4.4.4 SALIENT FEATURES OF NADVA MOVEMENT IN EDUCATION

i) Reformation of Curriculum

In the Nadwa Curriculum exegesis of the Holy Quran and beliefs and Islamic Jurisprudence were emphasized. Modern philosophy and English language were also included in the curriculum. Moreover, literature and diction (elegance) were preferred to accidence and syntax.

ii) Practical Training of the Students

Nadwa was a residential institution. Therefore here practical training was also given to the students alongside their academic education. Again, industrial arts were also included in the Nadwa programme. However, no outstanding achievement was noticed in this field.

iii) The Pleasant Teacher Students Relationship

A very pleasant atmosphere prevailed at Nadwa regarding the student teacher relationship. Allama Shibli Nomani took great pains in training his pupils like Abdus Salam Nadvi and Syed Suleman Nadvi. He trained them in such a way that their scholastic level was excellent and writing abilities were superb. These persons rendered great services to the Muslim Ummah in the field of History, Biography and many other relevant fields.

iv) Modern Arabic was taught

At Nadwa, Modern Arabic was taught as a living language. The graduates of this institution were well versed in the arts of Arabic, Writing and speech. This capability on their part was greatly honoured both with and without South Asia especially in the Arabic speaking Countries of the world.

v) Contact with the Islamic World

This Movement had only benefited by Aligarh and Egypt. Maulana Shibli had been a teacher at Aligarh for a long period. He also had chances to visit Egypt and thus had direct contacts with Egypt. Maulana Shibli Nomani arrived in Nadwa from Hyderabad domination of philosophy and logic of the Dars-e-Nizami tradition was given up and the exegesis under the influenced of the educational and literary tradition in Egypt, was given special place in the curriculum. This aspect is important in itself due to Egypt's contacts with Europe with reference to the modern education, it helped Nadwa to do very well in the field of modern arts and sciences. Teaching of modern Arabic ensured mastery in the arts of Arabic writing and speech, and owing to contact with different Arabic and Egyptian Scholars, this Movement remained closely linked with the entire Islamic World.

vi) Internal Freedom (Autonomy)

The Nadwa institution kept in tact its internal freedom (Autonomy) and independence of its educational and research surroundings and inspite of the public grant (government aid) it never bargained its autonomy.

vii) Huge Collection of Books

Maulana Shibli's efforts bore fruit and a huge collection of books was managed. It included his personal library, the collection of Nawab Siddiq Hassan Khan of Bhopal and those of Emad-ul-Mulk.