A series looking at pioneer missionaries and devotees of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat who gave precedence to faith over the world.
Ghulam Misbah, Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada
The Promised Messiahas, in his book The Victory of Islam, states:
“The revival of Islam demands a ransom from us. What is that [ransom]? To die in this very path! This is the very death upon which the life of Islam, the life of the Muslims, and the glorious manifestation of the Living God depend; and this is the very phenomenon whose name is otherwise expressed as ‘Islam’. God Almighty now desires the revival of this very Islam, and in preparation for the undertaking of that momentous mission, it was necessary that He establish on His own behalf a grand operation that would prove effective in every way. So, that Wise and Omnipotent One did precisely that by sending this humble one for the reformation of mankind.” (The Victory of Islam, 2022, p. 12)
One of those venerable persons who submitted to this call was Hakeem Fazl-ur-Rahman, who has left a rich legacy of loyalty, passion, devotion and humble services of Islam.
Maulana Hakeem Fazl-ur-Rahman was born to Hazrat Hafiz Nabi Bakhshra, a well-known companion of the Promised Messiahas, from Faizullah Chak, District Gurdaspur (Punjab, India). His mother, Azeem Bibi, was also a pious and God-fearing woman.
Hakeem Fazl-ur-Rahman was in ninth grade when he heard Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra announcing a scheme of life devotion for the cause of Islam (Waqf-e-Zindagi). He decided to participate in this blessed scheme. He failed his tenth-grade exam and, considering a retake, sought permission from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. However, Huzoorra responded that the service I need from you does not require any university degree, so he abandoned the idea of further studies. Huzoorra recommended a crash course for him and Sardar Misbahuddin, another life devotee.
In that era, Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra (1883–1948) established the Ahmadiyya mission in West Africa. Huzoorra appointed Hazrat Hakeem Fazl-ur-Rahman as a missionary in the Gold Coast, present-day Ghana. He departed from Qadian on 17 April 1922 and reached Ghana via London, spending some days in Lagos, Nigeria.
The condition of Muslims there was miserable; especially the new generations were giving up their faith and embracing Christianity. Though it was an arduous task, having firm faith in the revelations of the Promised Messiahas, he carried on solitary work – day and night – and eventually, brought the religious stirring among the native Muslims. He himself states:
[Translation] “When I first arrived here, I found the people who had entered Islam in a desperate condition. The reason is obvious: no teacher had been sent to them for their training[…] then, Allah the Almighty brought me here and made them understand and now, by the grace of Allah, there are many whose faith has reached to the extent of sincerity and who have now understood what Islam really is!” (Al Fazl, August 21, 1923, p. 9)
He travelled far and wide to spread the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat, delivered lectures, published various tracts, had numerous talks and conversations with the public and officials and introduced them to Ahmadiyyat, which secured him a considerable following by the grace of Allah. He worked hard and opened many other branches in West Africa.
To facilitate the proper religious education of Muslim boys and girls, two high schools were started, one at Saltpond and the other in Lagos, where facilities for oriental and religious studies were also provided. The building of Talim-ul-Islam Ahmadiyya School at Saltpond was formally opened on 17 June 17 927, by Capt. J. H. West, District Commissioner of the Saltpond District. In his opening remarks, he stated:
“Mr Hakeem came to this country about five years ago […] He came as a stranger to a strange land without a following, without a school, and without pupils. During these five years, he has built this school and has carried on his educational work. The school building is a testimony in itself to his labours. He and I have had many conversations on education; I know that his ideals are of a very high standing […]” (The Review of Religions, October 1927, p. 17)
It is not possible to cover the extent of his services in a short essay; however, some glimpses are highlighted below.
