Hayat-e-Saeed

Fourth Trip to England

Doctor Saeed Ahmad traveled to England for a fourth time in October 1978. That year he had spent two months in Abbottabad during the summertime. He had taken up residence in Dar-us-Saeed—this was the first time he had returned since the traumatic events of June 1974—and in the dilapidated building which remained, that being the section adjoining the mosque. Despite his physical weakness, thanks to the health-promoting, pleasant weather of Abbottabad and through the special grace of Allah the Most High, he felt within himself the strength to keep the fasts during the month of Ramadan. But immediately thereafter, he came down with influenza. His sickness grew and he began to feel pronounced physical weakness. Nonetheless, he kept his intention to travel abroad and departed from Lahore for England on October 21, 1978. His son Abdul Karim Saeed had taken up residence in the special residential area designated for doctors who worked in Joyce Green Hospital, Dartford (England.) And it was for the first time that Doctor Saeed Ahmad stayed with his son in his new residence.

Circumstances at the Ahmadiyya British Chapter

After only a few meetings with the members of the chapter in England, Doctor Saeed Ahmad realized that the situation was not good. Moreover, many matters needed to be resolved. Other than the unspeakably bad situation of the Ahmadiyya House, negligence in the areas of cooperation within the members of the chapter—working together in a sensible and mutually agreeable manner—were impeding progress. The agonizing conditions in which Nazir-ul-Islam and Masud Akhtar were living in the Ahmadiyya House were well beyond the powers of an ordinary individual’s endurance. A local British tenant was also staying in the Ahmadiyya House, one who was inflicting much misery on the two new missionaries: In a state of alcoholic intoxication, he would walk around, stumbling, banging into their room’s door, blurting out all kinds off shameful speech, and hurling expletives. The missionaries could not so much as use the bathroom while that drunkard was on the premises. In order to avail themselves of a bathroom, they were forced to walk for several furlongs—heading over to the nearest public restroom—and in all kinds of weather. In order to sleep in their room, they would enter their room through a back door and quietly go to bed without taking the risk of turning on the light for fear of alerting that often-drunk tenant of their whereabouts. As can be imagined, it wasn’t even remotely possible to engage in any kind of reading or writing. Masud Akhtar was unwilling to remain any longer in those horrific circumstances. According to his own account, he was filling his body with poison through the ingestion of 20 to 25 cigarettes daily and were he to stay on even a few days longer in those circumstances, he would lose his mind.

This was an extremely concerning situation, one for which no solution was apparent. Doctor Saeed Ahmad was looking exclusively to Allah the Most High in that He would guide them toward a resolution. 

During that initial week, members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter would come to Dartford to meet Doctor Saeed Ahmad and make him aware of the circumstances and issues facing the chapter. Majeed Ali emphatically asked him during one such meeting to make an effort to resolve the issues of the local chapter while Doctor Saeed Ahmad was there; that it was necessary to address the weaknesses that had crept into the chapter; and that if this chapter went to ruins, then the enemies of the Ahmadiyya Movement would get the opportunity to claim that the headquarters was going to ruin—and if the headquarters ceased to exist, then all foreign missions abroad would also cease to exist, and in this way, the Movement would be dealt a severe blow. 

As he met one individual after the other, Doctor Saeed Ahmad would offer words of encouragement, advising them to be patient, forbearing, and to try to overlook one another’s shortcomings.

An Important Meeting — Attempt at Reformation

At the suggestion of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, the meeting was convened at the residence of Abdul Karim Saeed on November 5, 1978, one in which six leading members participated. The objective of that meeting was to examine and deliberate on the circumstances in which the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England found itself, and whose immediate resolution was essential.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad began the meeting with a recitation from the Holy Quran. What follows is an excerpt from his writings:

I recited the Quranic verse

یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ قُوْلُوْا قَوْلًا سَدِیْدًاۙ۝۷۰ یُّصْلِحْ لَكُمْ اَعْمَالَكُمْ وَ یَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوْبَكُمْ ؕ وَ مَنْ یُّطِعِ اللّٰهَ وَ رَسُوْلَهٗ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِیْمًا۝

O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah and speak straight words:

He will put your deeds into a right state for you, and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he indeed achieves a mighty success.

(Holy Quran—33:70-71)

along with its translation, following which I emphasized that they ought to conduct the discussion but only after substantial reflection on these [Quranic] verses. I asked them to speak candidly, saying that we would have to make an earnest effort to resolve the situation by keeping the fear of God in our hearts. Only then would Allah set aright our affairs, and only then would we succeed. This is the Word of God, besides which our own ingenuity cannot benefit us; our sins would be forgiven only when we fear God and only when we do not deviate even slightly from the right path. At any rate, Allah impressed the impact of these words on [their] hearts; and from time to time during the deliberation, I also kept bringing their attention back to those [Quranic] verses. I explained the purpose for which I had come: If we were unable to address our weaknesses and solve the problems facing the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter [in England], the results would be dangerous—both here and in Lahore [at the headquarters of the Movement—and the efforts made over a period of four years would go to waste. May Allah have mercy on us and bless us.

Ideas were exchanged on many important matters during the meeting. All members remained respectful of one another, and important decisions were made. The determination was made regarding the sphere of activities of the members and of the office holders. Once mutual misunderstandings were dispelled, all matters before them got agreed upon, and everyone accepted those decisions with gladness.

Suggestion of an Alternate Building for the Center and Mosque

In order to improve the situation of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England, the most important thing was to obtain a building that could serve as the center and mosque. The circumstances engulfing the current building—the Ahmadiyya House—had become a source of permanent agony as well as an obstacle to progress. It was the opinion of the majority of the members of the Movement chapter that it had been unwise to purchase the current building, that dilapidated building in which a tenant was already lodged. In the present circumstances, it was neither suitable as the residence for the imam nor for the Mosque. Moreover, the Movement would have to face issues as well as the burden of lawsuits in order to evict the tenant or to sell it. It was, therefore, deemed best to obtain an alternate building, that being the consensus of the members of the chapter

Medical Examination and Treatment

Immediately after Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s arrival in England, his physician son—Abdul Karim Saeed—turned his attention to the weak health of his father and scheduled him to undergo numerous medical tests. He had access to all kinds of medical facilities in Joyce Green Hospital. All senior doctors acknowledged and admired Abdul Karim Saeed for his excellent professional performance as well as for his refined moral values. As such, it was with much affection and attention that the medical staff carried out the medical tests on his father. The results of those tests were generally fine, and some essential medication was prescribed. But Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s physical weakness remained. Finally, a medical culture test was carried out on his saliva: Germs were found, and a regimen of penicillin shots was advised. Once the penicillin regimen was completed, the health of Doctor Saeed Ahmad was restored. He himself writes:

November 7, 1978. Pasha had intended to get another blood test done [on me.] Blood had to be drawn to determine the cholesterol level, and following an ACTH shot after half an hour, the determination of suprarenal functioning was sought. At 9:00 AM, Pasha took me along with him to the medical ward where, with the help of the house surgeon and nurses, bloodwork, etc., was well done. An ECG was also done on me, which he told me was normal. No abnormality there. My blood pressure was taken twice. 140/90 while lying down, and 120/70 while standing. My weight was taken and came out to be 61 kg, which is 134 1/2 pounds. I was wearing thick trousers, a light sweater, as well as a full length thermal underwear. In previous years, and while wearing similar clothes, my weight used to be greater than 140 pounds. As a result of the reduction in my weight due to my having kept fasts—and moreover, the loss of appetite because of the following sickness—my normal weight had not been restored. Today, I am experiencing pain in the left side of my throat when I swallow, and I am feeling sluggish. The sluggishness increased by night time. And the pain in my throat worsened as well. Then there was a burning sensation toward the back region of my nose. I woke up at 3:40 AM. I felt disinclined from waking up. Nevertheless, I got up and performed an ablution. I began to see stars before my eyes. I performed two rakahs of prayers while sitting down, and then two rakahs standing. The witr [prayer] I performed while lying down. Then the Fajr prayers I performed in congregation, in the company of Pasha. At any rate, I took a bath with heated water, changed clothes, and I am resting now. I am writing this diary entry at this time.

