Hayat-e-Saeed

The Trip to Europe, the United States, and the West Indies (July — October 1984)

The Aim of the Trip

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

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ 

بِسْمِ اللہِ تَوَّکَلْتُ عَلَی اﷲِ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاﷲِ اَلْعَلِیِّ الْعَظِیْمِ۔

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

In the name of Allah, I have put my trust in Allah, and there is neither power nor strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Great.

July 7, 1984. Dar-us-Saeed, Abbottabad. The entire day was spent preparing for the trip. [My son] Ikram [Saeed] also came from Debgaran later in the evening to bid farewell to me. I am taking up this journey by relying on Allah.

Solicitous requests continued to be made—and over a long period of time—for me as well as for other delegates to participate in the upcoming six day-long convention in Suriname, following which the opening of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter’s mosque and center would take place. [Becoming aware of this, and] Considering this as a timely opportunity, friends [members of the Ahmadiyya Movement] in the United States as well as my relatives who live there, have also requested me to join them in a six day-long convention, one which they are organizing to take place at the end of August. Then there is the request from Fiji. The construction of their magnificent mosque is nearing completion. Its opening is scheduled for the end of September. All chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement abroad are acutely worried about the grave problems faced by the Ahmadiyya Movement chapters in Pakistan, problems which have arisen as a result of the [Presidential] Ordinance, number 20, that was issued on April 26, 1984 [by the Government of Pakistan.] As a result, it has become exceedingly important to meet the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapters in London and in the Netherlands; it has become essential to put together a course of action for dealing with such problems in the future. These are the factors which leave no choice for me except that I take this daring step to travel abroad, despite my advanced age; despite my weakened health, from whichever aspect you look at it; and despite the fact that my presence is essential within this country [Pakistan.] Moreover, even the elders of the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters [in Lahore] and I have contemplated [and arrived at the conclusion] that my doing so has become inevitable.

Beginning of the Journey

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

July 9, 1984. Accompanied by prayers and enveloped in soulful states of the heart, I have finally begun my journey today, on July 9, 1984, and—I am aboard British Airways flight number 222—at this time, I am jotting down this diary entry.

One thing—a strange manifestation of the abundance of Divine intervention—is that Ehsan-ul-Haq Chaudhry, too, has finally decided to accompany me. He has determined to accompany me for nearly the entirety of my journey, and got his travel arrangements finalized. Arjumand Sadiq’s mother—Latif-un-Nisa—has also decided to travel to London on the same flight. After getting special permission at the airport, [my son] Muhammad Saeed also came and, without any exertion on my part, he took care of the complicated process of checking in. I did not have to exert myself in the least.

Another matter—that, too, a manifestation of the abundance of Divine intervention—took place wherefore, on the advice of Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad, the boarding pass that was purchased for me happened to be for a seat in the J class [of the airplane cabin.] It is approximately 25 to 30% more expensive than a boarding pass for the economy class, but its facilities and comfort are more than 100%.

England

During his stay of a few days in England, Doctor Saeed Ahmad met with members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter, took part in the Friday congregational prayer, and participated in an essential meeting. In particular, he made the members of the chapter aware of the details of the grave situation in Pakistan—a direct result of the enforcement of the new Presidential Order—and how it was impacting the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapters in that country. Speaking during the meeting from this point of reference, he urged the members to prepare a constructive plan of action on which to base future decisions. He presented in particular the suggestion to survey and ponder over the matter of publishing and disseminating the literature of the Ahmadiyya Movement in England.

Travel to the West Indies

Trinidad, July 24, 1984

The first destination of Doctor Saeed Ahmad in the West Indies was Trinidad. Traveling en route from New York, Philadelphia, and Miami—accompanied by Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad and Tahira Fazl-e-Ahmad—he arrived in Trinidad. The function took place in the evening in the mosque. Before the afternoon was over, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was able to meet many members of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s chapter in Trinidad. In clarifying the objective of his coming to Trinidad, he told them that an especially important goal before him was to survey whether this chapter was prepared for unification with the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters. And with that, he extended the proverbial olive branch of peaceableness, with the ideal before him being that of reunification. 

The function was inaugurated in the mosque. In addition to the speeches by a few members of the local chapter, Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad, Tahira Fazl-e-Ahmad, and Zafar Abdullah also gave talks. Zafar Abdullah had brought with him three or four bundles of newly published books by the Ahmadiyya Movement. (The Movement’s chapter in the United States had begun publishing books of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Also, The Islamic Review magazine was being published.) A handful of books in the English language—Ahmadiyyat In The Service Of Islam, and The Founder Of The Ahmadiyya Movement—had been published in a new and excellent format. Zafar Abdullah presented copies of these books as a gift, along with a set of The Islamic Review magazine issues. He also encouraged the audience to subscribe to The Islamic Review magazine on a regular basis.

In his speech, Doctor Saeed Ahmad mentioned the spirit of sacrifice, unity, and strong resolve demonstrated by the members of the Movement’s chapters in Pakistan in the face of the extremely hostile circumstances prevailing in the country. He also mentioned the past Annual Convention in Pakistan, one that was attended in large numbers. Finally, he mentioned various plans of progress that were under way.

While mentioning the dangers faced by the members of the Movement’s chapters in Pakistan, he made the audience aware of the incident involving the destruction of the kalimah tayyiba that had adorned the mosque in Abbottabad. He narrated a poem—The Precious Stones—which his son Abdul Karim Saeed had composed. It was a moving poem, and many in the audience listened to it with teary eyes. Doctor Saeed Ahmad declared the convention as a highly encouraging one.

Guyana

When Doctor Saeed Ahmad arrived in Guyana, on July 25, 1984, his hosts took him to the mosque under construction, where work was ongoing on the mosque’s dome. A few other aspects of the work were also incomplete, ones requiring significant time and funds. Doctor Saeed Ahmad lauded the effort and told them: “You will need to populate such a grand mosque and fill it with worshipers.”

His stay in Guyana was for only one day. During his meeting with members of the local Ahmadiyya Movement chapter, he elaborated from the viewpoint of the Presidential Ordinance that had been enforced in Pakistan, and he also satisfactorily answered the numerous objections raised by the audience. Despite that, and on the whole, no prominent signs of cooperation were apparent from the chapter in Guyana.

Suriname

On July 26, 1984, the welcome extended to Doctor Saeed Ahmad and the other delegates was especially exemplary. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

Our airplane landed at the airport in Paramaribo. A couple of hosts were standing near the airplane. One of them was Tayyab Ali Ahmad, who had influence within the government in power. The other individual was an official with protocol. It was learned that he was of the Hindu faith. He took the briefcase from me with great respect. Then we were taken to the VIP lounge. Members of the committee were present there. One lady, [Mary] Ghafoerkhan—an individual with an imposing personality—was also present. They placed large garlands of flowers around my neck, and similarly a garland each for Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad, Tahira Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad, Zafar Abdullah, and his friend Rahman. They took our passports, etc., for processing, which took a significant amount of time. We continued to wait. When we emerged from the airport, a very large number of people were standing outside in two rows. The hall, too, was packed. They greeted us with garland after garland and the showering of flower petals. It is the custom of these people to express their sincerity in the extreme. Baidar and Hafiz Sher Muhammad had also come. Each individual gave me a hug. In this way, a lot of time passed as I hugged each one of the innumerable people. Finally, we departed in the air-conditioned car of Rasheed Peirkhan.

