
Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
Allama Sayyed Abul Hasan Nadwi, May Allah Have Mercy on Him (Part 38)
The Spiritual Moments of Allama Nadwi’s Life (may Allah have mercy on him)
In the garden of obedience, Allah Almighty inspires many of His servants with such outstanding qualities that their whole lives become lessons in knowledge and spirituality. One of these human-building lessons is the obedience to Sunnah and divine laws. The Imam of Da’wah in the present age, Hazrat Sayyed Abul Hassan Nadwi, is among the few persons whose fruitful life was full of reforms and a love for the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—a love that made him follow and obey his precious Sunnah.
One of the most basic and central foundations of his growth and prosperity was following the Sunnah and being inspired by the life of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. As a child, when he did not recognize the difference between a library and other shops, he would read biographical books about the Prophet and welcomed these types of books with open arms. From that time, he laid the foundation of his life with such books. Additionally, during times of mourning, the women of the house would read the translation of Futuh al-Sham Waqedi together, which was arranged by one of the family members. It was from this axis that he reached the height of honor and glory.
Hazrat Imam Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) not only put into practice the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but he also encouraged others to benefit from this source of goodness and be nourished by it. Therefore, for those who came to him to pledge allegiance, he ordered them to follow the Sunnah with emphasis, as this action has a significant effect on the progress of the spiritual dimension of a person. Whoever wishes to approach Allah, the first step is to follow the Sunnah.
Mawlana Mohammad Rabeh Nadwi writes that Hazrat Imam Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) did not emphasize special Sufi rituals and Azkar to his disciples as much as he emphasized the sincerity of action, the support of religion, and following the Sunnah. He advised those engaged in religious sciences to respect their occupation and recommended the recitation of the Qur’an and the recitation of Masnun Azkar as fundamental practices. Additionally, when pledging allegiance, he chose words that originated from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the pledge of allegiance to women in the Great Qur’an.
On the Peaks of Forgiveness and Generosity
Mawlana Nadwi, may Allah have mercy on him, endeavored in every aspect of his daily life to seek the pure character of the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He exhibited a high degree of generosity, which has been said to be inherent to his nature and increased significantly during Ramadan. The Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them, indicated that the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was “more forgiving than a fierce wind” during the holy month of Ramadan. Imam Nadwi, may Allah have mercy on him, emulated this attribute of the beloved of the two worlds, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
On the other hand, Imam Nadwi, may Allah have mercy on him, had the love of the Sunnah and its owner, peace and blessings be upon him, in his heart since childhood. Bilal Abdul Hai Hassani writes: “Those who have had a relationship with Hazrat Mawlana and have been with him, whether they liked it or not, admit that Mawlana’s existence was filled with these good qualities, and he became a practical interpretation of the Prophet’s life.”
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