Chief of the Caravan

November 1974 — November 1996

مفتیِ شہر جنہیں کافر و ملحد سمجھا

دین کے وہ قافلہ سالار نظر آتے ہیں

He who was branded a heretic, an infidel, by the cleric of the town;

Lo and behold, he is emerging as the chief of faith’s caravan

Historically, the era leading up to November 1981 was one in which the second ameer of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, was its president. But as far as the pragmatic aspects were concerned, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had become the hands and the arms, as it were, of his honorable ameer. Doctor Saeed Ahmad engaged himself in earnest with the needed work by effectively taking on the responsibilities of the helm as well as taking steps to safeguard the jamaat—beset externally by storms of opposition and internally by forces of destruction—engulfed as it was in the ominously deep and apparently overwhelming vortex of a whirlpool of challenges.

Hamid Rahman writes:

When I cast my thoughts back to the past, I become fully and firmly of the belief that the traumatic events of 1974, ones in which the entire assets of a lifetime of Doctor Saeed Ahmad were arsoned—destroyed before his eyes by being thrown into and consumed by fire—the Will of God and His special Wisdom were at work behind the scenes. On the one hand, this episode gave full expression to the aspect of Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s soul being at rest, and on the other hand it became his good fortune to embark on a migration, which is a tradition of prophets and the servants of God. In this way, Allah the Most High made him come to Lahore at a time when the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters was in desperate need of someone who possessed superior organizational skills as well as profound spirituality, one who would attend to the members of the jamaat—harried and aggrieved as they all were by the impact of the turn of events which had engulfed them—and imbue them with resolve and with ambition as well as galvanize them into tackling the circumstances with courage. After arriving in Lahore, he set about building anew the jamaat.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad possessed the dignity of a true believer as well as iron-strong intentions. As the visionary leader of a caravan—the caravan as it were of the Ahmadiyya Movement, one whose members had become both harried and harassed—he took on the responsibility of gathering and uniting this dispersed caravan. His every step, whether intentionally or unintentionally, went in the direction of helping that caravan regain its footing and on the way to the destined goal. 

What follows next are brief highlights and the salient aspects of that 22 year-long period of Ahmadiyya Movement history.

Strengthening and Uniting the Ahmadiyya Movement

The refuge of every fortunate soul—every Saeed—will be our flag;

And the notable victory will issue forth under our name

— Hazrat Mirza Sahib (in his book titled Tiryaaq-ul-Quloob, where the title literally translates as Antidote for the Heart)

Doctor Saeed Ahmad fully believed that this prophecy by Hazrat Mirza Sahib—by way of the words in the verses of rhyme above—would prove to be true, that the jamaat would one day assemble under the flag of their leader to move forward in unison, and which is when prominent victory would inevitably become its unmistakable and manifest destiny.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad took every possible step to establish contact with the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Among those steps were written correspondence, communication over the telephone, plus travel both within Pakistan as well as abroad. His objective was to gather the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement under one flag as a unified whole. The various chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement—whether inside Pakistan or abroad—had been established for the distinct and lofty goal of propagating Islam. And this was in complete alignment with the wishes of the Promised Messiah when he had written as follows in his book titled The Will:

It will be permissible that branches [i.e. chapters] of this Anjuman be in faraway lands, pledging to support and help this Anjuman [organization], and which [i.e. the chapters] will be obedient to it.

The hint in the aforesaid passage in the use of the word “it” is to the Ahmadiyya Movement, a movement that was established by the Promised Messiah himself; in the present times, the Ahmadiyya Movement, based in Lahore, Pakistan, is the successor, the anjuman which had been established according to the ideals and directives of the Promised Messiah.

Regarding the propagation of Islam, the Promised Messiah said: “This work is mine; it will be accomplished through me, or through those who are a branch of me, and who have become a part of me.” And in reality, this, then, is the law of nature itself in that a branch which is external to the foundational tree can never bear fruit. On the other hand, even if all the branches of that tree are to be severed, then with the changing weather and the passage of time, new branches and the burgeoning blossoms will bring life back to it.

In carrying out the directive of the Promised Messiah, Doctor Saeed Ahmad and the members of the Foreign Missions Committee prepared a dossier, which they then sent to all Ahmadiyya Movement chapters abroad (the “branches,” as referred to metaphorically by the Promised Messiah). Subsequently, a definitive code of conduct was prepared and distributed to every chapter abroad so that the members of those chapters would—remaining mindful of the privileged position of the headquarters, obeying it and staying loyal to it in accordance with the abundantly clear directive of the Promised Messiah—carry out the work of propagating Islam. Doctor Saeed Ahmad himself adhered to this very principle during his travels abroad to the various chapters of the Movement, and never accepted even a single suggestion that might have posed any harm to the well-being of the Movement’s headquarters. Nor did he ever lend support to the formation of any institution or jamaat which was separate from the headquarters, whether it was instituted in some other name or whether it was declaring itself as autonomous in its works. As a result of his firm resolve as well as his principled approach, all insidious efforts that sought to establish autonomous institutions and which had been engaged in spreading vindictive misinformation about the headquarters and had ominously been declaring the headquarters as a weak institution—both inside Pakistan as well as abroad—fizzled out. In his resolve, and by leading through personal example, Doctor Saeed Ahmad eventually had the satisfaction of seeing with his own eyes the establishment of the central status of the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters as well as its privileged position.

