OSWALD PEREIRA writes on Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s thoughts on peace and Islam
Violence has no place in Islam. “The true objective of Islam is to introduce man to his creator and to make him desirous of God’s neighbourhood,” according to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.
Maulana ji, who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour in India, left his physical body on April 21, 2021, four years short of a century, leaving behind a rich legacy that presented a peaceful ideology of Islam for the modern age based on the teachings of Islam and prophetic wisdom.
To spread spiritual wisdom and the Quranic message of peace to mankind across the globe, Maulana ji established CPS International ― Centre for Peace and Spirituality in January 2001. As is apparent from its name, the organization aims to promote and reinforce the culture of peace through mind-based spirituality.
He advised his followers to carry his ideology through CPS International and to run it with the guiding principles he had laid out. CPS is a non-profitable, non-political NGO. The organization’s ideology has been picked up globally by many followers who are propagating Maulana ji’s thoughts based on peace and spirituality derived from Islamic Scriptures.
He displayed through his conduct how one should be a well-wisher for humanity by being a giving member in society.
Maulana ji wrote more than 200 books, booklets and pamphlets as well as recorded thousands of video and audio lectures presenting Islam to address modern minds.
This material gives the rational interpretation of Islam, an introduction to God, prophetic wisdom, principles of the Quran and explains the Creation Plan of God. Some of his books include Islam Rediscovered, Quran for All Humanity, Discovering Islam, The Purpose of Creation, The Prophet of Peace, The True Jihad, Islam and World Peace, The Age of Peace, Leading a Spiritual Life and Nonviolence and Peace-building in Islam.
In the book Spirituality in Islam, Maulana ji explains that spirituality is the elevation of the human condition to a plane on which the mind is focused on the higher, non-material realities of a godly existence.
One who rises above material things or appearances, who finds his focus of interest in non-material things, is regarded as being spiritual or godly, Maulana ji emphasised.
In his book, Indian Muslims, he guided Muslims on how to become a giver community once again through internal construction.
In the book, Manifesto of Peace, Maulana ji explained that peace is the only religion for both man and the universe. “In a peaceful environment all good things are possible, whereas in the absence of peace, we cannot achieve anything of a positive nature, either as individuals, or as a community,” Maulana ji said.
He added: “The same holds true at national and international levels. Peace is the absence of war. Some people say that peace should be accompanied by justice. But setting such a condition for the attainment of peace is impractical. This is because justice is not necessarily an element of peace.
What peace does, in actual fact, is open up opportunities. It creates favourable conditions that would enable us to strive for justice and other constructive ends.”
“Peace is always desirable for its own sake. Everything else comes after peace, not along with peace,” concluded Maulana ji.
Note: The information in this article is based on a Q & A with Dr Rajat Malhotra, Maulana ji’s Disciple and Global Coordinator of CPS International, Center for Peace and Spirituality.
Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has also written eight books, including The Newsroom Mafia, Chaddi Buddies, The Krishna-Christ Connexion, How to Create Miracles in Our Daily Life and Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories. Oswald is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and practises Kriya Yoga.
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“Everything else comes after Peace, not along with Peace.” Truly, this is the only commandment of the peacekeepers who are indeed the pacemakers of an all inclusive society.
However, the doves of peace always run the risk of getting hijacked by the hawks, such is the harsh reality of present society. As Hannah Arendt once said, “Any act of violence carried out for power’s sake turns into a destructive principle till nothing remains to violate.” All indications just point at this in the context of our time across all regions and demography.
Sadly, very sadly, this is the reality of our society today necessitating the emergence of a Prophet or an Avatar, to bring in a magical transformation in the state of total chaos that has overtaken our society. One becomes compelled to think so, because a general mindset which creates a problem can never succeed in solving the problems ensuing out of the same mindset, there is absolutely no doubt about it.
The happy note is, even as dark clouds loom large, the words and deeds of of peacekeepers like Maulana ji shines from the edge of the dark cloud as a ray of hope in a time overtaken by fanaticism and fanatics.Yet, we must never forget that peacekeepers can never thrive in isolation and Peace can never thrive in pieces. People’s participation is the only way to safeguard the peacekeepers and also keep alive the mantle Peace.
Nice sharing Oswald ji. Om Shanti