Hayat-e-Saeed

Travel to England and the Netherlands — August 1982

Seventh Trip Abroad

What follows are the factors which made possible a new physical center for the Ahmadiyya Movement’s chapter in England: the constant striving by the members of that chapter; the ceaseless efforts of Doctor Saeed Ahmad; the cooperation from other chapters abroad; and the patronage of the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters. And the objective of his trip to England in August 1982 was to participate in the ceremonial opening of that Center. So it was on August 7, 1982 that he embarked on a journey from the Dar-us-Salam colony in Lahore (Pakistan) with the prayers and earnest good wishes of the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters. What follow are his own impressions regarding his departure:

Prior to my departure, more than 50 individuals were present for the Zuhr prayer in the mosque in Dar-us-Salam. I felt moved to beseech Allah with a prayer. Extraordinarily moving words—suffused with overwhelming sentiments—spontaneously came forth from my lips. People cried profusely. My heart, too, was overcome by overwhelming emotions. Proof of the assistance which the disciples of the Messiah [Jesus] had received from the Holy Spirit can be found in the Holy Quran. What, then, is the situation of the stumbling followers—those who belong to the ummah of the Holy Prophet’s Messiah—who profess mere lip service? It appears as if this wailing and crying [by us] will not be futile [after all.]

Manifestation of the Power of Allah the Most High at the Islamabad Airport

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

August 8, 1982. Manifestations of the assistance through the Hand of Allah were apparent in the events that took place today. The prayer that was offered yesterday had been accepted. The overflowing abundance of Divine assistance continued to be reflected throughout the day in [even] the smallest matters. Thus, a slight problem presented itself during the checking of my baggage. A young man, stocky and bearded—he was all alone at the counter—summoned me. That is, he offered his professional services. He weighed my baggage. It slightly exceeded the maximum weight allowed. He began arguing [with me.] When I tried to reason with him, he replied that he would let it go, and that I should get my baggage checked farther ahead by the customs officer. Then he asked me: “You don’t have marijuana in your baggage, do you?” I remarked: “You cast suspicion at me: Do you not have any shame?” He responded: “Many elderly and respectable individuals like you do this sort of thing. Now go to the Customs area. Other people are getting their baggage checked. You, too, must get your baggage checked.” He then signaled to some other individuals to get my baggage checked. I patiently moved forward. My baggage was moving along on a conveyor belt. The young Customs officer who was standing there asked me: “Are you Doctor Saeed Ahmad? Is it your house that is [located] immediately after the White Bridge in Abbottabad?” I replied: “Yes.” He said: “Please carry on then.” I said: “There, my baggage is going, [over] there.” He said: “Your baggage has gone forward.” I asked him: “Who are you?” He replied: “I am a Customs Inspector, and I am from Malikpura.” He told me that his name was Zubair. So this was the first sign of the abundance of Divine assistance. Farther along, I went to the last counter of the Immigration section where I was told to first go to the second counter. There, they had me fill out a form, and then they dispatched me [forward.] When I again showed them my reservation, he told me to go and deposit Rupees 100, and to bring him the receipt. So I had to go back again. Meanwhile, Colonel [Abdul] Latif arrived, wearing his [army] uniform, explained to me the reason for his delayed arrival, and expressed his sincere regret. Then he took the reservation from me. I gave him [the required fee of] Rupees 100. Within minutes, he had taken care of [the official work that] needed to be taken care of, and took my briefcase to carry it for me. The announcement to board the airplane had been made. He went inside with me to the terminal and bid me farewell.