What follows is an excerpt from a writing of Naseer Ahmad Faruqui titled The Trip to Suriname, 1979:

On November 20, 1979, at 10:00 AM, an exchange of ideas took place in the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters [which are located in Lahore, Pakistan] on the subject of the relationship and contact between the Movement’s chapter in Suriname and the headquarters. Participating in the discussion were Maulana Jaggoe from the Netherlands and Hafiz Sher Muhammad, the president of the Movement’s chapter in Fiji. Later on, the imam of the Movement’s chapter in Guyana, Maulana Rasheed, also participated. The delegation of the headquarters emphasized that, in accordance with The Will of the Promised Messiah, it is the headquarters that is his successor. The Promised Messiah himself had written in [his book titled] The Will about how the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters would have chapters abroad, and also about the nature of the relationship between the headquarters and those chapters. It was in accordance with those directives that the Foreign Missions Committee of the headquarters had put together a draft constitution. That draft had then been sent to all chapters abroad for them to review and comment on. Later on, the draft was given a definitive shape, following which it had been sent [in its final form] to all those chapters. And it was in accordance with it that the Movement’s chapter in Fiji was carrying out its missionary work, doing so commendably and with regularity. All participants in the above mentioned discussion emphasized that the position of the headquarters was a privileged one; that it was not possible to maintain unity and excellence in missionary work without obedience and loyalty to the headquarters; and that the formation of any parallel council or institution would represent direct opposition to the welfare and sanctity of the headquarters.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad had the full cooperation of Naseer Ahmad Faruqui as well as other individuals who understood well the pragmatics, importance, and gravity of various matters. Therefore, with the assistance of Allah the Most High, it had become possible to give shape to and organize the various chapters of the Ahmadiyya Movement, both within Pakistan and abroad. Moreover, it was during those tumultuous times that his personal encouragement helped play a pivotal role in bringing together the Ahmadiyya Movement into a united whole and imbued its members with new hope to remain steadfast and hopeful for a positive future and to tackle the adverse circumstances.

While addressing an audience at a local gathering of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s headquarters in Lahore, Doctor Saeed Ahmad said:

Thanks to the Favors and Mercy of Allah the Most High, the moral character of the Ahmadiyya Movement is excellent. But that kind of religiosity—that kind of God fearfulness and that kind of piety which was displayed by our venerable religious elders of the past era—is no longer within us. A return to those qualities is of the utmost importance. In particular, it is essential to bring our youth toward [alignment with] those qualities. Without it, our future can never be a bright one. Moreover, and unfortunately so, differences within our community have taken hold, and this phenomenon has now exceeded the bounds and entered into the realm of dissension. This looming danger and the as-yet-unassessed bad end [to which all this will lead] should be kept in our minds. Efforts should be made to refrain from this dissension for the sake of Allah. To the maximum extent possible, effort should be made to help our brothers to refrain from it. Even though our present conditions are apparently such that they cannot be viewed without giving in to [some degree of] disheartenment, at the same time, signs can be seen which are exceptionally promising and encouraging.

This is my fourth year here in Lahore, after moving here from Abbottabad. During this period of time, I have seen steps being taken toward goodness and betterment. Both within the country and abroad, where work had not been taking place [previously], work is now taking place. At any rate, I am hopeful. And there is no need to be disheartened or to give in to hopelessness. What is needed during these times is [to carry out] the important task of peering into our own souls. If we are to be loyal to this jamaat—and if we consider this to be such a jamaat—then giving in to hopelessness is not warranted. Thus, that sense of lethargic deadening of feelings, one which comes in the wake of getting disheartened, can be exceedingly dangerous in that we no longer even sense what our duty is, and what we should be doing: Today, it is our duty that we renew our mutual love and affection.

– Paigham-e-Sulah the flagship magazine of the Ahmadiyya Movement, July 19, 1978.

Role in Organizational Matters and Meetings

The Executive Committee and the General Council were in charge of the decisions regarding all organizational matters of the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters. And all steps taken by Doctor Saeed Ahmad took this into account, remaining at all times in the purview of their decisions. All the same—and on the basis of the believer’s vision that he possessed as well as his extensive organizational experience—if he considered any decision to be harmful for the welfare of the Ahmadiyya Movement, he would present his point of view, along with solid, supporting arguments to back it up, and would not support wrong decisions. It was with great patience and tolerance that he would listen to the opinions of others; and he would accept without hesitation the opinion of the majority. On certain occasions, when his own opinion differed from that of others, and when the matter under consideration was decided and followed through, it would come to pass that the negative outcomes of the decision would come into the view of everyone.

