1b. The Promised Messiahs time
(Second of two sections)
The dreams, visions, revelations and writings of Hazrat Mirza
sahib about Maulana Muhammad Ali
At that time it could not appear to the outward eye that this young
man of twenty-five or twenty-six years of age would one day be a
true successor of the ‘Master of the Pen’ (Sultan-i Qalm),
the Promised Messiah, and would be the means through which his heartfelt
desires and aspirations would be fulfilled. Hazrat Mirza sahib reviewed
the character and qualities of Maulana Muhammad Ali and wrote, as
quoted above, I am sure that my foresight will not go wrong
in this, that this young man will make progress in the path of God,
and I am sure that by the grace of God he will prove to be so firm
in righteousness and love of religion that he will set an example
worthy to be followed by his peers. Then, mentioning his deeply-held
wishes, he handed over to Maulana Muhammad Ali that practical work
which he declared as the real aim of his coming. It was on the basis
of his foresight that he gave the Maulana the responsibility for
this work. According to Hadith, the foresight of a true believer
is illuminated by the light of God, and the faith which Hazrat Mirza
sahib had in his foresight could only have been created by Allah
in his heart. The following letter proves this point, in which Hazrat
Mirza sahib writes to Maulana Muhammad Ali:
I hold an extremely favourable opinion about you.
This is why I have a special love for you. If your nature had not
been pure in the sight of God, I could not possibly have thought
so well of you, never. I love you fervently from the bottom of my
heart, and often pray for you in the five daily prayers. I hope
that at some future time these prayers will show their effect. …
I am busy praying, with heart-felt passion, for your welfare in
this world and the hereafter, and for your body and soul, and I
am awaiting the effects and results of the prayer.
As mentioned above, this opinion of the Promised Messiah was based
not only on his foresight and his observation of Maulana Muhammad
Ali’s character and qualities, but the Promised Messiah also had
dreams, visions and Divine revelations indicating that it was ordained
by Allah that Maulana Muhammad Ali would inherit the Promised Messiah’s
mantle of knowledge. Keeping in view the needs of the time, the
Promised Messiah was to carry on jihad with the pen and not
with the sword. So it was necessary that there should arise from
among his companions a man who would be his successor in continuing
this jihad. It was also natural that Hazrat Mirza sahib should
see this man of letters in his visions. It appears from many dreams,
visions and Divine revelations of his that he was shown beforehand
that Maulana Muhammad Ali would accomplish the most tremendous service
to the cause of religion.
The most important and foremost task was to produce a commentary
of the Holy Quran which would prove the truth of Islam in this age.
In his book Izala Auham on page 773, the Promised Messiah
had expressed his wish to write a commentary himself, as has been
quoted earlier. But elsewhere he was shown in a clear vision that
the commentary was written by ‘Ali’ and ‘Ali’ was presenting to
him that commentary. Hazrat Mirza sahib referred to that vision
in the following words:
I remember at this point a very clear vision.
The vision had two parts, the second part being
related by him as follows:
After that a book was given to me, about
which I was told that this was the commentary of the Holy Quran
written by Ali and now Ali is giving that commentary to you. Allah
be praised for this!
(Tazkira, p. 21; Barahin Ahmadiyya,
p. 503, subnote 3 on footnote 11)
Though Hazrat Mirza sahib had expressed his intention to write
the commentary himself, it was the will of Allah that this vision
should be fulfilled and ‘Ali’ write a commentary and give it to
him. Accordingly, in the preface of the commentary Maulana Muhammad
Ali wrote the following words in English:
… the greatest religious leader of the present time,
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, has inspired me with all that is best
in this work. I have drunk deep at the fountain of knowledge which
this great Reformer — Mujaddid of the present century and
founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement — has made to flow.
So the knowledge of the Maulana came from the Promised Messiah
and the aspiration to produce the commentary was also of the Promised
Messiah. This was indicated in the vision in the words that this
was the commentary of the Holy Quran written by Ali and now
Ali is giving that commentary to you.
The selection of Maulana Muhammad Ali as the one to inherit the
knowledge of the Promised Messiah and to carry out jihad by
the pen is also elucidated in another vision, which was related
by Hazrat Mirza sahib as follows:
I saw in a dream that I was riding a horse
and going somewhere. On the way it grew completely dark so I turned
back. There were also some women accompanying me. On the return
journey, due to dust in the air it became pitch dark. I was holding
the reins by groping for them. After a few steps light appeared
and in front of me I saw a large terrace. I dismounted on it.
There were some boys there who cried out: ‘Maulvi Abdul Karim
has come’. Then I saw Maulvi Abdul Karim sahib approaching. I shook
hands with him and said assalamu alaikum. The late Maulvi
sahib took out something and gave it to me as a present, saying
that the bishop, who is the head of the Christian priests, also
uses it. This thing looked like a rabbit, brown in colour. Protruding
from it was a long tube, with a pen at the front of the tube.
That pen ran easily without effort. I said: ‘I did not send for
this pen.’ Maulvi sahib said: ‘Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib must
have sent for it’. I said: ‘I will give it to him’.
(Tazkira, pages 675–676; Al-Hakam,
17 November 1906)
Hazrat Mirza sahib has himself added the interpretation
of the vision as follows:
The women represent weak people. The pen means that
Allah will give Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib such power of intellect
that he will write forceful articles to combat the opponents.
