Spirit of Islam, July-August 2021

On the night of April 21, 2021, the world not only lost an eminent thinker, scholar and guide but one of the most ardent advocates of peace. Padma Vibhushan Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was an intellectual giant and an erudite scholar who devoted his life to the pursuance of principles of peace. His lifelong and unswerving commitment to peace was based on his underlying belief that “peace cannot be sacrificed for anything whilst everything can be sacrificed for peace.” His quest for peace started from a small village called Badhariya (near Azamgarh) and took him around the globe. Wherever he went, he highlighted how “Peace is the summum bonum” (Latin for ‘greater good’) and therefore a prerequisite to everything good! And for nine decades, he used every available opportunity to contribute to peace-making, in India and abroad. The Maulana was the epitome of the principle, ‘Simple Living, High Thinking’. His goal was to be a lifelong learner and he chose to lead a modest life, free of all distractions. Those who had met him in his New Delhi house were often surprised by the austerity of his Sufi lifestyle. Each day, he used to get up at dawn break and step out to sit on his balcony. This ‘Spiritual Corner’ was his way of being in nature and it served as an inspiration for him. He drew lessons from the simplest everyday events and conveyed meaningful spiritual principles through them in his unforgettable and powerful baritone. As a scholar, he dared to stand for truth, criticize what he saw was wrong and tear apart the influence of the traditional framework he grew in, to develop an objective and analytical bent of mind. He was of the view that challenges shape the character of man. Having become an orphan very early in life had taught him to not succumb to TRIBUTES TO MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN As a fervent wellwisher of humankind, Maulana’s singular mission was to transform the minds of people and develop them into positive and spiritually awakened members of society. This mission has now devolved upon all of us, in our individual or collective capacity, to take forward. Noted personalities from India and abroad continue to offer condolence and pay tribute to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Maulana passed away on April 21, 2021.