Approaching the West — Page 5
A pproaching the West—5 Besides Western education system, a wide variety of books, magazines and newspapers carrying Western thought and information were constantly pouring into Indian bookstores. Schools, colleges and universities had libraries where publications from the West were accumulating. In contrast, there was hardly any effort made by the Muslim scholars (‘ulama) to communicate teachings of Isl ā m either on mass scale or to send missionaries to European countries and the Americas. The West’s access to Isl ā m was through translations done by their own scholars, especially the “Orientalists” and those interested in mysticism ( Ṣū fism) of Isl ā m. Literature against Isl ā m, prepared by Christian evangelists and apologists like the German missionary Karl Gottlieb Pfander (1803-1865), was propagated in various languages. He had authored ‘Balance of Truth’ (M ī z ā n al- Ḥ aqq) trying to prove the superiority of Christianity over Isl ā m. This book became very popular among Christian missionaries who used its material to refute the message of Isl ā m. Ḥ a ḍ rat A ḥ mad (peace be on him) could not read, write or speak English, but he kept himself fully informed about the Western thoughts and trends. Some of his companions, such as Ḥ a ḍ rat Muft ī Mu ḥ ammad Ṣā diq (may All ā h be pleased with him) and Maulaw ī Mu ḥ ammad ‘Al ī , who were well-read in English, were engaged by Ḥ a ḍ rat A ḥ mad (peace be on him) to read English books, magazines and newspapers to prepare appropriate responses in that language from Isl ā mic perspective under his personal instructions. European and American visitors sought his audience in Q ā di ā n, and he would respond to their enquiries at great length through