Al Hakam (Urdu), 17 September 1902
As Al Hakam enters the fourth year since its launch in English in 2018, we include herewith a letter of Hazrat Mufti Sahibra about the urdu Al Hakam
“‘The Al Hakam newspaper’ – Under this heading, we are publishing a letter from Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib, may Allah protect him. We have received, and continue to receive, so many letters at various occasions about Al Hakam, that if we compile all of them, they could, without any exaggeration, form a large book. But we rarely publish these [letters] because firstly, it should not appear as self-appreciation and secondly, the services which are appreciated in those [letters] neither were, nor are, due to any personal characteristic or striving of the editor of Al Hakam.
“In fact, it was and is the sheer grace of God that He accepted service from his humble servant and granted me the opportunity to render such services. So, Allah the Almighty alone is worthy of all kinds of praise.
“We accept whole-heartedly that we could not render any service to the nation [Jamaat] or the country, which is the reality. Although there is a heartfelt desire that we do something which negates our shortcomings and sloth, the fulfilment of this desire is dependent upon Allah the Almighty’s grace.
“So, we are publishing this letter only as a means of mentioning God’s grace and bounties and also so that perhaps, by realising the need of Al Hakam, our nation [Jamaat] ponders upon those practical suggestions which are necessary for its [Al Hakam’s] steadfastness and strength.
“As Mufti Sahib always has had a special love and connection with Al Hakam, which is because it is the trustee of the pearls and sayings of the sadiq [truthful one] of God – the Promised Messiahas – for this reason, due to his passion, he has, from time to time, sent his letters of thankfulness about Al Hakam.
“After reading this letter of gratitude from Mufti Sahib, I recalled an old letter of Mufti Sahib, when Al Hakam’s pace was rather slow, i.e. [when it was published] every 15 days and only spanned eight pages of text. In that letter, Mufti Sahib mentioned a dream he saw regarding Al Hakam, which was published in Al Hakam of 27 March 1898. For the interest of readers, it becomes necessary for it to be mentioned here.
“Mufti Sahib writes that a few days ago, he had a dream that Al Hakam was on his table, as if a postman or someone had placed it there. It had a green page. When he picked it up and opened it, it happened to be a huge newspaper on a long and wide page, just like the Civil and Military Gazette and published in a very neat and beautiful Urdu font.
“This dream, by the grace of God, has been fulfilled to an extent. If Allah the Almighty wills, it will be fulfilled in its literal meaning as well.
“Now, we will publish the [recent] letter of Mufti Sahib. We hope that the Jamaat pays attention to it.”
[Editor Al Hakam, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira]
Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra (1872-1957)
The Al Hakam newspaper
The prophet of Allah the Almighty [the Promised Messiahas] is busy nowadays in writing a book, named Nuzul-ul-Masih. At the outset, it began as a small ishtihar [announcement] to warn Allah’s creation from the upcoming and already existent wrath of God. Then this announcement grew in size, upon the disclosure of Pir Golarhvi’s secret that he had published a deceased’s drafts with his own name.
But later, with a passion of sympathy for those who abuse him day and night and declare him an infidel, God’s truthful prophet intended to complete this book with all kinds of arguments and statements, so that it may be presented for the guidance of the people. Therefore, it was deemed necessary for the completion of this book that a list of those signs also be mentioned that have been manifested at the hands of Hazrat Hujjatullah [the Promised Messiahas] by now.
For this, I was commanded to gather some signs from miscellaneous books and sources, make a [collective] record of it and then present to the Promised Messiahas so that I too may earn reward in this jihad of the pen. In regard to this, I needed to seek help from old issues of Al Hakam. I requested the Al Hakam office to provide all files and I started going through them.
Although, at the time, my only concern was the above-mentioned purpose, but while going through the pages, my attention would be drawn towards a specific headline and then another. This record had a strange impact on my heart.
Upon seeing those columns, the archived history of those years of this divine community, spontaneous words of gratitude and prayers for the editor of Al Hakam emerged in my heart.
At the end of 1890 or the beginning of 1891, I had the privilege to do bai‘at at the hand of the Promised Messiahas and be included among his followers. Since then, it has been my routine to make a note, write and compile his [the Promised Messiahas] sacred sayings in my pocketbook and then send them to my friends and well-wishers in Kashmir, Kapurthala, Ambala, Lahore, Sialkot, Africa and London, which enables members to rejuvenate their faith and proves to be a source of reward for me.
In Lahore, for a long time, the situation was such that whenever members could hear that I had returned from Dar-ul-Aman [Qadian] they would gather at a place with great yearning and dedication and surround me, just like honey bees surround honey. Then I would provide them that spiritual sustenance, which I had brought from my Imam, and satisfy their thirsty souls with that sweet water in such a way that their [spiritual] thirst would increase and their loving souls would feel invigorated with passion and love for their beloved. This was the case with devotees of all places.
Then, Allah the Almighty enabled a man of God, Sheikh Yaqub Ali, to start a weekly newspaper in support of this movement to fulfil the immense need of the nation [Jamaat]. So, this newspaper started publishing in Amritsar, but within three months, came to its real centre of Qadian.
It was a must that this organ [Al Hakam] partake of the [assistance in] financial difficulties of the nation [Jamaat] and the way it participated in this does not need any description at the given time as I intend not to write its history here, but only express my appreciation.
Through all the fresh news of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, this newspaper has been serving the Jamaat in a beneficial and helpful way.
[It is accomplishing many tasks including] showing the world miracles and divine signs, by publishing the revelations of the Promised Messiahas beforehand, keeping the Jamaat up-to-date regarding all Ahmadi institutions – e.g. magazines and madrassas – conveying the pure sayings of the Promised Messiahas to the people living far away, keeping a record of the Jamaat’s news, responding powerfully to onslaughts of opponents of Islam, conveying to the Jamaat the spiritual prescriptions of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin Sahib, archiving old letters of Hazrat Imam [the Promised Messiahas], informing the government from time to time regarding the local needs of the city of Qadian, announcements of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya’s publications and presenting to the Jamaat the powerful sermons of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin and Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib. In short, many tasks are being accomplished through this newspaper, all to display the majesty of this Jamaat to the opponents and to please members [of the Jamaat].
Despite these characteristics, the newspaper has not yet reached its peak by removing its flaws and everything in this world happens in stages. But I hope that as the community has valued it as per its affordability and Sheikh Sahib, the editor, has informed readers in regard to this from time to time, in this way, in the future as well, by progressing, it will gradually become a wonderful organ of this Jamaat.
I pray that Allah the Almighty may nourish this timely tree – which has been planted with good intentions – with the rain of His mercy and He may make it such and spread it so much that hundreds of thousands of people, who were erstwhile troubled by the pain of sin, should get comfort and happiness under the cool and kind shadow of its leaves. Amin. (Muhammad Sadiq)
(Translated to English by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in Al Hakam [Urdu] in its 17 September 1902 issue)