CARRYING ON THE LEGACY AND MISSION OF MAULANA - Prof. Farida Khanam

CARRYING ON THE LEGACY AND MISSION OF MAULANA Prof. Farida Khanam O n the night of April 21, my father, mentor, and spiritual guide Maulana Wahiduddin Khan passed away. It has been the most difficult time of my life to be without him. I know I have to accept death, a part of the creation plan of God, gracefully. It will take time for me to get used to his physical absence. In spirit, he is not just with me, but with all the CPS missionaries. What a visionary he was! Before his death he had recorded a message to guide our response in the situation after his loss. He lived in constant remembrance of death. He said: “If tomorrow you receive the news, Maulana is no more, what should be your reaction? You should immediately exclaim, Maulana is no more, but God is still alive!” In the same video, Maulana goes on to advise his disciples thus: This is what Abu Bakr, a Companion of the Prophet of Islam, said at the time of the death of the Prophet. You must remind yourself that God alone is the eternal being. You should not react in any other way. If you do say this, then God Himself will become your companion. You will not be sad about being separated from anyone. After I am gone, you have to devote your lives to God’s mission. This was the spirit of the Companions of the Prophet. “You must follow the example of the Companions. You must say as they said: God is always with us and He is the Ever-living, Ever-sustaining.”