INTERVIEW WITH MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN

INTERVIEW WITH MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN By Gouran Dhawan Lal Hello. Welcome to our programme. Religion for most of us is a construct, a structure of values and beliefs that help us live our lives. But how we view religion is a matter of understanding and of interpretations. The challenge arises when we start stereotyping religion, when we start confusing the belief with the believer. When we start using the believer to try and judge the belief. That is when understanding takes a big hit. Well, today’s programme is dedicated to greater understanding because our guest is a repository of wisdom and learning. One of the most eminent scholars of Islam, he has not only dedicated his life to understanding his faith but is also a very keen proponent of the ideology of peace. Please welcome Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Maulana Saheb, welcome to our show. Maulana Saheb, you have written a book The Prophet of Peace. Why did you decide to write this book? This book is actually the result of my lifetime of study. I have been a pacifist since childhood. My elder brother, whom I was inspired by, was a great supporter of the Freedom Movement of Mahatma Gandhi. He used to say that the Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi is mentioned in the Quran as: (to) exhort one another to hold fast to the Truth, and (to) exhort one another to steadfastness. (103: 3) This reference inspired me to keep reading and thinking on this subject until I discovered that Islam is not something detached from human values. Islam advocates universal values which are present everywhere. My study has allowed me to reach the conclusion that peace is the summum bonum in Islam. In the light of this principle, I read the Quran and the life of the Prophet. All teachings became explainable by following this principle. And all this became explainable to me. Then I wrote this book. Doordarshan (DD) is an autonomous public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India in 1959.It is one of India’s largest broadcasting organisations. DD National is the flagship channel of Doordarshan. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was interviewed by Gouran Dhawan Lal for DD National. The video is available on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo20pEZIJbk). Here are the excerpts: