Editorial Director of Spirit of Islam Prof. Farida Khanam is a former professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She has around a dozen books to her credit. By translating the Urdu books of Padma Vibhushan awardee Maulana Wahiduddin Khan into English, she has single-handedly brought the ideology of peace and spirituality to the English-speaking world. She is the chairperson of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS International), an organization founded by her father Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. She has travelled around the globe disseminating the peaceful message of Islam. She is a kind and loving mentor to hundreds of women around the world who are part of CPS. Lovingly called Aapa, she is a motherly figure for the CPS fraternity. Her role in CPS is fundamental.

Ms. Stuti Malhotra is a foundation member of CPS. She regularly writes for the Speaking Tree column of Times of India. With a corporate experience of 20 years, she is presently doing her Ph.D. in Comparative Studies of Religion from Punjabi University Patiala. She plays a pivotal role in Punjabi initiative of CPS. She also guided the Punjabi translation of the Quran to fruition. To mark the International Women’s Day, she interviews Prof. Farida Khanam. This tete-a-tete brings to light the sheer hard work, devotion and dedication Aapa has put in on her spiritual and intellectual journey.

Aapa, to begin from the beginning, please tell us about your childhood and early education.

We lived in a remote village of Azamgarh, U.P. We were given some tuitions privately. That is all about my early education. The people of my family who had received higher education had all moved to the cities. There was no school for higher studies where we lived. There was no one to guide us. There were no resources. My father, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, has been a bibliophile all his life. He would spend all his time in libraries. His elder brother had a business in the city and lived there. There was a very good library, Dar-ul-Mussannifeen, in the city of Azamgarh. My father would spend all his day in the library.

He used to read and write there. He would visit us for a couple of days when my mother took ill as he was so focussed on getting all the information that he needed to understand Islam in the modern idiom and write books to make the same understandable to people at large. For our basic needs, we were provided for. We had our farms and orchards to take care of our needs. Our village had no basic facilities like road and electricity. There was no hospital or school for higher education. With development all around, the village has seen much progress recently. Now my family has established an English medium higher secondary school named Ziauddin Memorial School.

The city-dwellers would visit these farms and orchards during summer vacation. This was my first brush with educated people. I envied them when I heard some of them speak English words. This was very strange and thrilling. One English word that I vividly remember to this day is the word ‘seed’. When I heard this word, I just wondered what the meaning of ‘seed’ was. After the death of my grandfather, my eldest uncle got my father admitted to a madrasa (religious seminary), Madrasatul Islah, Saraimir, a place near my village. Afterwards, my eldest uncle became a well-to-do businessman; he took care of my younger uncle’s higher studies. He graduated as an electrical engineer from Banaras Hindu University.

As we belonged to Pathan family, there was no particular emphasis on women’s education. My cousin who was very senior to me in age was the first woman of our family to get higher education. Her name was Muslimah. She passionately pursued her M.A. first in Urdu then in Persian appearing as a private candidate. She went on to become the principal of an inter-college in Moradabad. She then encouraged other women of the family to seek education. This was the beginning of women’s education in my family. The women who thus got educated got married and got settled in the cities. I still had no formal education. I continued to stay in the village. When my father lived in Rampur in the 60s, we got a chance to study in a girls’ madrasa till 5th standard. This madrasa was called ‘Bachchiyon Ka Madrasa’.

I was probably thirteen or fourteen years old at the time. Meeting my relatives who had received education was a matter of great envy for me. My mother Sabia Khatoon Alwi was very fond of getting education. She belonged to a Syed family. In a Pathan household, a woman had no place except in her home and hearth. This tradition still lingered in my family. When my father moved to Delhi as the editor of Al-Jamiat (an Urdu weekly), Dr Mahmood Qadri, an acquaintance of my father, informed him that he had made arrangements for girls’ tuition at his home. He then also arranged that these girls could appear for private exams at Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University. The facility for private and external exams was specially put in place to help girls from backward background.

When my father found out about this facility, he told my mother about it. My mother was thrilled to hear about it. She arranged to send me to New Delhi by train and told me that my father would be waiting for me at the Railway Station in New Delhi. Just imagine a girl of 13-14 years of age, who had hardly ventured out of her home, was travelling all alone in a train, which was about a 26-hour journey!

