Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was born in a family of Pashtun landlords in 1925 at Badharia, a village near the town of Azamgarh, in the eastern United Provinces, now the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. His parents died when he was still a child, and he was brought up by his father’s brother, Sufi Hamid Majid Khan. Although his two brothers were sent to western-style schools for their education, the young Wahiduddin was enrolled at a traditional Islamic seminary, the Madrasat-ul Islah, in Sarai Mir, near Azamgarh, in order to train as an ‘alim. Here he spent six years, completing the‘alim course, graduating in 1944.
After graduating from a seminary of traditional Islamic learning, he turned his attention to modern thought. Well versed, as a consequence, in both classical Islamic learning and modern science, he began to contribute articles to various journals and newspapers and addressed public and private gatherings in order to advocate a policy which should be both constructive and nationalist. To give full expression to these positive ideas, he established the Islamic Centre in Delhi in 1970. Subsequently, the organ of the Centre, “Al-Risala" was launched, in Urdu, in 1976. This magazine, consisting an almost entirely of his own articles, quickly acquired a wide circulation throughout the Urdu-speaking world, and has done much to awaken in Muslims new awareness of their social responsibilities. The first issues of the English and Hindi versions of Al-Risala were launched respectively in February 1984, and December 1990.
The Maulana, a regular contributor to several newspapers and journals has to his credit. He has authored over 200 books a number of which have been incorporated in the curricula of several Arab universities. The Maulana has also written a two-volume commentary on the Holy Qur'an.
At that time, in 1992, when the atmosphere was so highly charged throughout the country, he felt the necessity to convince people of the need to restore peace an amity between the two communities so that the country might once again be set upon the path of progress. To fulfill this end, he went on a 15-day Shanti Yatra along with Acharya Muni Sushil Kumar and Swami Chidanand Maharashtra, addressing large groups of people at 35 different places on the way from Bombay to Nagpur. This Shanti Yatra contributed greatly to the return of peace in the country. It is because of his advocacy of peace in the country 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 sahab is, in effect, India's spiritual ambassador, spreading the universal message of peace, love and harmony.
In 2002, Maulana Khan has been awarded 'Demiurgus Peace International Award' by the Nuclear Disarmament Forum AG. The award, under the patronage of the former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, has been awarded 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 by Dr Alexander Bessmertnykh, chairman of the World Council of Former Foreign Ministers (WCFFM), at an impressive ceremony at Zug, Switzerland, recently. He has also been awarded the title of “Ambassador of Peace” by the International Federation for World Peace, Korea.
Khan’s primary concern being to express Islam as a perfectly suitable ideology for the modern age, he deals at great length in his writings with issues related to pluralism, inter-faith dialogue and peace, issues that he sees both the Islamists, with their radical rhetoric, and quietists, such as the Tablighi Jama’at, with their refusal to look beyond formulations of traditional fiqh, as unable, if not unwilling, to seriously consider. To Khan’s own distinct understanding of how Islam can be understood in the modern world, an understanding which claims to be both authentic and at the same time relevant in today’s context, we now turn.
The latest work to his credit is "The Ideology of Peace", which not only offers a peaceful solution to the terrorism, but also helps people understand the concept of peace in Islam. To cater to the quest of inquisitive minds and to connoisseurs of spiritual pursuit, in 2001 the Maulana established the Centre for Peace and Spirituality. The Centre under his patronage and inspired by his spiritual wisdom, focuses on unleashing the spiritual potential of an individual. As a result, the seeker embarks on a journey that elevates his consciousness by allowing the intellect to discover and acknowledge the Creation Plan of his Creator.
[edit] Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Popularly known as Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was born in Azamgarh (U.P.) in 1925, and educated at a local madrasa. From his very childhood, he showed a voracious appetite for knowledge, spending entire days in the library. Well versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern science, his research led him to conclude that the need of the hour was to present Islamic teachings in the style and language of the post-scientific era.
Devoted to the development of a complete ideology of peace, spirituality and monotheism, he presents to the world the true face of Islam based on peace, tolerance and co-existence and helps people understand their purpose in life by explaining the creation plan of God. A special invitee to inter-religious conferences, within and outside the country in the past five decades, Maulana has been a regular contributor of articles to several national and international dailies and magazines.
