Dr.MOHAMMED ISMAIL NADWI VISHARAMI

 

MOULANA Dr. MOHAMMED ISMAIL NADWI

(A renowned Arabic Scholar of International Repute from Melvisharam)

Introduction

 Melvisharam is a town in Ranipet district, situated along the Palar River and on the Chennai-Bangalore NH 46. It lies 18 km from Vellore and 6 km from Arcot. The town has a predominantly Muslim population and is renowned for its leather tanneries, which have been a key industry for over a century. The town has produced many notable scholars, stalwarts, Philanthropist, business tycoons, leaders who have made significant contributions locally and globally. As days and years pass, their services are forgotten, overlooked and whose impact is not known overtime. Dr. Moulana Mohammed Ismail Nadwi Visharami is one such great personality who had earned good reputation for his scholarly works in India as well as in the Middle East region. The youngsters of Melvisharam are not aware of this great personality. Hence an attempt is made here to depict his life and career.

Early Life and Schooling

          Muhammed Ismail Nadwi was born in Melvisharam to Abdus Subhan Sahib. His paternal family was from Melvisharam and maternal connection was from Kilvisharam. His relatives' descendants remember him as a scholar in Egypt.   

In the early 1940s, Ismail Nadwi began his education at Islamiah Elementary School in Melvisharam and continued at Islamiah High School. During this time, he received secular education from notable educators such as Panapakkam Abdur Rahman Sahib, Mr. Subba Rattinam Iyer, and Abdul Khuddus Shaadaan Sahib. His Islamic education was supervised by Hazrath Moulana Abu Sawood Sahib, who also taught Persian and Arabic. Moulana Abu Sawood conducted additional lessons in these languages at his book depot near Usmanpet Mosque. Among his students were Hazrath Moulana Mohammed Ismail Nadwi Sahib Visharami and Hazrath Moulana Mohammed Yaqoob Sahib Visharami, who both later studied at Baqiyathus Salihath Madarsa under his guidance.

Additionally, Ismail Nadwi was also mentored by Hazrath Moulana Mohammed Ismail Nayyar Rabbani, a distinguished scholar, poet, Qazi of Melvisharam and also a Hindi teacher at Islamiah High School before joining Sabeelur Rashad College, Bangalore. The strong bonds he formed with his teachers significantly contributed to his future academic accomplishments.

Madarsa Education

          After completing his SSLC somewhere around in 1950-51or 1952, he was enrolled in Madarsa-e-Baqiyathus Salihath in Vellore, where he was fortunate to continue his education under Moulana Abu Sawood Sahib, who had also been moved from the high school to this madarsa. He studied there for two years. Subsequently, he joined Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow and graduated in 1956-57. During his time there, he had the privilege of learning from the renowned scholar Hazrath Moulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, affectionately known as ‘Ali Miyan Nadwi’.

          While documenting this article, I received the 1960-61 annual Urdu magazine of Islamiah High School from Moulvi Hafiz Mohammed Siddiq Sahib Visharami. The magazine contained praise and congratulatory remarks for Moulana Dr. Mohammed Ismail Nadwi Sahib Visharami and his classmate Moulana K. Mohammed Yaqoob Sahib Visharami.

 “With great pleasure we announce that a distinguished former student, Maulvi Muhammed Ismail Nadwi, is currently residing at Cairo University (Egypt) as a research scholar and is also fulfilling his responsibilities as a lecturer there. Another talented student of ours, Maulvi Hafiz Muhammad Yaqub, has obtained his degree from Darul Uloom Deoband. I would like to congratulate Maulvi Sahib on his recent success in the Darul Uloom Hadith examination, where he achieved second rank. We extend our congratulations to both of these scholars and pray for their continued success and progress”.

