Okhla activist whose life was saved by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan pays tribute to renowned Islamic scholar
The news of death of renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, who was admitted in ICU of Apollo Hospital in Okhla, after testing positive for Covid a few days ago, has left many shocked. Within minutes the virtual world was flooded with condolences with many paying rich tributes to the Padma Vibhushan awardee and renowned Islamic scholar who breathed his last a few minutes ago on Wednesday.
A message surfaced on Maulana Wahiduddin’s Facebook page with 1.5 million followers that the Maulana has died. “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing away of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. He has left us as one big family to stay united and work for the cause of dawah. Please do dua,” wrote Dr Saiyansnain Khan.
As the 96-year-old Islamic scholar fought Covid-19 for 10 days in hospital, his son Zafarul Islam Khan kept the world informed about his health by posting regular updates.
PM MODI TWEET
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed sadness over Khan’s death and said he will be remembered for his insightful knowledge on matters of theology and spirituality. “Saddened by the passing away of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. He will be remembered for his insightful knowledge on matters of theology and spirituality. He was also passionate about community service and social empowerment. Condolences to his family and countless well-wishers. RIP,” Modi tweeted.
WAHIDUDDIN KHAN’S LIFE, ASSOCIATION WITH JIH, SEPARATION
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was born in Azamgarh in 1925. He belonged to a family who played a key role in the 1857 mutiny for Independence. Khan in his earlier days was associated with Jamaat-E-Islami (Hind) but parted ways. He lived in JIH headquarters, when it was based in Rampur in fifties. Later, he became a staunch critic of JIH ideology, wrote columnist and author Syed Ubaidur Rahman.
After years, he established the Islamic Centre in Delhi in 1970. His magazine Al-Risala in Urdu gained popularity, it was launched in both English and Hindi in February 1984 and December 1990, respectively. It was Al-Risala that made Maulala Wahiduddin Khan a household name.
A peace activist known for having written a commentary on the Quran and having translated it into English, he authored over 200 books and was known world over for propagating inter-faith dialogue, social harmony and freedom of speech.
WAHIDUDDIN KHAN WON SEVERAL NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan won several international and national awards, including the Padma Vibhushan in 2000 for his work in the field of spiritualism. He was awarded and Padma Bhushan and “guru samman” award also. His lucid writing had a reconciliatory tone for Muslims in India due to which many in the Ummah would call him saffron Maulana, said a journalist. He campaigned for Atal BihariVajpayee in Lucknow in 2004 general elections, reported The Print.
Survived by two sons, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, editor of Milli Gazette and former Delhi Minorities Commission Chairman, Dr Saiyansnain Khan, writer and publisher, and daughter Farida Khanan, ex-wife of Maulana Faruq Khan. Maulana Faruq is an Islamic scholar, columnist and translator of Quran into Hindi as well as once a close associate of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, wrote journalist AU Asif, adding that Maulana Wahiduddin Khan was a great orator too.
His Al risala was very popular with the new generations in different ages for its rational, logical, scientific and lucid writing style, wrote AU Asif.
HE SAVED MY LIFE: OKHLA ACTIVIST
A well-known Okhla activist also paid tributes to the great Islamic scholar. Narrating a few incidents, he informed the OT through the virtual world that how Maulana Wahiduddin Khan had saved his life years ago.
“I have wonderful memories of the time which I spent with Padmabhushan Khan. Once I was passing through very difficult phase of my life, literally I was about to commit suicide but suddenly I saw his weekly column in Punjab Kesari those days and came to Delhi to meet him at his place in Nizamuddin. He gave me two hours and gifted his book the moral vision which later inspired me a lot and saved my life. RIP, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan,” wrote Aseem Asha Usman.
“My mother would read his column for all of us family members to inspire. He never differentiated anyone on the basis of cast, creed, gender, religion etc. He is one of my Muslim role icon whose philosophy to unite people from any background inspired me and I started my non profit work Aseem Asha Foundation,” he said.
Aseem said during my BSC Days at AMU in 2002 I met the Maulana for the first time and was well impressed and afterwards we kept on meeting. “Once I came with a young lady from Ghaziabad to connect her with him because she was also passing through depression. He welcomed her and counselled her a lot and gave his book the moral vision,” he wrote.
