100 Years Ago… – Tabligh in London and names of new converts

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The Review of Religions (English), July 1920

England

Our worthy Brother, Ch. Fateh Muhammad Sayal MA, aided by his colleagues, Messrs AR Nayyar and Azeez-ud-Din is engaged in his missionary labours in the United Kingdom.

The propagandic [tabligh] work is being carried on by means of lectures in “The Ahmadiyya Movement” (the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya mission in London), in the Hyde Park and in the lecture-halls of various societies which send invitations to our friends for lecture, interviews with visitors, correspondence with enquirers and distribution of literature.

It is gratifying to see that some of the converts are also taking an active part in the sacred work of the propagation of truth and they have even succeeded in winning converts for Islam among their fellow country-men. They are also contributing their quote to the mission fund.

Lectures which are delivered by our friends at the invitation of other societies are reported in the newspapers. We can find space only for one such report. The Richmond Times reports under the heading “Islam and the British Empire,” in its issue of May 8th, 1920:

“The first of a series of lectures on Islam and the British Empire was given at Etherington’s Hall on Monday evening by Fateh Mohammed Sayal, MA of Quadian, Punjab.

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“The lecturer said that in the study of Islam the first point which struck them forcibly was the historicity of this religion and of its Holy Founder, in bold contrast with other religions and their founders. That the Holy Prophet[sa] of Islam did exist and did preach, nobody could deny. They knew of the birth of the prophet, of the surroundings in which he was placed by Providence, of his education as a boy and as a youth, of his marriage, and of the part he took in the social life and the government of his native town, of his mental struggle, of his thirst and hunger for more light, and the final event of the descent of that light from One Who was the source of all light, all which Islam was, he claimed, a strong, living and progressive religion. It was spreading on all sides with long strides. The total number of Moslems in the British Empire was about one hundred million. So the peace and prosperity of the British Empire depended upon the mutual understanding and goodwill between Moslems and the British people. The word ‘Islam’ literally meant ‘obedience,’ or ‘peace.’ In Islam they found the fundamental doctrines of all religions in their purest forms. It was the happy combination not only of Judaism and Christianity, as was generally supposed by European writers, but also of all Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, and Indian religions. A Moslem was to imitate God in His daily life-in doing good to others.

“Another lecture will be given on Monday evening.”

On June 4th, 1920, our esteemed Brother, Mr Sayal delivered a lecture at the invitation of the Eastern and the Western London Lecture Society, his subject being the “Influence of Islam on India.”

Before the commencement of Ramazan, our Brothers issued a circular letter to all the members of the Ahmadiyya Community in the United Kingdom, giving the salient directions about fasting and exhorting them to observe the commandment.

A telegram to that effect had also been sent to the Ahmadi missionaries in London by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra]. With the conversion of an English family who are doing trading work at Birmingham, our missionaries have opened a branch of the movement in that city.

Our Mission in England, is, through God’s grace, proving the means of spreading Islam not only in the United Kingdom but also in other countries of the world. Among the European converts to Islam is a Norwegian lady, Mrs Amina Thompson. She has also lived in India for some time and knows English. She paid a visit to our brothers in London in the last week of March and joined the Ahmadiyya movement. She is a zealous Ahmadi lady and is greatly desirous to see Islam spread in her native country.

The people of Norway, she says, have very wrong notions about Islam, thanks to the misrepresentations of the Christian missionaries, but she hopes that the distribution of Ahmadiyya literature in the county will, through God’s grace, lead to the introduction of Islam in that land.

She intends to devote a part of her estate in Norway and Africa to the propagation of Islam among her countrymen. May God make her the pioneer of Islam in that land in the remote north and make her the instrument of illuminating that country with the light of truth! Amen!

If Mrs Amina Thompson belongs to the remote north, another convert comes from the remote South-from the Argentine Republic in South America. He has been converted from Roman Catholicism and has been given the Muslim name of Bashir. May he prove a Bashir (a bearer of glad tidings) for his countrymen!

A Muslim doctor from Bosnia, a PhD, is greatly interested in the Ahmadiyya movement. He regards the movement to be the life and hope of Islam.

In April last, he came to “the Ahmadiyya Movement,” in London, in company with a Muslim merchant from Bosnia. The latter displayed great interest in the Ahmadiyya movement, made many enquiries about it, the doctor acting as the interpreter and took with him some literature in Arabic for the information of his countrymen. India is also among the countries which are benefiting by our mission in England, for just as visitors to England from other countries listen to the message of our missionaries in London, so do the visitors from India.