London

After receiving a befitting welcome at the Heathrow Airport in London, Doctor Saeed Ahmad went in the company of the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in London and set foot inside the new Center. He writes:

We arrived at the Center in half an hour. I took the name of Allah, and then set foot inside. I felt immensely gladdened by what I saw: What a beautiful and clean Center with which Allah has blessed us. May Allah indeed bless it. All members of the chapter arrived in their cars. We had tea; evening time arrived. We performed our Maghrib prayer as a congregation. I recited the following verses of the Holy Quran during the prayer:

قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَ سَلٰمٌ عَلٰی عِبَادِهِ الَّذِیْنَ اصْطَفٰی ؕ آٰللّٰهُ خَیْرٌ اَمَّا یُشْرِكُوْنَؕ۝۵۹ اَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ وَ اَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً ۚ فَاَنْۢبَتْنَا بِهٖ حَدَآىِٕقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ اَنْ تُنْۢبِتُوْا شَجَرَهَا ؕ ءَاِلٰهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ ؕ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ یَّعْدِلُوْنَؕ۝۶۰ اَمَّنْ جَعَلَ الْاَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَّ جَعَلَ خِلٰلَهَاۤ اَنْهٰرًا وَّ جَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِیَ وَ جَعَلَ بَیْنَ الْبَحْرَیْنِ حَاجِزًا ؕ ءَاِلٰهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ ؕ بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا یَعْلَمُوْنَؕ۝۶۱ اَمَّنْ یُّجِیْبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاهُ وَ یَكْشِفُ السُّوْٓءَ وَ یَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ الْاَرْضِ ؕ ءَاِلٰهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ ؕ قَلِیْلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُوْنَؕ۝۶۲

Say: Praise be to Allah and peace on His servants whom He has chosen! Is Allah better or what they associate (with Him)?

Or, Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the cloud? Then We cause to grow thereby beautiful gardens—it is not possible for you to make the trees thereof to grow. Is there a god with Allah? Nay, they are a people who deviate!

Or, Who made the earth a resting-place, and made in it rivers, and raised on it mountains, and placed between the two seas a barrier? Is there a god with Allah? Nay, most of them know not!

Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and will make you successors in the earth? Is there a god with Allah? Little is it that you mind!

(Holy Quran—27:59–62)

After the [Maghrib] prayer, I explained the subject of the aforementioned verses in some detail. The beseeching of Allah by distressed people was heard, and Allah was thanked. The meeting was adjourned with that prayer.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes as follows about the new Center:

I had taken a cursory look at the Center on my arrival. Today, being the following day, I took a detailed look. The rooms, the courtyard—in short, I surveyed every inch of the Center—and found it better than the assessment I had [formed] in my mind so far, based on the letters and reports which I had received. It also has the capacity for being extended. And there are no neighbors who can see us. There is neither noise nor disturbance. There is a long lawn in the back, and three garages in the front. Toward the north is the street where there is plenty of area to park cars. There is only one house in the south of the building. The tall hedge between the two buildings provides adequate privacy to both sides. In the front is Stanley Avenue. It is a broad street. In that direction, too, grows a hedge and roses. There is a beautiful and compact garden. All rooms are furnished. New carpets are everywhere, in the rooms upstairs, in every room, in fact. All kinds of conveniences to cook food are present. There are five or six rooms. Downstairs, after making some rearrangements, a long hallway becomes possible. One room—it’s located immediately past the entrance, and toward the left-hand side—I have designated it as the mosque. Glory be to God, the qiblah is exactly in the south east direction, along the wall, so there is no need to realign one’s direction at an angle when praying. It feels as if Allah had got this house constructed half a century ago specifically to suit all our objectives. May Allah make the outcome a blessed one. One drawback is that it is located in a residential area. So it is possible that we may face difficulty in getting the permission for a mosque, but our friends are hopeful that after some time when they attempt to do so, they will be able to get that permission. Nonetheless, there is no neighbor in the area who might object to our peaceful congregations. All the same, when considered as a whole at this time, it is sufficient for our needs, as well as appropriate, and with the possibility of [serving as a resource for] earning some income for us. At the outset, the rooms upstairs will need to be cautiously rented out to facilitate the mortgage payments.

