Path of good faith
RISHIKESH BAHADUR DESAI
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The quiet Ibrahim Sayeed, worked tirelessly as a bridge between various sections of the society.
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SILENT CRUSADER Ibrahim Sayeed
“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. 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.
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. Shanti Prakashana publishi
ng 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. 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. “Most of the mistrust between followers of Islam and other religions spring from the lack of knowledge about each other’s faith. Sayeed trie
d 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.
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