Tributes Were Paid to Mr. Ashraf Ali by the Members of the House

MOTTO ISLAM: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND

February 2020 Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B. Vol. No. 30, Issue Nos. 2 IN MEMORY OF JALAL-UD-DIN AKBAR IBN-I ABDULLAH, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Tributes were paid to Mr. Ashraf Ali by the Members of The House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago at a Sitting held on Monday th27 January, 2020 CONTENTS Page

CONDOLENCES PAID TO BRO. ASHRAF ALI BY THE TRINIDAD PARLIAMENT 2 INDIA’S TWO NATIONS 8 Muhammad Yakub Khan GRATITUDE - IN THE LIGHT OF THE QUR’AN 12 Sharda Ahmad-ali Doekhi HOW I JOINED THE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT 14 Dr. Basharat Ahmad

CONDOLENCES PAID TO MR ASHRAF ALI BY MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ON 27 JANUARY, 2020

Introductory remarks of the Speaker: Madam Speaker: Honourable Members, as you may be aware, Mr Ashraf Ali, former Member of Parliament, passed away on January 14, 2020. Mr Ali served as the Member of Parliament for St Augustine during the Third Independent Parliament from 1971. Mr Ashraf Ali served as Parliament Secretary in both the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, and at the Office of the Prime Minister during the period May 27, 1971 to May 17, 1975. I shall now invite Honourable Members to pay their respective tributes to Mr Ali. Member for Arouca/Maloney.

The Minister of Social Development and Family Services (Hon. Camille Robinson- Regis): Thank you very kindly, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize an honourable man, former colleague, and one of my mentors, Mr Ashraf Ali. On Tuesday 14 January, 2020, this nation lost a great individual who was service-driven and passionate about his country. My colleagues and I are very saddened by his death.

In the last days of his life, his wife and I were in constant prayer and communica- tion during his short illness. Mr Ali was a strong supporter of the People’s National Movement, and when I became Member of Parliament for Arouca South he was a strong supporter of the constituency and of me as Member of Parliament.

His selflessness and positive attitude impacted my approach throughout my political career. I quote: “Leaders instil in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.”

2 | Page Mr Ali indeed possessed all the qualities of a great leader and can be seen by his legacy.

In 1971, when Ashraf Ali was elected as the Member of Parliament for St Augustine and served as Parliamentary Secretary in both the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries as it then was, and the Office of the Prime Minister under the stewardship of the late Dr Eric Eustace Williams, his tenure was quite notable as Member for Parliament as Mr Ali was very instrumental in several debates, particularly on debates on land acquisition. He was also very active in the debates on the Praedial Larceny Prevention (Amendment) Bill, the President’s Emoluments (Amendment) Bill, and the Representation of the People Bill.

Madam Speaker, when Ashraf Ali left this Parliament in 1976 he continued to serve the people of Trinidad and Tobago. His service extended beyond the borders of this country to the Caribbean region. During the years 1979 to 1995 he worked in the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and served as an economist, Director of Administration and Finance, Director of Planning and Evaluation, and Secretary to the CARDI board.

Ashraf was an active member of the People’s National Movement from 1958 and served in various capacities, including campaign manager to John Eckstein in 1986. He was also very active in several constituencies, including Diego Martin and Arouca North, and Arouca South — and that is Diego Martin Central, Ma’am.

Mr Ali was a devoted Muslim and his deep faith in Allah kept him grounded. He was a family man who loved and adored his wife Nafiesa and his six children, Siddiqa, Wajeed, Sharida, Sayeed, Mohammed, and Maryam. He was the brother of former Independent Senator Basharat Ali and a friend to former President Prof. George Maxwell Richards, former Speaker Clytus Arnold Thomasos, Ashton Ford, Winston Dookeran, Prakash Ramadhar, and former Senator Prof. Ramesh Deosaran, and, of course, a friend of mine, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, Mr Ashraf Ali will surely be missed as we already feel a void from his absence. To his wife Nafiesa and his six children, thank you for allowing us to share the life of such a wonderful person. He inspired us to be better and encouraged us to focus on the important things in life. We of the PNM are grateful for Mr Ali’s years of service and the impact he made to this country.

Madam Speaker, may his soul rest in perfect peace. Thank you.

Madam Speaker: Member for Couva South.

Page | 3 Mr Rudranath Indarsingh (Couva South): Thank you, Madam Speaker, as I join my colleagues on behalf of the Opposition, led by the Member for Siparia, in extending condolences to the spouse and the children and the extended family of the late Mr Ashraf Ali. Mr Ashraf Ali was elected as Member of Parliament for St Augustine on the 24th of May, 1971. He was one of the 28 candidates of the People’s National Movement who contested a seat in the then General Election as eight other PNM candidates had been returned unopposed owing to the no vote campaign led by the then leader of the Action Committee of Dedicated Citizens, more popularly known at that time by the acronym ACDC, and Vernon Jamadhar of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Mr Ali was listed by the Elections Commission as an Economist, and it is important to note that he defeated Mr Satarine Maharaj of Southern Drive, Champ Fleurs, who was listed as a journalist and who contested the seat for the Democratic Liberation Party — a different DLP —led by Bhadase Maraj at the time. The results of the Election showed that Mr Ali held 2,439 votes on behalf of the PNM and Mr Satnarine Maharaj held 2,104 votes. As has been established, he was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on the 18th of June, 1971, at the Ceremonial Opening, and he will be remembered for his service to Trinidad and Tobago, having served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, and the Office of the Prime Minister, and he made his maiden speech in the House of Representatives when he piloted a Motion for the acquisition of lands on Friday the 23rd of July 1971.

Today, as we reflect on the life of the late Mr Ashraf Ali, who will be remembered for his service to Trinidad and Tobago and his service to mankind and that of his family, I take the opportunity to reflect, as I said, on his passing, and may Almighty God grant him a place in the hereafter based on his book of deeds and the legacy that he would have established for himself, for his family, and for Trinidad and Tobago.

I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Honourable Members, I too wish to join in the tributes being made to the late former Member, Mr Ashraf Ali. During his tenure in this House Mr Ali con- tributed to many debates including the Praedial Larceny Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 1976, the President’s Emoluments (Amendment) Bill, 1976, amongst others. I am advised that Mr Ali was an astute businessman and a devout follower of Islam. His life was certainly one of service — service to his family, his religion and his country.

I take this opportunity to express my deepest condolences to the Ali family during this time of mourning and I pray that Almighty God grants them the comfort and strength needed at this time of their bereavement.

4 | Page I now ask that we all stand and observe a minute silence as a mark of respect.

The House of Representatives stood.

Madam Speaker: May his soul rest in peace. Honourable Members, I will ask the Honourable Clerk to send an appropriate letter to convey our condolences to the family of the late Mr Ashraf Ali.

***

Members of Lahore Ahmadiyya Trinidad Trust with Hazrat Ameer Dr. Abdul Kareem Saeed and Sister Semina Malik from USA

Mr. Ashraf Ali and Mrs. Nafiesa Ali with former Ministers Kamal-ud-Din and Dr. Cuthbert Joseph in Washington Conference

Page | 5 Bro. Ashraf Ali with his older Bro. Senator During Hajj in 2003 – Mr. Ashraf Ali and Basharat Ali Nafiesa Ali

Hon. Camille Robinson-Regis paying tributes to late Bro. Ashraf Ali at the session of the Trinidad Parliament.

Mr. Ashraf Ali and Mrs. Nafiesa Ali in a Conference in Korea on World Peace and Island Nations

6 | Page Ashraf Ali with Imam Kalam Azad Mohammed Mr. Ashraf Ali and Nafiesa Ali with Imam Kemal on the eve of 80th Birthday Hydal and his wife Narriman Hydal

Mr. Ashraf Ali receiving award from Ahmadiyya With former Governor of Central Bank in 2019. Anjuman Trinidad in 2019.

Page | 7 INDIA’S TWO NATIONS Muhammad Yakub Khan

(REPRODUCED FROM THE WEEKLY LIGHT DATED 1 SEPTEMBER, 1939)

[The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, from the earliest days, fully and vigorously supported Quaid-i Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his efforts to bring about the creation of Pakistan on the basis of the ‘Two Nations’ theory, that the Muslims of India constitute a separate nation in their own right. Thus India, upon independence, should be divided into two countries: Bharat and Pakistan. Here is an interesting account published in the Frontier Post how the Quaid appreciated an editorial of the Light elucidating the stand taken by him in this regard. The weekly was official organ of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. Maulana Yakub Khan was editor of the weekly. The latter went to meet the Quaid in Lahore. Ed.]

[“GOOD LORD! Exclaimed the Quaid as he entered the draw- ing room of Mian Bashir Ahmad´s residence at 23 Lawrence Road, Lahore, where my father, Maulvi Muhammad Yakub Khan, editor of The Light, had been invited by Mian Sahib to meet the Quaid at the latter´s request.

“I was expecting a smartly-dressed man from Oxford, judg- ing from your writings, and here you are a Maulana! You have certainly given me a surprise.”

It was the autumn of 1942, if memory serves. Father had gone to see the Quaid in his usual clerical clothes – a long coat buttoned up to the neck, a matching pair of trousers, a Jinnah cap and of course, a beard.

It was a signal honour. Many people wanted to meet the Quaid, but the request from the Quaid, that he wanted to meet the editor of The Light, was an honour conferred in recognition of the yeoman´s service that The Light had rendered to the cause of the Muslim League.

According to Mian Muhammad Shafi, the veteran journalist, `Your father was the first man to support the Quaid in the columns of The Light in the Punjab, right from early 1936. The rest of the Punjab press was either hostile or indifferent`.

Later, at a tea party hosted by Maulvi Muhammad Ali, the famous translator of the Holy Quran into English, the Quaid made a short speech in which he recounted his as- sociation with and attachment to The Light. He not only read every issue thoroughly,

8 | Page but also kept a file of the paper, he said. To illustrate how The Light had helped in his work of advancing the Pakistan Movement, he recounted an encounter with the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, in the following words:

After I had first propounded my two-nation theory, the Viceroy said to me, “Mr. Jinnah, I had always thought you to be a sensible and intelligent man… But, now that you have come out with this new-fangled theory, I have my doubts.”

`I told him I would send him an editorial of The Light on the two-nation theory. He was to read it and let (Lord Linlithgow`- Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943) me know his reaction. A few days later I received a note from Lord Linlithgow saying:

“Now I see your point of view.” - The Frontier Post, 6 March 1987]

*** INDIA’S TWO NATIONS

“Mr Jinnah’s observation in the course of a speech at Bombay that Hindus and Muslims are two different nations has once more brought this much-vexed question to the fore. This is what he said: “The cultures of the two communities, Muslims and Hindus, are so different that the one having powers naturally tries to run the other down. In such a country comprising different nationalities, a democratic system of parliamentary Government is impossibility.”

Now this is a fact which no Indian Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian can honestly deny. It may be deplorable. It may indeed stand in the way of India’s progress. It is nonetheless there as a stern reality, and a statesman who sits to devise a system of Government for India can ill afford to ignore this reality. The daily lives of Hindus and Muslims run into two absolutely different channels. Although living as next-door neighbours, they are more apart from each other than any other two peoples in the world. What Kipling said of the East and the West is far more true of Hindus and Muslims. The fact is too obvious that it needs no elaboration. The gulf between the two may be judged from the commonplace yet significant fact that a Hindu considers the very touch of a Musalman as pollution. By his very religion and upbringing he detests the very touch of a Musalman, and an article food, the moment it is touched by a Muslim, becomes gall and wormwood to a Hindu. The common cries of “Hindu water” and “Muslim water” met with at every one of the thousands of railway stations over the length and breadth of the country are a daily proclamation, as it were, that India is inhabited by two nations so widely at variance with each other that they would not even drink from

Page | 9 the same jug of water. This exclusiveness, if not hatred, penetrates every department of life. To say in the face of this that there is but one nation in India is to belie the hard realities of daily life.

The Hindu cannot be blind to this reality of the Indian situation. But with him a common nationhood is a paying proposition under a democratic constitution. He happens to be the majority community and a democratic Government means the rule of the majority. That is the reason why from a political platform or in the press he shouts to claim the same man as a co-national whose very majority community life he abhors as an abomination. The sudden solicitude that he recently discovered for the 80 million of the Depressed Classes whom he has been trampling for centuries past — and by the sanction of his religion at that — was also due to the same motive. He moved heaven and earth when there was a move to treat the Depressed Classes as a separate community. With the 80 million Untouchables gone out, the Hindu community would lose the status of the majority community. That explains the anxiety of the Hindus to keep within their religion those whom they would not allow even a footstep beyond the threshold of their temple, those whose ears, if the sacred words of the Vedas happen to fall into them, must be filled with molten lead. Likewise they are anxious to impose a common nationality on the Musalmans whose mere touch they regard as a pollution. A common nationality would mean their own domination over the Muslim minority. The Harijan Movement of Mahatma Gandhi and the much-vaunted Congress slogan of a common nationhood have a definite value for them in terms of political power. The one is necessary to keep the Hindu community as a majority community; the other to ensure the rule of the majority. The humanitarianism behind the first and the patriotism behind the latter are mere pious poses. The Harijans and Muslims are mere pawns in the game of Hindu domination — the first to give the Hindus the majority, the others to give them the majority rule.

Mr Jinnah’s observation that democratic system of Government is unsuited for India was made an occasion for much adverse comment. Writing in the Civil & Military Gazette of Lahore, one Hindu correspondent advances arguments which are absurd on the face of them. He reminds Mr Jinnah of one of his recent statements criticiz- ing the present constitution as undemocratic, vesting larger power in the Governor- General than those of Hitler. How in the same breath, he asks, does Mr Jinnah now declare democracy as unsuited for India? This shows the hollowness, if not insincerity of Hindu criticism of the Muslim viewpoint. Mr Jinnah certainly did not mean to wrest Hitlerian power from the Governor-General in order to vest them in a permanent religious majority of the Hindus. And since the Hindu community is out to monopo- lize those dictatorial powers vis-à-vis the Muslim community, Mr Jinnah is up in arms against them as he was against the British. His position is perfectly consistent. He does not want domination, whether of a Governor-General or of the Hindu community. The

10 | Page so-called democracy is really no democracy, as it tends to perpetuate the domination of the Hindus over the Muslims. That is what Mr Jinnah is up against.

The other argument advanced by the writer is equally funny. It tells Mr Jinnah that all his life he had been a Congressman and the Congress has ever stood for democracy. How can he now denounce democracy? The writer conveniently shuts his eyes to the other side of the point he has raised. It is exactly because Mr Jinnah has been a Congressman for a long time that he was able to find the Congress out. His long contact with the Congress convinced him that although the Congress preached democracy, that democracy meant Hindu domination, and so he parted ways with it.

Maulana Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were once the leading figures of the Congress. They fought under the Congress flag for the freedom of the country. When, however, they perceived that the freedom they had been fighting for was to be freedom for the Hindu community alone whereas to the Muslims it would only mean the substitution of the British by the Hindu domination, they said goodbye to the Congress. That is the disillusionment which has made Mr Jinnah, an ex-President of the Congress, also stand up against the Congress politics.

The critic further observes that religion has no longer much hold on the Hindus and Muslims. Why then divide India into religious communities? That religious hold is growing lax is true but religious prejudices are growing stronger and stronger. Perhaps there has never been more bloodshed over cow-slaughter than during these days. There are Hindus now who no longer regard the cow as sacred. There are some who even enjoy a beefsteak occasionally. But if a Musalman should kill his own cow, these very liberal Hindus would like to draw his blood out. Religion may no longer be there; but religious hatred is still there. In fact the religious hatred was never so violent as in these days, and with every step along the devolution of power on Indians, these flames of hatred are fanned stronger and stronger.

The writer looks forward to the day when the lives of Hindus and Muslims would be governed by science. As new culture is taking shape, a scientific culture, common to all mankind. We fail to see much hope in that direction either. After all, European peoples are just now leading the van of scientific civilization but there is certainly no love lost between the Germans and the French. With every advance in scientific achievement, they grow in bitterness against each other. Science can teach us the subjugation of matter but not of the self. In fact it makes the self of man all the more unbridled. The age of science and scientific culture, therefore, may even intensify the Hindu-Muslim struggle. At any rate it is something which is yet in the womb of the future, whereas political adjustments between Hindus and Muslims can only be made on the basis of present-day conditions. And taking those conditions into consideration, Mr Jinnah is

Page | 11 certainly right in saying that the Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations and the parliamentary system of Government which pre-supposes a common nationality, a common language and a common culture is an impossibility.

What can be the best alternative to the parliamentary system of Government is quite a different question. This much must be at once conceded: that however much one may wish for a common nationhood in India, no such thing exists at present. In all frankness it must be conceded that Hindus and Muslims are two different nations, whose interests clash with each other as those of any other two nations. Until such time when the present-day prejudices should die out, and the idea of a common nationality should take a firm hold on the Indian mind, the present system of majority Government cannot possibly work smoothly. It must mean the subjugation of the Muslim minority for all time to come to the Hindu majority.

Mr Jinnah has truly voiced the mind of the whole of Muslim India in saying that such a system is an impossibility and no Musalman will agree to it. The sooner this fact is conceded by the sister community, the better. Honesty is certainly the best policy in politics as in business. We believe much of the communal bitterness is due to the refusal of the Hindus to recognize this fact. A frank recognition of the fact that the Musalman in India are a nation unto themselves would pave the way for a better -un derstanding between the two communities, and in the atmosphere of mutual good- will and respect, an alternative to the present system of Government may be found which may justly and fairly safeguard the interests of both the major Communities.

***

In the Light of the Holy Qur’an … GRATITUDE Sharda Ahmadali-Doekhi B.Sc., M.Ed

In many of its verses, the Qur’an shows us the countless blessings which man has at his disposal in this world. It also shows how us how ungrateful man can be, despite the abundance which he has in this life. Some of these verses are:

“So eat of what Allah has given you, lawful and good (things), and give thanks for Allah’s favour, if He it is you serve” (16:114). “And surely thy Lord is full of grace to men, but most of them do not give thanks” (27:73).

12 | Page “Why should Allah chastise you if you are grateful and believe? And Allah is ever Multiplier of rewards, Knowing” (4:147). “And when your Lord made it known: If you are grateful, I will give you more, and if you are ungrateful, My chastisement is truly severe” (14:7).

The Qur’an shows us again and again that man should go through life with a positive attitude. What is the reason for this? Does Allah need our gratitude? Many of us find it difficult to be grateful, particularly when the circumstances are not to our liking. Others, however, have everything they wish for and still they are not grateful. Our society tends to think in terms of scarcity. We focus our minds on things we do not have instead of being grateful for those things which we have.

By being grateful, we can experience Allah and open ourselves to His favours.

Muslims often remember Allah by His attributes (dhikr). The objective of this is that we can experience the feelings connected with the dhikr, that we understand these feelings, and that we integrate them into our behaviour. One of these attributes of Allah is Shakur, which, among other meanings, means “very grateful.”

A grateful heart attracts abundance and provisions from Allah like a magnet, both material and spiritual. Imagine how you feel when you have given something to a grateful person, and how you feel when someone is not grateful for your gifts.

It is better to have a grateful attitude towards Allah, as He, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, has the most to offer to us.

Yet it is still difficult for many people to be grateful, or to stay grateful. Others do not really believe that Allah is able to provide us with everything we need for a sincere, happy life in abundance.

The first step is to be grateful for everything we have, and see Allah’s presence in those things. Also, when things are not going as well as we would like, there is still a lot to be grateful for. Gratitude makes our lives better, fuller, richer and far more wonderful. We should release our limited, miserable thoughts and think more in terms of welfare, prosperity and fortune, again and again, till gratitude becomes an integral part of our being. What we strive for, where we put our energy, that is what we will receive (Qur’an, 53:39).

We have a choice. Choose gratitude and abundance for all good things in life.

***

Page | 13 HOW I JOINED THE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT by Dr Basharat Ahmad

(Presented as a talk by Mrs Fauqia Aziz at Darus Salaam, Wembley, London, on 2 February 2020 Note: This talk is abridged from the English translation of an article written by Dr Basharat Ahmad, in which he recounts how he came to know about the Ahmadiyya Movement and later joined it.)

I had been interested in religion from childhood. Since the earliest, I always had an overwhelming desire to benefit from the company of religious scholars (ulama). If a maulvi or preacher happened to be giving a lecture in our locality, I could not re- strain myself from attending it. My forefathers were Hanafis, but while I had an -in terest in religion I was also greatly attracted towards investigating religious questions and concepts.

Joining the Ahl-i-Hadith Some of my acquaintances belonged to the Ahl-i-Hadith. As a result of my investigations I joined the Ahl-i-Hadith. I could not understand that since there existed Hadith reports of the Holy Prophet Muhammad how one could give preference to the verdict of any jurist. This was the time when the Ahl-i-Hadith were called ‘Wahhabi’ and were assaulted in mosques and evicted from them.

Our family was at that time residing in the city of Sialkot and we stayed in the Sadar Market. I was, however, studying in town at the Scotch Mission High School. On be- coming an Ahl-i-Hadith follower, I immediately started clasping my hands on my chest in prayer and saying ‘Ameen’ audibly when praying in congregation at the Sadar main mosque. The imam of the mosque, the late Maulvi Mubarik Ali, did not object or say anything as he was a learned man, but others in the congregation got agitated; there was much noise and uproar and dire threats were uttered against me. Finally, the matter was reported to the elder of my family, who was my grandfather. He was quite annoyed with me. I did not argue with him, but started attending the Friday congregational prayers at the Ahl-i-Hadith Mosque of the town. The late Maulvi Abdul Karim used to lead the prayers, and I had complete freedom to raise my hands and say ‘Ameen’ in an audible manner.

Argument with Reverend Youngson I have said that I used to study in the Scotch Mission High School. In my class were also the late Maulvi Qa’im-ud-Din and the late Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal, the same Dr Iqbal who is the famous poet and philosopher. Reverend Youngson was our Principal and was a very intelligent Christian priest. Maulvi Qa’im-ud-Din and Dr Iqbal would debate

14 | Page and argue with Reverend Youngson during the Gospel study hour, but in the discus- sions on the issue of the Messiah being still alive and being superior to the Prophet Muhammad they could not stand up to the reverend. On one occasion there was a terrible calamity when Reverend Youngson quoted the Qur’anic verse “Ya ‘Isa, inni mutawaffi-ka wa rafi‘u-ka ilayya” [O Jesus, I will take you and raise you to Me — 3:55] as an argument in favour of the superiority of Jesus Christ. Dr Iqbal, being ruffled, responded that this verse was not from the Qur’an. This was a clear victory for the reverend; the verse was from the Qur’an. We Muslims felt very embarrassed. I fretted within myself and sometimes, may God forgive me, I even felt annoyed with God that by bodily raising Jesus to the heavens He had made Muslims to be humiliated by Christians. At last, the daily criticisms of Islam by the Christian clergymen resulted in my having doubts about the veracity of Islam and many a time I thought that I should leave Islam. The scholars of Islam, whom we relied on and had great respect for, however, provided no satisfactory explanations.

Perusal of the book Fath Islam In 1891, during the period when I was restless in my mind, one day I was lying on a bed in our courtyard when my paternal grandfather handed me a book and said: “Look at the wonder of the fourteenth century (Hijrah) — a man, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, has claimed to be a likeness of the Messiah, and has published this book.”

