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

universal fraternity and inclusiveness earned him great rewards from all over. He received Demiurgus Peace Award under the patronage of former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev. He also received Padma Bhushan in 2000 besides National Citizens’ Award presented by Mother Teresa and Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavna Award in 2009. In 2021, he received India’s second highest civilian honour the Padma Vibhushan. With his demise Muslims, particularly of India, have lost a friend, philosopher and guide. In today’s world where Islamophobia has become the order of the day and some Muslim fringe groups are hell-bent on to fuel this phenomena by indulging in terrorism, Maulana’s was the voice of wisdom cautioning Muslims from falling prey to false and fake narratives spread by these elements. While these elements are busy discrediting Muslims, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan did everything possible to show the human face of Islam to the world. May his soul rest in eternal peace and his writings and teachings guide Muslims to shun the fake gods of extremism and violence and embrace the Allah, the most merciful. THUS SPOKE THE ENLIGHTENED Akhtrul Wasey M aulana Wahiduddin Khan (b. 1925) is an epitome of extraordinary educational and intellectual career. His family traces its history to the intellectually fertile land of Shibli,