Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi

Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (Ali Miyan) (Raebareli, 1914 - 31 December 1999) He was born in a family of Islamic scholars on the 6th Moharam ul Haram 1333 H (1914) at Takia Kalan (Daira Shah Alamullah) Rae Bareily. In 1934, he was appointed as teacher in Nadwa, later in 1961, he became Principal of Nadwa and in 1980, he was appointed as Chairman of Islamic Centre Oxford, UK. He has been awarded King Faisal Award (1981) and Sultan of Brunei Award (1999) for his contributions. He was a prolific writer in Urdu and Arabic, his books are part of syllabic studies in various Arab Universities, several books have been translated in English.

Education and early life

His education was started by his mother with teaching of Holy Quran and then formal education of Arabic and Urdu was started. In 1923, when he was nine years old, his father Hakim Syed Abdul Hai died. The responsibility of his education then came to his mother and his elder bother Maulana Hakim Syed Abdul Ali Hasani, who was himself a medical student (after graduation from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama and Darul Uloom Deoband).

He began his formal Arabic education under the guidance of Allama Khalil Arab in 1924, eventually completing his Arabic studies under him.

In 1926, he gained admission in Nadwatul Ulama. He attended the Dars of Hadith by Allama Muhaddith Haider Husain Khan and Sahiyen-Sanana-Abudaud and Sanan-Tirmzee word by word from him. In the session of Nadwatul Ulama of Kanpur, Maulana attended and impressed the one and all by his Arabic conversation. The Arab guest made him their companion on the tour of the city as a guide.

A year later, he took admission in Lucknow university and obtained the degree of Fazil from the university. He studied the select Urdu literature which helped him in his Dawah work. Until 1930, he also learned English language which helped him to study English books on various Islamic topics and gain useful information directly. He received the teaching in the commentary (Tafseer) in selected surah from his Sheikh Maulana Khalil Ahsan and studied the complete Tafseer of Al-Quran at Lahore in 1932 by Maulana Ahmad Ali Lahoree.

In 1932 he also stayed few months at Darul Uloom Deoband where he took lessons from Shiekhul Islam Maulana Husain Ahmed Madani in Sunan al-Tirmidhi and Sahih al-Bukhari. He also took advantage of his stay and learnt commentary and Quranic science and subjects. He also took lessons in Fiqah from Sheikh 'Aziz Ali and in Tajweed according to the recitation of Hafs from Qur'an Reader Asghar Ali Sahib

Literary work and Dawah life

In 1931, he wrote his first article on Syed Ahmad Shahid at the age of 17 years, which was published in the journal Al-Manar edited by Sayyid Rashid Rida of Egypt. Three years later, he was appointed as a teacher in Nadwatul Ulama. He taught Tafsir, Hadith, Arabic literature, History and Logic. His first book the life history of Syed Ahmad Shahid was published in 1938 which became popular amongst the Deeni and Dawah circles.

A year later, he journeyed to acquaint himself with the centers of Islamic importance in India in which he met Maulana Shiekh Abdul Qadir Raipuri and the great reformer Maulana Mohammed Ilyas Kandhlawi and kept a continues contact with them and obtained spiritual training from the former and following the later, learnt the Dawah work and the work for reformation of Muslims. He undertook many journeys for it and continued such journeys for quite sometime and was invited by Jamia Millia in 1942 to where he delivered a lecture which was later published by the title of "Deen-wa-Mazhab"

In 1943, he established an Association by the name of ‘Anjuman Taleemat-e-Deen’ and delivered Lectures on Tafseer and sunnah which became very popular particularly in Modern educated persons and persons in Govt. service. This was followed by this 1945 selection as a member of the administrative council of Nadwatul Ulama.

He was later proposed as deputy Director Education Nadwatul Ulama by Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadwi and was appointed and after the death of Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadwi, he was made the Director of education in 1954 - following the foundation of his famous movement Payam-e-Insaniyat in 1951.

He also became the editor of the journals Al-Baas and Al-Raid and founded the Academy of Islamic Research and Publications In 1961, after the death of his brother Dr. Abdul Ali Hasani, he was appointed the General Secretary of Nadwatul Ulama, then by AMU to recast the BA course on Islamics

In 1963 he delivered many lectures in Jamia Islamia Madina Munawara which were published by the name of "Al Nabuwatu wal-anbiya-o-fee zauil-Quran" and was made editor in chief of Nida-e-Millet, and an advisor on the Urdu journal ‘Tameer-e-hayat’

He was invited by education minister of Saudi Arabia in 1968 to participate in the critical study of the curriculum and system of the department of Sharia. He delivered many lectures in Riyadh University and Department of teaching

He was in the editorial board of the Arabic Journal "Al-Zia" of Nadwatul Ulama in 1932 and the Urdu journal Al-Nawa 1940 and published an Urdu Journal Tameer in 1948 and took the responsibility of editorial of a journal from Damascus in 1959. He was the chief controller of all the above papers which were published from Nadwa

Many of his notable works which are translated into English include: Path to Medina, Western Civilization: Islam and Muslims, and Saviours of Islamic Spirit.

Travel timeline

*1935: He traveled to Bombay to invite B. R. Ambedkar, the scheduled caste leader, to accept Islam.

*1939: The first distant journey. He met Ulama and elites. He met Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal. He had already translated a few of Dr. Iqbal’s poem in Arabic prose.

*1939: Traveled to acquaint himself to Islamic Centres in India

*1947: Traveled to perform Hajj - He stayed for a few months at Hijaz. This was his first ever trip to a foreign land.

*1951: Traveled to Egypt. Where his book ‘Maza Khasral Aalam Binhitat Ulmuslmin’ had already become popular and was a means of his introduction in the elite. In the same journey he travelled to Palestine he visited Baitul Muqqadus and saw ‘Madinatul Khaleel’ and ‘Baitul laham’ In return he met King of Jordan King Abdullah I.

*1963: He traveled to Europe and visited Geneva, London, Paris, Cambridge, Oxford and important elites of Spain. He met many an Arab and western professors and delivered many lectures.

*1965: He visited Turkey for the first time. He visited Kuwait and other Persian Gulf countries time again. He traveled to Afghanistan, Iran and Lebanon with the delegation of WML.

*1976: Traveled to far west (Algiers)

*1977: first journey to America.

*1985: Trip to Belgium

*1987: Trip to Malaysia

*1990: Traveled to Burma

*1993: Second trip to America

*1993: Samarkand and Tashkent

Honours and awards

In 1956 he was made visiting member of Arabic Academy Damascus. At the first inaugural session and foundation of World Muslim League in Mekkah Mukarama in which His Royal Highness the King of Saudi Arabia Saud Bin Abdul Aziz and King of Libya Idris Sanussi were present. Hazrat Maulana performed the duties of secretary at that session.

At the inauguration and foundation of Madina University Madina, he was made the member of the advisory council and remained as member till the administration was changed, and was a Foundation member of the League of Islamic Universities.

In 1980s, he was made a Member of Arabic Academy of Jordan, won the King Faisal Award, became Chairman of Islamic Centre Oxford, was given an Honorary Degree of Ph.D. bny Kashmir University awarded and was appointed as Chairman by Adab Islamic

In 1999 was awarded Dubai International Holy Quran award by the government of Dubai. Special arrangments were made through sending a personal plane to bring him to the award cermoney which was held in Dubai. He also won the Sultan Brunei Award by Oxford Islamic Center on his work of ‘Tareekh Dawat-o-Azeemat’