As the Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement (November 1981 — November 1996)

After the second Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement—Maulana Sadr-ud-Din—passed away, the sights of the Movement were set on Doctor Saeed Ahmad to be its next Ameer. He was unanimously declared as worthy and most deserving of this high position: He had in his personality all those qualities which are especially important in a true leader.

Starting with his early years, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was afforded the company of righteous and pious people, an aspect that was prominently visible in his personality. During his student days, he held a distinguished position in the Ahmadiyya Movement: He was, in fact, the president of the Ahmadiyya Movement Youth Association. Moreover, he had the distinction of being the inaugural president of the Youth Association, a role in which he carried out duties with excellence.

During the year 1934 in Mansehra, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was appointed as the assistant surgeon in the Civil Hospital. On the basis of his services as a highly successful medical practitioner as well as his popularity, the British government had awarded him the title of Khan Sahib. This, too, was the era in which—on the basis of his religious services—he had held an honorary position in the Ahmadiyya Movement, being awarded the position of lifelong member of the General Council. Before that, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had served as a member of the Executive Committee for a while. The speeches he gave at the Annual Conventions would be received with enthusiasm and appreciation. And his recitation of the Holy Quran—infused with deep spiritual yearning—would always deeply move listeners. The first Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Maulana Muhammad Ali, himself was among those who acknowledged his excellence of recitation, and would often hold his hand and usher him to the position of the imam of the congregation. Maulana Muhammad Ali would then perform the prayer in his leadership.

On October 13, 1951, when the first Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement—Maulana Muhammad Ali—passed away, Maulana Sadr-ud-Din was appointed as the Ameer. And Shaikh Mian Muhammad was appointed as the President. On the same occasion, four religious elders of the Ahmadiyya Movement were vested by the General Council with the authority to take the religious pledge of members at their hands: This honorable distinction was awarded to Sayyed Abdul Jabbar Shah (commonly known as “Badshah Sahib”), Maulvi Aziz Baksh, Sayyed Asadullah Shah, and Doctor Saeed Ahmad.

Following the traumatic sectarian violence of 1974, when Doctor Saeed Ahmad left his homeland (Abbottabad, Hazara), he moved to Lahore, making it his sanctuary. At that time, he pledged to devote the rest of his life to serving the mission of the Ahmadiyya Movement: He went on to help achieve prominent goals as its Senior Vice President and as the Chairman of its Foreign Missions Committee. The role that he played in strengthening the fraternal bonds between the various chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Pakistan has historic importance. Unsurprisingly, all members of the Movement were unanimous in their opinion that Doctor Saeed Ahmad was the ideal individual to become their leader. Thus, the sight of every member of the Ahmadiyya Movement was set on him to become their next leader. Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself, though, was reluctant to assume the tremendous responsibility: He was aware of his advanced age as well as his weak health, and was concerned that he might not be able to carry the immense burden of the leadership role. However, in deference to the welfare of the Ahmadiyya Movement and its future prospects, and in view of the unanimous wishes of the Movement, he found himself compelled to commit to take on the responsibility: He reluctantly agreed to take on the leadership role.

In this regard, what follows is an excerpt from one of Doctor Saeed Ahmad‘s diary entries:

At 4:00 PM today, following the Asr prayer, I had a brief meeting with some friends. I expressed my innermost thoughts: It is not my wish at all to take on this leadership position. My advanced age, my weak health, and all matters in my life point to the fact that this responsibility should not be entrusted to me. The first person to express his thoughts was Fazal-e-Ahmad, who said that nobody else except me was suitable for the leadership role; that everyone was looking up to me to accept the role. Mirza Masud Baig supported that view. And then Naseer Ahmad Faruqui, in an encouraging way, expressed his thoughts. I had previously, both repeatedly and in every venue available to me, sought to excuse myself—but then there arose my serious concern, lest my refusal cause any possible harm to the future of the Ahmadiyya Movement itself—and now I simply did not have the courage to refuse the taking on of the responsibility, this thought being with me on many occasions, and in many gatherings where I would have wished to express my inability to take on the position and to excuse myself [from being considered for the position].

November 16, 1981, a Blessed Friday — A Historic day for the Ahmadiyya Movement

What follows is another excerpt from Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s diary:

An extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee was summoned on the morning of November 16. On the night of the same day, notice was given to the members who were present. Fifteen members were present. After much debate, it was decided that the matter of the selection of the leader would be presented during the upcoming meeting of the General Council, one which had previously been scheduled for November 20 to discuss the budget and other matters. The Executive Committee did not nominate a name, and that was the right thing to do. There were only a few days left till November 20. During those days, all chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement—in fact, every single member of those chapters—had to be notified in this regard. Three individuals were appointed to go to various areas. Written notices, phone calls, telegrams, and letters by mail had to be sent. In addition, three individuals were appointed to visit different areas and invite people who could not come and did not have the option to send a written nomination. If unable to come, they should send a written statement; they themselves ought to be given the right to nominate a name. This approach proved to be effective. This meeting was in complete accordance with the constitution in every way. The meeting was held on the morning of Friday. Thirty-three of the fifty members appeared. Three members sent their written opinions. Naseer Ahmad Faruqui recommended my name and gave a brief speech. Doctor Allah Baksh supported him, and expressed his thoughts with excellence. All those who had gathered unanimously expressed the sentiment that they could not think of anyone else at all who would be suitable for the position.

My heart was filled to overflowing with strange sentiments. And it was only with great effort that I was able to refrain myself from crying. Members gathered in the mosque in the afternoon after 3:00 PM. All names were written; a total of 256 names were written down. Some names got omitted during that process. Representatives from all chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement were present, and many letters had been received beside. Written and signed statements from certain chapters were also received. Naseer Ahmad Faruqui sought the opinion—through a show of hands—of the members of the gathered representatives from all over the country. With the exception of one or two individuals, everyone raised their hand in affirmation. I was then asked to say a few words. After gaining control of my emotions, I gave a speech, one which was recorded. The General Council had made the decision at 9:30 PM. At 11:30 PM, a telegram was received from the Rawalpindi chapter that their Executive Committee after a while had decided that this selection ought to be postponed till the Annual Convention, a time when all members, including some individuals from chapters abroad, could also participate. This telegram was presented before the General Council. The consensus was that such a postponement would be against tradition and would be harmful as well. According to the decision, Ahmadiyya Movement chapters abroad were notified via telegram. The following day, the news was published in newspapers. Some carried a photograph, too.

News of the Selection is Published in the Paigham-e-Sulah issue of November 18  and 25, 1981

Doctor Saeed Ahmad is Unanimously Selected as the Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

The Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement, the late Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, passed away at approximately 2:00 AM on November 15.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

We belong to Allah, and to Him is our return.

It was imperative to immediately convene a meeting of the General Council for the selection of a new Ameer. But a meeting of the General Council had already been scheduled for November 20, so it was considered appropriate for the matter of the selection of a new Ameer to be presented during that scheduled meeting. However, an extraordinary session of the Executive Committee was convened on November 16, 1981, one in which condolences were expressed on the demise of the late Ameer, Maulana Sadr-ud-Din. In addition, a suggestion was approved whereby the matter of the selection of the new Ameer would be presented during the meeting scheduled for November 20. Thus, on November 20, 1981, a blessed Friday, the overwhelming majority of the General Council unanimously selected Doctor Saeed Ahmad as the Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement. On the same day, following the Friday congregational prayer, a session of the General Assembly was convened in which hundreds of delegates from all chapters of the Movement participated. With one voice, everyone expressed their support for the decision of the General Council, and declared it as fulfilling the objectives of the constitution  of the Ahmadiyya Movement. The selection of Doctor Saeed Ahmad was ratified. This election was in complete accordance with the hopes and aspirations of the Movement community as well as a reaffirmation of the community-wide sentiment that everyone had been looking to Doctor Saeed Ahmad as their new Ameer. During the previous few years, he had in fact—both practically and pragmatically—been holding the reins of guiding and leading the Ahmadiyya Movement community, and it was he who was the ideal individual to be permanently appointed to that lofty position. We all pray to Allah the Most High that He blesses Doctor Saeed Ahmad with good health, with well-being, and with a long life so he can guide the Movement. May his presence be a source of progress, of consolidation, and of the propagation of the Word of Allah. Amen.

Wassalam,

Humbly, Mirza Masud Baig

General Secretary, Ahmadiyya Movement, Lahore.

What follows next is an excerpt from the Paigham-e-Sulah (the flagship magazine of the Ahmadiyya Movement) regarding the ratification of the selection of the Ameer by the General assembly and an address:

A Soul-uplifting Spectacle After a Heart-rending Shock — The Unanimous Election of the Successor on Saturday

Following the Friday congregational prayer on November 20, 1981, hundreds of individuals from nearly every city and district of Pakistan gathered in the Dar-us-Salam mosque in Lahore to participate in the General Assembly. On the heels of the tragic news of the demise of the late Ameer on Saturday, they unanimously selected the new successor of the Reformer of the 14th century Hijrah, following which they returned to their respective cities and districts, elated by the happiness and sense of closure that came with the selection. On the one hand was the shock experienced on Saturday when Maulana Sadr-ud-Din died. And when the honorable Masud Baig, General Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Movement, expounded on the unforgettable services rendered by the late Ameer, the audience was greatly moved, visibly so, their eyes wet with tears. And when news of the General Council having unanimously selected the inheritor of the late Ameer  was announced to the attendees, the proclamation of “We are ready, we are ready” could be heard from every direction. And with that, everyone present raised their hands in affirmation and support of the decision. Following that soul-uplifting spectacle, Doctor Saeed Ahmad regaled the audience in a soulful voice—it came from his heart and it went straight to their hearts—with the result that the resolve of all those gathered grew manifolds in an affirmation of their readiness to march forward through the ups and downs of life as an Ahmadiyya Movement community that was united and secure in his leadership. May Allah the Most High give us all the opportunity to move forward on the path of righteousness with such sincerity, unity, and mutual love in the leadership of the new successor of the founder of the Movement as to become an exemplary community for the entire world. And may we ever keep moving closer and closer to our goals.

Paigham-e-Sulah, December 2, 1981.

A Congratulatory Letter from a non-Ahmadi Individual on the Selection of the Ameer

Excerpt from Paigham-e-Sulah, dated December 9, 1981

Sender: The Honorable Maulana Abdul Rahman Mobashir,

Dera Ghazi Khan

Most esteemed Doctor Allah Baksh,

Assalam alaikum.

The news dated November 25, 1981 has been an uplifting one for the heart,

الحمدﷲ

All praise to Allah 

that you have selected the absolutely most-appropriate individual to be your new Ameer. I had met Doctor Saeed Ahmad in Abbottabad in connection with bringing my son for a change of climate. My son had a chest ailment. It was with remarkable affection and generosity that he attended the treatment of my son.

فجزاھم اﷲ احسن الجزاء

May Allah grant him the best reward

Doctor Saeed Ahmad possesses the most endearing and exquisite personality. His biggest quality is his spirit of sacrifice and his affection for all creatures of Allah. In sum, he has demonstrated exemplary steadfastness in adhering to and honoring his religious pledge to the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Hazrat Mirza Sahib, and in his affection for him. 

Expression of Satisfaction on the Unanimous Selection of the New Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement — A Glance at the Letters Received from Both Inside Pakistan and from Abroad

مفتخر از درگہِ بندہ نواز با نشاں ہائے نمایاں سرفراز

از ضیائے مہرِ او پُر نُور شُد از حقائق سینہ اش معمور شُد

Of all those gathered at the threshold of Him Who is their Benefactor, he has been chosen;

And manifest in him are prominent signs as do signify appointment to a status elevated

God-given light suffuses his entire being;

And his heart abounds with knowledge that is true

Innumerable congratulatory letters poured in to commend the selection of Doctor Saeed Ahmad as the new Ameer. Moreover, numerous letters addressed to the General Secretary—plus letters addressed to other members of the Executive Committee and the General Council—were also received. What follows is a series of excerpts from some of those letters. They have appeared in the December 1981 issue of Paigham-e-Sulah.

Hafeez Rahman, Deputy Inspector of Schools, Gilgit (Pakistan)

He wrote as follows in addressing Doctor Saeed Ahmad, may Allah be his Helper: I felt gladdened on learning that you have been selected as the Ameer. It is my prayer to Allah the Most High that he grant you a long life, and that you are blessed with carrying out with excellence the responsibility which has been entrusted to you. Our hearts are strengthened and our resolve increased when we see how, despite your advanced age, you are carrying out religious services with dedication and hard work. Your presence is a source of spiritual blessings, direction, and guidance for us.

Shahid Aziz, Secretary, Ahmadiyya Movement (United Kingdom)

All members of the United kingdom chapter of the Ahmadiyya Movement expressed their satisfaction on the unanimous selection of Doctor Saeed Ahmad as the Ameer. And we are hopeful that the Movement headquarters will progress under the leadership of the new Ameer. May Allah the Most High give us all the opportunity to dedicate ourselves completely—with our money, with our time, with our souls—to the service of religion under the leadership of our new Ameer.

Shaukat Ali, General Secretary, Ahmadiyya Movement (Fiji)

We were greatly elated on the unanimous selection of Doctor Saeed Ahmad as the new Ameer. Doctor Saeed Ahmad is wholly deserving to lead this pure jamaat on the basis of his extensive and untiring services that he has been rendering with utmost sincerely and selflessly. May Allah the Most High bless both his lofty religious goals and his work.

Maulana Jaggoe, Ahmadiyya Movement, Utrecht (The Netherlands)

In addressing the General Secretary, he wrote as follows: We are grateful to you for having unanimously selected Doctor Saeed Ahmad as your Ameer. Convey to him heartfelt congratulations on our behalf. It is our prayer that God Almighty grant him success in his religious objectives. Amen.

Abdur Razaq, Ahmadiyya Movement, Bombay (India)

Abdur Razzaq sent the following message by way of a telegram: The Ahmadiyya Movement in Bombay congratulated Doctor Saeed Ahmad on his selection as the Ameer.

Raja Muhammad Baidar, Karachi (Pakistan)

We were exceedingly shocked by the death of our Ameer, Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, on Saturday. Then, on your selection as the new Ameer, all members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Karachi—in particular, Mohamed Hasan—have expressed their immense satisfaction. Today, it is you alone who is capable of serving in this position. Otherwise, the Ahmadiyya Movement community would have become mired in internal dissensions and internecine squabbles.

فالحمدﷲ علی ذالک

So all praise is for Allah on Whom we rely.

It is our prayer to Allah the Most High that your sheltering presence will be above our heads for a long time, and that this movement will progress through your blessed presence, which is the true successor of the Promised Messiah. Consider this letter to be a submission of my religious pledge.

Nasir Ahmad, Scotland (United Kingdom)

We were shocked by the news of the death of our Ameer, Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, on Saturday. The late Ameer had rendered quite a few services within Pakistan and abroad. We were also satisfied to learn that you have been unanimously selected as the new Ameer. May Allah the Most High give you strength and assistance.

Expression of Satisfaction on the Selection of the New Ameer, Badho Malhi (Pakistan)

Shaikh Allah Baksh, the secretary of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Badho Malhi wrote: In an extraordinary session that was held under the presidency of Chaudhry Abdul Haq Malhi, the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Badho Malhi expressed their satisfaction, and declared this to be a good sign for the future. The jamaat here wholeheartedly pledges complete obedience to you. It is our prayer that Allah the Most High assists you in your services to religion.

Ahmadiyya Movement, Dera Ghazi Khan (Pakistan)

Amanullah Khan wrote: The unanimous selection of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, as the new Ameer is correct and in accordance with the demands of the present times. May Allah Most High grant him success in his missionary and training projects, and bless him with a long and healthy life.

Ahmadiyya Movement, Kachi, Hazara (Pakistan)

The Honorable Aziz, secretary of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Kachi offers these words to Doctor Saeed Ahmad that you accept our heartfelt congratulations on your unanimous election as the new Ameer. Our prayers are with you. We pledge to make all kinds of sacrifices in your leadership.

Ahmadiyya Movement, Hayward, California (USA)

Chaudhry Masud Akhtar writes from Hayward, addressing Doctor Saeed Ahmad, saying that the entire Ahmadiyya Movement community selected you as the new Ameer without contest. We express our satisfaction in this regard. We all pray wholeheartedly, that I love the Most High—in the matter of the selection—make it a source of blessings, in the missionary work of the Movement, and its progress and bless you with good health, resolve, and a long life so that you may carry out with excellence the responsibilities which have been placed on your shoulders. All members of the United States chapter of the Ahmadiyya Movement assure you of our complete cooperation. We regard the carrying out of all your directives as our duty.

South Wales (United Kingdom)

Mahmood wrote to Doctor Saeed Ahmad as follows:

We heard the news of his death on Saturday. It was a shock for us. He was an individual of great stature. People like him seldom come along to the world. You have been unanimously selected as the new Ameer. I felt inexpressible joy and satisfaction on hearing this news. It is my prayer that the Lord of the worlds bless you with the leadership of this caravan for a long time, and that God—through your person—makes his will to be carried out. Amen.

Resolve by the Ameer to Travel to Rawalpindi and Abbottabad

The health of Doctor Saeed Ahmad had remained considerably weak over the past few months. After experiencing recovery, for a few days, he experienced a relapse. Nonetheless, he did not allow this to disrupt his participation in the daily obligatory prayers, his meetings with members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, or his work routine. The suggestion was given to him to try a change of place and weather, a suggestion which he took up and planned to spend a few days in Rawalpindi and Abbottabad. He began his journey on November 30, 1981. Traveling on a flying coach, he arrived in Rawalpindi, and spent a day there. During that one day stay, he went to the residence of Sheikh Farooq Ahmad to extend his condolences on his wife’s death. He also met many other members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Rawalpindi. In Abbottabad, he encountered intensely cold weather. But thanks to the attention of Abdul Karim Saeed and his medical treatment, Doctor Saeed Ahmad began to feel much better. During this week-long stay in Abbottabad, he got the opportunity to prepare his speeches for the Annual Convention. Then on December 8, 1981, he returned to the headquarters in Lahore. In front of him now were the tasks of organizing and arranging the details of the Annual Convention, matters which were taken care of with excellence.

Legal Case Against the Ahmadiyya Movement Headquarters, Filed by Members of the Ahmadiyya Movement Chapter in Rawalpindi

In accordance with Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s wishes and aspirations, the Annual Convention was a grand success. This was his first convention as the new Ameer. Members of the Ahmadiyya Movement participated with great vigor. Everyone expressed their full confidence in him as their new Ameer, pledging their cooperation in all matters.

Nearly the entirety of the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement placing their confidence and goodwill in Doctor Saeed Ahmad was on the one hand; on the other hand was the deplorable development of a certain group among the Movement registering a legal case against him. A certain group in the Rawalpindi chapter, one in which notable members of that chapter were involved, declared as unconstitutional his selection as the new Ameer: They lodged a legal case against the Ahmadiyya Movement, even though this election had been, in every way—in letter and in spirit—in accordance with the constitution of the Ahmadiyya Movement, and had been deemed as such unanimously. Moreover, the vast majority of the Movement had, in unison, expressed its confidence and goodwill in this matter.

This legal case was a source of considerable concern for Doctor Saeed Ahmad as the new Ameer. But he had always relied on assistance from Allah the Most High, and that remained his position now as well. Allah the Most High gave him glad tidings in this regard. What follows is from the personal memorandums of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, one dated February 2, 1982:

I slept after the Fajr prayer. In a state of partial sleep—by that time, I had seen another dream, one which I cannot recall now—the following words spontaneously came to my lips: “This fire can, in five minutes—and if there is no exaggeration, within three minutes—be put out.”

Immediately, my mind went to the fire [of dissension] that had been set ablaze with vengeance from Rawalpindi. The fire of anger and wrath, the fire of sedition.

اَللّٰھُمَّ اَجِرْنَا مِنَ النَّار

O Allah, save me from hellfire

This legal case continued for approximately three years. In the end, the verdict was announced in favor of the Ahmadiyya Movement. It was Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s open mindedness, and his capacity for tolerance that enabled him to bear the protracted mental anguish, one which he endured over those three long years. Surely, when Allah the Most High places a burden on His servants, to try them, He also gives them the strength to bear that burden.

Internal Visits in Pakistan

Over the span of four months—from February 1982 through May 1982—Doctor Saeed Ahmad traveled to multiple geographical locations within Pakistan to establish rapport with the various Ahmadiyya Movement chapters, and to meet the members of those chapters. For these reasons, those trips had far reaching significance.

Wherever he went, members of the respective local chapters arranged welcome receptions for him, and he often delivered Friday congregation sermons and led the prayers. In order to meeting the members, he would also travel to their homes, in particular encouraging and honoring those members who were—either because of advanced age or illness or weakness—unable to participate in the Friday congregational prayers and other gatherings of the Ahmadiyya Movement. These trips took him to Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Abbottabad. Wherever he went, members of the local chapter, expressed their enthusiastic confidence in him. And to the greatest degree possible, Doctor Saeed Ahmad—in his unique style and with forbearance—cleared up all those misconceptions and misunderstandings, which had been sown by opponents in the hearts of the members by way of hearsay.

Prior to Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s arrival in Rawalpindi, unseemly efforts had been made by a group of nefarious members within the local chapter to create an atmosphere, where people would not listen to him. But the blessing of Allah the Most High made all the difference, and in general, members expressed their enthusiasm and warmly received his message. However, during his meetings, one specific group resorted to sarcastic language, and gave expression to words that were hurtful for Doctor Saeed Ahmad. But his spirit of forbearance and tolerance kept the atmosphere from degenerating and becoming polluted by the foulness which those nefarious members had sought: In this way, they were defeated in their evil objective.

The Grievous Mischief of Khawaja Khalil

Among the inheritors of Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din was an individual named Khawaja Khalil. Acting in an individual capacity, he managed to create a crisis for the Ahmadiyya Movement by claiming that the Ahmadiyya Movement ought to be divested of the rights to the property of the local chapter, and that the property should be handed over to the inheritors of Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din for the following reasons: Because the Movement had been designated with the status of unbelievers; because its status was now obstructing the missionary work of Islam; and because Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din had designated his property to that work. In addition to making this demand, Khawaja Khalil unilaterally took into his own possession that building of the Ahmadiyya Movement which served as the office for the Woking Muslim Mission Trust. This development became a cause for concern for the Movement, one for which an immediate resolution was needed. At that time, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was in Abbottabad, and he grew worried when he was briefed on the sinister development. He advised the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters in Lahore, providing the essential steps to take and resolve the matter.

Incident in Mauza Chehr — April 1982

Located on Balakot Road, Chehrrh is the name of a mountainous village where the in-laws of Doctor Saeed Ahmad lived. This family, in fact, had been living there for over a century. Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq’s grandfather, Najm-ud-Din, was the leading imam there. A sizable tract of land had been designated for Najm-ud-Din on the basis of his being the central imam. Since 1874, that land had remained the property of this family in an established and well-recognized way. Moreover, in 1960—and in accordance with a regulation of the National Agricultural Reformation Act—that tract of land was permanently transferred to Najm-ud-Din’s grandson Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq.

Now, theirs was the one and only Ahmadi family in Chehrrh. Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq passed away in 1970. In 1974, other members of the family were living in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. During their absence, the villagers in Chehrrh created a riot, looting the family’s house and their belongings. Moreover, the villagers began issuing a constant stream of threats: If any member of the family so much as tried to approach the village, they would not escape alive.

