FROM MAULANA’S DESK
FROM MAULANA’S DESK
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life has been the establishment of worldwide peace. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India, and the Demiurgus Peace International Award. He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world’ and is recognised as one of its most influential Muslims1 . His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi.
UNAWARENESS OF MUSLIMS
THESE days violence committed by Muslims has become a daily news feature. Referring to this, commentators generally observe that the case of present-day Muslims is a case of terrorism. However, such comment is based on face-value. If we go deeper we would realize that this way of looking at the phenomenon is not right.
To my way of thinking, the case of present Muslims is not one of terrorism, in fact, it is a case of unawareness. Present Muslims are victims of misunderstanding about the present age.
These Muslims are obsessed with the historical glory of Islam. They want to re-establish the political empire of Islam, which according to their notion was successfully established in the past. Their actions are a result of this conditioning of theirs. What is required is deconditioning of their minds. De-militarization of Muslims can be achieved only through de-conditioning of this political mind-set.
The modern age is an age of globalization. Modern opportunities have made it possible for every group of people to establish an ‘Empire’ of their own. The political empires of the past cannot be brought back. However, building non-political empires is possible for any group in this age. There are various scopes for work in the non-political field.
In today’s age one can build, for instance—educational empire, industrial empire, media empire, as well as spiritual and ideological empire. The making of peaceful empires has become so much possible today that if any group uses wisdom and right planning, it can certainly create an empire for itself.
In the Makkan period the tribal chiefs of Makkah once asked the Prophet what he required of them. The Prophet replied: “Only a kalima (word), which if you adopt you will become masters over the Arab and nonArab world.” This prophetic saying was about the coming age. It means that the advent of Islam was to initiate a new process in history, which would usher in such developments that it would become possible for a group to attain global supremacy, provided it remained completely peaceful.
De-militarization of Muslims can be achieved
only through de-conditioning of their political mindset.
Present Muslims are unaware of this reality. They want to build a political empire of Islam. In the present age of nationalism this has become totally non-workable. Muslims should make the ideological empire of Islam their target, which is as much possible as the making of a media empire.
Make Muslims aware of the present age and their “Terrorism” will automatically disappear. o
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Learn from All
The spirit for learning in man should be so great that he should learn from every individual around him. Words and behaviours which affect us in a negative manner must provide us with positive lessons. Thus we can develop the capability to learn from every instance in our life.