The Review of Religions, May, June and July 1919
Political work
Having been appointed Political Delegate of the Ahmadiyya Community, I am very busy in delivering lectures, writing letters and articles to the papers and visiting the officials to make the English public well understand what reforms India really wants with special reference to the needs of our community which is spread all over India and has always been loyal and faithful to the British rule. My articles and letters have already appeared in some of the papers in this country such as the News and Chronicle, the West London News, the Mercury the Record, the Morning Post the Observer, etc.
To the Royalty
1. A letter of welcome with some literature was sent to Dr Epitacid Pessoa, the Brazilian President, during his short visit to London.
2. A letter of congratulations on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Community was sent to His Majesty the King-Emperor on His Majesty’s birthday, 3 June.
3. Two copies of my lecture presented to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress and His Majesty the King-Emperor have been duly acknowledged.
4. His Highness the Sultan of Egypt was congratulated on contracting marriage with the Sultana Nazli.
5. Ahmadiyya literature sent for the Mediterranean Mine Clearing force has been duly acknowledged by the Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief.
To the Notability
1. A letter of congratulations with some literature was sent to Mr Hawker, the famous Airman who has been granted Rs. 75,000 as Consolation Prize for his attempt to fly [over] the Atlantic Ocean.
2. A letter was written to Miss Ruth Law, America’s well-known woman flier who is going to attempt a Transatlantic flight in a Curtis Aeroplane. She has been given the tidings of the advent of the Promised One.
3. The Ahmadiyya movement has been brought to the notice of Miss Jane Addams, President of the Women’s International Committee for Permanent Peace, Zurich and some literature has been supplied to the respectable lady.
4. The glad tidings of the reappearance of Christ in this day, was sent with some literature to Mr Prebendary, whose lecture on the End of the World has been much discussed of in the press. I have explained to him in my letter that the chief thing to be considered in connection with the end of the world is no doubt the promised advent of the Messiah, as pointed out by the lecturer, but only God knows in what form he ought to have appeared.
Activities in London
We have been very busy in the month of June in various kinds of mission work. Brother Abdullah’s severe illness with bronchitis and asthma increased our work and worry. He is much better now, thank God, and feels quite well sometimes, but he still requires a long rest before being able to take up some active work.
I am still suffering from granular eyelids which has rendered me unable to do any reading or writing work. Some English Muslim friends (such as Mrs Jameela Shah, Mrs Abasi and Miss Besset) and Mr Abdul Rahim Alabi Smith, a young Nigerian Ahmadi, have been of great help in disposing of my correspondence. May God be their reward.
The following lectures have been delivered during the month:
1. 1 June – I delivered a lecture on the subject of “unbelievers,” proving that those who do not believe in the temporal or the spiritual rulers of the day can derive no advantage from believing in the rulers of the past ages.
2. 8 June – I delivered a lecture on the subject of “Spring Cleaning” showing the necessity of the appearance of a spiritual reformer on the basis of evidence from nature.
3. Friday, 13 February – A sermon on the subject of political reforms in India was delivered in the East End which has been reported in a London paper named News and Chronicle, dated 17 June 1919, and is as follows:
Home Rule in India
“Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, the representative of the Ahmadiyya Community in India (founded by the Prophet Ahmad and numbering about 600,000) delivered a sermon before Friday Prayers at 121 East India Dock-road, Poplar, expressing his community’s views on the Indian Reform Bill. While advocating some necessary reforms to give a better and higher hand to the Indians in governing the country, he affirmed that India is not yet prepared for such a big jump as Home Rule or anything like it. India contains many different sects and communities which are generally at daggers drawn against each other, and some of them being very small in number want the protection of a paternal government from being devoured and put to dust by their rivals. Moreover, a majority of the Indians being still illiterate are quite unable to even understand what Home Rule is.”
4. Sunday 15 June – A lecture delivered by me in Ahmadiyya Lecture Hall on the Indian Reform Bill.
5. Two lectures were delivered by Mr SC Ahmadi at Hastings on the subjects of the modern Christ, and the loyalty of Indians to the British Crown. Both the lectures roused a good deal of interest in the Town, and were reported by the local papers, as a result of which a respectable lady has joined the mission.
6. Sunday 22 June – A lecture was delivered by me on the subject of “What India Needs” and a paper on Islam was read by Mr Smith. Mr Hadji delivered a short sermon on the Prophethood of the Promised Messiah.
7. Sunday, 29 June being the Eed [Eid] Festival day, we had a big gathering of Indian and English Muslims, the majority of whom were entertained with dinner and afternoon tea. The prayer was conducted by me and a sermon delivered after it as usual.
8. Mr Abdullah, who is now convalescing in Hastings, delivered a lecture there on the Message of Prophet Ahmad on Monday, 30 June, and is busy in distributing literature in that part of the country.
A New Leaflet
A new leaflet named “A Call to Truth” which is a reprint from the writings of His Hazrat the Khalifatul Masih II is now being widely distributed in this country.
New Converts
By the grace of God we secured three converts to Islam during the last month: Miss Rosetta Hobson, Mr MeCarteney and Miss Eliza Gabel. They have been given the Muslim names Gulab Bi, Jareeullah and Amina respectively. The form of initiations signed by them has been posted to Qadian.
A learned Muslim young English lady (journalist by profession) named Miss Ameena Oliver, has joined the fold of the prophet Ahmad and adopted her new name as Ahmadi-ji. Her form of application for initiation into the Ahmadiyya movement is being forwarded along with others to His Hazrat the Khalifatul Masih.
El Mufti, 4 Star Street, Edgware Road, London, W. Q. 2 July 1912 [1919]