Thus, their house already having been looted, their tract of land, too, was now being eyed greedily by the wicked people among the villagers. What those evildoers did next was to start legal proceedings on the basis that Najm-ud-Din was not an Ahmadi—he had passed away prior to Hazrat Mirza Sahib having made the claim of divine appointment—and therefore the Ahmadi family could not be his inheritors. That this tract of land, the evildoers’ lawsuit moreover claimed, should therefore be returned to the villagers.

Now, in April 1982, the judge who was designated to give the verdict in the lawsuit—he had been transferred from Mansehra only a few days prior to the day when the verdict was to be announced—was unfamiliar with the background, substance, and proceedings thus far of the legal case. Because of his ignorance in these matters, that judge delivered the verdict against the Ahmadi family, which was being represented by Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq’s son, Arjumand Sadiq, even though there was no legal precedent or any justification whatsoever for that verdict. This unwarranted ruling—one exclusively motivated by enmity to the Ahmadiyya Movement—was completely unacceptable to the family. Therefore, Arjumand Sadiq—along with his brothers Javed Sadiq, Waheed Sadiq, and a few other relatives from their mother’s side of the family—went to Chehrrh to restore their possession of the tract of land through dialogue. In fact, Arjumand Sadiq conveyed in an eminently reasonable and peaceful manner his family’s position to the village leaders, and the majority of them acknowledged the justness of their position. But those who sought to perpetrate grievous mischief—their real aims being to create chaos and hooliganism—had no intention whatsoever of laying low. Those rabble rousers immediately began broadcasting hateful and incendiary messages from the loudspeaker of the village mosque. They announced that, on that day, the mirzais had been cornered in their house, and that they should not be allowed to escape with their lives [the word mirzai , the plural being mirzais, is a derogatory term for members of either the Ahmadiyya Movement or the Rabwah Jamaat.] As a result of that virulent messaging in the broadcast, the villagers were incited, and they soon gathered, and began pounding with the martial poles that they were wielding, and also began pelting the family’s home with stones. Then one particular group, heavily armed with weapons, entered the house. They fired bullets, and one bullet hit the right arm of Javed Sadiq, resulting in pellets getting embedded in his flesh. Blood began to flow from the deep wound. As for Waheed Sadiq, he was attacked by assailants with wooden poles: The merciless assailants broke his front two teeth. He sustained a deep wound on his ear and head, and his back—one of the cowardly assailants struck him from behind with a large rock—also sustained a deep wound. A few other individuals were also wounded, and in this way, these five or six individuals were completely besieged in their own house.

Arjumand Sadiq, however, remained safe, and miraculously enough, he succeeded in escaping from the brutal siege, following which he managed to reach the police station in Mansehra. The police station dispatched a batch of Frontier Constabulary men: They arrested some of the assailants, and transported the injured family members to the Mansehra Hospital. Javed Sadiq and Waheed Sadiq received their initial examination and treatment there. Meanwhile, Arjumand Sadiq succeeded in obtaining a bail-before-arrest, following which he diligently began taking care of additional legal matters.

In declaring the aforesaid incident at Chehrrh as having historical importance in the history of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes as follows:

In Hazara, other incidents of a similar nature—ones affecting the Ahmadiyya Movements—have taken place. This is the fifth such incident. Debgaran was involved in 1904, or perhaps in 1905; Daata was involved in 1906; near Beddra, on the way to Parhinnah, Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub was attacked in 1924; Abbottabad [was involved] on June 11, 1974; and this recent incident in 1982, which occurred in Chehrrh—all of these events serve to manifest the miraculous nature of divine powers. 

The aftermath of this incident in Chehrrh was that for a member of the family to even approach the village was equivalent to inviting one’s death. The common advice which the family was receiving from others—including prominent and well-established individuals—was that if the family wanted to secure their property in Chehrrh, and indeed to save their very lives, they would be wise to renounce their association with the Ahmadiyya Movement. Otherwise, the common advice went further, they should be prepared for the likely outcome of foregoing their ownership of the property. Moreover, the family was advised to avoid becoming the cause of disrupting the peace: That they themselves should live and let others, too, live.

But this self-respecting and courageous family simply could not accept any one of those suggestions. In remaining steadfast to the principles of the Ahmadiyya Movement, and demonstrating courage and resolve, they decided to seek legal recourse for the restoration to them of their rightful property and land. After making the rounds of various legal court offices, this case finally reached the supreme court: After 10 years of constant struggle, the verdict was given in favor of this family in 1992.

This faith-inspired courage and regard for the Ahmadiyya Movement, steadfastness, and constant struggle was accepted by Allah, the Most High

عَلٰی کُلِّ شَئٍی قَدِیْر

He has power over all things

And He returned to them all that was rightfully theirs, and as a reward, blessed them with abundant resources and extensive means of earnings. And they were blessed, too, with rich opportunities to live with honor and with dignity.

Brief Introduction to Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq

The individuals who became the direct targets of the assailants during the incident in Chehrrh—the ones who  emerged victorious after demonstrating remarkable, faith-inspired courage—are the sons of Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq. They inherited from their father, as it were, the zeal to honor and respect faith, and the courage of a true believer.

Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq was the brother-in-law of Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Their relationship was like that between two brothers, a relationship infused by informality and mutual confidence. Whether a matter before them pertained to household matters or to those of the Ahmadiyya Movement, they would address it through mutual consultation and agreement. Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq always remained at his side during every hour of difficulty, and always played a prominent role in bolstering Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s confidence.

And they never allowed emotionality or favoritism to affect or in any way intrude into their brotherly friendship. The following one example will serve to illustrate this aspect:

This is from the time back when Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq was living in Bombay in connection with his professional business. Evidently, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had expressed in one of his letters to Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq his concerns regarding the future in view of his own serious illness. In his reply, Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq said: “Why do you worry? I pledge to you that whether it is the children of my sister Zainab or those of my sister Umm-e-Kulsoom, they are my responsibility.”

It was clearly Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq’s profound sincerity that he gave the same status, and without any distinction, to the children of Zainab Bibi as he did to the children of Bibi Umm-e-Kulsoom. And if such a time had indeed come—such as the one which Doctor Saeed Ahmad had expressed concerns about in view of his personal illness—there can be no doubt that Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq would have fulfilled his words. But Divine fate was destined to be something else: Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq‘s own young children lost the sheltering presence of their father when he passed away on May 7, 1970. Where that deprived Doctor Saeed Ahmad and his two wives of a loving brother, the Ahmadiyya Movement was deprived of a selfless servant of religion.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

We belong to Allah, and to Him is our return.

Throughout his life, Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq remained ready to serve the cause of the Ahmadiyya Movement. During his residence in Bombay, among his circle of contacts were the likes of eminent personalities such as Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. And he had cordial relationships with the religious elders of the Ahmadiyya Movement such as Maulana Muhammad Ali, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui, and Abdul Aziz Khan of Zaida (who was also living in Bombay during Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq’s residence there.) He would participate in all activities of the Movement. According to one narration, to him came the distinction that, in honoring his wish, Maulana Muhammad Ali wrote many pages of his translation of the Holy Quran with the pen presented to him by Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq.

Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq rendered many valuable services to the Ahmadiyya Movement. It is the result of his loving dedication to the mission as well as his diligence that the tract of land was obtained on which the Movement headquarters in Lahore—with its beautiful mosque and a peaceful and tranquil colony of family members—named Dar-us-Salam is inhabited. Every member of the Ahmadiyya Movement is indebted to Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq for this grand contribution. May Allah the Most High make him enter the Dar-us-Salam of Paradise, granting him an elevated status, one which Allah has promised to His special servants.

For Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq’s final resting place in this mortal world, a beautiful location on his own tracts of land had been selected. But his grave plaque could not remain safe from the vandalism of grievous mischief makers, and those ignorant individuals could not tolerate the presence of the name of Allah n his father’s name as inscribed on his plaque, and which those vandals scratched away with their wicked hands. Blinded by their ignorance, those misled vandals could not even see that the name Rahman in the name, Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq—as inscribed on the plaque—is also the name of our Creator, Allah, and which those vandals had been in pursuit of erasing and defacing.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

We belong to Allah, and to Him is our return.

Month of Ramadan in Abbottabad

In 1982, Doctor Saeed Ahmad traveled to Abbottabad to spend the months of June and July. There, he had the good fortune of keeping the fast during the blessed days of Ramadan; the pleasant weather and health-promoting surroundings assisted in making and increasing convenience for him to attend to his worshipful activities and duties. This was a special good fortune that came his way during that month of Ramadan. He would recite from the pages of that copy of the Holy Quran which had been graced by the Promised Messiah himself, and from which he (i.e. the Promised Messiah) would recite from: Moreover, he had personally marked (that copy of the Holy Quran) with a pen the awamir (i.e. actions which Allah has commanded the believers to do) and nawahi (i.e. actions which Allah has prohibited the believers from doing.) 

What follow are Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s sentiments regarding it:

The last day of Ramadan, July 21

This afternoon, I completed reading the Holy Quran in its entirety, an undertaking that I had begun on the first day of [the month of] Ramadan. And I had the opportunity to recite from the pages of a copy of the Holy Quran—it had once belonged to the Promised Messiah himself—and from whose pages he had, Allah Alone knows, how many time he had recited, and had personally marked its pages with the awamir and nawahi in red ink, plus marked up certain special portions [of that copy of the Holy Quran.] This is a great good fortune that came the way of this humble man through strange ways.

Acquisition of a Missionary Center in Wembley, London

Also during that month of Ramadan, Allah the Most High brought joy to Doctor Saeed Ahmad with another great glad tidings: All necessary procedures for the acquisition of a missionary center in London were completed, and Muhammad Anwar was transferred there as its imam.

The sentiments of Doctor Saeed Ahmad were as follows:

A letter from [Muhammad] Anwar was received from London. The house in Wembley is now in our possession. [Muhammad] Anwar went to the new house on the evening of July 22, 1982, a Friday.

 اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ۔ اِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ یُسْرًا

All praise is for Allah. Surely after difficulty is ease.

A couple of years were spent with great patience under constricted circumstances. Now Allah has given this extensive house, one which consists of 11 or 12 rooms. May Allah bless this for the Ahmadiyya Movement, and for the propagation of Islam.

Instigation for an Alternate Series of Books

This is an incident from either 26 November or 27 November 1982. Following the Ishaa prayer, three or four individuals came to the residence of Doctor Saeed Ahmad to meet him. One of them had a few books in his hands. After some pleasantries had been exchanged, those individuals expressed praise for him as well as addressed him emphatically with titles of honor, an act which he did not like.

Finally, coming to their goals and real purpose for which they had come, those individuals stated that an institution by the name of “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Foundation” had been established, and books by the Promised Messiah—books such as Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya, Shahna-e-Haq, Anjaam-e-Aatham—had been published by that institution. Moreover, they wanted to put the books on sale at the Annual Convention. Doctor Saeed Ahmad said that they had, in that way, established an alternate institution, one resulting in the duplication of the publication and dissemination of books. In response, that individual said that anyone can do good work, and therefore, what they had setup was not oppositional or parallel at all. Doctor Saeed Ahmad replied, with great emphasis, that he would not make any decisions in that matter. Decisions would be made through consensus, and only after consultation with other members of the Ahmadiyya Movement. In this way, that delegation returned, disappointed. In reality, those individuals were attempting to interfere in the affairs of the Movement, and seeking to lay the foundation for a constant series of such activities, one in which they did not succeed.

Resignation by Mirza Masud Baig, and Appointment of Mansur Ahmad as General Secretary

Mirza Masud Baig had been serving as the General Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Movement for the past many years. Now, due to a cardiac ailment, he expressed his wish to retire, because he was finding himself physically incapable of carrying out his responsibility. The Movement sought to entrust this responsibility to a responsible and able member of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Initially, this offer—for the position of General Secretary—was extended to Captain Wajid. In accepting it, he promised to take on this responsibility after a few months. But a sudden illness compelled Captain Wajid to travel to England for treatment, and so he could not come to the Movement headquarters in Lahore. 

The attention of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, in selecting a General Secretary, then came to rest on Mansur Ahmad, who had previously served in senior positions in the Department of Industries in Punjab. He had extensive experience in organizational matters, and possessed refined professional abilities. When he expressed his wish at a personal level, Mansur Ahmad was unable to decline. His appointment as the General Secretary was approved on January 21, 1983. Mansur Ahmad took on the responsibility on an honorary basis—not accepting any financial remuneration for his services—and continued to render valuable services for the cause of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

Following his retirement from a distinguished career, plenty of opportunities and avenues had been available for Mansur Ahmad to start a personal business or to join one. But he chose to give preference to religion over worldly pursuits—an ideal which the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement himself had articulated—and demonstrated adherence to it, a laudable accomplishment indeed.

The Loss of two Valuable Souls in the Headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Lahore

Muhammad Azam Alvi

Muhammad Azam Alvi passed away on April 1, 1983. He had been selflessly rendering services to the Ahmadiyya Movement for a while. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that he embodied the office of the Movement itself. His entire life had revolved around shouldering numerous responsibilities and office work of the Ahmadiyya Movement; this was his everything. His soul, uplifting poetry—and then, its beautifully attuned recitation—would lend gatherings of the Ahmadiyya Movement a soulful atmosphere. His sudden death was an irreparable loss to the Movement, one which Doctor Saeed Ahmad personally felt with great intensity. Following his death, his one, and only son,  Arshad, had come to feel intensely alone. During those moments of immense loss, he sympathized, condoled, and comforted him in every way, something which Arshad, himself gratefully expressed in an article, entitled, “And Friday, Too, Passed,” which was published in the Paigham-e-Sulah, magazine. What follows is an excerpt from it:

Doctor Saeed Ahmad was notified via telephone. His voice clearly indicated that he was overcome by emotion. He comforted me. Just a little later, Doctor Saeed Ahmad—and in his company were Naseer Ahmad Faruqui, Fazal-e-Ahmad, Mirza Masud Baig, Mansur Ahmad, and other office employees—came over. One by one, they all hugged me and comforted me. They went inside to see the body of my late father. Doctor Saeed Ahmad said, “The poor soul is sleeping.” And with that, tears came to his eyes.

And then, in making mention of the time following the funeral prayer, Arshad wrote as follows:

Doctor Saeed Ahmad hosted a reception for everyone, and took us to his home. He said that while the grieving relatives of Muhammad Azam Alvi would surely have felt deep sorrow, there are some who, while they are not relatives, are even more saddened by the loss, and we are among them. Individuals who did not belong to the Ahmadiyya Movement happened to be present at the reception, and were greatly impressed by the words of Doctor Saeed Ahmad. They began singing his praises and remarked that this is how the Ameer of an organization truly ought to be like, one who considers the grief of everyone as his own grief. May God grant success to the organization whose leader is such an individual. Amen.

The dinner reception was on behalf of Doctor Saeed Ahmad. He again came to meet me that evening. He hugged me, and in those moments, my soul was finding comfort and peace. He said: “Son, we are your servants. Whatever we can do for you, and anything we can do for you, we will not leave any stone unturned. You must confide in us your pain.”

The way he consoled me was simply tremendous. May God keep his sheltering presence on our heads to the day of judgment amen. And in this way, that Friday passed, one without a father.

Master Asghar Ali

Following on the heels of the death of Muhammad Azam Alvi on April 1, 1983, Master Asghar Ali passed away on April 17, 1983. His long-standing relationship with Doctor Saeed Ahmad—one of a patient and his doctor—was transformed into one of relationship when Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s one and only niece was married to him. Master Asghar Ali was one of those who were personally affected by the crisis of 1974, and who migrated from Abbottabad to Dar-us-Salam in Lahore to take up permanent residence.

In dutifully following in the footsteps of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, Master Asghar Ali gave up the idea of again starting a worldly business. Instead, he offered to exclusively dedicate his services to the Ahmadiyya Movement, and began working as his personal assistant. He would assist Doctor Saeed Ahmad in his written communication as well as look after many aspects of the foreign missions committee.

The passing away of Master Asghar Ali from this world was on the one hand, it personally was for Doctor Saeed Ahmad, and on the other hand an irreparable loss for the Ahmadiyya Movement. He was deeply saddened, and began searching for someone who could work as tirelessly and with such dedication as Master Asghar Ali. His choice was Master Asghar Ali’s son Anwaar Ahmad. When he expressed to Anwaar Ahmad the wish for him to fill the role that his father had, Anwaar Ahmad, without any hesitation—and immediately obeying the request—put aside his profitable business and a bright future in Karachi, and relocated to Lahore. And this is where he continues to faithfully render services to Doctor Saeed Ahmad and the Ahmadiyya Movement for a nominal salary. May Allah the Most High reward Anwar Ahmad greatly for the sacrifice. Amen.

What follows is an excerpt from a diary entry of Doctor Saeed Ahmad:

I was beset by numerous issues and problems over the past few days. Internal opposition, lack of helpers, and the storm that has been brewing on the matter of signing the religious pledge forms. On April 1, Muhammad Azam Alvi, and then on April 17, Master Asghar Ali suddenly passed away.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

I thank Allah that His Mercy continues to give comfort to the heart, and I am hopeful, and my eyes are ever looking to the threshold of my Lord.

Launch of the Religious Pledge Form by the Ahmadiyya Movement

During previous eras, some sluggishness and delays had been affecting the office work of the Ahmadiyya Movement. One significant and prominent shortage was the absence of an accurate tally of those members of the Movement who had taken their religious pledge. That absence  was against the welfare of the Movement, and it was essential to remedy and correct that situation: It is, after all, simply essential for any organization or institution that its members declare and pledge their allegiance to following some rules or the other, and this was absent here. Numerous individuals would declare themselves as Ahmadis during gatherings of the Ahmadiyya Movement, but would express no association whatsoever with it, and in fact, express their repugnance at the mere idea of being associated with it. In large numbers, in fact, individuals had made statements expressing that they were no longer associated with the Movement. Yet they considered it their right to meddle with and impede its work. At the conclusion of the Annual Convention in 1982, members of the Ahmadiyya Movement proposed that prior to the future elections of the General Council and the Executive Committee, the religious pledge form ought to be signed by everyone who considered themselves as members of the Movement, and it would be on that basis that these two bodies—the General Council and the Executive Committee—would ascertain the actual number of members.

This was an eminently sensible and practical suggestion which was aimed at strengthening the Ahmadiyya Movement, and there were no grounds whatsoever to object to it. However, not only was it opposed, it was opposed with bitterness. Eventually, on March 4, 1983, a Friday, this proposal was approved during a meeting of the General Council. It was a historic day for the Movement. Allah, the Most High granted victory to those who had supported this suggestion.

Aggressive Action Taken by Members of the Ahmadiyya Movement Chapter in Rawalpindi

A lawsuit had been brought by members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Rawalpindi—it was in opposition to the selection of the present Ameer—and it was still going through the legal system. Now, in the matter of the renewed signing of the religious pledge form, those members expressed their intense opposition, and began delivering critical speeches; pamphlets with oppositional articles were published and distributed systematically; and methodical attempts were made to bring into disrepute the names of many members of the Movement. From the side of Doctor Saeed Ahmad and his supporters, nothing other than patience and forbearance were expressed.

Further Worrisome Action

An argument between Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman and Manzoor Ahmad Chinioti—one that was taking place through the exchange of written correspondence between the two—had been going on for a long time. This was a personal action on the part of Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman; the Ahmadiyya Movement was not involved in it. Matters came to a head when Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman mentioned an imprecatory competition in one of his written communications to Manzoor Ahmad Chinioti. In response, Manzoor Ahmad Chinioti turned his attention to the Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement, inviting him to a spiritual duel, even suggesting that they meet between the bridges on the Rivers Ravi and Chenab; or at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore; or the grounds of the Yadgar-e-Pakistan (i.e. the Pakistan Memorial) as the venue for the spiritual duel. Doctor Saeed Ahmad, in his turn, sought consultation from a few notable members of the Movement. But nobody was able to give much guidance; most of the members abstained from giving advice regarding the matter of the challenge extended by Manzoor Ahmad Chinioti (to a spiritual duel.) Doctor Saeed Ahmad knew that only the prophets—or else those who have been divinely appointed by Allah—have the authority to issue an invitation to a spiritual duel, and then, too, only after Allah has directed them to do so. Therefore, in regarding Allah as his Supporter, he turned the matter over to Him.

What follows is an excerpt from one of the diary entries of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, one in which he expressed the issue of the opposition to the signing anew by every Ahmadiyya Movement of the religious pledge, as well as the worrisome situation involving the spiritual duel:

Other than my Lord, there is apparently no other companion. There are other issues in addition to these. It is purely Allah’s Mercy that I am not experiencing the degree of fear or worry as would be warranted by the circumstances. Also, regarding some issues involving members of the Ahmadiyya Movement as well as issues involving my relatives, I am utterly in need of the special Mercy of Allah; I have entrusted to Allah my personal matters, too. This was the background when—on March 20, 1983, at approximately 3:45 AM, as I was becoming wakeful—I found the following salutation powerfully moving my lips:

السلام علیکم و رحمۃ اللہ

Peace be on you and the mercy of Allah.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad further writes:

Some individuals have also initiated a series of letters bearing [morally] hurtful content. Lack of attention from members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, the unsupportive atmosphere in the offices, and various other matters are proving to be an intense test of my patience. My health, too, is weakening. However, I continue to do my work, and my eyes look to the mercy of Allah all the while.

An Appeal to Members of the Ahmadiyya Movement for a Spiritual Striving of 40 Nights

It was against the backdrop of the aforementioned circumstances that Doctor Saeed Ahmad appealed to the entire Ahmadiyya Movement community to engage in beseeching Allah from the depths of their hearts. He reminded everyone that missionary work and the propagation of justice are not easy. In fact, these matters try one’s patience, and are often accompanied by tribulations for the believers. This path is riddled with challenges, and trials are bound to be encountered along the way. It was their intense urge to propagate Islam which compelled the Holy Prophet (the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as well as the Promised Messiah to supplicate to Allah the Most High with utmost humbleness. It is the dedicated acts of waking up during the night and prostrating oneself before Allah the Most High that leads to pulverizing—and conquering—one’s worldly desires. It is supplicating during such times that creates true (spiritual) power. In mentioning his appeal to the members of the Movement, Doctor Saeed Ahmad said:

I request my opponents—and through them, the members of my entire Ahmadiyya Movement—to come and for us all to affirm that our conduct for the future will be informed by an outlook that is religious, spiritual, upright, sincere, and just. Each act of ours will be for Allah the Most High. We will place religion in front of us, and put the world behind us. You have placed me in a position that carries with it tremendous responsibility: It is my duty to guide you in the ways of the prophets, of the wali’ullah [friends of God], and of the righteous people, because this is the only way to salvation. And this is the only path for the propagation of the religion of Allah the Most High. We will never succeed by adopting any other way.

In the end, he said:

I appeal to every member of my organization, that each one of us wake up in the nights and perform the tahujjad prayer. And if they are unable to do so, then at least for the brief period of time leading up to the call to prayer for Fajr, to wake up perform two rakahs of prayer, and—with the utmost of humbleness—beseech Allah the Most High and offer this prayer:

اَنِّیْ مَغْلُوْبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ

I am overwhelmed, so help me

[O Allah,] enable me to serve Islam. Keep members of the Ahmadiyya Movement—both internally and externally, and in every way—safe from trouble, and through it show us the sight of Islam dominating all false religions, because this was the mission of your Promised Messiah. In your morning prayers, too, beseech Allah with the Quranic prayers which prophets (peace and salutations be on them all), had prayed with during their times of tribulation. If you have not memorized the Arabic words, then try to pray with the essence of the meaning of those prayers in your own words. Start this striving right from tonight. These are not times to sleep or to be complacent; these are the times to be awake [and vigilant] and to strive by day and by night. And these are the times to make peace with God. It is my expectation of every member of my organization that they will surely act on this suggestion of mine, which is for the reformation of the Ahmadiyya Movement, and for the success and dominance of Islam and of the Quran. Our work is to strive to the best of our abilities; making it come to fruition is the work of Allah the Most High. May Allah the Most High enable each one of us to do so. Amen. If you walk on this path with sincerity, you will feel that the Mercy and Blessings of Allah are with you.

