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

Prof. Kidwai describes MWK’s Tafsir, “notwithstanding some serious shortcomings” as a “substantial addition to the tafsir corpus in English, especially in view of its forceful, inspiring elucidation of the main articles of the Islamic faith”. Similarly, Dr Reiko Okawa (Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan) in her study on “Wahiduddin Khan’s Reading of Peace and Spirituality in the Scripture” (International Journal of Islamic Thought, 2019) attempted to “illustrate how Khan created a peaceful understanding of the Quran in contemporary India” by focusing on “the background to Khan’s thought” and “the features of his interpretation of the Quran”. She concludes that “Khan’s interpretation, deeply reflecting his own ideas and containing messages to minority Muslims, provides three main remarkable themes, being scripture, spirituality and peace.” It is noteworthy to mention that many research works (PG to PhD) have been carried on MWK’s life, works and thought in the recent decades in various universities of India. From the above assessment, it becomes evident that MWK’s scholarly output was enormous, and his coverage of subjects was diverse. Though one may have many disagreements with MWK’s thoughts on certain religious/ theological and political issues—expressed in his various works, including his monthly al-Risala and his Tafsir—but no one can deny profundity of his scholarship, diversity and richness of subjects he covered, his lucid but captivating style, his ability of expressing complex scholarly subjects with great brevity, and his rational way of interpretation of Islam, and things Islamic. “He was one of the masters of modern theology and his contributions will continue to benefit the world of