(Ibid.)
There is another vision of Hazrat Mirza sahib which
was narrated by Maulana Muhammad Ali as follows:
Another of his dreams, which I have not seen in
print anywhere, was told to me by the Promised Messiah himself.
It was that the Promised Messiah and I were riding a horse, with
me sitting behind him, and it was galloping at a great speed through
the narrow streets of a city. At every corner there would be danger
of a collision but the horse would clear it safely. In the end we
reached an open ground where there was a man who pointed towards
me and said: ‘His name is Majadd-ud-Din. (Paigham
Sulh, 15 January 1935)
Maulana Muhammad Ali’s riding a horse sitting behind Hazrat Mirza
sahib indicated that it was destined that the Maulana would carry
on Hazrat Mirza sahib’s literary work after him and the name Majadd-ud-Din
meant that the work would be for the glory of Islam (as majad
means glory). By the grace of God, so did it happen. The literature
produced by Maulana Muhammad Ali painted a beautiful, complete picture
of the religion of Islam which resulted in the strengthening and
glorification of Islam.*
* Footnote:
Maulana Muhammad Ali published this dream at the very beginning
of the Split in the Ahmadiyya Movement, and also referred
to it on two later occasions. When, following the Split, the
Qadiani community was making all kinds of allegations against
him, this revealed name was printed appended to the Maulana’s
name in many issues of Paigham Sulh in 1914. |
It seems appropriate to mention here also that in the Hadith reports
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad regarding the coming of the Mahdi there
are three reports which Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan has quoted in his
book Hujaj-ul-Kirama on pages 442 to 443, which indicate
that after the death of the Mahdi there would be a khalifa of
his, but on the death of this khalifa people will desert
the Quran and they will be involved in tribulation and dissension.
Then they will choose a khalifa from the household of the
Mahdi, who would cause more harm than good. A man would arise against
him who would have the title Mansur.
There is another Hadith report, in Abu Dawud, that the Promised
Messiah has quoted along with one of his visions, in his book Izala
Auham in a footnote on pages 95 to 99. He writes that a man
shall come forth from Ma wara’-un-nahr, meaning that his
country of origin will be Bokhara or Samarkand, and he shall be
called by the name ‘Harith’, meaning that as regards the ancestral
occupation of his family he will be a farmer. The words of the Hadith
report are as follows:
It is related on the authority of Ali that the Messenger
of Allah, may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
A man will come forth from Ma wara’-un-nahr who will be called
‘Harith’, a farmer. The commander of his army will be a man called
‘Mansur’.
The Promised Messiah has applied the prophecy about
Harith to himself, and so he writes:
Let it be clear that the prophecy contained in the
authentic hadith of Abu Dawud, that a man called Harith, a farmer,
will come forth from Ma wara’-un-nahr, which means Samarkand,
who will strengthen the followers of the Holy Prophet … this prophecy
and the prophecy about the coming of the Messiah who would be an
imam of the Muslims and be from among the Muslims, both of these
are about the same subject, and they are both fulfilled by my humble
self.
Then he explains the words of the hadith the commander of
his army will be a man called Mansur as follows:
And the commander of his army, that is
the head and leader of the followers of Harith, will be a man
helped by God who will be known in heaven as Mansur because God
Himself will be the helper of his aspirations to serve the faith.
Although this Mansur is described as the commander of an army,
what is really meant is not military war or fighting, but that
this will be a spiritual army which will be given to Harith. This
is as I saw in a vision that there are two men sitting in a house,
one on the ground and the other near the roof. Then I called to
the man who was on the ground, saying that I needed an army of
one hundred thousand. But he remained silent, giving no answer.
Then I turned towards the other man who was near the roof and
towards the sky and said to him that I needed an army of one hundred
thousand. He replied that he could not give one hundred thousand,
but five thousand soldiers would be given. Then I thought to myself
that although five thousand is not much, but if God so wills,
a few can triumph over a greater number, and I recited the Quranic
verse: ‘How often has a small party vanquished a numerous host
by Allah’s permission!’ [2:249] Then I was shown that man Mansur
in a vision, and I was told that he would be successful and blessed.
But due to some hidden purpose of Divine wisdom, I was not allowed
to recognise him. However, I hope he will be shown to me at some
other time.
(Izala Auham, pages 9599; Tazkira,
pages 181182)
It has been made very clear in this vision that
the Promised Messiah saw two men leading his community, one sitting
on the ground and the other near the roof towards the sky. The man
on the ground had so many people that he was asked to spare one
hundred thousand, but he remained silent. Then Hazrat Mirza sahib
addressed the man on the roof and repeated the same request. He
replied that he could only give five thousand men. In fact this
is the ratio between the Qadiani Jama‘at and the Lahore Ahmadiyya
Jama‘at. The Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at is hardly one-twentieth
of the Qadiani Jama‘at. The ‘sitting on the ground’ and the
‘sitting near the roof towards the sky’ refer to the inclinations
of the leaders of the two Jama‘ats. The Qadiani Jama‘at
has concentrated more on worldly gains while the other group focussed
its attention on those higher objectives which are those that fulfil
the mission of Hazrat Mirza sahib. Another point made clear from
this vision is that the leader of his spiritual army, Mansur, is
the one who is the leader of the smaller group whose Jama‘at,
in its work, fulfils the Quranic verse: How often has
a small party vanquished a numerous host by Allah’s permission!.
