Molana Syed Abul Hassan Ali Nadvi

Today, I recall that time and state of mind when, in May 1953, I was on my way to a gathering in Rae Bareli, and someone shared a news report from an English newspaper: "A military court in Pakistan has sentenced Maulana Maududi to death." This incident affected me so deeply and struck my heart so hard that I could not stay in that gathering. That atmosphere and state of mind remain vivid in my memory to this day. At any rate, Allah the Almighty saved him at that time. Regarding this tragedy, I can say that it was not merely an incident affecting the subcontinent, but a tragedy for the entire Islamic world. I know better than you gentlemen how deep an impact the Maulana has made on the Islamic world, and especially on the youth. We hoped that Allah the Almighty would take further work from him. Maulana has also authored epoch-making books like Pardah and Huquq-uz-Zaujain. I testify before you with an open heart that, perhaps after Allama Iqbal, no one has influenced the modern mind as deeply as Maulana Maududi has. The Maulana instilled confidence in the minds of the younger generation regarding the rationality of Islam, and established the conviction that Islam can solve the problems of the present era.