Introduction
Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) was among the Companions of the Promised Messiah (as) and the pioneer missionaries who never let an opportunity pass to serve and propagate Ahmadiyyat, whether through preaching in European countries, his extraordinary work on the English translation of the Holy Quran, or his administrative and academic services in various departments of the Jamaat.
Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) was born in 1896 in Kunjah, District Gujrat, Pakistan, to Hazrat Malik Nuruddin Sahib (ra). His father was the first in the family to take Bai‘at in 1903 after reading the writings of the Promised Messiah (as). In 1908, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) himself had the honour of seeing the Promised Messiah (as) in person and in 1909, he began his education at the Madrasa Ahmadiyya in Qadian.
A great blessing he received in Qadian was spending considerable time in the company of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra). He recounted that from childhood he had an intense desire to acquire knowledge of the Holy Quran and he fulfilled this by noting down the Dars-ul-Quran of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra).
After completing his early education in Qadian, he joined Islamia College, Lahore. When Ahmadi students of various colleges established the Ahmadiyya Inter-Collegiate Association, he was made its first president. In 1916, he dedicated his life and, after completing his MA in English, returned to Qadian.
He was fond of playing cricket and established a cricket club with the help of his close friends. His calibre and ability can be gauged from the fact that Sir Mian Fazl-i-Hussain (Education Member of the Viceroy’s Council) sent his representative to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) to recruit him for government service. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) replied that Malik Sahib (ra) was needed for his own work and suggested another person instead.
His services continued and on 26 November 1923, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) sent him as a missionary to Germany, accompanied by prayers, with the advice to show sympathy toward God’s creation and to remain devoted to prayer.
While he was engaged in the work of translating the Quran, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) once learned of a heart ailment he was suffering from and became deeply concerned. He sent five hundred rupees, instructing that he be treated with special care and said further funds would be provided if needed. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) advised him to consult several expert doctors, particularly a certain German physician and, during his Jalsa Salana address, specifically called for prayers for his health, stating that he was the only person available to him for the English translation of the Holy Quran. With permission, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) then went to Karachi, where he continued his Quranic work alongside his treatment.
As mentioned, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) dedicated his life to the service of Islam and Ahmadiyyat in 1916. His countless services can broadly be divided into two categories: (1) his services in the field of preaching and (2) his literary services.
Field of tabligh
Although the first missionary sent to Germany was Hazrat Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib Bengali, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) was sent as the second missionary, where he rendered extensive services. However, the Jamaat at that time lacked the funds required to construct a mosque. On instructions from Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra), the mosque plot was sold and the mission temporarily closed, with both missionaries reassigned to the Ahmadiyya Mission in England; the proceeds were used toward the establishment and construction of the Fazl Mosque, London. After the closure of the German mission, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) was transferred to England (1924-1928).
During Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s (ra) 1924 European tour, he laid the foundation of the Fazl Mosque, London. There, the missionary-in-charge, Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dard (ra) and Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) had the honour of being the first to give the azan. A correspondent of the Westminster Gazette described the moment the muezzin climbed the minaret to call the azan as the most striking and memorable part of the occasion, noting the meaning of the call as a declaration of God’s greatness, the oneness of God and – in the morning azan – that prayer is better than sleep.
During this period of residence in London, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid’s (ra) letters and articles were published in leading English newspapers, refuting misconceptions about Islam.
Literary services
His early literary efforts began in England, where his concise, well-reasoned letters and rebuttals on religious matters were published in top-tier newspapers – a testament to the quality of his writing. After returning from England, his literary career formally began. He first served as editor of the English fortnightly Sunrise and later as editor of the English monthly Review of Religions. His literary services include:
1. Sunrise: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) launched this English fortnightly to meet the tarbiyat and tabligh needs of the Jamaat. It began publication in December 1926 under the editorship of Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad-ud-Din Sahib BA (former missionary to America). In mid-1928, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra), MA, was appointed editor, a role he held until February 1932.
2. Review of Religions: Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) also served as editor of this English monthly from 1932 to September 1938.
3. Translation and commentary of the Holy Quran in English: This is regarded as his greatest literary achievement. On 30 January 1956, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) wrote to him expressing prayers that Allah accompany him in this work, grant him support through the Holy Spirit and illuminate his heart and mind with the understanding needed for Quranic exegesis.
When Talim-ul-Islam College was re-established in 1944, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid (ra) was appointed Secretary of its Managing Committee and later a member of the Tafsir-ul-Quran Committee. After decades of continuous effort, the Five-Volume Commentary was completed, with the publication of its final volume on 22 March 1963. Following this, he went on to produce a condensed, single-volume commentary published in 1969 under the title One Volume Commentary.
He worked day and night tirelessly to complete the English translation of the Holy Quran – initially alongside Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) and Hazrat Maulana Sher Ali (ra) and later, for many years, alone, producing an excellent translation with a concise commentary.
In 1928 or 1929, he also had the opportunity to tour Bengal, where, through numerous lectures and meetings, he conveyed Hazrat Musleh-E-Maud’s (ra) views to Muslim political leaders, reporting back to him upon his return to Qadian.
In 1938, he served as manager of Nusrat Girls High School. In 1945, when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) established the “Majlis-e-Mazhab-o-Science,” Malik Ghulam Farid Sahib (ra) was appointed editor of its English section, with the aim of fostering a spirit of high-level academic research within the Jamaat.
Demise
Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid Sahib (ra) passed away on Friday, 7 January 1977, at the age of 79, returning to his Lord. In the Friday sermon mentioning his passing, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) urged friends to attend the funeral prayer of such a devoted elder of Ahmadiyyat in large numbers, noting it as an occasion both for prayers for oneself and special prayers for the departed brother.
(Sources and references consulted in the preparation of this article include Mubashshireen-e-Ahmad by Malik Salahuddin Sahib, M.A.)