The first priority of Doctor Saeed Ahmad was to unite the Ahmadiyya Movement. His deepest wish was to take the entire Ahmadiyya Movement forward along with him. Therefore, he was always mindful of avoiding enforcing and foisting his personal opinion or directive on others. In an essay, titled The Late Ameer, Doctor Saeed Ahmad, the fourth President of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Professor Asghar Hameed, writes:

My temperament and disposition would keep me from personal participation in the activities of the General Council as its member. So I would not attend the meetings that would take place in the office. But other than that, as and when important matters would arise, I would be summoned. These matters mostly pertained to the Ahmadiyya Movement chapters abroad, to the Holy Quran, or to certain other books inasmuch as related to correcting the flaws remaining in the type setting, etc. During my tenure at the Engineering University, I had also done work in the preparation of documents pertaining to rules and regulations. So when the need arose to attend to this sort of work a couple of times, that work was entrusted to me. Now that many years have passed, I cannot recall with any amount of certainty whether he had given me a clear order, or whether he had hinted at it during the conversation. But for many years—for as long as I had the physical capacity to do so—I carried out the responsibility of delivering the Friday sermons as well as the evening lectures on the Holy Quran. But [it should be noted that] for [all of] us [members of the Ahmadiyya Movement], even a hint from him held the status of an order. Whether the services of mine benefited others or not, I personally derived immense value from it. I had spent my life in lecturing and teaching [mathematics at the Engineering University.] I would prepare my lecture before delivering it in class. I applied the same habit to preparing the Friday sermons as well as the lectures on the Holy Quran. In this way, Allah the Most High greatly increased my knowledge.

 فَالْحَمْدُلِلہِ عَلٰی ذَالِکْ۔

Praise be to Allah for that

Referring to the attitude and approach which Doctor Saeed Ahmad took to organizational matters and gatherings, Mian Fakhr-ud-Din writes:

He [Doctor Saeed Ahmad] would take great interest in the implementation of matters related to the Ahmadiyya Movement. Whenever he presided over any meeting, it would lend dignity and an august stature to it. He would give every participant the opportunity to express their opinion, and then would honor the opinion of the majority. He would stand by the constitution of the meeting as well as the regulations and decisions.

— Paigham-e-Sulah (November December 1997 issue, in the article titled The Manifestation of the Truthfulness of the Promised Messiah)

Sometimes it would happen that during meetings of the Ahmadiyya Movement that differences of opinion would grow into altercations and disputes, and members of the meeting would address Doctor Saeed Ahmad with harshness. But neither did he ever respond curtly nor did he ever harbor the slightest grudge against anyone for having different opinions. Tahira Fazl-e-Ahmad writes in this regard:

There are those who say things to angelic-natured individuals so as to inflict them with grief. Those on the receiving end naturally feel slighted. But he [Doctor Saeed Ahmad] would not harbor any anger toward them. He would [instead] converse with them with great affection, and whenever he would meet them, he would do so with fondness. [Mian] Fazl-e-Ahmad [husband of Tahira Fazl-e-Ahmad] told me once that, during the meetings of the Ahmadiyya Movement, many individuals would say unkind things. And if differences of opinion arose, he [Doctor Saeed Ahmad] would carry himself with great patience, and would never respond with a raised voice or with displeasure.

— Paigham-e-Sulah November, December 1997 issue titled “Our Beloved Late President.”

Doctor Saeed Ahmad, in confiding his thoughts to a solitary entry in his personal diary in connection with just such a meeting—one in which a member of the committee had caused exceptional torment and vexation to his heart and to his spirit—he confided by way of the following prayerful reminiscing:

And it is not difficult at all for Allah the Most High to cleanse away poison from the hearts of people. This matter entered the discussion. Perhaps it was not warranted. My heart was overcome…

رَبَّنَاۤ اَفْرِغْ عَلَیْنَا صَبْرًا وَّ ثَبِّتْ اَقْدَامَنَا وَ انْصُرْنَا عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْكٰفِرِیْنَؕ

Our Lord, pour out patience on us, and make our steps firm, and help us against the disbelieving people (Holy Quran—2:250)

O Allah, cause these rebellions—both internal and external as well as in the headquarters and in the chapters the over the world—to be erased and [then] bless this weak jamaat with peace of mind that it may have the good fortune to attend, with both equanimity and gladness, to its real work [of serving Your religion], and then [O Allah] assist us all.

O Allah! Remedy my grief and my sadness. The only thing I seek is Your pleasure. O Allah! If You are pleased with me, then the hatred of people toward me; their belittling me; and their tormenting my heart—none of that can cause me any harm. O Allah! You know that I am locked in my duty and it is  solely in that regard that I carry this burden; neither did I previously entertain any wish to be its leader nor do I do so now. If anything, it is my wish that I leave it, and that I run away, lest I provoke Your wrath upon me by [unwittingly] engendering Your displeasure. Who then would be the one to whom I would turn to, in both realms?

اَللّٰھُمَّ لَا مَلْجَاَ وَلَا مَنْجٰا مِنْکَ اِلَّا اِلَیْکَ

O Allah, there is no refuge or escape in You

(O Allah, there is no refuge for the soul except You, and there is none to save one from You.)

Translations of the Holy Quran, and Publications

The far-reaching spiritual vision of the Promised Messiah—Hazrat Mirza Sahib—had sensed the need for conveying the message of truth, being the religion of Islam, to lands far away. It is for this reason that he had initiated the work of translating the religious literature of the Ahmadiyya Movement into English. A near-infinite treasure of Islamic literature of the Movement—both in English and in Urdu—was in the possession of the Movement’s headquarters. It was also important to carry out the directive of the Promised Messiah to get the literature translated into other languages. Therefore, in giving priority to this work, Doctor Saeed Ahmad initiated the translation of the Holy Quran as well as other literature of the Movement into other languages. This work was launched with the translation of the Holy Quran into Spanish under the supervision of Abdulla Saeed.

During his trip to the United States, Doctor Saeed Ahmad met with the translators of several languages—Chinese, French, and Russian—through the assistance of Zafar Abdullah and Noman Illahi Malik, and then entrusted this work to the chapter in the United States.

