Path of good faith
RISHIKESH BAHADUR DESAI
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The quiet Ibrahim Sayeed worked tirelessly as a bridge between various sections of society. The committed man who has a huge body of work to his credit, passed away recently
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SILENT CRUSADER All that Ibrahim Sayeed did was out of conviction and not for publicity. Therefore, there aren’t too many pictures of the man. This one’s at a lecture
“The water of the river Ganga is the purest at its birthplace of Gangotri in the Himalayas. It is believed to cure all diseases. However, all kinds of pollutants get added to the river as it flows down. No one can be sure of its
purity at towns like Kanpur or Sultanpur that are far away from Gangotri. Similarly, only a first hand reading of the original texts will give a clear picture of Islam. Interpretation of religious texts by any self-styled preacher may mislead because it contains his or her personal prejudices.” This was the trademark statement of writer, journalist and orator Ibrahim Sayeed who passed away recently. He died in Kankanadi near Mangalore. He was 62. All his life, he struggled to help the followers of Islam understand their faith better and to remove the misconceptions about it in non-Muslims.
Ibrahim Sayeed quit his job at a nationalised bank to launch the Kannada weekly Sanmarga in 1979. He served as the president of the Karnataka and Goa unit of the Jamaat -E -Islam –I- Hind for four years. He was also a member o
f the national representative body of the Jamaat for a decade now. However, he will be recalled as the bridge between Urdu and Kannada. He was a scholar in linguistics and could easily shift between Kannada, English, Urdu, Arabic and Persian. He jointly edited the Pavitra Quran, considered the authentic translation of the holy book.
His pioneering contribution remains the translation of nearly 30 Islamic books from Arabic, Persian and Urdu to Kannada and Kannada to Urdu. He also penned nearly 25 books in Kannada and Urdu on various topics. His books like Pravadi Moh
ammadara Jeevana Mattu Sandesha (the life and contribution of Prophet Mohammad), Islam Mattu Paradharma Sahishnute (Islam and religious tolerance), Islaminalli Jehad (Jehad in Islam), and Mahileyar
a Hakkugalu (Women’s Rights) are hugely popular.
Sayeed’s Islamina Bagge Tappu Kalpanegalu (Misconceptions About Islam) has been widely read and translated into ten languages. He translated 300 Hadis (sayings of the Prophet) which guide human life. This was the first ever su
ch effort in Kannada.
He was a founding member and later chairman of the Shanti Prakashana publishing house. It has so far brought out over 150 titles of books in Kannada and Urdu on Islam, Hinduism and the need for communal amity. The firm also published the Urdu version of the holy Bhagawadgita. Shanti Prakashana publishing house also took its books to the doorsteps of readers by launching a mobile library recently. People could read or buy books from these libraries that went round villages. Ibrahim Sayeed was one of the founding members of the “Dharmika Souharda Vedike”, a forum aimed at creating communal harmony. Through this, he organised meetings of heads of various religions, presented papers in national and state-level seminars and introduced Islam to non Muslims in many public functions. He recently launched the Quran Pravachana programme wherein a senior non- Muslim religious leader was invited. In these Pravachanas, scholars interpreted Islam to Muslims and non Muslims alike. Untiringly, for two decades, he carried on the movement Harmony Through Literature. The movement aimed at bridging the gap between different religions and communities through meaningful literature.
He toured the State to create awareness about issues like female infanticide, the rights of women, and the need to create education and employment opportunities for them. “Most of the mistrust between followers of Islam and other religions spring from the lack of knowledge about each other’s faith. Sayeed tried to remove the mistrust and bring the people of various religions closer through his translations and writings. He considered Islamic works as literary works,” says religious scholar Moulana Mohammad Fahimuddin.
“The credit of clearing misconceptions about Islam in general and about the Jamaat goes to him. He improved the image of the organisation in the media and among other religious organisations,” says Syed Tanveer Ahmed, media coordinator of the Jamaat.
Sayeed was a strong advocate of women’s liberation. He did his best to give Muslim women their due status in society. He started “Anupama”, a Kannada magazine for Muslim women. He also encouraged women to speak in public meetings and organised personality development programmes for women. In his death, we have lost an individual who resolutely kept at progressive efforts, bridging the deep divides in the world around him. What is heartening however, he has prepared a band of spirited volunteers who are as committed as him. “We are sure the good work he started will never cease,” Mr. Ahmed said.
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