Basharaat-E-Ahmadiyya Newsletter December 2012 - The Lahore ...

8 Basharaat-E-Ahmadiyya Volume 2012 • December 2012
Free Distribution of 6,000 Copies of
The English Translation of the Holy Quran
by Maulana Muhammad Ali in India
Publisher’s Note
to India Distribution Publication
This edition of the English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran
by Maulana Muhammad Ali has been published for free distribution
throughout India. Although this highly-acclaimed work of scholarship is
found in all corners of the world and has been translated into numerous
languages, it was in India that Maulana Muhammad Ali commenced producing
this literary masterpiece in 1909 and published its first edition in
1917. It is with great humility that we engage in this India Distribution
Publication project today, directing attention to the land in which this influential
pioneering work originated.
As is related in the Foreword and Preface, Maulana Muhammad Ali’s
English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran received praise and
honors from all quarters and directly influenced a renewed understanding and
appreciation for the religion of Islam. In the realm of Western scholarship, its
impact can be witnessed from the changed tone of literature concerning Islam
since its appearance. Similarly, later Muslim translators of the Holy Quran
adopted key and unique features of this work, using it as a template for presentation
style as well as interpretation.
It is well known that famous leaders of orthodox Muslim opinion in
India – such as Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Maulana Abdul Majid
Daryabadi, etc. – paid tribute to Maulana Muhammad Ali’s English
Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran, some of which are included
in the Preface. What is lesser known is the love and admiration The
Father of the Nation, Gandhiji, had for this work. Recently, it was reported
in the July 16, 2011 issue of Sahafat (Delhi) that:
Gandhiji’s daily routine included readings from the Gita, the
Quran, and the Bible. Every morning he would read from
the English translation of the Quran done by Mohammad
Ali Ahmadi (sic) … Despite the fact that the English translations
by Marmaduke Pickthall, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, and
Abdul Majid Dariyabadi had come out in 1930, 1934, and
1941, respectively, Gandhiji used to read only the translation
by Mohammad Ali Ahmadi. This gave much publicity to
his translation. Other public figures close to Gandhiji also
started reading that book.
I-1
The USA Jamaat has
shipped 6,000 copies of a
special edition of Maulana
Muhammad Ali’s English Trans -
lation and Com mentary specifically
published for free distribution in
India. This edition was printed in
Korea (hard cover with bible paper
and gold sidings) and is being gifted
to libraries, universities, media outlets,
and notable intellectuals.
Details of the rationale for distributing
the Holy Quran in India are
given below in the Publishers note
in this special edition:
I-2 PUBLISHER’S NOTE
We pray this timely information
about Gandhiji’s connection with
Maulana Muhammad Ali’s English
Translation and Commentary will
serve as a means to open the hearts
of the Indian population (especially
the intellectuals) who hold Gandhjii
in such high esteem and who have
granted him the title “Father of the
Nation”, Inshallah. Almighty Allah is
the best of planners.
We hope this information will
also be useful in your various
efforts to promote Maulana
Muhammad Ali’s works.
Among the “other public figures close to Gandhiji [who] started reading
that book” was the respected Dr. Radhakrishanan, the second President
of India. He too, it appears, intensely studied Maulana Muhammad Ali’s
English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran. In the same issue
of Sahafat it is related that in February 1962 Dr. Radhakrishnan made the
following specific request:
Please get me a copy of Muhammad Ali Ahmadi’s translation
of the Quran as the copy I have has become very old.
Gandhiji is universally respected as a model for establishing peace and
justice through non-violent means and by respecting and appreciating all
faith traditions. Emphasis on these concepts from an Islamic perspective is
a defining characteristic of Maulana Muhammad Ali’s work. It is humbling
to think of the influence the daily readings of Maulana Muhammad Ali’s
English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran may have had in
shaping Gandhiji’s understanding and philosophy of peace.
We end this Publisher’s Note with the prayer that this Holy Book be
appreciated as a source of spirituality for all. That it may serve as a means
for creating peace and justice in society. And that it may contribute to fostering
another generation of Mahatmas (Great Souls) from which the entire
world may derive benefit.
“O you who believe, enter into complete peace …”
– Holy Quran 2:208
Samina Malik
For the Publisher, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam, Lahore (USA)
June 10, 2012