Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
Allama Sayyed Abul Hasan Nadwi ‘May Allah have mercy on him’ (Part 55)
A great man in the field of Da’wah (invitation) and reformation
Perceive the youth!
Since the youth are considered a very great and energetic force in every society, they are of extraordinary importance, and the arrows of the enemies and the false ones have always aimed at this vulnerable segment of the Islamic society. As every wise person in this era observes how the enemies of Islam and the Westerners are seeking to steal the faith, Islamic zeal, religious dignity, modesty and honor of the young Muslims. In every region, using new means, satellites, television, vulgar CDs and inappropriate photos, they have undertaken widespread and extensive propaganda in this regard, and in the name of progress and civilization, they want to take everything from them. We must admit that in many cases they have achieved success and have transformed and even overturned the thinking of young Muslims. They have made religion and Islam look old and the Quran look out of fashion, which is why they do not want to leave any religion or faith, book or ritual for young Muslims.
Imam Nadwi, like other scholars of the Islamic world, and even more than them, understood the depth of this unfortunate tragedy and felt a sense of danger about it, and he always expressed his pain and sorrow everywhere, whether in India or in the Arab countries.
Allama Nadwi writes:
It has been exactly a century since Europe has been constantly hunting our youth and corrupting their minds. It sows the seeds of doubt, atheism, and distrust of the unseen and religious truths in their minds and pushes them towards their political and economic systems, but we remain indifferent and content with the scientific reserves of the past and neglect the production of new scientific products in line with the needs of the time, and we are unwilling to fully criticize and examine imported philosophies so that their positive and negative points become clear to everyone and so that credulous and superficial people are not fooled by their deceptive appearance.
One of the biggest problems that exists in Islamic society in general is the poor relationship between scholars and youth. Scholars who can sow the seeds of correct faith and firm certainty in the mirror of Sharia in the minds of youth; but as the distance between these two groups increases, the gap becomes deeper and deeper, and the lurking enemies push them towards amorality and atheistic thoughts, etc. Accordingly, Imam Nadwi clarified and emphasized this matter in a meeting he had with scholars in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and in the continuation of the discussion of this meeting, he writes as follows:
Then I emphasized the youth, especially the university youth; because they are the men of tomorrow and the future nation, and they are the ones who will take over the leadership of countries and the structure of life, legislate laws and justify sciences and education. They will take over the reins of the country and the key to affairs, and the reform of this group will in fact be the reform of countries, and if this group is aware and confident about Islam, Islamic values and concepts, it will be beneficial for the survival of Islam and its dominance; But if they do not trust the competence of Islam, their anxiety in their beliefs, their despair about the future of Islam and its competence for leadership, and their belief that Western civilization is the last stage of man’s achievement of progress, happiness, and freedom, then Islam will decline and be forced to withdraw from the scene of life. In fact, this will lead to a kind of intellectual and cultural apostasy that will engulf all countries, and its raging waves will rise that will not leave any school, monastery, farm, or home unaffected.
Then, Mawlana Nadwi points to some countries that faced deep intellectual and apostasy crises due to the lack of attention from Islamic scholars and thinkers to the youth and their proper guidance, and the callers to atheism and amorality have made a double and tireless effort to corrupt the youth and sow the seeds of atheism and irreligion in them. On the one hand, they fueled racial and ethnic prejudices, on the other hand, they plunged them into the swamp of the decadent culture of the West, and on the other hand, they tried to spread prostitution and immorality on a wide scale through tapes, magazines, television, etc., which resulted in a narrower field for religion and faith. It was in light of such situations that Imam Nadwi felt very much in danger and warned about its consequences. After discussing and examining the anxiety and intellectual conflict among the youth, he considered the solutions as follows:
1. Activating faith and accountability in the youth and fully paying attention to the superiority of science and scholars, the necessity of sincerity, being wary of worldly goals of science and knowledge, and not seeking knowledge for other than Allah and other than religion.
2. The existence of professors whom Allah Almighty has endowed with the power of personality, penetrating faith and knowledge, sound intellect, a soft heart, and strong emotions.
3. The existence of a positive and powerful call that engages the thoughts of the youth, overcomes their emotions, stimulates their scientific talents, and leaves no room for another call.
4. Creating an advanced social system under which the youth can continue their social and Islamic life, of course, under the supervision of exemplary teachers and supervisors, and individuals who are exemplary and role models in ethics, character, and taste for knowledge and worship.
5. Holding public meetings in which great scholars and distinguished thinkers and the Islamic elite are invited to instill the true faith in the youth, ignite the flame of faith, and strengthen their trust in Islam, the Sharia, the call, and ways of life.
Mawlana Muhammad Rebeh Nadwi writes: 1. The mass of Muslims; 2. The intellectuals and the new educated class; 3. The holders of power and government.
He believed that for the first group, the method of the predecessors and Sufis was appropriate. For the second group, the need for language and pen was influential, and he himself was one of the guides on this path. For the third group, he chose the method of Hazrat Mujaddad Alf Sani; that is, to understand and guide them by calmly using guidance letters and by establishing good relationships.
Continues…
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