In an age in which libraries overflow with a multitude of publications, the book Fursān al-ʿIlm wa-l-Adab (Knights of Knowledge and Literature) by the esteemed Dr Muḥammad Wathīq al-Nadwī stands out as a remarkable contribution to the Islamic and Arabic literary tradition. It is a work that combines intellectual depth with the elegance of expression,… Continue reading Knights of Knowledge and Literature
The Solitude of the Wise
In the journey of life, there emerge among people certain individuals who appear to walk a different path. They do not speak excessively, are not drawn to the attractions that captivate others, and do not pursue positions, fame, or wealth. They are often viewed as strangers, asocial, or even detached from society. But the reality… Continue reading The Solitude of the Wise
A Word on Human Grief
I never imagined that I would find myself writing—at a time when humanity boasts of its advancement—about a city being annihilated in broad daylight, where blood is spilled as easily as water, where homes are destroyed as if they were nothing more than parasitic weeds, and where an entire population is besieged like wounded prey… Continue reading A Word on Human Grief
Tarīqah-yi Pṛhnē kā (The Method of Reading)
Reading is among the most vital means for the development of human consciousness, the awakening of intellectual insight, and the refinement of spiritual culture. It has shaped civilisations, preserved ideas, and granted humankind the courage to converse with their own selves and with the cosmos. Reading is not merely the transmission of information or the… Continue reading Tarīqah-yi Pṛhnē kā (The Method of Reading)
Karak Chai
Some years ago, on one of the nights of ʿUmrah, my dear companion Zayd and I were taken, after ʿIshāʾ prayer, by Shaykh ʿAbd Allāh al-Tūm and Shaykh Turkī al-Faḍlī to a park in Makkah al-Mukarramah. This park was not, in its essence, a mere space for recreation. There was a quiet profundity to it,… Continue reading Karak Chai
A New Synthesis
When the rare heavens willed to adorn the pages of history with fresh colours, the grandeur of the house of Tīmūr—which for centuries had cast its shadow across Hind—began to wither in the face of time’s relentless decree. The silent decisions of Divine Will drew a line through their rule. To the superficial observer, it… Continue reading A New Synthesis
Two Educational Gatherings in London
Arrival in East London I travelled to East London with my family, accompanied by my daughter Maryam and her children Sufyān and Amīrah. In our hearts we carried the longing to reunite with loved ones, and the hope that this journey would yield knowledge, light, and remembrance. Our first stop was to visit my gentle… Continue reading Two Educational Gatherings in London
A Letter: The Story of My Student Days at Nadwah
My dear one, You asked a simple question—yet it opened the sealed chambers of my heart like the sudden arrival of spring on a withered tree. You asked: “How were your student days? Did we truly live without care for sleep, hunger, or comfort, moulding ourselves day and night solely through the pursuit of knowledge?”… Continue reading A Letter: The Story of My Student Days at Nadwah
O Son of Nothingness!
O son of nothingness! O you who were brought into being when once you were not even a thing to be mentioned! Death shall seize you suddenly, and you shall have no power to repel it. Time moves continuously—coming and going without pause—and your appointed term shall overtake you without warning. Afflictions are many and… Continue reading O Son of Nothingness!
“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… Continue reading “Al-Rāʾid” (1981–1983): An Analytical and Intellectual Study