A-B-UL HASAN ALI NADWI

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Translated by
~="'.

DB-. SHAH EBADUR RAH-MAN

Scanned on 24.11.2016
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Introduction

....

This article, which contains the suggestions and advice given by

Hazrat Maulana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi to general Muslims
regarding developing moral character and adopting Islamic
lifestyle, is taken from his famous book Dastoore Hayaat (Urdu), 'In
this short piece of writing Maulana Nadwi, a 20th century Islamic
scholar of world renown, addresses such Muslims WI10 wish to
transform their life tainted with forgetfulness of Allah i11tO a life
fully in keeping with the teachings of the Islamic Shariah ancl want
to know where to begin, how to proceed and what priorities to
follow.
These pieces of advice are very valuable as they are based on
Maulana Nadwi's vast knowledge and deep understanding of Islam
and his personal experience relating to tazkiyae nafs (rectitude).
They are so valuable that he himself wishes to adopt them in his
life ancl benefit [I"Om them. His first advice to the readers is that
they adopt the book Dastoore Hayaat, or its English translation A
Guidebook for Muslims, as a life-long companion and trustworthy
gtlide and sincerely follow the gltidelines offered in it. He believes
that if the readers follow the instructions provided in this book,
they can insha Allah attain the most cherished status of wilaayate
Khaas (special friendship with Allah), which is the highest level of
iman and spirituality.
Abul I-Iasan Ali Nadwi Study Circle is publishing this a~..ticle in
English separately in booklet form, edited, and abridged for the
convenience of the readers, The present work has already appeared
in Urdu: its Hindi translation is in progress. The Study Circle is
established to promote the views and teachings of Hazrat Maulana
Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi which will pl~epare and promote
short materials presenting Maulana Nadwi's views and thoughts
relevant to our time and needs. A page will soon be created on the
internet which will contain all such materials so that authentic and

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11eCeSSal"Yinformation about Islam is made available to' interested

readers.
We strongly recommend that the readers read the book Dastoore
Hayaat 01 its translation for fully 'benefiting from Maul ana' Nadwi's
gllidal1ce., This booklet is only a small part of it and is intended to
introduce the readers ',to the main book, "not to replace it.
o 0

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If all individual or a institution wishes to publish this aIticle for

the pllI'p~se .of propagation, the Study Circle has no objection to it,
provided 1) the publisher does not make any change in the content
of this article, 2) does not try to reserve legal, right of its
0

publication exclusively for himself 01" his institution, and 3) informs

the Study Circle in writing about publishing this article and sends a
few copies of' his publication at the address given below,
all OlII efforts we follow the policy of dissociating ourselves
III
fi"0111 petty disputes of maslak, religious strife, political association
, -.
and anti-social, anti-national and anti-human activities. The Study
Circle is an educational platform and is 'non-comme:i"cial.
We appreciate feedback and suggestions.

Dr. Shah Ebadur Rahman (Neshat)

I-II l.:t:. Abul Fazl Enclave, Jarnia Nagar
New Delhi 110025
vi..sit-Islam. corn.
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Some Experiences, Some Suggestions

(Kuch Tsjurbe, Kuch Mas11ware)
- Maulana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

1. Adoption of Correct Belief (Aqeeda)

We should first of all check and make sure that OlII" aqeeda (the
Islamic Belief) is correct and is fully in keeping with tIle
teachings of the Qllran. It is very important that our aqeeda is
authentic. (and is free from all kinds of misunderstanding and
fallacies). (A detailed discussion of the correct Islamic belief is
presented in Dastoore Hayaat, from which this article is taken).

2. Observance of Farssez (Obligatory Duties in Islam)

We should then take utmost care to enSLII"e that we duly

perform all ibaadaat (acts of worship) commanded in the Islamic
Shariah, especially the four obligatory duties - Salalz, Zakah,
HaJJ' and Saunn (Prayer's, Poor-due, Pilgrimage and Fasting).
We should try to perform them 1))1 carefull y attendin g to thei r
physical requirements (physical preparations and movements
involved in their' performance) <111Cl spiritual etiq uette (correct
intention, concentration, eagerness and submission, as
enunciated in the Islamic Shariah) and follow the sunnali of the
Prophet as closely as possible in performing them. The more we
observe the sunnali of the Prophet in performing these duties,
the better they will be in perfection and effectiveness fC)I'
winning Allah's pleasure,

We try to ensure tllat our salah in particular

should
resembles the salah of the Prophet as much as possible both
physically and spiritually so that it carl influence our moral
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character and generate auspicious traits of godliness and piety

in our individual life and social conduct.

