FROM THE ARCHIVES

FROM THE ARCHIVES Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s writing career spanned about seven decades. His early writings date back to 1955. Promulgating the eternal teachings of religion, providing divine guidance from the Quran and the Hadith for the ever-changing world and academic discussion of the teachings of religion were his main concerns. Through this column, we take our readers across memory lane to read the timeless wisdom of a revealed religion through his writings. He wrote this article in 1984. It calls for total dedication of the members of CPS towards the Mission. It also enumerates the qualities of a CPS missionary. A GRAND ADVENTURE “M EN wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.” —Sir Ernest Shackleton This is an advertisement published in The Times, London, 1900, by Sir Ernest Shackleton. He required a team for exploration of the Antarctic. As a result of this advertisement, Shackleton’s epic voyage to within 100 miles of the South Pole (1907-1909) took place. No commercial stunts or slogans, just a few lines of type pulled applications that far exceeded the requirement, so Shackleton had to make a selection from among them in order to form a team. It was neither the subject of the advertisement nor the personality of the advertiser which produced such a great response; it was the nation to whom the appeal was made. It is a historical fact that during the 19th century, the British nation was the most ambitious and adventurous in the world. On account of this, it established an empire which extended over such a vast portion of the globe that the sun never set on it. Indeed, it was not only for the Antarctic exploration but for any adventure whatsoever, that this nation could produce highly dependable people. Nothing great was ever accomplished without making sacrifices. Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS) through its periodicals Spirit of Islam, Al-Risala Urdu and Al-Risala Hindi breathes the same spirit as the above advertisement. Our appeal, then, is addressed to those who have the same spirit of adventure and self-sacrifice as those who responded to Shackleton’s appeal. Our aim is to form a team which will set out, as