He was widely respected for his expertise in Islamic theology, Hadith, jurisprudence and Seerah
NEW DELHI — Thousands of his followers, a vast community of students and family members, have gathered in the Uttar Pradesh city of Maleehabad near Lucknow on Monday to bid farewell to prominent Islamic scholar, author and educator Maulana Syed Salman Hussaini Nadwi.
Nadwi, 72, passed away in Lucknow earlier in the day after a brief illness.
He was widely respected for his expertise in Islamic theology, Hadith, jurisprudence and Seerah, and for his contributions to Islamic education through decades of teaching, writing and institution building.
Born in Lucknow in 1954 to a distinguished lineage of Islamic scholars tracing back to Imam Hussain ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, Nadwi memorised the Qur’an at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama. He graduated from Nadwatul Ulama in 1974 and co-founded Jamiat Shabaab ul Islam to engage Muslim youth. He earned a master’s in Hadith from the same institution in 1976, then completed another master’s in Hadith studies at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia in 1980 under Sheikh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah.
On returning to India, Nadwi joined Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama as faculty and served for decades as Dean of its Faculty of Dawah and Shariah. He mentored generations of students from India and abroad. A prolific author, he wrote extensively in Arabic and Urdu on theology, history, Hadith, jurisprudence and contemporary Muslim issues, and edited several journals in English, Urdu, Arabic and Persian.
Beyond academia, Nadwi helped establish educational institutions across India. He was chairman of Dr Abdul Ali Unani Medical College and Hospital, Chancellor of Darul Uloom Syed Ahmad Shaheed, Katoli, and President of Jamiat Shabaab ul Islam. He was also associated with setting up medical, engineering and IT institutions.
Known for his candid views on political and religious matters, Nadwi often criticised Muslim nations, particularly Arab monarchies, for what he described as indifference to imperialist aggression.
Following his demise, condolence messages poured in from scholars, seminaries, institutions, former students and community leaders in India and abroad. Many remembered him as an accomplished scholar, inspiring teacher and eloquent speaker whose work left a lasting impact on Islamic thought and education.
IMCR expresses grief
The Indian Muslims for Civil Rights (IMCR) on Monday expressed profound grief over the demise of eminent Islamic scholar, thinker, author, and orator Maulana Syed Salman Husaini Nadwi, describing his passing as an immense and irreparable loss not only for the Muslim community in India but also for the wider Muslim world.
In a condolence statement, the IMCR said that Maulana Nadwi symbolised Islamic scholarship, intellectual awakening, social reform, and the spirit of unity within the Muslim Ummah.
The organisation said he devoted his entire life to the promotion of Islam, the advancement of Islamic education, the guidance of the Muslim community, the intellectual and moral development of young people, and addressing the challenges confronting the Ummah. His demise, it said, has created a significant intellectual and scholarly void.
IMCR Chairman and former Member of Parliament Mohammad Adeeb recalled his long association with the late scholar and paid tribute to his remarkable contributions.
