The feelings of Ahmadi missionaries upon entering Spain
Karam Ilahi Zafar sahib and Maulvi Muhammad Ishaq Saqi sahib wrote to Al Fazl a letter, as they set foot on the soil of Spain for the very first time on 9 June 1946:
Hendaye is the last station of France at the border. It is by the sea, and a river from the east flows into it. Those living south of the river are part of Spain and those on the northern bank, part of France. But those living on either side of the river are proficient in both French and Spanish.
A bridge connects both sides of the river. There also is a railway bridge, but due to tension between the two countries, the borders are closed and the rail does not go any further. Porters carry the luggage on carts across the bridge, from where taxis are hired to get to the railway station of Irun which is about a mile away. That is where we are heading to.
Spain is part of Europe; the Europe that has excelled incredibly in the last two-hundred years. But what we should ask is: Where has this prosperity led to? The world falling away from God; the attempts to kill mankind on earth; the destruction caused by wars; greed, tyranny and oppression. All this is a result of the modern civilization and Europe is having to live through it.
Fourteen-hundred years ago, the Sun of Islam rose not only to brighten up the Arabian lands and turn its beastly population into humans, or heavenly humans rather, but it also shone upon other lands. Spain was one of such lands.
Today, God desires to brighten the world – especially the western world – with the light of Islam through the advent of the Promised Messiahas; to bring to an end the global unrest and destruction; to promote fraternity and brotherhood among nations and races and to bring into use modern day technology to promote peace through the message of Islam.
To achieve this purpose, we enter this day the land of Spain, the two of us with, apparently, no resources. Local people look at our turbans and our clothing with astonishment. Little do they know what Allah has in store to fulfil His decree.
Tariq [bin Ziyad], with his armies from Morocco and Algeria, had entered Spain from the south… Me and my companion are not entering Spain with such resources. Our only weapon is tabligh and prayer. We too are entering through a pass in the mountains but not from the south; from the north. Our victory would be to win hearts. To win a heart, one’s heart must be stronger.
What is the strength of a heart? That we follow the right path with piety; that we have a cordial relationship with God; such a heart that is full of Allah’s love will surely win other hearts. We request everyone to remember us in prayers. Our objectives in Spain require every Ahmadi to very humbly pray to God that He enables us to become true representatives of the Promised Messiahas and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud[ra].
(Al Fazl, 15 July 1946)