Mosque

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

He (Rasheed Peirkhan) first took us to the mosque, saying that people would be waiting there for us. Much like the situation earlier (at the airport), similar circumstances—or rather, to an even more pronounced degree—awaited us there in that a huge number of people were present, converging in a massive, serpentine formation. The greetings began. That process took a long period of time indeed. The mosque was dazzling in lights, and an amazing spectacle came into view. They have constructed a [truly] beautiful and magnificent mosque. It is a sign of this nation’s resolve. My temperament is such that formalities do not please me much. Nonetheless, in light of the circumstances that currently prevail in Pakistan, this was a [starkly different, and] strange spectacle. Whichever verses were at the forefront of my mind at that time, they constantly remained on my lips, and my heart was bowing down in prostration before God; His mercies being my predominant sentiment; the fatigue of the journey was dispelled. The merciful treatment of this humble man by Allah the Most High is such that giving thanks for it is beyond my capacity. Nonetheless, the words

سُبْحَانَ اﷲِ وَ بِحَمْدِہٖٖٖ سُبْحَانَ اللہِ الْعَظیْمِ

Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him. Glory be to Allah, the Almighty.

were on my lips.

رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ؕ اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ السَّمِیْعُ الْعَلِی

Our Lord, accept from us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the Most High.

Mary Ghafoerkhan’s Written Statement

After referencing the following Quranic verses 

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ ٱلْبَرِيَّةِ

Those who believe and do good, they are the best of creatures (Holy Quran—98:7)

جَزَآؤُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًۭا ۖ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِىَ رَبَّهُۥ

Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of perpetuity wherein flow rivers, abiding therein for ever. Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord (Holy Quran—98:8)

Mary Ghafoerkhan then writes:

My husband (Khalil) and I are among those individuals who were fortunate enough to meet and get to know Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Our Ameer, whom we lovingly used to call Janji, came to Suriname three times.

On the second of those occasions, he came to participate in the 50-year celebrations of the foundation of SIV [Surinaamse Islamitische Vereniging]. But it is about his visit to Suriname in the July of 1984 that I wish to say a few things. On that occasion, he had come to grace the inaugural functions in connection with our grand mosque in Keizerstraat. 

In connection with the supervision of organizing the opening of the mosque, a committee was put together under the leadership of Rasheed Peirkhan, a committee of which I was the secretary. I was present at the airport along with my husband to welcome Doctor Saeed Ahmad and other arriving guests. And it is our good fortune that Doctor Saeed Ahmad and Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad traveled in our car from the airport to Paramaribo.

That moment—I can recall it vividly in all its details even today—when the gloriously illuminated mosque of ours came into the view of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, upon which the following words spontaneously emerged from his lips: “Mashallah, you have constructed an eminently grand mosque.”

That spectacle was a source of joy for both Doctor Saeed Ahmad and Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad. His joy was particularly evident when he sighted the words Ahmadiyya Movement Isha’at-e-Islam alongside SIV on the main facade of the mosque. It was an immensely emotional moment for him. His heart was filled with the sentiments of the longing for viewing that very same name, and for which he had continuously strived and exerted himself to the utmost.

It was for the attainment of this special objective that Doctor Saeed Ahmad had [in the past] toured the length and breadth of Suriname, motivating people to remain associated with the Ahmadiyya Movement, and inspired in them the zeal for doing so. All his striving and efforts had finally come to fruition, and he saw this sight with his own eyes, seeing the aforementioned inscription on the main facade of the mosque. We are indebted to him for bringing the Ahmadiyya Movement to life in Suriname.

May Allah the Most High grant him a great reward for all his striving and for guiding us. Amen.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad and other delegates stayed at the grand, palace-like residence of Rasheed Peirkhan.

July 27, 1984 — An Intensely Busy Day

An especially packed schedule awaited Doctor Saeed Ahmad on Friday, July 27, 1984. On the previous night, his host had conveyed to him the details of the schedule: Participation in a function to be hosted in the presidential house, meeting with the President of Suriname, the Friday congregational prayer, and a detailed session in the evening. So all these activities awaited him.

Function at the Presidential House

Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself writes:

We arrived at the grand residence of the President of Suriname at precisely 10:00 AM on Friday. Many [other] members of the Ahmadiyya Movement had [also] been invited. The leaders of all other religions had also been invited. Habib Naimat, the president of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Suriname as well as another elder—Rozan Sahib—were both to receive gold medals in recognition of their services. Everyone stood in [neat] rows for the medal-awarding ceremony, which was the first one to take place. The wife of the President awarded the medals. After congratulatory remarks, etc., a brief talk was delivered by the Roman Catholic bishop; then by the leader of the Sanathan Dharam; then by the religious leader of Arya Samaj; and finally by the Protestant priest. The Arya Samaj leader also read aloud some verses of the Vedas. Everyone placed emphasis on mutual tolerance between adherents of the various religions. I had not been asked to give a talk. At any rate, getting a sense for the nature of this function, the idea arose in my heart that I might be called upon to say a few words, and in fact I felt motivated to do so. Therefore, when I was introduced by the president—he was a Hindu who evidently hailed from the province of Punjab in India and had come to Suriname and subsequently settled down—I stepped forward and shook his hands, and impelled by my heart, I spontaneously began a brief talk. I said, in referring to the leaders of other religions, that the topic of our convention was World Brotherhood and Fraternity, and that Islam has been at the forefront of teaching the lesson of tolerance. I then drew the attention of the audience to the following verses of the Holy Quran:

لَاۤ اِكْرَاهَ فِی الدِّیْنِ

There is no compulsion in religion. (Holy Quran—2:256)

تَعَالَوْا اِلٰی كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَیْنَنَا وَ بَیْنَكُمْ

Come to an equitable word between us and you. (Holy Quran—3:64)

لَكُمْ دِیْنُكُمْ وَ لِیَ دِیْنِ

For you is your recompense and for me my recompense. (Holy Quran—109:6)

And I said that the lack of [observing] tolerance as demonstrated by Muslims in certain countries does not reflect the teachings of Islam; rather, it is against the regulations of Islam and [the spirit] of the Holy Quran. I thanked the sentiments of well-wishing that had been expressed by the leaders of other religions. At any rate, my friends and I gained satisfaction from my talk. The [Surinamese] President and his wife met us with enthusiasm. The President’s wife told us that she used to live in Wazirabad; and that her mother was still alive, etc. This Hindu lady also met Tahira Fazl-e-Ahmad and I, and had a conversation with us.

Opening of the Mosque

For his talk at the inaugural ceremony of the mosque, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had with him a selection of a few verses from the Holy Quran, ones which contained mention of the construction of the Ka’aba and other mosques. Around 1:00 PM, when Doctor Saeed Ahmad stood up to give his talk, the mosque was packed with worshipers. It seemed as if the huge mosque was filled to capacity. What follows is an excerpt from the writings of Doctor Saeed Ahmad in this regard:

When I recited these verses, Allah the Most High created a distinct, spiritual state in my heart, and [simultaneously] created a unique atmosphere in the mosque, one which cannot be described with mere words. And then, proceeding in that spiritual state, everything that I said at that time, by the grace of Allah, [suffice it to say that] I simply cannot recall any other time that I experienced such ability. O Allah! Such things [really] happen? Your Mercy has no limit. I, a humble and faulty individual; and all this Mercy from You. My Allah! Do continue this treatment of Mercy with me, forever. I am very weak, and you are

 ارحم الرّٰحمین

The Beneficent, the Merciful

جواد الکریم

The Generous, the Beneficent

ربی۔ ربی۔ ربی

My Lord, my Lord, my Lord

This talk of mine was approximately half an hour long. The impact it had on the listeners was evident from their faces. It was later learned that this function and a portion of my speech were being telecast live from the mosque to the television channel. In the end, I told them that some additional aspects of this subject would be a part of my Friday congregational sermon.

