Lessons Learned

?I joined Nadwat al-_Ulam__ and felt as if I had been raised from the dusty ground to the stars up above, from the level earth to the high heavens. I came across ancient books and studied with great teachers who were knowledgeable scholars, learned scribes and pious worshippers. . . ." This is how Mo_ammad Akram Nadw_ fondly recalls his alma matter in the heart of Lucknow. Lessons Learned is a celebration of his journey of discovery, by sharing the biographies of some of his senior teachers along with lessons and insights learned along the way. The book is arranged topically as a critical survey of the Islamic sciences, and he selects one key teacher from each discipline he has chosen to highlight, giving us glimpses into their lives, personalities, habits and more. Some of these teachers are still alive, and many long gone but certainly not forgotten. All of this provides a poignant snapshot of life and scholarship at Nadwah and the Muslim literary and intellectual world of the Indian subcontinent.