Many are favourably impressed and some even accept the truth. Among those Indians who have joined the Ahmadiyya movement by coming in contact with our brothers in England the most distinguished name is that of Mr Sagar Chand, Bar-at-Law. He is now a devoted Ahmadi and is anxious to devote his whole life to the service of Islam.

Another prominent Indian gentleman who has been admitted into the Ahmadiyya Movement is a Hindu graduate, a PhD and Barrister-at-Law. He has adopted the Muslim name of Sadiq in honour of our great missionary, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq. Our now brother knows many of the languages of Europe.

It will not be out of place to give here the name of another Mr Krishna, BA, a Hindu gentleman who though not yet formally initiated into the movement is in full sympathy with it and according to it his whole-hearted support. This gentleman is a native of Southern India and was a fellow passenger with our brothers Azeez-ud-Din and Khan Abdur Rahim Khan (the third son of Khan Muhammad Ali Khan of Maler Kotla, and has gone to England for the study of agriculture and law. God be with him! Amen! Ed. R. R), when the latter went to England in February last.

In a letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra], he writes:

“Since my arrival in London I have studied Islamic and particularly Ahmadiyya literature and by studying the prophecies of Hazrat Ahmad I have come to know that he was a man of God and I inform your Holiness that I am favourably impressed by his teachings and am assisting the propaganda [tabligh work] to the best of my power.”

There are some other names worthy of note among the converts who hail from countries other than England. Johannes Hendrikus Petris Von Ostveon a convert from Roman Catholicism, is a native of the Hague in Holland. Mr S Brown, AOE, the son of a Nigerian Chief and Mr Hubert Marville, a native of the West Indies are respectively the Secretary and the President of the United African Brotherhood. Mr T Howard is another Nigerian and Mr Wilfrid N Diaz another native of the West Indies (Jamaica) who have been initiated into the movement during the period under report. Mrs Martha Deane is German by birth. Mr Muhammad Solomon Faith, himself a convert from Judaism has the credit of converting a whole Jewish family at Birmingham. This family consists of the following four members:

1. Isaac Feit

2. Yetta Feit

3. Eli Feit

4. Michael Feit

From the above facts it will appear that our Brothers stationed in London are not only delivering the message to and winning converts from the people of the United Kingdom but that they are sowing the seed in different countries and among various peoples. May God bless their work! But their work must not be measured by the number of converts actually won; they are rendering an invaluable service to Islam and the Muslim cause by removing misconceptions about the Muslim religion and making a favorable impression on the people as regards the beauties of Islam.

A Christian lady who attended a meeting in the “Ahmadiyya Movement” voiced the feelings of many when she remarked after listening to the speeches delivered by our missionaries and some of the converts:

“This is the first time I have seen intelligent persons speaking reasonably in religion. Oh, it is quite different from what we have been told.”

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The people of Great Britain are not only being disillusioned as to the merits of Islam, but there are many among them who have become Muslims at heart though they have not openly declared their faith. One man when asked whether he was a Muslim, actually said, “Yes, I am, although I have not declared as yet.”

Such are indeed the feelings of many. The scales are now turning and those who wanted to convert the Muslims are now themselves being converted and well might a Canadian lady say with wonder, “We used to send out missionaries to convert these people. Now these people have come to convert us.”

The following is a list of the converts who have joined the Ahmadiyya movement since the last report, (the names within brackets being the Muslim names given to the converts at the time of their initiation):