Day of Eid al-Adha

November 11, 1978 was the day of Eid al-Adha. Doctor Saeed Ahmad had still not regained good health. Nonetheless, he was feeling slightly better on the eve of Eid al-Adha, and people began to hope that he might be able to travel and attend the Eid al-Adha congregational prayers. On the morning of November 11, 1978, he arrived at the RACS Hall at 10:00 AM in the company of four other household members. This time, it was not possible to host the Eid al-Adha congregation in the Ahmadiyya House. Therefore, this hall had been rented for the day. It was in this very hall that the convention of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England had been convened in 1975, one in which Doctor Saeed Ahmad had participated.

Because of the weakness in his body, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had been anxious about the Eid al-Adha sermon. But Allah the Most High blessed his sermon with impact and eloquence. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

How can I find the words with which to thank Allah? I am trying hard to continue to thank Him. Naturally, it had a pleasant effect on me. Toward the end of my sermon, I also made mention of how I thanked Allah that it was in this place, one where I had given the talk for the first time on the subject of “The Status of the Ahmadiyya Movement,” and a new foundation had been laid down for this chapter at that time. It is after four years that I now have the good fortune to deliver this Eid sermon in that same hall. And it is truly a big thing for a humble individual like me. And if it is accepted by Allah, too, then there is nothing greater than it for me—I have used the word good fortune—that this sermon actually be accepted by Allah. O Allah! Do not spurn my humble and faulty efforts.

Funds for the Mosque and Center

On the day of Eid al-Adha, the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England launched an appeal for funds for the Mosque and Center. At the urging of Razia Faruqui, all families brought along with them various items for sale, which included books, food, and drinks, as well as several other items. In addition to that, Razia Faruqui had taken on the responsibility for organizing a jumbo sale, one in which everyday household items—clothes, ornaments, trinkets, as well as minor jewelry, were sold at low prices—and the funds collected. Syed Mahmood Husain Shah brought along with him his camera. He had made a plan in conjunction with Abdul Karim Saeed to take photographs, sell those, and thereby collect some additional funds. That experiment was substantially successful. Similarly, all men and women as well as the youth participated actively. Most of the women had set up stands for food and drinks. The stall for household drinks was a focus of happy gatherings.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

Funds for the mosque began to accumulate in numerous ways. Photos of the buying and selling activities were on sale and Hasan was carrying around with him a box in which to collect the proceeds from such sales. I placed one [British] pound [bill] in the box. Later, when the gathered funds were announced, a total of 50 pounds had been collected, following which additional funds came in. When it was announced that there was a shortage of only 5 pounds on the way to collecting 100 pounds, Pasha stood up. He made that donation. I then gave 5 pounds, saying that there was no harm in exceeding 100 pounds, on which everyone clapped to express their joy. After that, some additional funds came in, and a total of 122 pounds were collected. These were all collected as Mosque funds. If Allah the Most High gives us a Mosque in England, there is no shortage in his treasures. That house in Tooting is truly an accursed one, and even the sight of it makes one rueful. Now all these people say that it was a big indignity that we purchased this dilapidated house, one in which other tenants were residing, out of whom one was a white drunkard, a source of agony for four years, and the house could legally not even be used as a mosque since it was located inside a residential area. Fewer people than expected gathered on the occasion of the Eid. It was learned that the Lord Mayor procession had taken place that day, presenting obstacles to transportation. Some individuals performed the Eid al-Adha prayer in the Ahmadiyya House the next day.

Meeting of the Local Executive Committee 

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England was convened on November 19, 1978 at the residence of Majeed Ali. Doctor Saeed Ahmad began the meeting with a recitation from the Holy Quran and a brief talk. He writes about it as follows:

The meeting began at 12:30 PM, I recited the verses

یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ قُوْلُوْا قَوْلًا سَدِیْدًاۙ۝۷۰ یُّصْلِحْ لَكُمْ اَعْمَالَكُمْ وَ یَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوْبَكُمْ ؕ وَ مَنْ یُّطِعِ اللّٰهَ وَ رَسُوْلَهٗ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِیْمًا۝۷۱

O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah and speak straight words:

He will put your deeds into a right state for you, and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he indeed achieves a mighty success.

(Holy Quran—33:70-71)

and summarized the discussion of the previous meeting, and [then] briefly repeated the subject of the verse.

