Azad, Maulana Abul Kalam (1888-1958)

Indian Muslim scholar, author, journalist, and politician. During World War I he advocated a programme of non-cooperation with the British, which influenced Mahatma Gandhi and for which he was imprisoned. He was elected president of the Indian National Congress in 1940 and was also president of the Congress Party during negotiations for India's independence. After independence, he was in charge of the ministry of education.

Azad is also well known as a Muslim scholar and developed new principles of interpretation of the Koran arguing that it must be interpreted in the light of the historical circumstances under which it was written. He also emphasized that religion revealed by God is the same for all humanity and that real religion is the direct worship of one God without any mediating agency.