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Maulana
Wahiduddin Khan
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4. Islam and the western Society
5. Quoting Hadith our of context
6. .Taking Help of Non-muslims
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Articles on Maulana's Thought 1. Prof. Irfan 2. Dr. Y. Sikand a. Search for Islamic Theology
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Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is an Islamic spiritual scholar, who has adopted peace as the mission of his life. He was born in a family of landlords in 1925 at Badharia, a village near the town of Azamgarh, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (formerly known as the Eastern United Provinces). After his father’s death in December 1929 he was brought up by his mother, and his uncle, Sufi Abdul Hamid Khan, arranged for his education. He comments that becoming an orphan very early in life taught him that, to succeed in life, you have to take such situations as challenges and not as problems. Being an advocate of result-oriented and positive action, he explains that treating such situations as problems can only be negative in result. All you can do in this state is either try to fight to remove them or lodge complaints or protests against them. On the other hand, if you take such situations as challenges, you can positively and constructively work to overcome them yourself, as and when suitable opportunities present themselves. His success in life is largely due to the implementation of this and other such principles, which he has derived from Islamic scriptures. His Education Since his family was involved in India’s freedom struggle from the very outset, as a very young man he became a staunch nationalist in the period prior to India gaining its independence in 1947, and he continues to be such till today. Although his brother, Abdul Muhit Khan, his cousin Iqbal Ahmad Sohail and other members of his family were sent to western-style schools for their education, the young Wahiduddin was enrolled at a traditional Islamic seminary, the Madrasatul Islah, in Sarai Mir, near Azamgarh in 1938 to receive religious education. Here he spent six years, completing this course and graduating in 1944. Although he had unconsciously loved to live with nature from childhood, during his days at the seminary he learnt that the Quran teaches man to observe and reflect on nature – God’s creation. Here, he consciously began to imbibe this principle in his life, and observation and reflection became the seeds that were to develop in him a scientific and analytical bent of mind, which he effectively applies till today in both religious and secular fields. After graduating from this seminary of traditional Islamic learning, he started interacting with people to begin his life – considering his education to be complete. As it happened, the people whom he came across had received a modern, English medium education. During some of these interactions, he was deeply shocked to realize that, although his education had been completed, he was not able to respond to statements and questions put to him by others such as, “You can believe in religion only as a matter of faith, as it falls only into the framework of primary rationalism and not secondary rationalism,” and “Will there be anything lacking in history if Prophet Muhammad were to be taken out of it?” Questions such as these presented a new challenge to him. His elder brother wanted him to join the family business, but realizing that, without studying English and modern science, his education would be incomplete, the young Khan immersed himself in learning English and then went on to study innumerable books on science and contemporary thought. Developing a voracious appetite for knowledge, he would visit the library early in the morning and leave only when requested to do so by the librarian at closing time. His quest for knowledge can be gauged by the fact that, even today – at the age of eighty – he talks less and listens more. He constantly questions all visitors coming to him, so that he may gain fresh knowledge from interacting with them. Well-Versed in Traditional Learning and Modern Sciences As a result of his quest and resulting research, he became well versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern science. He then came to the conclusion that the need of the hour was to present Islamic teachings in the style and language of the post-scientific era. Khan’s primary concern has been to present Islam as a perfectly suitable ideology for the modern age. Having a deep understanding of the original Arabic scriptures and with his extensive research in the fields of modern thought and science, the Maulana has presented to the world – in the modern idiom – the real face of Islam, based as it is on peace, tolerance and co-existence. He dispels the notion that Islam is a religion of violence, a notion that has gained currency at the present time, because of its being misrepresented and therefore misunderstood. He deals at great length in his writings with issues relating to pluralism, inter-faith dialogue and peace – issues not seriously