 قُوْلُوْا قَوْلًا سَدِیْدًا

Speak with straight words

and said that it was the current state of the [Ahmadiyya Movement] chapter here that was a source of worry for me, and made them aware of the impact which this situation could have on the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters. Then I raised the question—given that we face an overwhelming number of problems and much time has passed—whether we should just give up? Should we let the efforts made over the past four years go to waste or should we exert even more effort? This, then, is the question for the seeking of whose answer you have been troubled to attend this meeting. It is a special blessing of Allah the Most High that I succeeded in giving a talk which had an impact [on the audience.]

He further writes:

Jamila [Khan], the president, supported my assertions, following which she invited all attendees to express their thoughts, adding that everyone should keep their statements within two minutes, since time was limited. Majeed Ali and Shahid [Aziz] also expressed their support with seriousness in that all of us should work with eagerness.

Other members, too, expressed fine ideas. In acknowledging their own sluggishness and negligence in many matters, they pledged to work with diligence in the future as well as participate every month in meetings. The Executive Committee itself had a lengthy agenda, and the meeting continued for a long time. It was also decided during the meeting that two representatives of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England would participate in the Annual Convention in Lahore, Pakistan that year. Jamila Khan and Shahid Aziz were selected as those members. A few members accepted the responsibility of covering the traveling expenses of those two individuals in that they would provide the funds through mutual cooperation. Collectively, all decisions were made with excellence, and the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter of England once again appeared to be united and eager to act.

Travel to the Netherlands

Doctor Saeed Ahmad traveled to the Netherlands on December 1, 1978, accompanied by Nazir-ul-Islam, and stayed as a guest of Fazil Ramzan in the apartment above the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter’s mosque.

Education and Training of Children in the Mosque

The next day, around the time of the Zuhr prayers, a few Ahmadis came to meet Doctor Saeed Ahmad. He went downstairs to the mosque in their company. At that time, the Zumurrad Fazil Ramzan was busy imparting religious education to children. This was an excellent program which she had begun and was maintaining. Every week, on Saturdays, 10 to 15 children would come for a few hours, and she would impart religious education to them with great diligence. Doctor Saeed Ahmad was immensely happy to see this, and greatly lauded her efforts and diligence. The time of the Zuhr prayers had arrived. He presented the suggestion that since the children were present in the mosque during the time of prayers, they should join the congregational prayers. In this way, he laid the foundation for it going forward. The children participated in the congregational prayers, and a new program was begun at the hands of Doctor Saeed Ahmad. When he was requested at the completion of the prayers to express his thoughts, he gave a brief talk addressed to the children, saying that—in addition to other religious education and even more so—greater emphasis should be placed on performing prayers, the initiation of which had taken place that day. Going forward, every Saturday, the children should perform an ablution and perform at least the two daytime prayers, being the Zuhr and Asr prayers. In this way, their habit of performing prayers would become ingrained. 

Meeting with the Members of the Chapter

A meeting was convened in the mosque on December 3, 1978, one in which many people participated. Noor Sardar told them that all chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement in the Netherlands had formed a federation, one which would adjudicate on important matters that were common among all the chapters. And they would work only within their sphere of jurisdiction. Other than that, all chapters would continue their autonomous work, and seek guidance from the Movement headquarters. In addition, Nazir-ul-Islam also briefly addressed the meeting. During his four day visit, the majority of the members of the chapter met Doctor Saeed Ahmad and useful discussions took place. He declared this visit as constructive and encouraging.

Return to Pakistan

After remaining in England for a few more days, Doctor Saeed Ahmad soon returned to Pakistan. The weeklong stay in England was a source of positive results. He had meetings with the president of the chapter, with the secretary, and with other officers of  the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England. Observing the excellence with which the majority of the affairs of the chapter were being conducted was a source of great encouragement for him.

Bidding farewell to his friends and family in England, Doctor Saeed Ahmad departed for Lahore, Pakistan on December 10, 1978, a Sunday. Nazir-ul-Islam accompanied him. At the airport in Lahore, many members of the headquarters, friends, and relatives were present to receive him. Despite being surrounded at close quarters by so many individuals, Doctor Saeed Ahmad got the strange sensation of being in a state of solitude. It was as if the words on the lips of the people surging forward to greet him would freeze. Sad faces and moist eyes were telltale signs of some great grief. He surveyed all around him with a searching gaze. On not receiving an answer, he asked directly, upon which he was told the traumatic news of the untimely and utterly unexpected death of his grandson, the handsome and good-natured Muzaffar Ahmad Saeed.