Furnishing of the Building, and the Arrival of Guests

In the bedroom adjacent to the proposed large hall for the mosque was a large folding door, which had been shut off on both ends with boards. To extend the hall, that door was opened, with the provision that it could be closed off during normal hours. And the bedroom was thereby separated from the hall. The men and women of the London chapter cleaned up the interior as well as the exterior of the building, with great effort and diligence, and in fact painted the door by themselves. This effort took place over many hours. On witnessing this enthusiasm and zeal, Doctor Saeed Ahmad wrote down some thoughts, accompanied by some Farsi verses of rhyme by the Promised Messiah, those verses appearing immediately following his thoughts below:

Oh, Allah, forgive us our faults, and overlook our weaknesses, and bring about an especially positive outcome of this venture of ours, and accept our effort, and if there are some shortcomings in our work in this regard—ones which perhaps we are unable to fathom—do still accept our effort.

O God, forgive my sins; 

And guide me to your threshold

Illuminate my heart and my life with [Your] Light;

And forgive me my latent sins

Do attend to fortifying my heart, and grant me Your love;

Ease my difficulty with a glance of Your Mercy.

You are dearer to me than the two realms;

And whatever I ask, I ask of You Alone, and You are my All.

— From the Preface to Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s book titled Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya

Immediately after the arrival of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, other guests began to arrive. And by the date which had been designated for the opening of the Center, all guests had arrived, including those from Pakistan, the United States, Suriname, and the Netherlands. Most of the guests stayed in the Center itself, a few in a hotel, and the remaining at the residences of local Ahmadi residents.

Gathering for Friday Congregational Prayers, and Opening of the Center

The opening of the Center began with a Friday congregational gathering. Doctor Saeed Ahmad delivered the Friday sermon, and suggested the name Dar-us-Salam for the new Center. He delivered the sermon in English, and during certain pivotal junctures in the sermon, he translated important points into Urdu to ensure that those unfamiliar with English would also benefit from them.

The evening session began at 5:00 PM with a talk by Doctor Saeed Ahmad, one in which he made the audience aware of the mission of the Ahmadiyya Movement, as well as its program for the future. When he mentioned the topic of the mortgage payments for the Center, the attendees immediately began contributing funds, and a considerable amount was collected on the spot. This auspicious meeting ended after a few more talks, as well as the exchange of ideas. At the very end, a prayer was offered.

Razia Faruqui has captured via a decidedly pleasing description of the abovementioned function—one which had taken place on a Friday—and that description is titled in the following Arabic words:

وَاَدْخِلْنَا فِیْ دَارَالسَّلَام

(The above Arabic phrase literally translates as: “And Admit us into the Abode of Peace“)

and from which the following excerpt is being presented:

By 12:00 noon, everyone had gathered in the big hallway in the leadership of Doctor Saeed Ahmad. The azan [i.e. call to prayer] was given at 1:00 PM. He inaugurated the new mission with his faith-enhancing and soul-inspiring Friday sermon. He began his sermon with an effective Introduction to Surah Fatiha. Alhumdulillah [All praise to Allah], the loud pronouncements which spontaneously escaped from the hearts of a believer by way of their lips, when and wherever the believer’s heart is filled to overflowing with thankfulness to Allah for his blessings, emits fourth in soulful and angelic tones, and after hearing which one’s heart cannot but melt. Since his sermon in English has been translated and published in the ever popular, flagship magazine of the Ahmadiyya Movement—Paigham-e-Sulah—there really isn’t much that I am finding myself capable of memorializing with my feeble script. It was as if a river had been compressed in a tea pot. At the end of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s sermon, he announced that the name Dar-us-Salam was being proposed as the name for the Center. Glory be to Allah, what a lovely name is being given. May Allah bring it about and prove it to be eponymously apropos. I have in fact chosen this moniker as the title of this essay. And from now on, Insha’Allah [Allah-willing], this is the name I will use for it.

