Asslaam waalaikum,

As a student, I really have very little words to express Shaikh Al-Nadwi's commendable services. His devotion and dedication for the cause of the Ummah is incredible. At around 88yrs of his age he is still striving harder for the Muslim community and shoulders so much responsibility. I do Dua to ALLAH,  may He keep Shaikh Al-Nadwi in the best of health and give him more strength. Sheikh Al-Nadwi has written a lot of books in Arabic and Urdu which has benefitted Muslims around the world. His work is recognised with respect by Ulemas all over the world.

I wish Shaikh AL-Nadwi the best of health and would request all of our Muslim community to do Dua for his health. He is an asset to our community and we owe a lot to Ulemas like Shaikh Al-Nadwi. At the minimum I feel, if I cannot contribute much, atleast I can do Dua for Ulemas like Shaikh Al-Nadwi and support them with all my heart for their work that they carry out for the Muslim Ummah

Inshallah I'll come up with a full documentary of Shaikh Al-Nadwi to the best of my knowledge gathered from the books and other Ulemas around.

Shaikh Ali Tantawi was a renowned A'lim who expired this year, may ALLAH reward Shaikh Tantawi with Jannah. Shaikh Tantawi once along with one of the A'lim in Iraq Shaikh Amjad Zahawi were on a visit to Malaysia and Indonesia. On their way back to gulf they decided to visit Nadwatul - Uloom, Lucknow INDIA, and also spend some time with Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi. Shaikh Tantawi used to recollect his memoirs of this visit with great charm and has also written about his visit.

Anxiety to meeting Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi, then without prior information arriving at Lucknow airport , then taking a taxi from airport to Hotel Carlton , Hazratganj,  and Shaikh Zahawi's desperation on meeting Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi , Urdu (language used in Northern India) they newer knew, not quite clear in speaking English, people around did not understand Arabic and they had little knowledge of French which was also of no use. Anyhow by sign language (acting by hand - you do when you do not know the language and try to make people understand) they managed to reach the hotel. From there they took a taxi for Nadwa to meet Ali Al Nadwi. Well, they knew they could not explain to the taxi driver and therefore started searching around for somebody who looks Muslim, when they came across a boy with a cap on his head. Shaikh Tantawi stopped the boy and said Salaam to him in an Arabic accent, the boy was taken aback by the accent. Then Shaikh asked him in Arabic , do you know Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi? The boy then asked are you Shaikh Amjad Zahawi or Shaikh Ali Tantawi? Shaikh said , "Yes, I am Ali Tantawi". This boy, is now Maulana Mohsin Usman Nadwi, professor Delhi University.

On reaching Nadwa, met Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi, met the students and the Ulemas there, sat here and there all over in the school (Nadwatul - Uloom) and Shaikh Tantawi said "Ja Ain Ja Ast" (Place is this Place) and wrote:
"My age reached 50 years, ALLAH has given me Izzat (fame and respect), I've Alhamdullilah got good position and ALLAH has blessed me with enough wealth as much as required, I've traveled a lot , seen so many places , traveled across countries and cities. if someone asks me what is my wish now? I'll reply that all my wishes are now concentrated at one point that if I get the days of being a student back then I would wish to be a student of Nadwatul Uloom."

Many years after writing this, when interviewed on Saudi Television, Shaikh Tantawi was asked, "Which part of the world would you like to live?". Shaikh Ali Al Tantawi replied "The most sacred place is of course Mecca and Medina, if forced to leave the place, then I would prefer Damascus, and if that is not in destiny then the nation of Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi , in Luckhnow , in Nadwatul Uloom with Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi"

Once asked on television, "Whose book would you recommend us to read?". replied Shaikh Ali Tantawi, "Shaikh Al Nadwi's,  it contains the charm of Imaan , shakes the conscious , and without any artificial inclusion it arouses you with the love of Islam and imaan"

When Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi requested Shaikh Tantawi to write a preface for his(Al Nadwi's) book  "Al-Tareek Ilal Medina". Shaikh Tantawi replied, "Brother Ali Al Nadwi, you expressed your wish to write a preface for your book, I would like you to excuse me from this. I cannot do it. The one who writes a preface for a book is like an agent who introduces the book and the writer to the readers, but the readers are very much aware of the writer then what is the need for the agent. Yes , but your book really brought back some strong memories of Medina, love for Medina has regained more strength by reading this book. Those were the days when after months of preparations and days of traveling one used to reach Medina, now we reach medina in couple of hours from Damascus, but that love and that anxiety is no longer there. That feeling in the heart and anxiety of reaching Medina which was there in those days is absent now. We did save time but lost the anxiety of reaching Medina"

This is what an Alim of the caliber of Shaikh Ali Al Tantawi had said of Shaikh Al Nadwi. May ALLAH bless Shaikh Ali Tantawi with Jannah. May ALLAH keep Shaikh Ali Al Nadwi , who is still delivering his commendable services to us , in the best of health and strength.

to be continued...