considered either by the Islamists, with their radical rhetoric, or the quietists, such as the Tablighi Jamaat, with their refusal to look beyond formulations of traditional Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), the reason being that they are either unable or unwilling to do so. Let us now turn to Khan’s own distinct interpretation of how Islam can be understood in the modern world, an interpretation which claims to be both authentic and at the same time relevant in the present day context. His Mission Upon completion of his research, in 1955, he published his first book, Naye Ahd Ke Darwaze Par, or ‘On the Threshold of a New Era’. This book, the result of his exhaustive studies, was further elaborated upon in his next work, Ilme Jadid Ka Challenge, or ‘Islam and Modern Challenges’, which was later published as ‘God Arises’. The culmination of his research was his book, Al Islam, in which he presented the ideology developed by him, which was completely based on the original Islamic Scriptures. Continuing to write since then, he has authored over 200 books. His book, ‘God Arises’ has been accepted as the standard Islamic position on modern thought and has been incorporated in the curricula of universities in over six Arab countries. It has been translated into various languages, such as English, Arabic, Malay, Turkish, Hindi, Malayalam and Sindhi. Its Arabic version has been published under the title of Al-Islam Yatahadda and has become popular throughout the Arab world. From 1967 onwards, he has been addressing public and private gatherings in order to advocate a policy, which should be constructive, nationalist and inter-nationalist in nature. He has become actively involved in serving the cause of national and international unity based on peace and inter-faith harmony, and has extended his mission to interfaith efforts, by which he seeks, in the modern idiom, to present to the world the peaceful, tolerant spirit of Islam. Over a period of time, he has begun to contribute articles to various journals and newspapers, and has become a regular contributor to several national and international dailies and magazines. Launch of Islamic Centre and Al Risala To give full expression to these positive ideas, he established the Islamic Centre at New Delhi in 1970. Subsequently, the organ of the Centre, Al-Risala – the monthly magazine – was launched in Urdu in 1976. This journal, consisting entirely of his own articles, quickly acquired a wide circulation throughout the Urdu-speaking world, and has done much to make people understand the peaceful face of Islam, to awaken in Muslims a new awareness of their social responsibilities and to promote positive thinking and action. The first issues of the English and Hindi versions of Al-Risala were launched respectively in February 1984, and December 1990. The English version continues to be published under the title of Spiritual Message till today. Ambassador of Peace In 1992, when the atmosphere was so highly charged throughout India due to the Babri Mosque incident, he felt the necessity to convince people of the need to restore peace and amity between the two communities, so that the country might once again tread the path of progress. To fulfill this end, he went on a 15-day Shanti Yatra (peace march) through Maharashtra along with Acharya Muni Sushil Kumar and Swami Chidanand, addressing large groups of people at 35 different places on the way from Mumbai to Nagpur. This Shanti Yatra contributed greatly to the return of peace in the country. It is because of his advocacy of peace on the subcontinent and throughout the world and his espousal of the cause of communal harmony that he is respected by all communities and in every circle of society. Invited to meetings by all religious groups and communities within India and abroad, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is, in effect, India's spiritual ambassador, spreading the universal message of peace, love and harmony. A special invitee to inter-religious conferences, within and beyond India’s borders, in the past four decades, he has traveled to almost every part of the globe to spread the message of peace and harmony. In conducting inter-faith dialogue, he adheres to the maxim: “Follow one and respect all.” While conducting inter-faith dialogue, he reveals the true face of Islam by focusing on and ultimately banishing misconceptions about it: in the process, he removes hatred from the minds of the people and bridges gaps between communities and religious groups. Directly addressing individuals, he re-engineers minds in order to develop positive and spiritually inclined citizens of the world – who can live together peacefully – so that the culture of peace and spirituality may spread at a universal level. While engaging in inter-faith efforts, he emphasizes the importance of differentiating between Islam and Muslims; for, to discover the true value of Islam, it is essential to draw on its original sources, rather than judge it by latter-day interpretations and commentaries thereon, or by the practices of present day Muslims in different parts of the world. In order really to understand the difference