Nazim ud Din Hassan was the Chief Justice High Court Hyderabad Deccan. Josh Malih Abadi has reminisced in his memoirs Yadoon Ki Barat some of the ways of Nazim ud Din’s life:
The Chief Justice once asked his servant to bring match box, used it and gave him back who put it in the centre of the table. Nazim ud Din fined rupees two to his servant because he had put the match box in the centre of the table whereas he had picked it up from eastern corner.
A few youngsters of Lakhnow established a club, named it Muslim Qalb and requested the Chief Justice to inaugurate. Nazim ud Din arrived at the venue but refused to perform inauguration ritual after seeing the plaque. “Qalb means dog (in Persian). Write Qylab instead and I will gladly unveil,” the Chief Justice said. Inauguration was done after the change.
Once Nazim ud Din was shopping in Aminabad Park using umbrella! One of his informal friends saw him and remarked during night, “Wah, using umbrella at night?” Nazim ud Din answered back, “You obtuse, I have to offer prayers. What if some vultures deposit droppings on my cloths?
The Chief Justice used to remain busy in intellectual pursuits till 11 a night with strict instructions to his attendant to forcefully pull him out of work chair and put down into the bed. On this servant was recompensed in the mornings.
The Chief Justice sent his son Naazir ud Din Hassan for higher education to London. A caretaker accompanied Naazir to report back every week on his son’s activities. After about four months the Chief Justice wrote to the caretaker, “You inform me of every thing about my son but do not tell how many times he has had night falls during the period. Ask him and communicate. When he stops having falls I will know that my son has fallen in bad habits.”
Nazim ud Din’s timings for morning walk were such that one could set his watch with. Once he was having his daily walk in the garden when the Nawab of Deccan arrived. Every one took notice of the Nawab less the Chief Justice, who kept up his stroll as usual.
“Who is this unaccustomed sort of a person,” the Nawab asked those in his attendance.
“He is the Chief Justice High Court Nazim ud Din Hassan. Corruption and injustice has finished since he had taken over,” he was told.
“Call him,” the Nawab wished.
Nazim ud Din came and greeted the Nawab normally instead of traditional way and expectation of the Nawab. Every one around got worried and waited to see what does the Nawab say.
In a happy mode, the Nawab asked, “Do you daily come here for a walk?” Yes. In a chit chat the Nawab asked yet another question but instead of replying the Chief Justice looked at his watch, greeted the Nawab and moved on saying, “time for the walk is over.”
Once he was in Bhopal when Begum Bhopal sent a carriage and asked the Chief Justice to come over to her with some documents. He complied. Midway, he asked the carriage man to stop, got down and started walking back to his home. Carriage man offered that he should go back in the carriage.
“No. I have forgotten the paper at home and that is my fault. Why should I punish the animal.”
Nazim ud Din once invited a few dignitaries of Lakhnow for a feast. When they arrived, Nazim ud Din took them to a corner of his backyard and showed them a newly filled pit.
“I buried food when you got late,” the Chief Justice pointed to freshly dug place.
Nazim ud Din rejected all candidates for a job when none of them could count from 100 to 1 backwards.
Mother of Nazim ud Din passed away and people flocked for condolence. When his attendant brought hundreds of visiting cards to him, he asked, “Why are so many people here today?”
“They have come to offer their condolence on demise of your mother sir,” was the obvious answer. “What was my mother to them that they have come,” the Chief Justice enquire in a loud voice so that people outside could hear him. Listening his remarks all of them ran away.