Friday Sermon and Prayers

As soon as the inaugural ceremony of the mosque came to a close, preparations began in earnest for the Friday congregational prayer. Raja Muhammad Baidar—he was based in Suriname as the designated missionary—had the honor of giving the first azan ever in the mosque. At the direction of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, the worshipers performed two voluntary rakahs of prayer and then performed the two rakahs of Sunnah prayer. After the second azan, Doctor Saeed Ahmad delivered a pleasant sermon that is assuredly of historic importance.

After the Friday congregational prayer, Raja Muhammad Baidar distributed an introductory pamphlet to the attendees. As soon as they got their hands on their copy of the pamphlet, many people surged toward Doctor Saeed Ahmad, each one with the earnest wish to get Doctor Saeed Ahmad to affix his autograph on their copy of the pamphlet. In this way, a long line of autograph seekers assembled. In his place, Doctor Saeed Ahmad did not turn away anyone so as not to disappoint anyone. In fact, it was with great cheerfulness that he affixed his autograph hundreds of times. Without a doubt, the wish on the part of the Surinamese people was a reflection of their immense love for and devotion to their Ameer—Doctor Saeed Ahmad—and, in turn, Doctor Saeed Ahmad valued their sentiments from the depth of his heart.

A Grand Function

A grand function was organized, and scheduled to take place in a vast hall at 7:30 PM on a Friday. Suriname’s Minister of Education and the Indian ambassador had been especially invited. A sizable number of non-Ahmadiyya Movement Muslims was also present, and many non-Muslims had also been invited. The hall was decked out with 1,000 seats. When the function began, not even a single seat was vacant.

When Doctor Saeed Ahmad was invited to give his opening talk, he spoke on the subject of Tolerance in the Faith of Islam for 15 minutes. The audience liked his talk immensely. In particular, the Education Minister—he was a Hindu by faith—especially lauded it, expressing words of profound approval. A few more talks were also given, following which the function ended with a prayer that was led by Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Informal conversations and socializing continued for a long time.

On his arrival, and learning about the extensive impact schedule on the coming Friday from Rasheed Peirkhan—the extensiveness of the program and the nonstop activities throughout the day—Doctor Saeed Ahmad grew a bit worried, wondering how all that would be accomplished. But thanks to the special assistance from Allah the Most High, the intensely busy day concluded successfully.

To Trinidad by Way of Guyana — Difficulties Encountered on Departure from the Guyana International Airport

During the journey from Suriname to Trinidad, the itinerary had a layover of one hour at the Guyana International Airport. Doctor Saeed Ahmad spent this time at the airport. Members of the local Ahmadiyya Movement chapter came to meet him. After bidding farewell to them, he and his accompanying travelers made their way to board the aircraft. On their way to boarding, and in the process of going through the airport protocol, they encountered an extremely unreasonable airport official, one who left no stone unturned in harassing them. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes about it as follows:

When the time came to board the airplane, we had to deal with an extremely unreasonable official of the Guyanese airport. He harried us at every step. He took Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad and I to a room for the purpose of searching the currency we had on our persons. He searched us. Then he rattled off a series of senseless questions. After that, he [literally] scattered our paper currency everywhere. Intimidated us. Threatened us, and then—in an attempt to weaken our nerves—that “dacoit” officer hurriedly shouted to us: “Go, run, your flight is leaving. Don’t make this mistake again.” With that, he threw our paper currency into my briefcase. At that time, we did not realize that this drama was being staged by him to loot us. All this became clear to us two days later: We were putting our travel belongings in order and noticed that one $100 bill had been stolen from us.

This immensely busy and challenging day for Doctor Saeed Ahmad came to an end when they arrived in Trinidad at 12:00 midnight, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

Engagements in Trinidad

Doctor Saeed Ahmad performed the Friday congregational prayer in the company of the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Trinidad on August 3, 1984. His Friday sermon was aligned with the needs of the time and the place. The audience was positively influenced by his sermon.

After the Friday prayer, to avail himself of some rest, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was hosted at the residence of Zarina Hanif Mohammad. During Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s absence, Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad represented the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters in the meeting, one in which Zafar Abdullah also participated. Positive outcomes emerged from the two hour long meeting and deliberation, and an agreement took place between the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Trinidad and the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters. The Trinidad chapter signaled their readiness to cooperate with the headquarters.

General Convention — A Blessed and Revolutionary Day

Doctor Saeed Ahmad arrived at 6:00 PM to take part in the general session of the Convention. Approximately 150 individuals were present. Enayat Mohammed, the president of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Trinidad, started the proceedings of the Convention with his talk, and read from a prepared statement. He told the audience that in accordance with the decisions made during a meeting of the executive committee, a complete reconciliation had taken place between the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters and its chapter in Trinidad.

That Friday proved to be a revolutionary and especially blessed day for the Ahmadiyya Movement. Its chapter in Trinidad—it had progressively grown distant from the headquarters since 1976, and after 1981 it appeared to be assuming a rebellious and oppositional stance against the headquarters—was today announcing the renewal of its affiliation with the headquarters. 

During his one day stay here prior to his departure for Suriname, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had extended the proverbial olive branch of peace toward them. Additionally, Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad remained in constant touch with Enayat Mohammed, the president of the chapter in Trinidad, engaging in numerous dialogues with him. It was a result of those efforts that the executive committee of the chapter in Trinidad had unanimously decided to extend their full cooperation with the headquarters in Lahore, and had submitted to Doctor Saeed Ahmad a written and signed decision to that effect.

After Enayat Mohammed had given a talk, Doctor Saeed Ahmad gave a brief talk in which he congratulated the chapter in Trinidad on this welcome move. Following the Maghrib and Ishaa prayers, the function continued till 11:00 PM. Numerous talks were delivered, and a presentation consisting of the Promised Messiah’s verses of rhyme was made.

Trip to America — August 14, 1984

In addition to traveling to Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s primary destination in the United States—San Francisco, California, where the center of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in the USA was located—he traveled to many other locations within the USA to meet as many people as possible, and to the extent possible, so as to convince them to become permanent members of the USA chapter, and also to encourage them to participate in the convention of the Ahmadiyya Movement, which was scheduled to take place in San Francisco. Members of his own family happened to reside in the locations to which Doctor Saeed Ahmad traveled as well as other families that associated themselves with the Ahmadiyya Movement, and who had so far not offered their full cooperation to the Ahmadiyya Movement.

Miami (Florida)

The Miami International Airport in Florida is the most suitable port of entry into the United States for anyone traveling from the West Indies. Thus, Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s visit to the United States began with a four day stay in Miami. His hosts there were his granddaughter Farida Ahmad—daughter of the late Muhammad Ahmad—and her husband Tahir Ahmad. Their apartment was an eminently comfortable one, equipped with top-of-the-line furnishing, and located in a beautiful and airy location within the city. It proved to be immensely conducive to restoring his health, which was not good at the time of his arrival. And at the encouragement of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, Farida Ahmad signed the religious pledge form with great eagerness. She also expressed her intention to increase by as many as two or three times the amount of monthly contributions based on expected increase in salary. All this, at the very outset of his US itinerary, was a source of great encouragement for Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Satisfied with the pleasant and pure home life of Farida Ahmad and Tahir Ahmad, Doctor Saeed Ahmad embarked on the journey which was to take him to his next destination.