For your convenience, the salient prayers of the Holy Quran, as well as the prayers, as practiced by the Holy Prophet—these prayers are particularly significant for our current circumstances—are being published in Paigham-e-Sulah, along with this sermon, and accompanied by their respective translations. Benefit from them, and also pray in your own words when in prostration before Allah. May Allah the Most High enable you and I to do so. Amen.

Members of the Ahmadiyya Movement expressed their readiness to act on the appeal by their Ameer. The majority of the members regarded it their duty to act on the appeal and carried out this striving, which brought comfort and peace to their hearts.

Forcible Usurpation by Non-Ahmadis of the Mosque in Badho Malhi

Doctor Saeed Ahmad was spending the summer season in Abbottabad when the news of yet another tribulation was received: Nefarious elements of society had forcibly taken over the Ahmadiyya Movement mosque on September 9. Members of the Movement were unable to defend their mosque from the aggression of vandals, and it went over into the vandals’ possession. An oppressive blanket of sadness and darkness enveloped the entire Movement, including the Ameer, but there was no recourse against the vandals other than to resort to supplicating to Allah and to be patient.

Death of Mirza Masud Baig, Former General Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Movement — August 1983

Mirza Masud Baig died from a cardiac illness. This was a big loss for the Ahmadiyya Movement, and such an irreparable loss that the entire Ahmadiyya Movement, including the Ameer, were deeply saddened. Mirza Masud Baig had spent the greater part of his life in the service of the Ahmadiyya Movement in various capacities: As Assistant Secretary, as Headmaster—one after the other—of Muslim High School Number One and Muslim High School Number Two, as Officer of Education, as General Secretary, as Secretary of the Foreign Missions Committee, and as Vice President. In short, whenever he was entrusted with a responsibility, he always carried it out with excellence. After his death, the Ameer wrote an article, entitled the death of Mirza Masud Baig, which was published in the October 15, 1983 issue of Paigham-e-Sulah, and in acknowledging and paying tribute to his scholarly accomplishments, to the magic of his writing and his speech, and to his extensive and valuable services to the Movement, Doctor Saeed Ahmad declared his death to be an immense shock, and wrote:

It is impossible for me to find the words with which to express the shock and immense grief on learning about the death—immediately accompanied by a sense of wistful regret and acute deprivation—of Mirza Masud Baig. I cannot express the state of my heart at this time, because the death of Mirza Masud Baig is an immense shock for not only his relatives, his near ones, and his friends, but also an immense and irreparable loss for the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement. His passing away has created a void, which seemingly cannot be filled. Yes, Allah the Most High has the Power to address this loss, and on Him do we rely. 

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

Other than reciting the following words, there really isn’t anything else we can do: We simply have to bow our heads in resignation before fate as predestined by Allah.

In that same article, the Ameer went on to say:

Over the period of the previous nine or 10 years, I had the opportunity to work closely with Mirza Masud Baig. He was supportive in every way, in fact, serving as my right arm, as it were. He joined hands with me in every matter of the Ahmadiyya Movement. In particular, he shouldered most of the responsibility particularly in the area of office communications, and which he handled with excellence. I feel as if one of my arms has been broken. But Allah the Most High is Ever Merciful.

During this year, we had to bear big shocks, one after another, but may Allah the Most High have Mercy on us. It is my supplication to Allah the Most High that he shower the rain of his mercy and his grace on the soul of Mirza Masud Baig, and make him enter the company of those nearest to Him. And may Allah give his grieving family the patience and steadfastness to bear this loss with patience. Not only was his family deprived of their affectionate overseer, the entire Ahmadiyya Movement has been deprived of a great individual.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

This is a near intolerable shock for this small organization. We should pray that Allah the Most High have Mercy on us, and create among us a supporter and helper who will help sustain this mission of His. Amen.

Alarming News Regarding the Health of Abdulla Saeed 

In Rawalpindi—and on his way from Abbottabad to Lahore—the Ameer was spending the night at the residence of Brigadier Abdul Latif. At approximately 1:00 AM on October 16, brigadier woke him up to take an urgent telephone call. When he answered, his daughter Zubaida Ahmad conveyed acutely worrying news. In mentioning it, Doctor Saeed Ahmad wrote as follows:

Zubaida Ahmad relayed an acutely worrisome news to me that, at 11:00 PM: Zahid [Saeed] and Anjam [Saeed] had called from Houston (USA) that Abdulla [Saeed] would be going through a surgery in two hours. A growth had been discovered and diagnosed as a result of investigating an intestinal obstruction only a week ago. I performed an ablution, and as much strength as I could summon: Physically, I tolerated the shock. I cried before Allah the Most High. I slept for a little bit. Then I woke up at 4:15 AM and performed the Fajr prayer in the company of Brigadier Abdul Latif.

On reaching Lahore, Zahid Saeed conveyed to Doctor Saeed Ahmad over the telephone the details regarding his older brother: Abdulla Saeed had been diagnosed with cancer. He kept his grief and anguish to himself, and did not so much as mention it to people in general. In view of that, one of Abdulla’s sisters—compelled by her emotions—summoned the courage to request her father (Doctor Saeed Ahmad) to express his grief, and to ask everyone to supplicate to Allah. But he replied: “I do not wish for my sadness to aggrieve the members of my Ahmadiyya Movement family. That is why I keep it to myself.”

اِنَّمَاۤ اَشْكُوْا بَثِّیْ وَ حُزْنِیْۤ اِلَی اللّٰهِ

I complain of my grief and sorrow only to Allah (Holy Quran—12:86)

Unexpected Success of the Annual Convention, 1983

The Annual Convention—held in the month of December every year—was always an important occasion in its own right, but the convention of 1983 merits special mention because a group of members within the Ahmadiyya Movement itself had been actively, methodically, and systematically planning to make the Convention unsuccessful. In fact, meetings to carry out those plans had been held first in Rawalpindi, and then in Sialkot. All types of false and spurious propaganda was being carried out by them, and they were canvassing other members to boycott the Convention.

The Ameer had been unwell since the month of October. On top of that, he was surrounded by certain troubles associated with the Ahmadiyya Movement, as well as troubles at the personal level. He was facing the specter of lawsuits, and then the opponents’ ominous boycott preparations were afoot. The anticipation of such formidable acts of oppression would have broken the back of even a stout youth, but the Ameer—in his advanced age and weak health—allowed no cessation, or even any kind of reduction in his preparation for the convention or in carrying out his daily work in the service of the Movement. However, he had been unable to participate in the congregational Fajr prayer for a few weeks because of his illness. The Ameer writes about it as follows:

December 22, 1983.

The women’s session of the Convention was to take place today. The skies were overcast. After a period exceeding one month, I went to the mosque to perform the congregational Fajr prayer for the first time, and I led the congregation. Unexpectedly, approximately 100 people were present. Following the second rakah, we offered certain supplications by way of the qunoot prayer. I was fearful about my physical weakness. The special Mercy of Allah was with me, though. Meeting the guests was a source of satisfaction. In a little bit, it began to drizzle outside. The dust in the air settled down.

The women’s session of the Convention was eminently successful, and a blessed one, too. The speeches were excellent. The decision to boycott this session had been made in Sialkot, and according to one notification, the intent was to make the session fail. This was rendered futile by Allah. It did not rain that day, and no problems arose. A guest attendee from Suriname, and one from Fiji—Doctor Shamsudeen Sahukhan—and also Abdulaziz Kashmiri from Kashmir, arrived without having given us any prior notification. Their accommodation needs were taken care of reasonably well. Our spirit and resolve were emboldened by Allah in every way. I was able to lead the obligatory prayers—and thanks to the Glorious Grace of Allah—the symptoms of my [physical] ailment went away. Following their active participation in the daylong session, the [spiritual] joy evident among the ladies, as they were returning to home, was commendable. On everyone’s lips was gratitude for Allah. Then, on seeing the mosque packed with worshipers during the Maghrib and Ishaa prayers, my heart fell into the [grateful] state of prostration. I got a good night’s rest. All of the fatigue was reduced.

December 23, 1983.

The sky is clear. There is not even a trace of a cloud. The weather is excellent. Today is the time for a big test for me. I would never have believed that I would be able to do all this: Leading Fajr prayer, delivering the inaugural speech, giving the Friday sermon, and leading the Friday congregational prayer. But Allah made this all possible for me. How can I ever thank Him? After the Fajr prayer, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui gave a sermon.

Another excerpt from the Ameer’s writing:

In the Friday sermon, too, the grace of Allah was present. It had an invigorating effect on one’s feelings. Thanks to Allah, expressions of zeal and optimism were prominently evident in attendees, more so than in past years. I had the satisfaction of meeting every guest. I was also able to lead all the prayers. The canopied area outside remained filled with attendees all day long: This was an extraordinary thing. Because of the boycott, a few faces were not seen… Youth volunteers maintained superb discipline. Also heard was praise for the excellence with which they served food.

In mentioning the appeal for charitable donations on December 24, Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

Prior to my appeal for making charitable donations, Mian Omar Farooq—he was presiding over the session—announced in his speech the pledge of [the large sum of] Rupees 500,000. This [announcement] had a strange effect. My heart was overwhelmed by emotion, and my eyes grew moist with tears. When I stood up to give my speech, I was crying. After reciting from the Holy Quran—and as part of my preamble—I announced that it was Mian Omar Farooq’s announcement that had made me cry. Allah blessed my speech with power. During the speech, in mentioning the missionary work done by the Ahmadiyya Movement over the past year, I summoned my son Abdulla [Saeed], who had brought with him a copy of the Spanish translation of the Holy Quran. He read aloud a letter from the translators—Sergio and his wife—and gave a beautiful, effective, and brief speech. I then stood up, completed my own speech, and made my appeal for funds… The funds collected were Rupees 1,170,000. Nobody could have imagined that such a big amount would be collected: Where to find the words with which to thank Allah. Everyone was amazed.

December 25 was the last day of the Convention. An additional Rupees 200,000 of charitable funds were collected that day. The enthusiasm of the attendees at the Convention was noteworthy. Making note of this in his closing speech and accompanying supplication, the Ameer writes:

At that time, I recited the Quranic verse which had suggested itself to my heart, and began my speech. The impact of my thoughts, and of my words and their effect—on my own heart, and on the hearts of the audience—and the way in which my heart was moved, the extraordinary state it was going through, all that simply cannot be expressed with mere words. The supplications, the powerful delivery, and the beseeching of Allah—with eyes shedding tears and the heart melting at the Divine threshold—all of these [phenomena] came about purely through the assistance of Allah. Not a single empty spot was to be seen in the canopied area. In fact, people were huddled and standing right behind the area designated for seating. O Allah, how can we ever thank You? Oh, Most Merciful of those who have mercy, bless our effort with Your acceptance. [Amen.] Many people related that they had never seen such an atmosphere during any convention. However, I do remember some similar instances from the times of Maulana Muhammad Ali. I, however, am but the dust at the feet of those people. All the same, I thank Allah hundreds of thousands of times: It felt as if the Ahmadiyya Movement had come alive again.

الحمدللہ۔ ثم الحمدللہ رب العالمین

All praise is for Allah, again, all praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

The Ameer’s Recommended Course of Action Following the Success of the Annual Convention

The first Friday that came after the Annual Convention  was on December 30, 1983. The text of the Friday sermon which the Ameer gave on that occasion was published in the January 18, 1984 issue of Paigham-e-Sulah, entitled “Grand Success of the Annual Convention. What is Our Duty Afterwards? And What we Need to do.” After reciting Surah Al-Imran (Holy Quran — 133:139), he said:

I have recited these verses as I kept in mind the sensations and observations which have impinged on my heart following the unexpected success of the Annual Convention that became possible purely through the support and assistance of Allah. Each one of you will have your own observations and sensations: What each one of you saw for yourself, you alone would have formed a viewpoint and a set of sensations based on your observation. I can only speak for my own sentiments and for the state of my heart.

It is an acknowledged fact that we began the Convention under extremely adverse circumstances, and in a state of apprehension. But we saw at work in the extraordinary success the Unseen works of Allah, a success whose effect on my heart—whenever I reflect on it in my free time—is such that my heart bows down in prostration before Allah, and I ask: O Allah, how can we ever thank you? I say this because I saw in this convention a reflection of that which my eyes had longed for—year after year—and it had been my ardent wish that, once again, this Ahmadiyya Movement comes to reflect at least some resemblance to the organization as it existed back when the Promised Messiah had founded it. And that—what my eyes had been longing for—is what my senses confirmed during this Convention.

In mentioning the success of the recently concluded Convention, the Ameer hinted at those circumstances that had been fomented before its launch, and whose basis a certain group had made the issuance of the step that had been taken by the Ameer (i.e. the signing anew by all members of the Movement of the religious pledge forms.) The Ameer elaborated:

Most of you know the many kinds of difficulties that we had to confront over the past year. Since they are related to an action of mine, I do not want to go into its details. Throughout the year, though, I remained convinced that this step that I had taken was not incorrect in any way. If I had not believed in it, I would never have remained insistent on it. Humans are humble creatures; we humans can make mistakes; and the doubt can arise in one’s heart and gnaw at one’s conscience lest there be a mistake or shortcoming that might cause damage to the unity of the Ahmadiyya Movement. However, what I saw during the Annual Convention has further strengthened my belief that the pleasure of Allah the Most High was accompanying the solidarity and integrity of the step that I had taken. I do not wish to add anything further in this regard.

The Ameer put before the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement a course of action that would lead them to further successes, and one which would be a source of strength for all members and for the Movement itself, and it was this: Every member ought to adhere to the path of piety, become a pious individual in the true spirit of the word, and make efforts in that area so that we may become worthy of the blessings of Allah the Most High in the future. The Ameer identified three such actions which were essential for an individual to become a pious believer:

1. Seeking unity in the way of Allah.
2. Maintaining control over one’s self when in a state of anger, and behaving with forgiveness and pardon.
3. Assiduously seeking the protection of Allah at all times.

These, then, were the statements of the Ameer and his expectations of the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement. As ever, he urged the members to keep marching forward; enabling them to become successful and victorious remained the foremost goal of his life.

Friends of the Ameer Depart From this World, to Meet their Divine Friend

Once the Annual Convention had concluded, a series of receptions got underway for hosting guests. Thus, members of the Ahmadiyya Movement enjoyed many such gatherings: pleasant mornings, and lively evenings. Such was the atmosphere when the deaths of two important members of the Movement filled the hearts of the community with grief and sadness. These two individuals were Doctor Nazir-ul-Islam and Abdur Rahman, individuals who used to be the life of every gathering. One after the other, respectively—on January 1, 1984 and on January 13, 1984—they breathed their last. Both of these religious elders were close relatives of the Ameer. They were highly attuned to the temperament of the Ameer and were supportive friends. Doctor Nazir-ul-Islam was a nephew of his wife Umm-e-Kulsoom, and was the brilliant star of an illustrious family of Chehrrh. And Abdur Rahman was a cousin of the Ameer, the younger brother of his wife, Zainab Bibi, and was a beloved of the family. In sum, while the grief of the Ameer and his family on the deaths of these two individuals was of course natural, it was also an irreparable loss for the Ahmadiyya Movement.

Doctor Nazir-ul-Islam 

One glance at the face of Doctor Nazir-ul-Islam would suffice to give the beholder an idea of the extensiveness of his scholarship and his intelligence. He was a deep expert in the Arabic, English, and German languages. To this day, the theme of his scholarly speeches during the Annual Convention of 1983 is vividly remembered. During his student days in Germany, he rendered valuable services to the Berlin mosque and its associated Ahmadiyya Movement mission. Then he rendered extremely valuable work as a religious missionary in England, and that, too, in the face of extremely adverse circumstances. His pleasantness, his steadfastness, his humbleness, and his honor for religion are qualities to which a world is witness.

Now, a dinner reception—post Ishaa prayers—had been prepared for the evening of December 31. His relatives, friends, and guests from abroad had been invited. He was in an exuberant and ebullient mood. During the day, he had come to Dar-us-Salam twice, and returned only after serving his duties of teaching the students from abroad. He seemed healthy in every way. During the dinner, there were no signs of fatigue on his face. The guests departed in a happy mood, and nobody had the faintest clue that it was for the final time in their lives that Doctor Nazir-ul-Islam’s face—lit up with happiness—was bidding them farewell from the threshold of his door. The sun arose on New Year’s day with the message of his eternal departure from this world. A few hours earlier, he had died because of a cardiac condition. He was buried in the graveyard in Dar-us-Salam.

Abdur Rahman

With a heart filled to overflowing with love, and the spirit of faithfulness, Abdur Rahman was a cousin of the Ameer, and was especially close to him. He was a good looking, good mannered, and humble individual. He had inherited a pleasant temperament and quick wit from his father. Although he remained deprived of the true happiness in life because of failure in his married life, the comfort and ease and happiness of others was always foremost in his mind, and he spent his entire life serving others. Unfavorable circumstances had taken a toll on him, and made him weak and frail early—and the sixth decade of his life had not yet completed—when he passed away. Abdur Rahman, in his death, left the Ameer, his brother, sister, and mother grieving, but at the same time, it was a major source of grief and sorrow for the Movement as well. The Ahmadiyya Movement lost a soldier who fought without the sword. Recall how the storm of opposition targeting the Ahmadis during 1974 had swept away even big mountains, as it were. It was during such times that Abdur Rahman stood firm, like an indomitable cliff: He was the only Ahmadi in his village. Even social boycott and threats of loss to his property and to his life did not make him waver or vacillate in the least.

Abdur Rahman was unable to participate in the Annual Convention of 1983 because of poor health, and his inability to attend deeply saddened him. He heard the complete coverage of the proceedings of the Annual Convention from those who had participated, when they returned, and was greatly impressed in particular by the spirit of sacrifice of Mian Omar Farooq, in his making a substantial sacrifice through a large monetary contribution. In what was to be his final letter to the Ameer—and one in which he mentioned Mian Omar Farooq—Abdur Rahman demonstrated his subtle linguistic playfulness on names by noting in his letter: 

عمر فاروق تو واقعی عمر فاروق نکلا

Omar Farooq emerged as, well, Omar Farooq. 

(A reference to the philanthropic generosity of Caliph Hazrat Omar Farooq, may peace be upon him.)

The Ameer went to Debgaran, where he led Abdur Rahman’s funeral prayer, and then buried the body of his sympathetically supportive cousin in his last resting place—one adjacent to his grandmother’s grave—after which he returned home.

اَلَّھُمَ اِلٰی رَفِیْقَ الْاَعْلیٰ

Our Lord, make peace between us and guide us on the path of Islam.

Enforcement of the Martial Law Ordinance, 1984

In July 1977, the then Chairman of the Pakistan Army, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, came to power as the Chief Martial Law Administrator. General Zia-ul-Haq was intimately aware of those activities and objectives that had led to the decline of the Bhutto political regime. Therefore, after taking the reign of the government, one of his priorities was to gain the support of the mullahs and the religious clerics. General Zia-ul-Haq convened meetings and sought their advice and active support for the enforcement of the Islamic way of life. He clearly wanted their support to remain in power, while the mullahs had their eyes set on assuming complete power. As a result, that segment of society stood up in opposition to General Zia-ul-Haq.

Then, in 1983, the mullahs once again launched an oppositional movement against the Ahmadiyya Movement, and a joint convention was convened in the Mochee Darwaaza area of Lahore. Participants were made up of scholars belonging to all schools of religious thought: Prominent expression was given to their proposition that, in the current times, “Qadianiyyat” was posing a threat to every corner of the country, and that this would continue to take place in the future. Therefore, they proposed that the movement for the “Safeguarding of the Finality of Prophethood” ought to be revived, and a demand should be made of the Government of Pakistan to completely kill off the Qadianis.

The leaders of the aforesaid movement also expressed their doubts and concerns that General Zia-ul-Haq himself might be a Qadiani. They demanded that a clarification be given to them in this regard. In response, General Zia-ul-Haq openly announced that not only was he not an Ahmadi, but moreover, he considered all Qadianis to be unbelievers, and in fact, he considered them as worse than unbelievers. 

The demand was made to General Zia-ul-Haq that if he indeed wanted to enforce the Islamic way of life, then it was essential—by way of the passage of new laws—to prevent the Movement from practicing the tenets of Islam and to dismiss them from governmental positions. They designated April 30, 1984, as the final day by which their ultimatum had to be accepted; otherwise, they themselves would completely eradicate the  mirzais [a derogatory term for members of either the Ahmadiyya Movement or the Rabwah Jamaat]. Martial law was in effect in the country, but the Government laid down their arms, as it were, in response to the ultimatum issued by the religious clerics, and an amendment was made to the rules and regulations of Pakistan through a Presidential Ordinance, one that immediately took effect: Specifically, it was under the protection of “Presidential Ordinance XX” that this amendment was made through the addition of Sections 298-C and 298-B to Chapter XV of the rules and regulations.

This objective of the aforementioned directive—one that had been considered an essential practical step, but one that had not been taken—was following in the wake of the amendment to the Pakistan constitution in 1974 whereby the Ahmadiyya Movement had been declared as a non-Muslim religious minority. The overarching goal this time was to prevent the Movement from following the tenets of Islam, any acts, or words, whereby they might be seen as adhering to Islam, and declare them as guilty of violating law, and sentenced as criminals. Moreover, all Ahmadis—members of the Rabwah Jamaat and as well as of the Ahmadiyya Movement Lahore—were now forbidden from referring to their places of worship as mosques and from using those names as Muslims in general use to refer to their acts of worship. Neither could they engage anymore in sounding the azan, the call to prayer nor use references or salutations as were exclusive to the Holy Prophet or the Companions of the Holy Prophet. And if they did so, their actions would be punishable by imprisonment, and fines would also be levied against them.

After the passage of this Presidential Ordinance on April 26, 1984, an emergency session of the Executive Committee of the Ahmadiyya Movement was convened in which Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Aziz, the legal advisor, explained the various sections of the new law, following which the Executive Committee made the decision that, as citizens of Pakistan, it was appropriate to comply with the newly enforced ordinance, and to immediately notify all chapters of the Movement in Pakistan. In addition, another proposal was made—one which was approved—that in the current adverse circumstances, an amendment be made to the name of the Ahmadiyya Movement, whereby the new name would be abbreviated from Ahmadiyya Movement Ishaat-e-Islam Lahore to merely Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement.

To obtain approval for the aforesaid proposals, and for decisions on additional essential steps to be taken, a session of the General Council, was convened, one in which the appropriate amendments were made, and it was decided that, wherever in the constitution and regulations of the Ahmadiyya Movement, wherever the words “Islam”, “propagation of Islam”, “peace be on them”, “Islamic education”, or “mosque”, etc. were stated, they should be deleted. The word waa’iz would replace the word missionary, and the word jamiah would replace the word mosque. Also prohibited, going forward, was the calling of the name of Allah the Most High from the mosque by way of azan.

