Loyalty and Love

In the history of Islam, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah stands as an example of accepting the status quo, and in matters of dispute, the only workable approach is that a person accepts the status quo.

While speaking with Rahat Abrar Sahib (Aligarh), Khurshid Ahmad Sahib (Bombay), and several other Muslims, I said that I have, on many occasions, stated in Hindu gatherings and meetings that it is often said a Muslim cannot be a good Indian. This is a baseless statement. I am, in every sense, a Muslim. Even so, I am, in every sense, a good Indian.

Then I said, if I am not a good Indian, then Mahatma Gandhi was also not a good Indian. I further said that I do not need a certificate from Guru Golwalkar to be a good Indian. Without any such certificate, I am a good Indian.

To my visitors, I said that I speak honestly and openly in front of my Hindu friends because my love for India is genuine. From my heart, I wish for India’s progress and success, not in hostility toward others, but in striving to be a beacon of peace, development, and unity. (Diary, 14 November 1996)