Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra received an invitation from the “Conference on Some Living Religions Within the Empire” in early May 1924. The receipt of the invitation was followed by prayers, istikharah and Shura-e-Aam, and thereafter, Huzoorra decided to visit England. It must be noted that though the idea of his visit to England emerged after this invitation, this was certainly not the sole or main objective of this journey. Huzoorra himself has elaborated on this point in various places, which we will discuss later.
There were two main objectives: Firstly, to assess the West and formulate a plan for the propagation of Islam. Secondly, this was a fulfilment of some prophecies that had been foretold. Importantly, let us not forget that: “This was the first visit of Khalifatul Masih to Europe, along with the Arab countries as well.” (Friday Sermon, 28 February 2014, Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 12, p. 122)
Prayers and consultation
At first, the invitation was not made public and only members of the community in India were privy to this information. On 14 May 1924, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra wrote a detailed letter to the Jamaat for mutual consultation and also elaborated on the background and different aspects of the proposed tour. Huzoorra called a Shura-e-Aam (General Shura) on 16 May 1924, at the Mubarak Mosque. The members were asked to cast their votes and “votes affirming the proposal were far greater than those in negation.” However, Huzoorra stated that “he would reserve his own view until the point of view of the outside jamaats [chapters outside of Qadian] is received.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, pp. 423-427 and Al Fazl, 20 May 1924)
It was not until 23 May 1924, that Huzoorra spoke about the proposed journey in public, stating: “In addition to performing istikharah myself, I have also advised 40 individuals to perform istikharah and then to tell whether or not it is a suitable time for me to visit England. My view is that the decision about visiting England should be made once the views of all jamaats are received and the istikharah is done.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 8, p. 413)
During this period, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was exceedingly occupied, with every moment of his time meticulously scheduled. Evidence of his relentless dedication can be found in the reports from Al Fazl, which vividly illustrate the extent of his busyness.
“Huzoor[ra] was writing an article, and without any exaggeration, got occupied with this work from the Fajr prayer in the morning till 2 am in the late night, despite this hot weather and in a state when there was no proper arrangement for fans either.” (Al Fazl, 20 June 1924)
Announcement to visit England
After prayers, istikharah and consultation with the members of the Jamaat, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra announced his decision to visit England. This announcement was made in an article which was published in Al Fazl on 24 June 1924.
In this article, Huzoorra narrated in detail the objectives behind this decision, despite being aware of the subsequent difficulties, such as the financial situation of the Jamaat and some other factors. After shedding light on this matter, Huzoorra said:
“However, despite all these difficulties, I have decided that my duties in relation to the Faith and nation have precedence over my personal comfort and the wishes of my relatives. I am unable to express many things which I am aware of, and if you were aware of it, the hearts of many of you would have filled with the sentiments of mercy and sympathy. However, I have a belief in the One God Who is All-Powerful.” (Daurah-e-Europe 1924, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 8, pp. 380-381)
Huzoorra further announced that he would depart from Bombay on 15 July 1924, and that “information about the date of departure from Qadian will be conveyed later.” (Ibid., p. 380)
Sir E Denison Ross ‘gratified’
It is also crucial to mention here that Huzoor’sra acceptance to attend the event had a huge impact on the conference itself, as acknowledged by the organisers as well. For instance, Sir E Denison Ross states:
“As we had foreseen, it was not always possible to secure the attendance in London of all whom we had invited to read papers; but the response was from the outset most encouraging, and we were especially gratified that the Khalifat-ul-Masih, the head of the Ahmadiyya Movement, immediately signified his intention to come to London with a number of his followers for the express purpose of attending the Conference. This remarkable enterprise led to great publicity in the Press and secured considerable interest for our Conference.” (Religions of the Empire: A Conference on Some Living Religions within the Empire, Introduction By Sir E. Denison Ross, London, 1925, p. 5)
Objectives of the journey
As stated earlier, there were two primary objectives, and Huzoorra elaborates upon both on later occasions. However, on a closer look, you will see that both are interlinked. There was a prophecy about both travelling for the propagation of Islam and the fulfilment of an old prophecy: the Quranic prophecy regarding Dhul-Qarnain.
