AN INTERVIEW WITH PROF. FARIDA KHANAM

many others. Naghma played a very important role in spreading the message of Maulana. She would always carry a laptop with her. She started recording talks of Maulana. She sought permission from my father to spread these recorded talks. My father’s reply was quite simple. He said that if she really thought it useful, then she should start doing it. Naghma was spell-bound. She had great passion to serve religion. She had earlier contacted many religious institutions and asked if she could be of any help there. She was not encouraged anywhere. This shows that there was no real scope for women in religious circles. This had a tremendous effect on Naghma. She collected and organized all available talks of Maulana. Together with my brother Dr Saniyasnain Khan, she built a recording studio. Mr Navdeep Kapur, a publisher joined CPS at the time and with the help of his office staff he made soft copies of all the English material available. Together the team developed www.cpsglobal.org. The reach of the mission spread far and wide. Women members of CPS brought with them their friends and family and this continued. Ms Raazia Siddiqui, Ms Muslimah Siddiqui along with the three daughters of Dr Saniyasnain Khan: Ms Sadia Khan, Ms Maria Khan and Ms Sufia Khan started attending Maulana’s Sunday classes regularly. Not only were these ladies able to obtain a better understanding of Islam, but they also found here a role to serve religion. Today all of them are playing a pivotal role in the CPS Mission. Instead of finding denial and suppression, these women found that they were encouraged here. Through his writings and speeches, Maulana highlighted the revolutionary role that women could play in Islam. He supported his arguments through the examples of Prophet Abraham’s wife Hagar, Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha and Pharaoh’s wife Asiya. These examples greatly inspired the women. They dedicated themselves to this mission. The reason that women could do much more was that they are more passionate. Men are much busy with mundane affairs. They are unable to spare much time for these activities. Thus, when women got the opportunity to work, they started working with full enthusiasm. They are working for this mission with the conviction that their endeavours would make them worthy and deserving of Paradise, which is a much greater impetus.