Reflections on a Memorable Visit to Nadwa
Special Gratitude
From: Dr. Muhammad Akram Nadwi
Oxford
22/4/2026
The days spent at Nadwatul Ulama from April 4 to 9, 2026, though brief, were filled with abundant blessings and proved to be a source of immense joy for the heart and soul. The time was short, yet its effects were enduring; the stay was limited, but the benefits were vast. My travel companion, Zaid, and I derived immense pleasure and benefit from this journey, not merely due to apparent reasons, but because of the warm hospitality, sincere attentions, and special considerations of the people of Nadwa, which transformed this brief stay into an everlasting memory, elevating a few days to the stature of a complete era.
Though the days of our stay were limited, the breadth of enjoyment was boundless; time was scarce, yet the delight was infinite. As the poet says:
“Love without the constraints of imagination, longing without the bounds of sight; whatever I desire, I desire it without limit and end.”
Indeed, sincerity has no other name than sincerity itself, and its reward cannot be anything but sincerity. What emanates from the heart, finds its way into the heart. This is why the gains from this journey were not due to formalities or apparent causes, but rather the truth of hearts, the purity of intentions, and the spontaneity of relationships—a benefit more felt than articulated, and one that remains alive in memories for a long time.
It is evident that expressing gratitude individually to every benefactor is neither easy nor can it fulfill the due right, and there is also the concern that some noble souls might unintentionally be overlooked. Nevertheless, despite this hesitation, it seems essential to mention a few of those esteemed individuals whose kindness imparted a special hue, a unique pleasure, and a profound significance to this journey, without whom this narrative would remain incomplete.
Maulana Muhammad Wathiq Nadwi, counted among the distinguished teachers of Arabic literature at Nadwa, has always been a facilitator and smoother of paths for me in every journey. He is entrusted with the editorship of the Arabic daily “Al-Ra’id,” and it can rightly be said that he serves as a strong link and a living connection between Nadwa and myself, a connection imbued with the warmth of heartfelt relations rather than mere formality. His prose combines simplicity with gravity, and his style embodies grace with dignity. Intellectually, he follows in the footsteps of the revered teacher Maulana Syed Muhammad Wazih Rashid Nadwi, and the benefit he has derived from him is a rare fortune. Compiling and publishing various articles is also among his significant scholarly contributions, which is not merely editing but the preservation of an intellectual heritage. His intellectual harmony with Syed Jafar Masood Hasni has always been evident, reflecting a subtle affinity.
For a long time, I believed that perhaps my contemporaries and companions had benefited the most from Maulana Wazih Sahib, but Wathiq Sahib dismantled the very foundation of this belief. As assumptions shattered one after another, it became increasingly apparent that in this world, nothing is absolute, and the realm of reality is always broader than conjecture and estimation.
Maulana Muhammad Khalid Bandwi is known as a refined and accomplished personality among the teachers of Arabic literature. I had the opportunity to meet him on several journeys. His mastery of the Arabic language is undisputed, and his writings reflect his elevated taste and sound temperament. His contributions under the title “Bara’im al-Iman” are regularly published in the journal “Al-Ra’id.” During this journey, I had the chance to explore various places with him, and it was repeatedly felt that the same elegance and sensitivity with which he wields his pen, he also adorns the affairs of life, as if his life itself is a well-crafted piece of writing. His companionship offers both intimacy and a subtle attraction that draws the heart effortlessly.
His association with “Bandwi” sometimes invites mild objection from us, and what kind of scholar would he be if he did not have objections and doubts at every turn? We are fully convinced that once someone becomes Nadwi, they essentially become Lakhnawi, and then they become independent of all associations. After all, consider those who “drew swords and broke goblets here in Lucknow,” if they are not Lakhnawi, then what are they?
Maulana Abdul Rahim Nadwi is a teacher of Tafsir and literature at Darul Uloom. During this journey, I had two sessions with him, which are a source of joy for the learned. We had the opportunity to discuss intricate topics such as Hadith, the principles of Hadith, and the subtleties of Hadith, and this discussion was not merely a question-and-answer session but an intellectual exercise and a means of intellectual training. His questions reflected depth of thought and breadth of vision, and his conversation was marked by courtesy and seriousness, along with a distinct scholarly dignity, which is the hallmark of the learned.
Upon arriving in London, many Indians are surprised by how educated this country is, where every child speaks English fluently, as if born a graduate. Similarly, Arabs experience this at Nadwa, where everyone converses in Arabic, not only in general conversation but also in expressing thoughts on intricate scholarly, Hadith, and jurisprudential issues. Moreover, they maintain a distance from sectarian narrowness and possess the capacity to respect diverse opinions and thoughts simultaneously, a quality that broadens knowledge and protects hearts from narrowness.
When divine grace descended upon Nadwa, it was no ordinary moment but a special hour of destiny:
“The beauty of the eternal distributor was distributing, and your stretch took it by extending a hand.”
Someone once asked me why the aging that has befallen other institutions has not affected Nadwa. At that time, I could not provide a reasonable answer, but now I think perhaps the reason is that everywhere else, time is the ruler, and Nadwa is among those few institutions that have seized the reins of time itself. Time subdues those who are content to follow it, but those who stay ahead of time remain unaffected by it. The day Nadwa becomes a relic of the past instead of the future, it will become a museum piece, and living institutions do not become museums as long as they resolve to remain alive.
During this journey, I developed a close association with Maulana Saud Al-Azmi. In one aspect, he is also my compatriot. After graduating from Nadwa, he pursued further education at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Currently, he is engaged in business and serves as a special correspondent for the esteemed magazine “Al-Mujtama” published from Kuwait. His passion for the Arabic language is innate, his thought is balanced, and his temperament is serious, possessing a balanced and cultured personality with moral virtues. Indeed, the beautiful convergence of commerce and literature is among the rarities of the age, and few people are born who can manage two different worlds simultaneously.
Maulana Abu Muhammad Amir Nadwi is associated with the department of affiliated schools and is among my students. He hails from a respectable and cultured family in Lucknow. He has a considerable command of the English language, with fluency and confidence evident in his speech. He also spent some time in the United States and has been associated with teaching English at Nadwa. During this journey, I had the opportunity to meet him multiple times. He is noble-hearted, good-natured, and a true representative of Lucknow’s culture, embodying a pleasant blend of old traditions and the new world.
In the current era, seeing the young teachers of Nadwa reassures the heart that the beautiful blend of knowledge and literature that has been the hallmark of this institution still remains, and that Nadwa continues to uphold its ancient tradition of expansion, moderation, and broad-mindedness. These are the qualities that have made it not just an educational institution but a living center of knowledge and culture, a center whose spirit is still alive and whose lamp has not yet been extinguished.
May Allah Almighty accept the efforts of these esteemed individuals and shower more blessings upon their scholarly and practical services. Ameen.
Dr. Muhammad Akram Nadwi
