MAULANA ABDUL KARIM PAREKH SAHIB

"MAUTUL AALIMI MAUTUL AALAMI" : MAULANA PAREKH SAHIB ALAS IS NO MORE

By V.M. KHALEELUR RAHMAN

Maulana Abdul Karim Parekh sahib, aged 79 years is alas no more. He breathed his last in the morning, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 at his residence in Nagpur. Inna Lillahi wa inna Ilayhi rajioon.....May his soul rest in peace.

Maulana Parekh sahib was a well-known and respected Muslim leader in the country. He has authored more than 20 books including his most popular 'Tarjuman-e-Quran' (translation of the holy Quran in Urdu, Hindi and Marathi) and 'Lughatul Quran' (dictionary of the holy Quran). He was closely associated with different educational institutions including the Aligarh Muslim University. He was a Padma Bhushan Award winner.The Indian government conferred Padma Bhushan on him in recognition of his catholic writings and lifelong endeavours for communal harmony in 2001.He has given hundreds of discourses on many important subjects concering the community and country.

In a recent interview he had said "India is great in many ways but its greatest uniqueness lies in the fact that is is a confluence of almost all the world's religions and for that reason a potential model for universal brotherhood". He was a great religious and national leader who advised people to make India stronger by unity and wanted young Ulema to understand the nuances of the present age for better presentation of Islamic thoughts. He also wanted unity among all schools of Islamic thoughts. He was rightly called a pacifist. He was a well-travelled person.

Although he had lost his eye-sight and was living on a pacemaker since one or two years, he was following the happenings of the community and country with interest. He was active till his last.

Maulana Parekh sahib's passing away is a great loss to the community and country. May Allah be pleased with him. Let us pray for his "maghfirat"
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