Friday Sermon
21 December 2018
Sahibzada Mirza Anas Ahmad
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Today, I had intended to first relate accounts of some of the Companionsra [of the Holy Prophetsa] before speaking on respected Mirza Anas Ahmad Sahib, who passed away a few days ago. However, I have received so many letters from people relating various aspects about him that I decided to only mention him today.
Mirza Anas Ahmad Sahib was the eldest son of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. He passed away in Rabwah a few days ago at the age of 81. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji‘oon [Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return]. He was the eldest paternal grandson of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. He was the maternal grandson of Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begum Sahibara and Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahibra. Hence, he was also my cousin through my maternal uncle.
He attained his early education from Qadian, and later completed it in Rabwah. He then obtained a master’s degree from the University of Punjab. Then he served in the college there for some time. He then studied at Oxford University here in England from where he obtained a master’s degree.
By the Grace of God, he formally dedicated his life [to the service of Islam Ahmadiyyat] in 1955 and entered into the practical field in 1962. He worked in various departments with great diligence. He had the habit of working with great passion, determination and effort.
He was very well versed in the subject of hadith, philosophy and English literature, and was especially fond of hadith. Therefore, due to his personal interest, he attained his initial study in hadith from the late respected Maulvi Khurshid Ahmad Sahib. He also had a very good library at his home, which contained many rare books. He was a very keen reader. Whenever a student approached him for guidance regarding any field of knowledge, he would give him very valuable advice. He had sets of books comprising of the important canon of hadith and he had collected them from various bookshops.
When he dedicated his life in 1955 and presented himself for this purpose, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra spoke about him and said, “I have initiated the scheme of dedication in the Community and upon doing so, I have received three applications. One of them is from my paternal grandson, Mirza Anas Ahmad. He is the son of Mirza Nasir Ahmad Sahib. May Allah enable him to fulfil his intention. Anas Ahmad has written to me, saying, ‘I had intended to dedicate my life after having studied law. However, now you may appoint me wherever you wish as I am ready for anything.’” (Khutbaat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 36, P. 194, Khutbah Jumua 14 October 1955)
By the grace of God Almighty, he was able to serve in various offices of the Community for 56 years. His initial posting was in Talim-ul-Islam College as a lecturer. Then, he was appointed as the Naib Nazir Islah-o-Irshad in 1975, before being appointed as the Additional Nazir Islah-o-Irshad. He also served as the private secretary to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh and to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, during his first trip to Europe. He had the opportunity to serve as the administrator of Jamia Ahmadiyya. He later served as Nazir Talim for a few years.
He served as the Naib Nazir Diwan as well, and he was currently serving as the Wakil-ul-Ishaat in Tahrik-e-Jadid. Prior to this, he served as Wakil-ut-Tasnif, and then in March 1999 he was appointed as Wakil-ul-Ishaat. Even though he had reached the age of retirement in 1997, he was enabled to serve until his very last breath. He also had the opportunity to serve in the central bodies of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Ansarullah. He also translated Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and Mahmud ki Amin into English, which have already been published. He was currently revising the English translation of Surma Chashm-e-Arya, Izala Auham and Durr-e-Sameen.
