ME AND MAULANA: A PERSONAL RECOLLECTION OF WAHIDUDDIN KHAN - John M. Butt

my eyes well up and I break down. Then I think of Maulana’s advice to all of us when he said, “When you hear of my death, I want you to give the response given by Abu Bakr when he said, ‘God is still alive and always will be.’” I gain strength from these words, but realize that I am completely helpless. When I intend to do anything, it can only be achieved through God’s help and guidance. With this conviction I am writing these words. My Story My first realization of God was through a dream I had when I was not more than 14 years old. In the dream I saw God in white-pant and shirt and Prophet Muhammad in bluepant and shirt. Though it was a long dream, in a part of it I approach God with my hands outstretched and ask Him what the meaning of the lines on our hands are. In the dream God directly answered my question and gave me an explanation that lasted for hours. But when I woke up, although I remembered the rest of the dream, I did not remember the part of the dream where God spoke to me directly. I asked many people what the dream meant. All said it was a good dream, but no one was able to interpret it. Since that day I always felt close to God. I felt I could always ask God questions and I felt I received answers. I always felt that God was calling me towards some divine mission, in an unspoken language. As I grew older I got busy in studies, a career and business, and this inner urge somehow got suppressed. Though I always felt close to God and continued to perform rituals, my life