17-23 January

17 January 1914: The illness of Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih I, may Allah be pleased with him, worsened and reached a critical level. However, despite the intensity of his deteriorating health, he continued delivering lectures on the Holy Quran and Sahih al-Bukhari.

17 January 1930: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, initiated a new series of announcements called Nida-e-Iman, meaning “The call of faith”.

17 January 1945: Hazrat Mirza Muhammad Shafi^ra passed way. He entered the Jamaat in 1901 and served for a long time as the auditor of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya, the central administrative body of the Jamaat.

17 January 1948: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra continued his tireless and passionate lectures on how the newly formed Pakistan could strengthen itself. On this date, Huzoor^ra delivered another public speech attended by scores of people. The public session was held under the presidency of Sir Sheikh Abdul Qadir.

17 January 1950: A reception was arranged in honour of an Indonesian and some other dignitaries representing foreign countries. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra graciously presided over the event and spoke at length to the invitees in English.

17 January 1958: A Christian bishop commissioned in Delhi, India visited Qadian where he was given a due welcome by Jamaat members.

18 January 1934: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra set out on a ten-day tour of Lahore, Ferozpur and Qasur.

18 January 1945: Upon the instructions of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra, Talim-ul-Islam Research Society was formed within Talim-ul-Islam College Qadian. This facility enabled the renowned college to further conduct original research.

19 January 1911: Due to extreme and sudden deterioration of his health, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra asked for a piece of paper and wrote on it that Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad^ra would be his successor as Khalifatul Masih. However, as his health restored, he asked for the paper containing his will and disposed of it.

19 January 1933: On this date, a ship that Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafarulla Khan^ra was aboard, dropped its anchor on the shores of Mumbai after successfully sailing from England. On 22 January, he arrived in Qadian. He was returning after effectively proving the case of the political rights of the Muslims in India during the third Round Table Conference held in London. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra received Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Zafarulla Khan^ra along with hundreds of Ahmadis from Qadian.

19 January 1950: The Jamaat in Sialkot convened its local Jalsa. During the Jalsa, opponents started throwing stones and tried their utmost to disperse the Ahmadi gathering. A positive outcome of the attacks was that a man, after witnessing how Ahmadis peacefully reacted, announced that he wished to enter the Jamaat.

19 January 1954: A court of enquiry for the investigation of the disturbances against the Jamaat in Punjab took a statement of Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafarulla Khan^ra.

20 January 1935: A religious debate was held in Nairobi between the Jamaat’s missionary, Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad Sahib and Saeen Lal Hussain Akhtar. After listening to the rational and logical arguments of the Jamaat, many accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat.

20 January 1949: The Jamaat mission in Germany was revived decades later by the efforts of the missionary, Chaudhry Abdul Latif Sahib. The German mission had not been operating since 1924 due to the political and financial uncertainty of Germany at the time.

20 January 1956: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra asked Jamaat members to send letters of feedback regarding the standards and efficiency of Jamaat offices. These letters would be addressed to the private secretary of Huzoor^ra, who would choose passages to be published in Al Fazl. The purpose behind the initiative was to improve the Jamaat central offices.

20 January 1956: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra directed Sadr Anjuman to take suitable measures to ensure the preservation and protection of the clothes and relics that belonged to the Promised Messiah^as. During the same sermon, Huzoor^ra discussed the future of the famous ring of the Promised Messiah^as that has “Alaisallahu Bikafin ‘Abdahu” (Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?) inscribed on it.

21 January 1909: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra asked Jamaat members to pay special attention in helping orphans, people in need and students with insufficient resources.

21 January 1910: On this date, a Friday Sermon was delivered from the Masjid Aqsa in Qadian where the presence of women is also recorded. Perhaps it was the first time arrangements could be made for Ahmadi ladies to offer prayer in congregation at the mosque. Arrangements for segregation were made towards the rear of the mosque’s main hall.

21 January 1915: For the benefit of the Lahori Jamaat, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra wrote a book entitled Qaul al-Fasl (A Decisive Word).

21 January 1932: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra graced the awards ceremony of Talim-ul-Islam High School in Qadian. Educational institutions within the Jamaat like Talim-ul-Islam School and College etc. were far ahead in terms of standards and education compared to other institutes. This was a result of the divine and insightful leadership of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.

21 January 1937: Malik Muhammad Sharif Sahib reached Rome, Italy to spread the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat.

22 January 1920: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra visited Madrasa Talim-ul-Islam and spoke about the need of religion.

22 January 1938: Hazrat Master Abdur Rahman Sahib was imprisoned and fined as he was accused of writing and publishing a pamphlet that was considered against the law.

In actuality, the pamphlet contained the teachings of the Jamaat and nothing harmful.

He spent some time in Gurdaspur jail and was later shifted to Mianwali Jail. He was set free on 22 March of the same year.

22 January 1944: A special commission from Punjab University visited Qadian upon the request of the Jamaat. The committee was to survey whether the Jamaat could establish and build a college in Qadian. The commission gave approval for the Jamaat’s proposals.

22 January 1960: Jalsa Salana of 1959 was held on 22 to 24 January 1960, and was attended by over 70,000 people. On the final day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra took an oath from all the participants that they would remain engaged in tabligh after they returned home. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^ra 1953 speech’s audio was also played during the Jalsa. A new nizamat (department) was also introduced during this Jalsa to help improve arrangements for guests.

23 January 1921: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra devised a very unique and beneficial plan to foster interfaith harmony and help eliminate prevailing misconceptions. Huzoor^ra proposed that an exchange be set up between Hindu and Ahmadi students. Huzoor^ra graciously invited 20 Hindus to study the Holy Quran in Qadian free of charge. In return, Huzoor^ra said that Hindu faith leaders should accommodate at least two Ahmadi students who can be taught Sanskrit and the Vedas. Huzoor^ra said that the Jamaat would bear all the expenses of this project.

23 January 1922: Hazrat Hakim Fazl-ur-Rahman Sahib set off for West Africa for tabligh.

23 January 1944: Sir William Patrick Spence visited Qadian and addressed Talim-ul-Islam High School. Sir Patrick Spence was a British lawyer, judge and conservative politician. He served as chief justice of India from 1943 to 1947.

23 January 1956: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra graciously blessed a reception held in honour of missionaries and delivered a speech.