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

Farida Khanam to arrange a meeting with Maulana, which she did. I did not realize at the time that God was directing me to His Mission. God Guided me through Maulana We went to Maulana’s office at C-29 for the same. I remember as I sat in the small office on the ground floor, Maulana came and sat down next to us. My first impression was that he looked very simple and spiritual. Then he turned to me and asked: Do you have any questions? I was spellbound. I was thinking, how can a scholar of such renown allow me to ask him questions? Hesitatingly, I asked him about the 9/11 incident: Was it jihad? Maulana’s prompt reply was: This is not jihad, it is fasad—terrorism. Islam is a religion of peace. It does not sanction violence. He even gave a clear definition of the term ‘terrorism’ from the Islamic perspective as, ‘the use of arms by any individual or organization, other than an established state.’ This was the answer I was searching for all along. In my mind I knew Islam was a religion of peace, but the information I was receiving from others was completely different. I wanted to know more. Maulana asked me to come to his Sunday lectures. The next Sunday I came to Maulana’s Sunday lecture. I can say that that day completely changed my life. I entered Maulana’s room and sat in the corner by the entrance of the door waiting for the lecture to start. Seeing me seated at the corner, Maulana called me towards where the other CPS members were sitting nearer to him. When I came near, he