinations.
This entire project was led by our respected teacher, Mawlānā Muḥammad Wāḍiḥ Rashīd Nadwī (raḥimahu’Llāh), the editor of al-Rāʾid at the time. His personality combined mentorship, sincerity, intellectual insight, and fatherly compassion for students. He instilled in them a love for Arabic composition that extended beyond the formal curriculum of the madrasah and became a part of a vibrant and conscious intellectual awakening. Depending on each student’s level, he would provide them with clippings from Urdu and English newspapers and ask them to translate them into Arabic, later correcting these efforts and publishing select translations in al-Rāʾid. The joy of seeing their work in print nurtured confidence, self-belief, and strengthened the foundations of their writing abilities.
Many students whose writings were published during this time went on to play prominent roles in the fields of scholarship, teaching, literature, and daʿwah. Among them was Jaʿfar Masʿūd Ḥasanī Nadwī, whose literary journey has been so extensive and rich that his translations and articles could easily fill a full volume. He also served as associate editor of al-Rāʾid, and his writings reflect intellectual maturity, a clear style, and journalistic awareness. Likewise, the early writings of Riḍā al-Islām Nadwī found a place on the pages of al-Rāʾid, especially his translations of articles by Mawlānā Shams al-Ḥaqq Nadwī. His refined Arabic style, balance, and intellectual depth all have their roots in the training he received during that period.
Also among this group is Muḥammad Ḥashmat Allāh Nadwī, who went on to serve in Qatar for many years in scholarly and religious roles. His first article, Dawr al-Madāris al-Dīniyyah fī Bināʾ al-Mujtamaʿ al-Islāmī (“The Role of Religious Schools in Building the Islamic Society”), was a profound piece that offered not only an academic perspective, but also a bold analysis of the historical background, effects, and colonial conspiracies against India’s religious institutions. The Arabic writings of Āftāb ʿĀlam Nadwī, Muḥammad Nuʿmān Sambhalī, ʿIrfān ʿĀmir al-Ḥasanī, Khālid Barakat ʿAlī, Ḍiyāʾ al-Dīn Aʿẓamī, and Wazīr Aḥmad Nadwī all displayed creative flair, intellectual clarity, and a distinct literary taste. Their articles scattered throughout al-Rāʾid not only charted their personal development, but also testified to the success of Nadwah’s educational method.
The thematic scope of al-Rāʾid was expansive. On one hand, it published biographical, scholarly, and literary articles, and on the other, it tackled contemporary global affairs, the challenges of Indian Muslims, daʿwah-centred reflections, and themes on the preservation and revival of Islamic civilisation.
My own translations were included among these intellectual and literary writings. I translated essays by prominent scholars such as ʿAllāmah Sayyid Sulaymān Nadwī and Mawlānā Muḥammad al-Ḥasanī into eloquent and fluent Arabic. Articles like al-Tārīkh wa Masʾūliyyātunā Nahwahu (“History and Our Responsibility Towards It”), al-Ṣaḥāfah al-Islāmiyyah wa Mustaqbaluha (“Islamic Journalism and Its Future”), and Min al-Māddiyyah ilā al-Rūḥāniyyah (“From Materialism to Spirituality”) were not only of academic value, but also carried deep
ideological messages. The reports by Khālid Barakat ʿAlī on Dukhūl al-Islām fī al-Hind and al-Iḍṭirābāt al-Ṭāʾifiyyah reflected his deep insight and command over the Arabic language.
The list of daʿwah-oriented and ideological articles was extensive, encompassing themes such as social reform, Islamic thought, Orientalist challenges, critiques of Western materialism, and the revival of Islamic values. Writers like Jaʿfar Masʿūd, Riḍā al-Islām Nadwī, ʿIrfān ʿĀmir al-Ḥasanī, and Nuʿmān Sambhalī contributed significant works that shaped the intellectual attitudes of an entire generation. For instance, ʿIrfān ʿĀmir al-Ḥasanī’s article Min Ḥayāt al-Khanādiq ilā Ḥayāt al-Fanādiq (“From the Life of Trenches to the Life of Hotels”) was not only thought-provoking in title but also provided an in-depth critique of the ummah’s intellectual decline, indulgence in luxury, and alienation from its own history.
Another major distinction of al-Rāʾid was its success in presenting the conditions of the Indian subcontinent to the Arab world. Through its pages, the oppression of Indian Muslims, the communal riots, state injustices, the activities of extremist Hindu groups, and the attacks on minority rights—especially educational and religious freedoms—were all brought to light in Arabic. This coverage was especially valuable given how such issues were often neglected by international media. Detailed reports on the communal violence in places like Ahmadnagar, Morādābād, Assam, Behlwāri, Meerut, Bengal, and Gujarat—highlighting police bias, government complicity, and Muslim leadership’s protests and petitions—were all conveyed to the Arab world through al-Rāʾid.
Likewise, numerous reports focused on the religious identity and educational challenges of Indian Muslims, such as the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University, the demand for Sharia-based legislation, reforms in madrasah education, campaigns against alcohol, and daʿwah work among non-Muslims. These issues were chronicled in the writings of Khālid Barakat ʿAlī, Jaʿfar Masʿūd, Riḍā al-Islām Nadwī and others.
The international news and analyses published in al-Rāʾid also broadened students’ perspectives, connecting them with the broader ummah. Reports were published on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the mujahidīn resistance, the Iranian revolution, the Palestinian cause, Soviet internal politics, and the rise of Islam in America and Europe. Many of these reports were either translated or originally written by the students themselves, demonstrating their intellectual breadth and global awareness.
One particularly striking feature of every piece published during this golden era of al-Rāʾid was the call to revive the ummah, to spread the message of Islam, and to awaken the Muslim intellect and conscience. Every article contained at least one element that stirred the reader’s heart towards thought and action. These Arabic writings were not mere exercises in style or linguistic beauty; they were part of a comprehensive ideological and activist training that played a vital role in shaping the scholarly personalities of the students.
In conclusion, the intellectual, literary, and journalistic standard demonstrated by al-Rāʾid between 1981 and 1983 stands as a luminous chapter in the Arabic press of Urdu-medium madrasahs. The way it empowered students’ pens, expanded their thinking, disciplined their emotions into refined expression, and made them self-sufficient in writing is a model worthy of emulation by any training institution. This success was the fruit of sincere mentorship, continuous guidance, and a deep love for the Arabic language—led by the care, dedication, and foresight of our esteemed teacher, Mawlānā Wāḍiḥ Rashīd Nadwī (may Allah preserve him).
This was a legacy that not only guided one generation but continues to illuminate the path for those that follow.
Even today, in the worlds of journalism, education and daʿwah, if Arabic language and literature are approached with the same spirit and sincerity, we may once again reach the intellectual heights exemplified in the early years of al-Rāʾid. Indeed, it was not merely a journal—it was an intellectual caravan, a beacon that continues to shine.
https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6576
Disclaimer: This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6576