Reflecting on the divine purpose behind his journey, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra remarked:
“There is no doubt that it is the Will of God Almighty to create a glorious revolution in Western countries. The Holy Prophet’ssa prophecy about the Sun rising from the West [Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-tafsir, Hadith 4635] is a testament to it. The vision of the Promised Messiahas that the people of the Western countries would particularly join this Jamaat, is evident to it, and myself as well have seen two visions which I have narrated long before this proposal [of visiting England]. Those too testify to our victory in the West.” (Daurah-e-Europe 1924, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 8, p. 383)
It is evident from scripture and the writings of the Promised Messiahas that one of his Khulafa would have to travel towards the West, but how it was to happen was hidden from all. When the Promised Messiahas sees himself “standing on a pulpit in the city of London and was setting forth the truth of Islam in the English language, in a very well-reasoned address,” could anyone in the village of Qadian have been able to foresee how this divine vision was to unravel? Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra elaborates that its fulfilment “requires that one of his successors visit those places.” (Ibid., p. 385)
Some members of the Jamaat misunderstood the purpose of Huzoor’sra journey and thought he would go to carry out the propagation of Islam, as any missionary would do. His tasks, however, were far greater. He was the general, the leader and the supreme commander of this army of preachers. The journey aimed at “finding out the difficulties which arise in preaching and to get such knowledge about the local circumstances [of England] that will be useful for preaching in western countries in the future. Moreover, it is to find out the dangerous problems and discover their cure which are going to arise along with the spread of Islam in Western countries. This is because if they are not taken into consideration beforehand, the spread of Islam in the West will itself lead to the destruction of Islam.” (Ibid., p. 427)
Secondly, another purpose of the journey was the fulfilment of some prophecies, which, as mentioned earlier, were many. These include travelling to the West as the successor of the Promised Messiahas, fulfilling the prophecy regarding Dhul-Qarnain, descending at the white minaret of Damascus, arriving at Ludgate, standing on a pulpit in the city of London, etc.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra spoke about the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas in Damascus, stating:
“I will change my journey’s route for this purpose, however, since such opportunities cannot occur very often, it is essential to make the utmost effort to benefit from this journey as much as possible.” (Ibid., p. 381)
Schedule before departure
On the morning of 11 July 1924, Huzoorra visited the blessed grave of the Promised Messiahas and performed a lengthy prayer (du‘a) at the grave. Huzoorra returned home and then came to the mosque to lead Jumuah prayer. During his Friday Sermon, Huzoorra highlighted the need for a vast scheme to bring the West towards Islam and emphasised that it is not enough to convert them to Islam, but rather, the crucial point is to inculcate in them the true essence of Islam: “The Islam which was brought by the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.” (Al Fazl, 15 & 20 July 1924)
Members of the Jamaat had gathered in huge numbers, including many who had arrived from faraway areas to meet their beloved Imam. After the Asr prayer, a group photo was taken of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra with members of the Jamaat. He was so busy that while walking, he would grant guidance to Hazrat Shahzada Abdul Majeed Khanra who was about to depart for Iran to serve there as a missionary. Huzoorra visited Bahishti Maqbarah after the Maghrib and Isha prayers as well, prayed there, and returned at around 11 pm. (Ibid., 15 July 1924, p. 1)
In one of the earliest reports concerning Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra tour and his attendance at the Conference newspapers began reporting promptly. One such report stated under the heading “Living Religions at Wembley”:
“Islam, one of the most important of the religions of the Empire, falls into several divisions. The Sunni are to be represented by two well-known speakers; the Shi‘a, more difficult to represent, will be handled by a professor from Baghdad, while the modern reformist Ahmadiyya is in the hands of the Head of this movement.” (Coventry Evening Telegraph, 8 July 1924)
Various other newspapers published the same news, such as The Cologne Post of Germany, and some other British newspapers, including the Hampstead Advertiser, The Reading Observer, Ashbourne Telegraph and Stratford-upon-Avon Herald.
The departure
At the time, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had multiple worries in his mind, his health was frail and that would cause difficulties in the journey. Moreover, the workload in recent days had further affected his health. During his last moments before departure from Qadian, he was barely able to meet his own family and he “could not even see the faces of some of [his] children.” (Daurah-e-Europe 1924, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 8, p. 425)
Nevertheless, there was one wish that was dearer to him than anything else. It was to pray at the blessed grave of the Promised Messiahas:
“What else can a helpless lover do except offer a visit of devotion at the grave of their beloved and pray in one’s simple words? I went there to fulfil my duty. But oh! How painful that visit was for me. There is no doubt that the dead do not reside in these earthly graves, but in another grave [Hereafter], however, there is no doubt either that they have a connection with this earthen grave as well and there is no doubt that the human heart feels a deep pleasure from the closeness to the grave of its loved one. So this parting was a bitter cup for me and so bitter that nobody can understand its bitterness other than me. Among the great wishes of my life, yes, among the wishes that even thought of them made me happy, one was that when I die,” I should be buried “near the blessed feet of the Promised Messiahas, so that my Lord may have mercy on me with the blessing of the nearness of this blessed personage.”
