The late Sayyid Sulaiman Nadwi was an eminent scholar of his time who had, owing to his deep and wide knowledge and earnest zeal for religion, made his place in the line of great savants of Islam. The present work, which he himself considered to be his best, is a quintessence of his Sirat-un-Nabi, the great work of encyclopaedic sweep which would have done honour to any academy rather than to an individual scholar. The author discusses in it the winsome qualities necessary for any founder of a religion if the way of life taught by him is to attract and inspire the people. Furthermore, such a teacher of humanity should not be a mythical figuer; his teachings and conduct should be comprehensive, perfect and practicale if he is to be emulated by the people. The author goes on further to show how, of all the founders of religions, the accounts of the life and character of Muhammad alone are verfiable by methodical records of history; how his teachings are comprehensive enough to brighten the path of all men in varied situations and exigencies of human life; how they provide guidance to all, the ruler and the ruled, the rich and the poor, the military genius and the administrator, and the businessman and the cultivator. The author's account also establishes, beyond any doubt, that Muhammad alone was the symbol of perfection, a paradigm of virtuous and wholesome behaviour whose examples and teachings have lightened the path of humanity for all time to come. Then, again, Muhammad illustrated his teachings by his personal example and never taught anything which he himself did not translated into action. In delineating the distinguishing features of the character of the holy Prophet, the author has also compared his life, conduct and behaviour with that of the other founders of great religions-all of whom fail to furnish the test of historicity, comprehensiveness, perfection and practicality-which provide an intrinsic and irrefutable evidence of the Prophet's Divine Mission for all nations and all ages.
The author is inspired and inspires others. The English rendering is by Mohiuddin Ahmad, who has tried to convey the warmth and vigour of the original in his translation. It belongs to the class of books which should not only be gone through by every educated Muslim but should also be made available to all those non-Muslims who are interested in knowing about Islam and the Prophet.
The Late Maulana Sayyid Suliman Nadvi was born at village Desna in district Patna of Bihar on 22nd November, 1884 A.D. (22rd Safar, 1302 A.H.). After receiving primary education at his village, he was admitted to the famous seat of Islamic learning, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, where he attracted the attention of Allama Shibli, the renowned historian of Islam. The Maulana made his mark in the literary field, first, as the Sub-Editor of al-Nadwa and, then, as the literary assistant of Allama Shibli who was then writing the Sirat-un-Nabi. After the death of Allama Shibli, Maulana Sayyid Sulaiman Nadwi edited and published the first two vulumes of the Sirat and later on completed it by writing the subsequent four part ot it. The Maulana also worked with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad as the Sub-Editor of Al-Hilal. He then joined the Khilafat Movement, led a delegation of the Indian Muslims to Hijaz, was elected Vice-President of the World Muslim Conference and served numerous other literary, cultural and political oganisations of the Muslims. His political activities, however, never stood in the way of his literary endeavour, for, he continued to guide Nadwatul Ulama, and Darul Musannifin (Shibli Academy), Azamgarh. The Maulana also wrote brilliant tratiseson different subjects which earned for him the foremost place among his contemporary sholars.
Appointed Chairman of the Board of Talimat-e-Islami, formed under the Constituent Assembly to draft Islamic Consitution. (a member of the Law Commission set up by the Government of Pakistan) he migrated to the country in 1951 and breathed his last at Karachi on 22nd November, 1953 (14th Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1373 A.H.). Later, It was on his advice that Law Commission was set to revise the Law in practice according to Islam and Maulana was the chief member of it.
The translator of this book, Mohiuddin Ahmad is an associate scholar of the Academy of Islamic Research and Publications, Lucknow, who has readered into English a number of books, such as, the two volumes of the Saviours of Islamic Spirit, Religion and Civilization. The Islamic Concept of Prophethood. Faith versus Materialism, etc. He is also the author of Saiyid Ahmad Shaheed.
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