Founder of Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS) International, author of more than 200 books, editor-in-chief of Spirit of Islam magazine and our guide and mentor passed away in the night of April 21, 2021. He was 96-years old. He was undergoing treatment in Delhi’s Apollo Hospital. A lifelong crusader for peace, tolerance, nonviolence spiritual way of life, he had gained respect from the who’s who of the world. He was an epitome of a God-fearing personality. A rare amalgam of classical Islamic disciplines and modern thought, he firmly believed that modern science has enlarged the canvas of God-realization. He leaves behind his family and innumerable people from all around the world who identify themselves as part of CPS fraternity. They are fired by the zeal to propagate the ideology of peace enshrined in the Sacred Scripture of Islam. It is true that death has taken him away from us, but our relationship with him and what he stood for remains intact. His demise was mourned by the President of India Mr Ram Nath Kovind in these words: (I am) deeply grieved by the demise of renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. A recipient of Padma Vibhushan, Maulana Wahiduddin made significant contribution to peace, harmony and reforms in the society.
Mr Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India also paid tribute to Maulana. He wrote on twitter: (I am) saddened by the passing away of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. He will be remembered for his insightful knowledge on matters of theology and spirituality. He was also passionate about community service and social empowerment.
Maulana spent his whole life in anticipation of meeting God. We pray for him the way Prophet of Islam taught us to pray for the deceased: “O God, forgive Maulana Sahib, raise his rank among the rightly guided, grant him a successor in his remaining descendants. Forgive us and him, O Lord of the universe, and make his grave spacious, and light it for him.” (Sahih al-Muslim)
Grieving the loss of Maulana, his granddaughter Sadia Khan prayed:
May God grant you the highest Paradise, may angels envy your stature in the Hereafter. You lived a poor man’s life, replete with God’s wisdom. You guided man well and served God better. May your meeting with God be one of eternal pleasure. Amen
