Syed Sulaiman was born in 1885 in a well-known family of Desna, a village in the district of Patna in Bihar, India. His father, Hakim Syed Abul Hasan, was known for his learning and piety. The young Sulaiman received his early education from his elder brother, then joined the Arabic Madrassa at Phulwari Sharif and later the Madrassa-i-Imdadia, Darbhanga.
In 1901, he joined the Dar-ul-Uloom of Nadva, Lucknow, at that time the foremost institution of religious and Arabic education in the sub-continent, and completed his seven years' Arabic course.
In 1904, when Allama Shibli Nomani joined the staff of Nadva, Syed Sulaiman came under his tutorship. In 1906, he joined the staff of "Al-Nadva", a magazine brought out by the Dar-ul-Uloom. In 1908, he was appointed a lecturer in the Dar-ul-Uloom, and for two years worked as an assistant to Allama Shibli Nomani, who was engaged in the preparation of his well-known work, Seerat-un-Nabi (Life of the Holy Prophet), the major part of which, was completed by Syed Sulaiman after the death of his illustrious teacher.
In 1911, when Italy launched an unprovoked attack on Tripoli, a port of the Turkish Empire, young Sulaiman gave up his literary and educational pursuits and joined "Al-Hilal", Calcutta, edited by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, another pupil of Shibli Nomani. Together with Azad, Syed Sulaiman made "Al-Hilal" a powerful organ of young Muslims which ultimately played a dominant role in the awakening of Muslim India.
The death of his illustrious teacher, Shibli Nomani, in 1914, obliged him to return to Azamgarh and take up the unfinished literary work of his master. Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, joined a Khilafat Delegation, headed by Maulana Muhammad Ali, to London in 1920, for securing equitable and just treatment to Turkey at the hands of the victorious Allies.
In 1924, when the Sharif of Makkah and King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud of Najd were at war, Sultan Saud sought the help of the Khilafat Committee to settle the dispute. A delegation comprising Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, Maulana Muhammad Ali and Shoaib Qureshi went to Hejaz in 1926 and fearlessly placed the views of the Indian Muslims before Sultan lbn Saud for establishing a truly democratic rule in the holy land.
In 1926, Syed Sulaiman presided over the memorable annual session of Jamiat-ul-Ulema at Calcutta. The same year, the Maulana at the invitation of King Saud headed a delegation of celebrated Muslim leaders including Maulana Muahmad Ali and Shaukat Ali to Makkah to participate in the Motamar Al-Alam Al-Islami. Syed Sulaiman Nadvi was elected the vice-president of the conference (Motamar). The greatest achievement of Syed Sulaiman Nadvi was the establishment of Dar-ul-Musannifeen (House of Writers) also known as the Shibli Academy at Azamgarh which became the pioneer in the field of literary and historical research in the subcontinent.
His greatest work is the "Seerat-un-Nabi" (Life of the Prophet of Islam) in six volumes which has hardly any parallel in any language of the world. This outstanding work on the life of the Holy Prophet of Islam was started by Shibli Nomani, but the major part of it was completed by him.
The persecution of the Muslims in India compelled Sulaiman Nadvi to migrate to Pakistan in 1950. On arrival in Karachi, he was made President of the Islamic Taalimat Board, attached to the Constituent Assembly. He died in 1953.
- Courtesy The Muslim World