1. Mr David Faith, brother of Mr Solomon Faith

2. Mrs Maggie Roberts, a Scotch lady (Majidah)

3. Ali Mahmud

4. Idris Benan

5. Miss Anne Coy (Amatullah)

6. Miss Frida Deane

7. Mr Moses Johnson

8. Miss Beatrice Roberts (Barkat)

9. Mr Thomas Roberts (Rafique)

10. Mr Harry Osmond Willard (Bashir Ahmad)

11. A Nurse

12. Mr Jacqus Bottomly

13. Mr Alexander S S (Bashir), Argentina, South America.

14. Mr GH Thompson (Hasan)

15. Miss Lena. Blair (Amina)

16. Mrs Jennie Nagi (Hameedah)

17. Miss Edith Short (Fatima)

18. Mr Herbert Cripps (Aslam)

19. Mrs Eliza Cripps (Saleemah)

20. Mrs Amy Ahmed (Khadeejah)

21. Mrs Mary Jean Sheir (Fatimah)

22. Miss Lily Sellich (Aminah)

23. Miss Kathleen Perrsson (Maryam)

24. Mrs Edith Gertrude Bean Noor (Ayesha)

25. Miss Bessie Gale (Zainab)

26. Miss Ivy W Gale (Saeedah)

27. Miss Cognes Davies (Aimana)

28. Mr Tabarak Ali, a Hindustani young man

29. Mr Idris Ali, a Bengali young man

30. Mrs G Bottomly (Hameedah)

31. Mrs Amina Thompson, Norwegian lady

32. Mrs Isoebel Wooley (Saliha)

33. Miss M Alice Morgan (Khadeejah)

34. Mrs Heetty Thomas (Sairah)

35. A Hindu Graduate and Bar-at-Law (Sadiq)

36. Abram Feit

37. Rachel (Mubaraka)

38. Rebecca (Saeedah)

39. Annie (Fatimah)

40. Philip (Bashir)

41. Mr Cecil Clydigonant (Rashid)

42. Mr Johannes Hendrikus Petrus von Ostveon (Mahmud)

43. Mr S Brown AOA

44. Mr T Hindard (Sarwar)

45. Mr Wilfrid N Diaz

46. Mrs Martha Deane (Mahmudah)

47. Mr Hubert Marville (Sharif)

48. Mr Herbert William Abbot (Nasir-nd-Din), fellow of the Southsea Theosophical Society

49. Mr Isaac Feit (Muhammad Ishaque)

50. Yetta Feit (Hajirah)

51. Eli Feit (Muhammad Ismael)

52. Michael Feit (Muhammad Yaqoob)

53. Mr Reggi Quaide (Azeez)

54. Dr. A. Luke (Farooq)

55. Mr Thomas William (Zahid)

56. Mr John William (Mubarak)

57. Mr John Lingo (Yahya)

Preaching Islam in America and news from West Africa, Ceylon and India

The Review of Religions (English), July 1920

America

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We thank God that to our reports of the propagation of Islam in the United Kingdom we are now able to add the report of the introduction of Islam in the United States of America.

Our able missionary, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, has now begun his work in New York and has, thank God, already been able to report the conversion of 31 gentlemen and ladies … besides the initiation into the Ahmadiyya movement of 6 oriental gentlemen who were living in the country at the time of his arrival.

On the eve of his departure for America, he was entertained at a tea party, at the Society’s Headquarters at 4 Star Street, London, W2, by his numerous friends and brothers in the movement.

Among those present were noticed Russians, Serbians, Indians, Ceylonese, Afghans and Africans. HM Leon, MA, LL D, LSP, secretary of the International Society of Philology, Sciences, and Fine Arts, in presenting the farewell address, gave a personal appreciation of the learned Mufti’s work both as a missionary and as a philologist of world-wide repute. Dr CH Betts, Phil B, president of the London College of Physiology, testified as a non-Muslim to the various activities of the Rev. Mufti which had endeared him to his many friends both inside and outside the Brotherhood; and which made it hard to have had to part with him.

Yet England’s loss, he hoped – nay was sure would be America’s gain. He also paid a tribute to Rev. Mufti’s Philological work, His “Monumental address” on Arabic and Hebrew was published in the Philomath and was recognised by the savants all over the world as an important contribution to the subject. Other speeches followed.

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The SS Haverford, the ship in which Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib went to the US

Brother Mufti Muhammad Sadiq left England on the SS Haverford. On board the ship there were 2,000 Chinese, and among them there were a number of Muslims also. He delivered to them the message of Ahmad and succeeded in converting five. Besides five Chinese, he also converted another fellow-passenger, a respectable merchant, who adopted the Muslim name of Noor.

Calling at La Havre and Halifax in the way, the ship reached Philadelphia on Sunday, February 15th 1920. What followed we prefer to give in Brother Sadiq’s own words. He says in his first Urdu bulletin to the Indian Press:

“God be thanked thousands of times that He, through His grace and mercy, enabled my humble self to reach this country for the propagation of His holy religion and for the delivery of the message of truth. The first difficulty I had to face in this way was that the immigration authorities of the United States of America were opposed to the entry of a Muslim missionary in America for the propagation of Islam. When I, an humble servant of the religion of the Holy Prophet[sa] of Arabia reached the coast of America aft er enduring the hardships of a long voyage, I was confronted by the inspectors of the immigration department who examined me for several hours and then decided that I could not enter the country and that I should go back by the very ship by which I had come. This I refused to do and asked for permission to appeal to the secretariat at Washington. This permission was granted, pending the decision of the appeal, I was forbidden to go to the city or see the people and I was ordered to live in a state of isolation in a house on the sea coast and consider myself as one who had not yet left the ship.

