Pathway to Madina

The book is a collection of my speeches and articles relating to the biography of the holy prophet. Some divergence was inevitable since these were delivered or written at different times and for different occasions. But there is unity in the diversity, for whatever has been said in them is inspired by the same idea and sentiment. Their contents revolve around a single personality, that of the Prophet Mohammad. They appertain solely to his life and teachings, his contribution to civilization and his gifts to humanity. The underlying aim, too, is nothing but to produce in the minds a living awareness of his greatness and arouse the feelings of love and deep devotion for him in the hearts. Hence, it is hoped that no confusion or tiresome repetition will be felt in these pages despite the dissimilarity or variation of titles and modes of expression. Most of these speeches or articles were, first, written in Arabic and then translated into Urdu either by myself or friends and published in various journals. For a long time, I had felt that the attachment of a large number of Education Men from the Arab countries, particularly those who had come under the influence of Arab nationalism, to the sacred Prophet who was the springhead of all their felicity and good fortune and to whom they were indebted for success and honour in both the worlds was weakening and getting reduced to soulless formality. The warmth and earnestness of love had gone out of it, although it was distinctly set forth that the love of the Prophet should be stronger than the love one had for one's dearest relatives of worldly possessions. Due to these considerations, I decided to bring out a collection of these speeches and writings, which had proved beneficial and were widely acclaimed in the literary circles of the Arab world. - Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi