Pioneer Missionaries: Part 19 – Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din – Companion of the Messiah, resilient missionary, and devoted individual

A series looking at pioneer missionaries and devotees of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat who gave precedence to faith over the world.

Click here for Part 18

Awwab Saad Hayat, Al Hakam

The information presented in this article has mostly been extracted from an article of Al Fazl Online, dated 22 July 2021, by Ghulam Misbah Baloch Sahib from Canada, as part of his series on the Introduction of the Companions of the Promised Messiah^as.

Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra was born on 4 December 1881 in Lahore. His father’s name was Ghasita Sahib. At the age of 20, in 1901, he had the opportunity to visit Qadian and pledge allegiance to the Promised Messiah^as. (Lahore Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, compiled by Sheikh Abdul Qadir [Sudagar Mal] p. 300)

Explaining the background of his visit, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra stated that in 1901, he fell seriously ill and had to undergo treatment from doctors and traditional healers for over a year, however, he writes, he  saw no improvement. During that time, he was reading the books of the Promised Messiah^as. A friend suggested that he visit Qadian. When he arrived in Qadian, the first time he saw the Promised Messiah^as was when he was leaving the mosque after leading the Friday prayers. He states that his heart immediately decided that this face could not belong to a liar.

Later, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra went to see Hazrat Maulvi Hakeem Noor-ud-Deen^ra and told him about his illness. Upon seeing his illness, he expressed concern and said that it had started spreading. He told him that more than medicine, this condition required prayers. He advised him to remain in Masjid Mubarak, and said he would introduce him to the Promised Messiah^as and request prayers. Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra writes that he sat near the window from where the Promised Messiah^as used to enter the mosque for prayers. Hazrat Maulvi Sahib took him and placed him in front of the Promised Messiah^as, saying only that the illness was very serious.

Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra saw that the Promised Messiah’s^as face was full of compassion. Huzoor^as asked him how long he had been suffering from his illness. Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra replied that he had been in pain for 13 months. While others would sleep peacefully at night, he said, the pain wouldn’t let him rest, so he would pace the rooftop of his house, while those around him slept in comfort. He had spent months crying and walking through the nights. 

He further states that he was merely a boy, dressed in worn-out, old, and torn clothes, a person of low status and humble background. He couldn’t say a word; all he could do was weep. Seeing his condition, the Promised Messiah^as did not repeat his question but reassured him, saying that he would pray for him. At that moment, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra felt a deep sense of peace, convinced that he would recover.

This was the first time Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra had the opportunity to meet the Promised Messiah^as. Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra added that he bid farewell to his hometown and settled in Qadian permanently. (Seerat Masih-e-Maud, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, pp. 166-168)

Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra migrated to Qadian in 1903 to settle there permanently. He studied privately at Talim-ul-Islam College (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 304), and later enrolled in BA classes at Aligarh College. While pursuing his education in Aligarh, he demonstrated good morals due to his Ahmadiyya beliefs. During a student strike against the teachers at Aligarh College, Ahmadi students chose not to participate, and Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra was among them. Upon hearing that these students did not join the strike, the Promised Messiah^as expressed his happiness.

In Aligarh College, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra openly declared his faith and used to mention and preach the teachings of Islam Ahmadiyya to others. In 1907, the Promised Messiah^as initiated the Waqf-e-Zindagi Scheme. In those days, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra was studying at Aligarh College. He requested Huzoor^as to accept him within this scheme to which Huzoor^as wrote: “After the result, engage in this service.” (Zikr-e-Habib, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib p.116)

After completing his BA in Aligarh, he was appointed as a teacher at Talim-ul-Islam High School in Qadian and remained associated with the institution for a long time. He was known as a hardworking and kind teacher. From 1914 to 1923, he served as the headmaster of Talim-ul-Islam High School in Qadian. In 1923, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra appointed him as a missionary to America, succeeding Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra.

