Foreword

This collection contains the radio speeches delivered by the author. These speeches cover different topics, but what connects them all is that each one was originally broadcast on the radio.

My first speech on All India Radio, New Delhi, was broadcast on 9 June 1968. The title of that speech was “The Character of the Prophet of Islam”. After that, my speeches continued to be broadcast from time to time, eventually numbering nearly three dozen. This collection comprises the same speeches.

Some of the radio programmes, however, were in the form of discussions. One such programme was about Roza (fasting), held on 19 August 1978. In this programme, representatives from three religions shared their thoughts on fasting in a conversational format.

Another such programme was broadcast from New Delhi Radio on 18 and 24 September 1987. Around that time, an article by the writer was published in The Times of India (September 1987) titled “Not by Grievances Alone.”

Following the publication of this article, All India Radio, New Delhi, arranged an interview with the writer. During the interview, the host asked questions about the challenges faced by Indian Muslims in relation to the article’s theme. I answered those questions based on my own point of view. Since this interview was not recorded, it could not be included in this collection.

Radio is like an extension of the human voice. Through radio, a person can speak from a particular place, and with the help of transmission, that voice can be heard across the world—at the same moment, in the same tone, and in the same manner. Truly, modern means of communication are a great blessing from God. The surprising thing is that these modern tools have been among the least used for spreading the Word of God. Even in Islamic countries, the situation is not much different. This is a remarkable opportunity of the modern age, and yet it remains largely untapped.

All the radio speeches included in this collection were written in advance and read out in the radio studio. Apart from these, there are many speeches which were recorded extemporaneously. These days, I usually speak in that same way. There is no written record of such speeches, and I was not able to write them down afterwards either. For this reason, this kind of speech has not been included in the collection.

Wahiduddin Khan

New Delhi

30 October 1996