The Call of Dawah in the Modern Age March-April

end to the age of atheism in order to replace it with the age of monotheism. This in an extremely noble task for which people of high calibre, are required. The need of the hour is to set up an institution where individuals are given the required training and education. In the words of Dr. Philip K. Hitti, Islam is again in need of a ‘nursery for heroes.’ Without such a band this stupendous task cannot be fulfilled. The proposed educational centre will serve as such a nursery, a training ground where Islamic missionaries are cast in the heroic mould. One Dr. Nishikanta Chattophadhya (Islamic name: Muhammad Azizuddin) whom l have already mentioned, expressed the need for such a centre in a lecture given in Hyderabad in 1904: I feel sure, that if a comprehensive Islamic mission were started in Hyderabad (India) to preach the simple and sublime truths of Islam to the people of Europe, America and Japan, there would be such rapid and enormous accession to its ranks as has not been witnessed since the first centuries of the Hijra. Will you, therefore, organise a grand central Islamic Mission here in Hyderabad and open branches in Europe, America and in Japan? (Why have I Accepted Islam? Dr. Nishikant Chattopadhya). Today, our most urgent need is the establishment of a dawah-cum-training centre. It is fully ninety years since this thought was given expression to by this man of noble character, but it has yet to become a reality. If a great centre, as envisaged, could be established, the new history of Islam, for which we have been striving for so long, would once again begin to take shape, provided that in its functioning, it remained aloof from all kinds of politics and controversial national issues. □