At the end of this vision, the Promised Messiah has mentioned another
point. He says:
Then I was shown that man Mansur in a vision, and
I was told that he would be successful and blessed. But due to some
hidden purpose of Divine wisdom, I was not allowed to recognise
him. However, I hope he will be shown to me at some other time.
His book Izala Auham in which this vision
is written was published in 1891. At that time neither Hazrat Mirza
sahib had seen Maulana Muhammad Ali nor had the Maulana seen Hazrat
Mirza sahib. Later on, when Maulana Muhammad Ali settled in Qadian,
the manner in which Hazrat Mirza sahib expressed his desires about
his mission and handed over all the work relating to it to Maulana
Muhammad Ali shows that Hazrat Mirza sahib himself appointed the
leader of his army.
The Promised Messiah had another dream about Maulana Muhammad Ali
in June 1904, which is perhaps in reply to what the leaders of the
Qadiani Jama‘at later on said about Maulana Muhammad Ali.
He says:
I saw Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib in a dream: You
also were righteous and had noble intentions. Come and sit by me.
(Al-Badr, 1 August 1904, p.4; Tazkira, p. 518)
Two things have been said here: he was righteous
and he had noble intentions. The first quality really
answers those Qadianis who accused Maulana Muhammad Ali of being
impious (fasiq), for ‘righteous’ (salih) is
the opposite of impious. The other accusation made against him was
that he was a mischief (fitna) maker and the breaking
away from Qadian was called ‘the Paighami fitna’ (the word
Paighami was coined in reference to the Lahore Ahmadiyya
periodical Paigham Sulh). But Hazrat Mirza sahib himself
testified to the Maulana’s pure and good intentions, and his asking
Maulana Muhammad Ali to sit beside him in the hereafter indicates
that the Maulana continued the work of the Promised Messiah.
In short, all these dreams, visions and other writings of the Promised
Messiah show that it was willed by God the Most High that Maulana
Muhammad Ali be chosen to carry on the mission of Hazrat Mirza sahib
and to bring his aspirations to fulfilment, and that Hazrat Mirza
sahib delegated this work in his lifeime to the Maulana. And as
it turned out, it was Maulana Muhammad Ali who was enabled by Allah
to produce the commentary of the Holy Quran and write other comprehensive
and excellent books on Islam, and it was the Maulana through whom
Allah brought to fulfilment all the wishes of Hazrat Mirza sahib.
In this way the Maulana’s life is a part and a continuation of the
life of Hazrat Mirza sahib, for it was Hazrat Mirza sahib’s heartfelt
desire to do the work of the propagation of Islam but it was the
will of Allah that he should do some of that work in his life and
the rest be completed after him by one of his followers. This is
just as the keys to the palaces of the Caesar and the Chosroes (Qaisar
and Kasra) were given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad in a vision but
both these kingdoms were conquered by Hazrat Umar and the keys came
to his hands, so that the lives of Hazrat Abu Bakr and Umar proved
to be part of the life of the Holy Prophet. Similarly, some of the
aspirations of the Promised Messiah were granted by God during his
own lifetime but others were fulfilled after his death through Maulana
Muhammad Ali, proving that Maulana Muhammad Ali’s life was part
of Hazrat Mirza sahib’s life.
Another interesting incident may be related in this connection.
In the months of March and April 1902, the epidemic of the plague
was raging in the Punjab. In Qadian it never assumed a serious form
even though it was causing havoc in the surrounding villages. At
that time Hazrat Mirza sahib had a revelation from Allah as follows:
I will protect everyone in this house except those who are
disobedient with arrogance.
As in this revelation God had promised protection for all those
who lived in his house, Hazrat Mirza sahib invited many people to
reside with him. Maulana Abdul Karim and Maulana Muhammad Ali were
already living there. Then Maulana Nur-ud-Din, Maulana Muhammad
Ahsan of Amroha with his family, and some other families also moved
into his house, each family living in one room. During that time
it so happened one day that Maulana Muhammad Ali felt a high fever
and he thought that, although he was living within the house, but
as the revelation made an exception for the arrogant disobedient
he might have some spiritual weakness within him and as a result
he may have got the plague. Overcome by this thought, he sent for
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and started making his last will before him.
When the Promised Messiah heard of this, he immediately came to
visit Maulana Muhammad Ali and enquired as to how he was. The Maulana
said that he had got plague and pointed to his high fever. On this
the Promised Messiah said with great emotion:
If you have got the plague then I am a liar and
my claim to receive Divine revelation is wrong.*
* Footnote:
Hazrat Mirza sahib has himself described this incident, and
written the words quoted here, in his book Haqiqat-ul-Wahy,
page 253. |
Saying this, the Promised Messiah felt for the pulse of the Maulana
with his hand. A strange manifestation of the power
of God took place, that the body cooled down as soon as he touched
it and there was no sign of any fever. Maulana Muhammad Ali sat
up fully recovered.{Footnote 1}
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq has stated that he had himself touched Maulana
Muhammad Ali’s body just previously to this and it was burning hot,
but after Hazrat Mirza sahib arrived only a few minutes later the
fever just disappeared.
