Rise and Fall of Muslims

Abdul Kader Choughley, an authority on Islam in South Asia, especially Islamic revivalism in the region, has done well to present an abridged version of Sayyid Abu’l-Hasan [Ali Nadwi’s magnum opus, originally in Arabic, entitled Madha Khasira al-[Alam bi’-Inhitat al-Muslimin in the work under review. Published first in 1951, this massive work, running into 400 pages, established Sayyid Nadwi as a perceptive Islamic scholar and thinker and accrued to him accolades, particularly by the Ikhwan Al-Muslimun organization. Sayyid Qutb’s “Foreword” to this work (pp. 27–34) is reflective of the ideological affinity between the two. Qutb was impressed most by this feature of Nadwi’s work that it helps boost the morale of Muslims the world over, grappling then under the yoke of Western imperialism and colonialism. Qutb spoke highly of Nadwi’s work, writing: ‘it ranks in my opinion in a special place among books, both classical and recent, which I have read. Another commendable feature is that in describing man’s degeneration he brands it as Jahiliyyah … This points to the author’s profound analysis and right thinking … The book is a role model of studying history in the Islamic perspective … The work abounds in constructive and sensible suggestions for the Muslim community. In view of these features this book may be acclaimed as a masterpiece of historiography’ (pp. 27, 31, 32 and 33).