FROM MAULANA'S DESK

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life has been the establishment of worldwide peace. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the Demiurgus Peace International Award and Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies. He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world’ and is recognised as one of its most influential Muslims. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi.

THE first issue of the monthly Spirit of Islam appeared in January 2013. With the beginning of this year, the magazine completes three years of publication. The prevailing circumstances were not favourable for bringing out such a magazine. It is the great favour of God Almighty that the magazine has survived against all odds .

Recently one of our colleagues presented a copy of the magazine to a tourist. On seeing its title, he said, ‘No, thank you.’ Why did he give such a negative response? It is indeed a direct result of the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015.

Events of the kind which happened in France, defame Islam. The worst aspect of these violent activities is that the perpetrators are doing so in the name of Islam. According to media reports, those who witnessed the mass shooting in one of the attacks at a stadium in Paris said that the gunmen shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ before opening fire. Such incidents of violence are tantamount to doing ungodly activities in the name of Islam.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind behind the Paris attacks, declared in a French-language recruiting video for ISIS: ‘Of course, it is not joyous to make blood flow. But from time to time, it is pleasant to see the blood of disbelievers.’

This is a sad state of affairs and highly condemnable. This gives us fresh impetus to promote Spirit of Islam with greater vigour and enthusiasm. With this spirit, we begin another year of the magazine.

Such incidents of violence have triggered people to think about the seriousness of the current state of affairs. Some consider it a part of the problem of evil, others blame religion and demand eliminating it from our lives and there are yet others who say that Islam is a religion of violence.

The Quran being the authentic text of Islam, it is important to consult it to understand the significance of peace in Islam. God Almighty is Himself the Author of the Quran. One of the attributes of God is As-Salam, or peace. (59: 23) The night on which the Quran began to be revealed is called Laylatus Salam, or the Night of Peace (97: 5). The Quran says that God calls people to the Home of Peace (10: 25). There are more than 6,000 verses in the Quran, which directly or indirectly give the message of peace. Islam is a religion of peace. It is a grave misinterpretation if the verses of the Quran are used to justify violence; it is a distortion of the teachings of the Quran. It is our endeavour to present the true teachings of the Quran through the Spirit of Islam.

It is a grave misinterpretation if the verses of the Quran are used to justify violence; it is a distortion of the teachings of the Quran. It is our endeavour to present the true teachings of the Quran through the Spirit of Islam.

Islam is a spiritual ideology and peace is the method to bring the ideology into effect. Islam’s goal is to convey its teachings to all mankind. Work of this kind requires a peaceful atmosphere. Engaging in acts of violence in the name of Islam jeopardises the cause of Islam.

Violence and extremism are phenomena of the misuse of freedom. Freedom is good if exercised with responsibility. It would yield positive results, bring about societal progress and development. But if misused, it would lead to a state of anarchy.

The purpose of this magazine is to re-engineer people’s minds along positive lines and make them understand the creation plan of the Creator. It will help them to plan their lives positively and achieve the success that is their due.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
[email protected]