Realizing the need for the correct translation and commentary of the Quran and Hadith, Maulana translated the Quran in Urdu along with the commentary in the form of Tazkirul Quran. Its Hindi version has recently been published and its English version is under preparation, which will give to the world a correct English translation of the Quran with an interpretation in the modern idiom. He is presently working on a Hadith compilation, his autobiography and is getting the Encyclopedia of Divine Wisdom compiled under his direction. Giving the correct interpretation of the Islamic Scriptures, he has authored over 200 books on Islam, prophetic wisdom and peaceful co-existence in a multi-ethnic society. He established the Islamic Centre in Delhi in 1970 and launched its Al Risala, the monthly magazine that spreads awareness of social responsibility, in Urdu in 1976.
To carry on his mission of peace, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan set up CPS International in 2001 and through the centre and its global partners, he has prepared a team of Ambassadors of Peace and Spirituality to spread the message of peace to the world. He has done this by re-engineering their minds, using the simple formula: “Change yourself through spirituality – by living a God-oriented life and you will be able to change the world”. According to him, it is this team of individuals who are playing the role of ambassadors of peace and spirituality to the world to usher in a reign of global peace and spirituality.
To find out more about Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, you can also log onto www.mwk.net, www.goodwordbooks.com, www.alrisala.org and www.cpsglobal.org.
His Early Years Maulana Wahiduddin Khan 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, known as the Eastern United Provinces at the time.
After his father’s death in December 1929, he was brought up by his uncle, Sufi Abdul Hamid Khan. 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, as all you can do then is either try to fight to remove the problems 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, derived from Islamic scriptures. Since his family was involved in India’s freedom struggle, 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.
His Education 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, in order to train as a religious scholar (alim). He spent six years here, completing this course and graduating in 1944.
From his childhood, he unconsciously loved to live with and observe nature. Later in his life, this became a conscious endeavour; as during his days at the seminary, he learnt that the Quran teaches man to observe and reflect on nature, God’s creation – tafakkur and tadabbur. So, he consciously began to imbibe this principle in his life, and observation and reflection became the seeds that were to develop scientific temper and an analytical bent of mind in him. He effectively applied this to his research and wrote books presenting Islam in the scientific idiom and continues to apply this principle in both religious and secular fields till today.
Preparing for his Mission After graduating from the seminary of traditional Islamic learning, he started interacting with people, in particular those who 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 answer many of the questions and respond to many statements 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 secondary rationalism and not primary rationalism,” and “If the Prophet Muhammad were to be taken out of history, how would history change?” Such statements and questions presented a new challenge to him.
His elder brother wanted him to join the family business, but realizing that, without studying English and modern thought, 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 more than 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 and he continues to apply this knowledge in his writings till today.
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.
His Mission His mission may primarily be called a peace mission. Khan’s primary concern has been to present Islam, as it is, as a perfectly suitable ideology for the modern age, based on peace and spirituality. Having a deep understanding of the original Arabic scriptures, and with his extensive research in the fields of modern thought and science, Maulana presented to the world – in the modern scientific 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 or 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 Islam in the modern idiom, an interpretation which is both authentic and at the same time relevant in the present day context.
Upon completion of his research, in 1955, he published his first book, Naye Ahad 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 interpretation of the Islamic Scriptures in the modern idiom based on peace.
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 to present to the world the peaceful, tolerant spirit of Islam in the modern idiom. Over a period of time, he began to write articles for various journals and he has since become a regular contributor to several national and international dailies and magazines.
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 almost 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. Realizing the need for a correct translation of and commentary on the Quran, he translated the Quran into Urdu along with a commentary in the form of Tazkirul Quran. Its Hindi version has recently been published and its English version is under preparation. This endeavour, in giving to the world an accurate English translation of the Quran with a modern interpretation, will satisfactorily address the minds of the post-scientific era.
Continuing to write and give lectures on the scientific interpretation of the Islamic scriptures, he has authored over 200 books and recorded numerous audio and video lectures in English and Urdu on Islam, prophetic wisdom and peaceful co-existence in a multi-ethnic society. More than four-dozen books have already been translated into English and the work of translation is continuing. Some of these books are Religion and Science, In Search of God, Islam Rediscovered, Man Know Thyself, Islam: The Voice of Human Nature, The Quran: An Abiding Wonder, 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, Principles of Islam, etc.
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.
Presenting the 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 undertaking peace efforts by 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.”
He says that 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 The Ideology 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. He continues to promote the culture of peace and is involved in inter-faith efforts to maintain communal harmony in the country.
Undertaking Inter-Faith Efforts While undertaking inter-faith efforts to reveal the true face of Islam, he emphasizes the importance of differentiating between Islam and Muslims; for, to discover the true face 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 the individuals 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.
According to Maulana, to find the true face of Islam, one has to see the text of the 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.
