Please give details of Abu A’la Maududi. Is it correct to read his explanation of Qur'an?

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Abu A’la Maududi is the founder of ‘Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya’ in the Indian sub-continent.  He was born in 1903 and died in 1979.

He was first taught by his father Ahmad Hasan.  The latter is from the family of Qutb Al-Deen Al-Maududi.  This family is well-known by its religious practice and spiritual status.   He started his professional life by working in journalism in 1917.  In 1920 he issued a newspaper, the aim of which was introduce Islam.  In 1928, he authored a book entitled ‘Jihad in Islam’.  This book had an important impact against the English the idolaters, and the enemies of Islam everywhere.

In 1933 he issued a magazine “Torjuman Al-Qur'an", its banner was “O You Muslims, you have to carry the call of the Qur'an, and get up and rule over the world”.

It is thanks to this magazine that his ideas spread to the Muslims in India and Pakistan.  This fact paved the way for him to found “Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya”.

In 1937 he travelled to Lahore, and in Pathankot he founded a center wher he educated people and authored books.

In 1941 he invited the Muslim scholars and leaders to attend a conference held in Lahore with the presence of 75 people from the various parts of India.  It is in this conference that the Jamaa Islamiya was established and Maududi was elected its president.

Maududi was arrested by the enemies of Islam and was sentenced to death, then the sentence was softened.  In 1972, Maududi requested to resign from his position as leader of the Jamaa Al-Islamiya, and his request was granted.

He then resorted to research and writing, being committed to complete his book ‘Tafheem al-Qur'an’.

Maududi passed away in 1979 due to a surgical operation in New York. His body was transported to Lahore and buried there, may Allah have mercy on him.

Maududi left behind him, men who followed his way and a library full of his books which were translated to other languages, and were edited and published several times.

In these books, Maududi advocated Islam as a regime and way of life for all humanity, and called the Muslims to be sincere in worshipping Allah Alone and get rid of the oppressors and transgressors.  He called the Muslims to withdraw the scientific and ideological leadership from these transgressors and transmit it to the Muslims.  It is for this reason, and other reasons that the Islamic movements are attributed to Maududi but actually they sprung from the same Islam as brought by the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam).

With regard to his interpretation of the meaning of the holy Qur'an, we have not read it but there is no harm in reading his interpretation and benefiting from it.  However, one should keep in mind that Maududi is a human being like everybody else, he can be correct and can make mistakes.  A Muslim has to take the truth from whoever brings the truth, and reject falsehood from whoever brings falsehood.

Allah knows best.