Reviewed by Bilal Ali
Upon first receiving a copy of Shaykh Akram Nadwi’s “Madrasah Life”, I was first impressed by the relatively small size of the book. It is no more than a hundred pages and being a narrative, an easy and fun reading.
The book explores a day in the life of a madrasah student at the famed Nadwat al-Ulama in Lucknow, India. Known for its emphasis on language and literature, it is not surprising that the esteemed author includes frequent references to poetic verse and literary discussion in this short piece.
The literary prowess of the author and his natural inclination towards academic discussion is apparent throughout the book, as he moves from friend to friend discussing a wide variety of issues related to the Islamic sciences. At times, the descriptions of the author appear melodramatic, though much of that has to do with the fact that the style of the original urdu is much lost in translation. When the descriptive and flowery urdu paragraphs are translated into English, much of the literary affect is misconstrued as exaggeration. That is simply, however, the nature and weakness of translation.
It is especially enjoyable for a student of the Islamic sciences to read through the esteemed Shaykh’s academic discussions, since he can relate to not only the material but also the types of students that he engages in the debates.