Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira (1875-1957)
Arrival in Port Said and departure to Damascus
On 28 July 1924, we arrived in Port Said and spent the night at the Continental Hotel. At 12:30 pm on 29 July, we departed for Cairo by train. On 31 July at 6 pm, we left Cairo for Jerusalem by train, arriving there before noon on 1 August. We stayed at the Grand Hotel and remained in Jerusalem until the evening of 2 August 1924.
On 3 August, we left Jerusalem in the morning, arriving in Haifa by night, where we stayed overnight as we were to proceed to Damascus by train from there. Departing from Haifa in the morning of 4 August, we arrived in Damascus around 8:30 pm that same evening, staying there until 9 August 1924.
At around 8 am on 10 August, we left for Beirut, arriving there around 5 pm the same evening. The details of the journey from Port Said to Beirut cannot be fully covered in news columns nor is it the purpose of my letters to do so, and I do not have the time to write about these events in detail at the moment. Therefore, I will only recount those incidents that pertain to the Jamaat and will write very little about other matters.
Purpose of the journey to Damascus
The journey to Damascus was undertaken by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] with the specific intention of fulfilling the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas, as Huzooras stated that either he or one of his successors would descend in Damascus. Another purpose was to observe firsthand the conditions of the Muslims in Palestine and Syria to consider their spiritual development and the preaching of the Jamaat’s message. We intended to stay in Damascus for a few days for this blessed objective. Thus, with this purpose, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud[ra] embarked for Damascus.
There are two routes from Egypt to Damascus: One via Jerusalem and the other by ship through Port Said. Since Huzoor[ra] also wanted to examine the situation in Palestine, he chose the route through Jerusalem. This way, he could also visit Jerusalem, where our esteemed brother Syed Zainul Abidin Sahib (then Nazir Umur-e-Ama) spent a part of his life. From Cairo, we departed and changed trains at Qantara Junction, crossed the Suez Canal, and headed towards Jerusalem.
Preaching work in Cairo
In Cairo, dear Sheikh Mahmood Ahmad Sahib had begun the work of spreading the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat to the best of his ability. By the grace of God, a small jamaat has also been established there. However, the influence of European civilisation and politics is so strong in Egypt that people generally prefer politics over religion, even though Islamic politics is inherently linked to the practical essence of Islam. The dominance of European civilisation is so manifest in Cairo that it is surprising to observe. This surprise increases even more when we hear from the editors of some Islamic journals that they not only prefer but take pride in this civilisation. If only they were aware of its harmful effects.
In Cairo, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra] honoured dear Mahmood Ahmad’s residence by spending the night there instead of a hotel. Mahmud Ahmad, through printed cards sent by mail, had already informed [the people] aboutHuzoor’s[ra] arrival and also sent a note to the newspapers. However, due to their biased attitude, most newspapers, except a few, did not publish it.
As we had been informed, a group of Al-Azhar scholars, led by the President of Jamiat-ul-Quzat, Al-Ustadh Muhammad Farah Manelawi, came to meet and discuss the issue of Khilafat and certain other matters. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’s[ra] speech and reasoning had a significant impact on them. Consequently, they published an article in Cairo’s famous newspaper Al-Muqattam, (a long-standing Christian daily newspaper), on 31 July 1924.
Conversation with Syed Abul Azaim
Syed Abul Azaim Sahib is a well-known and influential figure in Egypt. He is involved not only in spiritual mentorship but also in current politics. Due to the ship’s delay by a day and the announced date of arrival in Cairo being 28 August 1924, he came to the residence on 28 and left his card. On the night of 30 August, he came with a group of his followers. Initially, he sent one of his followers to express the desire for Huzoor[ra] to stay at his residence. However, since that was no longer possible, he came to meet personally, and heard the accounts of Ahmadiyya Jamaat from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra] for a long time, expressing his deep interest despite being a spiritual leader and in the presence of his followers.
On 31 July 1924, Huzoor[ra] instructed this humble one, Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sahib, and Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib to meet with the editors of the Egyptian journals. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra] gave us specific instructions for this purpose. Accordingly, accompanied by Mahmud Ahmad Sahib, we met with the editors of Al-Liwa, Al-Akhbar, Al-Mahrousa, Al-Muqattam, Egyptian Mail, and Al-Lataif Al-Musawwara. The main point of these meetings was to inform them about the Jamaat’s organisational structure, and its work of tabligh and edification. Moreover, to let them know the objectives of this journey so that they would not have any misunderstandings. In these meetings, there was a practical exchange of views on the issue of Khilafat and our perspective. In Egypt, there are various factions concerning the issue of Khilafat. The scholars of Al-Azhar wish to elect King Fuad as the caliph and are actively working towards this goal. Hence, the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat was conveyed to the newspaper editors.