The majority of the work of translations was done under the supervision of Noman Illahi Malik. In addition to his personal devotion, as well as his financial sacrifices, an additional impetus to this work was that the inheritors of Maulana Muhammad Ali had established a special fund. And since the work of religious publications by the Ahmadiyya Movement had been greatly reduced in Pakistan in those days—in fact severely constricted— therefore this fund had been given over into the charge of Noman Illahi Malik so that the initial work should be undertaken by making use of that fund.

Later on, a resolution had been presented by a few inheritors of Maulana Muhammad Ali in the Ahmadiyya Movement that the rights to the publication, dissemination, and the work of translation ought to be transferred to the Movement’s chapter in the United States. It was also brought to the attention of the Movement headquarters in Lahore, Pakistan that people not belonging to the Movement, as well as other institutions, were publishing the works of Maulana Muhammad Ali on a large scale. Among such institutions were several large ones, including Curzon Press, based in England, which had published Manual of Hadith , and an institution in the United States, under the supervision of Habib Trust, was publishing the Ahmadiyya Movement’s translation of the Holy Quran, one from which all references to the Movement as well as the name of Maulana Muhammad Ali had been removed. On this basis, during an executive committee meeting in Ahmadiyya Movement Lahore in November 1992, a recommendation was needed for transfer of all reserved rights to the books produced by Maulana Muhammad Ali to the Movement’s chapter in the United States to stop such illegal publications by external institutions.

Before he passed away, significant progress had been made in the translations of the Movement’s religious literature into the Chinese, French, Russian, and German languages. A few days before Doctor Saeed Ahmad breathed his last breath, Samina Malik had brought with her the typeset copy of the Chinese translation, and also told him that the type setting of the Russian translation would be completed by the Annual Convention in December. On hearing this, he said alhumdulillah several times. The work of translating the Holy Quran into Hindi had already been begun from Kashmir by Khursheed Tareen; work on some other books was also underway. It should also be noted that Doctor Saeed Ahmad wished for the youth of the various chapters of the Movement in Pakistan to learn other languages and then themselves carry out the work of translation.

Utilization of Various Media for Propagation of Religious Literature

With the goal of preserving the Ahmadiyya Movement’s literature, Doctor Saeed Ahmad had initially arranged for many magazines and periodicals of the Movement to be transferred to the microfilm and microfiche media. With the passage of time, and with an eye on the introduction of new technologies, he encouraged the transfer of the books of the Movement’s literature to the computer medium. The youth of the Ahmadiyya Movement who had expertise in this area showed initiative by commandeering and eagerly taking up this work. In fact, the Movement’s chapter in the USA established a website with the name www.muslim.org during the life of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, and it quickly gained popularity among the members of the Movement as well as among the public at large. Thus, significant progress took place in this missionary work of Islam.

Beginning right in his student days, Mujahid Ahmad Saeed had cultivated skills in the area of computers and was eager to put his expertise in the service of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s mission. Valuing this wish of his young grandson, Doctor Saeed Ahmad gifted his personal copy of the book Teachings of Islam to him along with a written prayer for him to launch this work. He was immensely pleased and satisfied with this plan of Mujahid Ahmed Saeed. He firmly believed that, beginning with this launch, Mujahid Ahmed Saeed would render a monumental missionary service. In fact, Doctor Saeed Ahmad expressed this thought numerous times in the presence of this biographer. It is difficult to explain with mere words the joy that would light up his face and his eyes—joy that I witnessed with my own eyes—when he would express that sentiment. Allah the Most High blessed this prayer with acceptance and Mujahid Ahmed Saeed established a magnificent website named www.aaiil.org during the presidency of Professor Asghar Hameed, and with his permission and patronage. The value and popularity of this website can be assessed by its extensive use. This website has the patronage of the Ahmadiyya Movement headquarters.

Encouragement of the Women of the Ahmadiyya Movement

It was the wish of Doctor Saeed Ahmad that, similar to countries outside Pakistan, where the women members of the Ahmadiyya Movement participated in the work—playing a vital role in working shoulder to shoulder with the men—that the women in Pakistan, too, would also participate in the work of the Movement and become active in this area. In particular, he wished for the women to help in the Annual Convention as well as other functions in the administrative, organizational, and pragmatic aspects, thereby playing a special role in the education and nurturing of the children.

The Women’s Organization of the Ahmadiyya Movement—on its own initiative and based on their resources—had always taken part in the propagation of Islam. In fact, a function especially for the women used to take place during the Annual Convention, one in which the handicrafts created by the women would be put on display for sale, along with food and drink stalls. As a result of this initiative, substantial funds would be collected and then contributed toward the missionary work of the Movement. This long-standing tradition gained much strength through the special encouragement of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, and the funds collected, as mentioned above, grew many times over. One day prior to the beginning of the Annual Convention, the handicrafts would be showcased, and at the invitation of the Women’s Organization, he would always come over to view the showcased items. He would appreciate the fine handicraft. Also, the Women’s Organization would display the handicrafts made by Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s wives. These handicrafts were offered to him for purchase as a gesture of encouragement; he would be asked to purchase them at a hiked price, and he would willingly purchase them at that price. The Women’s Organization would gain generous sums through the purchase by members of the Movement, and in this way, the showcase of handicrafts would get under way.