I took the book, which was Fath Islam (‘Victory of Islam’), and started reading it. Immediately the style of writing captivated me. As I continued reading, I felt as if the words of the book were directly entering into my heart and soul, and when I read the arguments and proofs showing that Jesus had died a natural death, I jumped with joy. I read the whole book in one sitting and flatly told my grandfather that this man was truthful. On this he said: “No, you are yet a child. You have not seen our religious scholars. I hear they are preparing a universal proclamation of kufr (heresy) against this man.”

But the truth of the book had cast its influence upon me. I was not willing to give up belief in the natural death of Jesus. I had received this gem after so much wanting. The same verse, “Ya ‘Isa, inni mutawaffi-ka wa rafi‘u-ka ilayya,” which had always troubled me was now beautifully satisfying my heart.

The situation now in the central market of Sialkot was that in each and every meeting and function where people gathered Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was under discussion, but he was invariably opposed.

Page | 15 Hazrat Mirza Sahib in Sialkot After some days the town was abuzz with the news that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the claimant of Messiahship, was coming to Sialkot. Recently, we had listened to the lectures of Maulvi Nur-ud-Din of Bhera, Hafiz Abdul Mannan of Wazirabad, and Maulana Nazir Husain of Delhi, who had also visited Sialkot. On the arrival of Hazrat Mirza Sahib too, we went to town. He was staying at the house of the late Hakim Hissam-ud-Din. The street leading to the house was full of people. As a friend and I squeezed our way through the crowd, I saw Hazrat Mirza Sahib leave one house and enter the next. In that brief time, when I glanced at his face, I saw such a glimpse of saintliness and light that I could not help feeling that this could not be the face of an imposter; it was the radiant countenance of a truthful man.

Hazrat Mirza Sahib lead the Asr prayers in Hakim Hissam-ud-Din’s mosque, and I, along with others, prayed behind him. After the prayers he sat in the doorway of the mosque. A large number of people were present in the mosque and they asked him various questions on religious matters. His answers were so satisfying that one’s faith was renewed. Sitting near me was Maulvi Abdul Karim, the imam of the Ahl-i-Hadith mosque who had pledged allegiance to Hazrat Mirza Sahib. He said to me: “Look, do you see the light upon Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s face?” I confirmed that I did.

In the evening we returned home, but my mind had been deeply impressed. When we returned the next day, Hazrat Mirza Sahib was giving a commentary on Sura Fatiha. Today of course every Ahmadi child knows this particular explanation, but at that time we were hearing it for the first time. These truths and fine points of knowledge opened our eyes, and the lectures of other ulama which I had heard now seemed shallow. Dr Iqbal was at that time sitting on the roof of the entrance of the mosque and was full of praise for this exposition of the Qur’an. Hazrat Mirza Sahib stayed a few days in Sialkot and then went back. Many people in Sialkot took the pledge, among them Maulvi Mubarik Ali, the imam of our Sadar Mosque. This caused a great deal of trouble in the Sadar area.

Speeches of Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi In the meanwhile, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi arrived in Sialkot. He was a leading scholar of the Ahl-i-Hadith in the Punjab and was at the height of his fame for his knowledge and learning. His mission was to oppose Hazrat Mirza Sahib. As I was an Ahl-i-Hadith follower, I had a special regard for him. I met him at a dinner in Sadar, and after this there was a lecture by him at the main mosque in Sadar which was disjointed and not at all enjoyable. However, he read out some extracts from a copy of [Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s book] Izala Auham, and by taking the passages out of context and juxtaposing various passages together he gave a completely wrong impression to the audience. For instance, he emphasized to us that Mirza Sahib had said that there

16 | Page is a verse in the Qur’an: “Surely We have revealed it near Qadian.” He also said that Mirza Sahib applied to himself the prophecy mentioned in the verse of the Qur’an, “I (Jesus) give good news of a messenger after me whose name is Ahmad,” and did not apply it to the Holy Prophet Muhammad; that Mirza Sahib says that the Qur’an is full of abusive words, and that four hundred prophets lied, etc. In short, this is the way he incited us against Hazrat Mirza Sahib. Little did we know that such a reputed scholar was standing in a mosque uttering lies, and by misquoting passages was slandering Hazrat Mirza Sahib. We were led astray by trusting the mullahs, and thus lost the distinction of being among the first followers of Hazrat Mirza Sahib.

Thus after polluting the atmosphere of Sialkot, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi left. With him also went the spiritual peace I had found. The community of the Ahl- i-Hadith in Sialkot had become fragmented and the mosque of the Wahhabis almost desolate. A large portion of the Ahl-i-Hadith had become Ahmadi and had shifted to Hakim Hissam-ud-Din’s mosque. The few who were left shifted to an old royal mosque. Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim of Sialkot, at that time a young man, was made imam of the mosque. I also went to say my prayers in that mosque. But his old-style, traditional khutbas could not attract someone who had heard thekhutbas of Maulvi Abdul Karim. One Friday was more than enough to disenchant me, and I stopped going there.

I meet a Sufi Around this time God so ordained that I chanced to meet a Sufi of the Chishtiyya Sabiriyya order. Despite being of the Ahl-i-Hadith school of thought, I had always been interested in Sufism, and in his company that interest was rekindled. I learnt from him all the recitals and incantations practised in the Chishtiyya Sabiriyya order. He once in- quired as to my purpose in following these practices. I replied that I wished to become a saint. He said that I was the first person who had ever desired to learn this from him. Generally people used incantations for the purpose of attaining some worldly advan- tage. To cut a long story short, the constant recitation of the word “Allah” resulted in my heart frequently feeling moved and a state of ecstasy was regularly experienced and the thought of the name Allah remained in my mind constantly.

One day I met an atheist who raised such strong objections that I lost my very faith. He said that my entire experience was just a product of my imagination. I went to my Sufi guide with those objections. He replied that a Sufi keeps away from debate or discussion. I said that in this world one cannot avoid encountering people who hold opposing opinions. What answer, then, would one give to such objections? He just replied that I should continue reciting the incantations. My faith had, however, been shaken, so how could I do the recitations? I tried but my heart was no longer in it. In those days mesmerism was the latest thing much talked about. My reading of books

Page | 17 on this subject resulted in the loss of whatever little faith I still had. I was deeply agitated and the world seemed to be hell for me.

