Acharya Mahant Dr. Saroopji Maharaj On Why I Embraced Islam?

A prominent Hindu personality, Acharya Mahant Dr. Saroopji Maharaj embraced Islam under the auspices of Maulana Abul Hassan Ali Nadvi. Saroopji's Islamic name is Dr. Islamul-Haq. He embraced Islam with his wife and daughter. Listed below is an excerpt from Dr. Islamul-Haq's interview with the Indian publication, Islamic Voice.

Q: How do you feel after declaring your entry into Islam?

A: It is an infinite favor of The Almighty upon me that He has blessed me with this invaluable wealth of the true Faith that is Islam. I feel that I am one of the most successful and fortunate persons in the world. While groping in the darkness of disbelief, I was regarded as 'Bhagwan' (God), whereas in this new world of light, I have attained my rightful status of 'man'.

Q: You have been very close to the Hindu trend of thought. Do you think that they are scared of the Muslims?

A: The Hindu society in India is not scared of the Muslims. It rather fears Islam for its exalted merits as compared with the deficient and weak religious tenets of Hinduism. Islam's greatness consists in the fact that it liberates man from the shackles of color, feature, race, clan, language, land, riches, class, rank, and status.

Islam provides lasting and firm entity. Islam calls men to bow down before The One and Only One Almighty. That is why they dread the might of Islam which liberates man from every sort of slavery and bondage, except the aspect of subservience to The Almighty. Islam is free from all the man-made formalities and rituals.

Q: Did you ever admit the greatness of Islam even before embracing it?

A: In early 1981, Acharya Vinoba Bhave (translator of the Holy Qur'an in Hindi language) invited me to his Ashram to deliver lectures. One of those present on the occasion was Dada Dharm Adhikari. He posed an intriguing question: "Swamiji, you have studied many religions of the world. Which one do you find the best for man?" I replied: "Islam." "But", he said, "Islam is a very much tied up religion." I replied: "The very one that is considered free, ties down man to continual slavery. Man is in need of a religion that has remained 'tied-up', a religion that keeps man under restraints in this world life, but sets him free in the world hereafter. In my opinion, it is Islam alone that qualifies to be the best religion."

Q: As a soldier of Islam, what message would you like to convey to the Muslims of the world?

A: It is my solemn request to the Muslim world that they should constantly keep in view and fulfill the conditions laid down by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) for walking across the river of this world so as to reach safely its other side.

If they make the slightest deviation, they are bound to drown themselves in the river, never to be rescued. There is still time for the Muslims to concentrate their vision on the right point. If they act so, they shall, Almighty willing, be crowned with success in all that they do.

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