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

A SANER MUSLIM VOICE FALLS SILENT Bashir Manzar M aulana Wahiduddin Khan, a great Islamic scholar and a humanist par excellence has passed away in a Delhi hospital. In Maulana’s demise, Muslims, particularly of India and the sub-continent have lost a saner voice that always stood against extremism and fanaticism. A great theologian and practitioner of Islam, Maulana never strayed from the core and toiled his entire life to present the message of Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in its real perspective. He staunchly believed that Allah is Rab-ulAalimeen (God of all universes) and His Prophet (SAW) is Rehmatul lil Aalmeen (Mercy for all the worlds). He insisted and counselled Muslims not to look at their Allah and Prophet (SAW) in an exclusionist way but in a universal way. Had Allah been exclusionist, He would have declared Himself Rab-ul-Muslimeen. He didn’t do so because he is the giver and protector of all, irrespective of religion, case, creed, language, region or colour. Islam means “submission” and in the religious context means “submission to the will of God”. “Islam” is derived from the Arabic word “sil’m” which means peace. And Maulana always stood for peace and tolerance.