I read the book Barahin-i Ahmadiyya In the army garrison area of Sialkot, Maulvi Jalal-ud-Din used to teach in the army school. He was a very righteous man and had become an Ahmadi. One day when I went to visit him, he was inside having a wash. Outside on the bed the famous book by Hazrat Mirza Sahib, Barahin Ahmadiyya, was lying open. As I sat on the bed my glance fell on the open page and I began reading it. What a writing it was! It was like a soothing balm for my wounded soul. The arguments for proving that the Qur’an had been revealed by God were so powerful and convincing that, as I read on and on, I felt as if a veil was being lifted from my eyes and my faith was being revived. In short, that day I once again felt that I was a Muslim. I was convinced that whether I understood the personal claims of Hazrat Mirza Sahib or not, if certainty in the truth of Islam is to be obtained the only way is through reading his books.

This conviction grew further when in Lahore I heard the famous lecture of Hazrat Mirza Sahib at the occasion of the Conference of Religions, which was later published as a book entitledThe Teachings of Islam. Maulvi Abdul Karim’s delivery of the lecture had a magnificent glory of its own. The substance of the lecture was so lofty and full of the highest truths and deepest knowledge that the public were listening in a daze of wonder. The Muslims were so overjoyed that they were jumping up from their seats. As regards myself, I felt as if the truth and greatness of Islam was entering every fibre of my body.

Departure to Africa and return On graduating from Medical College, I went to East Africa. There I was always in the company of the late Dr Rahmat Ali, who was a very pious Ahmadi. I had the opportunity and time to study Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s books and my faith in his veracity went on growing stronger. However, some influence of the ulama still remained upon me and their declarations of unbelief against Hazrat Mirza Sahib prevented me from be- coming an Ahmadi. On returning from Africa, I was assigned to the Zafarwal District of Sialkot on plague duty. I read much of the writings of Hazrat Mirza Sahib both in criticism of other religions and about his own claims. The books A’ina Kamalat Islam and Ayyam-us-Sulh particularly made a deep impression on me. Around this time, an Ahl-i-Hadith maulvi became the imam of the mosque at a nearby village. When this maulvi realized that I was being influenced by Ahmadiyyat he gave me the book Saif-i-Chishtiyya’iby Pir Mahr Ali Shah and another book which was probably entitled Shams-ul-Badaya. I read these books, especially the arguments given in favour of the contention that Jesus was still bodily alive in heaven. On comparison with the arguments for the natural death of Jesus, the arguments for Jesus being alive appeared to

18 | Page me to be worthless. I flatly told the maulvi that the books that he had given me had only served to increase my belief in the veracity of Hazrat Mirza Sahib. The maulvi was very annoyed with me, and that was the last I saw of him.

My investigations regarding Hazrat Mirza Sahib I was transferred to Shakargarh on plague duty. At a nearby village of the Pathans, an officer, Munawwar Khan, had been suspended for not assisting in the efforts against the plague. As I got to know him, he requested that I intercede for his reinstatement. He said: “Previously, whenever we were in difficulties, we would ask the Mirza of Qadian to pray for us, and then by the grace of God our problem would be solved, but now he has claimed to be Jesus Christ, the son of God. Our ulama have proclaimed him an unbeliever and therefore we have stopped going there.”

I asked whether he personally knew Hazrat Mirza Sahib. He replied: “Yes, I know him from childhood. He is a very righteous, godly and abstinent man whose prayers are answered by God. We have experience of his prayers; they work like an arrow going straight for its target. There is no doubt that he is a great saint. But you know that it is the saints who stumble. It appears that at some stage in the spiritual path Mirza Sahib, like Mansur, slipped or went astray.”

I was particularly struck by what he said. I had the opportunity to frequently go on official duty to various areas of Gurdaspur District. I met Shaikh Nur Ahmad, a chief of Batala, and various other people who were not Ahmadis and were acquainted with Mirza Sahib since childhood. Their replies to my inquiries regarding Mirza Sahib convinced me that he was a righteous and saintly person. I was already satisfied with regards to his claims but I was still apprehensive about taking the pledge (bai‘at), for opposition to Ahmadiyyat knew no bounds.

Illness of Mumtaz Ahmad My son Mumtaz Ahmad was at that time two years old. I was appointed in Shakargarh, District Gurdaspur, on plague duty, while my family was residing in Amritsar. Mumtaz Ahmad contracted typhoid fever so dangerous that his temperature would not go below 105° Fahrenheit day or night and sometimes rose even higher, and the signs and symptoms of typhoid fever became fully apparent. The best doctors of Amritsar were in agreement that the typhoid was so severe that, if the boy survived, the fever would not reduce in less than three or four weeks. I had taken one week’s leave from work. The child was unconscious all the time, lying like a corpse, and there appeared no hope of survival. On the eleventh day of the illness my leave expired. The boy’s pulse was erratic and there was no change in his fever or unconscious condition. I was desperately worried and refused to return to duty. The elders in my family advised me

Page | 19 not to take such a foolish step, as what was destined to happen would happen in any case, and I should not risk my employment.

By coincidence, in those days Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s book Barakat-ud-Du‘a (The Blessings of Prayer) was in our house and my wife had read it. She said to me: “You will have to pass through Gurdaspur on the way back to Shakargarh. On the way is the town of Batala. From there if you go to Qadian and ask Hazrat Mirza Sahib to pray for the child it is possible that God may answer.”

Mirza Sahib, in his book Barakat-ud-Du’a, has written with great emphasis: “O you who say that ‘if prayer is effective, then show it,’ where are you? Run to me so that I show you that effect as clear as the sun.”