 His Patron

Ismail Nadwi, despite coming from a modest background was supported by his father, who worked as a household servant at Kaniyar Abdul Jabbar Sahib’s home to support his family. During this time, Chinmeera Fakheer Mohammed Sahib, a generous businessman from Melvisharam, played a crucial role. Fakheer Mohammed Sahib provided significant financial assistance for Ismail Nadwi’s education and also funded his studies at Cairo University. This support was essential in helping Ismail Nadwi overcome financial challenges and succeed academically Chinmeera Rasheed Ahmed Sahib says “Dr. Ismail Nadwi had a cordial relation with my father. He frequently met him. When I went to Haj in 1974, Dr Ismail Nadwi came to meet me in Mecca as well as in Mina.”

Ismail Nadwi Sahib at Egypt

          As mentioned above, Ismail Nadwi went to Egypt for advanced studies at the University of Cairo in 1959. In Melvisharam, there is limited information about his life and career in Egypt, so I searched online. I discovered two important sources: a Ph.D. thesis by Prof. Dr. Thajuddin Munnani, an Arabic scholar at the University of Kerala, and an article by Abdul Mateen Muniri Sahib, a scholar from Bhattkal, Karnataka. Both sources are based on the reminiscences from the esteemed Arabic scholar Dr. F. Abdul Rahim (renowned Arabic scholar in the University of Madina and a native of Vaniyambadi), offer valuable insights into Dr. Ismail Nadwi’s experiences and scholarly work in Egypt and Algeria.

“Before traveling to Egypt, I had heard about a prominent Indian scholar named Dr. Ismail living in Cairo. When I arrived in Cairo in 1964, I met him. After completing his studies at Nadwa, he went to Cairo and obtained a PhD on the topic The Arabic Dictionaries in India: Their History, Methods, and Comparative Study.' from Ain Shams University in Cairo.  There is an institution called 'Madrasat al-Lisan' (school of linguistics) at the University of Ain Shams, where various languages are taught. Dr. Ismail taught Urdu there.  He then decided to stay there. He rarely met people; most of his time was spent writing and studying. He lived in a small apartment with a well-stocked library.”

To get the details of Dr. Nadwi’s life in Egypt, I contacted over phone to another great Arabic Scholar Prof. Dr. Munawwar Nainar (s/o Dr. Hussain Nainar) currently lives in Tiruchy, formerly worked in Jawaharlal Nehru University (1972-1982). In 1950s, he went to Egypt for pursuing his master degree in Arabic at Cairo University. He says, “During 1950s, Dr. Ismail Nadwi was already in Egypt and he came to see me in Cairo University’s hostel. He showed me his book on Indo Arab relations. All I know is, he was a scholar from Nadwatul Ulama, later moved to Algeria and breathed his last there.”

Second Doctorate (Another feather in the Cap)

After earning his Ph.D. from Cairo University, he obtained a second doctorate from Al-Azhar University or Ain Shams University, focusing on the author of Taj al-Aroos, Al-Zabidi, who was of Indian origin and from Bilgram.

In the 1960s, acquiring a doctorate from Cairo or Ain Shams University was held in exceptionally high regard, far exceeding today's standards. These institutions were premier centres of academic excellence, and their doctoral degrees symbolized not just advanced scholarship but significant influence and authority.

Marriage

According to local sources, he married an Egyptian. But Dr. Thajuddin Munnani Sahib has recorded that Dr. Ismail Nadwi married an Algerian woman and subsequently moved to Algeria. There, he served at a University whose name is not known. He served there till his death. Dr. F. Abdur Rahim Sahib recalls his last meeting with Dr. Ismail Nadwi in the following words:

“In 1966, I went to Sudan to teach at the Islamic University of Omdurman. During the holidays, I returned to Cairo and met Dr. Ismail, staying with him for a few days. He shared the news that he had started teaching at a university in Algeria, had just returned a few days ago and planning to return soon. I also returned to India. This was my last meeting with Dr. Ismail Nadwi.”

 In some of Algerian books his name was written as Dr. Muhammed Ismail Nadwi, Master of Islamic Sciences. He had no children, and his wife passed away during his lifetime.

