Al Fazl, 5 September 1921
On 26-27 August [1921], a Jalsa of Ahmadis of Kashmir was held in Asnoor under the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra]. The Ahmadis of Kashmir participated in it and representatives of Ahmadiyya jamaats came from far off places. The total number of participants was around 500.
On 26 [August 1921], Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] delivered two lectures that spanned over four and a half hours. The next day, Huzoor[ra] gave another lecture which lasted for two hours. The details of the Jalsa are as follows:
The issues that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] paid special attention to, for the betterment of the people of the Kashmir region, were their excessive swearing, substance abuse and inappropriate clothing. The people [of Kashmir] have started quitting the said practices and similar bad habits.
The Jalsa took place in the apple orchard of Abdur Rahman Dar Sahib, which is a high, breezy and pleasant place. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the weather remained clear in the said days [of Jalsa].
On Friday, 26 August 1921, at nine o’clock in the morning, the first session began under the chairmanship of Maulana Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib[ra]. The [Jalsa] commenced with a recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafiz Syed Mahmoodullah Shah Sahib. Then, Dr Hashmatullah Sahib delighted the audience with a poem of the Promised Messiahas. Mirza Gul Muhammad Sahib then recited a poem of Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmad Sahib[ra]. Thereafter, Maulana Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib[ra] started his speech. The following is a summary [of his speech]:
In a hadith, the Holy Prophetsa said that there is a part in the human body if it becomes good [reformed] the whole body becomes good but if it gets bad [corrupt] the whole body gets bad and that is the heart. Thus, most of one’s attention should be on purity and chastity of heart. As the purpose of sending prophets by Allah the Almighty is the reformation of human beings, the prophets also pay attention to the heart. Moreover, the revelation that is given to the prophets also descends on the heart, as in the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty says:
وَ اِنَّهٗ لَتَنۡزِيۡلُ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ۔ نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوۡحُ الۡاَمِيۡنُ۔ عَلٰي قَلۡبِكَ لِتَكُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡمُنۡذِرِيۡنَ
[“And verily this is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. The Spirit, Faithful to the Trust, has descended with it, on thy heart, that thou mayest be of the warners.” (Surah al-Shuara, Ch.26: V.193-195)]
Generally, some people are not reformed even if they practice one religion or another. The reason behind this is that they are not anxious to purify their hearts. Religion has three parts and all three of them are necessary for reformation – namely beliefs, practices and morals. The reformation of beliefs is the most important part because without it there can be no reformation in practices and morals. Actions without beliefs are mere rituals and they are not accepted. The religion of Islam has six beliefs, i.e. belief in the Oneness of God, belief in the angels, belief in the books of Allah, belief in all the prophets, belief in the Day of Judgment and belief in divine decree. He then briefly explained these beliefs.
Hafiz Sahib was delivering the speech when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih came. Therefore, Hafiz Sahib stopped his speech. Then, the speech of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] started at 10:30 am and ended at 12:30 pm. The number of listeners was around 500. Thereafter, around two hours were spent on the preparation of food and getting ready for Jumuah.
The Friday sermon started at 2:30 pm. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] briefly advised the Jamaat on unity and harmony in accordance with the meaning of the word “Jumuah.” The Asr prayer was combined with the Friday prayer.
Before the proceedings of Jalsa [resumed], Hafiz Sahib, an elderly blind man from Mazgam, a village two miles away from this place, who had been here for two days, got up, shook hands with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] and said in a loud voice, “You are truthful and your followers are truthful, so consider that I have taken your bai‘at.” Some friends explained to him that he should take bai‘at by saying the words [of bai‘at], but he insisted, “When I have put my hand on the hand of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih and said that he is truthful, then my bai‘at had taken place.”
The second session began at about 3:30 in the evening. Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmad Sahib[ra] recited the Holy Quran and Mirza Gul Muhammad Sahib recited the poem. After this, the speech of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] started at 3:45 pm and Huzoor[ra] continued to speak on internal disputes of the Jamaat for two and a half hours. In it, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih explained that all the differences began with personal enmities. After the speech, Maulvi Muhammad Abdullah Sahib, a Kashmiri lawyer, asked permission to present some questions on the issue of prophethood. After permission was granted, Maulvi Sahib asked three questions which were replied to by Huzoor[ra]. I will also send this dialogue along with the [transcript of] speeches, insha-Allah.
The next day, on Saturday, the session began at around nine o’clock. Maulana Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib[ra] recited the Holy Quran. Mian Nasir Ahmad Sahib[ra] recited a ruku of the Holy Quran and then Mian Mansoor Ahmad Sahib, son of Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad Sahib[ra] recited a poem of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II.
Then, Neik Muhammad Khan Sahib recited a Persian poem of the Promised Messiahas. Ghulam Rasool Sahib Kashmiri and Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, son of Abdul Rahman Sahib Dar also recited poems. Hafiz Sahib then gave a short and interesting speech on ghair mubai‘een [those who refused to take bai‘at of the second Khalifa].
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s[ra] speech started at 10:15 am and for two hours he drew the attention of the Jamaat towards internal reformation and management. Then, after a silent prayer, the Jalsa successfully came to an end. A few friends took bai‘at after it and four people joined the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.
At around two o’clock, Zuhr and Asr prayers were combined and most of the guests left.
Huzoor[ra] conversed [with the remaining people] for a long time. Before evening, Maulvi Ghulam Rasul Sahib, a resident of Zora village, located near Shopian, took bai‘at of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, Huzoor[ra] remained in good health.
On this occasion, the mention of the passion and sincerity of the Ahmadis of Kashmir will not be less interesting. Most of the friends had come from far off places and some had travelled several days to participate. Moreover, the courage of the Ahmadis of Asnoor area is also commendable who left no stone unturned in making arrangements for the Jalsa and serving the guests.
May Allah the Almighty grant them all the best of rewards and help them to greatly excel in good deeds. Amin!
Yours humbly, Taqiuddin Ahmad, Asnoor
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original in the 5 September 1921 issue of Al Fazl)