The Review of Religions [English], November & December 1923
Doctor Mufti Muhammad Sadiq landed at Bombay [now Mumbai] on 23 November 1923 and after delivering two public lectures at Bombay and one at Delhi arrived at Qadian on 4 December 1923.
A grand reception was given to Dr Sadiq at Qadian and His Holiness, [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra] himself went some distance on the road from Batala to receive our successful missionary. The line of men gathered to receive him was not less than a mile in length.
It is customary with us here to accord grand public receptions to our missionaries coming back from their fields of work but the reception accorded to Dr Sadiq was certainly warmer and grander than all that have preceded it. The chief causes of this are:
1. The Mufti has come back to Qadian after about seven years and this period is longer than the terms of all other missionaries who have come back to the headquarters before him.
2. Dr Sadiq has had a very glorious career, particularly in America where in three years he was able to secure more than 700 converts from the natives of the United States of America and thus he has proved himself – if any proof were needed, to be a very successful missionary of Islam. His converts, it must further be noted, come from all classes and all grades of society.
3. Dr Mufti Muhammad Sadiq is an old companion of Ahmad[as], the Promised Messiah who looked upon him with special favour and affection and consequently, Dr Sadiq is greatly loved and revered by the followers of Ahmad[as].
As was customary with the Holy Prophet, peace be with him, and his Companions[ra] our brother first went to the mosque, and having performed his ablution, he offered prayers to Allah. After the sunset prayers, when the faithful again gathered in the mosque, our blessed leader, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra], prayed in congregation by way of thanksgiving to God for the safe and successful return of our veteran missionary to Qadian.
When the prayer was over, the Mufti stood up and addressed the audience for a few minutes. As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears and his voice faltered, for he was moved to behold himself once more among his old companions. He said he had been in England and on the continent and lastly, he had been in America and God had crowned his humble efforts with success for not only had he secured a large number of converts but what was more than this, he had succeeded in creating a general spirit of search and investigation in the minds of the people about Islam. But all this success, he added, and his voice again faltered, was due not to his own efforts but to the prayers of Ahmad, on whom be peace, and his present successor Mahmud[ra]. There were trials and troubles and there were difficulties that he, weak as he was, could never think of surmounting but Allah was with him and He made him do what he honestly thought he could not do otherwise. “Gentlemen,” said Dr Sadiq at the end and he spoke in Urdu [the English translation of which is as follows]:
“I do not want to detain you long at present but one word I must say before I finish and that is that I have seen mighty kingdoms and great cities; I have seen grand institutions and wonderful achievements of human skill and science; but I tell you plainly that nowhere have I found peace except at Qadian.”
On the morning of 5 December [1923], Dr Mufti Muhammad Sadiq was entertained by the staff and the students of the Madrasa Ahmadiyya, Qadian, who presented an address of welcome to him. Mufti Sahib replied in suitable words and after him, our blessed leader, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra], addressed the audience and gave some very useful pieces of advice to members of the institution.
The next day, the staff and the students of Talim-ul-Islam High School, Qadian, were home to our brother and presented a similar address to him. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih [IIra] was also present and was pleased to give a very instructive lecture to the audience.
– Editor, The Review of Religions (1923)
(Transcribed and edited by Al Hakam from the original, published in The Review of Religions [English], November and December 1923)