Houston (Texas)

Doctor Saeed Ahmad stayed in Houston, Texas from August 7 to August 15, 1984. His son Abdulla Saeed had taken up permanent residence in Houston. Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s daughter Ayesha Baig and son-in-law Abdur Rahman Baig and son Zahid Saeed all came to meet him in Houston. In those days, Naeem Ahmad, son of Ahmad Sadiq, was living in Houston. In this way, collectively, a sizable number of people would assemble for the daily congregational prayers as well as for the sermons of the Holy Quran. All those present in Houston signed their religious pledge forms and entrusted them to Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Abdulla Saeed, along with his wife, Anjam Saeed, expressed their intention to participate in the convention which was to take place in San Francisco.

The arrival of Doctor Saeed Ahmad in Houston happened at a time when both of his sons as well as his daughter—each in their own ways—were going through trying times. While the nature of the trials they faced was unique, the needs for the affection-laden meeting with their father for reassurance and for moral support were undoubtedly there. Doctor Saeed Ahmad met each one of them separately, learning from them the details of their unique challenges and circumstances, advising them to face their challenges valiantly, pointing out to them the way forward as relying on the Being of Allah the Most High and seeking guidance from Allah. This proved to be a source of comfort for Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s children.

Columbus (Ohio)

At the residence of Noman Illahi Malik, and staying with him, were his parents as well  as Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad, his wife, and I. In this way, for four days, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was afforded their company in congregational prayers as well as auspicious and pleasant conversations. Noman Illahi Malik had designated one room of his extensive residence for performing prayers. And in that small, homely mosque, Doctor Saeed Ahmad derived comfort, and satisfaction by performing his prayers. Noman Illahi Malik’s valuable and unique collection of books reflected his deep interest in scholarship and religious studies. Doctor Saeed Ahmad acknowledged Noman Illahi Malik’s spirit of sacrifice and solidarity with the Ahmadiyya Movement as well as his lofty character. He signed the religious pledge form and pledged to contribute $400 on a monthly basis. In making mention of this, Doctor Saeed Ahmad remarked about Noman Illahi Malik: “The generosity and philanthropy of Noman is remarkable. It is from the depth of my heart that I pray for him. He is a truly great man.”

Doctor Saeed Ahmad had an extensive meeting with Noman Illahi Malik and Mian Fazl-e-Ahmad in which numerous matters were deliberated, including the important matters of the publication of books in the United States, their storage, the propagation of Islam, etc. Those matters were discussed at a basic level, and suggestions were made.

In addition, an especially important suggestion was brought into consideration, being the creation of zones according to geographical locations: A zone would be created for the European countries and similarly, other zones would be created using best judgment. Detailed minutes of the meeting were written down, and with the view to further deliberation and decision, it was suggested that they be presented in a meeting with the selected representatives and delegates in San Francisco; that a subsequent, more-detailed discussion would take place; and that a decision would be made, based on consensus.

London (Ohio)

At the request of Abdullah Jan, Doctor Saeed Ahmad spent a day with him at his residence in London, Ohio. Matters relating to the Ahmadiyya Movement were discussed. Abdullah Jan and his wife signed the religious pledge forms and, despite their extremely busy schedules, they expressed their willingness to participate in the convention in San Francisco.

San Francisco (California)

Zafar Abdullah had made special arrangements at the San Francisco Airport to receive and welcome Doctor Saeed Ahmad on August 19, 1984. Present to receive him at the airport were the airport manager, a senior official of the San Francisco Police Department, with Zafar Abdullah standing next to them. The former two individuals were representing the City of San Francisco. The airport manager took the baggage claim ticket from Doctor Saeed Ahmad with great respect to claim his baggage on his behalf. Members of the Ahmadiyya Movement were eagerly awaiting him in the lounge outside. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes: “Love and spontaneous joy were shining through on their faces. My sense of fatigue was dispelled.”

A Meeting in the Oakland (California) Mosque

Earlier on, the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in San Francisco had split into two groups. Since then, though, the two groups had united into one. Therefore, it had become possible to convene the Friday congregational prayer as well as the meeting in the mosque. It had been announced following the Friday gathering that a meeting would take place on August 26, 1984, a Sunday, later in the afternoon.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad was feeling markedly unwell in those days as a result of a throat infection that was accompanied by fever. Nonetheless, he participated in the meeting. His participation was essential in that he could help with furthering the establishment of mutual understanding and place it on a sound foundation and enable them to move forward with complete unity and solidarity. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

I performed my Zuhr and Asr prayers. My fever was rather high at this time. Whatever took place following the prayers had in it—prominently so—the Hand of Allah the Most High.

فللّٰہ الحمد

All praise is for Allah.

Decisions were made within the span of two hours which very nearly satisfied all those in attendance. And the way forward for cooperation between the two groups was leveled and made attainable. The friends from the Fiji group were given the religious pledge forms and encouraged to make monthly contributions. They were earnestly asked to participate in Friday congregational prayers. Jaleel offered to give them a key to the mosque. I appreciated his gesture, and doing so was his wish, too. I also expressed a few remarks of appreciation. Actually, it was by way of a hint that I had drawn the attention of Jaleel in the matter of the key to the mosque, a hint which he had taken. This made them, in particular Zafar Abdullah, especially happy. On our way, Zafar Abdullah remarked: “Jaleel has demonstrated a fine example of leadership.”

At that time, I became even more acutely aware of my feverishness. Everyone was happy, and I thanked Allah, and sang His praises in my heart as we traveled in our car. All the weight that had been weighing down my heart was lifted. The success that was made possible by Allah the Most High had exceeded my expectations. At the time of bidding farewells, Nazim Ibn-e-Jaleel and his son-in-law Saurabh, both made pleasant conversation.

Preparation for the Convention

Devotees of the Promised Messiah, having pledged to give preference to matters of faith over worldly matters, were arriving in San Francisco in large numbers. The hosts were enthused by the zeal to fulfill their duties as hosts, while the incoming guests were infused by the spirit of sacrifice. Arrangements were being finalized for the accommodation and the looking after of the expected guests from many states in the USA as well as from Canada. Doctor Saeed Ahmad had already arrived and was, along with the hosts, eagerly awaiting the guests. Despite his physical weakness—in particular his state of feverishness had been a source of concern for him—he was as ever avoidant of giving expression to anything that might disclose his predicament, and he carried himself always with lofty determination. Zakia Zafar Abdullah was his host, and as ever remained diligent about looking after every aspect of his comfort, and eager to serve him. Once his daughter-in-law Anjam Saeed arrived, she took up the duty of looking after Doctor Saeed Ahmad. He writes:

At 9:30 AM, Zakia brought Abdulla [Saeed] and I from the residence of Abdul Sattar to her own residence. Here, in the home office, a comfortable bed is available for me to rest in. We all had lunch together. I led the Zuhr and Asr prayers, and after resting for two hours, I have now woken up. It is at 5:30 PM that I am writing these words, having propped myself up on the bed with a pillow. I am no longer experiencing dizziness. But my body is burning with fever. The heat of the weather outside is also making itself felt. The next two days are a big test for me. It is Allah and his Blessed Being Alone [on whom I rely.]

حَیُّ وَ قَیُّوْم،۔ عَلیٰ کُلِّ شَیٍٔ قَدِیْر، غَفُوْرُ الرَّحِیْمُۙ،  جَوَّادُ الْکَرِیْمُ، بَرُّالرَّحِیْمُ

Ever-living and Self-Subsisting, Who has power over all things, Forgiving, Merciful, Generous, Kind, Merciful.

