Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
Allama Sayyed Abul Hasan Nadwi ‘May Allah Have Mercy on Him’ (Part 35)
The Spiritual Moments of Allama Nadwi’s Life (may Allah have mercy on him)
Respecting Contemporaries
It has been said since ancient times: “Contemporaneity is the basis of hatred and disgust.” Although contemporaneity provides reasons for turbidity and resentment, great men have traversed this terrible desert safely. Imam Nadwi cultivated a heart filled with love and respect toward his contemporaries and the thinkers of his time by removing any rust from the mirror of his heart. In this way, he harbored no grudge against anyone and welcomed everyone with a transparent chest full of love; this can be considered one of the distinctive features of thinkers in the field of spirituality.
Dr. Abdullah Abbas Nadwi writes: “Mawlana respected contemporary scholars with an open heart and acknowledged their high status. In his letters, he addressed those older than him with respectful terms. To foster cooperation among his students, he often used language that sometimes led to misunderstandings. His nature was such that he despised group and party prejudices, sincerely respecting his elders from the bottom of his heart. I remember that once someone said: ‘In the outskirts of Lucknow, at a certain school in that city, someone made such and such comments about you.’ He also had a tape with him. Hazrat Mawlana Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) did not allow him to speak further, nor did he listen to the tape.”
He continues: “Hazrat Mawlana showed great respect and honor to contemporary scholars and elders, even in their absence, the same way he did in their presence. He never criticized even his opponents or envious individuals. When introducing, critiquing, or commenting on the work of one of his contemporaries, he would do so with an open heart and appreciate their contributions. The purity of his heart and tongue was one of the special qualities of Hazrat Mawlana Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him).”
Dr. Abdullah Abbas Nadwi, who spent a long time with Mawlana Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him), states, “I was with Mawlana all the time. I can stand at the door of the Ka’bah and swear that during the hours I spent alone with Mawlana, whether on a plane or traveling with him by train, no inappropriate words ever escaped his lips.”
I have seen many people use improper words and epithets to describe unrighteous individuals. They mix common titles (such as Doctor, Mawlana, Shah, etc.) with a person’s name or a part of their name, creating inappropriate nicknames. However, Mawlana never referred to any individual with a derogatory title. This is a sign of his purity of tongue and heart. The bright heart of Hazrat Imam Nadwi was never tainted by the darkness of envy or the rust of grudges, and he never sought revenge against anyone.
“It is our religion to have a chest like a mirror;
It is disbelief in our religion to harbor grudges in the heart.”
Taking revenge and holding grudges is a source of pleasure for the soul, but Mawlana never surrendered to the urge to commit injustice for self-satisfaction or sullied his tongue and heart with impurities.
Continues…
By admin2