First Phase: Informal Conversation

1. My first discussions on this matter began in 1959 with a central figure regarded as one of the highest-ranking members of the Jamaat in India. We had prolonged conversations, yet he could not provide me with any conclusive answers. He himself had certain grievances with the Jamaat but did not offer any specific guidance to help resolve my intellectual struggles. Once, when we were discussing the Quranic verse about “He may make it prevail over every other religion” (9:33, 48:28, 61:9), I said, “You interpret this as the mission of the Prophet and, by extension, the objective of the Muslim community. If, indeed, this verse specifies the mission for which Allah continued the chain of prophethood and revelation, then why do these words only appear in relation to the final Prophet’s mission in the Quran? Why are such expressions not used for the purpose of the earlier prophets’ missions as well?” His response was, “Perhaps the purpose of prophethood was changed to ‘establishment of religion’ after the final Prophet.” (Or so he said.) 2. Another senior figure, one of the most respected members of the Jamaat, engaged in numerous conversations with me over time. However, he continually tried to convince me that there was no