My Benefactor and Holy Lord, the One Who is my Support, the One Who has always and ever helped me—this week, lonely, fault-ridden, neglectful, and ever-dependent servant—and graciously hidden my shortcomings. This is a matter of the pride of my humble jamaat. O Allah, do not let us go to waste, and bring this boat of ours out of the many vortices, and bring it to the shore in [a state of] peace and wholeness. I am at its helm and this organization—they all having placed their confidence in me, this unworthy individual—and entrusted such a big task to me.

من آنم کہ من دانم

I am that, and that’s how I know

That evening, and throughout the night, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was in the grip of fever and experiencing dizziness. Moreover, he experienced insomnia. But relying on Allah the Most High, he began the next day by leading the Fajr prayer.

The Day of Convention—August 31, 1984—A Historic Day

An account of the San Francisco convention was captured in writing by Doctor Saeed Ahmad under the following title:

A Historic Day in my Life, One in Which the Assistance of Allah the Most High was as Abundantly Clear as the Light of the Day

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ۔ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ۔ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ۔

All praise is for Allah. All praise is for Allah. All praise is for Allah.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

I told Zafar Abdullah that I wanted to rest until the Friday congregational prayer; that I would like to come back and rest again soon after the Friday prayer; and that I would not be able to attend dinner, and in fact, be unable to attend the first few speeches. In this way, may it be that, God-willing, some of my strength will be restored to me and I will be able to give my talk. I spent the majority of the time in my room. But in a house filled with guests, I was able to rest in peace only to the extent as can be imagined.

Once the two goals—leading the Friday prayer and delivering the sermon—had been accomplished with excellence, Doctor Saeed Ahmad went to the residence of Zafar Abdullah, where he rested for sometime. A little while before he was to deliver his speech, Abdul Sattar brought him to the convention area. What follows is an excerpt in this regard from Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s writings:

I arrived in the hall with Abdul Sattar. Before entering, I drank a little bit from the water fountain so as to moisten my throat. I reached the stage through a back door and sat down on the nearest chair. At that time, Masud Akhtar was finishing his talk. It was 9:45 PM. I got 10 minutes to rest. Zafar [Abdullah] handed me a note on a small piece of paper with the message that the Deputy Mayor [of San Francisco] was present as the special guest. His name was Cortez. By that time, I felt that my sense of alertness had been restored. Very few people were in attendance. As soon as I stood up behind the podium, I put my paper down and, with the help of a mini audio recorder,  I started a recording of the talk that I was about to give. Then I invoked the name of Allah and recited the prayer

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِیْ صَدْرِیْۙ۝۲۵ وَ یَسِّرْ لِیْۤ اَمْرِیْۙ۝۲۶ وَ احْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّنْ لِّسَانِیْۙ۝۲۷ یَفْقَهُوْا قَوْلِیْ

My Lord, expand my breast for me. And make my task easy for me. And loosen the knot from my tongue. That they may understand my words. (Holy Quran—20:25-28)

in a loud voice. Then I addressed the Chairman and Mayor Cortez. I gave a customary introduction, after which I explained the prayer that I had recited aloud: That this is the prayer of Moses (peace be upon him), and that it appears in the Holy Quran. Then I narrated its translation. After that, I told the audience that this [prayer] was going to be the subject of my speech; that I had given a talk on this subject in another country in the recent task. The subject is related to the current times. I am going to present my thesis on the subject. And then I began to read aloud from it. But the power of delivery, and the loud voice with which Allah blessed me at that time, would simply not have been possible without Divine assistance. I recited some verses of rhyme in Arabic by the Promised Messiah, and then later on some of his verses of rhyme in Urdu, along with their English translation; Pasha [son, Abdul Karim Saeed] had translated them into English. (I also mentioned that I am not a poet; that it was my son who had offered to translate those verses.) At any rate, my entire speech was completed in approximately 50 minutes. (The concern was that my fatigue might worsen to an unmanageable degree or, God forbid, I might experience dizziness, which would force me to sit down. It was with that possibility in mind that a tall stool was going to be brought in. When I later looked, such a stool was indeed present.) Thanks to Allah, I did not experience any fatigue. After that, Mayor Cortez said a few words. A set of books—a copy of the Holy Quran, and a handful of other books—were presented to him.

Jafar Husain took a few photographs. I had to get myself photographed along with numerous people, especially those from Fiji (currently, Canada), Yasin Sahukhan, his wife, and Amin Sahukhan (brother in law.) After these activities, I did feel some fatigue.

During my drive to the residence, I continuously praised Allah. Immediately upon entering my room, I bowed down on the floor in prostration before Allah to express my thankfulness. My Lord, I am beginning to see with some clarity a reflection of the ways of Your wisdom. My helplessness had reached its limit—especially the condition of my health as well as other problems that were an obstacle at every step of mine—and it is Your Blessed Being alone Who was giving support to my heart, and which came to attend to me in all its glory. How can Your existence and Your power be denied? I am immensely fault-ridden, I am weak. Yet Your Mercy has never left my side.

رَبِّ اِنِّیْ وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّیْ وَ اشْتَعَلَ الرَّاْسُ شَیْبًا وَّ لَمْ اَكُنْۢ بِدُعَآىِٕكَ رَبِّ شَقِیًّا۝۴

My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened and my head has turned hoary with age, and I have never been disappointed in my supplication to You, my Lord. (Holy Quran—19:4)

Those, then, were the words expressed in a state of distress by one of Your prophets, words that can be found in Your Word [the Holy Quran.] You declared him—Zachariah, peace be upon him—to be Your servant. And the extraordinary way in which You attended to him with Mercy; You have mentioned that, too, in Your Word. You have attended to me with Mercy [by helping me overcome forbiddingly difficult circumstances], and done so in an extraordinary way—that is, circumstances which had clearly betokened the impossibility of a task—and many a time. All this despite my being an inveterate sinner, and even though I have not been able to do any justice to [the ideals of] serving You. What name shall I give to this, to Your abundantly bestowing favors on me?

رَبِّ اجْعَلْعَنِیِْ عَبْدًا شَکُوْرًا

My Lord, make me Your grateful servant

(My emotions have led me to diverge somewhat from the actual subject of my diary. Now I shall start again.)

September 1, 1984 — Another Day of Trial

Despite his weak health—on top of which he had undergone the rigors of significant physical and mental exertion the previous day—Doctor Saeed Ahmad chose to preside over the business meeting of the Ahmadiyya Movement on September 1, 1984. This meeting was convened in a hotel. Thanks to the special mercy of Allah the Most High, he was able to carry out with excellence his duty of presiding over the meeting. The first session of the meeting went on for a full five hours. It was followed by a brief break. A second session then began, and went on for another two hours. All matters under deliberation were addressed during the meeting in a positive way.

In addition to the organizational aspects, another important factor was that of the publication of the Ahmadiyya Movement literature, and the deliberation over all of its pragmatic aspects. Zafar Abdullah had expressed his willingness to take on the responsibility of this difficult task. It was decided that this matter would be presented before the Movement’s headquarters and that a final decision would be made thereafter.

Once all other proceedings of the meeting had been addressed, Doctor Saeed Ahmad once again made an appeal for contributions to the Ahmadiyya Movement Center in London so as to enable the paying off of the loan which had been taken out for the purchase of the building which housed Dar-us-Salam. Moved by his heartfelt appeal, the meeting participants contributed generously. The most prominent demonstration of sacrifice of all was displayed by Anjam Saeed and Nasira Malik, who, respectively, donated five and six bangles which they were wearing on their wrists. When summed up—including the approximate value of the donated bangles and the cash donations—a total of $18,000 was collected. Moreover, a majority of the attendees submitted their signed forms of religious pledge, and a few members had the honor of taking the religious pledge at the hands of Doctor Saeed Ahmad.