Dr Mahmood Qadri has had a huge role in my life. He allowed me to stay in his house for six months. I could not stay with my father as he was allotted just one room from his employers. Dr Mahmood’s daughter, Juwaria was also preparing for her class X exam. He treated me as his daughter. We studied together. Without attending previous classes, I directly appeared for class X. The result was quite expected. I failed in a couple of subjects. I think I was very different in my formative years. I didn’t cry, I just started preparing again. I took the exam in the next year. This time around, I got good grades.

Soon, my mother joined us in New Delhi. Maulana Asad Madani, the then president of Jamiat Ulema, arranged a nice big room with a balcony for us. Thereafter, it became relatively easy for us. I then took class XI exam. Dr Majida Asad was then teaching at Delhi University. She and her husband being aware of the backwardness of Muslim women in education, had established a tuition bureau at their house. It was their way of serving the society. Dr Majida had a Ph.D. in Hindi. Her husband Mr Asad was director in the NCERT. They had appointed very good teachers for every subject. Here we got the opportunity for the first time to study under very good teachers. I was the only student who did all the exercises given by the teachers. Quite naturally, I put my heart and soul in my studies. I passed the exam with flying colours.

How did you manage to pursue M.A. in English, then Ph.D. given such a state of affairs?

Then came the time to take admission to a college. Delhi College was near our house. Now it is called Zakir Hussain Delhi College. The college was founded in 1828 by Muslims, it was located in a Muslim area, so a lot of Muslim girls studied there.

It was at this time that my father interfered and his decision directed the future of my life. I was a voracious reader. I would read day and night. I got exceedingly good marks in Persian when I appeared for the exam in Aligarh Muslim University. I was naturally inclined to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Persian. I happily enrolled myself for B.A. in Persian. When I told my father about it, he became quite agitated. He asked what I would do with B.A. in Persian. I was then completely ignorant of the global prominence English language had attained. He did not allow me to gather my breath. He forced me to take the half-hour long walk back to the college to enrol myself in B.A. in English.

This was truly a fateful interference. It was such a big step. Had I not been guided on time, I would not have become what I am today. I had no inkling about the international status of English. I did not know then that it would be my good fortune to translate my father’s books in English or that I would be doing dawah in the international arena.

It seems to me now that it was a God-ordained interference. I had scarce knowledge of English then. To this day I vividly remember how I did not understand anything in the beginning. I could not understand the lectures as they were being delivered in English. I would just sit on the last bench and stare blankly at my teachers. English came to me slowly. Many months passed before I could fathom bits of my lectures. To cut a rather long story short, I somehow managed to get passing marks in B.A. Though still not securing good grades, I was fortunate to get admission in M.A. English in Delhi University and completed it.

I was fired with the zeal to improve my English. Then I met Mr Soz, a professor of English at Jamia. My father knew him quite well. I would visit him sometimes to ask him questions about English. If someone who knew English came to visit my father, I would take my books and consult him about any areas of grammar and usage. We did not have enough money to afford a personal tutor. This was not an ideal way to study, but I had no other alternative. When the results came out, I had passed the exam while many other bright minds had failed. I have no other explanation for it except that it was a special succour from God. I completed M.A. in 1976.

After completing my M.A. in English, I wanted to study Islam formally. I therefore took admission in M.A. in Islamic Studies in Jamia Millia Islamia University. I was very fortunate that the teachers in the department at the time were exceptional. I developed deep insight into the subject under their guidance. They helped me to understand Islam and its various academic aspects during my time there. This period further gave me tremendous exposure and opportunities for interaction when people came to the department and we attended seminars and conferences in the university. My understanding of the subject developed substantially and I was able to secure a first division as well as a first position in M.A. in Islamic Studies in 1982. This motivated me to study the subject further and I enrolled in the Ph.D.

programme of Jamia under Prof. Mushirul Haq, a well-known scholar who went on to become the Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University. His guidance helped me to develop academically and I received my doctorate degree in 1990 in The Religio-Political Thoughts of Syed Abul Ala Maududi.

Please describe your experience in Jamia Millia Islamia. How did you get to teach there?

After obtaining my Ph.D., I did not know what to do further. I stayed at home. One day I chanced to meet a friend of mine. She told me that she had completed an elementary diploma course in Arabic and now she had enrolled in the diploma course in Arabic in Jamia Millia Islamia. I felt myself drawn to this course, and took admission. In Jamia, the Department of Arabic and the Department of Islamic Studies are adjacent to each other. Once I visited the Department of Islamic Studies. At that time Dr Majid Ali Khan was the head of the department.

He informed me about a temporary vacancy for six months in the Department. He asked me to fill out a form if I was interested. I filled out the form and submitted it. Fortunately, I was selected and had my first stint as a lecturer for six months. It was in 1993. I was accorded an extension of one month.