Decision to Seek Legal Recourse

After surveying and researching the possibilities of seeking legal recourse from the provincial jurisprudential court, the Ahmadiyya Movement’s legal advisor—Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Aziz—advised that legal recourse with the aforementioned court ought to be taken. Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Aziz himself and Captain Abdul Wajid filed separate legal appeals, both of which were declared as unworthy of a hearing, and dismissed on August 12, 1984. After that, the two of them registered an appeal in the jurisprudential bench of the supreme court, and along with that, filed a lawsuit with reference to the legal points of the Presidential Ordinance.

The responsibility for the preparation and follow up activities of all these lawsuits was entrusted to Aziz, which he carried out with considerable effort, and putting in copious amounts of time. In addition to the representatives of the Ahmadiyya Movement, the Rabwah Jamaat’s able advocate Abdur Rahman, in declaring the Presidential Ordinance to be in contravention of the Holy Quran and Sunnah, challenged it in the provincial jurisprudential court, and articulated his position with extremely sound arguments. However, as is commonly known, court decisions are seldom, if ever, made in a departure from the Government’s decisions, but are, rather, dictated by the Government’s decisions. And surprisingly, after two or three weeks of extensive and detailed arguments in the court, the decision was handed down that the arguments presented by the Movement did not carry any weight; that they enjoyed all religious rights in Pakistan; that they had the freedom and permission to call Hazrat Mirza Sahib a prophet, the Promised Messiah, the Promised Mahdi; and that they could carry out their worship practices in accordance with their beliefs. But the reality  was in complete contrast to this statement: In utter defiance of fundamental human rights, this oppressive Ordinance usurped the religious freedoms of the Movement.

No sooner had the Ordinance been enforced than members of the Ahmadiyya Movement were inflicted by others with acts of oppression and tyranny on the pretext of trivial matters: When an Ahmadi replied with the greeting of salam in response to somebody addressing them with that Muslim salutation, they were imprisoned for many days, and were freed from jail on bail only after a great deal of difficulty. Two Ahmadis were arrested for undertaking the itikaaf (the retirement for secluded and sustained worship.) People in general became so headless of fearing Allah that in their self-proclaimed safeguarding of the sanctity of Islam, they did not refrain from—and rather deemed it their good fortune to perpetrate—defacing the kalimah, martyring those Divine words simply because they happened to adorn the mosques of the Ahmadis.

Writings of the Ameer Regarding the (Oppressive) Ordinance of 1984

To whom should we complain about the current dangers we face as stemming from the endless movement of hatred from the maulvis and the Ordinance of April 26, 1984, and its influence on the ignorant masses.  

اَلَّھُمَّ اِلَیْکَ نَشْکُوْا ضُعْفَ قُوَّتِنَا وَقِلَّتَ  حِیْلَتِنَا وَھَوَا نِیْنَا عَلَی النَّاسِ یَآ اَرْحَمَ لرَّاحِمِیْنَ اَنْتَ اَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِیْنَ وَ اَنْتَ رَبُّ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِیْنَ وَ اَنْتَ رَبُّنَا۔

O Allah, to You do we complain of our weakness, our lack of resources, and our humiliation among the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful, You are the Most Merciful of the merciful, and You are the Lord of the oppressed, and You are Our Lord.

یَا حَیُّ یَا قَیُّوْمُ بِرَحْمَتِکَ نَسْتَغِیْثُ۔ اَلَّھُمَّ اَرْحَمْ اَنْتَ خَیْرُالرّٰحِمِیْنَ وَ تُبْ عَلَیْنَا اِنَّکَ اَنْتَ تَوَّابُ الرَّحِیْمُ۔

O Ever-Living, O Ever-Subsisting, by Your mercy do we seek help. O God, have mercy, You are the Best of the Merciful, and forgive us, for You are the Most Merciful.

The Ahmadiyya Movement was facing intolerable circumstances, placing an immense burden on the physically infirm Ameer, was a source of sorrow, and a tremendous responsibility aside. The practice of the tenets of Islam—so much as giving the salutation of salam, or responding to such a salutation in kind—had become a punishable crime for members of the Movement. The azan could no longer rise from the mosque in Dar-us-Salam: Its residents, as well as those living in nearby neighborhoods, had become deprived of the mellifluous and beguiling azan which the missionary student from Indonesia—Yatmin—used to give. The performance of the daily obligatory prayers now began to be convened through the hands of the clock. It was during such times that the faint and melodious sounds of azan could be heard often from the direction of the Ameer’s residence. The Ameer himself used to give the Fajr azan from the western lawn in his house. This was his personal action—one which took place within the four walls of his house—and possibly not a cause for being in violation of the Ordinance. Otherwise, it was the Ameer’s pointed directions to the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement to obey the national rules and regulations, and to practice patience and forbearance.

An Excerpt from an Article by Fakhr ud Din Entitled “Expression of the Truthfulness of the Promised Messiah”

The enforcement of the new law—the Presidential Ordinance promulgated by General Zia-ul-Haq in 1984—was intolerable for the Ahmadiyya Movement. But it did not bring about any change whatsoever to the steadfastness of our leader, our Ameer. He urged the members of the Movement to obey this new rule to the greatest degree possible. At the same time, he asked the members of the Movement to become even more diligent in their supplications to Allah the Most High because that is what our Promised Messiah had instructed his followers in his will:

اندریں وقتِ مصیبت چارئہ ما بیکساں

جُز دعائے بامداد و گریۂ اسحار نیست

In this hour of trouble, our recourse, we who are meek;

Is nothing other—and nothing else—than the tearful beseeching of Allah 

(The above is excerpted from Paigham-e-Sulah, November, December 1997.)

An Excerpt from an Article by Professor Ejaz Ahmad, Entitled “Alhumdulillah”

What follows is an excerpt from Paigham-e-Sulah, November, December 1997:

In the wake of the Presidential Ordinance brought and passed into law by General Zia-ul-Haq in 1984, the situation for the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement was ominous. During those days, the nazim [organizer] of the Rabwah Jamaat as well as a member of the Khaddam-al-Ahmadiyya [“Servants of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat”]—his name was Wasif—came to Dar-us-Salam and insisted on meeting the Ameer. He was put in touch with the Ameer, whereupon he [the nazim] remarked that the times were bad, and so they wished to make arrangements for his personal protection as well as his group. That the servants would keep guard. On hearing that offer, the Ameer smiled, and replied with complete tranquility, “We are very thankful. But the protection of Allah Alone is sufficient for us.”

And it is on record that none of our Ameers ever had any guards, or made any arrangements for their safeguarding; they relied on Allah Alone. At any rate, it was learned later that during those days, the Ameer had seen a vision in which there was a boat in the ground next to his house, one which had the likeness of the Ark of Noah. Whoever came aboard it would remain safe. This ark was in fact the ark of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

Proud Announcements by General Zia-ul-Haq

General Zia was immensely proud of the enforcement of his new Ordinance, and he used to claim that he was able to accomplish that which no one before him had been able to. He proudly announced this claim over and over. And the extent of his arrogance can perhaps be assessed by the following excerpt from the message that General Zia-ul-Haq sent to an international conference that was held in London:

In particular, in the previous few years, the Government of Pakistan has taken legal steps and made numerous arrangements whereby the Ahmadiyya Movement will be prevented from their flagrant and unbridled flaunting as Muslims by trying to follow the tenets of Islam, and moreover by acting on the principles of Islam. In the future, we will again take similar steps diligently so that the cancer of Ahmadiyyat is completely eradicated.

Referendum by General Zia-ul-Haq

Once General Zia-ul-Haq gained the expected popularity and success from the enforcement of the Ordinance, he held another referendum in the name of enforcing the way of Islam. And on his success in that referendum, he invested in himself Presidential powers in Pakistan for the next five years. Now, in addition to being the chief martial law administrator, he was declared as the president of the country for an additional five years.

Incident Involving the Mosque in Abbottabad

Mention has been made earlier of the pristine and purely inscribed kalimah

لَااِلٰہَ اِلَّا اﷲُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اﷲِ

There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.

on the main facade of the mosque in Abbottabad. The most accurate description of the tragic breakage of that kalimah in the wake of the Ordinance of 1984 is the following one which was written by Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman:

On the cemented area on the face of our mosque in Abbottabad—and inscribed in raised relief on that area—is the beautiful kalimah. It was broken. Broken fragments of the name Allah and of His messenger Muhammad lay on the ground. We picked up the fragments, one by one, put them in a basket, and handed them over to Abdul Karim, son of Doctor Saeed Ahmad.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

The Ameer wrote:

In connection with the historic Ahmadiyya Movement mosque associated with Dar-us-Saeed, Abbottabad—now it is a punishable crime to refer to it and other Ahmadiyya Movement mosques as mosques according to the new Ordinance issued on April 26, 1984, punishable by three years of imprisonment and a monetary fine—an extremely disturbing incident has taken place. It is essential to record its details.

For a while, the hate-laden atmosphere—one which had been created by the press [media] over an extended period of time—had been targeting us. It took on the shape of the religious scholars’ ultimatum to the Government of Pakistan, and as a result of which the aforementioned Ordinance laws were enforced. The issuance of azan [call to prayer] from our mosques was halted. Calling any of our mosques a mosque, etc., were declared punishable crimes. Demands were also made to change the outward appearance of our mosques, and other people damaged our mosques in certain locations. We have given the name Jamia to our mosque. On the northern wall of the Ahmadiyya Mosque of Dar-us-Saeed—encrusted within rocks, and rising above them—is the inscribed kalimah, which had been prepared by enlisting the services of drawing master, Abdul Latif, who had crafted everything with his own hands. It was an amazing sample of craftsmanship. It could be seen far away from the road, and was an attractive sight. The kalimah was martyred in mere  minutes. Its existence was obliterated.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

The way in which it happened, that way is exceedingly heart-rending. Pasha [Abdul Karim Saeed] had asked me over the telephone a week ago that it [the inscribed kalimah] had caught the opponents’ attention, and whether we should dispel it. So I had insisted that… [trailing ellipsis]

In that way—through his use of the trailing ellipsis in the excerpt above—the Ameer left his statement incomplete. Perhaps the next part of the incident was so heart-rending that he was unable to capture it with words. The real facts of the matter are not mentioned in the writings of Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman, either. On asking Abdul Karim Saeed, it was learned that the Ameer had asked for a large wooden plank to be installed as a scaffolding in front of the kalimah in order to keep it from prying eyes, and therefore keep it safe from the intervention of oppressors. But before Abdul Karim Saeed could take such precautionary measures—and in the absence of both Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman and him—the kalimah had been broken by blows from hammers and similar other tools. When Abdul Karim Saeed returned from [his teaching duties at] college and came home, Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman turned over the broken fragments of the kalimah to him. The way in which Abdul Karim Saeed first expressed his emotional response to the terrible incident and the effect it had on his emotions came out through a stream of tears. And when he expressed his sentiments in writing about the terrible incident, it came out as verses of rhyme. A photograph of that framed poem is included in this volume.

Expressions of Condemnation by the Human Rights Commission, and by Other International Organizations

The human rights commission and other international agencies criticized Ordinance XX and asked the Government of Pakistan to rescind it, because, according to the purview of Ordinance XX, the expression by religious minorities of their beliefs and their ideas, and acting on them, was declared as punishable by arrest and imprisonment, which  was against the fundamental human rights: The freedom of thought, freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, and the enforcement of such steps were equivalent to endangering global peace itself. Therefore, the request asked for the Government of Pakistan to immediately declare it defunct, and to restore all those human rights over which it had purview.

But it is regrettable that, to this day, the relevant institutions—the military establishment as well as the democratically elected government—have neither regarded this criticism as worthy of their attention nor given any attention to it.

Annual Gathering for Offering Prayers, 1984

In view of the prevailing circumstances in Pakistan, in particular, with the enforcement of the ordinance, the annual gathering may not have been impossible, but making it happen was certainly not going to be easy. But for the Ameer of the community as well as for the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, it was intolerable to remain deprived of the blessings of such a gathering, as had been instituted by the Promised Messiah himself. Therefore, it was decided that every effort would be made to convene such a gathering. The dates of December 25 through December 28 were designated for the gathering, and efforts were made to accordingly notify the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement. December 25 was designated for the women’s session of the gathering.

Permission was sought from the government offices to convene the gathering, but neither permission nor rejection were received. It was in those circumstances that Mansur Ahmad, General Secretary, went in his personal capacity to meet with the Deputy Commissioner: He found that the situation was not an encouraging one, and that the chances of obtaining permission in a timely way were slim. In light of that, the decision was made by the Ahmadiyya Movement to convene a prayers-gathering inside the mosque, and the deputy commissioner was notified about it in writing.

This time, unlike previous years—when a large canopy would be set up in the courtyard of the mosque—the canopy was not set up. In previous years, the vast, canopied seating arrangement had been permissible under the law of the land: A stage would be set up in the southern part of the courtyard, one atop which would be seated the presiding individual, the state secretary, and other religious elders. And the audience would be seated in rows after rows. Now, the convention had taken on the (much more modest) form of a prayer-gathering, one convened inside the mosque itself, rather than in the canopied courtyard.

After the Fajr prayer on December 26, the announcement was made that the full-fledged convention would not take place that year. Instead, three days inside the mosque—days of Allah—would be spent engaged in supplication and beseeching of Allah. All members of the Ahmadiyya Movement were requested to come before the designated time, and to perform voluntary prayers, following which they would be spiritually enriched by sermons and speeches. And indeed, the mosque was packed with attendees before the designated time. The Ameer conducted the inaugural supplications. Over the next three days, many thoughtful and scholarly speeches were heard by the audience, whose every member sat on the floor and listened with great calm and satisfaction. And an atmosphere of extraordinary spirituality pervaded the air. The mosque remained packed with attendees at all times. In fact, on the final day, two additional rows had to be organized outside in the veranda to accommodate the attendees. And all this was the result of the lofty resolve, composure, and excellent planning by the Movement. The grace of Allah the Most High accompanied the event in every way, and there wasn’t any breach of peace or security whose potential danger was being sensed and anticipated.

Various issues, external pressure, and dangers had now become a routine for the Ahmadiyya Movement, and the Ameer of the community were facing them all valiantly. But other disruptions and problems, which arose, in one form, or another, were regrettable. Thus, a specific group within the Ahmadiyya Movement had boycotted the Annual Convention the previous year. Those individuals did not participate in the Convention sessions this year, either. Moreover, members of that group went about systematically distributing pamphlets with incendiary content to the attendees of the Convention—they were put in the hands of the majority of the attendees—in an organized attempt to pollute the pristine atmosphere. However, during the Friday congregational prayer that occurred during the Convention, a few individuals from the aforementioned group participated. And in this way, they made contact with other members of the Movement, and invited a few members in particular, to that meeting which had been designated to take place at the residence of Farooq A Shaikh that same evening in Dar-us-Salam under the auspices of the “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Foundation.” Among the speakers were members of the Rabwah Jamaat. Given the circumstances inside Pakistan, the creation of such disobedience and the damage to the unity of the Ahmadiyya Movement was extremely regrettable, especially lamentable; it was, in every way one looked at it, against the welfare of the Movement. The times demanded—and the need of the day  was—that the fear of God should be foremost in the hearts of all members (of the Ahmadiyya Movement) as well as the creation of an atmosphere that was conducive to strengthening the Movement. However, for the members of the aforementioned group, such lofty goals were conveniently discarded in favor of personal gains.

Series of Qunoot Prayers in Conjunction with the Fajr Prayer

The seeking of strength from Allah, the Lord of the worlds—with utmost humbleness and with plaintiveness—has been the tradition of the true believers. And such an approach was especially relevant during those days, considering the internal and external tribulations and oppressive developments besieging the Ahmadiyya Movement. When the Holy Prophet (the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself was confronting tyranny and oppression, he would, after the second rakuh of the Fajr prayer, offer supplication during the state of kayama. Following this tradition of the Holy Prophet, the Ameer urged the members of the Movement in this regard, and began a series of such prayers—starting with the Fajr prayer on January 5 in the mosque in Dar-us-Salam—which would continue for the next 40 days. The Ameer’s health was considerably weak, but Allah the Most High endowed him with strength throughout that period of 40 days. During those supplications, he would recite prayers from the Holy Quran as well as recite traditional prayers of the Holy Prophet, all in his unique spirituality-laden, emotionally-laden, moving style: The worshippers beseeching Allah along with him in his congregation would say amen aloud at the end of each prayer. Those prayers continued to reach the threshold of the Divine Court, as it were: The worshipers gained spiritual strength and comfort, and the belief continued to grow that these prayers would surely be accepted by Allah.

Challenges Regarding the Publication of the Bayan ul Quran

The Ahmadiyya Movement was facing a seemingly endless series of problems. Then, in January 1985, the owner of Sunrise Press expressed his unwillingness to print the Bayan-ul-Quran any longer: He was unwilling to take the risk of his printing press being seized forcibly by elements opposed to the Movement. Two members of the Movement who were associated with this work were themselves not encouraging in their attitude. But Allah the Most High guided the Movement toward alternate arrangements: In April 1985, following the printing of the Bayan-ul-Quran, the binding work was started in the old offices of the Ahmadiyya Movement buildings. The English translation of the Holy Quran had already been prepared, and its binding work had been nearly completed by April. In those adverse circumstances, all these were promising developments, and it was highly encouraging to see this work become possible.

Opening of the Ahmadiyya Movement Mosque in Fiji and Departure of a Delegation

It was the Ameer’s intention to personally participate in the convention and the inauguration of the Fiji mosque in March 1985. In fact, he had already prepared the manuscripts of a few speeches in English, which he intended to deliver in Fiji. However, some unavoidable circumstances prevented him from traveling, so an alternate deputation was nominated to represent him in Fiji. Now, in those days, Abdul Karim Saeed had gone to London in connection with some personal business. The Ameer expressed to Abdul Karim Saeed his wish that he (i.e. Abdul Karim Saeed) should go to Fiji, and also have the manuscripts of his speeches sent to him, for him to deliver on his behalf. Regarding the obedience of the Ameer—and moreover obeying his father—as his duty, he fulfilled that wish. In addition to him, Hafiz Sher Mohammad and Zafar Abdullah from America, and Shahid Aziz from London, also went to the convention in Fiji. Meanwhile, back in Pakistan, the Ameer remained engaged in supplications to Allah for the success of the deputation that was representing him: It had arrived in Fiji by March 28. When Abdul Karim Saeed returned home to Pakistan, he met the Ameer, and recounted the details of the opening of the mosque, as well as of the Convention proceedings.

What follows is an excerpt from the diary of the Ameer:

April 15, 1985

Pasha returned from his trip to Fiji at 2 PM. He relayed to me the details of the successful trip. The cooperation given by Shahid [Aziz], Zafar Abdullah, and Hafiz Sher Mohammad was valuable. Pasha faced difficulty in obtaining a visa, and the extra six or seven thousand Rupees that he had to spend in that connection, he bore that expense in good spirit. He delivered three important speeches in English, and six sermons at various locations. He found Allah the Most High assisting him. All praise to Allah who showed this day to me in my own life.

 رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ

My Lord leave me not alone! And Thou art the Best of inheritors (Holy Quran—21:89)

Master Abdullah sent a letter to the Ameer in which he expressed his opinion about the convention in Fiji: Pasha greatly impressed both the leaders and the Ahmadiyya Movement. Shahid also played a good role.

Internal Visits in Pakistan

The Ameer had not been able to travel abroad to Fiji. Thus, he made trips to various cities in Pakistan, such as Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar. These travels were meaningful and successful. Every city that he visited, the Ameer delivered the Friday sermon, and also gave speeches during the functions of the local Ahmadiyya Movement chapters, met the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, by going to the Residences, especially those members who were unable to come to functions because of health issues, or their advanced age. The Ameer did most of his traveling solo. Wherever he went, he exchanged thoughts on and consulted on current as well as proposed projects. He also exchanged views on the political situation in the country and the resulting pressure on the Movement, the difficulties, and the untoward oppressive actions by some of the members within the Movement, and their effect on the Movement. These visits had the positive effect of giving peace of mind, and increasing the resolve of the Movement members in various chapters of the Movement across the country, members who were discouraged by the prevailing situation in the country and were sad and disheartened by internal conditions and experiencing hopelessness.

During his meetings with members of the various chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement, he brought their attention to the need to focus on cooperating and on overlooking the shortcomings of others. In referring to those visits, the Ameer writes in his diary:

Over the past two years, the abstention of those members from coming to the headquarters [in Lahore] and their absence from the Annual Convention was immeasurably painful. And during those days of the Convention in 1984—particularly between December 25 and December 28—the meeting that was held in Dar-us-Salam under extraordinary circumstances, their own withdrawal [and hence their privation] from its every proceeding was no ordinary thing. And when the reality of the matters emerged in candor, certain misunderstandings regarding the headquarters—ones that had been spread through intentional misrepresentation—were cleared up.

Consultation Meeting

Consultation meeting took place in Dar-us-Salam on April 25, 1985 in which, in addition to the members of the General Council, many other members took part.

From the Ameer’s writing:

Approximately 60 individuals were present during the consultation. For approximately four hours, truly peaceful—and for the first time, exemplary—proceedings took place in an eminently positive atmosphere. An excellent atmosphere of seriousness and sympathy prevailed throughout the meeting. Numerous beneficial suggestions were presented, and were recorded. As a measurable result of my recent trips, a few valuable members now also participated, and prominent signs of an excellent transformation within the body, and a noble atmosphere, were present. On the exhortation to devote their lives to the missionary cause, Haneef Akhtar was the first one to announce that he was ready to do so. The Ahmadiyya Movement should enlist his services either within the country or abroad. My son Muhammad Saeed said that although he was currently employed, he was willing to resign whenever the Movement needed his services. Abdulaziz, son of Muhammad Deen, said that he held a BA degree, and that he was willing to come here [to the headquarters in Lahore] in June to obtain religious education in preparation for becoming a missionary. The attendees were heartened.

The First South Africa Legal Case

On behalf of the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, chapter in South Africa, a lawsuit was registered in a court of law in Cape Town in October 1982 for the restoration of their rights. The verdict was announced in favor of the Movement on November 20, 1985. A chapter of the Movement has been present in Cape Town since 1950. As in other geographical locations around the world, here, too, members of the Movement faced opposition from others, and then, in 1965, the verdict of unbelief against the Ahmadiyya Movement was issued by the other Muslims, following which hateful propaganda against the Movement was carried out. In attempts to spread hatred among the people for the Movement and for its members, adversarial pamphlets, articles, and books were written and distributed. Often times, those people would make the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement—Hazrat Mirza Sahib, the reformer of the 14th century Hijrah—the target of the vilification, and would not even refrain from disseminating satirical cartoons of him in order to provoke the lower and base emotions of common Muslims.

Then, in May 1982, the chapter in Cape Town submitted a request to the Government of South Africa to obtain a license in order to get permission to gather funds for creating an Islamic center. To fulfill the legal requirements in pursuance off, obtaining the aforementioned approval, the notice to that effect was also published in the newspaper. In response, the Muslim judicial council of Cape Town—it claimed to have the authority to issue verdict in religious matters—made an announcement of their own to the effect that the Ahmadiyya Movement did not have the right to form any Islamic center because they were not Muslims, but rather were unbelievers. Given the status of the Movement, the announcement further said, they were not vested with the authority to create any Islamic center or mosque, and they could not be given any such permission to collect funds for that purpose. They further threatened to register a complaint in the relevant governmental department.