between Islam and Muslims, he explains, by way of analogy, that if one wants to grasp the ideology of democracy, one should study the constitution of a democratic state and not simply observe the acts of a democratic country. In the same way, to understand Islam, one has to comprehend what is in its original scriptures and not judge it by the acts of certain Muslims. There are two original sources of Islam, the Quran, the word of God, and the Sunnah, the sayings and the actions of the Prophet Muhammad. These have been completely preserved for posterity. The Seerah, or the life of the Prophet Muhammad, which has full historical credibility, and the lives of the Sahaba, or the companions of the Prophet of Islam, provide other later sources. Then, there is a full stop in this matter. No other person or historical record enjoys the status of a genuine source of Islam. Clear Translation of the Quran Realizing the need for a clear translation of and commentary on the Quran, he translated the Quran into Urdu along with a commentary in the form of Tazkirul Quran. Its English – The Quran, and Hindi – Pavitra Quran, versions have recently been published. According to Maulana, there are more than a dozen translations of the Quran in English. However, the clarity that is there in the Arabic Quran is lacking in all of them. The Quran is an endeavour to give to the world an English translation of the Quran which is clear and gives a scientific interpretation, which will satisfactorily address the minds of people of the post-scientific era. His Books His 200 books and numerous audio and video lectures in English and Urdu on Islam, prophetic wisdom and peaceful co-existence in a multi-ethnic society, give the true, peaceful and scientific interpretation of the Islamic scriptures. More than four dozen books, such as, In Search of God, Islam Rediscovered, Man Know Thyself, Islam: The Voice of Human Nature, The Quran: An Abiding Wonder, Religion and Science, Islam Creator of the Modern Age, Muhammad: Prophet for all Humanity, The Prophet Muhammad: A Simple Guide to his Life, Women between Islam and Western Society, etc. have already been translated into English and the work of translation is continuing. The latest work to his credit is The Ideology of Peace, which not only offers a peaceful solution to the menace of terrorism, but also helps people understand the concept of peace in Islam. Ideology of Peace Advocating Islam as a complete ideology of peace and spirituality, he lays stress on respecting all religions while following one. He opines: “Peace is the only way to achieve anything of a positive nature, either as an individual or as a society. And the same holds equally true at national and International levels.” He believes in peace as the only religion for both man and the universe. He is currently promoting the culture of peace through mind-based spirituality. According to him, peace and spirituality are both, in fact, two aspects of the one truth. Positive thinking at an individual level is called spirituality; when this positive thinking reaches a collective level in society, it culminates in peace. Helping seekers discover truth at a rational level, he emphasizes that spirituality, the result of the awakening of the mind, provides the best formula for the discovery of truth and the building of character – thus making one a peaceful and positive person. The Maulana, in his analysis of the absence of peace, notes that people the world over, in the name of justice, act intolerantly and indulge in acts of violence, saying, “Give us justice and peace will ensue.” But when people, ostensibly seeking justice, stoop to violence, peace can never prevail. Peace, according to him, is always desirable for its own sake, and every other desirable state comes after peace, not along with it. So, the maxim he follows, when peace is the desired state, is: “Ignore the problems, and avail of the opportunities.” Once people become tolerant and obtain peace for its own sake, what that actually does is open up opportunities – it creates favourable conditions, which enable people to strive for their ideals, eventually attaining justice and other constructive ends. This is the policy of peace as exemplified by the life of Prophet Muhammad, which can be clearly seen in his signing the Hudaibiya Treaty. Based on this example set by the Prophet Muhammad, the Maulana has developed a full-fledged ideology of peace – derived directly from the Islamic scriptures – to counter the mentality of violence. It successfully banishes the notion that there can be anything acceptable about terrorism. He has presented this ideology of peace in his books: Islam and Peace, A Manifesto of Peace, The True Jihad, and his latest book, The Ideology of Peace. Ideology of Spirituality There are two major schools of spiritual discipline: one based on meditation and the other on contemplation, Maulana subscribes to the school of contemplation. He explains that modern science has proved that the heart – the centre of meditative practices – is nothing but an organ of circulation of blood and therefore, cannot be the centre of spiritual development. He believes that, as it is man’s