Sulaiman Nadvi (22 November 1884 – 22 November 1953) was a British Indian, and then Pakistani, Islamic scholar, historian and a writer, who co-authored ''
Sirat-un-Nabi'' and wrote ''Khutbat-e-Madras''.
[
He was a member of the founding committee of ]Jamia Millia Islamia
Jamia Millia Islamia is a Public university, public and research university located in Delhi, India. Originally established at Aligarh, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) during the British R ...
University.
Early life and education
Sulaiman Nadvi was born on 22 November 1884 in Desna, a village of Nalanda District
Nalanda district is one of the thirty-eight Districts of Bihar, districts of the state of Bihar in India. Bihar Sharif is the administrative headquarters of this district. The districts is home to the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara a UNESCO World He ...
, Bihar, India (then in the Patna District, in the Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal until 1937, later the Bengal Province, was the largest of all three presidencies of British India during Company rule in India, Company rule and later a Provinces o ...
of British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
). His father, Hakeem Sayyed Abul Hasan was a Sufi.[
Sulaiman Nadvi was influenced by Shibli Nomani at Lucknow. In 1906, he graduated from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama.][ In 1908, Nadvi was appointed as an instructor of Modern Arabic and Theology at Nadva. Sulaiman Nadvi was one of the favorite pupils of Maulana Shibli Nomani, along with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad; Nadvi became one of the biographers of the Prophet of Islam and a historian during his own lifetime. Allama Iqbal, too was a great admirer of his erudition and used to refer to him as Ustad ul Kul ("Teacher of all"), and is said to have approached him on religious matters.]
Later in life, he formed a close spiritual relation with Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi, and became his disciple.
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University is a Collegiate university, collegiate, Central university (India), central, and Research university, research university located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Kh ...
conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctorate of Literature ( DLitt) in 1941.[
]
Contribution to Islamic literature
In 1933, he published one of his major works, ''Khayyam''. The nucleus of this book was an article on the noted Persian scholar and poet Omar Khayyam
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīshābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131) (Persian language, Persian: غیاث الدین ابوالفتح عمر بن ابراهیم خیام نیشابورﻯ), commonly known as Omar ...
.[Profile and books by Sulaiman Nadvi]
on Archived Open Library (California State Library
The California State Library is the state library of the State of California, founded in 1850 by the California State Legislature. The Library collects, preserves, generates and disseminates a wide array of information. Today, it is the central ...
) website. Retrieved 19 February 2024
Sulaiman Nadvi, along with others who favored Hindu-Muslim unity in British India, suggested that the term "Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
" be abandoned in favour of " Hindustani" because the former conjured up the image of a military conquest and war whereas the latter had no such symbolic baggage.
Sulaiman Nadvi founded Darul Musannifeen (Academy of Authors), also known as the Shibli Academy, at Azamgarh. The first book published there was ''Ard-ul-Quran'' (2 volumes).[
]
Later life and death
In June 1950, Nadvi moved to Pakistan and settled in Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
.[ He was appointed Chairman of Taleemat-e-Islami Board to advise on Islamic aspects of Pakistan's Constitution. He died on 22 November 1953 in Karachi at the age of 69.][Profile and graveside monument of Sulaiman Nadvi in Karachi, Pakistan]
Retrieved 9 October 2019.[
However, his son Salman Nadvi asserts that they didn't move to Pakistan with the intention of migration. Right after they reached Pakistan, Sulaiman Nadvi's health deteriorated and he tried unsuccessfully to get his permit extended from the Indian embassy, which caused grief and pain.]
Commemorative postage stamp
Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp to honor his services in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' Series on 14 August 1992.[
]
Literary work
Nadvi's works include:
*''Ahl-us-Sunnah-wal-Jamā‘ah''[
*''The Arab Navigation'', lectures delivered in Bombay during March 1931.
*''Khayyam'', about the contributions of ]Omar Khayyam
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīshābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131) (Persian language, Persian: غیاث الدین ابوالفتح عمر بن ابراهیم خیام نیشابورﻯ), commonly known as Omar ...
, published in 1933, .[
*'' Khutbat-e-madras''][
*''Rahmat-e-Aalam''][
*''Seerat-e-Aisha''][
*'' Sirat-un-Nabi'' (Life of the Prophet) by first ]Shibli Nomani
Shibli Nomani (4 June 1857 – 18 November 1914) was an Indian Islamic scholar, poet, philosopher, historian, educational thinker, author, orator, reformer and critic of orientalists during the British Raj. He is regarded as the father of Urdu ...
, the teacher of Sulaiman Nadvi. Shibli started writing this book, which was later finished by Sulaiman Nadvi after Shibli's death in 1914.[
*''Rahmat e alam''
* Tarikh ardul Quran ]
See also
* Shibli Nomani
Shibli Nomani (4 June 1857 – 18 November 1914) was an Indian Islamic scholar, poet, philosopher, historian, educational thinker, author, orator, reformer and critic of orientalists during the British Raj. He is regarded as the father of Urdu ...
* Muhammad Ali Jauhar
* Khilafat Movement
The Khilafat movement (1919–22) was a political campaign launched by Indian Muslims in British India over British policy against Turkey and the planned dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire after World War I by Allied forces.
Leaders particip ...
* Allama Muhammad Iqbal
References
More
Contribution of Syed Sulaiman Nadvi to Ismail studies
*
BOOK REVIEWS - Sayyid Sulaiman Nadvi, Tarikh-i arz al-Qur'an
Sulaimān Nadvī The Arab navigation
Literary Services of Syed Suleman Al-Nadvi in Seerah al-Nabawiyah
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nadvi, Sulaiman
1884 births
1953 deaths
Muhajir people
20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam
Scholars from Bihar
Writers from Lucknow
People from Azamgarh
20th-century Indian historians
Pakistani people of Bihari descent
20th-century Urdu-language writers
Writers from British India
Writers from Karachi
Writers from Patna
Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama
Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama alumni
Founders of Indian schools and colleges
Deobandis
Disciples of Ashraf Ali Thanwi
Members of the Majlis-e-Shura of Darul Uloom Deoband
Founders of Jamia Millia Islamia