An interview was planned for the permanent post. Dr Majid Ali Khan knew my father quite well and had read many of my father’s books. He supported me to appear for the interview. Then the unthinkable happened. I was selected. It was a special help from God. A village girl who did not get elementary education was now going to be a lecturer in a reputed university. It was in 1994. It is usually really difficult for someone to get a permanent job in a university. One has to work on a temporary basis for many years before getting a permanent post. I got a permanent post just after seven months.

I was another person before Jamia, I became another person after Jamia. I did not know how to talk, how to interact. Now I got the opportunity to engage in fruitful intellectual discussions with fellow teachers and students. I participated in seminars and conferences that helped me in my travels all over the world.

How did your career pan out in Jamia?

I had a twenty-four-year rich career at Jamia Millia Islamia. I had the opportunity to teach almost every subject about Islam and related fields. I taught Islamic History, Period of the Prophet and his Companions, Islamic Jurisprudence, Muslim Theology, Islamic Mysticism, World’s Major Religions, Muslim Philosophy and Muslim Sciences. I also wrote articles and books on many of these subjects.

I began my career as an assistant professor. I then moved up the ladder and worked as an associate professor. I retired in 2017 as fullfledged professor. One needs to show academic work for promotion in universities. Therefore, I wrote a lot of articles and books. This academic pursuit required me to read voraciously. All of these greatly benefited me in my intellectual and personal development.

Whom did you look up to among the Islamic personalities during your youth?

I don’t remember any writer having any particular impact on me. I would just read my father’s writings. My father introduced me to Khalida Adeeb Khanam (1884–1964). She was born in Turkey. One of her books was about the Conflict between the East and the West in Turkey. I was thus inspired to write a book one day. She visited India and delivered lectures in different universities.

This book was published in Urdu in 1938 titled ‘Turkey mein Mashriq-OMaghrib ki Kashmakash.' One of the main reasons that Urdu writers did not impress me was the style of their writing. Urdu writers still write in a rhetorical and poetical manner. The words they use are high-sounding verbose, but having no real import. Urdu writings are full of bombastic words. On the other hand, English literature is realistic in its approach.

How did you start playing such a pivotal role in CPS mission?

My father’s Urdu monthly Al-Risala began to be published in 1976. My father has been a perfectionist all his life. He would never trust anyone to work with the same diligence and accuracy that he aspired for. That’s why, he preferred to work alone. But there are some aspects of writing that the author cannot do himself, for example, calligraphy, proofreading, etc. To rule out any mistakes in the written piece, he would often ask us to help him. We would proofread from a copy and he would corroborate it. This was how I got involved with this mission.

Then I developed interest in his ideas. His working room was adjacent to ours. I would often listen to his conversations with visitors. It was quite rare then that he addressed me directly. When the magazine came out, my younger brother Saniyasnain Khan was still in school. We didn’t have enough resources to get people to work for us. So, in the beginning, I did all the work. Then after that, two sisters Ms Qaiser, and Ms Shahjahan studying in Delhi College joined us. They helped us in getting the magazine packed and dispatched.

My elder brother, Dr Zafar-ul-Islam Khan was studying in Cairo. When he came home during a vacation, he got hold of the manuscript of a book my father had written titled Al-Islam (published in English as The Vision of Islam). We had no money to publish it. My brother was very much impressed by the book after reading it. He asked a college professor to translate the book in English. The translation was not good and needed revision. But I was not capable enough then to revise it, therefore this book was published about 30 years later after thorough revision.

I started on a very important project that became a defining moment of my life. My father had published a very popular Urdu book titled Mazhab aur Jadeed Challenge way back in 1966 while he was in Lucknow. Due to the subject matter of the book, my father wished to make this book available in English. It was first translated by one IAS officer, but it was not up to the mark. A major drawback in the book was the unavailability of quotes in original English. My father used Urdu translations of the quotes after reading them in different libraries. Now, he had no record about which book was available in which library. The English version would be imperfect if it did not contain the original quotes. My father had never hoped that someday the book would be published in English.

Therefore, he did not keep a record of the original English sources. He was satisfied with a translated version of them. It was great challenge for us. I had then completed my M.A. in English from Delhi University a year ago. I knew that the library there was really great. I took this responsibility upon myself to collect all the original quotes. Though I had passed the course and was no longer a student of the university, I was still allowed access to the library without an ID card. I started visiting the library daily and collected the original quotes. I managed to find most of the quotes with references. Then I gathered courage to translate the book myself into English. The English translation of the book Mazhab aur Jadeed Challenge was published as God Arises in 1985.