The Ahmadiyya Movement had remained a target of such virulence, hatred, and prejudice for a long period of time. Now, with this unwarranted intrusion into their affairs, the Movement was compelled to knock on the doors of the legal system. Therefore, a lawsuit was brought by a member of the Movement chapter in Cape Town to the effect that the Ahmadis are indeed Muslims, and they should have all those rights which are possessed by other Muslims: The right to pray in mosques, the right to be buried in Muslim graveyards, etc.

This lawsuit went through the legal system for three years. Throughout that time, the Movement chapter in Cape Town had the full cooperation of the Movement headquarters in Lahore, as well as of all chapters of the Movement throughout the world. All kinds of assistance—by way of persons, and by way of funds—was provided. Hafiz Sher Muhammad was nominated as the witness by the Movement headquarters. And Zahid Aziz, after being appointed as his translator, traveled with Hafiz Sher Muhammad to Cape Town. Fateh Muhammad was appointed as the legal advisor, but he was unable to obtain a visa to travel to South Africa, and therefore he was unable to proceed to Cape Town. Samina Malik came from Canada—and displaying extraordinary interest in this matter—remained in Cape Town during the proceedings of the lawsuit for a long period of time.

News of this lawsuit also reached Pakistan, causing considerable consternation, as well as raising significant hue and cry: To assist the Muslims in South Africa who were opposing the Ahmadiyya Movement in the lawsuit, a deputation consisting of notable thinkers and lawyers of the country was dispatched to South Africa. But when Hafiz Sher Muhammad portrayed the true picture of the religion of Islam through his sound arguments, the members of that aforementioned deputation were rendered defenseless, and compelled to leave the field, as it were, even before the verdict was announced. And other than pronouncing imaginary tales of their fictitious victory, that deputations achieved nothing. The verdict  was announced in favor of the Movement on November 20, 1985.

Scenes of divine assistance were seen at every stage of the lawsuit. The mention of one small incident of this kind—it follows next—will be a source of increasing one’s faith:

Hafiz Sher Muhammad was traveling from Islamabad to London, and from London to South Africa, and accompanying him was a large and rigid suitcase containing numerous books that were especially valuable because they would be absolutely essential when citing references during his upcoming testimony. However, it was simply not possible to bring that rigid suitcase aboard the airplane. But what followed next—a manifestation of the power of Allah the Most High—which amazed everyone. What happened is that Najib Sadiq, who was pursuing his studies in England at the time, while traveling along with Hafiz Sher Muhammad. The custom officer recognized Najib Sadiq from his student days in Peshawar as a cricket player, and he also knew that Najib Sadiq also played cricket in England. That officer surmised that the large, rigid suitcase belonged to Najib Sadiq, and that it contained sports equipment. Therefore, without so much as opening the suitcase, he approved it for inclusion aboard the flight. And in this way, Hafiz Sher Muhammad succeeded in taking along with him all his needed books.

Zahid Aziz compiled—and also translated into English—the entire details of the South Africa lawsuit, and it was published and entitled “The Ahmadiyya Movement Case.” It is made up of 350 pages. The Ameer of the Movement (Doctor Saeed Ahmad) himself wrote the foreword to that book, concluding it with the following thoughts:

The beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Movement have been comprehensively presented in this book. I request researchers of Islamic studies—in particular, Muslim researchers—to benefit from this book with the prayer that may its truth enter their hearts. I also believe that this book will provide exceptionally valuable Information for all Ahmadis—in particular, the young members of the Ahmadiyya Movement—regarding the claims of Hazrat Mirza Sahib.

The Second South Africa Legal Case

The non-Ahmadiyya Muslims’ enmity of the Ahmadiyya Movement could not be ended with the verdict of one lawsuit. Thus, the armory had to face another lawsuit between 1987 and 1990. The Movement headquarters provided every kind of financial assistance as well as supplications to Allah to spiritually strengthen the Movement to face the situation with resolve. Samina Malik would keep the Ameer up-to-date on all proceedings of the lawsuit, And would bring the need for funds to his attention. And members of the Movement who could afford to give funds in this matter would do so on the appeal of the Ameer. What follows is an excerpt from the Ameer’s diary:

February 18, 1990. Samina [Malik] called from Canada via telephone at 9:00 PM. Noman [Illahi Malik] was also present. Additional funds are needed for the South Africa legal case. Samina Malik herself will need to go. They requested that efforts needed to be made to seek financial contributions from members in Multan. I need to call Mian Omar Farooq.

In addition to Samina Malik and Noman Illahi Malik—and also sacrificing his time and money—was Shahid Aziz who was helping Hafiz Sher Muhammad. Chaudhry Masud Akhtar remained in South Africa for one month and provided help in every way. He would keep the Ameer up-to-date on all proceedings of the lawsuit. In the end, on February 23, 1990, Allah the Most High granted victory to the Movement.

The Ameer writes:

February 23, 1990. Following the Friday, congregational prayer, 2:00 PM, Samina [Malik] called from Canada via telephone. Allah the Most High has granted us a clear victory in the South Africa lawsuit. Through the person of an unbiased Christian judge of the Supreme Court [in South Africa], Hazrat Mirza Sahib has been exonerated from the accusations of falsifiers and enemies. The verdict that was announced in the court is expected via fax by Sunday, February 25. The majority of the chapters of Ahmadiyya Movement have been notified via telephone of the good news.

Muhammad Anwar, Pursuer of the Righteous Path — Day of Martyrdom — April 19, 1986

Another glorious member of the Ahmadiyya Movement—Muhammad Anwar—had the good fortune to sacrifice his very life in the cause of the Movement. He was martyred in the city of Georgetown in Guyana while carrying out his mission of propagating the truth.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

Muhammad Anwar—the imam of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s chapter in London—had traveled to Georgetown to participate in the opening of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s mosque as well as to participate as a delegate in the Movement convention. In addition to him, also attending the convention were General Abdulla Saeed, Anjam Saeed, Colonel Mahmood Shaukat, and many other notable members of the Movement. They all departed soon after the conclusion of this convention. Muhammad Anwar, however, had to carry out some other duties, so he remained in Georgetown for a few more days.

On April 9, Muhammad Anwar, along with his host, Muhammad Rashid and his wife, performed Maghrib and Ishaa prayers there and returned to their lodging. Rashid dropped Muhammad Anwar and his wife off from his car, near the main door, and himself went to park his car. Mrs. Rashid hadn’t even managed to open the door to her house when she heard the sound of someone falling down. When she turned to look, she saw Muhammad Anwar lying on the ground. He had been martyred. Neither was anybody else present nor had anybody heard the sound of gunfire. That day, earlier than his routine, Muhammad Anwar wanted to go to his residence to rest so that he could be feeling fresh early the next morning to get his speech recorded at the radio station. 

The martyrdom of Muhammad Anwar was not an ordinary accident. Leading up to it, systematic planning had taken place. On the previous day, an individual had obtained information by coming to the mosque, regarding the attendees of the convention, who was staying till when in Georgetown, and where they were lodged. On April 9, much earlier than the time of dawn and Fajr, a stranger had called via telephone at the residence of Muhammad Rashid to speak with Muhammad Anwar. However, Muhammad Rashid wished to avoid disturbing his guest, Muhammad Anwar, so he had declined the request of the caller. The day of April 9 went by in a flurry of activities, and that stranger did not make contact again to contact Muhammad Anwar. The fact was that that stranger no longer needed any additional information: He did not let the opportunity slip away from his hands to carry out the heinous task with which he had been entrusted.

It was learned from police investigation that during the convention, an individual, carrying a large bag in his hand, sought to enter the convention hall. But he was unable to succeed due to strict security measures. In reality, this plot was not to martyr just one individual, but rather to carry out a large-scale act of terrorism in the convention hall, one which was foiled. The murderer of Muhammad Anwar had come from Trinidad to Guyana, and was staying as someone’s guest there. The police arrested the killer’s host, and he spent one and a half years in jail. The real culprit had already fled the country, and returned to Trinidad.

After a few years, the murderer of Muhammad Anwar was arrested after he was found incriminated and involved in a conspiracy against the Government of Trinidad. That individual said in his confession that his assassination were at the instigation of a foreign organization or government.

At the time of his martyrdom, Muhammad Anwar had not even lived to reach the age of 50. But in his martyrdom, and in the legendary tracts that have been passed down throughout the history of the Ahmadiyya Movement, his sacrifice is among those which are immune to decline, and which form an extraordinary, golden chapter. The parents of Muhammad Anwar themselves were not members of the Movement. However, a few among his close relatives were Ahmadis. The urge to pursue the Movement took hold of Muhammad Anwar’s heart when he was a student at the Mansehra High School. His sensitive temperament had sensed that among all students, those belonging to the Movement had high morals and good manners: They would keep themselves distanced from mischief and trouble. But even then, other students would not refrain from harassing them and from causing them grief. An Ahmadi from Dadar Sanatorium—Muhammad Yunus—was a fellow student of Muhammad Anwar. The two used to exchange ideas.

Soon, this pursuer of the path of righteousness was drawn to his near relatives who belonged to the Ahmadiyya Movement. Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq was his uncle, and Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s wife was his aunt. Muhammad Anwar continued to gain guidance from both of these aforementioned religious elders. And when the truthfulness of the Movement dawned on him, he embarked on the mission of Ahmadiyyat itself. After completing his studies, he obtained employment in the Department of Education, and was married to Arjumand Bano, daughter of Habib-ur-Rahman Sadiq.

In 1978, Muhammad Anwar resigned from his employment and dedicated the rest of his life to the service of religion. He remained in Dar-us-Salam, Lahore to receive missionary training for two years, passing through the stages of scholarship and wisdom quickly. As he continued to move forward, he was entrusted with the position of imam in the Ahmadiyya Movement’s chapter in England. Through his diligence, his dedication, his piety, and his resolute faith, the chapter in England began making progress on a daily basis. His trip to Guyana had been in connection with his duties. Who could have known that at the time of his departure from England, he  was bidding farewell for the very last time to his partner in life—Arjumand Bano—and to his little daughter Habiba, and that the angel of death was awaiting this passenger in a land far away from home. The martyrdom of Muhammad Anwar deprived the Movement of an extremely valuable person. The hopes of the Ameer, as well as those of the Movement as a whole, were associated with him because he was deemed as one of the architects of its future. There was no eye that did not shed tears on learning of his martyrdom; there was no heart that was not stricken. The grief of the Ameer, however, was greater than everyone else’s. The final destination of this traveler on the ways of faithfulness was martyrdom. The body of this martyr of the Movement lies buried in the graveyard in Dar-us-Salam, and on his graveyard plaque are inscribed the following pair of verses of rhyme by General Mahmood Hasan, verses which were selected by Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself:

مر کر راہِ وفا میں جو ملتی ہے زندگی

وہ زندگی خدا کی قسم لا جواب ہے

The life one gets after dying on the path of faithfulness;

That life, by God, is peerless 

Next we turn to the following excerpt from a diary-entry by Doctor Saeed Ahmad:

The following verses of rhyme by the poet Amjad Islam Amjad spontaneously arose in the mind of Abdul Ghafoor Saqib, following the Eid prayer, when he was offering the Fatiha at the grave of Muhammad Anwar the martyr:

کئی مہتاب خُو، سورج بکف ایسے بھی ہوتے ہیں

کہ جو خود ٹوٹ بھی جائیں تو اُن کی روشنی موجود رہتی ہے

صدائے بازگشت اُن کی ہوا کے ساتھ بہتی ہے

وہ اپنی موت سے لوح ابد پر زندگی تحریر کرتے ہیں

فنا  تسخیر کرتے ہیں

Many moon-natured, sun at hand, too, are of this kind;

Though they themselves may break, their light remains aglow

Their echoing call flows with the wind;

With their death, they inscribe life upon the eternal tablet;

They conquer mortality.

Saeed Ahmad, Abbottabad,

June 10, 1986

سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا یَصِفُوْنَۚ۝۱۸۰ وَ سَلٰمٌ عَلَی الْمُرْسَلِیْنَۚ۝۱۸۱ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ۠۝۱۸۲

Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe! And peace be to those sent! And praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! (Holy Quran—37:180-182)

Sickness, and Successful Treatment — August 1986

Doctor Saeed Ahmad was staying in Abbottabad in the month of August 1986. Despite no apparent illness, he had been feeling markedly weak in the body. That was the reason why he had canceled his scheduled trip to England. 

Meanwhile, Abdul Karim Saeed—he had been nominated to the medical team, which was to accompany the then president of the country, General Zia-ul-Haq, on his tour of  Kohistan—had no choice but to leave his father in that condition to fulfill his professional duty. So he departed for Kohistan. This tour was to take place over several days. During his absence, Doctor Saeed Ahmad sensed extraordinary irregularity in his own blood pressure, and increased the dosage of his medication on the advice of a medical doctor who was taking care of his health in Abdul Karim Saeed’s absence. As a result of the increased dosage, his pulse rate decreased, which was a source of considerable worry. But he did not mention that to anyone at home, and instead chose to await the return of his son, Abdul Karim Saeed, to Abbottabad.

On returning home, Abdul Karim Saeed found his father much weaker than he had been before he had left on his trip. Now, Abdul Karim Saeed had experience in taking care of patients with cardiac conditions—he understood the significance of the irregularity of his father’s heart rhythm—and, making use of medical instruments available in the house, he immediately diagnosed the condition. He then immediately turned his attention to seeking treatment for Doctor Saeed Ahmad, and contacted Nouri (who  later retired from the army as a general) was an expert in cardiology at the Rawalpindi Military Hospital: Nouri and Abdul Karim Saeed knew one another from their student days together at the King Edward Medical College in Lahore.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad was transferred via ambulance to the Rawalpindi Military Hospital. Nouri immediately attended to him with great affection and reverence. After examining him, he recommended the implant of a pacemaker in his chest to restore his heart’s steady rhythm.

Now, when Doctor Saeed Ahmad had in the past undergone surgical treatment for his tuberculosis, and as a result, several of his ribs had been removed. A long period of time had passed since that surgical treatment, and the morphology—the very shape—of his body had changed considerably. Now, to install a pacemaker in the chest, it is essential for its attached wire to reach the heart area, and doing so seemed impossible: This was a sensitive situation, and the available medical doctors were not able to summon the courage to take on such a risky, implant procedure. However, Nouri—demonstrating great courage and complete reliance on Allah the Most High—stepped forward and announced his intent to perform the risky surgery. He had a special reverential affection for Doctor Saeed Ahmad, which compelled him to take on this responsibility. In turn, he had confidence in Nouri. Moreover, Nouri would, as his routine practice, begin every task with Bismillah, which further increased Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s confidence in him. Given these various factors—the mutual confidence between the patient and his attending surgeon as well as complete reliance on Allah the Most High—the seemingly impossible implant procedure became possible. The operation was successful. Doctor Saeed Ahmad gained a new lease on life, and his doctor became the recipient of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s own well wishes and prayers, as well as those of every member of his family. To this day, the name of Nouri is taken with great affection and honor in his family. It was as a direct result of Nouri courageously taking on the surgical implant procedure that the life of Doctor Saeed Ahmad was extended by 10 years. May Allah the Most High grant Nouri with the most excellent reward. Another noteworthy point—among the munificent blessings of Allah the Most High—is that the implanted pacemaker never developed any kind of problem or malfunction throughout Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s life.

 سُبْحَانَ  ﷲ ِ وَ بِحَمْدِہٖ

Glory and praise be to Allah.

During his stay in Rawalpindi Military Hospital, innumerable army friends of General Abdulla would frequently come by to inquire into his health. In addition to them, General Mahmood Hasan, who was a personal acquaintance of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, came to visit him numerous times and spent time in his company.

After being discharged from the hospital, he was transferred to the home of his son, Muhammad Saeed, in Rawalpindi. After staying there for a few days, when Doctor Saeed Ahmad expressed his wish to return to Abbottabad, Aizaz Illahi Malik offered his spacious and comfortable car for the journey, and in this way, he was able to return to Abbottabad in comfort. After staying in Abbottabad for two months, he returned to Lahore in the last week of November in good health, with lofty goals, and with renewed resolve.

Passage of Another Oppressive Ordinance by the Government of Pakistan — Enforcement of the Law Relating to the the Defamation of Prophethood

On October 12, 1986, through the passage of the Military Legal Amendment Act III, which had been established as the Code of Criminal Procedures since 1898, was amended. This amendment was introduced by the parliament, and after the president of the country, General Zia-ul-Haq, signed it into law on October 12, 1986, it was immediately enforced. And this amendment was entered into Act XLV—it was passed into law into Penal Code 1860 as Section 295A—immediately following the aforesaid, and as 295B section of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the spirit of this new amendment, if any individual was declared culpable—whether directly or indirectly, either through verbal means, or written off having perpetrated any act, or do use of words which could be interpreted as blasphemous toward any aspect of the honor of the Holy Prophet—then the individual deemed guilty of such an impudence would be sentenced to death, or to a life sentence along with a penalty. It was also deemed essential that the leader of the court who would make such rulings had to be a Muslim.

According to the spirit of Section 295B of the Pakistan Penal Code, a life sentence along with a penalty were declared as the punishment for any persons deemed as having desecrated the Holy Quran, and such persons could be arrested without so much as a warrant.

Under the sweeping scope of this new amendment—it came to be commonly known as the Blasphemy Law—anyone in Pakistan, a Muslim or a non-Muslim, could, God forbid, be found guilty of such acts. But in reality, the objective of this new amendment, this newfangled Blasphemy Law, was the further abridgment of the rights of of the Ahmadis and oppression of the Ahmadi: To the narrow-mindedness of those who deemed themselves to be the monopolists of religion, it was the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement who would be made the exclusive targets (as potential violators) of the Blasphemy Law and, being made culpable of violation on nothing more than a whim on an aggressor’s part, and would thereafter be drawn and quartered, as it were.

Following the passage of the Blasphemy Law, members of the Movement simply had to follow the words of their leader—Hazrat Mirza Sahib—when he had urged them with the wisdom of his following words in Farsi: 

چارئہ ما بیکساں ، جز گریۂ اسحار نیست

There is nothing more that we the helpless and forlorn can do, but to beseech [Allah] at dawn and to shed tears during tahajjud time prayer

Once again, this matter was registered by the members in the court of the Judge of all judges, Allah.

The Ameer’s Arrival in Lahore, Following his Recovery

Following his arrival in Lahore, Doctor Saeed Ahmad continued to carry out his official work from his home. The consultation meetings, too, would be held at his residence. Normally, the General Secretary would meet him at his residence, presenting to him the relevant matters and seek direction from him on how to proceed.

Then, starting on April 9, 1987, Doctor Saeed Ahmad regularly began working from the office. On the very first day, he worked nonstop for two and a half hours and did not experience any fatigue. Soon, he began to actively participate in delivering the Friday sermons, leading the obligatory prayers, and in general participating in the numerous functions of the Ahmadiyya Movement. In sum, he began taking part in routine activities, as before, which truly brought deep satisfaction to him. After a stay of seven months in Lahore, he again traveled to Abbottabad.

What follows is an excerpt from the writing of Doctor Saeed Ahmad:

Rawalpindi, June 17, 1987. In the latter part of November 1986, following a stay of two days at the home of my son Muhammad Saeed, I came to Lahore in his company. And today, on June 17, 1987, again in the company of Muhammad Saeed, I again came to his home in Rawalpindi. [Muhammad] Saeed had come to Lahore the previous night in order to comfortably bring me back with him to Rawalpindi. In the interim, Muhammad Saeed’s promotion to the position of Colonel has been approved. Alhumdulillah. My health is good to all appearances, and excessive engagement with mental work is making me feel weak. Nonetheless, I am immensely grateful to Allah.

During the previous stay of seven months in Lahore, I had the good fortune of leading the Fajr prayer daily, and without exception. And the portion of the Holy Quran that remains intact in my memory to this day is purely a Blessing and Mercy from Allah, [that  portion] being greater than a third of the Holy Quran. I was blessed with the opportunity—during the daily Fajr prayers—to recite from the Holy Quran in sequence. And it is the abundance of Divine Mercy that today, in the Fajr prayer, being the final such prayer, this time we ended again on the first rakah of Surah An-Nas [The Mankind]. In this matter, there was no affectation or [specially-directed] effort on my part. This is exclusively the largesse of Divine nature. In the second rakah, I recited the first section of Surah Al-Baqarah [The Cow]. At the conclusion of the prayer, and following some conversation with friends, a prayer was offered. After that meeting, I departed. Alhumdulillah.

An Alarming Piece of News

Doctor Saeed Ahmad was residing in Abbottabad when some particularly troubling news for the Ahmadiyya Movement was received. That news item was published in the newspaper Muslim on July 2, 1987: It was a press release from the so-called “Kahari Zone” of a new and secretive enemy of the Movement. According to that press release, the ominous advice was that the Friday congregational prayer should not be performed in the Ahmadiyya Movement mosque in the civil quarters of Peshawar on July 3, 1987. Otherwise, the press release continued to ominously advise, the “Kahari Zone” group would launch an attack, that there is a store of arms located there, which would be used to murder all Ahmadiyya Movement there. Moreover, that same secretive organization, the “Kahari Zone,” had also resolved to murder all Ahmadis. That day was naturally a day of worry for the entire Ahmadiyya Movement. However, no such ominous events came to pass. It should be added that strict safety precautions had been taken by the Government in that connection. Later on, the “Kahari Zone” publicized that since the Movement had become aware early, they had relocated the stockpile of arms to another secret location, and, therefore, taking such steps as had been pronounced in the press release, were no longer necessary or meaningful.

Danger for the Ahmadiyya Movement Mosque near Dar-us-Saeed

In the following excerpt—dated October 21, 1987—Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

July 3, 1987. At 11:00 AM, Ahmed Sadiq came in a state of worry and related that a young man from Mardan had come to his shop several times, speaking threateningly about the mosque of Dar-us-Saeed, remarking questioningly about the calls to prayer being made there, and about the congregational prayers being held there. That man also remarked that we would surely have read in the newspapers about the fate of the Army Major in Mardan as well as the fate of his mosque. Then that man loitered around the house of the Advocate which is located on the street next to the Dar-us-Saeed mosque. When Ahmed Sadiq came, that man was still standing there and repeated his threatening statements about the mosque. That man soon left, but came back again. After remarking to someone that he was waiting for compatriots, he engaged in strange behavior. And when school girls were making their way, he kept asking them if they were the daughters of Ahmed Sadiq. Some conversation also took place with Nawaz the driver. When Pasha [Abdul Karim Saeed] came at 1:30 PM, that man was still standing there. Before coming home, Pasha had become aware of the situation. Pasha [Abdul Karim Saeed] then went away and spoke with Commissioner Ijaz Raheem. Two police officers came. At that time, that man was no longer present. Phone numbers were exchanged. That man returned around 4:00 PM. The police were called. They came immediately, and took that man back with them. Later on, he was released. But after that, the state of peace resumed. All praise is for Allah.  

Legal Ruling in Favor of the Ahmadiyya Movement

In declaring 1987 an important time in his life, both at a personal level and at the level of the progress involving the Ahmadiyya Movement matters, Doctor Saeed Ahmad noted many events: As far as his household life was concerned, happiness and sorrow, states of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, all those staples of life remained a part and parcel. Similarly, in the matter of the Movement, internal and external issues, what is about the foreign missions, and the initiation of the legal case in South Africa was a source of concern. Following a period of four years—that legal case had been registered against the Movement—was ruled in favor of the Movement, proving to be a source of great satisfaction.

Death of Abdulla Saeed March 30, 1988 and Excerpt from the Writing of Doctor Saeed Ahmad

The darling son of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, Abdulla Saeed—fortunate to have been reverentially obedient and dutiful to his father, a victorious general of the Pakistan Army, and a successful ambassador for the country—lost his battle with cancer while he was in the American city of Houston, far away from his homeland, Pakistan.

