AN INTERVIEW WITH PROF. FARIDA KHANAM

available English translations of the Quran with my father and realized that one of the reasons for this is that the various Quran translations lacked clarity. Moreover, many verses of the Quran are incorrectly translated to the effect that they produce an entirely different meaning than the one originally intended. Many words like Jihad, shahid are incorrectly translated. The word ‘jihad’ is used in the Quran to mean striving and struggle. Many translators have rendered it as armed warfare. The word ‘shahid’ means witness, but it has been translated as martyr. There are hundreds of such instances. I have compiled a list of all these corrections. One can contact me for the details. This was the impetus for me and my father to produce an English translation of the Quran which has clarity and is written in the contemporary idiom. Maulana’s translation of the Quran edited by me was published in 2008. It has since received worldwide acceptance as a clear translation of the Quran in contemporary English, which is lucid and easy to understand. It is now distributed worldwide and millions of copies have already been distributed with the help of individuals, groups, mosques, institutions, hotels and others in an organized manner under the guidance of Dr Saniyasnain Khan. Why does Maulana emphasize so much on women’s participation? Maulana’s emphasis on women’s participation in this mission was not deliberate. I was already associated with the mission. When the English version of Al-Risala (now published as Spirit of Islam) was started in 1984, many educated people started contacting us. One of them was Mrs. Ghazala Jung, with M.A. in English. She would improve our English translation as well as assist in proofreading. After reading an article by Maulana in an English newspaper, Ms. Usha Mahajan started visiting us regularly. Ms Usha started attending the Sunday lectures of Maulana. She read a number of books on Islam. She was very impressed by the teachings of Islam, especially those pertaining to family life. She says that these teachings have changed her way of thinking. She applies these teachings to her life. Her son Montu Mahajan, a software engineer, has also been reading Maulana's books. He is particularly interested in understanding the concept of peace in Islam. Similarly other ladies visited Maulana to attend his programmes. In 2001, CPS International, Center for Peace and Spirituality was established. Ms Priya Malik, Mr Rajat Malhotra and Mr Khalid Ansari were the founding members of CPS. My father founded the organization to disseminate the true message of Islam in the modern idiom and to promote interfaith harmony and peace. A number of women then formally joined CPS such as Ms Stuti Malhotra, Dr Naghma Siddiqi and