Editor’s Note: The following letter, published in the November 1925 issue of The Review of Religions, was submitted to His Majesty’s Secretary for Home Affairs by Hazrat Abdur Rahim Dardra, MA, in response to the cartoon of the Most Holy Prophetsa printed in ‘The Star’ newspaper. In subsequent correspondence, The Star publicly expressed its regret regarding the publication.
Letter to His Majesty
“Your Excellency,
“In my capacity as the head of a very big section of the Muslim community in England, I deem it necessary to convey to Your Excellency on their behalf, and on behalf of many Egyptian, Indian and African Muslims who have approached me for that purpose, the feelings of fierce indignation and deep mortification that a cartoon printed in The Star, dated 18/8/25 (of which a copy is attached herewith) has aroused.
“The cartoon depicts Mr. Jack Hobbs as a colossal figure. At his feet are shown to stand some very reputed historical personages, including among them Adam[as] and Mohammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam, may peace and the blessings of God be upon him. Like all others, they are made to look at Mr. Hobbs apparently in astonishment and bewilderment at the latter scoring so many centuries in cricket. This ignominiously disgraceful cartoon has inflicted a deep wound on the religious susceptibilities of the Muslims.
“The Holy Prophet Mohammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, is the most sacred personage for the Muslims. The love they bear towards him and the veneration with which they cherish his holy memory, transcends all barriers of colour, caste, and country. Of all earthly things, the most revered in their eyes is the honour of their Spiritual Master, for whose sake every Muslim, young or old, high or low, man or woman, is ready to sacrifice his life and his all. A Muslim can bear anything but an affront offered to the name of his beloved and revered Master.
“Your Excellency can, therefore, only imagine the intensity and the depth of the feelings that this manifold insult has stirred. Words cannot adequately express it. The greatest Monarch, of unequalled spiritual glory, the most perfect manifestation of God, the Cynosure of all eyes, the Prince of Peace, and a Mercy unto all mankind, painted as a pigmy lost in amazement, and as a monster of bloodshed and carnage with a drawn sword in his hand! No art could degenerate so low.
“Nothing could be more mischievous, on the part of a paper, than to play with the religious susceptibilities of a people. It is a disgrace to journalism. Could not the admiration of a cricketer be complete without heaping unmerited and unprovoked disgraces on the name of one who takes his stand in the first row of the greatest reformers of humanity?
“Surely this is the most malicious and insidious form of comparison. I need not draw Your Excellency’s attention to the storm of indignation and hatred which this cartoon would raise in India and all other Muslim countries.
“I protest, therefore, most emphatically, against this despicable indignity loaded on our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of God be upon him, and request Your Excellency to give your most earnest attention to this very serious matter and set the law in motion against the offenders, so that the world may know that England is justly proud of her traditional fairness and impartiality.
“Your Excellency’s most obedient servant,
“AR DARD MA.”
West Africa
The Nigerian Spectator writes in its editorial notes:
“The Ahmadiyas seem destined to work out a revolution in Mohammedan life in Nigeria. Started only a few years ago, the movement is working remarkable changes in the life and outlook of young Mohammedans not only in Lagos, but throughout Nigeria. And there is no doubt that the movement has come to stay.
“Among the local Ahmadiyas, professional men are springing up. They have already produced one lawyer and with two or three more to come in a year or two.
“In a few years, Mohammedan qualified medical practitioners will be arriving, and all these enlightened activities are traceable to the influence of the local Ahmadiyas. […]”
A prophecy fulfilled
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian published a prophecy in 1906 to the following effect:
“The Palace of the Shah of Persia shall be shaken.”
At the time when this revelation was published, nobody could imagine that such a strong wave of democracy would sweep over Persia. God’s words, however, are comprehended only when on being fulfilled, they manifest the Power and Might of God Almighty.
Sumatra
We learn with pleasure from the Al Fazl Qadian that our new missionary has reached Sumatra safely, and within a week of his stay there, eight persons have joined the fold of Hazrat Ahmadas. May the number increase! Amin.
