ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS
Travelling is mentioned as an attribute of a believer. (9: 112) Travelling introduces a person to the wonders of God scattered across the earth. It gives perspective, insight and valuable lessons to lead a worthy life. In December 1985, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan represented India in an Islamic Conference held in Bamako, a town in Mali. Setting out from Delhi Palam Airport (now Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi) on December 4, 1985, he reached Bamako via Rome and the Senegalese capital, Dakar. The return journey was undertaken by way of Paris, London, Kuwait, and Dubai. Here are some excerpts from Maulana’s account of his impressions and experiences of his one-week journey across three continents. This is the first part of a two-part series.
PART ONE
Business Ethics
When it was time for breakfast, the Air India hostess brought round the menu-card. On it was written: “Indian hospitality across five continents.” This is no exaggeration, for whichever continent a passenger flies to, they will find Air India an excellent host. After breakfast a smiling steward enquired, “Did you enjoy your breakfast, sir?” This was only one of the many instances of good public relations which I encountered on my flight. Whatever the concern, the good businessman, or his representatives, will find pleasant words and gestures with which to further his commercial interests—in other words, his trade. The conveying of the word of God has also been termed a ‘trade’ in the Quran (61: 10), yet those who claim to convey the word of God in the present age have not been able to find pleasant words with which to address their ‘clients’. The words they have thought fit to use have rather had the effect of putting others off because they are so ill- suited to winning people over to their cause.
Recognizing the Need of the Hour
In Dakar, I met two American Muslims, Saleem ibn Ghanim and Hasan Ajram. Originally from Lebanon, their fathers had settled in America, with the result that they can now speak and understand only English, having retained only a nominal grasp of their mother tongue, Arabic.
I gave them copies of the English version of Al-Risala (now published in English as Spirit of Islam), and they were quite overjoyed to be able to read about Islam in English. As they went through its articles, they kept exclaiming, “Good! Good!” and were full of praise for the style in which it was written. They pointed out that there was an urgent need for Islamic literature written in English if Islam were to be effectively introduced to America. At present, whatever books are available in English are for the greater part written by those who wish to present Islam in a political light. This is a method of presentation which cannot have much appeal for the modern mind. As these two young American Muslims put it, “We need books in which Islam is presented in its natural and unadulterated form”. I mentioned Introduction to Islam series produced by our institution, and they expressed a great deal of interest in it. A set has since been sent to them.
God Perpetuates His Religion
A number of large projects are being undertaken in Mali with the aid of various Arab countries. In Bamako, for instance, a mosque—the largest in Mali—has been built with Saudi Arabian help. On December 6, along with other delegates, I offered Friday prayers in it. The mosque is in the form of a large hall whose interior is supported by 80 lofty pillars and is constructed in an ultra-modern style. Generally, in mosques, a separate pulpit for the Friday Sermon occupies a prominent position in the front section of the hall. Here, the pulpit has been placed in an alcove in the upper portion of the wall itself. It has the appearance of a broad ledge recessed within the wall, with a protruding balcony and balustrade, on which a man may stand with ease.
Numerous works of this nature are being executed all over the world with the aid of Arab countries. This demonstrates God’s instrumentality in keeping Islam alive in the present age.
Seizure of power at different levels—by fair means or foul— would sooner or later, be the undoing of an organization. In present times it is this disunity, brought about by selfish interests, which is the greatest weakness of Muslims.
Despite the fervent utterances and glowing encomiums of Muslim leaders on the subject of Islamic prowess, it is an indisputable fact that Muslims find themselves far behind the times. Were it not for the God-given might of the petrodollar, Muslims would have occupied the lowermost rung of the international ladder. As it is, with such assistance as they have, they can hold on high the banner of their religion.
Some Impressions of Al-Risala
In Bamako, I met a gentleman from Canada who is a regular recipient of the English version of AI-Risala. When I asked him what he thought of it, he admitted to having been impressed by its articles. “Very simple, very effective,” was his comment. There was also a gentleman from Kenya who received AI-Risala regularly. He told me that where he lived, there were at least ten people who were regular readers of Al-Risala. After reading one issue, they eagerly anticipate the next. These were all well-educated people and well-versed in English.
A Swiss participant in the Islamic conference remarked that there were also several people where he came from who read the magazine every month. It was reported to me that one of the readers in Switzerland had such a high opinion of AI-Risala that he taped several of its articles and broadcast them from the local radio station.