When our schools were nationalised [in Paksitan], the Jamaat began to open its own schools under the Nasir Foundation and Mirza Anas Sahib served as its chairman. He was also a member of the committee of jurisprudence and was a member of the board of the Noor Foundation. The Noor Foundation was established in order to publish the books of Ahadith [sayings and traditions of the Holy Prophetsa] under the Jamaat and also to prepare its translations and commentary. He was currently translating Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal into Urdu.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has related an incident in regard to the migration from Qadian after the partition of India. This is an historical account and it is in relation to a personal sacrifice offered by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud. However, since Mirza Anas Sahib is also mentioned in this account, I will narrate it.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states that when they came from Qadian, he said to the members of his family that they would receive the same amount of food from the langar [kitchen] as other people. Due to the difficult circumstances of the time, a ration had been set. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said that in those days, due to the financial difficulties, he had given instructions of only serving one chapatti per person. He had given the same instructions to the members of his family that they would also only receive one chapatti per person. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“One day, my grandson, Anas Ahmad, came crying to me and said that one chapatti [a type of round, flat bread popular in South Asia] does not relieve his hunger. I said that I am still only going to give one chapatti, however if this is insufficient then you can give me half a chapatti and give the other half to Anas Ahmad.” Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further said, “In this manner, I will be content with half a chapatti and he will have one and a half to eat.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra also said, “When the condition of eating one chapatti for the guests is removed, I will also increase the amount per person for the members of my family. However, as long as this ration remains for the guests, you should give him half of my chapatti.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated that by the grace of God Almighty, the conditions improved later on and not only did the state of the crops of the fields in Sindh improve, but God Almighty also opened other avenues of income and this restriction [of one chapatti per person] was subsequently removed. (Khutbaat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 37, P. 53, Khutbah Jumua 3 February 1956)
The son-in-law of Mirza Anas Sahib, Mirza Waheed Ahmad Sahib, writes, “Once, I was travelling to Bukhara and Samarqand. Upon this, Mirza Anas Ahmad Sahib said, ‘As you are travelling there, you should also visit the grave of Imam Bukharirh and pray for him on my behalf and convey my greetings. (This was due to his love for the Holy Prophetsa) as the person, who collected and provided us a treasure of the sayings and incidents of the Holy Prophetsa hundreds of years ago, deserves that we pray for him and convey our greetings to him.”
Dr Noori Sahib writes, “In all of my experiences with him, as I had the opportunity to see him on many occasions. I observed that whatever task that was entrusted to him, he would complete it with great enthusiasm. He would complete his tasks with great devotion, diligence and passion.” He further says, “Despite being weak and ill, I have seen him translate books of the Promised Messiahas on his laptop. He would type for hours on the computer and his fellow colleagues would stand beside him with references from the Holy Quran and the books of the Promised Messiahas. He frequently used to say that my only desire is to complete the task, which the Khalifa of the time has entrusted me through the help of God Almighty.”
Noori Sahib then writes, “His memory was also excellent. He was a true lover of the sayings of the Holy Prophetsa. He used to narrate the incidents of the Promised Messiahas and the Khulafa with such zeal and passion, and in an extremely pleasant manner that he would captivate the heart of the listener. Whilst narrating the incidents, his eyes would well up and his tone would become emotional. He was also very patient.”
Noori Sahib further writes, “He always demonstrated patience and courage in all kinds of difficult circumstances. He courageously used to bear every difficulty. Due to his illness, he was neither able to hold a cup of tea, nor turn on his bed. However, despite this, he always continued his work and fulfilled his responsibilities with great devotion. He never let an opportunity arise for any complaint.. He was always content with the will of God Almighty.”
Noori Sahib further says, “He would greet every guest joyfully and with a smile. This was an excellent quality of his. He came to visit me one day prior to being admitted into the Tahir Heart Institute. An extreme sense of pain was visible on his face due to his illness. However, despite this, he smilingly said, ‘I believe that my end is near and that I am going to meet my Lord’; he said this with a smile on his face.”
Then, in relation to his gratitude, Noori Sahib writes that his quality of thankfulness and gratitude was endless. He says, “On two occasions, he benevolently said to me that I will never be able to repay you for the sincere kindness you have shown me and taken care of me.” Noori Sahib says, “Whilst he was expressing these feelings, he gave me the diary of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, in which Huzoorrh had written his dreams etc. Similarly, he also gave me a coat that belonged to Hazrat Khalifaul Masih IIIrh. He was also very kind towards the medical team.”
I have personally seen the library in his room and Noori Sahib has also written that “the shelves on all four walls are filled to the ceiling with books.” It contained books related to science, economy and various topics, which he said he had personally read.
Nudrat Sahiba, the daughter of the late Mir Daud Ahmad Sahib says, “Hearing about his demise brought back many of his memories to my heart and mind and it refreshed memories of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh.” She says, “On the occasion of the wedding of my daughter, in order to check the arrangements, I entered the marquee before the [given] time and saw that brother Anas was already sitting there and was crying. I was puzzled as to why he had come here so early. Upon seeing me, he said that I am greatly missing your father today, the late Mir Daud Ahmad Sahib. Hence, I came here in order to pray for you.”