On 6 January 1923, the teachers and students of the High School gave him a farewell address, in which Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra also participated and delivered an address. (Al Fazl, 15 January 1923, pp. 3-4). The following day, a tea party was hosted by Madrasa Ahmadiyya, with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra in attendance. On the same day, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra departed from Qadian for America.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra and many other elders of the Jamaat came to bid him farewell. On the last night of his departure, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra wrote a detailed advice for him:

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra and many other elders of the Jamaat came to bid him farewell. On the night before his departure, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra wrote him a detailed letter of advice in which he stated:

“The one who is disappointed never succeeds; the one who contemplates his future endeavours, even while [his neck is] under the sword, succeeds.” (Al Fazl, 25 January 1923)

After a long journey of almost three months, he landed at the port of Boston, the American city, and arrived in Chicago on 29 March (Al Fazl, 14 May 1923, pp. 1-2). Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra published the news of his arrival in America along with his picture in The Muslim Sunrise in the April-July 1923 issue.

In Chicago, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra took charge from Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra and assumed his missionary work with full zeal and used to regularly send his reports to the Markaz which were published in Al Fazl, some of his early reports were presented in the Hundred Years Ago series of Al Hakam.

For example his passion for preaching could be seen in one of the reports published in the 8 March 1923 issue of Al Fazl and its English translation could be read in Al Hakam 10 March 2023.

Similarly, The Muslim Sunrise also started to be published under his editorship. During his tenure, the USA Jamaat was blessed with further developments and received the opportunity to convey the message of Ahmadiyya Islam to the general public and high government officials.

A famous Dutch convert, Miss Budd also came in to contact with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat through articles by this missionary in America, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra, which were published in The Moslem World – a quarterly Christian magazine. Thereafter, she had written correspondence with M Din Sahib^ra and Mufti Sahib^ra. Eventually, she had the opportunity to pledge allegiance (bai‘at) to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra, through a letter. (Al Fazl, 11 December 1924)

Later, she also travelled to Qadian. Regarding M Din Sahib’s^ra articles, we find that they were published in the January and October 1924 issues of The Moslem World, titled “The Crucifixion in the Quran” and “Islam: The Religion of Peace”.

In August 1923, US President Warren G Harding died suddenly and was succeeded by Vice President John Calvin Coolidge Jr., who became the 30^th President of the United States. Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra wrote a condolence letter to the late President’s wife. He also congratulated the new President and sent a letter expressing the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s good wishes and full cooperation. 

Along with executive reports, he also wrote articles on the general conditions of America, culture, lifestyle, weather conditions, sources of livelihood, education and vast opportunities for industry and craft, in Al Fazl and gave all possible guidance to Indian youth. 

During Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din’s^ra stay in America, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra made his first trip to Europe. On that occasion, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra travelled from America to England and assisted with various tasks under Huzoor’s^ra guidance. He also appeared in some of the group photos taken with Huzoor^ra during this visit.

On 25 September 1924, Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib^ra was scheduled to deliver a lecture on Sufism. His lecture was translated and presented by Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra.

The session was chaired by Sir Frederick KCSI, CSO, who introduced Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib^ra then Dr Muhammad Din^ra read out his lecture, with the audience showing their appreciation with “cheers” several times.

Similarly Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani^ra recorded that during the tour of Europe in 1924, in Portsmouth upon the request of some local friends, two lectures by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra were scheduled at the Universal Church on 14 September 1924. One lecture was on the “Second Coming of the Messiah”, and the other was on “A Message from Heaven”.

The first lecture was scheduled for 3:30 pm. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih^ra appointed Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra to deliver the lecture. The purpose behind this was to observe how the appointed missionaries conducted their speeches. The Ahmadiyya delegation arrived at the appointed time, where they were received with a heartfelt welcome. The church priest greeted Huzoor^ra with great respect. This was the Universal Church, and though they were Christians, they exhibited such a level of open-mindedness that it had made them inclined toward religious unity.

As Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra had been appointed to deliver the lecture at this time, and since the priest, Mr Abbott, had announced Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’s name for the lecture, it was explained to him that a companion of the Khalifa would give the lecture according to the Khalifa’s instructions. Mr Abbott then stood again and said:

“The lecture on the Second Coming of Messiah will now be delivered by a companion of His Holiness, who has been instructed by him. His Holiness himself will deliver the evening lecture.”

