Nadwi became an assistant professor at
Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in 1952, head of its Arabic department in 1955, and the dean of faculty of Arabic in 1970. He was featured in the publication
The 500 Most Influential Muslims. Nadwi served as the vice president of
Riyadh-based Aalami Rabita Adab-e-Islami and the president of Lucknow-based institutions Majlis-e-Tehqiqat-o-Nashariyat Islam and Majlis-e-Sahafat-o-Nashariyat, the latter being a part of the Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama. He was a founding member of the
Muslim World League. He became principal (mohtamim) of the Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in 1993 and was appointed the deputy-manager of its managing body, the
Nadwatul Ulama in 1999. He became seminary's chancellor in 2000, following the death of Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi. He held this position until his death. His disciples included
Ijteba Nadwi and
Zafarul Islam Khan. Nadwi wrote on Arabic literature, biographies, geography, literary criticism and theology. He has been called an expert on the history of Arabic literature and geography. He received an award from Indian Council Uttar Pradesh and a Presidential Award for his contribution to Arabic language and literature. On 22 June 2002, Nadwi succeeded
Mujahidul Islam Qasmi as the president of
All India Muslim Personal Law Board. He guided the Muslim community towards using the media in a better way. During a conference in 2016, he said, "The day when Muslims will hold command over media will definitely be a better day not only for Muslims but for the rest of the world". He advocated for interfaith dialogue, and according to
The Hindu, "he constantly advised the community [Muslims] to refrain from anger and violence, and follow the path of patience and perseverance." ==Literary works==