“At last after enduring a good deal of trouble and after much disputation and litigation which cost me a large sum of money, my appeal was granted and I was given permission to enter the country two months aft er my arrival. Now [I] have set up the standard of Islam in the city of New York; so God [b]e praised. The sorrow and grief which I had endured in the meanwhile in the love of the Holy Prophet[sa] were all turned to joy and my joy knew no bounds at the thought that the first missionary of Islam was entering the country, declaring the unity of God as expressed in the formula, ‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is a Messenger of God’. The great obstacle in the way of Muslim missionaries was removed and as it were, a high wall of the citadel of infidelity was broken and a way was opened for the achievement of a glorious victory for Islam.

“During the days of detention and confinement, though I could not go to the city and see the people, yet I was given an opportunity to preach to my fellow-detenus who had been sent to the same house for one reason or other and God be thanked that a large number of them embraced Islam at my hands. (I will give their names in a later report.) Besides during my detention, on the occasion of the appeal and on later occasions, I wrote hundreds of pages in my defense, dwelling on the beauties and blessings of Islam and sent them to the authorities at Washington where they will ever remain on record in the government offices. Thus the higher authorities of America were the first to hear the message of Islam.”

Though sent to the detention house immediately after his arrival in America, he did not fail to attract the attention of the Press representatives, who hastened to interview him in the place of his confinement and the following day [there] appeared descriptions and photos of our brother with long accounts of the message which he had gone there to deliver to the people of America. These accounts appeared under attractive headlines, such as “Picturesque Sadiq”, “Hopes to convert US”, “Speaks Seven Tongues”, “Optimistic in Detention”, “East Indian Here with New Religion” [etc.].

We give below extracts from two of the papers. The Public Ledger, Philadelphia, says in its issue of February 17th, 1920:

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“Mufti, who is a highly educated, elderly man, arrived in Philadelphia from Liverpool on the steamship Haverford last Saturday. Before sailing for America, he was a missionary in England for three years. He said that he made 300 converts, including Solomon Feit, a London iron manufacturer.

“He is a follower of a new prophet, Ahmad. The new movement is called a branch of the Mohammedan faith. The Ahmadia belief is that prophets will come to the world constantly. The latest, they hold, was Ahmad, who preached in India between 1888 and 1908. His son, Mahmud, is now head of the movement.

“Mufti Muhammed Sadiq came to this country with elaborate printed matter and all arrangements made for an active proselyting campaign.

“’My intention,’ he said today at the Gloucester immigration station, ‘is to start my work in New York and then extend it to other cities. There are no converts to the Ahmadia movement here and I know no one in this country. I come as a missionary with belief in the work before me.’

“As he talked he attracted much attention among the other persons detained at the station because of the dark green turban on his head and the strange cut of the slate gray garments he wore.

“He prepared this digest of the religion he hopes to introduce into this country:

– No religious wars are allowed.

– Toleration of all religions is required.

– A union of all religions is desired on the broad-minded principle of honoring and respecting the leaders of all religions.

– No Mahdi (a warrior prophet) is to come, as believed by Mohammedans generally.

– The door of revelation closes with no prophet.

– We must always obey the rules of the government under which we live.”

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Remains of Pier 53, Philadelphia, where the first Ahmadi missionary to the USA disembarked | Ahmadiyya ARC

The Press, Philadelphia, contains the following remarks in its issue of February 19th, 1920:

“While the many religious sects of the United States are spending many thousands of dollars and sending hundreds of philosophers and teachers to the wilds of Tibet, the far reaches of Arabia and Hindustan and to the unexplored regions of Africa and China, Mufti Muhammed Sadiq, after traveling thousands of miles, alone and friendless, hopes to begin his crusade to convert Americans to the doctrines taught by the prophet Ahmad, of whom he is the principal disciple.

“This picturesque missionary from India, wearing his dark green and gold turban and steel gray coat with flowing sleeves, arrived in this country on board the Haverford, which docked at this port last Sunday, and he is now being held by immigration officials at Gloucester, New Jersey, pending the arrival of his credentials and the completion of an inquiry as to whether he shall be allowed to land.