Following this, Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra stood at the pulpit, a place reserved in this church for the proclamation and preaching of Christianity. It was remarkable that on that day, at the very same pulpit, a servant of the Promised Messiah^as was standing and refuting modern-day Christianity. It was indeed a refutation, for he addressed the second coming of the Messiah, highlighting the errors in the Christian perspective and informing them that the Messiah they awaited would not come, and that the one meant to come has already arrived, thereby leaving no doubt regarding the invalidation of the Christian faith.

Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra spoke for an hour and a half, delivering his lecture with great proficiency and enthusiasm – an enthusiasm that kept him focused on the topic at hand. Although he had written down his lecture, he delivered it from memory. His speech was based on Biblical evidence and an explanation of the second coming of the Messiah as described in the Gospels.

The summary of Maulvi Sahib’s^ra speech that can be presented here is simply to outline its division and arrangement. The lecture, which lasted an hour and a half, was divided into the following sections:

1. The belief in the coming of a reformer in the latter days is a unanimous and universal belief.

2. How did Jesus^as of Nazareth explain the concept of the second coming? When someone is promised to return, what does this mean according to Jesus^as? Does it mean that the same person will return, or that another individual, similar in letter and spirit, will come?

3. Who can descend from heaven? Here, the reality of the ascension of Jesus^as was also discussed.

4. The signs and warnings related to the second coming of the Messiah.

5. Where will the second coming of the Messiah happen – Europe, Jerusalem, or India?

6. The Messiah, whom the world awaited, has already come. Whoever has eyes to see should see, and whoever has ears to hear should hear – he is Ahmad^as of Qadian.

On these points, Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib^ra, with great skill, used the Gospel itself to prove his claims. He demonstrated that Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, and Muslims all share the belief in the coming of a reformer in the latter days, though they call him by different names. He also referred to the decision of Jesus^as regarding Elijah’s return, explaining that the person expected to return is not the same individual. In this context, he interpreted the statement of Jesus^as that “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven” (John, 3:13). He discussed the signs of the second coming of the Messiah as mentioned in the Gospels and, by considering those signs, he calculated the time when the second coming should occur. Finally, using the Gospels, he indicated that the place of his coming would be India, and concluded by giving the glad tidings of the Promised Messiah^as.

The audience listened to the lecture with great interest and satisfaction, remaining silent and attentive until the very end. After the lecture, Mr Abbott gave a brief speech, praising Maulvi Sahib’s^ra presentation, and expressing, “I want him to speak more, though time constraints have forced him to conclude.”

(This report was originally in  Urdu, published in the 16 October 1924 issue of Al Fazl. To read its English translation, See: Al Hakam 18 October 2024)

After Huzoor’s^ra entourage returned, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra also went back to America to fulfil his assigned duties. He returned to Qadian on 30 December 1925, after three years of missionary service in America. (Al Fazl, 1 January 1926, p. 1) 

In December 1926, the magazine Sunrise was published under his editorship. Before going to America, he had the opportunity to serve as the editor of The Review of Religions magazine for some time. In 1927, he was reappointed as the headmaster of Talim-ul-Islam School in Qadian and also served as the headmaster of the Girls High School in Qadian.

After the Partition of India, Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra had the opportunity to serve in Sadar Anjuman as the Supervisor of Education and later as the President of Anjuman Ahmadiyya in Rabwah. Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din^ra passed away on 7 March 1983, at the age of approximately 100, and was buried in Bahishti Maqbara, Rabwah.

Upon Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Din’s^ra demise, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh, whilst emphasising the important work those resilient missionary undertook, said that a true preacher is one who, once he makes a pledge, upholds it with complete loyalty throughout his life and remains a preacher until his last breath. Therefore, Huzoor^rh added, the Jamaat is in need of such preachers. “If today one Muhammad Din departs from us, may God create millions of the likes of Muhammad Din.” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol 2, pp. 156)