Following the sermon, the Friday congregational prayer was performed in the leadership of Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Many people, all over the whole world, remain impressed by his soulful and endearing recitation of the Holy Quran. All the same, though, on this occasion, his recitation created an altogether rapturous atmosphere. After the prayer, the women organization served a luncheon. In the meal were palau [a savory rice dish], korma [a South Asian dish where meat or vegetables are braised in a rich, mild gravy made from yogurt, nuts, and spices], yogurt and cucumbers, mixed. Everything was delicious. The drinks included Pepsi Cola, lemon and orange squash, all in abundance. Once people had finished dining, everyone gathered together again and took their seats, at which time Jamila Khan took hold of the microphone. Right away, she read aloud the innumerable congratulatory messages of appreciation that had been received from every corner of the world. Following that, she introduced all the guests—name-by-name—who had arrived from abroad, introducing them to the members of the local Ahmadiyya Movement chapter. After that, with Doctor Saeed Ahmad presiding over the function, each one of the guests from abroad addressed the audience with the help of the microphone.

During the function, many women volunteers of the local Ahmadiyya Movement chapter served those in the audience with hot tea and cookies. This series of speeches and expressions of appreciation continued well into the evening. And the enthusiastic and zealous speeches by many of the speakers set the tone of the evening.

— Excerpt from Kuch Yaadain, Kuch Baatain (i.e. Some Memories, Some Conversations), a compilation of essays by Razia Faruqui.

Second Day of the Convention — August 28, 1982

For the second day of the convention, a big hall at some distance from Dar-us-Salam had been rented for the whole day. The quality of speeches throughout both sessions that day was exceptionally high. A midday break had been scheduled for partaking of a meal and for performing the Zuhr and Asr prayers. Among the speakers were Nazir-ul-Islam, Allah Baksh, Maulana Jaggoe, and Razia Faruqui. The session concluded with the speech of Doctor Saeed Ahmad and a prayer that was led by him.

Razia Faruqui has captured a complete account of the proceedings in the essay titled as follows

وَاَدْخِلْنَا فِیْ دَارَالسَّلَام

(The above Arabic phrase literally translates as: “And Admit us into the Abode of Peace“)

and what follows is an excerpt from that essay:

After that, Jamila Khan requested Doctor Saeed Ahmad to give a talk. His talk today, one in English, began with the Quranic verse.

وَلْتَكُنْ مِّنْكُمْ اُمَّةٌ یَّدْعُوْنَ اِلَی الْخَیْرِ وَ یَاْمُرُوْنَ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَ یَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِؕ وَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ

And from among you there should be a party which invites good and enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. And these are the people who are successful.

(Holy Quran—3:104)

After translating the Arabic, he said that this was the verse from the Holy Quran which serves as the foundation of our Ahmadiyya Movement mission. And so it was that he articulated three essential principles of the Movement’s mission:

1. Inviting others to righteousness.
2. Accepting and embracing everything that is righteous and truthful.
3. Stopping others from that which is wrong.

In the end, Doctor Saeed Ahmad thanked everyone who had taken care of him. That may Allah the Most High bless them all with His Mercy and blessings, and that he (Doctor Saeed Ahmad) was going to return to his homeland taking with him those well wishes and thoughtful prayers.

السلام علیکم و رحمۃ اللہ و برکاتہٗ

May Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you

It was with this heart-melting and endearing speech as well as his prayer that this two-day long function came to a successful conclusion.

الحمدﷲ رب العٰلمین

All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds

Evening was now approaching. We swiftly set about cleaning the hall, putting everything in its place, following which we returned to Dar-us-Salam. Everyone had tea, following which we performed our Maghrib and Isha prayers, after which a series of informal conversations began anew.

