Jamal Khwaja

The philosophical work of Jamal Khwaja (or, Ahmad Jamal Yusuf Khwaja, Indian philosopher, born 12 August, 1926/1928 ), has two facets: an analysis of the nature and causes of philosophical disagreement, and second, analysis of the religious dimension of life, with special reference to Islam. Jamal Khwaja's basic approach to philosophy and religion is irenic rather than polemical. His life mission has been to stimulate serious rethinking and informed dialogue between tradition and modernity in Islam. He believes in judicious modernisation rooted in the Quran and firmly opposes shallow, unprincipled imitation of the West.

Family background

He was born on 12 August 1926 in Delhi, India in his maternal grandmother's house. His father Abdul Majeed Khwaja (1885–1962) was a prominent lawyer, educationist and deeply committed to the Indian Freedom Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. His grandfather Khwaja Muhammad Yusuf (d. 1902) was a prominent landowner and lawyer hailing from Aligarh. The city was earlier named, Kol or Koil.