INTERVIEW WITH MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN

Which languages do you read books in for your study? Generally, I read books in Arabic, English, and Urdu. Sometimes, I also read books or articles in Persian and Hindi. What is the time of your reading? There is no fixed time for my study. I devote all my time to reading. Reading is my mental nourishment. What kind of mental and intellectual state did you experience during the early stages of your study? Initially, reading was synonymous with mental recreation for me. Later, it became synonymous with the pursuit of truth. Now, reading is a means for me to serve Islam. What are the top-tier books in your field of interest? I find many books to be top-tier as historical sources in their respective subjects. For example, among the commentaries of the Quran, there is Al-Jami’ li-Ahkam al-Quran by Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr al-Qurtubi (d. 1273), among Hadith commentaries, there is Fath-ulBari by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 1449), among the biographies of the Prophet Muhammad, there’s Seerat-un-Nabi by ibn Kathir, and so on. For understanding modern thought, there is Bertrand Russell’s (18721970) Human Knowledge. However, I have not come across any toptier books that present Islam in a scientific manner and at a modern intellectual level. Have you had the opportunity to conduct comparative studies on any subject? Specifically, I have conducted comparative studies on various religions. What do you consider essential in a comparative study? Two necessary conditions for a successful comparative study are indepth study and objectivity. What do you consider essential in research and investigation? For scientific research, it is essential to read the primary sources on the subject and to do so with an unbiased mind. What do authors need to consider in their reading? An author’s work should be a result of their reading. Writing should not be the motivation for reading.