Abdulla Saeed was exceedingly handsome, always well dressed, an eloquent conversationalist, and in short was an individual with a captivating personality. He was immensely popular in his circle of friends on account of his sincere and profound affection for others. He had the ability to adapt himself to any situation. When it came to the dispensation of his professional duties, he was like an insurmountable cliff. He was a daring individual who was known for his strong faith and for his courage. His glory as a true believer can be rightly expressed by way of the following verses of rhyme.

 ہو حلقۂ یاراں تو بریشم کی طرح نرم

رزمِ حق و باطِل ہو تو فولاد ہے مومن

In the circle of friends be soft as silk;

The battle between truth and falsehood is the believer’s steely fiber

Abdulla Saeed had been diagnosed with cancer in 1983. Following a surgery, when Allah the Most High blessed him with good health and strength, he spent a good amount of time in the service of propagating Islam. He participated in numerous Ahmadiyya Movement conventions in far away countries such as Guyana and Canada. During that time, he visited Pakistan as well. As always, he was visibly full of life, hope, and joy. Never was so much as even a glimmer of pain or worry seen on his face.

His ailment, however, relapsed in April 1987. By way of notifying his father, Abdulla Saeed sent him his medical reports. However, he did not express any worry or concern in his own writing. Doctor Saeed Ahmad wrote about receiving that notification in his diary as follows:

May 20, 1987. Abdulla Saeed’s letter arrived. Along with that came a medical report, which proved to be a cause of concern. The ailment had become active. I was worried, and my heart was moved to plaintively pray for him. As usual, Abdulla [Saeed] in his letter was full of resolve, and an example of reliance on Allah beside.

 اِنَّ اللہَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیْءٍ قَدِیْرٌ۔ وَھُوَ اَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِیْنَ۔ وَھُوَ الشَّافِیْ۔

Surely, Allah has power over all things. And He is Most Merciful of all who have mercy. And He is the Healer

When news of Abdulla Saeed‘s critical condition was received on March 24, 1988, his beloved father, Janji, beseeched Allah for the restoration of good health for his beloved son and indeed for his very life, doing so with great humbleness and with profound emotion, beseeching all the while with the pain that Doctor Saeed Ahmad had kept hidden from everyone else. But unalterable fate, being what it is, his son departed from this mortal world, traveling from here to eternity, and alighting in the next world’s life on March 30, 1988.

When the father—Doctor Saeed Ahmad—learned of the death of his son, he sat down and grew silent for a few moments. Then, God Alone knew what Unseen Power it was that gave him strength; but he stood up. He performed an ablution, spread the prayer mat on the floor, and became engrossed in performing voluntary prayers. At that time, he shared his private grief with Allah, his Only Confidante in this matter. And once he had somewhat lightened the burden of the grief consuming him —having shed a deluge of tears while bowing down before Allah—he met with his family members who were all distraught with grief and were awaiting Doctor Saeed Ahmad. One by one, he urged everyone to be patient and to bow their heads in resignation before Allah. The shedding of tears is a natural thing, which took place, but there was no loud wailing, and nobody raised their voice. He remained with them for some time. Tears were streaming from his eyes, but his lips did not move.

An Excerpt from his Writing

On the first line, in red ink, appear the following words.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

After that he wrote:

اَلْعَیْنَ نَدْمَعُ وَ الْقَلْبَ یَحْزَنَ وَ لَا نَقُوْلُ اِلَّامَایَرْضٰی بِہٖ رَبَّنَا۔ وَ اِنَّا بِفَرَاقِکَ یَا عَبْدُ اللہِ لْمَحْزُوْنَ

My eyes shed tears and my heart grieves, but I will say, only that which pleases my Lord. And without any doubt, O Abdulla, we are saddened by your parting from us.

Then Doctor Saeed Ahmad wrote the following in red ink:

اللہ تعالیٰ ہی صبر اور ہمت بخشنے والا ہے

Allah the Most High alone is the One Who grants us patience and resolve.

Abdulla Saeed was buried in Houston, United States. His in absentia funeral prayer was performed on Friday in Dar-us-Salam on April 1, 1988. The Friday congregational sermon was delivered by Naseer Ahmad Faruqui. The congregational prayer was led by Abdul Karim. Following that, Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself led the in absentia funeral prayer and delivered a brief address to the gathering: The mosque was completely packed with funeral attendees. In addition to large numbers of the Ahmadiyya Movement itself, many non-members and well wishers of the Movement participated in the funeral as well.

Visit by the President of Pakistan, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, to Extend his Condolences

For weeks after the funeral, people streamed in to offer their condolences to Doctor Saeed Ahmad on the death of his beloved son. People from all walks of life—relatives, men and women of the Ahmadiyya Movement, friends, and well wishers, personal friends of Abdulla Saeed and his admirers, his colleagues from the Pakistan Military, and in sum, people from all walks of life and from all over Pakistan—felt the urge to offer their condolences, which they did. Among some notable individuals were General Safdar Butt, General Ghulam Jilani Khan, Nawab Sadiq Hasan Qureshi, General Fazal Haq, and Sartaj Aziz came to offer their condolences. And most notably, the coming of the President of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq, along with the Governor of Punjab, was a source of honor for Doctor Saeed Ahmad and of strengthening his heart: Thus, the President of Pakistan as well as the Governor of Punjab came to visit him at his residence in Dar-us-Salam. After extending his condolences and words of respect, he raised his hands, read the Fatiha, and prayed for the soul of the departed. The President remained with Doctor Saeed Ahmad for some time. He was catered with tea and some simple accompaniment, following which he took his leave.

When the President saw the shabby condition of the streets in Dar-us-Salam, he instructed the governor to take immediate action in that regard. And soon that order was followed in fact. Abdulla Saeed, having departed from this perishable world, continued to bring blessings to it even after he had departed from this world. It was heard that the President had remarked in the gist of the following words: “Such a great individual—the father of a great individual—I was disappointed to see that the path to his home was in such a decrepit condition.”

The Tragic National Accident at the Ojri Military Camp

A tragic accident on a massive scale took place on April 10, 1988, and gripped the imagination of the nation. At 10:00 AM that day, a deafening—Judgment Day-like—explosion took place near the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in Pakistan. In the arms and ammunition depot of the Ojri Military Camp—it was stockpiled with all kinds of rockets, missiles, and various explosive ammunition—a fire had started alongside the sky-splitting explosion. The explosion leveled to the ground all surrounding buildings within a 10 miles radius, and thousands of lives were lost besides. The entire country mourned. Every Pakistani was deeply disturbed, distraught, and doubts about the future of the country were arising in their minds.

Horrifying Accident Involving a Military Aircraft

The nation had barely finished mourning the tragic and massive accident at the Ojri Military Camp when, on August 17, 1988, an irreparable and horrifying accident took place. This accident involved a military C-130 airplane near Bahawalpur. The President of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq, along with the Army’s Chief of the General Staff, General Akhtar Abdur Rahman, the ambassador of the United States, and many other generals, and senior officers had arrived in Bahawalpur. They were there to participate in a special army function in connection with experimental exercises of new military tanks. All these officers had arrived via that airplane, and were now traveling back on it. Not more than a few moments had passed after the C-130 airplane was airborne when it exploded in mid-air, following which all 30 valuable lives aboard were lost. Among those who were thus martyred was a member of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Brigadier Abdul Latif. News of this accident was telecast that evening via radio and television. The entire nation went into mourning.

Brigadier Abdul Latif, Martyr

Brigadier Abdul Latif was a member of the delegation which had accompanied the President of the country on his trip to Bahawalpur. He was an important and valuable member of the Ahmadiyya Movement. He was a brilliant officer, and immensely popular within the Ahmadiyya Movement, a dear friend to all. His presence was, in particular, and a special source of strength for the Ameer of the Movement. He was very close to Doctor Saeed Ahmad, and their relationship was one of mutual regard and spiritual affection. The fourth Ameer of the Movement, Doctor Asghar Hameed, made mention of this in his article entitled “The Late and Honorable Doctor Saeed Ahmad,” which was published in the November, December 1997 issue of Paigham-e-Sulah. What follows is the related excerpt from it:

I recall that, from the perspective of the construction of houses in Dar-us-Salam, the plot next to mine—Plot Number 58—was the property of the late Brigadier Abdul Latif. The plot next to it—Plot Number 59—belonged to the late Ameer himself. Someone had perhaps brought up the matter of making a deal on the house with brigadier Abdulatif, who told me that he would not sell that house at any cost: On its one side was the Ameer and on its other, I: He respected me, too, because in the engineering university, I used to teach his class.

From the familial point of view, Brigadier Abdul Latif was related to the first Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Maulana Muhammad Ali. He was a grandson of Maulana Muhammad Ali’s brother.

On the evening of August 17, 1988, the Ahmadiyya Movement—in addition to mourning along with the rest of the nation the lives of those who had perished in that aviation accident—were also mourning with the near-intolerable grief of the parting of their dear brother, Brigadier Abdul Latif, from this world. On the evening of August 18, 1988, Thursday, the body of Brigadier Abdul Latif was delivered to Dar-us-Salam in a sealed casket. More than 800 individuals gathered in the lawn outside the mosque at 5:30 PM and offered their funeral prayers in the leadership of the Ameer. In addition to members of the Movement, hundreds of army personnel and various other senior officials were among those who had gathered for the funeral. Brigadier Abdul Latif, martyr, was seen off, as it were, with full military honor and a salute of cannon fires. His body remains buried in the graveyard in Dar-us-Salam.

Brigadier Abdulatif was approximately 50 years old at the time of his martyrdom. The deceased left behind a mourning widow, a young boy and three daughters. They all demonstrated great patience and steadfastness in bearing the loss.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

Death of Partner-in-life, Bibi Umm-e-Kulsoom — February 20, 1989, Death of the Mother of Abdul Hayee Saeed

Allah’s servant that he was, Doctor Saeed Ahmad faced yet another trial and test from his creator when Bibi Umm-e-Kulsoom—his life partner of seven decades—passed away. Not even one year has passed since the death of Abdulla Saeed. At the time of his death, his mother was hospitalized, and completely unaware of the shocknews of her son’s death. And this fact in itself was a source of further agony for the rest of the family.

Graced with both physical and moral beauty, faithfulness, and homeliness, Bibi Umm-e-Kulsoom—affectionately known as Baibaiji—  She was married to Doctor Saeed Ahmad in the year 1918 or 1919. She passed away on February 20, 1989. She had remained hospitalized for a period of one and a half years for the treatment of paralysis. In September 1987, when he resided in Dar-us-Saeed, Abbottabad with his two wives, his son Abdul Karim Saeed came into his room. He was shedding tears, and it was only with a great deal of difficulty that he was able to bring the words to his lips, to tell his father that Baibaiji had undergone paralysis. She was transferred to the Civil Hospital, Abbottabad, and quickly thereafter she was transferred to the Railways Hospital in Lahore through special arrangement, and which is where she spent the rest of her days of life. The reason for the selection of the Railways Hospital was that Abdul Hayee Saeed had for a long time been associated with it. As a result, facilities to take good care of her and to comfortably accommodate her were readily available. His daughter Zubaida Ahmad took care of all her needs, and looked after her with great patience and resolve. She would remain waiting on her mother at all times. He himself would come nearly every single evening and spend time with them. Then, on February 20, 1989, at 10:00 PM, Baibaiji departed from this word, leaving in mourning Doctor Saeed Ahmad, her children, and other relatives.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

What follows is that excerpt from the writing of Doctor Saeed Ahmad:

February 20, 1989. At 10 PM, my partner in life of 70 years—having done justice to the ideals of exemplary faithfulness—departed from this world to meet her True Master. At 7:00 PM, Abdul Hayee [Saeed], too, arrived. We brought her body to Dar-us-Salam, our residence

It is a reality that Baibaiji remained faithfully at the side of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, through hard times as well as good times, in sickness and in health, in short, in all conditions. During his convalescence, following tuberculosis and treatment, she spent her days with great patience, resolve, simplicity, and steadfastness. On February 21, 1989, she was buried in her final resting place, the graveyard of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Dar-us-Salam, Lahore.

Death of the Mother of Abdul Ghafoor Saqib

Barely two months have passed since the death of Baibaiji when the paternal aunt of Doctor Saeed Ahmad—Bibi Zaib-un-Nisa—passed away. These two individuals had had a long relationship with each other. Now, they would reunite in the hereafter. Bibi Zaib-un-Nisa was the wife of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s “Kaka Ji,” and Doctor Saeed Ahmad would refer to her as “Kaki Ji.” She was the mother of Abdur Rahman and Abdul Ghafoor Saqib. Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s wife Zainab Bibi herself had grown up in the nurturing care of “Kaki Ji.” She was an exceptionally big hearted and philanthropic lady, one with a caring soul. Her special qualities were those of being of service to others and of being selfless. She, too, was buried in the Ahmadiyya Movement graveyard in Dar-us-Salam. Her grieving son, Abdul Ghafoor Saqib, was a gregarious individual, and his circle of friends was extensive. As a result, a large number of non-Ahmadiyya Movement members also participated in the funeral of “Kaki Ji.” May Allah the Most High bless her soul. Amen.

Aggressive Takeover of the Ahmadiyya Movement Mosque in Muslim Town, Lahore

At 11:30 AM on June 8, 1990, Friday, some unknown individuals aggressively took over the Ahmadiyya Movement mosque in Muslim Town, Lahore. This takeover was the result of organized scheming by mullahs and other trouble-making elements of society; the scheme had the protection of Asad Hussain Shah as well as other self-serving individuals. Although this incident took place in an excellent residential area of Lahore—Muslim town—the news outlets completely ignored it, and not even the barest of mentions was made by any newspaper in the country. This aggressive takeover was a big shock to the Ahmadis. It was also another link in the chain of oppressive events that were being inflicted on the Movement. All members of the Ahmadiyya Movement were notified about the incident by the Movement headquarters through a detailed newsletter.

This mosque was built by Doctor Sayyed Mohammad Husain Shah, who was one of the founding members of the Ahmadiyya Movement. The late Doctor Sayyed Mohammad Husain Shah had prepared the plan for an Ahmadiyya Movement colony along the canal, back in the day, and this mosque was a part of it, one which he had donated to the Movement, entrusting it to them. Later on, this colony was given the name Muslim Town. A large tract of land was attached to the mosque, and was the personal property of Doctor Sayyed Mohammad Husain Shah: He had dedicated it to the Movement, one where the Movement had built an institute for education in the Holy Quran as well as a few shops.

The way in which the hostile takeover of this entire property took place was that on June 8, 1990, a crowd—the vandals were armed with a great deal of weapons and were yelling oppositional chants—descended on the area and proceeded to take over the mosque. The external wall and the door were broken down. On receiving notification of this violation, members of the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters in Lahore, along with the secretaries, arrived on the scene. Prior to that, the police station of nearby Wahdat Colony had been notified. The assistant commissioner himself had arrived, and three or four policemen had been stationed to guard the precinct. But immediately after the departure of the assistant commissioner, the maulvi and those vandals began to pelt the nearby houses with stones and threatened the residents that if they did not vacate their homes, then they would have to endure dangerous consequences.

After receiving expert legal advice from Chaudhry Fateh Mohammed Aziz, senior officials of the city were contacted, and leaders of the Punjab provincial government were notified about the whole episode via telegram. A request was also registered in the court, seeking legal recourse. However, much like the similar incidents and legal cases of previous years, no department considered this case worthy of consideration, and no action whatsoever was taken: To this day, the Ahmadiyya Movement mosque remains in the custody of those usurpers. And members of the Movement really had no recourse other than to submit their plea in the divine court of Allah the Most High: He alone has the power to deliver the Ahmadiyya Movement Mosque from the clutches of those usurpers.

Appointment of Colonel Mahmood Shaukat as Missionary in London, England

Colonel (Retired) Mahmood Shaukat took on the responsibility of leading the London mission on July 1, 1990. He had volunteered to the Ahmadiyya Movement that he would render his services on an honorary basis; he would not accept any form of remuneration. During the time of tribulation in 1974, Colonel Mahmood Shaukat had expressed through a letter to Doctor Saeed Ahmad his intention that after retiring from his job, he would devote all his time to the service of the Movement.

Following the martyrdom of the imam of the London mission—Muhammad Anwar—in an emergency situation, Colonel Mahmood Shaukat was summoned to London from America, so that he could fill the void that had been created by the martyrdom of Muhammad Anwar. Colonel Mahmood Shaukat stayed in the London mission for one year and rendered his services without receiving any compensation. However, because of challenges to his eyesight, he had to return to America for medical treatment. After his departure from London, Shaikh Sharif was appointed as the imam, and had rendered his services. Now he had returned home to Pakistan, and the circumstances in London warranted that some able imam be appointed. The eyes of everyone came to rest on Colonel Mahmood Shaukat, and through the unanimous decision by the General Council, he was appointed as the imam of the mosque in London. He always remained eager to serve Islam, and he never sought any monetary or other compensation for his services. He accepted the decision of the Ahmadiyya Movement in stride, and proceeded from America to Dar-us-Salam (the London missionary offices), assuming its charge.

Kidnapping of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s Son, Abdul Hayee Saeed

An especially severe test of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s patience and of his power of endurance came when his son, Abdul Hayee Saeed was kidnapped. This kidnapping took place on September 28, 1990 at the Saeed Farm in the Golarchi area in Pakistan’s Sindh province. By way of some background, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had, during General Ayub’s martial law rule in Pakistan, purchased a tract of land in Golarchi—consisting of … if you would rather—and settled and cultivated that land, and given it the name Saeed Farm. Initially, Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself would often go there to supervise the work. His sons, during their times off from their respective professional employment, would also make it a point to come to the Saeed Farm to spend a few days. When Abdul Hayee Saeed moved to Karachi and took up permanent residence there, he took on the entire responsibility for managing the Saeed Farm; going to the farm became part of his routine. And it was as part of that routine that he went there on September 27, 1990. The following morning, the employees at the farm informed Abdul Hayee Saeed that a few individuals from a nearby area had arrived in a car, and that one of them—the patient—was in great distress, and sought to be medically examined by him. So Abdul Hayee Saeed summoned them into the examining room. The individual who was staging the drama of being in great distress continued to do so, giving the impression that he was going to pass out. That man’s two companions brought him inside, and laid him down on the examining table. Abdul Hayee Saeed bent down to examine him, which is when the accomplices of the impersonating patient grabbed him from behind, held him in a tight lock, and brandished a pistol threateningly at Abdul Hayee Saeed’s employees who were present at the scene. Then those criminals dragged Abdul Hayee Saeed into their car and fled from the scene. What those kidnappers did next was to force a special pair of glasses on his eyes, as a result of which he could neither see where the car was speeding nor in which direction they were traveling. Another thing that those kidnappers had done before fleeing the crime scene was to puncture the tires of the vehicle present at the farm in order to prevent the employees at the farm from pursuing them. Later, those employees filed a report at the local police precinct and informed the family members of Abdul Hayee Saeed. The news of his abduction was received in Lahore on September 28, 1990. But it was considered inappropriate to inform Doctor Saeed Ahmad at that time. When news of the abduction was published in the newspaper the following day, Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s daughter Zubaida Ahmad summoned the courage to meet and inform her unaware father: Not much time had passed since the death of Abdulla Saeed, and now this shocking news crashed on Doctor Saeed Ahmad like a mountain. But his patience and resolve were mightier than any mountain. In an entry in his diary, he committed the following words on that day:

لَّنْ یُّصِیْبَنَاۤ اِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللّٰهُ لَنَا ۚ هُوَ مَوْلٰىنَا ۚ وَ عَلَی اللّٰهِ فَلْیَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُوْن

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

Nothing will ever happen to us except which Allah has decreed for us. He is Our Protector, and in Allah let the believers put their trust. To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

The kidnappers put Abdul Hayee Saeed in solitary confinement inside a shack-like building, a place that remained sunk in darkness at all times. Through the thatched roof—one made of junk-like material—he would sometimes see the twinkling of a star or two, and only thereby gauge that it was night time. At his request, his kidnappers would give him a bucket of water, which he would use to wash himself and to perform his ablution in preparation for his daily obligatory prayers. When he got sick with malaria, his kidnappers brought him the medication at his own suggestion. Otherwise, no other conveniences were afforded to him.

In his place, Doctor Saeed Ahmad remained perturbed at all times, not knowing how his son’s confinement would end, or even what fate awaited him? Often during the solitude of the night, he would go to the mosque, perform ablution, and stroll in the courtyard of the mosque, beseeching Allah the Most High, and presenting the matter before Him. He would continue to pray for the light of his eyes—his son, Abdul Hayee Saeed—to be returned to him and thereby bring comfort to his bleary eyes. The time designated by Allah the Most High for the acceptance of those prayers was the morning of November 12, 1990, the time for his release from captivity.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

At four in the morning today, November 12, 1990, the first two verses of [the Quranic chapter entitled] Al-Mulk [The Sovereignty] spontaneously came to my lips. I repeated these verses many times. These are the same verses that I had woken up with on the morning of the tragic event that took place on June 11, 1974.

ؕتَبٰرَكَ الَّذِیْ بِیَدِهِ الْمُلْك وَ هُوَ عَلٰی كُلِّ شَیْءٍ قَدِیْرُۙ۝۱ ِ۟الَّذِیْ خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَ الْحَیٰوةَ لِیَبْلُوَكُمْ اَیُّكُمْ اَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ؕ وَ هُوَ الْعَزِیْزُ الْغَفُوْرُۙ۝

Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Kingdom, and He is Possessor of power over all things. Who created death and life that He might try you—which of you is best in deeds. 

And He is the Mighty, the Forgiving (Holy Quran—67:1-2)

Around 10:00 AM I got a call from Karachi from Abdul Hayee Saeed’s daughter—Salima Agha—informing me that arrangements had been made for her father’s release from captivity. That he would come to Karachi perhaps that very day. This release comes after the torturous captivity of one month and 16 days. Alhumdulillah. How can I ever thank you, O Allah?

I conveyed these Quranic verses over the telephone, along with having her write down their translation, in English, instructing her to recite them, along with the English translation, and to give my salam after Abdul Hayee Saeed arrives home, and at his first convenience. In them [those Quranic verses], I sensed being impelled by God to convey this message. 

A few days later, Abdul Hayee Saeed told me over the phone that he had received my message, and it was the work of Allah, because on November 12, 1990, exactly at 4:00 AM, he had been released by the Superintendent of Police Musa, and handed over to his relatives.

سبحان اللہ و بحمدہٖ۔ سبحان اللہ العظیم

Glory and praise be to Allah—Glory be to Allah the Great.

