Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958), the first Minister of Education in independent India, was a towering figure in the modern subcontinent. A freedom fighter against British colonial rule following the steps of Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898), an Islamic thinker, and a champion of Hindu-Muslim unity, Azad was an intellectual-activist advocating an inclusive Indian nationalism. This article focuses on Azad’s idea of religious pluralism based on the doctrine of unity of religions (wahdat al-adyan) and how he related it to his vision of an inclusive Indian nationalism. It discusses the main ideas embodied in this vision, especially the interrelated ideas of national unity and integrity, communal solidarity and harmony, cultural cohesion, and the need for a comprehensive education system that would serve national unity and the well-being of all Indians. Azad’s idea of unity of religions is articulated in his well-known exegetical work The Tarjuman al-Qur’an, especially in his commentary on the “Opening Chapter” (Surah al-Fatihah) of the Qur’an. This article also shows that Azad emphasized on common religious and cultural values as a means of embracing others for partnership in a national unity movement.

Maulana Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiuddin Azad (1888-1958) was a champion of Hindu-Muslim unity in nineteenth century India. He contributed significantly to liberate India, to develop a comprehensive education for all Indians, and economic stability. His tremendous contribution was as one of the most outstanding journalists, Islamic scholars, educationists, and leaders of modern India of his time. He was more concerned with Muslim religious, political, and educational reforms, and the propagation of Indian Muslim unity. The aspect of his life struggle and thoughts of religion and journalism has received less attention on Hindu-Muslim relations from scholars compared to the reforms of his political thought and agenda. He struggled to unite all Indians to liberate all Indians from the British Raj and emphasized on common religious and cultural values as a means of propagating others in the spirit of unity. He presented his massage of the unity through al-Hilal and Tarjuman al-Qur`an against a backdrop of tempestuous Hindu-Muslim relations and recurring communal riots that characterized modern India. The primary aim of the present study is to investigate Azad’s inclusive vision of Hindu-Muslim unity and inter-religious and intercultural understanding as means to its consciousness as reflected in his al-Hilal and Tarjuman al-Qur`an. It seeks to explain why he advocated such a bold vision and how he expected to achieve the goal of Hindu-Muslim relations in a multi-religious and multi-cultural India. Highlighted in this article are the salient features of Hindu-Muslim relations during his time that influenced their development. The article also discusses the magnitude and applicability of his thoughts and ideas on Muslim-Hindu relationships for contemporary India.

Syed Ahmad Khan Bahadur (1817-1898) was a controversial Muslim figure in nineteenth-century India. In the first half of his life (pre-1857 Mutiny), he appeared to be an advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity in India, but in the second half of it he was more concerned with Muslim religious and educational reforms and the promotion of Indian Muslim unity. His position such as on the Urdu-Hindi controversy raised issues about his views on Hindu-Muslim relations. The aspect of his life and thought that has bearing on Hindu-Muslim relations has received less attention from scholars compared to his reformist and modernist thought and agenda in the religious and educational sphere. Although he worked hard to promote Muslim unity, he sought to emphasize the approach of common religious and cultural values as a means of embracing ‘others’ in a spirit of fellowship and unity. He presented his unity message against a backdrop of troubled Hindu-Muslim relations and recurring communal riots during his time. The present study investigates Syed Ahmad Khan’s inclusive vision of Hindu-Muslim unity and intercultural dialogue as a means to its realization as reflected in some of his literary works. It seeks to explain why he has espoused such a bold vision and how he intended to achieve the goal of Hindu-Muslim unity while acknowledging their religious and cultural differences. Highlighted in this discussion are the salient features of Hindu-Muslim relations prior to and during his time that influenced their later developments. This article also discusses the significance and relevance of his thoughts and ideas on Hindu-Muslims for contemporary India.

The primary aim of this article is to discuss the twin objectives of Syed Ahmad Khan’s (1817-1898) religious and educational reforms during the British colonial rule, namely Muslim socio-cultural advancement and progress and the realisation of Hindu-Muslim unity. This study shows that Syed Ahmad’s approach to educational reforms was non-sectarian, but his special emphasis on Muslim education was dictated by the social fact that the Muslim community was backward compared to the Hindus and, moreover, they were suppressed by the British colonial rulers. Syed Ahmad is portrayed here as an advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity. His strategic approaches to the realisation of this unity were through education, both formal and informal. Formally, he built schools, colleges and universities that were meant to provide modern education and foster harmonious Hindu-Muslim relations. His informal education platform was civil society organisations in which he collaborated with Hindu leaders to promote intercultural understanding and communal solidarity. He also used his public office as a platform to serve the interests of all Indians. The article concludes with a suggestion on the need to revisit the issue of the significance of Syed Ahmad for both his and our times, particularly in the light of the inter-communal conflicts that ravaged present-day India.