I did not take many books with me—only a few copies of an Arabic work Al-deen Fi Muwajahat Al’Ilm and certain issues of AI-Risala in English. Whenever there was any mention of my books or of AI-Risala, these were commented upon with great enthusiasm and respect, and people frequently expressed a desire to receive the entire set. This can perhaps be explained by the desire on the part of many people nowadays to read about Islam in a style that is at once contemporary, simple and direct. It would seem moreover that there is no organization other than the Islamic Centre (now CPS International) which introduces Islam to the general public in a contemporary idiom. Islam is all too often projected in a political style, under the mistaken impression that this places religious matters within a modern context. A truly contemporary style, however, would derive its inspiration less from the world of politics and more from the world of science.
Another gentleman I met at the conference was from the West Indies. His mother tongue was English and he had been educated up to the doctorate level in America. Since he was not familiar with AI-Risala, I gave him a copy of the November 1985 issue. He promptly read the whole magazine in one night before going to sleep, and later repeatedly expressed a desire to read Al-Risala on a regular basis. He made me promise him time and time again that our magazine would be sent to him. When I asked him to give me his impressions of it, he said,” It is a very impressive and relevant piece of literature on Islamic realities.”
A Visit to the Islamic Centre, Bamako
On December 9, 1985, I visited the Bamako Islamic Centre on the Said ibn Sultan Road. It is laid out over an area of 35,000 square metres. The five million dollar bill for its construction was footed by Arab countries. I was happy to have had the opportunity of offering two rakats of prayers in this mosque.
All the participants at the conference went together to visit the Centre which has just been completed but is not yet functional. They went the rounds, gazing at different parts of this splendid construction, expressing their enthusiasm and admiration amongst themselves. I walked with them in silence, lost in my own thoughts. Just then, an African scholar, Ostaz Ahmad Darami, came up to me and said, smiling: “People are taken by outward forms, whilst you, Sheikh, are taken by true inner meanings.”
In the present day, large Islamic centres of this type have been set up in every corner of the globe, but they have one disadvantage in that, directly or indirectly, they are built with the help of government grants. Now the present state of affairs is such that a large percentage of Islamists are influenced by a political interpretation of Islam. From place to place, they have raised the banner of revolution against Muslim governments, and have become, as a result, culpable, or at least suspect in the eyes of the authorities. Were these people to refrain from their erroneous politicking, all these centres could very well be in their own hands, which would enable them to be really effective in spreading the message of Islam. It is because they are so inclined towards politics that they are denied a foothold in these centres. Even in the few instances where such centres have come under their control, they have been unable to make the best use of them because of the misguided nature of their political mentality.
Language Diversity of Mali
Different parts of Mali having come under British and French colonial rule, English and French languages are still spoken by the elite, although many years have elapsed since the withdrawal of the two powers in question. While the masses speak their regional languages, French is retained as the official language.
In ancient times, Arabic held much the same position in foreign lands as French and English do nowadays. At the outset of the Islamic era, after the conquest of North Africa, the Muslims crossed the Mediterranean and entered Spain and Sicily. Here, they not only ruled but also laid the foundations of a glorious civilization that was far ahead of the Christian civilization of the day. This resulted in a large number of Christians in these areas starting to speak and write in Arabic. The expertise which non- Muslims of this period had acquired in Arabic and Arab sciences can be gauged from the fact that during the Muslim period an English Christian by the name of Thomas Brown was appointed as a Judge in Sicily.
Later, when Muslim political power declined in Spain and Sicily, although the languages of the masses were Hebrew and Latin, Arabic remained in use in the courts and offices and was regularly spoken by the upper classes. Stressing the domination of Arabic languages and culture even after the end of Muslim rule, Bertrand Russell writes, “Greek and Arabic were still living languages in Sicily. Frederick II learnt to speak six languages fluently (including Arabic). He was at home in Arabian philosophy and had friendly relations with Mohammedans.” (A History of Western Philosophy, p. 436)
Keeping the mind open and receptive, having a knack of getting to the core of things and gleaning lessons from the events past and present form the key requirements of healthy travelling. Travelling is not an end in itself. It should not be undertaken for mere sightseeing or entertainment, rather travelling should nourish our soul and help us gain lessons to plan our life with utmost caution.
