BEYOND EXCUSES

Janab Abdus-Samad is a senior and one of the earliest readers of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s works. Based in Pune, Maharashtra, he has tirelessly dedicated his life towards introducing the peaceful message of Islam as interpreted by Maulana. Maulana Inayath Umri interviewed him to bring to the fore his journey of spiritual enlightenment. Please introduce yourself briefly to our readers. Also, tell us when and how you became associated with Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. My name is Abdus-Samad. I am 87 years old and I belong to Pune. My association with Maulana Wahiduddin Khan goes back to the very beginning, and over time this bond only grew stronger. I studied his teachings and mission closely, and what began as admiration slowly turned into a lifelong commitment of the heart. I met people through him, I met ideas through him, and I met myself through his guidance. Where were you born, and where did you study? I was born in Nandura, a small town in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra. In 1962, I moved to Pune for work. As far as formal education is concerned, I never attended a school. My schooling was the world itself. I learned by asking questions, by listening, by observing, and I still follow the same approach. There is a little memory I cherish: I worked for a person who appointed a tutor to teach him Urdu. The tutor would come at mealtime, and I would quietly sit nearby and memorize what was taught. One day the tutor noticed and was impressed by my memory. He offered to teach me as well. That was how my education truly began—on a simple floor during meal breaks, with a heart hungry for words. To this day, I consider myself a student and I hope to remain one till my last breath. When and how did you first meet Maulana? I first met Maulana in May 1971, when he came to Pune as the editor of the Al-Jamiyat Weekly. I was already a reader of that AN INTERVIEW WITH JANAB ABDUS-SAMAD