I think that was the first time my father realized that women can also work in spheres beyond the home and hearth. He had never thought so before. He had received his education in madrasa, where all tasks were performed by men. The most a woman had worked outside the home was as a teacher in our family. No woman from the family had ventured on any such missionary work. He had never imagined that I would succeed in getting all the original quotes. This was my entry in this mission. I realized only now that this was my training to do this task of translation and editing at a later stage.

Who guided you during your initial days as translator?

I was lucky to find a British lady, Mrs Anna Khanna, who was married to an Indian, Prem Khanna, an IAS officer. Her articles appeared in the Times of India. She conducted English classes for diplomats for which she would give advertisements in The Times of India. Dr Saniyasnain Khan, my younger brother contacted her. We both started visiting her. I learned the nuances of English style, grammar and usage from her. Then I started translating Maulana’s text from Urdu to English. I would then submit my work for her scrutiny. She painstakingly taught me where I had made mistakes. She pointed to me where my translation was affected by MTI (Mother Tongue Influence).

I was also impressed by her sheer honesty. She charged for her efforts hour-wise. She kept a watch in front of her while working. Because she worked from home, sometimes she had to leave the work and attend to some important household responsibility. While going out, she would stop the watch, and noted how many minutes she had worked. She revised and edited all our books. She used a red pen to mark mistakes.

I would look at these red marks very carefully and tried to understand the mistakes I had made. This journey of learning lasted for more than 3 decades. She died in 2020. Through Mrs Anna Khanna, God trained me to translate Maulana’s Urdu material into the contemporary English idiom. Today we have translated or compiled nearly 100 books of Maulana in English and we have a full translation-cum-editing team which I oversee in CPS.

What difficulties did you face when Al-Risala began to be published?

The writings of my father Maulana Wahiduddin Khan presented Islam in a style and idiom that was totally novel to the readers. Many readers responded to this message with outright denial. There was so much opposition that no one was willing to publish advertisements of Al-Risala magazine in their newspapers even if we offered money. Nobody was willing to make annual subscription for the magazine. I still remember the joy we felt when someone made a subscription.

The situation took a grave turn. We could not afford living and publishing the magazine from Delhi. There was a time when my father thought that he would have to go to the village now and there would be no work here. At this most critical time, my elder brother Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan who was working in Libya at the time offered his full support. It was a divine help indeed. It is my firm belief if the message is true, then God Almighty puts it in the hearts of the people and they become supporters of the message. The Urdu version is probably the most-read magazine in the Urdu-reading world.

What is the importance of Spirit of Islam magazine for the mission?

It was our aim to take the message of peace and spirituality to the English-speaking world. To cater to this Al-Risala English was published from 1984 to 2002 from Delhi by Dr Saniyasnain Khan. Thereafter, it was published under the name Spiritual Message from 2003 till 2012 from Mumbai by Mr Haroon Shaikh. Mr Haroon Shaikh, with just one assistant to help him in this task, painstakingly published the magazine for a decade. Also his efforts are fundamental in the Quran translation projects of CPS. The English magazine, however, became a standard in both the general public and the academic world when it was published as Spirit of Islam by Ms Fathima Sarah supported by her husband Aijaz Ahmed and an editorial team. The magazine re-engineers minds, especially the youth towards positivity so that people become peaceful members of society. Today the Spirit of Islam magazine (www. spiritofislam.co.in) is gaining in popularity and is widely read in the English-reading world.

What was the need to bring another English translation of the Quran which you edited?

My father came across a research from The Quran Complex, Madinah, Saudi Arabia on the English translations of the Quran that concluded:

“In spite of 47 English Quran translations, none has received the acceptance of the modern world.” I started looking closely at the available English translations of the Quran with my father and realized that one of the reasons for this is that the various Quran translations lacked clarity. Moreover, many verses of the Quran are incorrectly translated to the effect that they produce an entirely different meaning than the one originally intended. Many words like Jihad, shahid are incorrectly translated. The word ‘jihad’ is used in the Quran to mean striving and struggle. Many translators have rendered it as armed warfare. The word ‘shahid’ means witness, but it has been translated as martyr. There are hundreds of such instances. I have compiled a list of all these corrections. One can contact me for the details. This was the impetus for me and my father to produce an English translation of the Quran which has clarity and is written in the contemporary idiom. Maulana’s translation of the Quran edited by me was published in 2008. It has since received worldwide acceptance as a clear translation of the Quran in contemporary English, which is lucid and easy to understand.