What follows is from a writing by Doctor Saeed Ahmad on September 30, 1990:

کی حال سناواں دل دا کوئی محرم راز نہ مل دا

رَبَّا میرے حال تو واقف توں

How to tell the state of my heart;

One in whom I can confide, I’m unable to find such;

You Alone, O Lord, know the state of my heart

Accompanying the prayers of Doctor Saeed Ahmad over a period of those 46 days of captivity were the prayers of his entire family as well as the members of the Ahmadiyya community. At the initiation of Nasreen Gul, the ladies in Dar-us-Salam would meet every morning in the mosque and offer voluntary prayers, and would collectively pray for the release from captivity of their leader’s son.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad wrote the following in his diary entry of November 17, 1990:

The episode of Abdul Hayee Saeed’s kidnapping from the Golarchi Saeed Farm took place on the morning of September 28, 1990, a Friday. His release from captivity—following 46 days of imprisonment—and reunion with his family took place at 2:30 PM in the afternoon on a Wednesday, November 12, 1990

فَلِلّٰهِ الْحَمْدُ رَبِّ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ رَبِّ الْاَرْضِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ۝۳۶ وَ لَهُ الْكِبْرِیَآءُ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ ۪ وَ هُوَ الْعَزِیْزُ الْحَكِیْمُ۠۝۳۷

So praise be to Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the earth, the Lord of the worlds! And to Him belongs greatness in the heavens and the earth; and He is the Mighty, the Wise. (Holy Quran—45:36-37)

A Faith-enhancing Incident

My brother Abdul Hayee Saeed himself related to me this faith-enhancing event in connection with his having been kidnapped. He told me that, one day during the tribulation of being held in captivity, he said to one of the captors—the one who would provide my brother his daily bare minimum needs—that if he assisted him in my brother’s release from captivity, he would be able to do a lot for that captor as a reward. The captor remained quiet, indicating his refusal by a shake of his head. Perhaps the captor was unable to speak, or possibly forbidden from doing so. My brother said to him: “I believe that I will be freed soon. So remember that the all powerful God will one day bring you to my feet in humiliation.”

Following his release, Abdul Hayee Saeed had told a police officer to keep an eye on criminals, and to inform him if he came across a criminal who matched the description he had given to the officer. His identifying characteristic was that that individual limped significantly.

That day finally arrived. My brother was busy with his work as a medical doctor when that police officer came inside and remarked: Your criminal is here. The next moment, the man who is in the custody of the police officer fell at the feet of my brother, and begged him for forgiveness, that his life be spared. This was the same individual, my brother’s captor. My brother mentioned this incident as a way of expressing his thankfulness.

—Safia Saeed (Biographer)

The Gulf War, 1991

With his visionary spiritual insight, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was sensing the outcome for the world of Islam—and the beginning of a turbulent time for it—when the Gulf War got underway in 1991. He had the foresight to realize that humans were creating the conditions for their own destruction. In his heart was a strong urge for the loving service of humankind and of Islam: It kept him restless, and he would pray diligently in this regard. In this connection, he conveyed an impassioned appeal to the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement through an article published in the February 15, 1991 issue of Paigham-e-Sulah, one which was entitled for the members of the Movement:

My honorable brothers and sisters,

Assalamu alaikum.

My message to all members of the Ahmadiyya Movement—men and women, and wherever they may be—is that we should collectively beseech Allah the Most High, and to do so in the most plaintive manner. We should seek his special mercy and grace. The matter is not hidden from any of you that today, humankind is going through an especially turbulent period of time: Humans have at this time opened the doors of hell for other humans. And at this time, I am not debating the causes or the events of the gulf war. All the same, the tragic outcome is abundantly clear in that it has struck a severe blow to the interests of the Muslim nation: Powerful forces are seeing their dreams in this arena, dreams of establishing a new world order, which can never bode well for the Muslim nation in any way whatsoever.

The destruction and ruination of lives and property—their parallel cannot be found in recent world history—is actually our own ruin, our own loss. Our hearts are deeply saddened and perturbed by this enormous tragedy, because we are affiliated with and have an affinity to that region and to the dwellers in that region, the region where the onslaught of rampage is in full swing. Recall the earthquake that struck just a few days ago; and then the destructive forces in the form of torrential rains in certain parts of the country which are bringing ruin. These are signs that additional cataclysmic events—involving the Earth and the skies—may open chapters of further ruination. They have led to hundreds of associated problems, affecting the means of living and agriculture. Moreover, an inordinate amount of crimes and such nefarious activities are being committed by dwellers of our planet: They have led to an immense increase in the lower desires, and which people are following heedlessly. The specter of tribulation is everywhere. The cause of all this is humans’ distancing themselves from Allah the Most High and disobeying Him.

In these troubled times, my thoughts gravitate again and again to the following verses by the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement:

آنکھ کے پانی سے یارو کچھ کرو اس کا علاج

آسماں اے غافلو! اب آگ برسانے کو ہے

O friends, remedy this problem with tears that originate in the soul;

The skies, o you who are unaware! Is about to unleash fire

Therefore, my fellow brothers and sisters of the Ahmadiyya Movement, it is imperative that we bow down before our Creator with the utmost humbleness and plaintiveness; and that we beseech Him with our souls. We should get up in the middle of the night—again and again—and beseech Allah that He will deliver us from this worldwide tribulation. In the words of the founder of the Movement:

اندریں وقت مصیبت چارہ ما بے کساں

جُز دعائے بامداد و گریہ اسحار نیست

In this time of tribulation, there is nothing more that we the helpless and forlorn can do;

But to beseech [Allah] at dawn, and to shed tears during the tahujjad time prayer

Prayer is a powerful weapon. It is even more powerful than any lethal weapon designed by humans: It is with this effective weapon that the honorable prophets, the friends of Allah, our founder himself, as well as our other great religious elders used to wield, as it were. So it is my humble and urgent request that you, too, wield this weapon that is the prayer: May Allah the Most High be your supporter and your helper, and may He grant acceptance to your plaintive prayers, ones which you have infused by deep and intense yearning.

Wassalam,

Your humble brother in Islam,

Saeed Ahmad

Dar-us-Salam Colony (Lahore)

Ganj Hai Garaa’n Maya

مقدور ہو تو خاک سے پوچھوں کہ اے لیئم

تو نے وہ گنج ہائے گراں مایہ کیا کیے

Were I given the power, I would ask of dust: O sordid one;

What did you then do with those priceless treasures?

Though the Ahmadiyya Movement may not be extensive in numbers, the brilliance, knowledge, and wisdom issuing forth from the stars of this spiritual firmament—visible on the horizon—has illuminated the world. But the reality has to be acknowledged, too, that whenever someone departed from among these guiding stars, their departure left a void that could not be filled. It was during this period of the dearth of able individuals that Doctor Saeed Ahmad took the reins of the Ahmadiyya Movement, and many valuable souls departed from this world, one by one. He was acutely aware of the shortage of helpers, and the increasing extent of the void being created by those departing from this mortal world. And it was with intense and acute feelings that he would bid eternal farewells to those departing.

Of those departing in the years 1985 to 1994, the very first one was Doctor Allah Baksh; then Hafiz Sher Muhammad; then Naseer Ahmad Faruqui; and Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman passed away, one after the other.

Doctor Allah Baksh

What follows is an excerpt from the writing of Doctor Saeed Ahmad entitled “The Late, Honorable Doctor Allah Baksh,” in which he committed to paper his feelings on learning of the death on July 27, 1985 of his long-standing friend and compatriot:

It is impossible for me to express with mere words the state of my mind and my heart on learning this news. It is from my Creator Alone that I seek the patience to bear the loss of my brother, his no longer being with us, and pray in the words.

رَبِّ اغْفِرْہُ وَارْحَمْہُ وَاَدْخِلْہُ فِیْ عِبَادِکَ الصَّالِحِیْنَ الَّذِیْنَ لَا خَوْفُ عَلَیْھِمْ وَلَا ھُمْ یَحْزَنُوْن

My Lord, forgive him, have mercy on him, and admit him among Your righteous servants upon whom there will be no fear, nor will they grieve.

At this time, when the Ahmadiyya Movement is going through a series of difficulties and tribulations, when I think about the eminently valuable and scholarly religious elders, who have passed away in the recent few years, the departure of Allah Bakhsh, and its sadness increases that much. But we are resigned to the Will and pleasure of Allah the Most High.

؏      چل نہیں سکتی کسی کی کچھ قضا کے سامنے

There is none who can defy when the passage of death has been decreed.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad‘s friendship with Doctor Allah Baksh went back to his student days at the King Edward medical College Lahore. They were constant companions in the college dormitory. They were companions in keeping the fasts during the months of Ramadan. They were companions in the meetings and gatherings, which took place in the Ahmadiyya Buildings, and most of all, they were together in being enriched by being in the company of religious elders, and blessed by spiritual rewards thereby. Doctor Allah Baksh was both a scholar and a pious practitioner of Islam. He rendered many valuable services as a member of the Executive Committee, the General Council, and then, as the General Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Movement. He was unique in both his writing, and in his speech. Doctor Allah Baksh was an exceedingly fearless and sincere Ahmadi. He was an individual of strong resolve, a principled individual, and always one to raise his voice in support and in defense of justice.

In remembering him, Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes 

Whatever Doctor Allah Baksh deemed to be correct and in alignment with his point of view and his position, he would stand firmly for it, and would never compromise on it. But when he understood that an opposing proposition was in fact righteous, he—far from being intransigent—would support it with indomitable strength against those who opposed.

During the tragic crisis and tribulation of 1974, Doctor Allah Baksh demonstrated great courage. He was one of the few compatriots of Doctor Saeed Ahmad who lent their full support to him in rejecting the suggestion to change the name of the Ahmadiyya Movement when that particular situation had arisen: In fact, he said that the day they removed this name would be the day that the Movement would come to an end.

What follows is another excerpt—it appears toward the end of the abovementioned remembrance—from the writings by Doctor Saeed Ahmad:

Allah the Most High Alone knows the sadness and sorrow I have felt on the death of this honorable brother of mine. Doctor Allah Baksh was a special source of strength for me because he was a morally principled individual, one who was guided by decisions made by the majority of the Movement, and he regarded faithful adherence to the Movement headquarters as an article of faith.

It is my prayer to Allah the Most High that He blesses my late brother. That He raises his spiritual status, and raises him to an exalted state through his mercy. Amen. Doctor Allah Baksh died when he was in England, and his body was buried there.

Hafiz Sher Muhammad of Khushab

The honorable Hafiz Sher Muhammad was an exalted personality and irreplaceable scholar who died in October 1990. He had complete mastery of the Holy Quran, Hadith, and the books written by the Promised Messiah. He was fearless in these areas when it came to arguments and debates that had to be substantiated by sound reasoning and arguments. Many in the world were impressed by him, and of course, the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement were among his admirers. He served as a religious missionary, both within Pakistan and abroad, rendering great services, and achieving success over and over. But the singularly glorious victory, which was accomplished at his hands for the Movement, was by way of the famous legal cases that took place in South Africa, being such memorable accomplishments as to be written in the books of history with letters of gold. There was none who could refute his arguments in the matter of the finality of prophethood: Through his writings and his speeches, he had clearly established the soundness of those arguments and even great scholars and thinkers would flee the field in despair when facing the prospect of arguing with him. His timeless writings on the subjects of the death of Prophet Jesus, and how there could not be any prophet after the Holy Prophet Muhammad will serve to guide future generations.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad regarded Hafiz Sher Muhammad with great admiration and held him in high esteem. He was immensely proud of the glorious success of Hafiz Sher Muhammad in the legal cases that had taken place in South Africa. He always remained eager to meet Hafiz and would exchange ideas with him on diverse subjects. With the death of Hafiz Sher Muhammad, the Ahmadiyya Movement was deprived of an irreplaceable scholar, a deep and acute shock indeed. But resigning to the Will of Allah, everyone bowed their heads in resignation, and buried the body of an exceedingly valuable spiritual gem in the graveyard in Dar-us-Salam Lahore.

At the time of his death, Hafiz Sher Muhammad was the Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

Naseer Ahmad Faruqui

The emotional wound, one created by the eternal severance of Hafiz Sher Muhammad had barely healed when, in December 1991, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui passed away, whereby Doctor Saeed Ahmad and other members of the Ahmadiyya Movement were deprived forever of a sincere Ahmadi as well as of his glorious scholarship and spiritual blessings. Naseer Ahmad Faruqui was the younger of the two sons of Doctor Basharat Ahmad. He had inherited from his father the love of the Holy Quran as well as the yearning to disseminate to others its understanding and commentary—all this was burnished and further enhanced by his spiritually inspiring friendship with Maulana Muhammad Ali. He was blessed with sustained devotion to serving the Ahmadiyya Movement missionary activities through a bond of spiritual love for Hazrat Mirza Sahib and through the blessed company of these personalities.

Allah the Most High had blessed Naseer Ahmad Faruqui profusely, and he served in numerous, senior, professional positions: During the British Rule in India, and after Naseer Ahmad Faruqui had served in the parliament in Bombay, he was appointed to the highest governmental positions in Karachi, which was the then-capital of Pakistan; and then in Islamabad in the President’s Office. During all these eras, and wherever he went, he kept alight the candle of the Ahmadiyya Movement: Other members (of the Ahmadiyya Movement) would gather around him—the way moths are drawn to a flame—to seek illumination in the knowledge of the Holy Quran. After his retirement, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui made his permanent home in Lahore to be able to serve the Ahmadiyya Movement missionary cause by association with the headquarters located there. After taking up residence in Lahore, the locus and venue of his lectures on the Holy Quran was at first his house, then the mosque in Muslim Town. And when the mosque was established in Dar-us-Salam, that became the venue from where he would give his lectures on the Holy Quran as well as his Friday sermons, spiritually enriching the attendees. He was an endless ocean of profound understanding and insights into the Holy Quran. It was through Naseer Ahmad Faruqui’s lectures—now available in book form—that those who thirst for the knowledge of the Quran came to quench their thirst, and they are a living testament to his everlasting contribution.

A long-standing relationship always remained intact between Doctor Saeed Ahmad and Naseer Ahmad Faruqui. When he was stationed in Karachi, in Lahore, or in Islamabad, in connection with employment, Doctor Saeed Ahmad would make it a point to visit him at his residence. On such occasions, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui would make special arrangements and host a dining reception for him. Likewise, whenever Naseer Ahmad Faruqui traveled to Abbottabad, he would make it a point to visit Doctor Saeed Ahmad at his residence. And Doctor Saeed Ahmad would make special arrangements to honor his guest with a dining reception. Although Naseer Ahmad Faruqui would stay at the residence of his sister—Hamida Rahman—when visiting Abbottabad, he would frequently visit the Ahmadiyya Movement Mosque in Abbottabad, and enrich the audience with his lectures that were filled with gems from the Holy Quran as well as with his Friday sermons.

After Doctor Saeed Ahmad relocated from Abbottabad to Lahore, his long-standing friendship with Naseer Ahmad Faruqui remained strong. Naseer Ahmad Faruqui provided his full support and cooperation to Doctor Saeed Ahmad during his tenure, first as the senior vice President of the Movement and thereafter as the Ameer. Naseer Ahmad Faruqui always walked in lockstep and shoulder to shoulder with him—in matters involving foreign missions as well as internal issues resolution, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui serving as the senior vice President, and was an unfailing source of strength for the Ameer. The friendship between the two—both in official Ahmadiyya Movement meetings, and in private gatherings—was uniquely distinguished, and never failed to impress those in attendance.

During the last few weeks of his life, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui was receiving medical treatment in the Services Hospital in Lahore where he had been admitted as a patient. Almost on a daily basis, Doctor Saeed Ahmad would go to meet Naseer Ahmad Faruqui to inquire into his health, and would spend time with him. Allah the Most High had ordained that the time of Naseer Ahmad Faruqui’s demise was approaching swiftly. He passed away while being treated in the Services Hospital.

Before his departure from this worldly abode, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui had designated in his will that his grand residence in the Shadman area of Lahore was designated and earmarked for the Ahmadiyya Movement: Allah the Most High, would surely have blessed him with an elevated abode in Paradise as a reward. The graveyard in Dar-us-Salam is his final resting place.

Naseer Ahmad Faruqui’s wife—Saleema Faruqui—in keeping alive the cordial relationship of her late husband with Doctor Saeed Ahmad, would on the two annual Eids as well as on other occasions, would arrange for fruits and other gifts to be conveyed to him. He would view them with immense appreciation, and used to say that Saleema Faruqui is following the tradition of the Holy Prophet (the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.) The Holy Prophet himself—after his wife Khadija had passed away—used to have gifts sent to her friends.

The mutual affection and reverence between Doctor Saeed Ahmad and Naseer Ahmad Faruqui was so profound that on a certain occasion, the words spontaneously slipped from the lips of Doctor Saeed Ahmad that he would consider it his good fortune if he were to be buried side-by-side with the grave of Naseer Ahmad Faruqui. When Saleema Faruqui learned of this remark, she offered to Doctor Saeed Ahmad that lot in the graveyard which was adjacent to the grave of Naseer Ahmad Faruqui, being the one which she had already designated for her own burial when she died. He was tremendously impressed by this gesture, one which spoke volumes to her spirit of sacrifice, and said in response: “The first right to burial side-by-side to Naseer Ahmad Faruqui’s grave is yours. Given that, I would regard the burial of my body even at the foot of his grave as my good fortune.”

Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman

Another luminary of the Ahmadiyya Movement went dark on January 23, 1994: Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman passed away that day. His death caused grief and sadness for many. For Doctor Saeed Ahmad, the permanent severance from Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman was like being separated forever from his own flesh and blood brother. Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman had grown up in the same household—under the same spiritually nourishing presence of those religious elders—as whose sonship was the good spiritual fortune of Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself. On the heart of Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman, too, had shone the same brilliant light which had also lit the lamp of the love for the service of religion in the heart of Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself. In fact, Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman was regarded as a member of the family: Among his cohorts and religious elders as well, he was known as Khalil, and to those younger than him, as Khalil Paji (The word Paji is from the Hindko language, and means “respected brother”.)

Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman was affiliated with the education department, and had served in that capacity through official postings in various geographical locations. But during his long annual vacations, he would always return to the house of Doctor Saeed Ahmad in Abbottabad, where he would provide instruction and schooling to the children of the household, doing so with great diligence and affection. All of his children had the good fortune of enrichment as students of Khalil Paji. And Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman had endless affection and love for every member of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s household. Thus it is that, to this day, every member of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s family has immense affection, respect, and reverence for Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman.

Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman was one of the sincere friends of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, and one who remained by his side during his times of happiness as well as sorrow. He lived in Abbottabad, and his residence was, in fact, right next-door to Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s residence. During the tribulation of 1974, Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman remained steadfast, and himself migrated to Lahore along with Doctor Saeed Ahmad. In Lahore, he was entrusted with the responsibility of the editorship of Paigham-e-Sulah, a responsibility which he carried out for a few years and with excellence. His scholarship was both deep and wide. His reading material included massive texts on science, tomes in both English and Urdu literature, books and magazines of the Ahmadiyya Movement, etc. Such extensive studies had endowed a unique substance and power to his writings and to his speech.

The qualities of elegance and quick-wittedness—the repartee—were prominent in his speech. Year after year, he would serve as the stage secretary during the Annual Convention in December and entertain the audience with his pointed remarks and quick wit. In this way, he would hold the attention of the audience and keep them alert and eagerly attentive to the series of speeches.

What follows is but one example of Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman’s fluency at the repartee:

One of the speakers at the Annual Convention—he had come to Lahore from the United States—had just finished his speech and left the stage after recounting an extensive list of shortcomings in hospitality, for example those involving the guest housing provided to him in Dar-us-Salam and the substandard dining facilities. At that point, Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman, who was as usual doing his job as the state secretary, regaled the audience with a verse of rhyme which effectively—and most humorously—captured the essence of the litany of complaints that had been registered by the most recent speaker. Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman said:

ہم مشرق کے مسکینوں کا دِل مغرب میں جا اٹکا ہے 

وہاں کنڑ سب بلوری ہیں، یہاں ایک پرانا مٹکا ہے

The hearts of us dwellers of the East, somehow ended up getting stuck in the West;

There, drinks are served in crystal glasses—here, though, all we have is an old pitcher and urn.

Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman passed away when he was in Abbottabad, and was buried in the graveyard in Dar-us-Salam, Lahore.

Days of Sorrow

During the final years of his life, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was beset by multiple issues involving the Ahmadiyya Movement as well as personal losses. He patiently bore each one of them. But the grief which began on June 21, 1993—marked by the death of his wife Zainab Bibi—crescendoed in May 1994 with the death of his daughter-in-law Anjam Saeed. It was a near-intolerable trial of his powers of endurance, and particularly accentuated in this advanced age of his and his physical frailty. Following these days of mourning, his health steadily declined.

Death of Zainab Bibi

Zainab Bibi was Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s wife—his faithful companion of six decades through times of happiness and of sorrow—and was the daughter of his doting uncle, Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub. Embracing the reality of his lifelong partner having left so suddenly forever was immensely difficult for Doctor Saeed Ahmad. But Allah the Most High had endowed him with a big heart: He never expressed his sorrow to anyone, doing so only when bowed down in worship of Allah the Most High.

About five weeks before her death, Zainab Bibi had gone to Rawalpindi in the company of their son Muhammad Saeed. She often used to go there, but she was much less inclined to do so this time, because her son Zahid Saeed had gotten married just a few weeks ago, and she sensed that leaving behind the bride might displease her. But her travel to Rawalpindi became necessary due to unavoidable circumstances. Two days prior to her death, she was feeling a bit restless and eager to return to Lahore. When attempts were made by those looking after him to comfort and soothe her—to the effect that she would be able to go the following morning after getting advice from the doctor—she simply remarked that they ought not to waste her time. In view of her restlessness, the very next morning, she was taken to the CMH (Central Military Hospital), where she was admitted for medical examination.

During those days, Nasir Saeed, too, was also posted in Rawalpindi. Abdul Karim Saeed and Ikram Saeed also came over from Abbottabad. Zainab Bibi was at ease in the hospital thereafter. Apparently, she was in a state of peace. The following morning, she engaged in jovial conversation with her children. Seeing her in that state, both Abdul Karim Saeed and Ikram Saeed—feeling assured and satisfied about the stability of their mother’s health—returned to Abbottabad. Barely a few hours had passed, though, when she had a sudden cardiac arrest and passed away.

اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَ

To Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return.

Zainab Bibi was the morally principled and honorable daughter of her pious father. She had inherited from him the qualities of sympathy for others and of loving service for others. She left no stone unturned in the nurturing and moral training of her children. In fact, she personally took care of doing the same for many other children as well: Her love and empathy in others’ service was for one and all. In the many condolence letters that Doctor Saeed Ahmad received after her death, mention of her many qualities was made in numerous ways, though the following qualities were mentioned in particular:

Zainab Bibi’s affection-laden interactions with others; her sincerity; her affection; and her hospitality. On the one hand, where her children and indeed the entire household was deprived of a central figure—the creation of a void—on the other hand, the Women’s Group in the Ahmadiyya Movement was in particular deprived forever of the elegant and beautiful contributions models of cross stitch and needlework that Zainab Bibi would contribute to the Annual Convention’s craft section and made available for charitable purchases.

The body of Zainab Bibi was brought from Rawalpindi to Lahore. Her eldest daughter (Khadija Begum), and her youngest son (Zahid Saeed), were abroad, which deprived them from viewing her for one last time.

Thus, within the brief span of four years, Doctor Saeed Ahmad—with a mourning heart—ushered the body of his second wife to her final resting place. Now Zainab Bibi sleeps eternally at the side of her mother’s grave.

