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

It was after a terrorist attack in the late nineties that a meeting was held in India International Centre, New Delhi. Among the speakers was the name of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. I went to listen to him. What would he say? I found a tall, majestic looking man with a beautiful turban and a grey beard telling me, “The word Islam means peace.” His eyes filled up and his throat tightened as he said, “Let us not misunderstand a religion on the basis of the acts of some miscreants....” That was my first meeting with Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. That was my first discovery of Islam. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was a gentle compassionate teacher of Islam, he looks at the world and its living beings as a beautiful creation to be enjoyed, respected and learnt from. We had the pleasure of learning from him. –Sudhamahi Regunathan: former Vice-Chancellor, Jain Vishwa Bharti Institute I am much saddened by the passing away of the most revered Maulana Wahiduddin Khan who left us on 22 April 2021. Maulana Sahib was a true holy leader in this complicated world of our times. His liberal approach to religion and his humble life style mark him as an outstanding religious leader. His needs are minimum and his deeds are total and allembracing. I clearly remember him saying in a public talk “if a small car takes me to where I have to go, why should I have a bigger and a luxurious car’’. His scholarship not only in Islam but also other religious and spiritual traditions is exemplary. In my humble efforts of promoting inter-religious understanding and harmony which is one of the life missions of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I cherish Maulana Sahib’s patronage.