Another Important Meeting — September 4, 1984

In an important meeting of the board members of the Movement’s USA chapter, Malik Ijaz Illahi and Abdulla Saeed also participated. Doctor Saeed Ahmad inaugurated the meeting with a prayer and some words of advice.

During the meeting, certain opposing views came up, but the conclusion was a positive one, and constructive decisions were made. Selection of office holders took place. Following that, Doctor Saeed Ahmad clarified that the apportioning of the office positions was with a view to the goal of dividing the work to be accomplished; that decisions in general ought to be made on the basis of consensus majority; that acting on those decisions would be the best way to move forward; and that the progress of the Ahmadiyya Movement as well as its solidarity depend on this approach. He strongly advised all members to embrace the approach.

Washington, DC

With the goal of the anticipated meetings with his relatives, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had—in the time that would become available after his stay in San Francisco and before he was to depart for England—made allowance in the itinerary for spending a few days in Washington, DC and surrounding areas, and reserved a seat for himself on the flight back from New York to London. But soon after arriving in San Francisco, and taking into account some recommendations made to him about their proposed alterations to his itinerary—at the convenience of others rather than his own—he began to sense the challenges in the reformulated itinerary. And given his sensitive temperament, he began to feel a bit irritated, and very nearly decided to give up this reformulated itinerary when a telephone conversation the next morning restored to him his peace of heart and erased all worries and doubts. According to him [starting with this pair of verses of rhyme in Farsi]:

The worries of our work take on a life of their own;

But our Helper Himself is behind the scenes, arranging and sorting out all our works.

Actually, this telephone call was from his grandson, Shahid Ahmad. When Doctor Saeed Ahmad told him about the complications and his intention to cancel the trip to Washington DC, Shahid Ahmad most insistently requested him to maintain his planned itinerary, and moreover, offered to take the responsibility of all stages of the itinerary, starting with the stay in Washington, DC, and all the way to his departure from New York. In mentioning the difficulties associated with making the proposed alterations to his itinerary and its various stages—plus the additional expenses that would be incurred—Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself writes:

My heart was kind of weighed down. Lying in my bed, as these thoughts were becoming a source of chaos and distress in my heart, my soul vehemently scolded me, and reprimanded me: What good is it that you have [in the past years] read Mirqat-ul-Yaqeen [a biography of Maulana Nur-ud-Din], admiring it greatly? Why do you not trust Allah? Spontaneously, my heart regained its state of calmness. And on account of my shortcomings, I began despising myself. I said istighfar and slept for about an hour.

He further writes:

Shahid Ahmad called from Virginia and inquired about my [travel] program. When I told him the situation, he began to insist with great intensity that I must keep my [travel] program. I tried to excuse myself as much as I could, but he continued to argue… And once again, I fell into deep thought. May Allah the Most High guide me toward making the best decision.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad decided to keep his original travel plans, and after attending to all the duties related to his stay in San Francisco, he traveled to Washington, DC.

Eid-ul-Adha in Washington, DC

Doctor Saeed Ahmad arrived in Washington, DC on September 5, 1984. The following day was the blessed day of Eid-ul-Adha. In addition to Shahid Ahmad, two other grandsons of Doctor Saeed Ahmad—Ahmad Shaukat and Muhammad Shaukat—came and stayed at the residence of Shahid Ahmad as guests. Doctor Saeed Ahmad performed the Eid-ul-Adha with his three young grandsons in the back of the house. Shahid Ahmad himself prepared the meals—barbecued kebab and other items—that morning. This Eid was most refreshing for Doctor Saeed Ahmad, in particular because he got the opportunity to discuss with them the matters and challenges of the Ahmadiyya Movement as well as to encourage them to remain associated with the Movement. Muhammad Shaukat signed the religious pledge form, whereas Ahmad Shaukat and Shahid Ahmad had already had the good fortune of doing so in the past.

A Solitary Friday in Washington, DC

September 7, 1984 was a Friday. Shahid Ahmad had left for work and there was no possibility for him to come home for the Friday congregational prayer. Doctor Saeed Ahmad was all alone in the house. What follows is an excerpt in this regard from the writings of Doctor Saeed Ahmad:

I attended to my grooming and took a bath. Sorted out my travel belongings. Regarding the Friday prayer, I remembered a Friday from a time after the violent turmoil—the Ahmadiyya Movement had been its target—during the year 1953 [in Pakistan.] At that time, when I arrived in Dadar after four months, there was not even a single soul who would join me for the Friday congregational prayer. So I had performed the Friday prayer alone. Then Allah once again blessed me with company. Today, in a likeness to that day, I performed a solitary Friday prayer. I do not have the words with which to describe the pleasure, the spiritual satisfaction, and the opportunity to beseech Allah. May Allah accept this ijtihad of mine. I beseeched Allah—in the most plaintive of ways—that may He convey my salaam to that holy individual, the leader of the prophets, our master, Muhammad Mustafa, Ahmad Mujtaba, and inform him of the news of this ijtihad of mine; and this, that my doing so is not a matter of not following his precept and example. This is merely the demonstration and expression of the yearning heart of a poor and solitary traveler. Today, in the words of the shahada and darood—and particularly the opportunity that I got to beseech Allah in the first farz—and the spiritual states that my heart experienced and then my own state, the pain which I feel on account of my weak Ahmadiyya Movement:

I swear by you, my beloved Prophet [Ahmad];

It is for your sake that I carry this heavy load.

— Hazrat Mirza Sahib, the Promised Messiah (from Durr-e-Sameen, a compilation of his verses of rhyme)

Peace also be on the Holy Prophet’s slave—the Promised Messiah, our spiritual leader in this era—to whom the Holy Prophet himself sent his salam, and who [the Promised Messiah] we had the honor of meeting [in person].

He who transforms dust into gold;

If only he would cast a glance on us.

— Hafiz Shirazi.

Visions of the physical eyes of that man of lofty stature [Hazrat Mirza Sahib], the mujaddid [reformer] of this age, are coursing through my imagination at this time.

اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلیٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّبَارِکْ وَسَلِّمْ۔ اِنَّکَ حَمِیْدُٗ مَّجِیْدِ

O God, bless Muhammad, and the family of Muhammad, and bless and grant peace. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.

I had begun the Friday prayer at 12:45 PM. And I was in the second prostration of the last, i.e., second rakah of farz at approximately 1:45 PM when the sounds of Sandy and [her] child fell on my ears. My entire prayer of solitude and secret all came—as did my loneliness—to an end. And in this all, I saw Allah’s Hand of Mercy. All praise is for Allah.

Meetings with Other Relatives

Much as he had promised, Basheer Islam—son of Nazir-ul-Islam—arrived on Friday evening. Doctor Saeed Ahmad got the opportunity to discuss with him in detail the religious services rendered by his late father as well as his dedication to the Ahmadiyya Movement. Doctor Saeed Ahmad encouraged him to sign the religious pledge form and to become a regular member of the Movement. Basheer Islam signed it gladly.