On another occasion, writing about the Talim-ul-Islam school, Hazrat
Mirza sahib said:
Our aim in starting this school is only that it
can enable people to give priority to religion over worldly matters.
The general curriculum has been introduced alongside so that this
knowledge can be made to serve religion. Our aim is not that the
students after passing their F.A. and B.A. examinations should go
in search of worldly jobs, but that they may devote their lives
to serving their faith. This is why I feel such a school to be a
necessity, that it could be a useful institution in the service
of the religion. The problem is that whoever gets even a little
education goes after material gains. I wish that such people could
be produced who would do the kind of work that Maulvi Muhammad Ali
sahib is doing. There is no certainty of life, and he is all alone.
One cannot see anyone who can assist him or take his place.
(Al-Hakam, 30 November 1905; Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2,
vol. 8, p. 270)
The Promised Messiah had so much confidence in
Maulana Muhammad Ali with regard to having a correct and true understanding
of the Promised Messiah’s teachings, beliefs and claims that he
issued the following instructions:
Hazrat Mirza sahib called in the editors of Al-Hakam
and Al-Badr and emphasized to them that they must be very
careful in writing down his speeches and articles, in case something
got misreported by mistake, which would then be used by the critics
in their support. … So [added Hazrat Mirza sahib] ‘it is proper
that before publishing such articles in your newspapers you should
show them to Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib, M.A. You will benefit by
this, and also people will be saved from error’. (Diary for
2 November 1902; Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. 4, page 159)
Need for an English Translation of the Holy Quran
By 1907 the need for an English translation of the Holy Quran was
being widely felt among the educated Muslims, and many Indian newspapers
were alluding to it. At that time the editor of the Ahmadiyya community
newspaper Al-Hakam, referring to the dire necessity for an
English translation, wrote that for this work a person was needed
who was not only an expert of the Arabic language but also had full
command of English. Besides this, he should be a godly person, having
great zeal and fervour for the propagation of Islam, and be fully
acquainted with the needs of the modern times. As to who could be
that saint, the editor wrote:
It is a fact, which, if people do not realise
it now, they will do so at a future time, that this revered person
is the worthy young man Maulvi Muhammad Ali, M.A. By writing in
defence of Islam and expounding its truth through the Review
of Religions he has established the reputation of his pen
in Asia and Europe so firmly that figures like Russell Webb and
philosophers like Tolstoy acknowledge that the concepts of Islam
presented in this magazine give satisfaction to the soul.
In Europe and America the articles of this magazine
have been read with great interest. They are not ordinary articles
but deal with such important topics as hell and heaven, slavery,
polygamy, jihad, preservation of the Quran, and compilation of
Hadith reports, etc., that not everyone can write about. …
I have not put forward Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib’s
name so that Muslims of India may choose him for this purpose
or send him subscriptions. He neither needs this nor desires it.
He has been working for years, sincerely and enthusiastically,
serving Islam under the man sent by God. He is neither motivated
by any greed nor can any difficulty or problem stop him. If God
allows, he will do this work quietly and the world will find out
how zeal for the service of Islam is made manifest. (Al-Hakam,
17 August 1907)
Represents Hazrat Mirza sahib in court cases
In addition to the literary and other religious work which Maulana
Muhammad Ali was doing in Qadian, he also assisted Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din
in representing Hazrat Mirza sahib in some court cases in that period.
On 15 July 1901, Hazrat Mirza sahib had to go to Gurdaspur to testify
in a court case instituted against one Mirza Nizam-ud-Din and others
who had tried to block public access to the Masjid-i-Mubarak at
Qadian. Maulana Muhammad Ali and many other friends accompanied
him. In Gurdaspur, at the suggestion of Maulana Muhammad Ali, Hazrat
Mirza sahib stayed at the house of Mian Nabi Bakhsh, Maulana Muhammad
Ali’s father-in-law, for two days. Both Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, who
came from Peshawar, and Maulana Muhammad Ali represented Hazrat
Mirza sahib in court and eventually won the case.
From January 1903 to January 1905 there was a series of court cases
between one Maulvi Karam Din and the Promised Messiah and certain
of his companions. In these cases Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din was the senior
advocate representing Hazrat Mirza sahib, but Maulana Muhammad Ali
also appeared with him. These cases were eventually decided in favour
of Hazrat Mirza sahib. On 15 January 1903 Hazrat Mirza sahib left
Qadian to attend the first case, which was to be heard in Jhelum,
and after spending the night in Lahore he arrived in Jhelum on 16
January. During this journey Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din and Maulana Muhammad
Ali accompanied him, and also with them was Shaikh Nur Ahmad as
a lawyer. They returned on 18 January.
After that there were several cases in court at Gurdaspur which
were prolonged because of the bias of a Hindu magistrate. After
a year Hazrat Mirza sahib tried to get the cases transferred but
was unsuccessful. In February 1904 an appeal in this connection
was lodged in the Chief Court in Lahore where Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din
and Maulana Muhammad Ali appeared but were not successful. From
April 1904 so many dates kept on being set for the court hearings
that Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din gave up his own practice in Peshawar and
came to stay in Gurdaspur. In August 1904 Hazrat Mirza sahib also
took a house in Gurdaspur and stayed there with his family because
it was very difficult to travel again and again between Qadian and
Gurdaspur. Once, in July, it even happened that when Hazrat Mirza
sahib and some of his companions were travelling from Qadian to
Batala at night, some robbers surrounded their carriage. However,
they did not have the courage to attack, and ran away when challenged
by Maulana Muhammad Ali and his two companions who were following
behind.