Huzoorra continued, “Love and longing often create illusive fear, and especially such a long and difficult journey and poor health are such strong reasons which naturally create such fears.” (Ibid., pp. 423-425)
On the morning of 12 July, members began to gather at the time of Fajr prayer. At 8 am, Huzoorra performed a lengthy du‘a at Bait-ud-Dua. When he came outside, the members began walking along with him and after some distance, Huzoorra once again led everyone in du‘a. After a group photo, Huzoorra went towards Hazrat Ummul Momineenra. Then, Huzoorra reached the motor car, where members had the opportunity to greet him, after which he sat in the car and the entourage departed amidst the passionate slogans of Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great). (Al Fazl, 15 July 1924, pp. 1-2)
Two days prior, a prominent Indian newspaper reported:
“We are very pleased to know that respected Imam Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian is departing for England on 15 July. He will visit other countries as well, and we are quite sure that he will attend the exhibition, and during the exhibition, he will present a paper on world religions as well. He possesses greater knowledge and insight than Khwaja [Kamaluddin] Sahib, and though he is not a lawyer, his speech possesses such pearls which ought to be present in a great speaker. We pray to God that may his journey prove beneficial for the progress of Islam and may it prove to the European atheists how majestic is the power of Islam.” (Mashriq of Gorakhpur, 10 July 1924)
Qadian to Bombay
We find that the distance between Qadian and Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is more than 1,700 kilometres. This is the distance that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and his entourage covered via train in 1924, en route to his tour of Europe. It took them three days to cover this distance. From Batala, the entourage passed through Jaintipur, Nathu Nangal, Amritsar, Beas, Jalandhar City, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar Cantt, Phagwara, Phillaur, Ludhiana, Rajpura, Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Kosi Kalan, Mathura Junction, Agra Cantt, Dholpur, Gwalior, Jhansi, Bina, Bhopal, and Manmad Junction.
A few days after Huzoor’sra departure, The Civil and Military Gazette reported:
“The head of the Ahmadiyya community of Qadian with a staff consisting of ten persons left Qadian on the 12th instant en route for England. Reports have been received that Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis assembled in large numbers at all the important railway stations on the way to see and give a send-off to His Holiness. […] The purpose of the visit to England is to study the missionary outlook in Western countries in order to be able to shape future missionary policy for the propagation of Islam in the West.” (The Civil and Military Gazette, 18 July 1924)
For the remainder of the journey, we will mostly report incidents utilising the reports and diaries of Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira and Hazrat Bhai Abdur Rahman Qadianira.
Impact of workload on health
Irfani Sahibra was taking notice of the workload and Huzoor’sra health. He was concerned since much time was spent meeting members, dignitaries and guests at stations, leaving hardly any moments for rest. At one point in the journey, he just had to ask:
“Considering the immense engagements during the last few months and the bulk of work that has been done, what is the impact on your health?
“[Huzoorra] responded:
“I do not pay attention to it. The health is still the same as it was while carrying out these works. The fact is, when there is a very huge sense of responsibility, the other feelings are suppressed underneath. This is my state at this time. The need, importance and thought of this very duty have not allowed me to think about my health.” (Al Fazl, 20 July 1924, p. 2)
From Saharanpur, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and his entourage were to embark on the BB&CI Railway service to Bombay. However, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira narrates that due to the huge crowd that had gathered at various stations to see off their beloved Imam, minor delays at every station caused a collective delay of one hour when the train reached the Saharanpur Railway Station. Hence, they could not catch the train service of BB&CI Railway, and had to take another train. (Al Fazl, 18 July 1924, pp. 3-4)
Hazrat Bhai Abdur Rahman Qadianira narrates that the replacement train was a service of the GIP Railway. The entourage had to wait at the Saharanpur Station for a few hours. The train arrived at 4:30 am on 13 July and departed soon after. However, upon reaching the next station, the entourage came to know that the rail car they were on would terminate at Delhi instead of going directly to Bombay. Thereafter, from the Muzaffarnagar station, the entourage began moving themselves and their belongings from one rail car to the other so that they could reach the one which was to proceed directly towards Bombay. (Safar-e-Europe, pp. 5-8)
The GIP (Great Indian Peninsula) Railway was the first to run a train for the public on the Indian subcontinent in April 1853. The BB&CI (Bombay, Baroda and Central India) Railway Company was organised in 1852 and the project was turned into a reality by 1860. (A History of Indian Railways, G. S. Khosla, New Delhi, 1988, pp. 32 and 43)
As with any journey, one of the worst possible scenarios is when our luggage is in jeopardy. On reaching Delhi station, the guard of the GIP Railway removed six boxes of luggage. He said that they were booked with BB&CI Railway (train service missed at Saharanpur station) and could not go along the GIP Railway train to Bombay. Due to this issue, the train was delayed by a few minutes. Those boxes were essential and in case of being left there, they would either be lost or become useless. Eventually, the guard agreed.
After Delhi, the train stopped at various other stations, where members were also present to see their beloved Imam. Though the stay at every station was an event in itself and included various engagements, we can present the accounts of only a few of those.
