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

A BENEFACTOR OF HUMANITY Hanif Salat, Dubai T he following verses from Chapter Ya Sin of the Quran reminds me of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan: Then, from the furthest part of the city, a man came running. He said, “My people, follow the messengers. Follow those who ask no recompense of you and are rightly guided. Why should I not worship Him who has brought me into being, and to whom you shall all be recalled? Shall I take others besides Him as gods? If the Gracious God should intend me any harm, their intercession will be of no avail, nor can they deliver me. In that case I should indeed be in manifest error. Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.» We said to him, “Enter paradise,” and he exclaimed: “Would that my people knew how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honoured ones!» (36:20-27) In the above verses of the Quran, I believe the ‘man came running’ refers to men like Maulana of every age and era. In a life spanning over nine decades, Maulana kept on exhorting the people to realize the Creation Plan of God. In his interactions and in his writings, one thing that stands out is that he was so desirous of people to live a God-oriented