(Mother of Moulana Sayyid Abul Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi [rahimahumallah] – Part One)
Moulana Sayyid Abul Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi (rahimahullah) was an internationally renowned ‘Aalim of the recent past, who was well known for his mastery in the Arabic language, despite hailing from the land of India. His proficiency in Arabic was such that he authored many books in Arabic which received fame and acclaim in the Arab and non-Arab world. In fact, many of his Arabic books are studied in madaaris and universities world-wide as elementary text books for learning the Arabic language.
Together with his command of the Arabic language, Moulana’s (rahimahullah) other field of specialty was history – specifically studying the rise and fall of nations and the factors that led to their decline.
Moulana (rahimahullah) was also actively involved in the effort of da’wat and tableegh and delivered talks in many ijtimaas. Furthermore, he played a major role in introducing the work of da’wat to the Arab countries. Allah Ta‘ala had granted Moulana (rahimahullah) international acceptance as he travelled to almost all the Muslim countries, from Malaysia in the east to Morocco in the west, and to many non-Muslim countries as well, conveying the message of Deen.
Moulana (rahimahullah) passed away on the Day of Jumu‘ah, 22 Ramadhaan 1420 A.H. (31 December 1999). Janaazah Salaah in absentia was performed in the Harams of Makkah Mukarramah and Madeenah Munawwarah (which is permissible according to the Shaafi‘ee and Hambali mazhab). It is thus estimated that 3.5 million people performed his janaazah salaah in the Harams alone.
As Moulana’s (rahimahullah) father had passed away when he was still a young child, it was Moulana’s (rahimahullah) mother who saw to his upbringing and single-handedly raised him. She was undoubtedly an exceptional mother to have raised such an exceptional son. The fruits of her efforts are evident in the success and acceptance which Allah Ta‘ala granted Moulana (rahimahullah).
Being a prolific writer, Moulana (rahimahullah) wrote a detailed biography of his mother entitled “Zikr-e-Khair”. Over the next few parts, a few important and relevant incidents from this biography will be discussed so that we can learn from the life of this exemplary woman.
Lesson:
Every child is raised under the influence of one or more people who serve to mould the child into the man he will one day become. In the case of Moulana Abul Hasan (rahimahullah), it was largely his mother, with her unique approach to raising him, who moulded him into the internationally accepted ‘Aalim that he became. Hence, everything that Allah Ta‘ala blessed him to achieve is actually a reflection of her perfection. Therefore, if parents wish for their child to be blessed with piety and serve the Deen of Allah Ta‘ala, the parent will first have to make changes in their own lives, as only then will they be able to suitably influence their child.