He was a great orator and delivered several lectures on Islam Ahmadiyyat across Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. He delivered a lecture on “Islam” under the chairmanship of Professor John Augustus Abayomi-Cole (1846–1943) at Wilberforce Memorial Hall, Freetown, Sierra Leone. (The Review of Religions, March 1930) He arranged weekly lectures for Muslim prisoners in Lagos jail and also delivered lectures to the Muslim students of King’s College, Lagos. (Al Fazl, April 26, 1938)
Another remarkable approach to sharing the message was through the distribution of literature. He not only shared it publicly but also presented Islamic literature to various dignitaries, such as Louise, Princess Royal, and Prempeh I, the king of the Ashanti Empire. (Al Fazl, September 1, 1925)
He utilised his writing skills to pen numerous articles aimed at spreading the true message of Islam, whether by simply explaining the philosophy behind its teachings or by addressing the allegations made by Christian missionaries. For instance, Rev. W. T. Balmer, a Christian missionary in Ghana, authored a book titled “The History of Akan People,” in which he accused Islam of endorsing slavery. Hakeem Fazl-ur-Rahman promptly refuted these allegations in the Gold Coast Times on 30 January 1926. He published a calendar in 1929 containing the pictures of the Fazl Mosque in London and the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Chicago and the tomb of Jesusas in Srinagar, along with the argument that Jesusas did not die on the cross. The display of this unique calendar from house to house throughout the year conveyed a strong message of Ahmadiyyat, causing unease in Christian circles. (Al Fazl, May 14, 1929, p. 7)
In short, he not only defended Islam and Muslims against Christian propaganda, but also gave them a tough time. He promoted Islamic teachings among the Muslims and prepared them to fight any attack on Islam. By seeing this awareness amongst the Muslims, a Lebanese businessman, Hasan Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Husainy, wrote an article in an Arabic periodical, Al-Irfan, stating:
’’[…]ھکذا حال المبشرین (الأحمدیین) فقد إنتشروا فی سائر إنحاء المعمورۃ و وقفوا و مبشری الفرق المسیحیۃ وجھا لوجہ و منوھم بھزیمۃ لم یکونوا لیحملوا بمثلھا، لو لا ھم لا سیما لو اتکل الأمر علیٰ علماء الأمۃ العربیۃ المستسلمین لسلطان الکری و القانعین من دنیاھم […]و ھلمّ جرًا حتی کان الأمر لا یعنیھم البتۃ […] دخلت (الأحمدیۃ) بلاد (الساحل الذھبی) (أفریقیا الغربیۃ) منذ بضع سنین، فتجاوز عدد من إنتظم فی سلکِھا مِمن إعتنق الإسلام العشرین ألفا و أربی ما بَنوہ من مساجد علی المئۃ و إحدی و عشرین، کل ذالک راجع لِنشاط مبشریھا و إجتھادھم الذی لم یسبق لہٗ مثیل فی العالم الإسلامی فھم یمثلون انی حلوّا و إرتحلوا الحرکۃ الدائمۃ لا یبالون بشظف العیش و لا بِحر البلاد التی یحلون بھا او قرھا، فأین بقیۃ الفرق الإسلامیۃ عن التشبہ بِھا و بِھم؟‘‘
[Translation] “Such is the state of the (Ahmadi) missionaries, for they have spread across all corners of the inhabited world and have stood face to face with the missionaries of the Christian sects, inflicting upon them a defeat the likes of which they would not have endured, had it not been for them – especially if the matter had been left to the scholars of the Arab people, who have surrendered to the Sultan of the Kurds and are content with their worldly gains[…] and to the extent that the matter no longer concerned them at all […] The [Ahmadiyya Community] entered the lands of the [Gold Coast, West Africa] a few years ago, and the number of those who joined its ranks and embraced Islam has exceeded twenty thousand. Moreover, the number of mosques they have built has surpassed one hundred and twenty-one. All of this is due to the tireless efforts and unparalleled dedication of its missionaries, whose zeal has no precedent in the Islamic world. Wherever they settle or depart, they represent an unceasing movement, undeterred by the hardships of life and the heat or cold of the lands they arrive in. So, where are the rest of the Islamic sects from following their example?” (Al ‘Irfan, Saida, Beirut, Vol. 29, No. 8-9, December and January 1939/1940, p. 850)
After spending seven years in Ghana, he was succeeded by Maulvi Nazir Ahmad Ali (1905 – 1955). As he returned, he received a warm welcome upon his arrival in Qadian in January 1930, where Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra himself welcomed him in the presence of a large number of Ahmadi members. He married Surayya Begum Sahiba. In February 1933, he was once again sent to Nigeria. Upon his arrival, he faced a new challenge from within the Jamaat members. Nevertheless, despite the various challenges, he continued to work under the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihra and, by the grace of Allah, soon achieved success, leaving his adversaries far behind.
In addition to his missionary work, he also played an important role in the educational field. T.I. High School in Saltpond has already been mentioned. At Ahmadiyya School, Lagos, he launched a progressive educational programme. In November 1934, he travelled to Ibadan, accompanied by a sincere Ahmadi, Saka Jimebu, the President of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat Lagos, to discuss with the authorities the inclusion of Ahmadiyya school teachers in the training sessions offered to government school teachers, and he succeeded in obtaining permission. (Al Fazl, 12 March 1935) His efforts and struggles elevated Ahmadiyya School to one of Nigeria’s top schools, competing in both academics and extracurricular activities. Notably, the world-renowned Nigerian-British boxer Hogan Bassey (1932 – 1998) was trained at Ahmadiyya School. The Daily News, New York, reports, “It was while going to school that he took up boxing. He had moved to the capital city of Lagos […] to further his education and was introduced to the sport at Ahmadiyya School. That was in 1948 and he learned so quickly […]” (Daily News, New York, Thursday, 30 October, 1958, p. 536)
One of the greatest achievements was the construction of the first Ahmadiyya mosque in Lagos on Oja Giwa Street. Its foundation was laid by Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Zafrulla Khanra, a devoted companion of the Promised Messiahas, on March 12, 1943, during a dignified ceremony attended by numerous honourable guests, including Sir Bernard Henry Bourdillon, the Governor of Nigeria; Sir John Colville, the Governor of Bombay; and Sir Muhammad Azizul Haque, the High Commissioner of India in the UK. The ceremony received extensive media coverage.