My first time in Qadian On hearing these words from my wife, I immediately prepared to depart. As I was un- familiar with the environs of Qadian, I requested an Ahmadi friend to accompany me. The train left Amritsar at 10 p.m. and we reached Batala at midnight. There we hired a horse cart to take us to Qadian. The road was in an extremely poor state of repair. After a rough and jerky ride, we reached Qadian at two in the morning. The night was terribly dark and nothing was visible. There were no signs of lanterns in Qadian. It was the winter season, so the doors of the houses were closed. My Ahmadi friend led the way and I followed behind. In the darkness we could not make out anything, when unknowingly, my friend pressed against a door of Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s house and it fell open with a jolt. Hazrat Mirza Sahib was offering the Tahajjud prayer. He closed his prayers with salam just at that time, and after inquiring as to our purpose, he directed us to go upstairs to the Mubarik mosque.

On arriving upstairs we found ourselves in a small mosque. There was a room adjoin- ing the mosque, named bait-ul-fikr (the contemplation room). The entire mosque was filled with people offering the Tahajjud prayer with great humbleness and devotion. But I was very tired so I fell asleep. At 4 a.m. the call was given for the morning prayers. Somebody woke me up and offered me water for performing ablutions. I had just performed my ablutions and offered the individual prayers (Sunnah), when the late Maulvi Abdul Karim arrived. I was delighted to see him as he used to be imam of our Ahl-i-Hadith mosque at Sialkot. He also met me with great warmth, saying: “At last you have come; yes, God did bring you.”

After this I mentioned to him that my son was critically ill and I was requesting prayers for him. He said: “Follow the example of the Abraham, and for you too the call will come from heaven: ‘O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham.’ God will change this fire of yours into coolness and peace.”

20 | Page I was much reassured by his words.

Meeting Hazrat Mirza Sahib Just then Hazrat Mirza Sahib came out. I felt as if an embodiment of light was standing in front of me. Maulvi Abdul Karim took me by the arm and introduced me to Hazrat Mirza Sahib in these words: “Sir, I present before you another righteous soul.”

I pray that God makes me truly worthy of these words and that I meet a good end. Hazrat Mirza Sahib shook my hands with great warmth. As some people had spread the rumour that Mirza Sahib suffered from leprosy and that his hands were covered by rash, I looked at his hands closely. In my own sinful hands, it appeared to me as if his hands, bathed in light, were like silver.

Maulvi Abdul Karim only introduced me in the words mentioned above, and in my opinion there are no better words to introduce somebody to the Messiah appointed by God. I therefore myself related the details about me. We then offered the congregational prayers. I was standing shoulder to shoulder with Hazrat Mirza Sahib and Maulvi Abdul Karim was leading the prayers. Praying behind him was nothing new for me as I had prayed behind him for long in Sialkot, but I had never before experienced the grandeur with which he now recited the Qur’an at Qadian. His recitation was now so perfectly eloquent, and it penetrated the heart so much that as I listened to it my heart melted and yearned. It is my belief this change was due to the blessing of the Messiah, for I had long heard Maulvi Abdul Karim’s recitation of the Qur’an; it had neither possessed such eloquence, nor this penetrating effect.

Result of the meeting After the prayers Hazrat Mirza Sahib went inside. Khalifa Rashid-ud-Din had already asked me whether I would like to meet Hazrat Mirza Sahib in the mosque or privately. I desired to meet him in private. Shortly thereafter, Hazrat Mirza Sahib invited us inside. We entered a room in which some children were sleeping. Hazrat Mirza Sahib was sitting on a bare, rope-woven bed, not covered by any soft bedding. On seeing me, he shifted towards the foot of the bed and invited me to sit towards the (more comfort- able) head of the bed. Out of respect, I refused, but he took my hand and sat me down near the head. He himself remained at the rough side and my friend sat between us.

I asked to know of some spiritual devotion for the purification of the heart. He said: “Just say the daily prayers with care and with understanding of the meaning of the words.” I was quite moved by his answer. For, I had tried various incantations and recitals, but with no good result, except that my heart had got spiritually weaker and I had lost the strength to face the world. Furthermore, the way taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad to his companions for the purification of the heart was the

Page | 21 offering of these very daily prayers. So it was the method to be found in the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, these daily prayers, that the Promised Messiah taught for the purification of one’s heart. From this I realized how firmly he followed the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, and that he did not approve of any way that was a later addition in Islam (bid‘ah).

Hazrat Mirza Sahib spoke more on the purification of the heart. And what a speech! It felt as if a spiritual doctor, diagnosing the real disease, was applying the treatment. The answers to my weakness of faith and my doubts and qualms were coming in such a manner that I sometimes felt as if my heart was open in front of him and he was identifying the maladies in it and treating them. When he said that a sinful person is like a criminal whose arrest warrant has been issued, so at every step he is afraid, and every moment he is anxious that he is about to be captured, how then can a sinner have the tranquillity of heart which is granted to those who turn to God — these words caused me to tremble. I had heard plenty of sermons, but I don’t know what it was about these simple words that they were so effective as to penetrate my heart.

Taking the Pledge (Bai‘at) In the same connection, Hazrat Mirza Sahib said that one should be ready to depart for the next world just as a long-waiting traveller eagerly awaits a passage home. These words made such an impression upon me that worldly matters began to seem quite unimportant.

The talk ended on the topic of the natural death of Jesus, which was characteristic of Hazrat Mirza Sahib. Hazrat Mirza Sahib had such a great desire to wipe out the false doctrine that Jesus is alive that most of his talks would eventually turn to this topic.

I was so engrossed in the talk that my boy’s illness had slipped my mind and indeed I was totally unmindful of any worldly matter. In the future too, I would feel the same — that is, after I had taken the pledge of Hazrat Mirza Sahib, whenever I went into his company I would forget the world. I would feel too embarrassed to ask him to pray about any matter of the world, even hesitating to request his prayers in the case of illness of a near and dear one. I would think that to ask such a great man for prayer for any mundane matter is to devalue his status and worth. Anyhow, when Hazrat Mirza Sahib ended his talk saying, “whatever doubts or objections arise in your mind, you can write to me or visit here in person to have them cleared and get satisfaction,” the uncertainty of life loomed before me. I realized that so much of my life had already passed searching for the truth and I remained deprived of the blessing of Ahmadiyyat. One cannot rely on life, and I might die in a state of spiritual ignorance. I said: “Sir, accept my pledge of allegiance, for how long will I go on stumbling like this?” He took my pledge and prayed for me.

