Al-Risala (English), September-October 2002

prolonged age of darkness and entered the age of light. Now, despite all material progress, man is beset by insuperable problems. Trapped in the glitter of civilization, he is deprived of real peace and happiness. The greatness bestowed upon man by nature has again fallen into a new abyss of degradation. Now the need of the hour is to revive the call of tawhid with renewed force and vigour. The task is two-fold: tawhid has to be made more acceptable by means of new and forceful arguments and, by using modern means of communication; it has to be spread all over the world. As recorded in the historic prediction made by the Prophet, the time will come when God’s religion will spread all over the world, and not a ‘home or a tent’ will be saved from entering God’s word of monotheism. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 23814) □ The Greatest Asset Lord William Wintock, British governor-general in India from 1828 to 1835, has the dubious distinction of being remembered as the man who ordered the destruction of the Taj Mahal in Agra— an order which, happily, he was never able to have carried out. This was revealed at the turn of the century by the then viceroy, Lord Curzon. The East India Company had been going through hard times, Lord Curzon explained, and it was suggested to Lord Wintock that a sale of the Taj would fetch Rs. 100,000—enough to extricate the company from its financial crisis. News of the Company’s intentions circulated, and there was stiff opposition to such a move. This infuriated Lord Wintock, who now went one step further and gave orders for the total destruction of