Dr, Mazhar Naqvi The popularity of Majlis- E- Aza has increased tremendously in the past few decades. These majalis today occupy th...
Dr, Mazhar Naqvi
Justine Jones in his popular work titled as “Shia Islam in Colonial India “ has described Maulana as a scholar who carried the twin distinctions of being one of the best known majlis deliverers of the early decades of the century. Encapsulating the orientation of many ulema towards the task of public communication, he earned the title of Khatib-E-Azam( Great Orator).” Jones has also quoted a description of Maulana in the documents of Imamia Mission titled Khatib-i-al-i-Muhammad on its page 61, “ Maulana Sibte Hasan was in all reality perfected in oratory, and oratory was perfected in him. The mimber(pulpit) was given grace by him and he was its grace. If the skill of remembrance had come from heavens, then he gave it the greatest throne”
Maulana was one of the direct descendants of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad through the lineage of the Imam Ali-al-Naqi. He belonged to Nasirabadi sub-branch of Naqvis of Darul Ijtihad Jais and Nasirabad. Ayatollah Syed Dildar Ali Naseerabadi, popularly knoiwn as Ghufran-Ma'ab, was his ancestor. He trained several Ulemas such as Syed Sibte Hasan Naqvi, Farman Ali, Mohammad Haroon, Mohammad Dawood, Kifayat Hussain, Adil Akhtar, and Jafer Hussain. He did Mumtazul Afazil from Jamia Nazmia where Ayatullah 'Najm al-Ḥasan Namjmul Millat was his teacher. Sibte Hasan was also the teacher of Maulana Ibne Hasan Nonaharvi. However, he is better known for his efforts to develop the format of Majlis-e-aza. Prior to him, Majlis contained marsiyas and its great exponent in Lucknow were Mirza Anis and Mirza Dabeer. Maulana Sibte Hasan introduced a new format in Urdu language and it contained Khutba in Arabic, some tafsir, fazail of Ahle-bait and masaib of martyrs of Karbala. He introduced an academic structured approach in oration and soon the new format became so acceptable and popular that now Majlis-e-Aza is the most important constituent of Azadari all across the globe and its deliverers are considered to be more respectable.
He also taught Maulana Ibne Hasan Naunaharvi. Maulana Hasan is renowned for his oratory and Urdu language speeches. He was a pious and sincere scholar with tremendous control over religious matters and reciting majalis. He read majalis at Husainia Irshadia, Rudauli by invitation of Syed Irshad Husain Zaidi for 58 years and also read at Hyderabad, Rampur, Jalali, Lucknow and many other places.
Maulana had to pay a very heavy price for his works for the protection of Imami message, for he attained martyrdom when a zealous Maulvi Saheb offered him poisonous sweet. Imambara Ghufraan Maab in Lucknow is his last resting place.( References Available on Request)