During Hazrat Mirza sahib’s stay in Gurdaspur, Maulana Muhammad
Ali used to keep on travelling between Qadian and Gurdaspur, as
his presence in Qadian was essential due to the publication of the
Review of Religions and his other administrative duties.
The court cases were largely pursued by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din. At
last, in October 1904, Hazrat Mirza sahib came back to Qadian. The
great services rendered by the Khwaja sahib and the sacrifices made
by him during these court cases are unrivalled and unique. He left
his flourishing legal practice and his family and home in Peshawar
to stay in Gurdaspur and concentrate on these cases day and night.
His family suffered financial privations and other troubles and
tribulations, one small daughter fell ill and died, but the Khwaja
sahib did not leave Gurdaspur. Hazrat Mirza sahib prayed for him
much in those days, and on one occasion he told him that he had
received the revelation about him, husn-i-bayan (meaning
eloquence of expression), so God would endow him with the gift of
eloquent speech and articulation. This was exactly what happened.
The Khwaja sahib’s oratory was not confined only to the court room,
but his religious lectures, whether in English or in Urdu, in India
or in Europe, used to hold his audience spellbound. Not only was
the content rational and well reasoned, but his delivery was so
engaging and attractive that he had complete command over the audience.
During the Karam Din cases, when Hazrat Mirza sahib decided to
move with his family to Gurdaspur and fixed a date to travel, it
was the rainy season and due to heavy rains Qadian had become like
an island as all routes were closed and trains were not running.
Shaikh Yaqub Ali had to attend the court case on the due date, so
he made his way on foot through the flood water with great difficulty
to reach Gurdaspur. Arriving there, he mentioned the hardships of
the journey to Maulana Muhammad Ali and Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din. There
were also problems in securing the house which Hazrat Mirza sahib
was to occupy. So all of them were worried and it was agreed that
a man be sent to Qadian to stop Hazrat Mirza sahib from embarking
on this journey. At that point a remark made by Maulana Muhammad
Ali, through his insight and faith, was greatly enjoyed by his friends.
He said: You can certainly send someone if
you like, explain all the difficulties, but these people
{footnote 2} can’t be stopped
from their plans because their determination is also a miracle.
And so did it happen. Hazrat Mirza sahib came to Gurdaspur according
to his plan and the problem of accommodation was solved as well.
During these court cases in August 1904 the Promised Messiah and
his family went to Lahore from Gurdaspur for a few days. Maulana
Muhammad Ali, his wife, Maulana Nur-ud-Din, Maulana Abdul Karim
and Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan accompanied them. They all stayed at
the house of Mian Charagh Din known as ‘Mubarak Manzil’ and the
house of Mian Miraj Din, located outside Delhi Gate. During his
stay, Hazrat Mirza sahib’s well known lecture ‘Islam and other Religions
in this Country’ was delivered at a meeting place behind the shrine
of Data Ganj Bakhsh and was attended several thousands of people.
On 22 October 1905, Hazrat Mirza sahib left on a journey to Delhi.
He later on sent for Maulana Nur-ud-Din. Maulana Muhammad Ali did
not accompany Hazrat Mirza sahib on this journey, but stayed behind
in Qadian. On 4 November Hazrat Mirza sahib started the return journey
and, stopping at Ludhiana and Amritsar, arrived in Qadian on 10
November. What is notable is that for the period of his absence
Hazrat Mirza sahib placed Maulana Muhammad Ali in charge of the
affairs of the Guest House and its food service which the Promised
Messiah always used to keep under his personal supervision. Apart
from this, in Maulana Muhammad Ali’s papers there are found many
letters and notes, from the time of his stay in Qadian, addressed
to him by Hazrat Mirza sahib, showing that on many occasions when
Hazrat Mirza sahib had some other engagement such as going to meet
the district administrative officials he made Maulana Muhammad Ali
as in charge in his absence. On some such occasions Maulana Muhammad
Ali sent notes to Hazrat Mirza sahib suggesting other people for
the job, but Hazrat Mirza sahib would return the notes with instructions
in his own handwriting on the back of the paper reiterating that
the Maulana should take charge of the matter.
Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya founded
In 1905, after the Promised Messiah learnt through some Divine
revelations that his death was approaching, he wrote certain instructions
entitled Al-Wasiyyat (‘The Will’) for his followers, as to
the arrangements for the community after his death. This he published
on 20 December 1905. In this Will he did not appoint
any successor, but enjoined on the entire community to work together
and make decisions by mutual consultation. However, to enable new
members to be admitted to the community, he laid down that such
elders of the community on whom forty faithful agree, may take the
pledge from the entrants in the Promised Messiah’s name. He also
proposed to establish a graveyard at Qadian for his community, which
he named ‘Bahishti Maqbara’ (the graveyard of heavenly people).
