Born in 1928, Jamal Khwaja, has devoted a lifetime to the challenge of living the Quran with integrity. His forefathers worked closely with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, and with Mahatma Gandhi. Khwaja studied Philosophy in India, England, and Germany. In 1957 he was elected to the Indian Parliament. His engagement with power politics was short lived. In 1962 he resumed his beloved, scholarly & contemplative lifestyle at the Aligarh Muslim University. He retired as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy. He performed Hajj in 2005.

Jamal Khwaja has written seven major books. Anyone interested in the intersection of Islam and Modernity will find Khwaja to be a reliable guide. His work is magisterial in scope. It is full of passion but remains balanced in perspective. He believes in judicious modernization rooted in the Quran and firmly opposes shallow, unprincipled imitation of the West.