FOREWORD
The present edition of TOWARDS UNDER STANDING ISLAM is not only a new
translation of my book Risala-e-Diniyat but is also an entirely new and revised edition of
it. The first edition of the book which was revised edition of it. The first edition of
the book which was rendered into English by the late Dr. Abdul Guhani (Director of public
instruction, Afghanistan), was very brief and sketchy. Unfortunately), was very brief
sketchy. Unfortunately Dr. Abdul Ghani passed away immediately after the completion of the
translation and thus he did not live to improve and revise it. Later on I revised the
original book and made substantial additions to it. Now Mr. Khurshid Ahmad has very ably
and skillfully rendered a new translation of the revised edition of
Risala-e-Diniyat and my heartfelt thanks are due to him for this labour of love. I am
confident that in this new form the book will be much more useful for the purpose for
which it has been written.
My purpose in writing this book has
been to provide all those persons -Muslims non-Muslims-who have no access to the original
sources of Islam with a brief treatise giving a lucid, comprehensive and all-embracing
view of Islam. That is why I have avoided discussion over the minute details and have
endeavored to portray the entire picture of Islam in one perspective. Moreover, I have
not confined myself to stating what we Muslims believe in and stand for, but have also
tried to explain the rational bases of our beliefs. Similarly I have not only presented
the Islamic modes of worship and the outlines of the Islamic way of life but have also
tried to unveil the wisdom behind them. I hope this small treatise will go a long way to
satisfy the intellectual cravings of the Muslim youth and will help the non-Muslims in
understanding our real position.
Lahore,
11th September, 1960
ABUL A'LA MAWDUDI
