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

reading was distinguished from the essentially soteriological and spiritual concerns of traditional Islam.”[iv] Although Maulana Wahiduddin’s criticism was sound, it was not always accepted by everyone(inevitably). In fact, many argued that if Islamists are influenced by western totalitarianism, he was influenced by Gandhian philosophy, so much so that he concocted an interpretation of Islam that entirely did away with aggressive politics. It might well be the case, but still, it is much better to be influenced by Gandhi, than to be influenced by the likes of Mussolini Or Lenin. And if we are to deal with such philosophical abstractions as “Pristine Islam” or “Correct Islam”, then let it be known that there is no interpretation of any religious text that is free of our own biases or external influences. What is more pertinent to ask is what has been the consequence of Islamism? When Maulana first wrote his book (back in 1963), militant Islam was still pretty much in its infancy. But he had already prognosticated the eventual reliance of Political Islam on violent measures. Like all other utopias, Political Islam too had to resort to militancy in order to achieve its goals. “A large number of Muslims, and especially many easily influenced youth, have become obsessed with this ideology and are trying to establish the political rule of Islam, thinking it to be their ticket to paradise. Having failed to achieve this objective of establishing Islamic rule by the peaceful method, they have started resorting to suicide bombing, the idea being that if we cannot eliminate non-Islamic rule, then let us at least de-stabilise it and pave the way for Islamic rule.”[v]