mind that differentiates him from the rest of creation, it can only be through the development of his mind that man can attain true spirituality. Following this principle, Maulana has developed a comprehensive Ideology of spirituality, based on contemplation – tafakkur, tadabbur and tawassum as mentioned in the Quran – rather than on meditation. He therefore believes that it can only be through contemplative spirituality that man receives answers to eternal questions pertaining to the ideology of life: Who am I? What is my purpose? Does God exist? Do I need God? How should I live in this world? Does the hereafter exist? What is death? How do I achieve salvation? etc. According to him, spirituality is, indeed, a representation of truth – truth is spirituality and spirituality is truth. Everyone is in need of spirituality, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless. Contemplative spirituality provides human beings with a starting point for their lives; it provides man with the right philosophy of life; it is a guidebook of life, bringing man out of the darkness of ignorance and leading him into the light of reality, so that he may understand God’s creation plan or the purpose for which he was created. Providing a Rational Argument for the Existence of God If people doubt the existence of God, it is usually because He cannot be seen. They believe in the direct argument or primary rationalism – that a thing exists only if it can be observed. They do not believe in the inferential argument or secondary rationalism – that a thing exists in spite of being unseen, if its effect can be observed. The Maulana is often, therefore, asked how he can scientifically prove the existence of the one universal God. He replies, firstly, that the concept of God is innate in human beings. Then, secondly, by way of illustrating how something which is unobservable can still be believed in, he cites the world of subatomic particles – which, it was scientifically confirmed when the atom was split – was nothing but a mad dance of energy waves or electrons, which could not be directly observed. Scientists, however, continued to believe in the concept of the atom and the subatomic particles, which were its constituents – although they now realized that they were unseen. A new logic then came into being. Not only was the direct argument considered valid, but the inferential argument based on the visible effects of invisible sources was also taken to be acceptable. An example of the latter is X-rays. X-rays cannot be seen with the naked eye; however, their effect – the X-ray film – can be seen. Using the inferential argument, the Maulana has provided scientific proof that this division of primary and secondary rationalism is in itself wrong. In his books, God Arises, In Search of God and Religion and Science, he has given credence to the belief in a non-observable God, with the maxim that: “Where there is design, there is a Designer.” Bertrand Russell likewise confirmed this in his book, Why I Am Not a Christian. The following, an excerpt from God Arises, proves this point: “The option one has to take is not between the ‘universe without God’ and the ‘universe with God’. The option is actually between the ‘universe with God’ or ‘no universe at all’. Since we cannot, for obvious reasons, opt for the latter proposition, we are in fact left with no other option except the former — the ‘universe with God’.” Explaining the Creation Plan of God According to the Maulana, once a person accepts the fact of one God, the next question that he asks is, ‘What does God want from me?’ Or, ‘Why has He created me?’ Presenting to the world God’s scheme of creation, he explains that the Creator of man has created him according to a special plan. His intention is that man should spend a period of trial in this present, imperfect world. And subsequent to this, by virtue of his deeds, he will earn the right to inhabit that perfect and eternal world, otherwise known as Paradise – the home of peace. (10: 25) In terms of the creation plan of the Creator, human life is divided into two stages – the pre-death stage and the post-death stage. The limited period before death is meant to be a test for man. And the period after death will be the period for reward or punishment, based on his performance in the test in this life. Those who live a God-oriented or Rabbani life by developing positive personalities will pass the test. They will be rewarded with eternal Paradise. On the other hand, those who fail to do so will be debarred from entering Paradise and will suffer everlasting punishment. Elaborating on the creation plan of God, he says that, in the present world, man finds himself totally free. However, this freedom does not belong to him as a matter of right, but is rather a test paper for everyone. In the present world of trial, any man or woman, to be eligible for Paradise, must acknowledge the truth of the One God, and surrender to Him, not by compulsion as does the rest of creation, but by his or her own choice. Felicitations The Maulana, who is well traveled, and the recipient of several national and International awards, has made a very great contribution to