Thanks to the encouragement of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, the Women’s Organization also began to convene other functions—and in addition to the function to memorialize the life of the Holy Prophet (peace, and blessings of Allah upon him) as well as the commemoration of the death anniversary of the Promised Messiah—the Organization would convene a monthly function, which played an essential role in the religious education of the women as well as their daughters, enabling them to gain expertise in the areas of speaking and writing.

In the present times, deputations of the Women’s Organization go on missionary visits in Pakistan, both within Lahore and the cities outside Lahore, leading to the set up of local counterparts of the Women’s Organization in all those cities, this establishment of all this made possible by the encouragement and personal attention to this area by Doctor Saeed Ahmad. Razia Maddad Ali writes in this regard:

The women of the Ahmadiyya Movement have always remained an active part of it, remaining unparalleled in their striving with financial sacrifices. Their missionary and scholarly efforts, though, were confined to the boundaries of Pakistan. But with the participation in the International Convention in Suriname in 1979, Doctor Saeed Ahmad bridged this gap by selecting this humble person [Razia Maddad Ali] as one of the delegates to represent the Movement’s headquarters (along with him and the late Naseer Ahmad Faruqui.) This was a great honor for me. It was the first time that a woman was ever sent as a delegate [to a location] outside Lahore by the Movement’s headquarters.

Encouragement of Children and Youth

To state a truism, children and youth are invariably influenced by the environment in which they grow up. That nation or organization which creates a supportive environment for their guidance, protection, and proper nurturing—this invaluable asset—is bound to see these very children and youth later on come to the forefront in the shape of an organized and well educated asset. Those children and youth whose safeguarding and education Doctor Saeed Ahmad tended to—and he always did so in a selfless way—they emerged as the active speakers, sermon-givers, and leaders of the Ahmadiyya Movement. 

It was with the children and the youth in mind that the arrangements were made to educate and guide them in the knowledge of the Holy Quran as well as enrich them through the various sermons and educational curricula. All these initiatives were no doubt sound in their own place, but the factor that was overwhelmingly the uppermost in motivating the children and youth was the personal attention, affection, and love which Doctor Saeed Ahmad lavished on them. To motivate them, he would laud them with words of encouragement, prizes, and awards for their participation. He would never scold children when they engaged in innocent mischief during religious gatherings. His heart was filled to overflowing with the belief that these very children would emerge in the future as the thinkers, speakers, and sermon-givers of the Movement, and it was his confidence in their future that we are today witnessing the positive results with our own eyes.

Ahmad Shuja, who Doctor Saeed Ahmad had given the title of “little worshiper” on account of his regular attendance in the congregational prayers as a child, has become an educator and speaker of this era. Ahmad Shuja writes in this regard:

This [recollection] is from 1978. I distinctly recall that I would regularly come to the mosque in Dar-us-Salam, holding the finger of my father—Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad—and perform the early morning Fajr congregation prayer. We would perform the prayer in the leadership of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, following which there would be a lecture. I was six years old at that time, and would—in the position of prostrating—occasionally fall asleep while praying. On account of my regular participation, Doctor Saeed Ahmad was pleased, and he honored me with the title of “little worshiper.”

Many beautiful memories of Doctor Saeed Ahmad—Janji—are evergreen in my heart. The insignificant individual that I am, I don’t have the words with which to describe his elevated spiritual personality. [I vividly recall that] I would be greatly impressed by the way in which he elegantly dressed himself. On the occasions of the Annual Convention, arrangements would be made for seating the men and women of the Ahmadiyya Movement under large canopies in the courtyard outside the mosque. Janji would appear in an exceedingly immaculate and elegant, three-piece suit, wearing an immaculate necktie. And he would enrich all of us in the audience with his eloquent and wise talk. All these precious moments are stored as beautiful memories in both my heart and my mind.

Since I was a resident of Dar-us-Salam, I had the good fortune of spending a lot of time in his blessed company. I clearly recall the days when, on the occasion of the Annual Convention in Dar-us-Salam, I would be part of the group—in the supervision of my father—and we would run the welcoming counter and the tea booth. The purpose of this booth was to offer refreshing tea to the honorable guests and attendees. The late Janji, too, would grace the tea booth with his presence, drink his cup of tea, and express great pleasure. He would highly praise us for this effort.

Also, in Dar-us-Salam, Janji had initiated the weekly lectures on the Holy Quran on Mondays. He would elaborate on the wisdom of the Holy Quran in clear and simple words. Later on, Naseer Ahmad Faruqui took on this responsibility. At the end of the lectures, tea would be formally served to the attendees, thanks to the efforts of my father.

Our leader, our  beloved Janji, was the very embodiment of prayerfulness. It is with great conviction that I say today that his prayers have played a great role in whatever I have achieved. It is with utmost sincerity that I pray to Allah the Most High that he grants Janji the lofty status in paradise which he has promised to his pious servants. Amen.

— Contributed to this biography especially by Ahmad Shuja.

Quiz shows for youth, and children would take place, as would speech contests, organized through the efforts of the Youth Organization of the Ahmadiyya Movement. To encourage them, and to keep them motivated, Doctor Saeed Ahmad would remain in the audience till the very end. During the last two or three years of his life, when he was unable to come to the mosque because of his physical weakness, he would listen to the proceedings in the mosque in its entirety via the audio speakers that had been installed in his bedroom. On some occasions, he would also have the children come to his home to personally give them awards and encourage them on their excellent performance in those events.