It is now distributed worldwide and millions of copies have already been distributed with the help of individuals, groups, mosques, institutions, hotels and others in an organized manner under the guidance of Dr Saniyasnain Khan.

Why does Maulana emphasize so much on women’s participation?

Maulana’s emphasis on women’s participation in this mission was not deliberate. I was already associated with the mission. When the English version of Al-Risala (now published as Spirit of Islam) was started in 1984, many educated people started contacting us. One of them was Mrs. Ghazala Jung, with M.A. in English. She would improve our English translation as well as assist in proofreading. After reading an article by Maulana in an English newspaper, Ms. Usha Mahajan started visiting us regularly. Ms Usha started attending the Sunday lectures of Maulana.

She read a number of books on Islam. She was very impressed by the teachings of Islam, especially those pertaining to family life. She says that these teachings have changed her way of thinking. She applies these teachings to her life. Her son Montu Mahajan, a software engineer, has also been reading Maulana's books. He is particularly interested in understanding the concept of peace in Islam. Similarly other ladies visited Maulana to attend his programmes.

In 2001, CPS International, Center for Peace and Spirituality was established. Ms Priya Malik, Mr Rajat Malhotra and Mr Khalid Ansari were the founding members of CPS. My father founded the organization to disseminate the true message of Islam in the modern idiom and to promote interfaith harmony and peace. A number of women then formally joined CPS such as Ms Stuti Malhotra, Dr Naghma Siddiqi and many others. Naghma played a very important role in spreading the message of Maulana. She would always carry a laptop with her. She started recording talks of Maulana. She sought permission from my father to spread these recorded talks. My father’s reply was quite simple.

He said that if she really thought it useful, then she should start doing it. Naghma was spell-bound. She had great passion to serve religion. She had earlier contacted many religious institutions and asked if she could be of any help there. She was not encouraged anywhere. This shows that there was no real scope for women in religious circles. This had a tremendous effect on Naghma. She collected and organized all available talks of Maulana. Together with my brother Dr Saniyasnain Khan, she built a recording studio. Mr Navdeep Kapur, a publisher joined CPS at the time and with the help of his office staff he made soft copies of all the English material available. Together the team developed www.cpsglobal.org. The reach of the mission spread far and wide.

Women members of CPS brought with them their friends and family and this continued. Ms Raazia Siddiqui, Ms Muslimah Siddiqui along with the three daughters of Dr Saniyasnain Khan: Ms Sadia Khan, Ms Maria Khan and Ms Sufia Khan started attending Maulana’s Sunday classes regularly. Not only were these ladies able to obtain a better understanding of Islam, but they also found here a role to serve religion. Today all of them are playing a pivotal role in the CPS Mission.

Instead of finding denial and suppression, these women found that they were encouraged here. Through his writings and speeches, Maulana highlighted the revolutionary role that women could play in Islam. He supported his arguments through the examples of Prophet Abraham’s wife Hagar, Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha and Pharaoh’s wife Asiya. These examples greatly inspired the women. They dedicated themselves to this mission.

The reason that women could do much more was that they are more passionate. Men are much busy with mundane affairs. They are unable to spare much time for these activities.

Thus, when women got the opportunity to work, they started working with full enthusiasm. They are working for this mission with the conviction that their endeavours would make them worthy and deserving of Paradise, which is a much greater impetus.

Aapa, CPS centres have been established throughout India and abroad. How did this materialize?

Following the model set by CPS International, New Delhi, readers of Al-Risala and Spirit of Islam established local chapters of CPS. This task was taken with great zeal and enthusiasm by Mr Khurram Qureshi who is a pilot in Air India. He manages domestic as well as international flights. He contacts the readers of Maulana’s writings during his stays in various cities. He encourages the readers to organize their missionary activities. Through his efforts, CPS centres have been established all around the globe. His wife, Ms Ankhi Chattaraj is also a very important part of the mission. She is one of the main members of the editing team of CPS, New Delhi. Quran distributors and CPS volunteers are supported by CPS, New Delhi office which is meticulously managed by Mr Faraz Khan.

Ms Fahmida Khan and her daughter Ms. Tarab has been instrumental in galvanizing the female readers. Through the use of social media, especially WhatsApp, they have brought together female readers from all over the globe in contact with each other. Now, they share and discuss their intellectual development in social media groups.