Mysticism and Ahmadiyyat
The Rev. WW Cash writes in his latest book:
“Mysticism long ago found a home among Moslems, and in 1879 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad[as], of the village of Qadian, in the Punjab, began to propound his new mysticism to his Moslem brethren. His teaching was chiefly based upon his personal claims. He declared himself to be the Christian Messiah, the Muhammadan Mahdi, and the final [avatar] expected by the Hindus.
“His claim at once brought him into conflict with orthodox Islam. The Mahdi (the final successor of the Prophet) was to be a man of blood; how, then, could Mirza Ghulam Ahmad[as] combine in his own person the character of Jesus, a man of peace, not war.
“The Ahmadiyya Movement is remarkable for the way it turned the attention of Mohammadans to the study of Jesus Christ.”
Dr Zwemer, reviewing his book, remarks in connection with the above passage as follows:
“We regret, where all is so good, to point out one important inaccuracy. The Ahmadiyya Movement is in no sense connected with Muhammadan mysticism, but is rather an attempt to rationalise Islam by a forced exegesis of the Koran and by going back to the swoon theory regarding the Crucifixion, to put Jesus Christ in an unknown grave in Kashmir, so that the Caliph of their new Promised Messiah may carry on propaganda in a literary bureau at Qadian, in the Punjab!
“Both the branches of the Ahmadiyya Movement now have a mosque in or near London, but neither dream of zikrs or mysticism in their worship or philosophy.”
We agree with Dr Zwemer in saying that the Ahmadiyya movement is not an order of howling and dancing Dervishes; nor is their mysticism a dreamy contemplation on ideas that have no foundation in human experience.
But we do not think the Rev. WW Cash means any of these conceptions by his words, “new mysticism.” He may, however, have confused it with Sufism, which in its truest sense means Islam pure and simple.
We regret to say that Dr Zwemer calls the tomb of Jesus[as] in Kashmir as “Unknown,” and our interpretation of the Holy Quran as “forced exegesis.” A glance at the photo of the tomb of Jesus[as] published in our previous issue and a cursory perusal of “The True Islam” will convince our readers that it is a wilful misrepresentation.
Why missionaries from the East
The East has been looked upon as being uncivilised and missionaries have been up till now sent from the West to educate it.
Why is it that the East now sends its missionaries to the West? What has caused this wonderful change?
A similar question was put to a Companion of the Holy Prophetsa in the Court of the Persian Chosroe. And the answer which he gave at that time applies in our case as well:
“The vices and iniquities that were ascribed to us did actually prevail amongst us. We were as weak as we were looked upon. But God, by raising a prophet amongst us, has wrought a great change in us and has elevated our hopes and aspirations. We are not now what we were before and the things that used to satisfy us before cannot satisfy us now.”
We have undergone a similar change. Thirty-four years before the condition of Islam was such that its devoted votaries could scarcely defend it, God then sent a prophet amongst us whose advent was foretold under different names; some called him the Messiah, by others he was known as the Mahdi, Krishna, or Masio Dar Bahmi.
He quickened the dead by the Divine Elixir of life that God sent from Heaven, and thousands who had been dead for years, left their tombs and scattered in the cities to bear witness to the glory of God and His sublime attributes that know no decline.
All our endeavours and movements, therefore, are regulated by the will of God. We are like a musical instrument, a flute, which gives out the voice of One who plays upon it.
We convey the voice of God to the world, and our mission is a mission of amity and goodwill and our sole object is that we have found out our Creator. Our fellow brethren should also see His face and should not lead a life of estrangement from Him.
We have come to the West to proclaim the second advent of the Messiah. Blessed are those who cast aside all prejudices and give ears to the voice of One who says that he has been raised by God.
(Transcribed and edited by Al Hakam from the original English, published in the November & December 1925 issue of The Review of Religions)