When it was brought to the attention of Doctor Saeed Ahmad that the daughters of Saadat Ahmad were carrying out the work of translating the literature of the Ahmadiyya Movement, he expressed his wish to meet his daughters, Zainib Ahmad and Sarah Ahmad. What follows is an excerpt from the writings of Sarah Ahmad:

One evening, Auntie Safia told my sister [Zainib Ahmad] and I that Doctor Saeed Ahmad wished to meet us; he had learned that we were carrying out the work of translating [the literature of the Movement.] A little before the Maghrib prayer, both of us went to his home, at a time when Doctor Saeed Ahmad was evidently ready to proceed for the congregation prayer [in the mosque.] He was wearing white clothes and a white cap; spiritual light was shining brilliantly from his face. He met us with great affection. He held my hand, and had me sit next to him and kept holding my hand for a long time. He asked us about which grades in school we were in. When my sister told him that she was in medical school, he smiled and said with great affection: “Then you are part of our baradari [professional fraternity.]” The time for the Maghrib prayer arrived and so we had to quickly leave. We did not know at that time that this would be our final meeting with Doctor Saeed Ahmad.

— Paigham-e-Sulah, issue, November December 1997, in an article titled Our Honorable and Beloved Ameer.

Whenever Doctor Saeed Ahmad received an invitation from the office holders of the Movement’s youth, he would participate in their functions and enrich them with his talks. On one such occasion, he related his first hand experiences of his stay in Qadian, the blessed gatherings in which the Promised Messiah would be present, the intellectually-enriched lectures of Maulana Nur-ud-Din, and then the differences that arose immediately after his death. What follows next is an excerpt from a report that was put together by Zahid Janjua regarding one of the meetings of the Ahmadiyya Movement’s youth, and which was published in the February 9, 1977 issue of Paigham-e-Sulah:

After that, in inaugurating the function, the honorable Doctor Saeed Ahmad recited the following verses of Surah Kahf. He then said:

نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَـٰهُمْ هُدًۭى

We relate to thee their story with truth. Surely they were youths who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance. (Holy Quran—18:13)

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَـٰهًۭا ۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَآ إِذًۭا شَطَطًا

And We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; we call upon no god beside Him, for then indeed we should utter a wickedness. (Holy Quran—18:14)

“This function, which has been organized by the Shabaan [the Ahmadiyya Young Men’s Association] is a source of immense pleasure in that youth in large numbers are present here to participate. The address given to this audience by our dear Nazar Rabb has also gladdened me immensely, an address in which he recounted beneficial and illuminating aspects from the history of the Shabaan. But I feel compelled to add a little bit with a view to setting the record straight: Rather than having been established in 1934, it was actually in 1922 that the Shabaan was founded. I was a medical college student at that point in time. In those days, Allah Baksh and Mirza Masood Baig held prominent positions in this organization, and I had the honor of serving as its president. The formal inauguration of this organization took place through the blessed words of the late and beloved President of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Maulana Muhammd Ali in the Ahmadiyya Buildings. Thus, in accordance with the circumstances prevailing in that era, we gathered some contributions, in particular we gathered substantial funds for the Berlin Mosque [in Germany.] This organization remained active for a long period of time, but gradually it became less active. But you have before you the way in which societal circumstances have been changing since 1974.“

Doctor Saeed Ahmad remarked that in the verses from the Holy Quran which he had recited in accordance with the theme of the function contain a reference to a few of the youth from the community of the Promised Messiah, whose hearts were aglow with the light of faith, and whose lives were replete with faith and action [motivated by faith.] Allah the Most High had blessed them with guidance—and with their hearts suffused by the message of guidance—they had stood up and set out on a journey that would take them far from their homeland. So Allah had blessed them with steadfastness, He had strengthened their hearts. And they became those who [always] said the right word.

In enlightening the Shabaan with advice, Doctor Saeed Ahmad noted that since the gathered youth had taken up the goal of helping move the Ahmadiyya Movement forward, it would be  incumbent upon them to not allow themselves to be disheartened by opposition of any kind, and to not retreat in any way. Rather, they ought to move forward with the conviction that the Movement is on the right path, and that God has our back. Along with that, he placed emphasis on developing a strong relationship with Allah Almighty; to bow down before Him in prostration; and to seek assistance and steadfastness from Him. In matters of faith, people do not succeed merely on the basis of their strategies; it is through the beneficence and blessings of Allah that victory is achieved. If they were willing to make sacrifices toward that cause with their lives and with their wealth, Doctor Saeed Ahmad exhorted them, then they would be victorious.

What greater good fortune can come our way than our wishes getting fulfilled and our heartfelt aspirations being realized in witnessing with our own eyes the future leadership of our Ahmadiyya Movement. And moreover that we transfer with our own hand the responsibilities of the Movement to their shoulders.

The honorable Doctor Saeed Ahmad, Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Movement, whose headquarters are located in Lahore, Pakistan, in responding to the points submitted by the Shabaan, remarked as follows:

We are glad to see that you have engaged along the lines of constructive thinking by putting behind our previous shortcomings. Whatever program you put together and whichever recommendations you convey to us, we will ponder them with seriousness.

