Sulaiman al-Nadwi
- Died
- 1373 AH
- Born in
- -
Sulaiman al-Nadwi (1302–1373 AH / 1884–1953 CE) was an Indian Islamic scholar, historian, and biographer, known for completing the monumental biographical work Sirat al-Nabi and for delivering the lecture series Khutbat-i Madras (translated into Arabic as al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya) .
Lineage and Early Life
He was Sulaiman ibn Abi al-Hasan ibn Muhammad Sher (known as al-Hakim Muhammadi) ibn Azmat Ali ibn Wajih al-Din . His family traced its lineage through both paternal and maternal lines to Ali ibn Abi Talib, and his mother was Qutb al-Nisa' bint al-Sayyid Haydar Husayn . He was born in the village of Desna in Bihar, India, on Friday, with seven nights remaining of Safar 1302 AH (22 November 1884 CE) .
He began his foundational studies in his home village under his elder brother Abu Habib al-Naqshbandi and his father . In 1316 AH (1898 CE), he traveled to Phulwari Sharif, where he studied under Muhyi al-Din al-Mujibi and Sulaiman al-Phulwarwi, before proceeding to Madrasa Imdadiyya in Darbhanga to study under Murtada Husayn al-Deobandi and Fida Husayn al-Arawi .
Education and Mentorship
In 1318 AH (1901 CE), he enrolled at Dar al-Ulum Nadwat al-Ulama in Lucknow, studying there for five years until his graduation in 1324 AH (1907 CE) . His prominent teachers there included Abd al-Latif al-Sanbhali in jurisprudence, Hafizullah al-Bandawi in hadith, Muhammad Faruq al-Chiriyakoti in logic and philosophy, and Abd al-Hayy al-Hasani in Arabic literature .
His most influential mentor was Shibli Nu'mani, whom he closely accompanied to study Arabic literature, theology (kalam), and historical methodology . During his student years, he also served as deputy editor of the institute's journal, al-Nadwa .
Career and Public Life
He was appointed instructor of Arabic language and literature at Dar al-Ulum Nadwat al-Ulama in 1325 AH (1906 CE), teaching there until 1912 CE . In 1330 AH, he moved to Calcutta at the invitation of Abul Kalam Azad to co-edit the Urdu newspaper al-Hilal for one year . In 1331 AH, he was appointed lecturer in Oriental languages and Persian literature at Poona College under the University of Bombay, remaining there for about three years .
Shortly before his death in 1332 AH (1914 CE), Shibli Nu'mani entrusted him with the management of the research academy Dar al-Musannifin in Azamgarh and the completion of his multi-volume biography of the Prophet . Sulaiman al-Nadwi took charge of the institution, edited its monthly journal Ma'arif, and authored the remaining volumes of the biographical encyclopedia .
He participated in the Khilafat Movement and represented Indian Muslims abroad . When King Abd al-Aziz Al Saud convened the World Muslim Congress in Mecca in 1344 AH, Sulaiman al-Nadwi was elected vice president of its proceedings . He traveled to London, Paris, Cairo, and visited Afghanistan alongside Muhammad Iqbal and Ross Masood at the invitation of the Afghan monarch . He later served for three years as Chief Judge (Qadi) and director of religious affairs and Jamia Ahmadiyya in the princely state of Bhopal .
Following the partition of India, he migrated to Pakistan in Sha'ban 1369 AH (1950 CE) upon the invitation of government officials to assist in framing the country's Islamic constitution, settling in Karachi where he also headed Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam .
Standing and Recognition
He was widely regarded as a leading Islamic scholar, historian, and stylist of Urdu and Arabic prose across South Asia . Aligarh Muslim University conferred on him an honorary doctorate in literature in recognition of his scholarly output . In 1371 AH, the Fuad I Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo elected him as a corresponding member . Biographers noted his quiet demeanor, commitment to wearing the traditional turban, and dedication to research and teaching over political engagement .
Death
Sulaiman al-Nadwi died on 1 Rabi' al-Thani 1373 AH (December 1953 CE) in Karachi . His funeral was attended by prominent scholars, dignitaries, and foreign diplomats, and he was buried in Karachi beside the hadith scholar Shabbir Ahmad al-Uthmani .
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List of Works
Sirat al-Sayyida Aisha Umm al-Muminin is a biographical study devoted to the life, virtues, scholarship, and religious legacy of Aisha bint Abi Bakr.
al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya is a study on the biography and universal message of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Originally delivered in Urdu as a series of eight lectures under the title Khutbat-i Madras, it presents a concise distillation of classical literature on the Prophetic biography and the multi-volume Sirat al-Nabi.