On January 5, I was on my way back to Delhi after a journey to Africa. An orientalist joined our flight in Rome, and sat in the seat next to me. His name was Dr. J. Oacek, and he was from the Oriental Department of Charles University, Prague, Czechoslavakia.
In the course of our conversation, Dr. Oacek told me that a Czechoslavakian orientalist had translated the Quran into Czech. According to Dr. Oacek, it was an excellent translation, and had been sold out in the shops within a few weeks of publication.
This is just a small example, from which one can gain an idea of how great the opportunities are for propagating Islam in the present day. There are countless people in the world today who want to study Islam directly from the original sources. But as yet very few of the books—they require are available. There is a special need for the Quran to be translated into every minor and major language of the world, and then published and distributed in every corner of the globe.
But Muslims have shown very little interest in this task. A Muslim from South India once told me that a Christian friend of his had bought a translation of the Quran. When they met later, the Christian told him that Muslims were no match for Christians. “I required a translation of the Quran,” he said, “and obtained one with difficulty at so much cost. As for the Christians, if I phone them and tell them that I need Bibles for distribution, then within a few hours 5000 copies will be brought to my office.”
Saudi Arabia, and some other Muslim countries, have of late made some efforts in this direction. They have arranged for translations of the Quran to be published and distributed; but their efforts fall far short of the required mark.
The Muslims are bearers of the true religion. The greatest task before them is to communicate God’s religion to the whole of mankind. But it is this very task that present-day Muslims are shying away from more than any other. □
Never ask others for anything
“Who will promise me not to ask anybody for anything?” asked the Prophet “I will,” volunteered Sauban. Sauban kept his word: he never asked anybody for anything.
