Lala Lajpat Rai (1865-1928)

   The great freedom fighter and the ex-President of the Indian National Congress, Lala Lajpat Rai expressed similar views on Islam in a letter to Mr. C.R. Das : 

 

          Muslim leaders cannot override Quran and Hadis : “There is one point more which has been troubling me very much of late and one which I want you to think carefully and that is the question of Hindu-Mohamedan unity. I have devoted most of my time during the last six months to the study of Muslim history and Muslim Law and I am inclined to thing, it is neither possible nor practicable.

          Assuming and admitting the sincerity of the Mohamedan leaders in the Non-co-operation movement, I think their religion provides an effective bar to anything of the kind. You remember the conversation, I reported to you in Calcutta, which I had with Hakim Ajmalkhan and Dr. Kitchlew. There is no finer Mohamedan in Hindustan than Hakimsaheb but can any other Muslim leader override the Qu’ran? I can only hope that my reading of Islamic Law is incorrect, and nothing would relieve me more than to be convinced that it is so. But if it is right then it comes to this that although we can unite against the British we cannot do so to rule Hindustan on British lines, we cannot do so to rule Hindustan on democratic lines.

          What is then the remedy? I am not afraid of seven crores in Hindustan but I think the seven crores (1crore is 10 millions-compiler) of Hindustan plus the armed hosts of Afghanistan, Central Asia, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Turkey will be irresistible.

          I do honestly and sincerely believe in the necessity or desirability of Hindu-Muslim unity. I am also fully prepared to trust the Muslim leaders, but what about the injunctions of the Quran and Hadis? The leaders cannot override them. Are we then doomed? I hope not. I hope learned mind and wise head will find some way out of this difficulty." (quoted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in ‘Pakistan or Patition of India, 1946, pp. 275-276)