The next day, Shahid Ahmad took Doctor Saeed Ahmad to the home of Ahmad Shaukat. Basheer Islam accompanied them. Ameena [granddaughter of Doctor Saeed Ahmad] and her husband Zaeem, along with their daughters, also came there; the performance of daily prayers in congregation was a source of blessings and happiness for everyone. In particular, the Fajr prayer on Sunday was a source of satisfaction for everyone. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

Last night at 3:30 AM and then exactly at 5:30 AM, I woke up. I felt well at that time. I prepared to pray. Gave the azan [call to prayer.] Ahmi [Ahmad Shaukat] had asked to be woken up. Mickey [Basheer Islam] is staying here for the night. We performed the Fajr prayer, one in which everyone participated: Ahmi, Mickey, Zaeem, Ameena, Mehmoona [wife of Ahmad Shaukat.] It was an especially blessed congregational prayer. I recited Surah Al-Hujurat in the first rakah, and the final section of Surah Al-Hashr in the second rakah. After completing the prayer, I prayed for all my dear relatives and for the Ahmadiyya Movement. By the grace of Allah, the number of relatives [in the United States] is now substantial.

London (England) — September 13, 1984

Doctor Saeed Ahmad returned to London on September 13, 1984. He soon learned that no progress whatsoever had been made in the matter of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s building on Langley Road. The other party in the lawsuit remained unwilling to settle the matter out-of-court. He made yet another effort in this regard and met with a representative of the other party. During that meeting—one in which Doctor Saeed Ahmad mentioned the dilapidated condition of the building as well as the extraordinary expenditures being incurred as a result of the lawsuit that was still going on over a considerable period of time—he also drew their attention to the inevitability of the building sustaining further damage with the passage of time. He remarked that the circumstances were all pointing in that direction and were foreshadowing an utterly complete loss for everyone. And who, then, would be responsible in the eyes of Allah for that loss?

Even his speaking gentle words, his identifying and then laying out the facts of the matter did not turn out to be meaningful enough for the other party in the lawsuit; no aspects of flexibility could be seen in their attitude. Concluding his conversation with the representative of that party, Doctor Saeed Ahmad told the representative that they should consult with others in their party and then let him know of their decision in the matter during the remaining two weeks of his stay here. The man who had come to meet Doctor Saeed Ahmad silently left at that time. And it was simply not possible at that juncture to ascertain what the outcome would be.

A Brief Visit to the Netherlands

On the eve of his departure, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was packing his suitcase. Latif-un-Nisa Sadiq was helping him. Once the suitcase had been packed, a strange awareness impinged on Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s senses, a sensation which he mentioned to Latif-un-Nisa Sadiq. He writes in this regard:

I said to Teefo [Latif-un-Nisa], “Extensive [to the extent of excess] is the baggage that we carry with us.” And then I mentioned the simple ways of my [late] father and my [late] uncle; and I felt the formalities of our present times begin to weigh down on me.

A little before his departure, and while seated at the airport, when Doctor Saeed Ahmad glanced at his suitcase, he realized that the suitcase which he had packed the night before had got left behind at home. And in its place, a similar-looking suitcase had been placed in the car when he had got a ride to the airport. He arranged for that suitcase to be sent home and, relying on Allah, he took with him only his carry-on luggage. Embarking on the journey, there was no grief in his heart at this episode. In fact, he sensed that the weight of the formalities that he had spoken of—the one he had recounted to Latif-un-Nisa—that weight had been lifted off of him. Moreover, Doctor Saeed Ahmad instructed his accompanying traveler, Muhammad Anwar, to not mention to anyone this episode of the suitcases having accidentally gotten switched.

Friday Congregational Prayers in the Mosque in Utrecht (The Netherlands)

In Amsterdam, Doctor Saeed Ahmad spent one night at the home of Keeskemp and his wife, Attiya Lockyer. The next morning, he traveled to Utrecht to take part in the Friday congregational prayer. Then that same night, he traveled to the Hague, where he stayed at the home of Rafiq. He was not feeling too well, so he spent the next day at home. A few members of the Ahmadiyya Movement came to meet him, and he met them briefly.

Convention and Business Meeting — Sunday, September 23, 1984

Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

Today is the day of a stiff trial. Talks to deliver, and an important business meeting with notable members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, are all included in my schedule. On my request, Yahya Butt has come from Berlin [Germany] yesterday, and is staying at the home of Ayyub Hasan in Utrecht. I am also to meet him [Yahya Butt] today. As is usual, the striving of my day today, and the results, are suspended between fear and hope. The program is scheduled to take place in the mosque at 2:00 PM. Because I have been feeling unwell, I have carried out the preparation slowly since the morning. I ate a light meal, and punctually arrived at the mosque at 2:00 PM

Convention

Even before Doctor Saeed Ahmad arrived at the mosque, it was packed with people. As is customary, the attendees welcomed him with garlands of flowers. The Zuhr and Asr prayers were combined, and the convention began immediately after that. After a few introductory talks, it was Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s turn. In his talk, he clarified the importance of cultivating mutual affection and solidarity, and of making it grow in the light of Surah Yusuf. He himself writes in this regard:

In the light of some verses from Surah Yusuf, I clarified, in sequence, the importance of cultivating mutual affection and solidarity, causing it to grow, given the prevailing difficulties as well as the needs of the times. I placed such great emphasis on erasing mutual grievances that my message was not without impact, and [reminded the audience] in the words of the Promised Messiah who had warned of a ruinous fate for those who do not quickly reach out to their fellow humans with the intention of making peace. After that, I asked them to pledge with me that they would, this very day, set aside all [internecine] enmity. Then I asked them to raise their hands [in a symbolic gesture of their pledge] and noticed that the individual who raised his hand before anyone else was Noor Sardar and also Shakoer Hoeseni. Then [I saw that] everyone in the gathering—men and women—was holding their hands aloft. I said to them, Today, you have pledged to me. May Allah help you keep this pledge. I congratulate you, and may you be the inheritors of the favors of Allah. After that, I placed emphasis on the importance of mutual cooperation and helping one another in solving problems.

A Meeting with the Representatives of the Ahmadiyya Movement Chapters in the Netherlands

Representatives of the various chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement in the Netherlands, as well as a few other notable individuals participated in the meeting. On receiving news of the death of the secretary of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter, [Abdus] Santoe sought to excuse himself from attendance. But when Doctor Saeed Ahmad asked him to stay and attend the meeting, he immediately complied and stayed back. The funeral was to take place after two days, and he could attend the meeting and still take part in the funeral with ease. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes about his gladness on the compliance of Abdus Santoe in this regard:

The excellence and swiftness with which he [Abdus Santoe] responded to comply with my request has caused the respect and honor that I have for him to grow further.

The imam of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England (Muhammad Anwar) and the imam of the chapter in Berlin, Germany—Yahya Butt—also participated in the meeting.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad began the meeting with a recitation of Surah Fatihah, along with a prayer, and once again drew the attendees’ attention to mutual affection and unity, and elaborated on the importance of taking the religious pledge. He urged all members to sign the forms of the religious pledge, and entrusted the secretaries of the respective Ahmadiyya Movement chapters with the responsibility of putting this suggestion into action. Everyone liked the suggestion of Doctor Saeed Ahmad to form a zone each for all chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement, according to their respective geographical locations. Three countries in Europe—England, the Netherlands, and Germany—were designated as forming one zone. He then presented the suggestion to select a representative each who would represent their zone in the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters. 

He said that since the chapters in the Netherlands, when tallied, result in an especially big number. So it would be best for one representative to represent this zone in the headquarters. When the members in attendance ran into difficulty with the task of selecting a representative, Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself suggested the name of Abdus Santoe. This selection was ratified by consensus. In light of this decision, various organizational matters and the charting out of a course of action were deliberated upon, and important decisions were made. In the words of Doctor Saeed Ahmad:

This important work was concluded at 8:00 PM. Everyone was satisfied. After a series of conversations, the prayers were combined, and an important day of meetings was successfully concluded.