You will remember that an appeal for strengthening our Movement had been made on the occasion of the Annual Convention. Since you, too, are engaged in efforts to bring about better organization to our Movement, you have a right to the funds. In this regard, the headquarters of the Movement, Insha’Allah, will not resort to miserliness. On behalf of the Movement’s headquarters, I assure you of complete cooperation with you in your efforts toward the betterment of our Movement.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad said on the occasion:

I request everyone in the audience that they beseech God with great fervor, that He blesses the efforts of these youth, and grant them victory and success in their noble goals.

Now we turn our attention to the ability of Doctor Saeed Ahmad to perceive the hidden qualities of individuals, an ability which came into play and enabled those qualities of many youth to shine. He always gave opportunities to participate in the work of the Movement to those who were sincere, who took interest, and who offered their services to the Movement. It was as a result of his encouragement that many youth took up the duties of delivering speeches and writing articles. And today, the majority of those who are enabling the work of the Movement to move forward are those who came to the forefront as a result of his encouragement. In this regard, what follows is an excerpt taken from a write up by Hamid Rahman:

[In connection with my professional work,] I was transferred to Lahore in 1979, a time when Doctor Saeed Ahmad had taken up residence in Dar-us-Salam, Lahore. During that period of five years—from 1979 to 1984—I had plenty of opportunities to benefit spiritually from his company. Although I did not consider myself capable and up to the task of giving a talk during the Annual Convention, he directed me to give a talk, and did not accept any of the excuses I made. As a result, I had to carry out his directive. After that, Allah the Most High granted me the opportunity to give many talks in subsequent Annual Convention as well. I feel that—and this is only to the extent that any vestige of spirituality is present in me—it is there because of having had the privilege of the company of Janji.

Janji’s [spiritual] was always seeking the [hidden] qualities in individuals. Whenever he identified any quality, he would vigorously guide the individual in bringing out those qualities; he would personally provide patronage to help them make progress in those areas. Those individuals who were selected as such, and entrusted with the responsibility to carry out work, would feel immense pride. And they would always remain keen to fulfill his expectations.

Back in the days when I was living in the state of Virginia in the United States, Janji sent me correspondence along with a letter from a member of the Ahmadiyya Movement chapter in Trinidad. It consisted of some religious questions [from that member, along with a directive from Janji], asking me to write down answers to those questions. His placing such great confidence in me put me in a state of amazement because neither have I ever considered myself a religious scholar then nor do I consider myself one now. But carrying out his directive was incumbent on me. So I wrote down the answers and sent them to Janji, requesting him to make corrections to my answers, and to then send them on to the member who had sought the answers. What amazed me further was that he forwarded my written answers intact and verbatim, along with a note saying that he, Doctor Saeed Ahmad, was sending comprehensive answers to all questions by a member of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

Whoever was lucky to have the opportunity to be in the company of Doctor Saeed Ahmad, he invariably brought out their hidden qualities. I often feel that there was a special place for me in Janji’s heart.

Fondness for the Members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, in Particular for the Residents of Dar-us-Salam

Doctor Saeed Ahmad had a special attachment and love for the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement, but the residents of Dar-us-Salam—because of their physical proximity—were especially close to his heart. He was their companion during the times of their every sorrow and happiness. If somebody did not come to the mosque because of illness, he would immediately go to their residence to inquire into their health and well-being. Along with praying for them, he would make arrangements for providing their medication. Certain household matters and problems would compel individuals to come to his residence and seek his help. He would always make efforts to resolve their problems.

When Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s health grew weaker, he would go for a stroll after the Asr prayer—it had previously been his routine to go for a walk after the Fajr prayer—and his daily stroll had become confined to the four walls of Dar-us-Salam. Its residents (including innocent little children, in addition to the men and women) would eagerly await that time for the opportunity to meet him. Often, little innocent children in the arms of their mothers would be seen restless to meet him and be the first to shake hands with him. He would shake hands with the residents, inquire into their well-being, and then continue on his daily stroll.

What follows is an excerpt from the writing of Shamsa Javed:

In our childhood, I would often hear from my Baiji of an affectionate, good natured, and highly competent medical practitioner. But my first meeting with Doctor Saeed Ahmad took place when my late father brought me to Lahore for a medical consultation. I found him to be an affectionate, gracious, and exceedingly hospitable individual to a degree greater than I had imagined. When we took up residence in Dar-us-Salam, we were afforded the opportunity to meet him on a daily basis. It was his custom to take a stroll within Dar-us-Salam following the Asr prayer. I would often eagerly anticipate taking the lead over everyone else to say salam to him—keener still to meet him was my younger son Ahmad who had not even learned to speak yet. He would grab my hand and gesture in the direction of the alley to signal that he wanted to go there. Doctor Saeed Ahmad would shake hands with Ahmad, and sometimes place a toffee in his hands, and at other times a cookie. Once when Ahmed became ill and we could not go out to meet Doctor Saeed Ahmad, he himself had an inquiry made into the absence. And when he learned of his illness, he came to our house during his stroll. He knocked on the door of our house and inquired into the health of Ahmed, following which he went in the direction of the graveyard. He would say special words of prayer for Ahmad and used to say that this child would grow up to be a good and pious individual.

Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s friendliness and his immense love for children would find an especially prominent expression when all children would find themselves drawn to him and, in turn, he would smile and shake hands with them. His death immeasurably saddened us all. The [blessed] series of prayers and blessings thus came to end and. May Allah the Most High elevate his spiritual status. Ameen.