3. Rights of Fellow Human Beings (Huqooqu17baad)

After aqeeda and faraaez, the third most important thing is the
rights of fellow human beings (huqooqul ibaad). I t is well known
t

that Allah may forgive the failings of a person in fulfilling his

duties to Him, but a right of a human being unjustly ignored or
denied in this world is a sin that only the person concerned can
forgive on the Day of Judgment. It is narrated in a Hadith
documented in Muslim Shareef
TIle Prophet. of Allah, blessings and peace be on him;
asked his Companions in a gathering: "Do yOlt knot who
a paltper (1nliflis) is?" The Companions replied: "In. our
society a pa1.tper is a person who has neither cash nor
kind." The Prophet thereupon said, "In 1ny ummali
(followers) a paltper (muflis} is that person who will
appear on the Day of Judgment ioitli salah, fasting;
zakah, etc., but as he called somebody names, leveled false
accusations against a person; committed misappropriation
(kheyanat), shed blood or beat somebody unjustly in this
life, his virtues will be given to the persons he toronged.
When. th1JS the stock of his good deeds will exhaust and

. -
there will still be claimants, the sins of the claimants will
be heaped on him. He will then be throum into the
Hellfire. [Muslim]

In order to avoid such a dreadful fate, we must keep our

aCCOllnts clear and make SUI"~that we payoff whatever we owe
to a person: be it a case of loan, commercial deal, combined
property, inheritance, insult or abuse of a Muslim, failure in
fulfilling somebody's right, aspersion or backbiting. We should
settle down all such matters in this world by paying off to the
person concerned his due or see to it that he willingly forgives
LIS.
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4. Tazkiyae NatS (Moral Rectification)

(After that we should pay attention to improving our akhlaaq
[11101'al character] and concentrate on our taxkiyae nafs, i. e.,
disciplining the ego, in' the light of the teachings of the
Shariah), We should try to get 'rid of our egoistic weaknesses
and sinful inclinations and adorn our heart with virtues and
piety. Immoral habits and tendencies are in fact barriers
.
that do
not let a Muslim benefit from the teachings of the Prophet and
adopt the Islamic lifestyle. We do bad things under the immoral
influence of our nqfs (ego) and follow the insinuations of the
Devil because we are weak in akhlaaq.
(The following steps can. be helpful in taxkiyae nafs.)
.:

A) Following the Islamic Shariah

We should follow the criteria of the Islamic Shariah in
purifying our naJs (ego) and rectifying our akhlaaq and for this
pllI'pose adopt the teachings of the QUI'an and sunnab (which
means that the deeds, habits and inclinations that are in keeping
with the teachings of the Quran and sunnah are right and
should be followed, and the deeds, habits and inclinations that
contradict the teachings of the Qllran and sunnah are wrong_
and should be discarded.)
\
B) Guidance of a pious elder
We should also try to get in touch with a pious and God-
fearing Muslim known in the society for his abilities to instruct
and guide in moral rectification (tazkiyae naJs) and seek his help
for our islali (purification of character). As Maulana Nadwi
writes:
No matter houi insightful and sharp in sight a person is,
he carl see his face only in a mirror. F 'ortunate is the
Muslim who is able to identify his moral shortcomings '
(sudi as, alTogarlce, jealousy, greed,. miserliness, gnl,dge,

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'~/l.vy, love of tlze 'lV01Zd, love of uealth, and treating a

Muslim with disrespect anti scorn), uiants to get rid of
them and figllts them as seriously as he uould fight an
ardi el'le1ny (uiho uiould take 'lis life if he can}. And he is
indeed very fortunate uiho finds a pious scholar and
experienced spiritual mentor uiho cautions him by
pointing out his moral shortcomings, suggests remedies,
makes the treatment process easy Jo1 him to folloui;
t

influences and enriches his heart by the pltrity and potver

of his Iman and inspires him as .a model of piety and
uprightness.