اَلْحَمْدُلِلہِ ثُمَّ اَلْحَمْدُلِلہِ ثُمَّ اَلْحَمْدُلِلہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنِ

Praise be to Allah; again, praise be to Allah; again, praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

A Special Meeting with Yahya Butt

Doctor Saeed Ahmad had especially requested Yahya Butt to come to the Netherlands for this important meeting. Muhammad Anwar—he was the imam of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in England—was also present in that meeting. Before the conversation started, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had placed his personal mini audio recorder on the table in front of him with the goal of recording the entire conversation. He talked briefly, and then he asked Yahya Butt but to share his thoughts. Listening to all that—the thoughts that Yahya Butt shared and taking in the anger which he vented—and that, too, with composure and patience, was possible for only someone with Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s capacity of tolerance. And it was with that same patience that Doctor Saeed Ahmad replied to all the objections that had been raised. In his own words: “Eventually, sensible decisions were made, ones which will, Insha’Allah, lead to perhaps some slight reduction in our problems. And to the extent possible, I tried to end the dialog on a good note and tenor.”

One More Essential Task

An excerpt from Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s writings:

Apparently, only one other important task remains in my campaigns, one which pertains to the Netherlands. Women, too, were present at home, and together, we all performed our combined prayers. Then, as for the friends here—it was between them that the devil had caused rancorous conflict to fester—and now, thanks to coincidental circumstances, and [moreover] Allah having granted me my wish and caused them all to be gathered here [coincidentally], I summoned them all up to my room upstairs. Rafiq [Abdelrazaq] brought in several portable chairs to my room. Noor Serdar, Shakoor Hoeseni, Shams-ud-Deen, Illahi Baksh, Ghafar, Haji Hassan Muhammad, Rafiq, and Muhammad Anwar were present. I said, Yesterday, during the Convention, you all have expressed your willingness to make peace by the symbolic show of hands. Now I wish for you to [go ahead and] embrace one another. I gave a short sermon in this connection. The gladness with which these people hugged one another was a sight to behold. My host Rafiq Abdelrazaq said that approximately six or seven years ago, he had become unhappy with the Ahmadiyya Movement, and [subsequently] left it. He added that now his heart, too, was at peace; that he was joining the Ahmadiyya Movement again. I was immensely gladdened. All praise is for Allah.

Liberation of Dar-us-Salam (London, England) From All Kinds Of Debt

Doctor Saeed Ahmad returned to London on September 25, 1984. Regarding the liberation of Dar-us-Salam from all kinds of debt—with nobody having any claim over it anymore—what follows is an excerpt from his writing:

September 27, 1984. The time scheduled for the meeting with Mr. Partridge—he was the manager of a bank in Woking—was 11:00 AM. Muhammad Anwar took me in his car. Faiz Khan also arrived punctually. Funds from the United States had already been received. The loan on the Dar-us-Salam building in Wembley was paid off. Approximately £3,900 had to be taken out of the Ahmadiyya Movement bank account.

Thousands of thanks to Allah that I am seeing this blessed day. My humble efforts toward the purchase of the building for the purpose of serving the faith [of Islam] has been fully accomplished. May Allah the Most High shower this building with His blessings. May the work of serving the faith [of Islam] take place from here and continue to progress till eternity. And may our humble Ahmadiyya Movement have the good fortune of all kinds of [goodness in all its] expansiveness. Ameen.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad stayed in London till October 13, 1984. During those days, the meeting of the local Executive Committee, discussions on organizational matters, and meetings with members of the Ahmadiyya Movement continued.

Alas, a peaceable, decisive, and positive outcome did not take place in the matter of the Ahmadiyya Movement house in Tooting, even though it was the earnest wish of Doctor Saeed Ahmad for such an outcome, and toward whose resolution he had exerted tremendous effort. This remained a troubling problem, one which had weighed heavily on him and, alas, a problem whose weight was not lightened in any way.

October 13, 1984 — Journey Back Home

With a view to accompanying his father on his flight back from England to Pakistan, Zahid Saeed had come from the United States to London. In this way, Doctor Saeed Ahmad departed by air on October 3, 1984 with his son, arriving at the Islamabad International Airport in Pakistan on October 4, 1984. Doctor Saeed Ahmad writes:

From the moment that our flight landed, to the time we emerged from the airport, the outwardly manifesting circumstances through which we passed bore clear reflections of the workings of the Hand of Allah the Most High. My heart was suffused with an ecstasy-like state, and the praise of Allah was continuously on my lips. O Allah, these are circumstances which have emerged many times during my life. And especially today—after experiencing the spiritual state and [witnessing] the circumstances—how can Your Existence be rejected? I, humble and weak, where will I find the powers of expression and the words with which to thank You? Doing justice to expressing my gratitude is simply impossible. Since my reservation in the airplane cabin was in the J class, my seating area was adjacent to the first class section. After we had departed from Abu Dhabi, only a couple of passengers were left in the first class section. My seat in the J class section was in the very first row. An hour ago, Zahid, too, had come and seated himself in the row right behind me. We were seated and ready. The flight landed, and we went to the door where only two other passengers from the first class section were standing. Then we climbed down the stairs and saw a small bus waiting nearby. It was reserved for the passengers in first class, and was nearly empty. We climbed aboard. Three other passengers were also aboard. Without any delay, the bus departed, and we reached the checkpoint. Among the very first to reach the counter were Zahid and myself. Nearby in that same hall [to receive us] was [Muhammad] Saeed in [his military] uniform, waiting for us. I gave my passport to the officer who, without even so much as examining it, affixed his signature on a page, stamped it, and gave the passport back to me. The same happened for Zahid and his passport. Pasha had read in some newspaper about how some Ahmadis had then stopped at the airport in Istanbul. Based on that news account, the worried and solicitous advice from Mansur Ahmad [son-in-law], and the recommendation that we ought to arrive in Pakistan at the Karachi Airport; it is a busy airport, and given the crowds, there would be much less investigation, whereas there is the concern that the officials at other airports might harass us. Although these directions had not created much apprehension in my mind, the possibility nonetheless was there. Allah showed his Hand of Mercy.

وللہ الحمد

And praise be to Allah.

We shook hands with [Muhammad] Saeed. The time for the Fajr prayer was passing away. I performed my prayer. We waited for our baggage to arrive. The security officer had [meanwhile] shown us his office and that is where I comfortably performed my brief prayer. After a little while, our baggage arrived during the final shift. We had three suitcases, one belonging to Zahid, and two to me. Two Custom officers had just arrived. Evidently, [Muhammad] Saeed had spoken to some officers. Without questioning us, they marked all three suitcases with chalk [to certify that those had been checked.] We thanked them, emerged from the airport, and [finally] arrived at the home of [Muhammad] Saeed.

With the arrival in my dear homeland, all stages of this journey abroad have come to an end. Alive and well, in good shape, returned home, feeling fulfilled in having achieved the objectives in many ways. The journey which had begun on July 9, 1984, had begun from this very center, has today—on October 4,1984—come to an end. Many thanks to Allah, and now my eyes are looking to His Mercy in the future as well.

This was to be the final in the series of his trips abroad to the numerous Ahmadiyya Movement chapters located in foreign countries. After this particular trip, his health did not permit him to go on long journeys. But Allah the Most High blessed him with the satisfaction of seeing with his own eyes the manifestation of His special favors as well as the reward of his years-long efforts.

سُبْحَانَ اﷲِ وَ بِحَمْدِہٖٖٖ سُبْحَانَ اللہِ الْعَظیْمِ

Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him. Glory be to Allah, the Almighty.