His nephew, Amir Ahmad, writes, “In times of happiness and sorrow, he was always a loving father. There are ups and downs in every family. However, he forgave in a manner as if nothing had ever happened. As a matter of fact, if he felt that someone was hurt as a result of his guidance or counsel, he would apologise and seek forgiveness from that person the next day, despite the fact that it was a virtuous piece of guidance or counsel.”
Munir-ud-Din Shams Sahib, Additional Wakil-ul-Tasnif says, “I met him on many occasions and always found him to be kind and caring. He would never let me feel our age difference or his superiority in terms of knowledge despite the fact that he was much older than me.” He states further: “I found him to be very helpful and accommodating ever since I began dealing with him in regard to Tasnif related work. Whenever he was assigned a task, he would carry it out with immense hard work and diligence. In fact, he would say, ‘continue to give me more work. The more work I get during my illness, the better.’ He had a relation of immense sincerity and utmost loyalty with Khilafat. Whenever we had a conversation about work, he would ask me to convey his greetings to Huzoor and would always ask if there was anything related to his work that had displeased Huzoor. He would always remain worried about upsetting Hazrat Khalifatul Masih.”
Shams Sahib further writes, “Whenever he was assigned any work from my office, he would try his best to complete it as soon as possible with immense joy, despite being ill. He had the opportunity to offer some notable services in regard to translating some books of the Promised Messiahas in English. He was able to render excellent translations of parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. Whenever our team would be finalising any translation, we would always take his opinions into consideration. Whenever he was conveyed an instruction,” any instruction given from me through Wakalat-e-Tasnif, “in which his suggestion or opinion was sought, he would give a very detailed and comprehensive opinion.”
Indeed, he was a scholar and possessed tremendous knowledge which the Jamaat is bereft of now, but may God Almighty continue to produce more scholars.
One of his attributes which has been mentioned by many people, including many missionaries and Shams Sahib has also written this as well, “He had immense respect for missionaries. This was a major quality of his. He would also guide them intellectually as well.”
Hafiz Muzaffar Ahmad Sahib, Additional Nazir Islah-o-Irshad Muqami, Rabwah, stated: “Mian Sahib possessed many attributes. Piety, love of God, love for the Holy Quran, love for the Holy Prophetsa, simplicity, politeness and compassion were his salient attributes. Along with fulfilling the rights due to Allah, he remained cognizant about fulfilling the rights due to humanity. He took great care of the poor and needy. He would never turn away a needy person even if he had to take a loan to help them.” Hafiz Sahib writes, “He was a scholarly personality who had great zeal for acquiring knowledge. He worked very hard in this regard.” Hafiz Sahib states, “He told me once that he completed the first round of reading all the books of the Promised Messiahas during his holidays after his matriculation exam.”
He had mentioned this to me as well, in fact he wrote this to me once in a letter stating that he completed the first reading of all the books of the Promised Messiahas when he was fifteen [or] sixteen years old. Hafiz Sahib further writes, “He was a true lover of the Holy Prophetsa and thus he had particular fondness towards the subject of Hadith. In fact, he had so much love for the subject that through his own personal love and study, he developed such competence in the Arabic language that apart from the Ahadith, he could also read its commentary in Arabic.
After his matriculation examinations, he studied Sahih Bukhari from Hakeem Khurshid Sahib. Afterwards, when he was a lecturer in college, I would see his car parked at Hakeem Sahib’s house in the morning before he left for his work. He would study Hadith from Hakeem Sahib before going to work.” He further says, “After this he studied Sihaah-e-Sitta [six authentic books of hadith] and various other books of hadith because of his personal interest and remained a student until his last breath. He gathered a grand collection of the books of hadith in his library which include many useful and rare books. In this regard, he had a very rare and unique library. He was so fond of obtaining the knowledge of hadith that he collected books on various subjects of hadith such as ‘Ilm Al-Rijal and ‘Ilm Al-Usul. He would study these books very closely and would discuss these concepts during intellectual discussions.”
When I established a board of members to translate the Sihaah-e-Sitta, called Noor Foundation, its purpose was to translate the books of hadith, as I wanted them to be translated in Urdu and for a commentary of these Ahadith to be written. With regard to this, Hafiz Muzzaffar Sahib writes, “Mian Sahib was also appointed as a member of this and despite his work engagements, he took on the task of translating Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal in Urdu which was the most difficult and time consuming work. And despite all other engagements and his illness, he continuously carried out this work and even translated one portion of this which consisted of hundreds of hadith.” This service rendered by him shall always be remembered. Hafiz Sahib continues to write, “His immense love for hadith was evident during the Holy month of Ramadan when he would deliver Dars-e-Hadith [lecture on Hadith] which usually consisted of various topics about the character of the Holy Prophetsa. He would prepare these lectures with great effort and diligence. He would select the very rare and unique material and would then present it. His voice had great passion and exuberance. We would particularly listen to his lectures during the month of Ramadan. He had a beautiful style of delivering his lectures. His delivery was full of passion and love to the extent that it felt as if for a few moments, one had travelled back into the early period of Islam.
He had the honour of delivering speeches at the Jalsas in Rabwah for many years. Shamim Parvez Sahib, the Naib Wakil Waqf-e-Nau writes: “One incident of his [Mirza Anas Sahib] ardent love for Khilafat is engraved in my mind.” He says, “During the elections of the fourth Khalifa, I was the Qaid of Jhang district and I was given the task of being on guard near the Mehrab of Masjid Mubarak. The moment it was announced from the mosque that Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib had been elected as the fourth Khalifa, I saw Mirza Anas Sahib falling in prostration of gratitude on the scorching brick ground, despite the severe heat of the month June.”
Dr Iftikhar Sahib of London writes, “He was a life devotee personified. He never stopped coming to the office and busied himself in publication and translation work till his final breath.” He further says, “He would translate with great attention and at times would spend days on end to find the correct idioms. Furthermore, his level of obedience was of the highest degree.”
Khalid Sahib of the Russian Desk in London writes, “Whenever Mian Sahib’s thought comes to mind, I feel that his character was the embodiment of the saying of the Holy Prophetsa:
اُطْلُبُوا الْعِلْم مِنَ الْمَهْدِ اِلَى اللَّحْدِ
[Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave]
“Mian Sahib had a never-ending desire to gain all kinds of knowledge. He would never let an opportunity pass to learn something or discover something new and his favourite subject was the study of the traditions of the Holy Prophetsa. Likewise, he had great interest in philology and enjoyed learning different languages.” He then says, “He was very welcoming and hospitable. In 2005 when Rustum Hamad Wali Sahib, who is the president of the Jamaat in Russia and also serving as a Muallim in Moscow, went to Rabwah for the preparation of the Russian translation of the Holy Quran, I had the opportunity to work with him. Rustum Sahib was provided accommodation in the Tahrik-e-Jadid guesthouse in those days. One day, during a meal time, Rustum Sahib requested something to his liking, but it was not present or had perhaps run out. When Mian Anas Sahib learnt of this, he called me immediately saying, ‘Rustum Sahib is our dear guest and our primary responsibility is to take care of all his needs’. He then took out some money from his pocket telling me to purchase everything he requested and if there was anything in future he needed, then he should tell him personally.’ He then says, “I told him that it had all been arranged and everything had been brought, but even then, Mian Sahib would still ask about him.’
Muhammad Salik Sahib, the missionary of Burma says, “There is one incident of a student from Sri Lanka which really moved me. The student, Muneer Ahmad, had come from Sri Lanka to study in Jamia and is now serving as a missionary in Sri Lanka. During his time in Jamia, he fell severely ill due to the extreme heat. Being very concerned for him, Mian Sahib would come night and day to the hostel to enquire about his health as if one of his close relatives had fallen ill.” In those days, Mirza Anas Ahmad Sahib was Jamia administrator.
Shamshad Sahib, a missionary in America writes, “He would always try and instil a passion for tabligh in missionaries whenever he met them. He had a great zeal for learning and would often remind missionaries to study regularly. At his office he would always have a pile of books on the desk. He would frequently read Sahih Bukhari and would have very intellectual discussions with the missionaries that visited.”
Shahid Mahmood Sahib, a missionary in Ghana writes, “I had the opportunity to work with Mian Sahib for over 12 years in the Wakalat-e-Ishaat office as the editor for the English section of the monthly Tahrik-e-Jadid magazine. I have been honoured to learn so much from Mian Sahib. He was filled with love for the Promised Messiahas and was brimming with love and obedience to Khilafat. His eyes would often well with tears when the name of the Promised Messiahas was mentioned. Whenever he translated books, especially Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Surma Chashm-e-Arya and Mahmud ki Amin, he would sit me beside him in the office and on many occasions he would call me to his home to assist in the translation work. He was never concerned about taking days off or working after office hours. Often, he would work in the office till late in the evening. Despite this he would continue to take care of my hospitality and show me great affection. He assigned me the duty of leading the Zuhr prayer in the office where all the workers would come and offer their prayers. Whenever I saw him offering his Sunnah prayers, this was a sight to see as he would offer his prayers with such pleasure and delight. He treated his office workers very kindly. One day I came to the office, despite being very sick. He insisted that I be sent home to rest for 6 days, yet he himself would come to the office whenever he was ill and continue his work at home as well.”
Ayyaz Mahmood Khan Sahib, a missionary serving in Wakalat-e-Tasnif says, “I have learnt so much from him in terms of how to work. Seeing as he translated books of the Promised Messiahas with such passion, I would get help from him on any difficult part in translation I faced, and he resolved them and shared his experiences. One thing he would emphasise was that it is not sufficient when translating to merely use the literal translations in the dictionary. It is also necessary to check that the word chosen does not lower the status of the Promised Messiahas. If a literal translation is not suitable, then another word should be used to convey the true meaning. He had so much passion for his translation work that he would not stop even in sickness. During his days of sickness, he told me on several occasions, ‘My work rate goes down due to my illness. When I sit up, I am unable to work as much as I would like to, and I become weary. Nevertheless, I still sit for 6-7 hours and continue my work.” In fact, I have seen him working for 12 to 13 hours continuously, even 15 hours at times.
Ayyaz Sahib also writes, “When we went to Rabwah, Mian Sahib held some of the classes with us. At the time he would tell us and even when I met him after, he would say, ‘You should read some literature and make a habit of reading all kinds of books. One should not only read books on religious matters, you should also read about philosophy, literature and novels. In that way, you will broaden your knowledge and your language.’ Furthermore, he would say to me, ‘It is even more necessary for you as you are working in translations.’”
He further says, “I once asked him what he thought the English translation of a difficult word was. Mian Sahib pondered for a while and then said two or three possible translations. I then told him that Hazrat Chaudhary Zafrulla Khan Sahib in one place had translated this word in the following manner in English. He then expressed his joy saying this is absolutely correct, this is the right translation. He went on to pay great respect and regard to Hazrat Chaudhary Sahib saying that he had very good vocabulary so I should use that word.”
Ayyaz Sahib then says, “I noticed that Mian Sahib deemed his knowledge and understanding to be nothing in comparison to that of the Khalifa of the time. If he had previously held an opinion, and I told him that the Khalifa” (referring to me) “has stated something else, he would immediately respond by saying, ‘That is absolutely right and I was at error. Whatever Huzoor has said is correct.’ In this way, he would often give me the lesson that once the Khalifa has said something, everything else is futile and only that opinion is correct, which has been expressed by the Khalifa of the time and it is incumbent upon us to act upon it.”