C) Keeping company of the pious (Sohbat)

111olden times, keeping company of the pious (sohbat) was the
most convenient way of achieving tazkiyae nafs, and even well-
known Islamic scholars and Imams (leaders) used to seek the
company of the pious persons of the time even if those pious
persons were inferior to them in knowledge. They did so
because in the company of those pious persons they felt inspired
to improve their moral character and learned the vvays to
protect themselves against the insinuations of nofs and
incursions of the Devil.
Once when the son of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal complained
to him that the Imam attended the gathering of such persons
who, though very pious, were inferior to him in knowledge, he
replied: "Son, a person strives to attend the gathering of only
such persons whose company enriches his heart."
In spite of the ever-increasing corruption and evils there has
never been a time when the world was without such pious
pel"SOnS,although their number might be decreasing with time.
D) Self-help
But if a seeker does not find a pious person around from whose
company he could benefit,' he should try to find out and identify
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his moralshortcomings himsel He should understand that 11e

could do SO, fa
1" Allah has said in .the Quran: "Man shall be a

.clear witness against himself even though he offers his excuses"

[75: 14-15J. Once he is able to know his weaknesses, 11eshould
make necessary efforts to find pl'opel" ways to treat them and
get rid of them. For this pllrpose he could benefit [loom the
suggestions of the pious scholars who have written sufficiently
on this topic and suggested ways to overcome waywardness of
e'go, as a very large number of Muslims have benefited from
their guidance. He could refer to Ihyaul Uloom of Imam Ghazali,
Siraate Mustaqeem of Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed, and Tarbiyatus
Saalik ofHazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi for help.

E) Guarding against-harmful influences

He should then take all necessal"Y measures to protect his faith
and religion from harmful influences. He should' observe the
practice of zikr and du'a (remembrance of .Allah and
supplication) and keep a watch on his naJs (egoistic tendencies)
so that he may not 'unwittingly lapse into a moral e\,il. He
should 'al&o stay away from the company of SUCll persons who
are forgetful of Allah and are victims of spiritual and' moral vice,
egoistic weakness and devilish influence.

F) Studying books of Hadeeth and Seersh . .

After this he should turn to the books of .Hadeeth and
biographies of the Prophet, blessings and peace be o.n him, .and
take inspiration and guidance from them. He should sincerely
follo~ the teachings of the. Prophet and emulate his precepts as
closely as possible .
. 5. Learning the Islamic Canon Law (Law ot'Fiqh)
A Muslim should also try to learn the Islamic Canon Law (Law
of FzOqh) which tells a person how to do a deed correctly, He
should be fully informed about the massael (rules pertaining to

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questions) relating to the performance offaraaez (such as salah,

fasting, zakah, etc.) and halaal and haraam (the permissible and
the forbidden)" He should also know-what thefaraaez, uiaajibaat;
and sunnan (obligatory duties, highly recommended duties and
the prophetic traditions) aloe in religion, what acts aloe 'right or
wI'ong in dealings (ma'aamlaat) and what the boundaries of the
Islamic Shariah are. It is especially incumbent upon a god-
fearing Muslim to learn the laws of the Islamic Shariah
imassaeb relating to the profession he has adopted and act lipon
them. For this pllrpose he may refer to an authentic book of
masaael written by a reliable scholar.
6. Doing Everything with Faith in Allah and for Earning
Reward (iymaanan wa ihtisaaban)
(We should make sincere efforts that whatever we do, we do it
with an intention to please Allah. We should learn and practice
to do every thing 'in life with full faith in the promises of Allah
and in the hope of getting the rewards promised on the
performance of that act [called imaanan wa ihtisaaban in
Hadeeth']. This intention will save lIS from ever doing a thing
in a state of forgetfulness of Allah or with a wI'ong intention).
It has been specifically mentioned in Hadeeth about some
deeds that in order to get rewards promised on their
performance, one has to perform them udtn full faith in the
promises of Allah. and in the hope if receiving rewards promised on
their performance. It is narrated in an authentic Hadeeth that the
Prophet of Allah, blessings and peace be on him, said: "The sins
of that person are forgiven who fasts in, the month of Ramadan
with faith in the prom~~ses if Allah and ill the ltope if earning
rewards."
This is the main difference between the Sahabah, the ulema,
the pious and common Muslims: the pious elders performed
deeds with perfect faith, conviction and eagerness, while the

