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 Demiurgus Peace International Award and Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies. 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.
THE last week of December 15 was full of new experiences for me. Travelling non-stop, on a 12000 kilometre journey from Delhi to Canada, I reached Toronto where I found that Canada had its own different culture. Just as waterfalls all over the world are unique, for example, the Niagara Falls of Canada, so also is Canada quite unique as a nation.
My journey was undertaken at the invitation of the RIS (Reviving the Islamic Spirit) annual conference. Founded by Mr. Fauzan Khan and colleagues, this organisation aims to mobilise the Muslim youth of Canada. To a great extent, judging by the large numbers of Muslim youth from different countries who participated in this program, its members have met this goal. In the course of conversation with the organisation’s young leaders, I learnt that they conceived the idea of forming such an organisation in the wake of 9/11. The event of 9/11 amounted to hitting the “industrial nose” of America directly and the western world indirectly. This experience—a great shock for the entire western world—generated negative feelings about Islam. It profoundly affected the leaders of this organisation and led to their firm resolve to project to the world at large the correct image of Islam and Muslims. The first conference of this organisation was held in 2003. Mr. Fauzan Khan soon found dynamic companions and the movement progressed in leaps and bounds.
Mulling over this experience, I felt that 9/11 was a thesis while the RIS was its antithesis (to use the phrase of Hegel and Marx). It follows a law of nature which in the Quran is called the law of repelling (2: 251). This means that whenever a negative situation develops in human history, a combination of factors inherent in nature instigates a new process conducive to a positive turn of events, culminating in a new and better age. One example in the history of Islam is the Tartar attack on the Abbasid empire in the 13th century, which had a devastating effect upon the Muslim world. This was apparently a negative event but it ultimately had a positive outcome. Peaceful dawah work was instigated amongst the Muslims inspired by Shaykh Jamaluddin of Iran. The results of these developments have been described by Prof. Philip K. Hitti in these words:
'The religion of Muslims has conquered where their arms had failed.' This positive process has started on a large scale. Muslims are thinking along the lines of Dawah and are spreading the message of the Quran far and wide. I am certain that this trend will go on increasing to the point where we will see the dawn of a new future.
Whenever a negative situation develops in human history,
a combination of factors inherent in nature instigates a new process
conducive to a positive turn of events, culminating in a new and better age.
A large number of programmes were organised in Toronto. In the course of every speech I made, I talked of peace, giving due acknowledgement to the global contribution of the West. I explained that western civilization was proIslam and that the concept of Islamophobia was totally baseless. Every speech was followed by a question and answer session. This was a new experience for me. Many questions were raised and these were positive. Indeed the audience was moved to tears. They liked my speeches so much that they gave me a standing ovation.
This phenomenon reflects a sign of change among the Muslims. Just before I was to leave Canada, I was requested to give a concluding message to the audience. Very briefly I said: 'Assalaamu-u-Alaikum wa Rahmatullah. Today I am leaving for India. I would like to give you two short pieces of advice. Firstly, make God your greatest concern. Secondly, behave in a friendly manner towards all human beings. May God bless you. May God help you to realise this noble cause.' Judging by the great appreciation shown by the audience, my words had obviously made a strong impact. o
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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