FROM MAULANA’S DESK

and mutual learning, it would prove to be effective in one’s intellectual growth and add to the wisdom of those who are participating in such dialogue. Dawah ends at this point. Any further thinking about the ideas presented by others is the responsibility and freedom of the individual, a process in which no second person is involved. This major point of difference is to be understood clearly. When we speak of conversion it immediately brings to mind the presence of two persons: a ‘converter’ and a ‘convertee’. This, however, is not an Islamic teaching. When a person accepts a faith different from his previous faith, he alone should make the choice on the basis of his discovery of that faith. It is a result of his own discovery of God: there is no one in between him and His Creator. Thus the entire work of conveying the message of God is about being a true worshipper of God and a true well-wisher of mankind. The framework for this task is to maintain unilateral peace and to live as a giver member of society in every way. The process of dawah has always helped me in my self-development. In this connection, I would like to relate an incident. By birth, I am a Muslim. Through my study of the Quran, I have found that Islam’s concept of life is that a person should intellectually develop himself to such an extent that he is able to turn a minus into a plus. I had learnt this principle through my study of Islam. Later, I came to know of an incident of the famous Indian monk Swami Vivekananda. Once one of his Christian friends invited the Swami to his house and led him to a room. Here on a table lay a pile of books one on top of the other. These were sacred books of major world religions. They were placed in such an order that the Gita was at the bottom and the Bible was right on top. Would the Swami get provoked, the host wondered. The host pointed towards the books and asked: “Swamiji what is your comment on this arrangement?” Swamiji smiled gently and said: “The foundation is really good.” This incident of Swami Vivekananda provided a very good illustration of the principle I had learnt from the Islamic scripture. Dawah is the name of such creative interaction. o Maulana Wahiduddin Khan editor@thespiritofislam.org When a person accepts a faith different from his previous faith, he alone should make the choice on the basis of his discovery of that faith; there is no one in between him and His Creator.