MUMBAI: Renowned Islamic scholar and Padma Vibhushan awardee Maulana Wahiduddin Khan passed away due to Covid-19 complications on Wednesday night.
He was 97 and is survived by two sons and two daughters. His son Saniyasnain Khan said Maulana Khan was admitted to a private hospital last week after he had a chest infection and he had tested positive for Covid-19 too.
Born in Azamgarh in 1925, the Maulana was educated at a traditional seminary. A known peacenik who advocated peaceful co-existence and counselled moderation in conduct, he crusaded against extremism and orthodox interpretations of the holy texts. He penned over 200 books, including a commentary and a translation of the Quran in English, Hindi and Urdu. His lectures, many of them available on YouTube, are immensely popular.
Maulana Khan was founder of the Islamic Centre in New Delhi. He had hit the headlines when he gave his ‘peace formula’ for the Babri Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi dispute and asked Muslims to forego their claims on the disputed land in Ayodhya. His request was though rejected by a huge section of his community.