100 Years Ago… – News from Ahmadiyya foreign missions (USA, Mauritius and East and West Africa)

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The Review of Religions [Urdu], December 1921

Pictures
From left to right: Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra, Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra, Hazrat Hafiz Sufi Ghulam Muhammadra

America

Our esteemed Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib, whom the people of America call Dr Sadiq, is engaged in preaching the message of truth [in America]. In the newspapers there, his academic achievements, his mission and his physical appearance, are mentioned in beautiful words. Consequently, when the venerable Mufti Sahib reached Toledo during his tabligh tour, the Toledo News [correct: Toledo Times] wrote a very sublime article about him in its 12 July [1921] issue. In that [article], after mentioning [some of] his academic degrees that span over a couple of lines, the rest of the [academic degrees] have not been written as the entry of all the titles may cause unpleasantness. It is stated about his clothes that his green turban never gets separated from him and that it is something through which he could be recognised everywhere. The small size of his hands is very surprising to them. The magazine [The Moslem Sunrise], being published by him, is doing great work there. Its third issue has been released which also has a picture of the Promised Messiahas.

West Africa

Nayyar Sahib, i.e. Maulvi Abdur Rahim Sahib, missionary to West Africa is also on a [tabligh] tour. The land of hundreds of miles has been blessed with his feet. Sometimes, he is seen travelling by car and sometimes on foot. On some occasions, the car is seen carrying him and somewhere the car itself is stuck in the mud, which is pulled out by villagers and sometimes by government officials or Ahmadi friends. Wherever the honourable Nayyar goes, people advance towards him like ardent admirers, treat him with love and highly regard him. At one place during that visit, 80 non-Muslims converted to Islam.

It seems that Christianity has such a stronghold among the Muslims in that area that the Muslims there unknowingly wear the cross around their necks as jewellery and adornment. When the honourable Nayyar witnessed this and found the cross around the necks of men and women, the student of the breaker of the cross pointed it out to them to remove such a polytheistic symbol, which they obeyed. The people of Nigeria are not verbal Ahmadis but in fact, they are also beginning to understand the needs of religion and for that, they have started to present regular chanda [monetary donations].

Mauritius

Maulana Hafiz Ghulam Muhammad Sahib BA, missionary of Islam to Mauritius, holds gatherings for preaching in which not only does he deliver sermons, but also the learned people of that place give lectures. Surprisingly, where the clergy in other foreign countries have joined us against the divinity of Jesus, a voice has also been raised from Mauritius during a gathering for preaching in the month of October. In that [gathering], the subject of tawhid [unity of God] was being discussed, where a priest stood up and said, “I also do not have faith in trinity and in fact believe in the Oneness of God, and I would have expressed some more views if Christian friends were here.”

East Africa

The members of Nairobi Jamaat held a jalsa for preaching in Nairobi on 23 October [1921]. Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib of Mombasa, Maulvi Abdul Hayy Sahib Bhagalpuri and Malik Ahmad Hussain Sahib delivered speeches in that gathering. The topics of the speeches were Islam, Khatamun-Nabiyyin [Seal of all the Prophets], truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas and the death of Jesus.

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original in The Review of Religions [Urdu], December 1921)

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