In this third year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed life of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, this time, with some more details
13 November 1889: On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira in which he wrote some of his poetry. In the letter, the Promised Messiahas expressed his gratitude and praised Hazrat Munshi Rustam Ali’sra poetry and prayed that God continued to purify his heart.
The Promised Messiahas further went on to mention that during the time of the Holy Prophetsa, there was a poet who had not accepted Islam, but his poetry was on the topic of belief in one God. On one occasion, when the Holy Prophetsa heard his poetry, he stated:
آمن شعرہ وکفر نفسه
Meaning that his poetry had believed, but he (the poet) remained a disbeliever.
After narrating this incident, the Promised Messiahas wrote that Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira should compile his poetry. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, pp. 566-567)
13 November 1897: The Promised Messiahas, on this day, wrote a letter to Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra in which he prayed for him and said that one must have firm faith in God. One must remember that God is Ever Merciful and forgives all. The Promised Messiahas went on to say that those who continue to show patience and steadfastness are truly among the fortunate. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 354)
14 November 1896: On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra in which he stated that he was coming to meet Huzooras. The Promised Messiahas mentioned and expressed his delight on this matter and further said that before travelling, one must perform istikhara (a prayer for seeking God’s grace) for three days before travelling.
The Promised Messiahas described his manner of performing istikhara. Huzooras said one must first preform ablution and then offer two rak‘aat. In the first rak‘ah, after reciting Surah al-Fatihah, one should follow it by reciting Surah al-Kafirun. Then, in the second rak‘ah, after reciting Surah al-Fatihah, one should follow it with Surah al-Ikhlas. Then, the Promised Messiahas said that in the end, during the qa‘dah position, one must pray for their journey. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, pp. 341-342)
15 November 1895: The Promised Messiahas issued an announcement regarding his upcoming research monographs (Sat Bachan and Arya Dharam). These books were published during this month.
15 November 1901: Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra reached Qadian with a phonograph on this day. It was the latest technology available to save sound recordings. The Promised Messiahas spared his time after Asr to examine this device. Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira recorded his melodious voice. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 193)
15 November 1906: The nikah of Hazrat Ahmad’sas son, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra, was announced on this day with Hazrat Bu Zainab Bibira, daughter of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra. The marriage ceremony took place three years later. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 474)
17 November 1884: The Promised Messiahas was in Delhi and his nikah was announced on this date with Hazrat Syeda Nusrat Jehan Begumra, daughter of Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawabra. It was Monday, 27 Muharram 1302 Hijri. The nikah was announced by the famous cleric of the city, Maulvi Syed Nazeer Hussain. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, pp. 242-244)
17 November 1901: The Promised Messiahas went for his daily walk while listening to an article written by one of his companions. It seems that it was a relatively lengthy piece because the Promised Messiahas completed his walk and sat in the clinic of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddinra to finish the article.
Meanwhile, Mr DD Dixon, a European traveller, arrived in Qadian. It is said that he had travelled to the Arab world, Karbala, India and Kashmir during his tour. He stayed in the Gol Kamra, Qadian for one day. He took a few photographs also; one narration suggests that it was after Asr Prayer, when he took three photos, two group-photos and one portrait of the Promised Messiahas. The Promised Messiahas assigned his companion, Hazrat Sheikh Masihullahra to prepare special food for the guest as he had some experience of cooking Western-style dishes.
The next day, when Mr Dixon left Qadian, the Promised Messiahas went with him for his daily walk towards Batala and on the way, Huzooras explained his mission and saw him off at the canal bridge. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra acted as the interpreter. Mr Dixon was very impressed by the hospitality. He witnessed high moral values and also witnessed a massive presence of learned scholars of a vast range of subjects in the small village of Qadian. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, pp. 195-197)
18 November 1884: The Promised Messiahas set off on his journey towards Qadian from Delhi with his wife who he had just married, Hazrat Nusrat Jehan Begumra, affectionately known to Ahmadi Muslims as Hazrat Amma Janra.
18 November 1899: On this day, Huzooras published an ishtihar (announcement), in which he mentioned the fulfilment of his prophecy regarding a so-called respectable officer of the Rumi Sultanate, named Hussain Kami, which was published in Huzoor’sas Ishtiharat on 24 May and 25 June 1897. In his ishtihar of 24 May 1897, Huzooras stated that the said person came to meet him in Qadian, who pretended to be an ambassador of the Sultanate of Rum and pretended to be a pious person.
Huzooras mentioned that the newspaper, Nazim-ul-Hind falsely wrote in its issue of 15 May 1897 that the said person, who was the naib of the Sultan-e-Rum, had been called to Qadian so that Hazrat Mirza Sahibas could repent at his hands and renounce his claim of being the Promised Messiah.
Huzooras stated that as soon he saw his face when he came to meet him, Huzooras was intuitively told that he was not an honest or pure-hearted person. Moreover, God revealed to him that the Sultanate of Rum was in a poor condition due to such people who occupy the high posts in the Sultanate, do not fulfil their duties honestly and are not loyal to the Sultanate.
Huzooras stated that Hussain Kami requested to pray for him. In reply, Huzooras told him:
“The condition of the Sultanate of Rum is not good and what I have seen in a divine vision is that I do not find its members [position-holders] in a good state [spiritually]. And in my view, with this condition, the fate is not a good one.”
Huzooras stated that he advised the Turk to repent as his condition was not good as per the revelation. Huzooras then said that after the publication of his ishtihar, many newspapers started publishing against him, in favour of Hussain Kami.
Huzooras went on to say that recently, Hussain Kami had been dismissed from his post after being found guilty of fraud. Huzooras quoted a newspaper, in which Hussain Kami’s fraud was mentioned, that he committed a fraud in chanda collection and that chanda never reached Constantinople. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, p. 571)
18 November 1902: Hazrat Syed Abdul Latifra of Afghanistan arrived in Qadian on this day. It is narrated by Syed Abdul Sattar Sahib that when Syed Abdul Latifra arrived in Qadian, he loudly proclaimed:
يَاْتُوْنَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ وَيَاْتِيْكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ
(They will come by every distant track and will come to you from afar.) (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 312)
19 November 1885: A bitter opponent of the Promised Messiahas, Pandit Lekhram came to Qadian on this date. He stayed for two months, but opted to live with rival camps. He himself missed the blessed company of a prophet of God and years later, met with his dreadful fate.