As we commemorate events in remembrance of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s 200th birth anniversary, what is perhaps most important to note are his views on interfaith understanding, which are more relevant today than ever before

Born and brought up in an elite and posh household, Aligarh Muslim University founder, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, besides being an educationist, a social reformer and a philosopher, he was also an Islamic scholar, known for his role in building a pluralistic society of a ‘modern’ India. His contributions towards the unity of Hindu-Muslim community is well-known.

Hindu-Muslim unity:  Sir Syed was an influential figure who strongly advocated for Hindu-Muslim unity. However,  a large section of people raised doubts about his contributions to this community. Undoubtedly, Sir Syed was a devout Muslim and he spent all his life advancing the Muslim community  by ensuring better educational standards for them and emphasised on keeping pace with the Western world.

American author Barbara D Metcalf described him as the “father of Muslim intellectual renaissance”. His dedication to serve the Muslim community led him to be the ‘founder of the first modernist institution in Islam’. Sir Syed firmly believed that ‘unity’ was important for his community so that it does not get perished. This ‘unity’ was with both the Westerners and the Hindus. Sir Syed understood the merits and demerits of English education system. Back then, it was clear to him that under the existing conditions, his community must accept fresh ordeal in order to survive and succeed.

However, Western civilisation was found from the discoveries of science — the triumph of reason traditions of a practical and pragmatic life. In many ways, this ideology drifted from the traditional Muslim line of thinking. Other religious scholars went as far as to term Sir Syed as an ‘Infidel’ for accepting Western culture. However, Sir Syed stuck with his belief and pushed for his community to join hands with the Western world in order to flourish.

Affiinity towards Hindus: On the same lines, Sir Syed emphasised on joining hands with the Hindus. His family had well-established and cordial relations with the Hindus. Sir Syed’s grandfather Nawab Farid ud-Din Khan divided his property equally to his sons and also gave an equal share to his Hindu diwan, lala Maluk Chand.

Sir Syed always participated in Hindu festivals, such as Holi and Basant. When he opened up a madrassa in Ghazipur, he invited Raja Dev Narayan Singh and Maulana Muhammad Fasih to lay the foundation stone. This symbolised his affinity and respect towards the Hindus.

When Sir Syed founded the scientific society mentioned earlier, he made sure that it would have nothing to do with religious affiliations. He wanted the scientific community to flourish in a non-religious and collaborative fashion. This speaks volumes about his dedication to science and knowledge. He was never biased and always wanted everyone to benefit from the beauty of knowledge.

Sir Syed’s commitment to the Hindu-Muslim unity was demonstrated in his own words at a gathering in Gurdaspur on January 27, 1984 when he said, “O Hindus and Muslims! Do you belong to a country other than IndiaIJ Don’t you live on this soil and are you not buried under it or cremated on its ghatsIJ If you live and die on this land, then, bear in mind, that ‘Hindu’ and ‘Muslim’ is but a religious word; all the Hindus, Muslims and Christians who live in this country are one nation.”

The controversy: Despite Sir Syed’s valiant efforts to stay in harmony with the Hindus, there was a misconception that he was a strong proponent of the two-nation theory. This is a false propaganda. After the divisive behaviour of the Hindus, a lot of Muslim scholars discussed their policies at the Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College , which happens to be founded by Sir Syed. It is true that the demand for electorates (1906), founding of the All India Muslim league (1906) and the Pakistan demand (1940) had links to the MAO college, but Sir Syed was in no way a proponent of dividing the nation. These ideas were simply born in the college which he founded and the idea didn’t materialise until after he was dead. Sir Syed strived for a united country and he envisioned a place where Hindus and Muslims or people from any religion live together in peace and harmony.

Sir Syed was a very influential figure in the Indian history. His noble status and modern upbringing shaped the way he thought about the world. He was a free-thinker and had progressive views about the rights of women and the education system. His world-view was way ahead of the times back then. Sir Syed was never afraid to stand up for what he believed was right. He expressed his views openly and demonstrated his support for issues he supported. He had a large impact on the socio-economic development of the Muslim community. Despite popular belief, Sir Syed was a firm believer in the importance of Hindu-Muslim unity for India to prosper. He realised that together, we can achieve more and he strived for a united country until his last breath.

To carry the legacy of the great reformer, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Aligarh Muslim University vice chancellor, Tariq Mansoor, has clearly said that he will continue with Sir Syed’s vision of imparting modern education and that he will focus to prepare students to qualify in competitive exams for central services, the Armed Forces, IITs, IIMs and leading industries. It is high time for the Aligarh community to support the vice chancellor in making the Aligarh Muslim University one of the best universities in the country.

(This is the second and final article in a two-part series on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. The first part appeared in these columns on Monday, October 16. The writer is a well-known linguist, author and columnist)