Editor of Al-Mahrousa and tabligh in Egypt
During the conversation, the editor of Al-Mahrousa stated that, “You should not preach the message of Ahmadiyyat in Egypt, as no one here would accept it. He warned us that people would force our missionaries to leave Egypt.” Chaudhry Sahib responded that, “We are not afraid of such threats. These words cannot deter our resolve. We fear only God; no other power can intimidate us. The opposition we have faced in India has been no less severe, yet it has never stopped us from our mission. This community belongs to God, and God has promised our Imamas that He will support and assist him. We have witnessed this divine support. Therefore, no matter how much effort is put against us, we will not only continue our preaching efforts in Egypt but also strengthen them. We are confident that we will succeed, insha-Allah.”
The editor of Al-Mahrousa was awestruck by the courage and determination instilled in us by the spiritual attention of our resolute Khalifa. The same tongue that issued the warning began to commend our courage and resolve.
In truth, it is essential for nations that succeed in the world to develop this kind of spirit of freedom and courage. And this cannot be developed without faith in God Almighty. If we truly believe that this Jamaat is a divine community and it is indeed from God, then we need to make great sacrifices for it. Until thousands of Abdul Latifs are born among us, our destiny will remain far from us. The spirit of sacrifice must be present within us. It is not necessary for every person to become a martyr and be stoned to death. But we must be ready in our hearts that if the need arises to reach our goal through this path, each one of us will move forward reciting this couplet:
در کوئے تو اگر سر عشاق را زنند
اول کسے کہ لاف تعشق زند منم
[“In your street, if the heads of lovers are to be struck, the first to boast of love will be me.”]
In short, Chaudhry Sahib’s words left the editor of Al-Mahrousa in a state of awe.
Egyptian Ahmadis
Shabrawi Sahib is a sincere young man who was once part of Saad Zaghloul Pasha’s political party and endured the hardships faced by the party during its days of opposition. However, now he is an Ahmadi, has withdrawn from political affairs, and is filled with love for the Jamaat. During our stay in Egypt, he tirelessly served day and night.
There is also a blind young Ahmadi who is exceptionally intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise. He is familiar with the modern method of education for the blind, which involves reading raised dot script books by feeling the embossed characters with one’s fingers. He is an expert in this field and is studying at Al-Azhar University. Insha-Allah, he will soon emerge as a distinguished scholar. He is also a poet and writer, capable of composing impromptu poetry. In the presence of Huzoor[ra], he read a written piece comprising both prose and poetry and then recited an extemporaneous qasidah about the Khalifa’s arrival. Hafiz Roshan Sahib also recited a section from Surah Bani Israel and presented a poem in praise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra].
Address of Ahmad Abdul Aziz and response of Huzoorra
Another Ahmadi, Ahmad Abdul Aziz, belongs to a respectable Egyptian family and is the nephew of a former Egyptian minister. He is a young man, enthusiastic by nature, and sincere at heart. After meeting Huzoor[ra], he stood up and began delivering a heartfelt and moving address of welcome. His emotional state of mind was evident in his speech. He painted a true and accurate picture of the state of Islam in Egypt and appealed to the Khalifa to pay attention to this situation.
In response, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra] spoke a few words in Arabic, emphasising that:
“It has always been the sunnah [divine practice] of Allah the Almighty that when the world falls into transgression, He sends His appointee to reform the people. God has sent the Promised Messiahas for this very purpose. Indeed, the state of Muslims as you described is correct, if not worse. But there is no need for despair. We are here to announce that God has revealed the truth, and the truth will dispel falsehood. We possess this truth. Observing the situation here, I am determined to strengthen this Jamaat, insha-Allah. All of you should work together and demonstrate through your actions that you are the community destined by God to establish the dominance of truth.”
Some other Ahmadis were out of the country due to their employment. Thus, the series of meetings continued, and people kept coming. As Huzoor[ra] did not have much time, and some essential tasks related to the upcoming journey had to be completed, so some of his time was spent on that as well.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra] also visited some ancient sites. This humble one, Chaudhry Sahib and Hafiz Sahib had the opportunity to see the Pyramids of Egypt.
– Yaqub Ali Irfani.
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu, published in the 16 September 1924 issue of Al Fazl)