Congregational Prayers in Dar-us-Salam, and Series of Lectures

During the Convention, and in the following days—all the while that Doctor Saeed Ahmad stayed in Dar-us-Salam—the practice of congregational prayers and the sermons of the Holy Quran continued. Oftentimes, prior to awakening other guests from slumber, Doctor Saeed Ahmad would go to the hall and give the azan out aloud. Slowly, everyone would gather and perform the prayer in his leadership, and in this way they were able to benefit from his heartfelt and soulful recitation, as well as benefit from his insights into the Holy Quran.

In her essay titled From the Past to the Present, Razia Faruqui has shed a great deal of light on the history of the Ahmadiyya Movement, as well as on its mission of the propagation of Islam. In particular, and in referring to the efforts and striving by Doctor Saeed Ahmad in the area of unifying the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England, she writes:

When the suggestion was presented in 1975 during the Ahmadiyya Movement convention in London that the United Kingdom chapter ought to sever its ties with the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters based in Lahore, we all were dumbstruck and put into a state of consternation. And the late Aziz Ahmad had immediately gone on the stage and strongly opposed that suggestion.

At that time, the Hand of God had brought forward Doctor Saeed Ahmad, our present Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement, and like the brave mujahid that he is, he opposed that harmful suggestion in a later meeting. Thanks to God that the suggestion was defeated. Later on, it was Doctor Saeed Ahmad who began the work of organizing the present chapter in the UK. Another sign of the abundant blessings of Allah is that Jamila [Khan]—our highly qualified, sincere, and tireless worker, our sister—was chosen to be the president of our chapter. From that time to the present day, it is exclusively the tireless efforts of Jamila Khan and her sincere striving that have borne fruit in the form of our present day Center.

Last year, our present day Ameer—Doctor Saeed Ahmad—once again appealed for funds to finance the purchase of a building to serve as the Center of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s UK chapter. In response to his appeal, one which he had made in San Francisco (USA), the way in which the members of the Movement’s chapter there took up the cause and contributed is eminently laudable. Our dear young member, Noman Illahi Malik, as well as other members, donated generously, making it possible for our chapter here [in the UK] to purchase a building. Therefore, our president (Jamila Khan), our secretary (Shahid Aziz), and our active imam (Muhammad Anwar), as well as the efforts by other members over an entire year of searching for such a location, this present building—the name Dar-us-Salam has been suggested for it—is now before you. I welcome Doctor Saeed Ahmad, Allah Baksh, Nazir-ul-Islam, as well as all elders, the youth, the men and the women. I congratulate Jamila Khan, Shahid Aziz, Muhammad Anwar, and all members of the UK chapter. Finally, a spark has emerged from the golden ashes of our past, and it now glows brightly. May Allah cause its glow to reach far and wide, and cause its luster to grow. Amen.

— Excerpt from Kuch Yaadain, Kuch Baatain (i.e. Some Memories, Some Conversations), a compilation of essays by Razia Faruqui.

A Special Meeting with Members in the Netherlands

The differences between the various chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement in the Netherlands, and the mutual grievances between the members, could have become damaging to the wholeness of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Therefore, it was the vision of Doctor Saeed Ahmad to engage in conversations with the representatives of the chapters in the Netherlands and thereby resolve their differences. To this end, he first of all spoke individually with each member and advised them, and then, in the presence of Muhammad Anwar (the imam of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in London), he met them all together. Doctor Saeed Ahmad began the special meeting with a recitation from the Holy Quran, a brief talk, followed by advice. He writes about it as follows:

Everyone makes mistakes. The Promised Messiah has said: “Do not waiver and vacillate after being of the true ones.” I gave a small talk on this subject, and in referring to the grievances of [Maulana] Jaggoe and Noor Sardar, I made an impassioned plea to them. [Maulana] Jaggoe cried profusely. [Abdus] Santoe was also affected. Everyone felt it. Allah made my task easy. I said to Noor Sardar: “You are younger; you should move forward to meet him; he is older, and it is his right to be treated with respect and deference.” The two embraced each other. I said: “Now you should put together a program. I will, Insha’Allah [Allah-willing], come to the Netherlands. You should invite [the members of] all chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement to one location, and you should always join hands in your work; our sorrow will thereby be reduced. We will gain strength.”

Then they continued mutual consultation and proposed a program to perform the Friday congregational prayer on September 10, 1982, and to gather on the following two days, being a Saturday and a Sunday. Which city to meet in would be decided at that time. Evidently, the meeting would be held on September 12, 1982. May Allah make it a blessed one, and may He also bless me in fulfilling this undertaking, granting me strength.

Meeting of the Executive Committee in England

The special meeting of the Executive Committee of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England was convened on September 3, 1982, a Friday. Doctor Saeed Ahmad, Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad, Noman Illahi Malik, Muhammad Anwar, the officers of the local chapter, and a few other members participated in it. Among the matters that were decided during the meeting included plans for extending connections among the Ahmadiyya Movement; monthly donations; arrangements for the education and daily prayers for children in the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters; and strategies as well as suggestions for payments of the monthly mortgage on the Center. Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad presented an eminently sensible and helpful proposal in connection with the payment of the mortgage in that units of £100 should be established and then all chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement should be approached to take on the responsibility of those units and make good on their payment within a year. And that every individual should pledge to take responsibility for at least one unit and possibly more, or otherwise more than one individual could collectively take on the one unit consisting of £100 and make good on that within a year. In presenting this proposal, Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad immediately pledged to take up the responsibility of two units, and in this way the foundation was laid down for acting on the proposal.

A few decisions related to the practical use of the Dar-us-Salam building were also made: The lodging of the imam, the mosque, the office of the imam, and two rooms would be dedicated for guests. And the remaining rooms should be rented out there by serving as a reliable source of income to make the mortgage payments on the Center. And also that arrangements with the tenants ought to be conducted especially cautiously. In addition to that, it was also decided that if guests were to stay for an extended period of time, then they would be responsible for paying rent. And on other occasions, even if guests stay for a short duration, their making rent payments would be appreciated.

Trip to the Netherlands

On September 10, 1982, Doctor Saeed Ahmad performed the Friday congregational prayer in the Hague in the Netherlands, following which he met with members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter, and an exchange of ideas took place on many needful organizational matters. A few members were not in agreement with the selection process, and they did not accept the selection of the newly elected president. He advised them to take a middle road in that they should for the time being accept and ratify the selection of the president for one year instead of the two years; that new lists should be compiled in the coming year; and that those members alone should be included in that list who remained regular in the payment of monthly donations, who regularly participate in congregational prayers, and who take interest in the activity of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter. The selection process should be formulated by keeping these principles in mind, and those officers ought to be selected who seek to serve Islam, rather than merely seeking office positions. All members gladly accepted the decision.

Convention in The Hague

The convention was convened under the auspices of the Netherland federation on September 12, 1982 in the same big hall in which the convention had been held the previous year. One after another, the speakers gave talks of high caliber and which were replete with convincing arguments. In the end, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was invited to give the closing talk. 

The audience listened to his hour-long talk with rapt attention. It included the subject of spending one’s wealth in the way of Allah. He made mention of the historic importance of the Ahmadiyya Movement Center in London; the matter of making good on paying off the mortgage on the loan that had been taken out to purchase it; and the plan to set up a printing press in London. He encouraged everyone to keep in mind the International position of the aforesaid Center, and for all chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement throughout the world to take part in solidifying its existence as well as in benefiting from it. He said:

At this time, I do not wish to put you in any trial by immediately asking you to make donations. Rather, I wish to clarify its plan of action whereby the Ahmadiyya Movement would move forward with units of £100, and pledge and announce however many units they are willing to take the responsibility for, and give me a list before my departure.

Immediately answering the call of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, the members in the audience immediately announced the units of £100 that they were pledging. This session concluded at approximately 6:00 PM with a prayer.

In fulfilling the wishes of Maulana Jaggoe and the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Utrecht to spend the night at his residence, Doctor Saeed Ahmad went with him. Right up till approximately 11:00 PM, he engaged with them in the exchange of ideas. He felt satisfied on sensing a distinct and promising transformation and sincerity among the members.

On September 14, 1982, the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapters from Utrecht and The Hague bid a fond farewell to Doctor Saeed Ahmad at the airport, and then he was on his way to London.

Eid ul-Adha in Dar-us-Salam, London

Relying on calculations that had been made with the help of a computer, the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England ascertained September 27, 1982 as the first day of the lunar calendar, and designating it for the Eid ul-Adha, they sent invitations to all members in England. But later, it was learned that other people would be observing Eid ul-Adha on September 28, 1982. Some members within the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England were not in agreement about the date designated by their own chapter. But now it was no longer convenient to change the designated day. Therefore, Eid ul-Adha was observed in Dar-us-Salam on September 27, 1982. Approximately 60 individuals participated. Following the prayer and sermon of the Eid, guests were served with lunch, which Arjumand Bano had personally prepared. Riffat Shahid had prepared a sweet dish made from carrots, which further increased the enjoyment of the guests. Everyone was immensely pleased. Most guests departed after the Zuhr prayer.

Establishment of an Office

The arrangements for establishing an office for the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England in Dar-us-Salam were completed on that blessed occasion of Eid ul-Adha. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

People began to depart around 2:00 PM, but many stayed till much later. Through the efforts of Aziz Ali, Faiz Khan, as well as a couple of other youth over a period of two hours, the room across from the mosque area, a bed and a wardrobe in particular, were cleared out; suitable bookshelves were brought from the godown for housing books; a table and chairs were set forth; and all the books scattered around the building were consolidated in this room, giving shape to the office. It was my wish that Dar-us-Salam—as an official Center—be seen in active use while I was still there, and for that, an office was the first requisite. I had expressed this wish a few times. These people rose to the occasion and fulfilled my wish. And during the day or two while I am still here, I will finalize it for use by [Muhammad] Anwar. Every wish of mine that is for betterment, may Allah fulfill it.

It was approximately 5:00 PM. Sensing the impatience being displayed by the gathered people for tea, I said that the final task to be performed by this blessed gathering ought to be the observance of prayer. So the Zuhr and Asr prayers were combined and performed in the mosque.

Important Meetings

Immediately after the arrival of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, in England, Jamila Khan had submitted to him a dossier containing all details related to the purchase of Dar-us-Salam. Those he had thoroughly studied. Prior to his travel to the Netherlands, and after his return, he had held detailed discussions with the members, and met with the Executive Committee members. Decisions were made during that process. Nonetheless, it was his wish that prior to his departure from England, all matters should be in a finalized and clear state, leaving no doubt regarding any aspect. Even during the day of the Eid ul-Adha, he had an hour-long meeting with the president of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England, Jamila Khan.

On October 2, 1982, a Saturday, Doctor Saeed Ahmad went in the company of Muhammad Anwar—the imam of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England—to meet Jamila Khan. Among the subjects on which a final and definitive discussion took place were Dar-us-Salam; the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England; the duties of the imam; the lawsuit involving the Ahmadiyya House, etc.

An important legal ruling had been made in connection with the lawsuit involving the Ahmadiyya House: Two days ago, a request had been received from the office of the Attorney General, along with a note. In light of that development, it was decided that it would be best to get legal advice from a lawyer; that this matter ought to be presented before a solicitor; and that this matter should be resolved outside the courtroom in an honorable and befitting manner to bring closure to the lawsuit.

Arrival in Pakistan

Departing from London on October 3, 1982, Doctor Saeed Ahmad arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan on October 4. He then traveled to Abbottabad. After spending a few days there, he arrived in Lahore on October 13, 1982, safe and sound.