Islamic scholar and Padma awardee Maulana Wahiduddin Khan passes away aged 96 in Delhi

Islamic scholar and Padma Bhushan-awardee Maulana Wahiduddin Khan passed away on 21 April. He was 96.

Khan was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Delhi on 12 April, after testing positive for COVID-19 .

Taking to Twitter to condole the death of the scholar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said of Khan: "He will be remembered for his insightful knowledge on matters of theology and spirituality. He was also passionate about community service and social empowerment."

Saddened by the passing away of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. He will be remembered for his insightful knowledge on matters of theology and spirituality. He was also passionate about community service and social empowerment. Condolences to his family and countless well-wishers. RIP.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2021

Born in 1925 at Azamgarh, Khan received most of his education in a traditional seminary. He was known to be a peacenik who crusaded against extremism and orthodox interpretations of holy scriptures. He was also known to have urged the Muslim community to forgo its claims on the land in Ayodhya over the Babri Masjid conflict.

Khan was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour, in 2000. The Government of India had announced in January 2021 that he would be conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.

Through the course of his lifetime, Khan wrote as many as 200 books that advocated spirituality and prophetic wisdom. He also established the Centre for Peace and Spirituality in 2001 in a bid to promote interfaith dialogue and peaceful co-existence in a multicultural society.

With inputs from Press Trust of India