(Title page of The Nigerian Daily Times)
Hazrat Khalifaul Masihra graciously financed the mosque project with a £1000 grant. By the grace of Allah, the local Ahmadi members, both men and women, also contributed financially and worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk to complete the construction. As a result, the mosque was completed within months, and Hakeem Fazl-ur-Rahman inaugurated it on August 27 of the same year. Huzoorra named it “Fazl Mosque”. (Al Fazl, November 24, 1943)
Shortly after the completion of the first central mosque in Lagos, he laid the foundation stone of the new mission house at Idunmagbo Avenue on Monday, August 6, 1945, despite humble means and various impediments. In his address on this auspicious occasion, he stated:
“[…] the branch of the Ahmadiyya Movement in this country was established in 1916 or thereabouts. Its history in this country, as elsewhere, like all divine movements, is not a history which has been made by rolling on a bed of roses. It had its trials and tribulations. It had had to pass through persecutions. It had to walk along thorny paths to achieve the success that it has […] We were stoned, we were stabbed with knives, we were ostracised from society and turned out of our houses and we were dragged into courts of law and whatnot. In short, every effort was made that Ahmadiyyat should not stay here but […] Allah made his plans to establish it here […] and the tree of Ahmadiyyat became firmly established […] and today the moon of Ahmadiyyat shines brightly like the full moon over the sky of Nigeria and the object of our gathering here this evening bears eloquent testimony to this fact.” (The Review of Religions, Qadian, November 1945, pp. 213-214)
(The Daily Nigerian Times)
Only three days before this ceremony, a non-Ahmadi journalist stated in his column:
“The local branch of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya is fortunate in having the active leadership of their energetic Emir Alhaji F. R. Hakeem, whose unbounded energy and outstanding organising ability are what is known to all who know him. Alhaji Hakeem’s work on the Gold Coast, from where, within a few years, he admirably succeeded in establishing an extensive mission with an ambitious and steadily expanding educational programme, marks him out as a man who possesses not only vision, but also the necessary energy and organising ability to translate his dreams into reality.
Still greater things are expected of the local branch of the Ahmadiyya Movement under his lead, for the welfare and uplift, not only of those who belong to that particular sect, but of the Muslim Community of Nigeria as a whole.” (The Nigerian Daily Times, Lagos, Friday, 3 August 1945, p. 2)
Another difficult trial he endured was the demise of his parents while he was in the field. His mother, Azeem Bibi, passed away in 1925 while he was in the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana), and in 1942, he received a telegram in Nigeria: “Extremely sorry, your father died. Hazrat led the funeral prayers. He was buried yesterday in a special part of the holy cemetery. God be with you.” (Al Fazl, April 22, 1942). He received this sad news with solace and fortitude, saying, اِنّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رٰجِعُوْنَ “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”
It was during the foundation-laying ceremony that a new missionary from Qadian, respected Nasim Saifi Sahib (1917 – 1999), arrived in Lagos. After spending nearly two years with him, he handed him the charge of the mission and finally departed for India after 14 years. The members of the Nigerian Jamaat organised a grand farewell for their long-time friend, compassionate teacher, and great servant of Islam at the historic Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos. The event was attended by prominent dignitaries and presided over by a well-known doctor, Afrinolu Maja. (Al Fazl, November 5, 1947) On his journey to India, he spent a few days in Syria with the Jamaat members in Damascus. Subsequently, accepting an invitation from Jamaat Ahmadiyya Palestine, he also paid them a visit. Reports indicate:
[Translation] Then our love and urgent invitation forced him to visit us, so we were honoured by his coming to Palestine on the 20th of Dhul Hijjah, and he stayed with us as an honourable guest and a venerable brother, and he stayed with us for ten days. The Ahmadiyya community in Kababir and Haifa celebrated him and held many gatherings to honour him, in which speeches and poems were recited, pictures were taken and his speeches were published in newspapers. Then he was bid farewell on the 29th of Dhul Hijjah, 1366 AH, with the same warmth he was received. God be with him[…] His descent among us was one of the blessings and favours of Allah, for we saw with our own eyes in his noble personality, one of the heroes of Islam and one of the prides of the Ahmadiyya, who spent 22 years serving Islam. (Al Bushra, Palestine, September 1947, pp. 129-130)
Syrian and Palestinian local media also reported his visit.
(Al-Sha‘b, Jaffa, Palestine, Tuesday, 4 November 1947, p. 2)
He reached Pakistan in November 1947, just after the partition. He saw his wife after 14 years, while his children were already on the cusp of adulthood. Huzoorra appointed him as Afsar Langar Khana (in charge of hospitality) in Rabwah. He fulfilled this duty with zeal and commitment but fell ill and eventually passed away on 28 August 1955, in Lahore. Being a musi, he was buried in Bahishti Maqbarah, Rabwah. His wife, Surayya Begum Sahiba, passed away on 13 October 1996 in Lahore and was also laid to rest in Bahishti Maqbarah.