His Contributions

While Dr. Ismail Nadwi was in Egypt for his doctorate, the strong Indo-Egyptian ties of the Non-Aligned Movement led to a keen Egyptian interest in Indian culture. In response, Nadwi wrote several acclaimed books articles in Arabic on Indian culture and literature. Unfortunately, these works reached only to a limited circle. Among these are

1. History of relations between India and Arab countries.

2. Ancient India: Its Civilizations and Religions.

3. Arabic dictionaries in India.

4. Islamic embassies between India and Arab countries in the Middle Ages.

Translation of Seerathun Nabi (PBUH)

He also translated Moulana Shibli Nomani’s Seerat un Nabi (volume I and II) in 1965. It was acknowledged by Dr. F Abdul Rahim in following words:      “Dr. Ismail Nadwi also translated Maulana Shibli’s famous work, Seerat un-Nabi, into Arabic. He gave me a small file of this translation, which I passed on to the Dean of Libraries at Madinah University.”

Dr. Abdul Mateen Muneeri Sahib in an Urdu article named ‘Dr. Muhammad Ismail Nadwi (Visharami) - A Forgotten Scholar and Translator’ (dated 11^th August 2024) remarks on the Arabic translation of Seeratun Nabi in the following words:

“The era when Dr. Muhammad Ismail began translating Allama Shibli Nomani's "Seerat Un-Nabi" (SAW) was very suitable, as no other book of such significance had emerged in Islamic literature at that time. Due to the unavailability of several important sources, the results of this book's research were considered definitive. The review of the Arabic text by experts like Sheikh Yahya Khashab and Abdul Fattah al-Saidi would have ensured a high standard of language. Unfortunately, the book was never published, and its translation, which could have achieved a place alongside the translations of Maulana Masood Alam Nadwi, Syed Muhammad Kazim Sabag, Asim al-Haddad, and Maulana Muhammad Nazeem Nadwi, remains unfulfilled.” 

While writing this article, Alhamdulillah, I came across 15 Arabic articles of Dr. Ismail Nadwi Sahib on various subjects are available online. Only Arabic knowing fraternity will know its value. Some of them I read with the help of google translation as I hardly understand Arabic.

Moulana Abdul Mateen Muneeri Bhatkali writes that Dr. Ismail Nadwi regularly wrote in Sidaq Jadeed, a magazine published from Lucknow by Abdul Majid Daryabadi. Dr. Ismail’s correspondence appeared intermittently, indicating his deep interest in Maulana Daryabadi's writings and his regular reading of "Sidaq Jadeed."

His Visit to India in 1976

          Chadakkan Shabeer Ahmed Sahib, grandson of Dr. Ismail Nadwi's sister and a resident of Melvisharam, fondly recalls his experiences with his mother’s uncle. He remembers that in the 1950s, it was Dr. Ismail Nadwi Sahib who enrolled him in Islamiah School for the first grade before departing for Cairo to pursue advanced studies. He returned to Melvisharam during Shabeer Ahmed’s marriage. My uncle renowned for his expertise in Arabic and a prolific author, Dr. Nadwi gifted his family members a collection of his comprehensive Arabic books when he visited Melvisharam in 1976. These volumes included works on Indo-Arab culture and Indo-Arab relations. Sadly, over time, the treasured books were misplaced. Had this been preserved, it would have offered valuable insights and held great historical significance.

Moulana Hafiz Malak Gulzar Ahmed Sahib’s Admiring Views on Dr. Ismail Nadwi

Moulana Hafiz Malak Gulzar Ahmed Sahib Baqavi Visharami recollects about his meeting with Dr. Ismail Nadwi during his last visit to Melvisharam. Along with scholars Moulana Mohammed Mujeer Sahib (Rah) and Moulana Abdullah Basha Sahib Baqawi (Rah), he engaged in an extensive discussion about Dr. Nadwi’s works and career. Dr. Nadwi, who had written numerous books in Arabic, revealed it when the native scholars asked him. But we did not see his books. Before visiting Melvisharam he paid a visit to his Alma matter Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow, he observed classes of his teachers modestly as an anonymous tourist from Algeria. His teachers, unaware of his true identity, spoke highly of Dr.  Ismail Nadwi, not realizing that he was the very person they were praising. Dr. Ismail Nadwi preferred to maintain his anonymity at that time.

