It was 2005. An inter-faith dialogue was held at Nagpur from July 20 to 22 under the joint auspices of the National Council of Churches in India and India Peace Centre. Scholars representing different religions and faiths gathered there from different parts of the nation. In the programme attended by dignitaries like Justice P.K. Shamsudheen and Dr. Albert Nambiaparambil from Kerala, a composed and serene person was talking about the Islamic faith and the co-operation between religions. The speech, which was in a low-pitched voice and advanced very slowly, captured the attention of the audience. The talent and deep knowledge of the short man really fascinated the audience. The speaker was then Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari. When it was finished, the entire audience gave a huge round of applause and came forward to compliment him. Following that he became the centre of attraction in that conference. In the three-day conference, besides those from Kerala, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer and H. Abdul Raqeeb also who represented Islam.
After the inter-faith dialogue, the scholars and religious leaders who participated in it visited the RSS office, Ambedkar Deeksha Bhoomi and the Quran Learning Centre of Maulana Abdul Kareem Parekh in Nagpur. Everywhere they received a warm and cordial reception. They spent nearly two hours in the RSS office. The visit and the talk and discussion of the JIH Amir and Christian religious leaders with the leadership of RSS in a closed room made headlines in the newspapers the next day. Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari, who passed away recently (on October 3), was one of the unique intellectuals India has seen so far. His stature as a scholar, thinker, researcher, visionary, teacher and so on is universally acknowledged.
Dr. Ansari, born in Tamkohi on September 1, 1931, gained his primary education from Rampur. After obtaining a Degree in Arabic and a Masters and Doctorate in Philosophy from Aligarh Muslim University he pursued a higher degree in Comparative Religion from Harvard University. Dr. Bashir Kunil from Kerala was his classmate and close friend at Aligarh. Recalling Dr. Ansari, Bashir quotes the words of the prominent scholar Dr. Yusuf Al Qaradawi who talked at the reception organised at the Ramada Hotel in Doha for him: “Dr. Ansari through his studies, like our predecessors Ibn Taimiyya and Rashid Rida, is plunging into the sea of Islamic knowledge and presenting the new generation with its pearls and treasures. He is truly an example to emulate for the new generation scholars.”
Dr. Ansari’s knowledge was not limited to the Islamic faith. He had deep knowledge of the Hindu-Christian scriptures and the world religions and beliefs. His books display this fact. ‘Islam and National Integration’, ‘The Islamic Ideal’, ‘Sufism and Shariah’, ‘An Introduction to the Exegesis of the Quran’, ‘Ibn Taymiyah Expounds on Islam’ etc. are some of his masterpieces. Major studies of Dr. Ansari include ‘Islamic Sufism, Comparative Religion and the Holy Quran’.
Besides being a scholar and visionary, he was also an activist analysing the current world issues critically and intervening in them. The reforms he brought about while being the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind are a profound example of his activism. He strongly believed that India badly needs a new political party. APCR (Association for the Protection of Civil Rights) took birth during his term. Vision 2016, the colossal project aiming to uplift the backward sections of the society was in fact an idea that sprouted in his thought. He was also very much interested in travelling around the nation and having discussions with the religious leaders and prominent personalities in the political and social arena. The meetings he had with many famous personalities including the Prime Minister and state Chief Ministers in Delhi and other states in fact reveal this.
In this regard, once when he came to Kerala, he visited Fr. Geo Payyappilly at his office and had a lengthy discussion on Islam and Christianity. Father Geo was in fact astounded by Dr. Ansari’s vast and deep knowledge of Christianity. Later when he was elected Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Fr. Geo called him and congratulated him on his appointment.
Perhaps one of his major contributions was his efforts towards uniting the Muslim community. The disunity of the Muslim community really distressed him. On different occasions he called upon the various leaders of the community at the Jamaat-e-Islami headquarters and briefed them about the need for unity and taking up concerted efforts in the reconstruction of the nation. These efforts showed positive results in the subsequent years. Visits were made to almost all the offices of all the Muslim organisations in India and meetings were held with the leaders, thus strengthening the bond of relations between them. This is how the All India Muslim Co-ordination Committee came into being. He was also active in the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and other common platforms.
Dr. Ansari took special interest in participating in common platforms and stages outside India and having discussions with the scholars and leaders on common and public issues. While taking part at a conference at the Muslim World League headquarters, he strongly advocated and vocalised his opinion on providing membership for Indian Muslims, who form the biggest Muslim community in the world, in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (now Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC), which is the biggest association of Muslim countries in the world.
He also played an active role in the World Muslim Scholars Association under Dr. Yusuf al Qaradawi. He always thought about the need for preserving the religious relations between Hindus and Muslims and other communities and also for the study of the Indian religions. The Islamic Academy in Aligarh was his brainchild. The academy aims to create scholars who have deep knowledge in Islam and other religions. During his last days his efforts were focused on raising the academy to a high level institution of research and study. As the present Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari rightly pointed out, the demise of Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari is a big loss to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. In Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari’s death I have lost my mentor, friend and guide. May Allah grant him ‘Maghfirah’ in the heavenly abode.
[The author is the Asst. Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. The article first appeared in Malayalam daily Madhyamam, 4 October, 2012 and is translated by Mahboob Thaha]