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common people perform them with heedlessness, as a routine

and without an intention to please Allah through them. If we
also do everything in life with faith in Allah's promises and in
the' hope of getting the rewards promised on the performance of
those deeds, all OUl~ deeds, even our every-day activities, will
acquire very high level of religious value and we will notice
their blessings in OUI' life.
(Intention to please Allah should not be restricted to
religious duties only). We should also make the same intention
when we attend to OUI" WOI"Idly duties (SUCll as earning
livelihood through business, cultivation or the like, -or fulfilling
a family, social or national obligation), because, as the Prophet,
blessings and peace be on him, has said, "deeds depend on
intention and a person will be rewarded [for -a deed] in
accordance with his .intention."
Thus all such deeds that a Muslim performs with an
intention to please Allah, religious or worldly, will promote him
to the highest level of iman and closeness to Allah. To the
contrary, all such devotional performances and religious
services will be considered worldly which al"e performed
without an intention to please Allah and faith in the divine
injunctions, as they will be tainted with forgetfulness [or a
wrong intention]. A person may even have to incur the wrath
of Allah on the Day of Judgment for having performed a
religious deed for a worldly gain.
7. Recitation of the Quran

We should have a schedule for the daily recitation of the

Qllran and follow it with regularity, making sure that we do not
IniSS it but for sickness or an emergency.

, We should consider the time spent in OUl" daily recitation of

the Quran as the best part of our" life ensuring the most precious
blessings of Allah. We should think that during our
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engagement in. the recitation of the Qllran we enjoy closest

relationship with Allah.
(Here \is a point to note). The relationship with the
'.

Qllran that the pious elders of the past enter..tained was not
based only on paying attention to the meaning of the verses and
fine points in their interpretation, They in fact tried to derive
the effect of the message and got involved heart and soul in
AlI all' s gI'andelll', excellence, and magnificence at the time of
reciting the Quran. They tried to take inspiration from the
loftiness of Allah's WOId and were overwhelmed by its beauty
and appeal that move the heart.
Two things may be helpful in benefiting from the recitation
of the QlII"an:
A. Reader's consciousness at the time of reciting the
QUJ"an of the sublime status of the QtlI'an, blessings of
its recitation, its effectiveness in securing closeness to
Allah. and winning rewards in the Afterlife.
B. His pondering on how the Sahabah, Tabi'een, jurists,
muhadditheen, ulama and pious persons used to recite
the Qllran and studying the events and narratives
relating to the etiquette and regard they observed in
their relationship to the Quran. .
It is also useful and is supported by experience that we ;1

establish a direct relationship with the Quran as much as 1

. possible. We should see to it that a specific tafseer or individual
interpretation of a scholar does not overshadow 'our
understanding, We should not depend on specific scholars,
especially the scholars of later' times, so much and so. fully that
we fail to read and understand the Quran without ever COIning
out of their influence,
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8. Love of the Prophet

(A Muslim should develop as much love for the Prophet,
blessings and peace be on him, as possible by reminding himself
the debt he owes to him, so that he engenders in him a strong
desire to emulate him). He should try to learn as much about
the Prophet as possible by studying his biographies. It is but
natural that a person who loves somebody seeks to know more
and "more about him which naturally increases his love for the
person he adores.
I t is also helpful to read the writings of the persons who are
,

known in history for their sincere and ardent love of the

Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, as the narrations,
writings and poetic compositions of such per'sons .are very
effective in creating the Prophet's love in the heart of the
reader.