22 | Page The effect of Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s prayer When I was about to take my leave, I mentioned my son’s illness and requested Hazrat Mirza Sahib to pray with special attention. He immediately raised his hands and prayed for a long time. After he had finished praying he gave me leave to depart.

From there, I went to Hazrat Maulana Nur-ud-Din, with whom I had old relations from my days of being a Wahhabi. He also spoke about prayer briefly.

From there I departed straight for Gurdaspur. At the railway station I met my boss who was an English Doctor. I told him that my child was very sick and I needed leave. He asked me for the present to go to Shakargarh, but when he would return from Pathankot in two days’ time I could get leave for even ten days. I immediately went to Shakargarh.

On the third day I received a letter that the temperature had subsided and the child was completely well. As I had already applied for leave, I went to Amritsar and learnt that, on the morning I had got Hazrat Mirza Sahib to pray, the condition of the child was very critical. By nightfall everyone was despondent. Twelve days had elapsed since the onset of the fever. But when the temperature was taken late night it was found to be normal. The elders of the family, on hearing of this, said that the thermometer had not been placed properly. However, after taking the temperature several times and finding it normal, the doctor treating the child was informed. He was a highly capable doctor. He said: “Have you gone out of your minds? This type of intense typhoid fever never subsides in twelve days, and suddenly as well! This is all an error of not placing the thermometer correctly.”

He came himself and took the temperature again and again, and felt the pulse. He was astonished, and said: “This is some special blessing of God. I can’t understand it. I have never come across such a case — a child in such a bad and weak state and then the sudden appearance of good health. This is a Messianic miracle that a dead person has been brought to life.”

And indeed it was the grace of God and a miracle of a Messiah. How truly does Hazrat Mirza Sahib say (in a poetic verse about the qualities of the exalted man who is chosen and sent by God):

“You can wrack your brains a thousand times and still not solve your problem, But when you come before him, just one prayer by him is enough.”

Page | 23 The grace and favour of God By the grace of God, despite intense opposition, gradually my entire family and almost all my friends and close relations became Ahmadi. And this is all the favour of God.

As for myself, whenever I would be sitting in the company of Hazrat Mirza Sahib and my gaze would be fixed upon his radiant face, my heart would become filled with thanks to Almighty Allah for His grace and for my good fortune, that the man whom so many great saints in Muslim history were yearning to meet but they passed away, a sinner like me was graced with meeting him and taking his pledge! This was indeed a great favour of God. All praise to be Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Conclusion from this story Dr Basharat Ahmad’s talk ends here. It is a very inspiring and exciting story of a young man’s search for the truth. He wants to find beliefs which satisfy his mind and reason, and also his heart and soul, something which is rational but is also spiritual at the same time. He is perturbed by the criticism of Islam by Christian missionaries as well as by the modern world generally, and wants to find answers to their objections. Wherever he thinks he might find satisfaction, he gives it a try.

The Shariah-minded Muslim sects, such as the Ahl-i Hadith, hold beliefs such as Jesus being alive in heaven, which he cannot accept. The spiritually-minded Sufi sects pre- scribe novel practices for purification of the soul, which are ineffective and not to be found in the Holy Prophet’s practice. Neither of these groups can answer objections against Islam which have arisen in modern times.

All this time, in the background there are the writings and talks of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement that he comes across. These attract him greatly, but the false propaganda of the opponents of Hazrat Mirza Sahib makes him reluctant to accept his claims. How many more such people there must have been who would have accepted his claims and joined him but for the false allegations spread against him!

His search ends when a personal event, the illness of his son, leads him to test Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s claim about the acceptance of his prayers. On meeting him, he is over- whelmed by his spiritual radiance, his treatment of his visitors, his informality and lack of pretence, all of which are a reflection of the qualities demonstrated by the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself. Forgetting his own problems, he joins the Ahmadiyya Movement at the Founder’s hand. He finds in Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s teaching reason and rationality, along with belief in spiritual truths, and adherence to the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s practice.

24 | Page Dr Basharat Ahmad, who died in 1943, went on to become a scholar and author of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. He had a deep understanding of the Holy Qur’an, and his rational and inspiring explanations of the Qur’an became very popular. Due to his love for Hazrat Mirza Sahib, he wrote a most comprehensive biography of him, as well writing a great number of articles and pamphlets in his defence and on Islam.

blessings of Allah be on him). LOVE also generates peace and happiness in the society. Follow the commandments of ALLAH and His Messenger, the Holy Prophet MUHAMMAD and earn an ever-lasting life here in this world and in the Hereafter.

May Allah bless you all.

Ahmad Nawaz, Hayward, California I have just finished reading the February 2013 issue of the HOPE Bulletin dedicated to the memory of the late Br. Akbar Abdullah. I must say that your team has worked very hard to collect facts about the life and contributions made by our late Br. Akbar. The formatting of the Bulletin and photographs have made it very impressive and visual. Br. Akbar deserved such a beautiful dedication.

I wish to congratulate you for making the Bulletin more than just a news bulletin.

The brief life history of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) by our new sister in the fold of Islam, Christiane Backer, is very impressive and shows how his Perfect Example has inspired her thoughts and behaviour. I am sure her book “From MTV to Mecca” must be worth reading. Thanks for introducing the autobiography of a highly popular figure in the Western media, who, by her own study, has adopted Islam, and is facing challenges with firm faith and conviction.

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The HOPE Bulletin E-mail address: [email protected]

ISLAM stands for: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND

Design & Formatting : Erwan Hamdani, Jakarta, Indonesia Photos : Mrs. Nafiesa Ali, Trinidad. Sajjad Ahmad, Sweden http://www.aaiil.org http://www.Lahore.ahmadiyya.org http://ahmadiyah.org For Books on Islam and the Ahmadiyya Movement: Translations of the Holy Quran in Urdu, English, German, French, Russian, Arabic, Javanese, Indonesian, Dutch, Spanish and Turkish. Visit our websites.

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