A long-standing servant of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, sultan-e-naseer (true helper) of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya, a dedicated and sincere Ahmadi, a waqif-e-zindagi (life-devotee) with an overwhelming spirit of waqf, former sadr of Majlis Khudam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Ansarullah Markazia and Pakistan, officer of Jalsa Salana, wakil-e-ala and sadr of Majlis Tahrik-e-Jadid Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Rabwah, Pakistan, Chaudhry Hameedullah Sahib, passed away after a short illness at the age of 87 years on Sunday, 7 February 2021 at Tahir Heart Institute, Rabwah, Pakistan.
إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ
“To Allah do we belong and to Him shall we return.”
On the same day at around 12pm, abiding by the government SOPs, the funeral prayer of Chaudhry Hameedullah Sahib was carried out at Bahishti Maqbarah, Darul Fazl, Rabwah. Thereafter, his burial took place in qit‘a (section) number 12.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Chaudhry Hameedullah Sahib’s person was a complete chapter in the history of Ahmadiyyat. He was born on 4 March 1934 in Qadian to Babu Muhammad Bakhsh Sahib and Ayesha Bibi Sahiba. His parents accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1929. He was a seventh grade student when he immediately responded to the appeal of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and devoted his life to the service of Islam in 1946.
After the creation of Pakistan, his family migrated to the state of Bahawalpur and there, he passed his matriculation examination in 1949. Thereafter, he came to Rabwah for an interview on the instructions of wakalat-e-diwan, Rabwah.
After a written examination, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra personally interviewed a few new waqifeen-e-zindagi in the presence of naziran (directors) of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya and Chaudhry Hameedullah Sahib was among them.
After devoting his life, he acquired the rest of his education under the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra.
Following the completion of a master’s degree in mathematics in the first division from Punjab University, Lahore, in 1955, he started serving the Jamaat as a lecturer at Talim-ul-Islam College, Rabwah. He was married in September 1960 to Razia Khanam Sahiba, daughter of Abdul Jabbar Khan Sahib of Sargodha. His wife’s maternal and paternal grandfather were companions of the Promised Messiahas. Allah the Almighty blessed him with a son and two daughters.
He continued to serve as a lecturer and perform other services at TI College, Rabwah, until 1974. After the nationalisation of the college, he resigned adhering to the instructions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. He was then appointed as nazir ziafat.
In November 1982, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh appointed him as Wakil-e-Ala of Tahrik-e-Jadid and along with that, he was appointed as additional sadr of Majlis Tahrik-e-Jadid and then in 1989, as sadr of Majlis Tahrik-e-Jadid. He continued to serve in this capacity till he breathed his last. Moreover, he served as additional nazir-e-ala of hangami umur (emergency affairs) for Sindh and Baluchistan from 1986 till his last day.
He served as the supervisor of various departments of Jalsa Salana from 1955 onwards. In 1973, he was appointed as officer Jalsa Salana. Although Jalsa Salana has not been held in Rabwah since 1983, but the work is still ongoing for its improvement and advancement. On several occasions, he visited Jalsa Salana Qadian and Jalsa Salana UK at the behest of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and supervised various departments of the Jalsa Salana.
One of the highly trusted persons in the eyes of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya, Chaudhry Hameedullah Sahib served at another important and eminent position as sadr of the Centennial Ahmadiyya Jubilee Planning Committee in 1989. Prior to that, he had served as the secretary of the Centennial Ahmadiyya Jubilee Planning Committee in Pakistan. He also served as sadr of the Markazi Committee Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya Centenary Jubilee 2008 from 2005 to date. He also had the honour of presiding over the Khilafat Electoral Committee proceedings after the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh in April 2003.
He was very active in auxiliary organisations since childhood. At a local level, he served in various capacities at Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Muqami, Rabwah, and then at Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Markazia. He served as sadr of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Markazia from 1969 to 1973, as sadr of Majlis Ansarullah Markazia from 1982 to 1989 and as sadr of Majlis Ansarullah Pakistan from 1989 to 1999.
He had the opportunity to visit various countries of the world while serving under the auspices and guidance of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and also as wakil-e-ala of Tahrik-e-Jadid and sadr of Majlis Ansarullah Markazia.
He was a devout and selfless person with a multi-faceted personality. He firmly adhered to fasting and prayers. Moreover, he was accustomed to working tirelessly, whether it was night or day. He was certainly a role model for waqifeen-e-zindagi. He used to give full value to time and even during the last days of his life, he was busy serving in his office round the clock.
He had a strong academic personality and was considered an authority when it came to the history of Ahmadiyyat. He had a deep understanding of the Holy Quran, its translation and commentary. Moreover, he was a scholar of hadith and jurisprudence and had excellent command over Sihah al-Sittah (the six authentic books of hadith) and their commentary.
If anyone asked him a question or enquired about something, he would give them very satisfactory answers, full of knowledge and wisdom. There was a scholarly and a literary touch in his speeches and lectures. He used to prepare them with great care and enthusiasm. He would decorate them with rational quotations and try to make them captivating for listeners. The audience would listen very attentively to his lectures and return after collecting invaluable guidance, advice and religious knowledge.
As a member, supervisor and president of various departments and committees, he was fully occupied at all times; but in spite of all that, his proficiency in various fields of knowledge, especially history and geography, was unparalleled. He also excelled in studying academic writings and insightful books.
He was a great administrator, a principled officer, a kind teacher, loving and compassionate towards his subordinates who solved their problems with personal attention, a saintly man and an asset for all mankind. He was a mathematician as well and that is why he spent a very calculated life.
He was not a talkative person, but he was always precise and accurate when he would speak. He used to get to the bottom of things and resolved them in the best way possible. He was accustomed to going into great depths and detail about everything, whether it seemed easy or difficult. His works were faultless with little or no imperfections.
Those who have served alongside him can testify that the key to his success and progress in life was his sincerity and loyalty to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and seeking guidance from Khalifatul Masih in all matters and then following those instructions with unparalleled obedience.
May Allah the Almighty forgive this sincere and long-standing servant of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and grant him the highest rank in Paradise. May God Almighty continue to grant passionate devotees like Chaudhry Sahib to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. Amin.
(Courtesy of Al Fazl International)