Likewise, to invoke darood shareef (salat-o-salaam) on the

Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, is also vel Y effective for
4

developing love of the Prophet and has also been highly

recommended in the Quran and Hadeeth. When Hazrat Ubay
bin Ka'ab, a sahabi, asked the. Prophet if he could recite only
darood shareef (in place of his other daily recitations), the
Prophet replied, "Then yOlll~problems will be resolved and sins
will be forgiven." [Tirrnidhi']

9. Zikr

We should adopt the practice of doing some xikr daily so that

we develop the habit of remembering Allah all the time. The
recitations that we adopt fOI~this pllrpose should be in addition
to the recitations (azkaa1~) that are recommended in Ahadeetli for
different occasions (such as at the time of going to bed, after
,

waking up and going to the toilet, a numbe.r of whic.h have been,

mentioned in Dastoore Hayaat).
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10. Studying the Biographies of Pious Persons

We should also study the biographies of such pious persons,

selfless scholars and sincere elders who weIe known for their
adherence to correct faith, emulation of the Prophet, knowledge
of the Quran and Hadeeth, understanding of the weakness of
ego and evil ways of the Devil, and concern for the Aft.erlife.
Allama Ibn Jawzi, a famous Muhaddith; writes:
I noticed that engagement in Fiqlz and Hadeeth is not
enougli for invigorating the heart. In order to benefit the
heart we should also study the appealing incidents and
narratives from the lives of the pious elder's of the past.
The study of halaa land haraam (permissible and
forbidden in Islam) is not mucli eJfective for creating
softness of heart (riqqat, uihicli helps a person incline
touiard Allah). Softness of heart is created by eJfe(tive and
appealillg ahaadeetb and mooing incidents and narratives
about the iman and conduct of the pious elders of the
\ummah; because they achieoed the essence that good deeds
are apt to create in a person. They performed the
recommended deeds not simply in the pllysical form, but
also acquired their spirit and essence. And what I am
telling yo 11- is based 01l rJ'~ypersonal experience.

III the past a group of the elders used to visit a pious

person just to see his wa._ys and manners, not to benefit
from his knouiledge. Tlzey belieued that the ~vays and
manners . of a godly person were the real fruit of his
knotoledge.cf religion. Try to understand this point and
include ill.yOll1' study of Hadeeth and Fiqlt the biographie..f
of the pious elders and god/;, persons of the ummalt so that
YOllr heart 1nay be enriched ioitli softness and incline fiilfy
touiard Allah ..

We should at least see to it that we do not entertain any

glLldge and ill-will against godly persons and selfless preachers
(who achieved the true spirit and essence of religion and
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succeeded in winning nations and countries to Islam) .. We
should appreciate their contributions, ignore their
shortcomings and pray to Allah for the forgiveness of their
lapses, for no human being is free from limitations.

11. Preaching of Religion (Da ~wah)

We should devote a part of our time to preaching of religion,
for this was the main objective for which Messengers were sent
to the world, the divine Books were revealed and the present
ummah was raised.
But (we should keep this point clear in mind that) there is no
fixed method or system of preaching beyond which a preacher
is forbidden to go. Preaching is one of the recommended deeds
. whose way's and methods have not been fixed by the Quran and
Hadeeth. [For details, see the author's book Da'ioato Tabligh ka
M'ojezaana Usloob (Urdu)]. But the fact remains that the closer
our ways of preaching are to the ways of the Prophet of Allah,
blessings' and peace be on him, the higher in status our work
will be.
,
o
o

It is also our religious obligation that we should not remain

heedless of the condition of Muslims .in general and stay'
indifferent to their happiness and sorrows. Wherever we are,
we should share the hopes, aspirations, feelings and emotions of
the Muslim ummah as if we all are members of one family. We
should be affected by the problems and afflictions that Muslims
are facing in the world and share their concerns and suffering.
Their agonies should arouse in us sadness .and feeling ofIslamic
togetherness and we should promptly discharge our duties to
fulfill their rights as co-believers,