On 6 January 1906, Hazrat Mirza sahib published an Appendix to
his book Al-Wasiyyat, in which he gave in detail all the
necessary instructions regarding his Will. For the administrative
system after him he laid the foundations of an ‘Anjuman’ (organisation)
and appointed that Anjuman as his successor. He framed some rules
and regulations himself, and declared the main object of the Anjuman
to be the propagation of Islam.
In Rule 13 he wrote:
As the Anjuman is the successor to the Khalifa
appointed by God, this Anjuman must remain absolutely free of
any taint of worldliness. All its affairs must be completely above
board, and based on fairness.
He explained this in more detail as follows:
All members of the Anjuman must belong to the Ahmadiyya
Movement, and must be virtuous and honest. And if, in future, it
is felt that someone is not virtuous, or that he is not honest,
or that he is cunning and tainted with worldly motives, it shall
be the duty of the Anjuman to expel him from its ranks forthwith
and to appoint another in his place. (Rule 10, Appendix, Al-Wasiyyat)
With the publication of Al-Wasiyyat and its Appendix, Hazrat
Mirza sahib laid down the foundation of this Anjuman and named it
Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian, and proposed establishing its branches
in other places where the community existed. He appointed fourteen
members as trustees of this Anjuman, with Maulana Nur-ud-Din as
President and Maulana Muhammad Ali as Secretary. The following are
the names of the fourteen members:
1. Maulana Nur-ud-Din — President
2. Maulana Muhammad Ali — Secretary
3. Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din — Legal Advisor
4. Maulana Syed Muhammad Ahsan of Amroha
5. Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad
6. Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan of Malir Kotla
7. Seth Abdur Rahman of Madras
8. Maulana Ghulam Hasan Khan of Peshawar
9. Mir Hamid Shah of Sailkot
10. Shaikh Rahmatullah of Lahore
11. Dr. Mirza Yaqub Baig of Lahore
12. Dr. Syed Muhammad Husain Shah of Lahore
13. Dr. Khalifa Rashid-ud-Din
14. Dr. Mir Muhammad Ismail
For the remaining two and a half years of his life Hazrat Mirza
sahib ran this Anjuman according to the system and rules laid down
in Al-Wasiyyat. It so happened that in the winter of 1907,
in connection with the extension of the Mubarak Mosque, Mir Nasir
Nawab, father-in-law of the Promised Messiah, wanted to impose his
own judgment as against that of the Anjuman. On a complaint about
this made by the Anjuman, Hazrat Mirza sahib personally came to
a meeting of the Anjuman and wrote a note, as reproduced below,
which is preserved in Maulana Muhammad Ali’s papers. Its English
translation is as follows:
My view is that when the Anjuman reaches
a decision in any matter, doing so by majority of opinion,
that must be considered as right, and as absolute and binding.
I would, however, like to add that in certain religious
matters, which are connected with the particular objects
of my advent, I should be kept informed. I am sure that
this Anjuman would never act against my wishes, but this
is written only by way of precaution, in case there is a
matter in which God the Most High has some special purpose.
This proviso applies only during my life. After that, the
decision of the Anjuman in any matter shall be final.
Was-salaam. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,
27 October 1907.
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The image of the original Urdu note is shown below:
It was decided by this document that after Hazrat Mirza sahib’s
death the Anjuman would have complete authority. There would be
no individual ruling over the Anjuman, and all the administration
would be in the hands of the Anjuman. This was a great achievement
of his, that he eradicated both the system of putting absolute power
in the hands of the religious leader and the tradition of having
an inherited spiritual headship.
Some other events
On 28 December 1906, on the occasion of the annual gathering of
the Ahmadiyya community, Maulana Muhammad Ali submitted and read
out the first annual report on the working of the Anjuman, and presented
its annual budget, which amounted to Rs. 30,000 excluding the free
kitchen. He made an impassioned speech in which he mentioned the
companions of the Holy Prophet and how they sacrificed their lives
and money, and said that God had made things easier in our time
as there was no need to sacrifice life, but sacrifice of money was
still needed. Concluding his speech he advised members of the community
to lead a religious life and do for the religion even more than
what others do for the materialistic world. He also appealed for
funds for constructing the school building.
In 1907, in addition to the other matters, Maulana Muhammad Ali
paid special attention to two developments. First, establishing
branches of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian in various towns and
districts. So through the community’s newspapers and his personal
letters he started the work of establishing these branches, which
came into existence in many places as a result of his efforts. The
second important task was to raise funds for the extension of the
Masjid-i-Mubarak and to supervise its construction. For this purpose
Maulana Muhammad Ali issued special appeals starting in the months
of May and June 1907 to raise funds. By the end of 1907 the construction
work was completed under his personal supervision. His own office,
as the secretary of the Sadr Anjuman, was on the lower storey of
the mosque.
Talim-ul-Islam High School
One of the growing needs of the Ahmadiyya community was a proper
building for the Talim-ul-Islam school in Qadian. It was a high
school but was housed in mud huts. It was proposed to construct
a large boarding house and a building for the school. So a plot
of land was purchased from the community’s funds, and appeals were
made at the annual gatherings in 1906 and 1907. In January 1908
the executive committee of the Anjuman nominated Maulana Muhammad
Ali to raise funds for the building. He took up this campaign with
great vigour and started raising funds. Besides appeals at the annual
gatherings which he made while presenting the Anjuman’s report and
budget, he also launched repeated appeals through both the community
newspapers Badr and Al-Hakam, requiring between one-third
to a half of the monthly income of each person as a single donation.
