BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW Name of the Book: Leading a Spiritual Life Author: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Published by: Goodword Books, New Delhi (India) (www.goodwordbooks.com) Year: 2016 Pages: 394 ISBN: 9391481027 Reviewed by: Roshan Shah Leading a Spiritual Life is a compilation of essays of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan that have appeared over the years in The Speaking Tree of The Times of India. It lays out a universal vision of spiritual living that can easily appeal to people of all faiths (or of none in particular) and that is not restricted by the dogmas and rituals, names and forms that have come to be associated with different religions as they have been historically interpreted. The Maulana makes an immensely valuable contribution in refining our understanding of spirituality. Positive thinking is at the very root of the spirituality that he talks about. It is based on realizing and acknowledging the existence of the Creator through reflection on the amazing universe. This connection with the Creator is to be expressed in relating positively with the creation in one’s daily life. To live in this way on an everyday basis is to lead a spiritual life. With the help of instances from his own life and that of others, including ‘ordinary’ folk and ‘noted’ people from different parts of the world and references from the Christian, Hindu and Islamic traditions as well as everyday events as reported in newspapers, the Maulana brilliantly explains how spirituality is all about avoiding negativity and living our ordinary lives in a positive and truly meaningful manner, leading to inner as well as outer transformation. Spirituality, we learn from the Maulana, is not something enormously difficult which is meant only for a select few. Nor is it something esoteric or mysterious. Nor, too, is it about simply clinging on to some dogmas or ritual practices. Spirituality is not renouncing the world or self-absorbed meditation