Just as the residents of Dar-us-Salam were zealously devoted to Doctor Saeed Ahmad, he himself was attached to them. During the times when he was not present in Dar-us-Salam, the members of the Ahmadiyya Movement in the area would be aware of his absence, and also remain acutely aware of their own deprivation from his gracious presence. In this context, what follow are the impressions of Arshad Alvi on the departure of Doctor Saeed Ahmad for Abbottabad:

The phase of the moon marking the onset of the month of Ramadan was sighted in the skies that evening. The prayer which spontaneously emerged from the heart was the following: “Oh God! Grant us progress in faith and in the world.”

We performed the taraveeh prayer at night and then went to sleep. At two in the morning, the house guard woke us up. I got up, performed an ablution, and got engrossed in performing the Fajr prayer. Then I had the sehri meal, and drank a lot of water. The call to prayer was sounded, and I went in the direction of the mosque. Last year, my father would often say that we should go to Dar-us-Salam to perform the Fajr prayer. We did not know that he would take up permanent residence there the very next year.

The atmosphere in the mosque was an animated one. After 15 minutes [had passed], Doctor Saeed Ahmad came in. He was dressed in white clothes. The surroundings were lit in a low ambience of light, and a cool wind was blowing. Pin-drop silence. Through his leadership of the prayer and his recitation [of the Holy Quran], an atmosphere of spiritual rapture was enveloping one’s soul. It felt as if the voice we were hearing was coming from far away—somewhere from the spiritual realm—instilling a sweet sensation of pleasure in the heart and the mind. One’s heart wished that this recitation would never come to an end. We were enjoying our prayer, exceedingly so. Once the prayer concluded, Doctor Saeed Ahmad turned around and sat down, facing the congregation. Dressed in white clothes, spirituality was shining on his face. Today, he would be traveling to Abbottabad, his ancestral town. Someone in the audience requested him to offer a prayer that God take him to his destination in safety, and to bring him back, safe and sound. He replied that his heart’s wish, too, was to not be separated from them. But he had a certain connection with those where he would be heading, being a place where he had spent a large part of his life. And then there were the affectionate relationships with his relatives and others in the area, those being the reasons compelling him to undertake the journey. Other than that, he continued, we all, too, should continue to pray for him and for the Ahmadiyya Movement; and that may God keep it safe from all kinds of turmoil, both internal and external. Ours is the organization, after all, that was established by the spiritual leader of the era. Prayers and hard work are required to ensure that it stays alive: We all, too, should pray in this regard, he advised us.

An individual then took the religious pledge at Doctor Saeed Ahmad’s hands. It was a decidedly endearing scene. A distinctively auspicious omen had thus taken place on the very first day of the month of Ramadan. May God cause this organization to grow. Amen.

After that, Doctor Saeed Ahmad met and hugged each individual, and urged everyone to regularly keep up their prayers. Some people found themselves unable to bear even their imminent, temporary separation from him; their sobbing could be heard. He embraced and comforted them.

He urged me, too, to regularly keep up my prayers. He comforted everyone, and gave the advice of giving preference to religion over worldly matters. And in this way, the first sehri meal took place in Dar-us-Salam.

— Paigham-e-Sulah, August 1983.

A Reflection

The life of one individual—the life of Saeed Ahmad—encompasses many eras. A single glance at the “Saeed striving” [literally, “Fortunate striving”], leaves one amazed. This extraordinary ameer (of the Ahmadiyya Movement) during an extraordinary time fills hearts with extraordinary conviction, reverence, love, and devotion. Born in an obscure village, Saeed Ahmad emerges from the dust-enveloped environment of that village and reaches the spiritually-rich atmosphere of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Sahib. There, he drinks deeply from the spiritual stream that is flowing forth from its source: the presence of the Promised Messiah. 

After graduating from established educational institutions, Saeed Ahmad passes through the era of worldly status and power; the government of the time showers him with honors and titles; he goes through the tribulation of severe illness, followed by the miraculous journey back to health; he selflessly serves humanity like a messiah; in lockstep, too, are the series of torments that are inflicted on him by those who are envious of his stellar accomplishments; political pressure and the wrath of the clergy are mobilized in an attempt to crush him; and throughout all this, his pledge of solidarity to honoring the mission of the spiritual leader of the age never wavers. As a result of this faithfulness—deemed a crime by those in positions of power—Saeed Ahmad is forced to emigrate out of his own land. 

One individual—the essence of the life of one physically weak individual—the arc of whose life is such that whichever part of it that one casts a glance at, whichever page from the book of his life one turns to, one finds flowers of endearment and comfort alongside thorns of opposition. But with the assistance of Allah the Most High on his side, even the thorniest of bramble bushes are transformed into gardens of flowers. 

In the final part of his life, when Allah the Most High places the burden of an entire organization—the Ahmadiyya Movement—on his physically weak shoulders, his feet keep treading on the path leading to the goal, with victories lining the way.

Can one person accomplish all this in the span of one’s proverbial “borrowed life”? If so, then it is purely through Divine help, through complete faith in the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and by remaining associated with and remaining faithful to the spiritual leader of the age—Hazrat Mirza Sahib, the “slave” of the Holy Prophet Muhammad—that all these accomplishments came to be.

A study of the life of Doctor Saeed Ahmad is a source of illumination for every leader; a shining star for the seekers of truth; and it will prove to be a source of guidance in leading them to their destination.