In this connection he said:
I am prepared to say that what I have demanded is
not much. Perhaps Allah knows that a time will come when even greater
demands will be made upon you because spreading religion is not
an easy task. But this small sacrifice will prepare you for greater
sacrifices.
In February 1908 he organised a delegation to go on tour to raise
funds for the building of the school. Apart from himself this included:
Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, Dr. Mirza Yaqub Baig, Dr. Syed Muhammad Husain
Shah, Mian Charagh Din and Mian Miraj Din. On 16 February 1908 Maulana
Muhammad Ali went to Lahore in this connection, and then also visited
Amritsar and Kapurthala. After that, as his other commitments would
not permit him to stay away from Qadian for much longer, he returned
and the delegation continued its tour.
Financial Commissioner’s visit to Qadian
In March 1908, when the financial commissioner for the Punjab,
Mr. Wilson, came on a tour of Qadian, elaborate arrangements were
made for his reception and dinner was provided on behalf of Hazrat
Mirza sahib and the Ahmadiyya community. The next day Mr. Wilson
met Hazrat Mirza sahib, and a long conversation took place during
which Maulana Muhammad Ali and Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din acted as interpreters.
Some domestic events
As has been mentioned, about a year after his arrival in Qadian
Maulana Muhammad Ali married Fatima Begum, daughter of Mian Nabi
Bakhsh of Gurdaspur, the match being arranged by Hazrat Mirza sahib
himself. During 1908 Fatima Begum was not keeping good health, so
in November 1908 Maulana Muhammad Ali took leave from his work as
Secretary of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian and Editor of the Review
of Religions and went to Lahore with his wife for her medical
treatment, staying with Shaikh Rahmatullah. However, on 20 November
1908 Fatima Begum died. In the December 1908 issue of the Urdu edition
of the Review of Religions Maulana Muhammad Ali has mentioned
his seven and a half years of married life while announcing the
news of the death of his wife. He wrote as follows under the heading
About Myself:
With this page, seven years of the life of the Review
and of my editorship are completed. Although every human being encounters
some sad and some happy occasions in his life, I have never written
anything about my life in this magazine as I consider this organ
to be above any mention of personal circumstances. Even now I am
hesitant to pen these few lines. However, I believe that over such
a long period a rapport is built between an editor and his readers
so that they can share his sorrows and happiness, especially where
there is a religious bond between them strengthening that rapport.
On the very day when the November issue was leaving this
office, that is, Friday 20 November, my wife died in Lahore at
about 4 a.m., at my revered friend Shaikh Rahmatullah’s residence
where we were staying for her treatment. We belong to Allah
and to Him do we return!
The deceased Fatima Begum was born on 17 March 1886 in
Shakar Gharh in this district and was married to me on 4 April
1901 at Gurdaspur. On 20 November 1908, after
three months of severe nausea, she returned to her Maker at the
age of 22 years and 8 months in Lahore. She was buried in Maqbara-i
Bahishti in Qadian on 21 November.{Footnote
3} During her 7 years and 7 months of married life
she gave birth to two children who died at birth, and to a daughter
Ruqayya Begum on 26 November 1906 who is left with me in her memory.
This relationship was of special happiness for me because
it was arranged by my leader and master, the Promised Messiah
himself, who married me as if I were his own son. It was the result
of his prayers that she proved to be such a sharer in my feelings
that I myself was surprised. Another reason for my happiness was
that when this union was arranged I had put everything together
to start my legal practice in Gurdaspur and I had also been accepted
as a candidate to take the E.A.C. examination, but when the marriage
ceremony took place I was staying in Qadian having given up worldly
ambitions. In spite of that, the deceased’s father Munshi Nabi
Bakhsh did not object to this, but what is more even my wife never
alluded to it nor did she ever express any wish that I should
leave Qadian and try to earn worldly wealth for her. In this way
she helped me in my migration, and by sharing in my hardship she
saved me from many trials and dilemmas.
Women usually crave for material things but she did not
find it difficult to give up any such hopes for the sake of her
husband. This is not easy. I know of many instances in which some
women who preferred worldly wealth hindered their husbands from
carrying out their good intentions. The word of Allah also bears
witness to this: ‘Among your wives and children, there are those
who are your enemies’ [The Quran 64:14]. I cannot thank Allah
enough for providing such a spouse for me who, far from being
an opponent of my religious work, proved to be an aid and helper.
So if I have done any service to the faith — and only God knows
if I have, because He knows the intentions — I consider that my
late wife too is a sharer in that work in the sight of God. That
is why I have mentioned her death in these pages. She also had
a great passion to help the poor and needy, so much so that sometimes
she would help them even without my knowledge. When people were
asked to make wills [for the Movement], she was one of the first
to do so, and made a will for one-third of her possessions.
During her illness Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih [Maulana Nur-ud-Din]
showed such sympathy that I cannot find the words to describe
it. Similarly, the revered Khalifa Rashid-ud-Din made such exertions
in providing treatment, purely for the sake of God, that there
are very few examples of this kind of devotion on the basis of
worldly ties. Then in Lahore the practical help provided by my
honoured friends Shaikh Rahmatullah, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, Dr. Syed
Muhammad Husain Shah, Dr. Mirza Yaqub Baig, Babu Ghulam Muhammad
and Hakim Muhammad Husain Qureshi, was beyond all my expectations.