“Sadiq is undaunted by the frigid welcome he has received in this country and is ready and anxious to begin his lectures throughout the United States to gather more converts to the religion taught by Ahmad, who claimed to be Mohammed while spreading the doctrines of peace among all nations, under one God.

“One of the most startling beliefs taught by the Ahmadi religion is that Jesus Christ, did not die on the cross, but was taken from it in a death like stupor by his disciples and that after reviving he came out of Palestine and went to the north of India, where he lived and died a natural death and where his tomb is still located in a village called Srinagar in the north of India.

“Sadiq, whose home is in Quadian, Punjab, is a philosopher and although he has the dreamy eyes of the idealist, his beautifully modulated English, punctuated with many gestures of his hands, indicate that he is also a man of experience and energy. In carefully selected words and in the pure English usually only found among educated foreigners, he explained his mission and beliefs yesterday to a reporter of The Press.

“‘I have spent the last three years working as a missioner of the religion of Ahmadi in London, where I delivered many lectures in English and secured many converts to the brotherhood of the Ahmadi movement,’ he said. ‘The Ahmadi religion is a sect of Mohammedanism called after the founder of the movement, who was named the Prophet Ahmad. He was born in 1837, started his missionary work in 1888 and died in 1908, when he had a following of more than 600,000 converts.

“‘Ahmad was a prophet of Islam and believed in the Koran, the holy book of Islam, but made some reforms. He claimed to be the inspired reformer of the age, and like prophets of old he claimed to be the Messiah or the Asiatic Christ of Mohammedanism. He made many prophecies of events to come which he said were revelations from God, and these, together with his miracles in curing the sick, he gave to the world as proof of his being raised by God as a prophet.

“‘I have been in his company about eighteen years, and saw many of his prophecies fulfilled. He has foretold the recent war and the overthrow of the Czar of Russia, and these facts he had printed and published ten years before the war. He also foretold the great bubonic plague in India several years before it occurred, and many other world events. He also held a prayer duel with Rev John Alexander Dowie, of Zion City and Chicago, Illinois, who claimed to be the prophet Elijah. Ahmad said that Dowie was not the true prophet and that he would die very soon after making this claim, and it so happened early in this century.’

“The reforms made by Ahmad in religion are:

1. That all religions were originally true, and that we must honor and respect the leaders of all religions and thus bring about the union of nations under one God.

2. Some orthodox Mohammedans believe in the advent of a warrior saint called Mehdi, but Ahmad said that such a saint would never appear, but that the one who was foretold by the prophets to come to this world was himself who had been ordained to bring about peace and prevent the making of future wars.

3. That there would be no more religious wars contrary to some Mohammedan’s belief.

4. That the Sultan of Turkey was not the Caliph of Mohammed in the East, and that Mohammed did not require a temporal head in his church, but only a spiritual head, who was Ahmad himself.

5. Ahmad taught that the door of revelation was not closed to mortals, but that God is the God of all nations and speaks to the elect in all tongues.

6. Ahmad taught that all should honor and respect Jesus-Christ but that we must not believe that he died an accursed death on the cross, because the prophets never died accursed. That Jesus Christ was taken from the cross in a death-like state; revived, and came out of Palestine going to the north of India, which was inhabited by Jews in those days, and that he lived and died a natural death there.

“Sadiq then said that he had left two disciples in London to take charge of the work of conversion in that country and to encourage the faithful.”

Besides preaching orally to the people of the United States, one brother has been contributing articles on Islam to the leading papers and magazines of the country. In his report dated the 10th May, 1920, he informs us that he has contributed about 20 such articles to various periodicals.

In his second report, dated the 21st May, he says that he is carrying on his oral preaching and has converted two more persons, a gentleman and a lady, to Islam and has contributed an article among other papers, to the New York Times.

He also says that owing to the mischief of some bigoted Christians who could not see Islam being preached in America, he has had to change his quarter and is now living in 1897 Madison Avenue, New York City. In his third report, he gives a list of 31 converts from Christianity and six Mussalmans who have been initiated into the Ahmadiyya movement.

Of the 31 converts, two, namely, Dr George Baker and Mr Ahmad Anderson, are old converts, but as they are among the first Mussalmans of the country, he heads the list with their names. The remaining 29 are those who have accepted Islam at his hands, one during the voyage and the remaining during his detention by the immigration authorities and after his settlement in New York.