June 21: A Poem — by Safia Saeed, Bint-e-Zainab (Daughter of Zainab)

اِکیّ جُون

اِکیّ جُون دِی لَمی گَرم دِیہاڑ

بِچھڑ گئی مَڑی اَمڑی تے میں رَوندی زار قطار

رَوندے، کُرلاندے پُتّر تِیاں کوئی دیس تے کوئی پردیس

کِتھا گئی او بُبَّوْ سَو ہنڑی ریہیا نہ کوئی غم خوار

کَلِّیاں تَو رُڑھدے سُچے موتی چِیڑے نال بندھ دی جُلے

نہ کَدّے دِ لَّا دِیاں دَ سّیاں مائے نہ کِیتا اِظہار

دُکھ بکھیڑے گَنڈڑی بَن کے اللہ اَگّا فرْیاداں

پَل پُل جُلّن جَندق سارے تُوں اِی پالن ہار

دُکھی جَدَوْں ہونواں تے رُوْ کُتھا لاواں

کونٹر سُنڑے مَڑے دِ لا دے دُکھڑے مِلّے نہ کوئی دلدار

جیندے رِہْوَنڑ مَڑے اَپّنْڑے سارے سدا رہوَنڑ آباد

بُؤا کھُلا ہر کَدّے آون، قدم رکھنڑ تے کار گلزار

ماُوْ دا حق ادا نہ ہو یا بِنتِ زینب دا پچھتاوا

اک واری جی مُڑ آوَیں مائے جِند جان دیواں میں وار

بنتِ زینب (بزبان ہندکو)

June 21st

That long and hot day of June 21;

It happened so suddenly, the loss: separated was I from my mother; I cried inconsolably

Crying and sobbing are your sons and daughters, some here, some abroad;

Where did my lovely Bubbo go? Some are confused; others, distressed

You would brush aside your tears—frozen into true pearls on your veil—as they streamed down your cheeks;

Never did you tell us the distresses of your heart, mother, nor expressed your worries

With your sorrows and troubles—you put them aside in a knotted cloth—you yearned before Allah Alone;

O Allah, Your are the Provider of my children; May You ever tend to their growth

When I feel hurt, bewildered, where will my soul now find solace?

Who will now lend an ear to my woes; I find none who can console

O my loved ones all, my own, may you all live long and prosper;

The door are ever open for you; may you come, again and again; your stepping inside—hosting you transforms my home into a garden of roses

O mother, I—daughter of Zainab—couldn’t do justice to your motherhood; that is my lament, my regret;

If only you could come back, just once; I would sacrifice for you this body, to do justice, and for you this life of mine.

Nasreen Gul Muhammad

An especially dedicated, sympathy-imbued, and sacrificing daughter of the Ahmadiyya Movement—Nasreen Gul—passed away on October 28, 1994. Although Nasreen Gul was not related to Doctor Saeed Ahmad, her reverential love for and untiring service to him had brought her close to him. She was in his service and in compliance with his wishes, surpassing even his own daughters. At times, she could be seen working diligently to make his bedroom a more comfortable resting place, at other times, bringing bouquets of flowers to lend fragrance to the air and at yet other times personally preparing food, jellies and broth, and other dietary items to strengthen the health of Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Once, when Nasreen Gul learned that raisins, when soaked in rosewater, were reputed to be a source of strengthening the heart, she immediately had them prepared and brought them for Doctor Saeed Ahmad.

And then there was the time when a legal case  was registered against Doctor Saeed Ahmad in connection with the inscription of the kalimah at the entrance to the Ahmadiyya Buildings mosque. But prior to the issuance of court orders, a God-fearing individual—no doubt inspired by the sense of justice—brought news of the impending court orders to the attention of the offices of the Movement. The decision was made to immediately arrange for Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s bail. Without any hesitation, Nasreen Gul—along with one of his daughters—headed for the court of law and swiftly arranged for the bail.

Despite unsupportive circumstances, compounded by pressure from both her family and from society, Allah the Most High had blessed Nasreen Gul with the spirit of steadfastness in her adherence to the Movement. Moreover, it would often be seen in gatherings that she would give such potent and irrefutable responses to those questioning the Movement so as to render the questioners speechless and unable to respond. She was always ready to render all kinds of services to the Movement. She served with great efficiency her role as the Secretary of the Women’s Organization of the Movement, another area of service for which she will always be remembered.

Nasreen Gul’s health had been weak for a while. In the end, her liver condition proved to be fatal. Though she is no longer with us in the world, her pious deeds and her qualities have made her memorable for all times to come.

Lieutenant Colonel Feroze Alam Khan

Barely a few hours had passed after the burial of Nasreen Gul—many were still mourning that loss—when, approximately at midnight, the sudden ringing of the telephone in Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s home startled everyone. Feroze Alam Khan had been taken to the hospital, and his daughter Rafia Alam Khan—in a voice overwhelmed by wailing and tearfulness—was calling the family from the CMH (Combined Military Hospital.) Feroze Alam Khan had suddenly started feeling unwell. What the ears heard, the heart was simply unwilling to accept. Approximately three hours ago, Feroze Alam Khan had been at Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s home in Dar-us-Salam, had met everyone, and then left for home. It was Feroze Alam Khan’s routine on Thursdays to play a round of golf in the evening, following which he would come visit family in Dar-us-Salam: On October 28, too, he had arrived in Dar-us-Salam around the time of Maghrib, and spent some time in the company of Doctor Saeed Ahmad and other members of the family. After having dinner with everyone, he had gone to the room of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, and standing there, bid what was going to be the final farewell to his father-in-law, Doctor Saeed Ahmad. After that, he proceeded to Ahmad Park to visit Mansur Ahmad and family, following which he went home. Once home, he suddenly experienced pain and told his wife that they needed to go to the hospital. Barely a few moments had passed after their arrival at the hospital when this daring, former officer of the Pakistan Army lost his life to an acute cardiac arrest. It is Feroze Alam Khan—that brave and valiant son-in-law of Doctor Saeed Ahmad—who had served nearly single-handedly as the shield for Doctor Saeed Ahmad and his small group of unarmed companions during the tribulation when they had been besieged and then attacked by a bloodthirsty mob on June 11, 1974.

On learning the grievous news of his son-in-law‘s sudden death, Doctor Saeed Ahmad grew visibly drained of energy: Within the span of barely a few years, a second daughter of his had become a widow. He maintained his composure at that time, and patiently took the grievous news in stride. Allah the Most High gave him the resolve and strength, in fact, to go to the residence of Mubarika Alam Khan—his recently widowed daughter in mourning—to comfort her. He also participated in the funeral of Feroze Alam Khan.

The name of Feroze Alam Khan will forever live in the history of the Pakistan Army as a man of principles, a confident individual, a seeker of justice, and a fearless officer. Along with that, he will always be remembered for his extraordinary courage and valor that were on full display on that momentous Tuesday, June 11, 1974. His acts of valor have been written down for the ages in the books of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s history.

حق مغفرت کرے عجب آزاد مرد تھا 

May Allah forgive him, the free-spirited man that he was

The Untimely Death of Anjam Saeed

After the death of Feroze Alam Khan, and before the death of Anjam Saeed, Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman had passed away. It was on May 23, 1994, that Doctor Saeed Ahmad received the fifth shock—in the days of mourning—with the death of Anjam Saeed. Anjam Saeed what is that very same good hearted, magnanimous, and refined daughter-in-law of Doctor Saeed Ahmad who had served as host to the 72 homeless members of the Ahmadiyya Movement in the sanctuary of her residence in Kakul in the wake of the tribulation that had afflicted them on June 11, 1974. And it was through her excellence in looking after the homeless refugees that it had become possible for them to spend their days of grief and suffering with ease.

The untimely death of Anjam Saeed had dual aspects of grief for Doctor Saeed Ahmad. After the death of her husband—Abdulla Saeed—she had been the sheltering presence for her three children. In this way, through her untimely death, Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s two grandsons and one granddaughter had become bereft. Who would look after them now? His granddaughter was living a married life, but she, too, had now become bereft of the affection and caring of her parents. The education of both grandsons was incomplete. They had needed the support of their mother to help enable them to stand on their own feet. They both had been in medical school, but when the illness of their mother had grown acute, they had put aside their medical studies and devoted themselves fully to looking after her. It was such worries that were besetting Doctor Saeed Ahmad. But in him was visibly apparent the glory of a true believer—the patience and tolerance during adverse circumstances—which had been prominent during every occasion of distress in the past. He urged others to patience, and himself would become engrossed in beseeching Allah: Prayers are the one and only weapon which the believer wields during times of grief and adversity.

In this regard, what follows is an excerpt from the article by Tahira Fazl-e-Ahmad, which was published in Paigham-e-Sulah, commemorating the life of Doctor Saeed Ahmad following his death. It was titled “Our Beloved Doctor Saeed Ahmad.” Here is the excerpt:

Many tragedies came the way of Doctor Saeed Ahmad during his life. He had received the shocking news of his young grandson on returning from a missionary trip abroad. Then there was the fatal illness that took the life of his son-in-law, Muhammad Ahmad, an individual who was the right hand of Doctor Saeed Ahmad in his work of [service to the] Ahmadiyya Movement. Prayers and beseeching of Allah could not alter fate, and he [Muhammad Ahmad] left this world to meet his Creator while abroad. Yet this mujahid [“striver”] in the way of Allah—Doctor Saeed Ahmad—continued his efforts.… Then from another quarter came another trial for Doctor Saeed Ahmad when his young son Abdulla Saeed passed away. And then his young daughter-in-law Anjam Saeed left this world, leaving the responsibility of the young children [Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s grandchildren] on his weakened shoulders. It is with an overwhelming feeling that one notes how this mujahid [“one who strives”] in the way of Allah remained engrossed in the works of serving Allah the Most High, despite bearing all these losses and accompanying sorrows. Never did he let it be known what was going on in his heart.

And what follows is an excerpt from the writing of Mian Fakhr-ud-Din Ahmad entitled “An Expression of the Truthfulness of the Promised Messiah”:

One aspect that is prominent in the life of the late Doctor Saeed Ahmad is that he actively adhered to the 10 principles of the religious pledge throughout his life. In grief and in ease, in straitened circumstances and in abundance, he demonstrated the example—in the most exemplary way—of always remaining aligned with and resigned to the will of Allah the Most High. He demonstrated patience and steadfastness on the deaths of his handsome son the Army General Abdulla Saeed and his pious wife, his sons-in-law, and his two wives. And on the setting of the spiritual luminaries of Ahmadiyya Movement—his cousin Abdur Rahman, Doctor Nazir-ul-Islam, Professor Khalil-ur-Rahman, Muhammad Anwar (missionary to England), Master Asghar Ali, Hafiz Sher Muhammad, Shaikh Muhammad Tufail (missionary to England and The Netherlands), Brigadier Abdul Latif, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui—were all tragedies for the Movement. The death of each was a shock to Doctor Saeed Ahmad. But he always remained patient.

The Formation of a Board for Executive Work — April 22, 1994

Allah had endowed Doctor Saeed Ahmad with a sensitive temperament, and it was hard for him to reconcile with any physical weakness of his—or for any of his personal matters—to interfere in the welfare of the Ahmadiyya Movement, or to cause any hindrance to the executive work that he performed for the Movement. In this regard, after much thought, deliberation, and consultation, he proposed—during a meeting of the Executive Committee on April 18, 1990—the formation of a board which would assist him in his work, and which would be empowered to act on decisions. The proceedings of that part of the executive meeting were captured in the following words:

Emergency meeting of the executive committee— April 4, 1994

Attendees:

Ameer (Doctor Saeed Ahmad), may Allah the Most High be his helper

Mansur Ahmad

Zahur Ahmad

Fazal-e-Ahmad

Doctor Mubarak Ahmad

Abdul Ghafoor Saqib

Shaikh Muhammad Saleem

Sardar Ali Khan

Asadullah Khan

After offering prayers, Doctor Saeed Ahmad said:

It is a great gift of Allah the Most High the Most Exalted that, despite my physical infirmities, weakness, and advanced age, I have been able to render services to the Ahmadiyya Movement. And those services have really been greater than the strength that I have. At the same time, as the Ameer of the Movement, I consider it essential that a board be formed, one which will make decisions in matters of the Movement, and following which it will seek my permission. This arrangement will remain in effect through the remainder of my life. Following my death, this board will be immediately empowered with all rights which are vested in the Ameer of the Movement in accordance with its constitution. Future bodies of the General Council will have the permission and authority to make decisions regarding this board. The Executive Committee will, in accordance with the constitution, continue to carry out its work.

I nominate the following individuals to this board:

Sahibzada Muhammad Ahmad

Doctor Waheed Ahmad

Fazal-e-Ahmad

Muhammad Yusuf Khan

Mansur Ahmad.

Doctor Waheed Ahmad will be the Chairman of the board, and Mansur Ahmad will be its Secretary. The approval of this proposal will be sought from the Ahmadiyya Movement.

In agreeing to the aforementioned proposal by the Ameer, all members advised to present the statements of Doctor Saeed Ahmad to the General Council.

This proposal was presented during the General Council’s meeting of April 22, 1994, and it was ratified at that time. What follows is a facsimile of the registered Proceedings:

With the permission of the presiding officer, the General Secretary presented the addendum agenda number 203, for which it was decided that such a board as had been proposed by the Ameer, may Allah the Most High be his helper, as would act on the rights and privileges of the Ameer in accordance with the constitution and would help him and submit its advice and recommendations.

May Allah the Most High keep the sheltering presence of the Ameer over our heads for a long time. Following his death, the board will be immediately empowered with the rights and privileges that are spelled-out in the constitution. The life of this board will extend to the first meeting of the General Council following the death of the Ameer.

The General Secretary will strive—within 40 days, following the death of the Ameer—to convene a meeting of the General Council in which it will make decisions in alignment with and pursuant to the Ameer’s position, or else seek extension to the continued existence of the board.

What follow below are the names of the individuals who were approved for membership of the aforesaid board:

Sahibzada Muhammad Ahmad

Doctor Waheed Ahmad (Ameer of the board)

Fazal-e-Ahmad.

Muhammad Yusuf Khan

Mansur Ahmad (Secretary of the board)

This resolution will remain effective and considered effective—to the best of our abilities and to our understanding—until and unless such a time as when it is in contravention of the current constitution of the Ahmadiyya Movement and its rules and clauses.

Arrangements for The Ameer to (1) Carry Out Duties from his Residence and (2) Listen to Proceedings of Mosque-based Events

In light of the advanced age and weak health of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, it was abundantly clear that it had become impossible for him to work for continuous stretches of hours while seated in his office in the offices of workers of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Therefore, the concession from the Movement was given to him to carry out his office work from the convenience of his home. Anwaar Ahmad thus came to serve as his personal assistant and would remain in his room at all times, assisting him in all his work. The General Secretary, as well as members of the Movement from various areas would meet him at his residence to seek guidance and advice. In this way, all work continued unimpeded and without any delay. A fax machine had been installed in Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s home, enabling—and all under his personal supervision—the convenient reception and transmission of communication with foreign missionary chapters.

The meetings of the General Council as well as the Executive Committee would take place at his residence: Such convenient meetings became possible after the addition of chairs to seat the members. And in this way, Doctor Saeed Ahmad would not feel unduly fatigued, despite his active participation in all activities of the committee.

Also, an electronic speaker was installed in the bedroom of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, enabling direct reception of audio from the mosque, and then this way he was able to remotely participate in all meetings and gatherings that were hosted in the mosque. He would listen with great eagerness and intent to all such proceedings, whether it be the Annual Convention in December, the symposia held to commemorate the birth of notable Muslim personalities, meetings to reflect on the life of the Holy Prophet, and meetings of the youth as well as of the children. 

Similarly, the electronic speaker in Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s bedroom would be turned on to enable him to vicariously participate in the Friday congregational prayer, as well as in the daily obligatory prayers. And Doctor Saeed Ahmad—making use of this convenience to compensate for his health challenges—would listen to the Friday sermon, either sitting in a chair or lying in his bed. By virtue of these arrangements, Allah the Most High blessed him with the good fortune of participating in congregational prayers throughout his stay in that residence.

In the final years of his life, Doctor Saeed Ahmad would make it a point to go to the mosque on the occasions of the two annual Eids; the inaugural speech at the Annual Convention; and the farewell prayers. These would invariably prove to be a source of great satisfaction for everyone gathered. Referring to such an occasion, Zahid Aziz wrote as follows in the November, December 1997 issue of Paigham-e-Sulah in an article, entitled “Our Affectionate Guide and a Glorious Example”:

Whenever Doctor Saeed Ahmad graced the venue of the Annual Convention, it felt as if the sanctity, glory, and honor of the gathering had increased many times over. We would eagerly—almost restlessly—await his delivery of the inaugural and closing speeches. In particular, the closing address by Doctor Saeed Ahmad never failed to melt the hearts of all who had gathered, and proved to be a source of purifying one’s heart. It is impossible to describe with words that effect, and neither can one’s mind repeat the same message in its original vigor: The only thing that could be done was to feel it when it was being delivered. During the closing prayer—the ones in which all those gathered would participate by raising their hands—Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s heartfelt and plaintive beseeching Allah would never fail to cause streams of tears to run down the cheeks of those in attendance because those prayers came from the depths of his heart, and we would feel as if we were all standing, along with him, in the presence of Allah as we continued to pray.

I am an eyewitness to such a closing session during the annual gathering for prayers in 1994. It was one of the last few conventions of his life. I had the opportunity to witness the impalpable presence of some glorious forces of agency and spiritual power. Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s closing sermon and prayer—his presence itself—was immensely powerful. And when he was walking through the midst of those gathered, offering their salutations, it felt as if the numbers of those who were present far exceeded the actual numbers. Later, on the occasion of the following convention, Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself made mention of this by saying that he had felt an extraordinary spiritual state on that occasion.

It was on May 26, 1996 at the venue of the mosque in Dar-us-Salam when Doctor Saeed Ahmad addressed the Ahmadiyya Movement for the very last time in his life at the occasion commemorating the death of the Promised Messiah

Companions of the Ameer — the Four Dervishes

During all stages of his life, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had remained an endearing individual to members from all strata of society. The relationship with the religious elders of the Ahmadiyya Movement was one of reverential love, and that with members of the Movement was one of closeness and affectionate solidarity. Included in his social circle were leading individuals, chieftains, nawabs, high-ranking officials, acquaintances, industrialists, traders, land owners, ordinary business people, and in short, members from every walk of life. Although this decidedly wide circle of friends did not retain its extensiveness after Doctor Saeed Ahmad relocated to Lahore, whenever anyone came to meet him, though, he would feel happy. Then, in the final few years of his life, a handful of dervish-natured individuals became an especially caring and dedicated set of friends, and are worthy of special mention. Their names are the following: Raja Muhammad Baidar, Qazi Abdul Ahad, Sardar Ali Khan, and Abdul Salam. By way of affection, Doctor Saeed Ahmad referred to them as his four dervishes. And these four dervishes of his would come to meet him daily after the Asr prayer. These meetings would continue for a little while. Doctor Saeed Ahmad would ask for tea to be served to them. During that time, along with casual conversation, exchange of ideas and impressions of ongoing matters of the Ahmadiyya Movement will take place. After that, Qazi Abdul Ahad would recite those portions of the Holy Quran, which he had selected to recite during the Fajr prayer of the following day. Even though Doctor Saeed Ahmad knew those chapters of the Holy Quran by heart, he liked to listen to Qazi Abdul Ahad recite them. These brief meetings with the four dervishes always had a markedly uplifting influence on his mood.

And Doctor Saeed Ahmad had a particularly fond bond with these four dervish companions, and he would often make mention of them. In addition to them, Anwaar Ahmad would remain in his service at all times. And after they had bid farewell to the four dervishes, he would—in the company of Anwaar Ahmad—step outside his home for a stroll through the alleys and byroads in Dar-us-Salam.

The Four Dervishes — Brief Introductions

On account of their respective qualities, each one of the four dervishes had demonstrated confidence, steadfastness, and selfless service to the Ahmadiyya Movement mission. At the time of this writing, two of the four dervishes—Raja Muhammad Baidar and Qazi Abdul Ahad—had completed the journey of life on this planet, and departed to meet their Maker.

Raja Muhammad Baidar: He came from a village named Behaly in the district of Mansehra. He was the only Ahmadi in that village. He had rendered services to the Karachi chapter of the Movement for a period of time, and had been an immensely popular and well liked individual. He had also served as a missionary for a little period of time in Suriname and rendered valuable services. And finally came to the Movement headquarters in Lahore and served in the capacity of assistant secretary. Due to poor health, he returned to his village. And it was there that he passed away.

Qazi Abdul Ahad: His family lived in Shergarh in the capital of the state of Umb. His paternal uncle had considerable status and recognition in the state on account of being a scholar of religion. After Qazi Abdul Ahad embraced Ahmadiyyat, his uncle, as well as all his other relatives became his enemies, and began inflicting all kinds of grief on him as well as possible. Finally, after Qazi Abdul Ahad was socially boycotted, he was compelled to enter into exile, following which he moved to Abbottabad, where he was designated as the imam of the mosque.

Following the tragic events of 1974, he was appointed as the in charge of the Saleha Zahoor Memorial Library, as well as the imam of the mosque. He was a hafiz of the Holy Quran—having committed the entire Holy Quran to memory—and had authoritative knowledge of the Arabic language and its grammar, in addition to which he had command over religious matters. He honorably carried out his duties till the last breath of his life. Even during his severest illness, he forgoed the comfortable quarters offered by his family members, and instead preferred to spend his life in a modest living arrangement in Dar-us-Salam. And it was here that he passed away and was buried.

Sardar Ali Khan: He came from Peshawar. After retiring from civil service, he carried out the duties of the Ahmadiyya Movement as an assistant secretary. He was an immensely sincere, fearless, and steadfast Ahmadi, one who valiantly faced all kinds of trials and tribulations that came his way on account of his being associated with the Movement.

Abdul Salam: He hailed from the Badho Malhi district where he had been affiliated with the department of education. During his era of employment, he would assist Doctor Saeed Ahmad during his free time. He was highly regarded in his department of education for his strong, moral character, for his adherence to principles, and for his uprightness in general. After retiring, he served as a religious missionary in Fiji. He also served as the imam of the mosque in the Movement chapter in Karachi. Abdul Salam was a decidedly pious worshiper and a sincere Ahmadi. He lived in Dar-us-Salam, Lahore

What follows is that except from an article by Raja Muhammad Baidar, entitled “A Mujahid and Lover of the Holy Quran”:

When I was summoned to Lahore in 1993, the four of us—Sardar Ali Khan, Qazi Abdul Ahad, Abdul Salam, and I—would go to meet Doctor Saeed Ahmad daily without fail after the Asr prayer. In fact, Qazi Abdul Ahad would, during those meetings, recite that portion of the Holy Quran, which he planned on reciting during the Fajr prayer of the following day. On certain occasions, he would even expound on the meaning of certain Quranic verses in a uniquely beautiful way. And it was with great affection and endearment that he would address the four of us as the four dervishes, giving us that moniker. We were blessed with his close company in this way.

In an article, entitled “Hazrat Ameer, Doctor Saeed Ahmad Khan Sahib,” Qazi Abdul Ahad—as a member of the four dervishes—made mention of those meetings. That article was published in the Paigham-e-Sulah issue of November, December 1997:

On coming to Lahore, and after being appointed as the Ameer of the Movement, his responsibilities had increased. And the routine that had taken shape was as follows: After the daily Asr prayer, some religious conversation would take place, along with recitation from the Holy Quran, that being the portion which was to be recited during the Fajr prayer on the following day.

In addition to the four dervishes, certain other members of the Movement would also come to meet Doctor Saeed Ahmad at that time, and he would welcome them cheerfully.

Amir Aziz, in his article entitled “Where to Look for Someone who is Like You?”, published in the November December issue of Paigham-e-Sulah, 1997, writes:

During the final days of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s life, I had made it a point to visit him at least once a week. He would often say to me during such visits: “This is the abode of the dervishes. Come here every day.” Doctor Saeed Ahmad would say these words with such affection and from the depths of his heart that—for at least a moment—I felt the urge to spend the rest of my life at his feet, and in his service.