In my lifetime, I have not only seen Babri Mosque but have also offered prayer inside it. Unfortunately, the challenge we face in this case is that the issue has been emotionalized and an emotional issue cannot be resolved easily. My stand on Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir issue is the same since day one. In my view, whenever a possibility of a peaceful resolution exists, one party to the conflict must avail it and not sink into quarrels or controversy. After the mosque was demolished, I suggested that Muslims could adopt the same model of relocating mosques which had been adopted by Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt.

I have always reiterated that the only solution to the issue of Babri mosque is its relocation. My suggestion was completely in line with the Islamic Shariah. The Hanafi school of Jurisprudence (A Muslim school of thought that interprets Islamic injunctions according to the principles laid down by Imam Abu Hanifa and his disciples) developed the notion that the land where a mosque is once built becomes mosque for eternity. But this notion is only upheld by those who observe Hanafi school of Jurisprudence. There is no mention of this either in the Quran or Hadith (Hadith is a record of the sayings and the deeds of the Prophet Muhammad). As per a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said, “Wherever you are at the time of prayer, pray there. The entire earth has been made a mosque for you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3425)

It was the demolition of the Babri Masjid that changed the minds of both communities, leading to the development of a positive relationship between Hindus and Muslims, who had both ultimately come to the conclusion that the demolition of the Babri Masjid had actually led to the decimation of the Indian economy. The Hindu community had ultimately to acknowledge that the Muslims, rather than being their rivals, were indeed their customers. And vice versa. After this discovery, the thinking of both Hindus and Muslims underwent a total sea change and they performed a complete about–turn. They started applying to each other that well-known maxim: “The customer is always right.”