I was taken aback because it is my misfortune that I have never
had the chance to do anything for these people. Indeed, this passionate
love which my elders and brothers show towards me, in the way
of Allah, is living proof of the words: ‘you become brethren by
the favour of Allah’ [the Quran 3:103].
Allah tries His servants with death of their near and dear
ones. … No matter how weak I proved in this test, due to my love
for my late wife, there is no doubt that those who showed me love,
for the sake of Allah, acquitted themselves successfully because
in my hour of need they showed me sympathy beyond my expectations.
May Allah reward them! However, all are not the same. If someone,
despite being my benefactor, has instead of showing sympathy mentioned
some past grievance at the time of this death, it was perhaps
a lesson for me that it is a mistake to consider any worldly abode
as your home.
Death of the Promised Messiah
On 27 April 1908 the Promised Messiah went to Lahore on his last
journey. In his absence from Qadian, he put Maulana Muhammad Ali
in charge of the Guest House, which used to be in the Promised Messiah’s
personal supervision, and of other matters. In Lahore, Hazrat Mirza
sahib stayed first of all at the house of Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din. Some
other friends including Maulana Nur-ud-Din and Maulana Muhammad
Ahsan of Amroha also came to Lahore. After some time Hazrat Mirza
sahib shifted to the residence of Dr. Syed Muhammad Husain Shah.
In Ahmadiyya Buildings the place where the mosque is now situated
was then an open ground. By erecting marquees over it and spreading
rolls of mats on the ground, it was used for holding Friday prayers
and Maulana Nur-ud-Din gave daily talks on the Holy Quran.
On 26 May 1908 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah,
breathed his last, and that night his coffin was taken by railway
train to Batala and from there to Qadian. The whole of the Ahmadiyya
community accepted Maulana Nur-ud-Din as successor to Hazrat Mirza
sahib. It was a time of the utmost sorrow for the Ahmadiyya community
on the one hand, and on the other at this very time its opponents
had raised a storm of abuse and vilification. Thus the community
faced a two-fold trial at that time.
During his stay in Lahore the Promised Messiah had composed his
last writing, Paigham-i Sulh (Message of Peace). As after
his death this was to be read out at a public meeting at University
Hall, Lahore, on 21 June 1908, a large number of Ahmadis gathered
in Lahore. On this occasion, in obedience to Maulana Nur-ud-Din’s
instructions, Maulana Muhammad Ali made a speech which was deeply
effective, impassioned and moving. Mentioning Hazrat Mirza sahib
he said:
What a great and glorious objective is facing you. It is
as if a gigantic mountain is standing in your way and you have
to remove it to clear the way. It is easy to move a mountain but
the mission that our Imam has entrusted to us is of even greater
importance. It is to spread Islam in the world. Is it a small
and easy task? What encourages us is that God Himself has promised
that He will make Islam prevail through this community. So there
is no reason to panic or lose heart. The holy Hazrat [Mirza sahib]
has himself written: ‘I do not know which impossible paths I will
have to tread, which thorn-filled wildernesses and deserted jungles
I will have to traverse, so if anyone has delicate feet he should
take leave of me now.’ Friends! that time has now come and those
difficult to cross ravines, thorny jungles and frightful wildernesses
are to come before us which we must cross to reach the destination
pointed out by our pious Imam and true guide. Earlier we had a
man among us who was taking care of our affairs splendidly with
great skill. To tell you the truth, we used to sleep without a
care while that pure hearted man, the chosen one of God, comforted
us like a loving mother and protected us from every difficulty
like a shield. We were untroubled and carefree. … That era has
now passed. That holy man who carried our loads on his own head,
having done his work, has gone to meet his Creator in accordance
with the Divine promises. Now you have to shoulder all the burden,
and you are the people who have to accomplish that work and bring
it to completion. …
Hazrat [Mirza] sahib’s being was a cloud of mercy and a
shade of benevolence sent over us from God. He turned us away
from sins and established us upon goodness, he transformed our
dead and dry belief in God into a fresh and living faith, and
he filled our hearts with reverence and honour for God and His
Prophet like solid steel. Our moral condition was unspeakable,
but he made us drink such an elixir that we began to enjoy and
get pleasure from our prayers and remembrance of God, and our
hearts were filled with love for the Holy Quran. Everyone progressed
in righteousness according to his power and aptitude. … So we
have to learn a lesson from his death. Blessed are those who can
set an example of a pure transformation and steadfastness at this
time. It is the sign of a believer that even at the time of a
calamity he moves forward.
After this he refuted the objections being made by the opponents
at the death of Hazrat Mirza sahib and said:
In spite of the severest opposition raging, that
man sent by God convinced millions of people of his views. He infused
his spirit in you. If, filled with this spirit, we do this work
the doors of spiritual victories will open for us. After the death
of the Holy Prophet, great conquests were made by Hazrat Abu Bakr
and Hazrat Umar. This was due to his spirit working in the companions.
Likewise, after the Promised Messiah’s death this mission has not
come to an end and it is our duty to work for this lofty objective
and to try to make Islam triumph over all other religions.
(Al-Hakam, 18 July 1908)
Footnotes
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