12. Concern for Good Death (husne khaatma)

(We should try to make sure that (we meet death as a virtuous
peI'son and for this purpose) engender in our heart softness
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(riqqat) and fear of Allah, spend life in piety, perfol~ deeds

benefitting in the Afterlife, restrain ever-incresing desires,
realize the transience of worldly life and remember the
imminence of death. To develop this mindset and attitude we
should spend some time in meditating about death imuraaoba of
death, i. e., we should meditate for sometime about the stages
we will have to go through after death so that we realize the
need of preparing for them now). We should sincerely try to
meet death with strong iman, virtuous deeds and fear of
reckoning because what really matters is meeting the death as a
virtuous Muslim. All pious and godly persons lived with the
concern of husne khaatma (good death). They never trusted the
good deeds they performed and never took pride in the respect
and reputation they enjoyed in the society. They always kept
this Hadeeth in mind and took guidance and inspiration from it:
It is narrated by Hazrat Abt: Huraira that the Prophet of
Allah, blessings and peace be 01l hi1JZ, once said: 'N one of
yOlt shall acluete deliuerance by uirtue of his good deeds.'

The Sahabali askeds 'Not yOlt either, 0 Prophet of Allali?'

'Tes, not evert rrte','e replied, 'unless Allah. covers me with
His lnercy. [Tlzen he added] Walk straight (follow the
right path), stay close to eadi other, walk in the morning
and also in the euening and uialk for sometime at night as
well. A1Zd look, adopt moderation, adopt moderation, you
will reachY011-rdestination. [Bukhari]
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.WhOlD shall thou worship after me?

(Maulana Nadwi's advice to Muslim parents)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

If anybody tells me that a poster has to be prepared

fOI' the Muslim ummalt for which I have to suggest
only one sentence, as it could not take more than
that, I would ask him to write the Quranic verse ma
t'abudoona mim b'adi (lCWhom shalt thou worship
after me?"). [I would tell him]: Write down below
the poster that eveI'y Muslim should ask his children
before departing from the worlel as
well as to himself
so long as he Iives, whether O}" not he attaches dlle
importance to this question. He should check
whether he is satisfied that he has fulfilled the
demand of the verse ma t' abudoona mim b'adi. I llrge
you to peep into your' heal..t and check if this question
is really important fOI" YOll. In fact, we Sl1011ld
determine w hether 01 not this q uestion is of primary
importance for LIS at the individual level, family level,
tribal level, community level, locality level, village
level, and, I emphasize, at the Muslim ummali level,
especially at the level of the Muslim ummah. of India.
What ways shall o 11I" corning genelations follow?
Which gI'OUp of people and millat (communi ty) shall
they follow? Whom shall they worship? What tenets
of belief shall they adopt? Shall they worship the One
God, 01" gods and deities in hundreds, thousands, and'
millions? Whose controlling hand shall they see at
work in this vast universei"

1 Saeed Murtuza Nadwi, Ramadan: Momine Sadiq ki Hayate Now (Urdu),

(Lucknow: Maktaba Hirai 2000), p, 23.

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Appreciate the value of Madrasa

Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Nadwi

,
Appreciate the value of Madrasa. These are the minarets of light. If
they cease to exist, darkness will engulf the world as there will
then pe none to tell what pleases or displeases Allah and what will
arouse or appease His wrath. No matter how humble they look,
they are immensely important. If the large schools and colleges are
not there, the loss at the educational level will not be irreparable.
You will not be qualified for a high-level job, but YOll will still be
able to earn YOUI' livelihood through business or .by any other
means. You will not be a B. A., an M. A. OJ' a Ph. D., but you will
still be able to manage yOllI" affairs. But if the Madrasas are not
there, how will you manage the vacuum? In case of their absence,
who will tell you how to win Allah's pleasure and shun His
displeasure, and what makes a person successful or a failure) in the
Afterlife? You should therefore duly appreciate and acknowledge
the immense value of Madrasa and realize that the life force for our
existence and success comes from Madarasas.
(coutesy: Tameere Hayat, 10 August 2014)

~.
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'11,

TrIJII$I.IvJr! by
DR.'SHAH EBADUR RAHMAN

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.~RUL IlIlSIlN ,\1.1 NAOWI STlJ('W ClRf!.E
Nit\v Of\tt'lt