The Essence of the Quran

by Acharya Vinoba Bhave

Acharya Vinoba Bhave has studied the Quran for the last twenty-five years and it was during the last year and a half that the present volume took final shape and form. As stated by Shri Vinoba himself in his Foreword, the object behind its compilation is ‘to unite the hearts of men.’ “The Essence of the Quran” is a valuable addition to the spiritual lore of humanity.

The selections have been made from the original Arabic. The English is adopted from the “Glorious Quran” by Mr. Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthall. References to the respective numbers of Suras and the Ayatas(verses) are shown in the tables included in the end of the book. Vinobaji has grouped these verses under appropriate captions to highlight the Message of the Quran originally, he gave these subsequently been translated into English by some of our esteemed friends.

About the Author:

Vinoba Bhave was one of the great spiritual leaders and social reformers of modern India, whose work and personal example moved the heart of all Indians, from Prime Ministers to the poor. Born in 1895, at the age of ten he took a vow of lifelong celibacy and service to others. Searching for a way of life that would embody both spiritual truth and practical action, he discovered Gandhi and joined in his work for the regeneration of India.

Vinoba participated in Gandhi’s non-violent resistance (satyagraha) to the British Raj. Later, after independence had been achieved, Vinoba started out on his extraordinary bhoodan (Land Gift) movement. Over a period of twenty years, Vinoba walked the length and breath of India, persuading landlords to give to their poor neighbors a total of over four million aces of land.

Vinoba’s social activism was founded on a lifetime’s study of the spiritual traditions of India, and also of the other major world religions. These memories reveal both the inner and outer life of a great man who has an unwavering commitment to the practice of non-violence, to an engaged spirituality, and to the power of love.