Passion for Islam
In 1923, the Shuddhi Movement reached its peak, with the aim of converting the Malkana Muslims of the United Provinces to Hinduism. At that time, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra initiated a great plan to save those Muslims from apostasy and did a great favour to the Indian Muslims. Its details have been narrated in Al Hakam in a separate article. The purpose of its mention here is that during his journey from Qadian to Bombay, while the train was approaching the Mathura Junction, Huzoorra inquired from Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayalra about the tabligh efforts in Malkana area and said that he should show him the Malkana villages on the way.
Meanwhile, two Sikh businessmen met Huzoorra at the Kosi Kalan Station and requested that he deliver a short speech. Huzoorra thus delivered this speech on the purpose behind mankind’s creation and the means to achieve this objective. During his speech, the train reached Mathura Junction, and hence, Huzoorra could not see those villages. The entourage reached Mathura Junction at 12:11 pm, and once the train left from there, Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayalra showed Huzoorra the areas of Malkana that are situated between Mathura and Agra. While the train was passing through the Farah Station, Huzoorra asked, “Where is the place where the Hindu Thakurs held a panchayat against the Ashuddhi?” Chaudhry Sahibra indicated that place as well. (Al Fazl, 20 July 1924, pp. 10-12)
A poem in love of Qadian
While the train had just left Dholpur station, Huzoorra led the Zuhr and Asr prayers and went to get some rest. Suddenly, he picked up a pen and paper and began writing. Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira felt that Huzoorra was murmuring something. After some time, Huzoorra handed over an incomplete poem of 12 couplets to Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra, who then recited it. (Al Fazl, 20 July 1924, p. 10)
Huzoorra later completed this poem and sent it to Qadian from Bombay. It was published in Al Fazl on 25 July 1924. He gave a note that in this poem, in various places, the word Qadian has been used, but it does not necessarily mean that it implies the town of Qadian itself or its people, but rather, in some places, it alludes to the people associated with Qadian – Ahmadis. This included all Ahmadis, regardless of where they resided in the world. The poem commences with the following couplet:
ہے رضائے ذاتِ بارى اب رضائے قادیاں
مدّعائے حق تعالىٰ مدّعائے قادیاں
“In this era, the pleasure of Qadian is in fact the pleasure of the Exalted Being, and the Objective of Qadian is in fact the Objective of the Exalted and Truthful Being.”
Eid-ul-Adha
Passing through Gawalior, Jhansi, Bina, and Bhopal, the train reached the Manmad Junction. (Al Fazl 25 July 1924 and Safar-e-Europe, pp. 3-8)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra led the Eid-ul-Adha prayer at the platform of the Manmad Junction Railway Station, at 11 am on 14 July 1924, Huzoorra then led everyone in du‘a upon returning to the rail car. (Safar-e-Europe, p. 8)
During his Eid Sermon, Huzoorra said:
“At this juncture, I wish to advise you that one ought to make suitable preparations for everything. Even if one commits to a short journey, they prepare accordingly. The journey, which we have taken upon, is a very huge journey in terms of its aims and objectives. Its preparation is that we ought to pray for its success. It is spiritual strive [mujahida] and prayers that will make this journey a success. For this reason, you are required to remember Allah the Almighty with seriousness and sincerity, and perform prayers [du‘a], so that Allah the Almighty grants us success. However, if there is any hurdle in our success due to our shortcomings, then the time and money will go to waste. May Allah save our actions from going in vain. Amin.” (Al Hakam, 21 July 1924, p. 7)
Arrival in Bombay
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and his entourage reached the Victoria Terminal (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) of the Bombay Railway Station at 5 pm on 14 July, where members of the Jamaat had gathered in huge numbers. Photographs were taken and members had the opportunity to do musafaha with Huzoorra.
After this, Huzoorra visited the office of Thomas Cook & Son – located on Hornby Road (now Dadabhai Naoroji Road) – and completed the paperwork. They stayed the night at the centre of Anjuman Ahmadiyya Bombay, where they reached at 7:30 pm. After Maghrib and Isha prayers, Huzoorra granted an audience to two local dignitaries, who asked many questions, such as on the topic of prophethood. After a short break for dinner, Huzoorra got occupied in writing and continued till late midnight. (Safar-e-Europe, pp. 8-9 and Al Fazl, 2 August 1924, p. 2)
The Review of Religions also published a summary of this whole journey from Qadian to Bombay in its August 1924 issue.
The ship
Thomas Cook & Son informed the entourage that the ship ss. Africa would sail at 8:30 on the next morning, 15 July 1924, and hence they had to leave from the residence at 6 am. The Civil and Military Gazette reported:
“The Marittima Italiana S. N. Company’s ss. Africa will sail from Bombay on July 15 at 8:30 a.m.” (The Civil and Military Gazette, 11 July 1924)
(Prepared by Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre)