Hazrat Mir Muhammed Ismailra related to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra that regarding Lailatul Qadr, the Promised Messiahas would mention, “The night is characterised by some clouds or light drizzle. And one can also sense some signs of heavenly blessings and light.”
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra later explained, “Though these signs have been mentioned in the Ahadith, clouds and drizzle being mandatory in every case is most probably not what the Ahadith suggests. In my view, it is also possible for Lailatul Qadr to occur in various areas, at different nights. The fact is that creating the environment for Lailatul Qadar also depends on the state of the person to an extent. Lailatul Qadr may occur for one person whilst not for another. But Allah knows best.”
Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra mentioned to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, “The Promised Messiahas had myopia [nearsightedness]. For this reason, he was unable to sight the moon of the first night. However, he could read small-sized letters from up close to his last age and never experienced the need for glasses. All of the children of the Promised Messiahas inherited this eye condition of struggling to see far.”
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra adds, “I remember that when the moment would come to sight the moon of the first night of Ramadan or Eid, he would ask for someone else’s glasses and try to sight it.”
Hazrat Nawab Muhammed Ali Khanra narrated to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra through writing:
“It was around 1894 when the solar and lunar eclipses occurred in Ramadan. On the day of the solar eclipse, I was amongst those present in prayer in Qadian. Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Amrohi had led the prayer and the worshippers were weeping profusely. This Ramadan unfolded thus; from 2am, a flurry of activity would happen in Chauk-e-Ahmadiyya [a crossroads in the heart of Qadian]. The majority of people used to be in their homes whilst some would travel to Masjid Mubarak where the Tahajud prayer would occur. People would partake in sehri and the morning prayer would be offered promptly. Afterwards, the Holy Quran would be recited for a period of time and after 8am, the Promised Messiahas would head out for a walk. All his servants would be alongside Huzooras, and this would come to an end at around 11am. Then, the Azan for the Zuhr prayer would be called out and the prayer would conclude before 1pm. The Asr prayer would also be offered promptly. There only used to be free time between Asr and Maghrib. Following Maghrib, after dinner had finished, the Isha prayer would conclude between 8pm and 8:30. Thereafter, the place would become deserted as if completely uninhabited. But everyone would awake at 2am and the bustle of activity would occur once again.”
Hazrat Mian Rahmatullahra, son of Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira narrated to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra through writing:
“Once, the Promised Messiahas travelled to Ludhiana. It was the month of Ramadan. The following account occurred when Huzooras came from Dehli and occurred in 1905 or prior to it. I also reached Ludhiana with my late father. The scene [we observed] when [our] vehicle arrived was bizarre. In spite of the hue and cry of clerics for no one to visit Huzooras, they themselves were hastening for that very purpose. Outside the station, the Promised Messiahas was assisted to board a carriage, with great difficulty. As the crowd of people was substantially large, he was sat in a room upon the ground with his servants, in his temporary residence. One Maulvi submitted that people were coming to visit him in great multitudes and requested him to take a seat on a chair. The Promised Messiahas approved and a chair was brought forth. He sat upon it and began talking of the scholars of Dehli, the words of which I am unable to remember. As it was the month of Ramadan, we had all travelled to Ludhiana after keeping a fast in Gausgarh. Huzooras enquired of this from my late father or it came to his knowledge from another individual [this I do not recall] that all who had come from Gausgarh were fasting. Huzooras said, ‘Mian Abdullah! The manner in which God has commanded to fast, he has also ordained to desist from fasting on a journey. All of you should break your fasts.’ This event took place after Zuhr. The following day, Huzooras delivered a lecture. During the speech, Huzooras would repeatedly strike his hand on his stick. Afterwards, a poor person mentioned a dream concerning the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas. Huzooras instructed to send for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira from Qadian. Thus, he reached Ludhiana quickly too. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira said, ‘I came as soon as I received the instruction and did not even visit my home.’”
Hazrat Chaudry Hakim Alira (numbardar) narrated to Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, by means of Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Fazil, Professor of Jamia Ahmadiyya:
“I once fell ill in the month of Ramadan in Qadian around 1898 to 1899 and was unable to fast. At the time, my residence was situated at the corner of a pond. I came to know that the Promised Messiahas had come for a walk and was at the corner of the pond. I was very weak, but with great endeavour and difficulty, I reached Huzoor’sas presence and submitted sadly that I could not fast at the time due to illness. Huzooras replied, ‘You will receive reward twofold.’ I asked, ‘How can this be?’ The Promised Messiahas said, ‘Firstly due to the fact that you continually pray whilst ill and secondly because when you shall fast in days outside of Ramadan, you will be rewarded for it.’”
Hazrat Malik Maula Bakshra (pensioner), through Maulvi Abdur Rahman Sahib Mubashir, wrote:
“The Promised Messiahas once came to Amritsar in the month of Ramadan and his lecture took place in Mando Babu Ghanya Lal (now known as Vande Mataram Hall). Due to the journey, Huzooras had not kept a fast. During the lecture, Mufti Fazlur-Rahman Sahib presented a cup of tea. Huzooras did not notice it and so, Mufti Sahib moved it forward. Still, Huzooras remained occupied in his lecture. Then Mufti Sahib placed the cup right in front of Huzooras, upon which Huzooras took a sip of the tea. This led to an uproar among the audience. Is this the sanctity of Ramadan? He doesn’t even fast! People began talking all sorts of nonsense. The lecture came to a halt and Huzooras receded behind the curtains. The vehicle was brought to the second exit door. Huzooras sat in it. Chaos erupted. People started to throw bricks and stones, shattering one of the glass windows of the vehicle, however Huzooras reached his destination safely. Later, it was revealed that a non-Ahmadi maulvi had said, ‘Today, the people have made Mirza a prophet’ but I myself did not hear this.
“We left the building with Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra and mentioned to him that people were still pelting bricks and stones and that he should wait a while. He replied, ‘The one who they were targeting has now left. Why would they want to hit me?’
“As it was Mufti Fazlur-Rahman Sahib’s presentation of tea that caused this chaos, everyone would ask him, ‘Why did you do that?’ I also asked him this. The poor man became tired of hearing this. The late Miyan Abdul Khaliq Sahib informed me that when the matter was presented to Huzooras that Mufti Sahib had disrupted the lecture, Huzooras said: ‘Mufti Sahib did nothing wrong. It is a command of Allah that during journeys, fasts should not be kept. Allah granted me an opportunity to carry out and exhibit this command to the masses, which makes Mufti Sahib a hero.’”
(Taken from the compilation of narrations related to the life of the Promised Messiahas, Sirat-ul-Mahdi, compiled by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra. Translated by Fateh Alam, London.)