world peace in his tireless campaign to avert the danger of a nuclear conflict between various countries. To this end he put forward a proposal for a worldwide movement for nuclear disarmament at a peace forum held at Zug in Switzerland in 2002. On that occasion, he was awarded the Demiurgus Peace International Award by the Nuclear Disarmament Forum AG. The award, under the patronage of the former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, was given to acknowledge his outstanding achievements in strengthening peace among nations and for his efforts to develop a complete ideology of peace and present Islamic teachings in the style and language of the present day. The award was presented at a ceremony by Dr Alexander Bessmertnykh, chairman of the World Council of Former Foreign Ministers (WCFFM). He has also been awarded the title of Ambassador of Peace by the International Federation for World Peace, Korea. Some of the other awards presented to him are the Padam Bhushan, the National Integration Award, the Communal Harmony Award, the Diwaliben Mohan Lal Mehta Award, presented by the former President of India, the National Amity Award, presented by the former Prime Minister of India, the Dilli Gaurav Award, presented by the Chief Minister of Delhi, the FIE Foundation Award, the Urdu Academy Award, the Aruna Asaf Ali Sadbhavna Award and the National Citizen’s Award, presented by Mother Teresa. Centre for Peace and Spirituality To spread spiritual wisdom based on peace to all mankind throughout the globe, in January 2001, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan established CPS International, i.e. Centre for Peace and Spirituality. As is apparent from its name, the organization aims to promote and reinforce the culture of peace through mind-based spirituality. Under Maulana’s patronage and inspired by his spiritual wisdom, the centre undertakes peace efforts and inter-faith efforts to help individuals understand the importance of peace. With the objective of unleashing their spiritual potential so as to construct intellectually awakened positive personalities, the centre shares spiritual wisdom. The objective of these efforts is to enable individuals to de-condition and re-engineer their minds - which according to Maulana is the real personality of man - along positive lines. The goal of CPS is to bring about an intellectual revolution in the individuals and reveal their true, positive personalities to become peaceful members of society.
The centre helps inquisitive minds, intellectuals and seekers after truth to find their purpose of life. It aims at helping them to rationally find answers to questions pertaining to the ideology of life. It also gives a scientific explanation of monotheism, life after life and the creation plan of God. As a result, participants, while understanding their purpose in life, embark on a journey in search of truth. This elevates their consciousness by allowing their intellect to discover their Creator and lead a God-oriented life in accordance with the principles laid down by their Creator. Maulana believes that when individuals such as these are collected in sufficient numbers, it results in a peaceful society. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world. Through CPS International and its global partners, he has prepared a team of individuals with re-engineered minds, using the simple formula:“Change yourself through contemplative spirituality – by living a God-oriented life – and you will be able to change the world.”According to Maulana, it is this team of individuals who, while playing the role of ambassadors of peace and spirituality to the world, will usher in a reign of global peace and spirituality.The sphere of action of CPS International is, therefore, global. The centre is giving to the people of the world a sustainable message of truth, peace and spirituality and training them based on the universal principles of life, using every peaceful means: the publication of books, magazines, and on-line material; one-on-one interactions in the daily and spiritual sessions; addressing individuals and groups in inter-faith and peace efforts, lectures, conferences and seminars; production of audio-visual material; and television and radio broadcasts. Through these activities, the Ambassadors of Peace and Spirituality have made it their life’s ambition to take the message of peace and spirituality to every corner of the globe – to reach each and every home.
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http://www.goodwordbooks.com |
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Maulana Khan receiving the Demiurgus award
Maulana Khan addressing at Satya Sai Ashram
Maulana Khan at Sampradan Indian Centre for Philanthropy
ICP Executive Committee with Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Chairman, Islamic Centre, New Delhi
ICP Governing Body meeting, 27 October 2006
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur touching the feet of eminent Islamic scholar and sociologist Maulana Wahiduddin Khan while felicitating him in Bhopal on March 13, 2005.
Maulana Khan at his Office |
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