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Madison Avenue Bridge is located at the north side of Madison Avenue, NY

We will give the names in a later report, but it may be noted here that a number of these new converts, belong to other countries and seem to have been converted in the detention house. Two belong to Poland and one comes from each of the following countries:

British Guinea, Jamaica, Range River, the Azores, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Argentina. In a letter, dated the 10th June, our brother says that he has received a telegraphic invitation from Detroit, a place 700 miles distant from New York to deliver a lecture there.

West Africa

It is proposed to send Mr Mubarak Ali, BA, BT, Head Master, Chittagong Madrassa, as a missionary to West Africa. He has already obtained his passport; and hopes to reach the country before the next winter sets in. Mr Abdur Rahim Smith of Nigeria who came to Qadian last year has gone on pilgrimage to Mecca. We wish our brother a prosperous journey and a safe return. Brother L’Awel Basil Augusts. President, Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Lagos, Nigeria, has gone to England to study law and Arabic.

The Ahmadiyya Anjuman of Nigeria has elected the following office bearers for the next year:

Mr L’Awel Basil Augusto (now in England), President

Mr Yakut, Vice-President

Mr T Martins, Chief Secretary

Messrs Fammotrum and Agbatuem, Additional Secretaries

Ceylon

Our readers will be sorry to learn that Mr BW Lye, secretary Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Ceylon, with an Ahmadi gentleman named Sheriff and his own brother Abdul Amit Lye were recently involved in a murder case.

From a long time past, the Ahmadis of Ceylon, particularly the Lye family, had come in for a lot of bitter persecution. On the night of the 10th April, 1920, two drunken Malay youths, Buckman Saffudeen, “went opposite the office of the advanced party” (Ahmadiyya) to quote a newspaper report, “and began to sing abusive songs at the new party.”

The conduct of the two drunken youths seems to have been the cause of an unruly mob assembling to attack the Ahmadis at midnight and during the affray Buckman is said to have received a wound with a knife which subsequently resulted in his death.

Mr BW Lye, the secretary, as he himself stated before the court, arrived at the scene after the affray was over and when the police were making inquiries. The dying man also declared that Mr BW Lye was not the person who had stabbed him.

He also denied that Sheriff had stabbed him. The three accused were put into Hultsdorf Prison pending trial by the Supreme Court.

Our opponents did their worst to extinguish the light which God has kindled in the Island. But God frustrated their evil designs and protected the movement. All the accused were found “not guilty” of murder by the unanimous verdict of the jury.

Our secretary, we were glad to note, was busy preaching the truth even in the prison, after the manner of prophet Joseph. Our Ceylon correspondent writes:

“Some of us went see BW and the other two at the Hultsdorf jail last Saturday. BW told us that there are several respectable prisoners staying with them and he is preaching Ahmadiyyat to everyone with whom he comes in contact; he is trying to make some converts. BW was also interviewed by the superintendent of prisons (a European) about our holy movement and the superintendent was very well satisfied with all that he spoke.”

While our opponents are doing all that lies in their power to nip the movement in the bud, God is strengthening it by making valuable additions to the number of the community. Our latest convert in Ceylon is a Singhalese gentleman named Mr AH Amarasekera. He is a convert from Buddhism to Islam and has been studying Arabic and Islamic Theology in Madras.

We are told that he belongs to a respectable family of Buddhists. We pray that he may be able to act as the missionary of Islam and deliver the message of truth to the followers of Buddha in Ceylon and other countries. Ameen.

India

Our missionaries are working in different parts of India as usual. Hakim Khalil Ahmad was lately transferred from Bombay to Madras. His preaching in Madras evoked great opposition among the fanatic Muhammadans and he and other Ahmadis of Madras were put to all sorts of trouble. The culminating point came when a Madrasi Muhammadan attacked our Missionary with a big lathi [stick].

While our brother was engaged in writing a letter, the assailant came from behind and dealt him a severe blow on the head and before he could recover himself, he dealt him another blow with all the force he could muster.

By this time, there was some noise and the assailant fled. Our brother was severely wounded, but we thank God that his life was spared…

The names of most of those who enter into the bai‘at by coming to Qadian cannot be recorded …

We are glad to say that among those who have recently joined the movement may be mentioned the name of Ausaf Ai Khan, Commanderin-Chief of the Nabha State and Fayaz Bahadur Khan, MSc (Zoology), Honorary Professor, MAO College, Aligarh.

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