A special invitee to peace and inter-religious conferences, for the past four decades, he has traveled to almost every part of the globe to spread the message of peace and harmony. During inter-faith efforts, 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 Islam: in the process, he removes hatred from the minds of the people and bridges gaps between communities and religious groups.
Presenting the Ideology of Spirituality 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. Asked how one can become a peaceful, he responds, “through spirituality”.
Maulana has also developed a complete ideology of spirituality, which is based on contemplation – tafakkur and tadabbur and tawassum as mentioned in the Quran – rather than on meditation. His view is that since man is endowed with a mind, it can only be through contemplative spirituality that he receives answers to eternal questions pertaining to the ideology of life: Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? 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, 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 discover his Creator and understand the creation plan of God.
Presenting the Ideology of Monotheism Maulana is often asked how he can scientifically prove the existence of the one universal God. He replies that the concept of God is innate in human beings; however, people usually doubt the existence of God, as He is unobservable. Giving proof of the existence of an unobservable God, Maulana illustrates the example of sub-atomic particles, which while being invisible are still considered to be in existence by the scientific community. Previously people held the direct argument, based on visibility of matter, to be valid and the indirect argument, based on effects of matter to be invalid. At that time, the atom was considered to be the smallest particle of matter. But when the atom was split, it was found that it was nothing but a mad dance of energy waves or electrons, which were not observable. Scientists, however, continued to believe in the concept of the atom and its subatomic particles, protons and electrons, although they now realized that they were unseen, saying, 'the electron is invisible, but it exists'. Maulana explains that this was because, although the electron itself is not visible, its effects are experienced, and for these, no other explanation is forthcoming except the existence of the electron.
It is, therefore, on the basis of such indirect observation that a new logic came into being. Not only was the direct argument of observability considered valid, but the indirect or inferential argument based on the invisible sources of visible effects was also taken to be acceptable. An example of this is the invisibility of X-rays to the naked eye, while their effect can be seen when we observe the X-ray film.
Using 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 explained the ideology of Monotheism, giving credence to the belief in a non-observable God by seeing the effect of His creation – the universe. He gives the maxim, “Where there is a 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 an invisible Creator, the next question that he asks is, ‘What does He want from man?’ Or, ‘Why has He created me?’ Presenting to the world the Creation Plan of God, Maulana 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, while the period after his death will be the period for his reward or punishment, based on his performance in the test in this life. Those who pass the test by living a God-oriented life or a Rabbani Life by purifying themselves and building a positive personality through the process of tazkia or purification, instead of a self-oriented life, will be rewarded with eternal Paradise. On the other hands, those who fail to do so will be debarred from entering Paradise and will suffer everlasting punishment.
Explaining the concept of free will as per 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, firstly, acknowledge the truth of the One God (based on the ideology of Monotheism), and surrender to Him, not by compulsion as does the rest of creation, but by his or her own choice and, secondly, must lead a principled life.
Islam’s Spiritual Ambassador to the World It is because of his advocacy of peace and his espousal of the cause of inter-faith and spirituality efforts that he is respected by all communities and in every circle of society. Invited to meetings by all religious groups and communities throughout the world, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is, in effect, Islam's spiritual ambassador, spreading the universal message of truth, peace and harmony.
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 Padma 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.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is, therefore, Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world.
Centre for Peace and Spirituality To share the spiritual wisdom of Islamic scriptures and to spread the message of truth to mankind peacefully throughout the globe and to train people in the principles of peace and spirituality, in January 2001, the Maulana established the CPS International, i.e. the 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. 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.
Under Maulana’s patronage and inspired by his spiritual wisdom, CPS International and its global partners undertake peace efforts to spread the ideology of peace and inter-faith efforts to reveal the true face of Islam.
His Vision Maulana Wahiduddin Khan envisages a peaceful world. His vision is that the message of peace and spirituality enters each and every home on the globe. According to Maulana, it is the team of individuals – CPS and its global partners – who will play the role of ambassadors of peace and spirituality to the world and spread the message of peace and unity.
Through the ambassadors of peace and spirituality, Maulana is carrying on his peace mission at a global level. Using every available medium such one-on-one interactions, lectures, seminars, conferences; print material such as books, periodicals, leaflets, booklets; online material; audio and visual material such as radio, television and online broadcasts, etc, the mission is continuing to promote the culture of peace through mind-based spirituality.
In fact, 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 so that it reaches each and every home. Under the guidance of Maulana, they aim to usher in an era of global peace and spirituality.