What role does CPS Mission give to women?

Maulana has said that the role of a woman is similar to the role of a man. Men work according to their capabilities and the available opportunities. In the same way, women should also work according to their potential and available opportunities. If someone finds herself short of opportunities, then instead of complaining she should pray to God to open up opportunities for her. Women should train and nurture their families. Thus, a new generation will be trained. Women should prepare their families. If they are not getting a chance to go out, then they can get a chance at home. We were trained and nurtured by Maulana. One should have a discussion in their families in this regard. Discuss with them your intellectual discoveries. This makes the listeners passionate about religion. Human beings are curious by nature. You tell them one thing; they will try to find some more information about it.

Now, this is not an ordinary task. This is a work most pleasing to God. It is impossible that you are engaged sincerely in this mission without experiencing special help from God. You will most definitely receive God’s blessings and you will most definitely play your role in this world. God-willing, you will get reward of your labours in the Hereafter.

What are your learnings from reading Maulana’s books?

What I learned from reading Maulana’s books is so great in magnitude and import that I cannot sum it up in words. My maternal grandfather was a Sufi. Due to his influence we would perform our prayers and recite the Quran regularly. We would fast in the appointed month. But it was mere formality. We never tried to understand the Quran. We never applied its teachings to our lives. We experienced no spiritual or intellectual development. Religion did not become a living force for us. It was through Maulana’s books that I understood the true nature of Islam. For the first time, it dawned upon me that Islam is a mission. It is a message that we have to understand and then apply to our lives, and then pass the message on to others. Realization of God, inculcating intense desire for Paradise and developing positive thinking are the goals that Islam sets for us. Then spreading this message to others is also of paramount importance.

The world never gives us what we want from it. This makes us negative. Thus, it becomes necessary to develop the art of positive thinking. We should learn to be thankful for what we have got. After we have performed our household chores, we should devote our time and energy in understanding the religion of God and in trying to make others understand it. Before reading Maulana’s books, I did not know all this.

Through Maulana’s books, I found my heart filled with such passion for this mission that I can’t think of ever giving up this noble task. It has become an integral part of my life.

What is your message for Muslim women in general?

The message for Muslim women is to get good education first. They should equip themselves to play an integral role in their family and society. Then they should work on their personality development.

They should spend quality time on their intellectual and spiritual development. The most important thing is to pray to God. They should pray to God that they get maximum opportunity to perform dawah work—conveying the message of Islam. Dawah work is of such a nature that one can perform it in any situation whatsoever. Every day, people visit other homes. One visits a doctor. The children go to school. So we can start doing dawah work in these spheres. Do as much as you have the opportunity to.

For example, my sister, Dr Muslimah Siddiqui did not have much opportunity to go anywhere. She started talking to her patients about the creation plan of God. She also undertook the task of translating Maulana's literature into Hindi. One should not have a complaining attitude. One must make sure not to complain about the lack of opportunity, but use the opportunity that one has. You can carry Islamic literature with you when you go somewhere, and give that literature to people you meet.

What is your guidance for Muslim women for the CPS mission in particular?

Women already have certain responsibilities at home. They have to take care of their children. Any extra time that they get after household chores, they should spend it for the cause of the mission. They should read Maulana’s books and understand them fully. They should read the Quran and apply it in life. They should share their discoveries and experiences with their family. We have many examples where one woman started working in this fashion in her family, and then her whole family supported her in this mission.

If you do not get a chance to go out, you can share these with the visitors such as friends and relatives. By the grace of God, this mission is now spreading all over the world. Inshallah, it will continue to spread in the same way and women will have a huge role in it. Women can play a revolutionary role in Islamic missionary tasks. Inshallah (God willing), they will be declared deserving for entering Paradise.

This is a mission by which we develop our personality. Many untoward incidents happen to us, we face big troubles in life. Problems arise but if we are intellectually developed human beings, then we can solve the problem ourselves. Otherwise, you will see many people commit suicide out of sheer frustration and depression. It has been said that people in CPS don’t suffer from tension and frustration. This is an incorrect explanation. A person is born in this world with one’s share of problems. But here, we know how to handle tension. We are able to immediately convert a negative experience into a positive lesson. We convert negativity into positivity. We have developed the ability to easily curb tension and transform it into positivity. And most importantly we have obtained a purpose of life, of presenting the message of Islam in the modern idiom to the world.

Thank you very much Aapa. You have patiently answered my questions. Your life is an inspiration for us. May Almighty God keep you in good health! May you continue to guide and inspire us!