 Moulana Gulzar Sahib says “Dr. Ismail Nadwi’s articles were regularly published in Moulana Mohammed Shahabuddin Nadwi’s Urdu magazine "Tamir-e-Fikr" from Bangalore in the mid-1970s. After reading his scholarly articles, I had corresponded few letters as a feedback.  In turn, he wrote back detailing his family in Vishararam, works and life in Cairo and Algeria. I have preserved his three letters.”

Gulzar Ahmed Sahib recounts an interaction with Dr. P. Nisar Ahmed Sahib, the former Head of the Department of Urdu, Arabic, and Persian at the University of Madras. When asked about the works of Dr. Ismail Nadwi Sahib, Dr. P. Nisar Ahmed praised him highly, noting that Dr. Ismail Nadwi had authored numerous books of exceptional quality. He emphasized that Dr. Nadwi's contributions are comparable to those of the classical Arabic scholars.

His Death

Here in Melvisharam, it is told that he had a heart attack during teaching in the class room in 1978. Dr. Ismail Nadwi’s death news was informed to his relatives in Visharam and after getting their consent, he was laid to rest in Algeria. May Allah with His infinite Mercy forgive him and give him reward for his services.

Search Continues…

I recently contacted the editor of ‘Tamir-e-Fikr’ to inquire about Urdu articles by Dr. Ismail Nadwi from their archives. Additionally, I learned that Hazrat Maulana Nayyar Rabbani Sahib, during a visit to Egypt, met his student Dr. Ismail Nadwi Visharami there, and subsequently wrote a piece detailing their meeting after returning to homeland. I am now looking for that write-up as well. I am eagerly awaiting a positive response regarding both requests.

Conclusion  

Dr. Ismail Nadwi, originally from Melvisharam was raised in modest circumstances. He attained notable academic heights and made significant contributions to Arabic studies, Indo-Arab cultural relations, and Islamic literature. It's important to mention that Dr. Mohammed Ismail Nadwi remains the first and, to date, the only graduate from our town to have completed studies at Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow, to obtain two doctorates, to acquire a Ph.D. from the University of Ain Shams and Al-Azhar at Cairo and to serve in Egypt and Algeria in such prestigious positions.  I am informed that some of his works were part of curriculum in the institutions of Egypt and Algeria. Although he gained fame in the Arab world, he remained largely unrecognized in his hometown of Melvisharam. As he lived a life of seclusion and anonymity in abroad and in India as well.  Dr. F.  Abdur Rahim had stated about Dr. Nadwi’s attitude in the following words:

“The Indian embassy was very pleased with one of his article and wanted to honour him with a gathering of scholars, but Dr. Ismail declined. He preferred to stay away from government institutions and I never saw him at embassy events.”

In 2014, Janab Late Kaniyar Abdul Azeez Sahib and Malak Hafiz Gulzar Ahmed Sahib introduced me to the works of Ismail Nadwi Sahib, and I documented it in a research in 2015. Regrettably, we have often overlooked our native scholars who have made significant contributions, largely due to a lack of interest in preserving their remarkable achievements, which are often deemed insignificant. It is crucial now more than ever to preserve and record these contributions for future generations.

Alhamdulillah, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Janab Malak Hafiz Moulana Gulzar Ahmed Sahib, Janab Chaddakkan Shabbeer Ahmed Sahib, Janab Moulana Hafiz Mohammed Siddiq Sahib, Moulana Abdul Mateen Muneeri Sahib Bhatkali, Janab Chinmeera Rasheed Ahmed Sahib, Dr. Thajuddin Munnani Sahib from Kerala University, and Dr. Munawwar Nainar and Mrs. Nahla Nainar for their invaluable support and assistance in completing this work. It would be unjust, if I do not express my deep appreciation and gratitude to Prof. Dr. Abul Fazal Sahib, (Head of the Department of History, Islamiah College Autonomous, Vaniyambadi) my mentor, whose guidance was instrumental throughout this endeavour.                                                                     S. Mohammed Sadathullah

               Melvisharam

           (19^th August 2024)