Sheikh Naseer Sahib, who works as part of the Russian desk here, says: “I spent 16 years with Mian Sahib in Wakalat-e-Ishaat and learnt a lot from him. He was always kind and compassionate towards me and never made me feel like I was a subordinate. If I ever pondered over the fact that my parents were not alive, he would always say that I should consider him in their place.” He further writes: “He would always be courteous to all of his staff. Owing to a mistake of mine, if he rebuked me even slightly, he would always remember it and the following day he would ask, ‘Have you forgiven me for it?’ I would say to him, ‘Mian sahib, I did not even feel that you rebuked me.’ If he became angry, he would fall silent and we would know that Mian Sahib is angry over something. However, after a short while, his phone would ring about another matter and he would never keep that in his heart. Whenever he was assigned a task from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, he would immediately hold a meeting with the relevant staff members and devise a strategy to proceed. He would take the most difficult task upon himself and despite any illness, he would try his utmost to complete the task from home. If he felt difficulty in going to the office, he would call the workers to his home and used that as an office. He did not have any concept of taking rest or holidays. Even whilst laying on his bed he would often be occupied in translation work. Many times he would sit with me on the cycle and come to work.”
Zahid Mahmood Majeed Sahib, who works in the Ishaat department writes: “I had the opportunity to serve alongside respected Mian Sahib. He was a passionate devotee of Khilafat. Whenever he wanted to write a fax to Huzoor,” he is addressing me here, “he would be overcome by great emotion. If he was entrusted with work from Huzoor, he would be anxious to complete it. If his health did not permit him to work, he would become worried.” Mahmood Majeed Sahib then says: “I underwent an operation in Fazle Umar Hospital for kidney stones.” He then says: “My father informed me that until the operation ended, Mian Sahib paced up and down outside the theatre room whilst occupied in prayer.”
Muhammad Din Bhatti Sahib, who works in the Ishaat department writes: “I had the opportunity to work with him from 1995 until his demise. Mian Sahib would always be respectful towards his workers. Whenever he would call anyone over for work, he would ask them to sit down on the chair before explaining the task. If ever he was angry towards one of his workers, a short while later he would become affectionate towards that individual, to the extent that he would even seek forgiveness from them.” He further says: “On one occasion, Mian Sahib asked me to perform a particular task, however, I replied in the negative. Although it was a mistake on my part, yet still Mian Sahib overlooked the incident and only said that I should not have replied in such a manner.” He then says: “Due to pain in my knees, for a period of time I was unable to arrive at the office on time, and therefore in the attendance register I would be marked as late. (A few late arrivals equate to one day’s absence.) Mian Sahib himself sent a recommendation to Wakil-e-Ala Sahib that due to my chronic pain, I should not be marked as late.” He then writes: “Mian sahib would especially take care of poor students, those that are unemployed and widows. He would buy books and school uniforms for the poor students. He would write a letter of recommendation for anyone that was unemployed.”
Ihsanullah Sahib, a missionary serving in Ghana writes: “I had the opportunity to work under him for nine years in Wakalat-e-Ishaat. He was filled with the love and respect of Khilafat. He would inject this love into the hearts of those who worked with him in the most excellent manner. On one occasion, he called me into the office and sat me down. He said, ‘I am writing a fax to Huzoor, which needs to be sent immediately.’ He then began to write the fax. When he had written the words ‘Hazrat Khalifatul Masihil Khamis, Ayyadahullahu,’ he stopped and became fixated on these words for a few minutes. After this he began to narrate incidents relating to Khilafat in a passionate and emotional manner.”
He further states: “He would show an astonishing level of kindness towards his subordinates and would never allow anyone to remain standing when they came to see him. Despite his extreme illness and state of weakness, he always remained cheerful. If ever he told anyone off one day, he would spend the next two days cheering him up, so much so that the person would feel embarrassed. Moreover, this telling off would be no more than just raising his voice and there would be no harsh word said or any hurtful comment. If ever he saw anyone being too strict in office, he would express his displeasure at it.”
Muhammad Talha Sahib is a teacher in the Jamia department which specialises in the subject of Hadith. He says: “Me and Syed Fahad Sahib, who is also a missionary, had the opportunity to study Hadith from Mirza Anas Ahmad Sahib for approximately one year during our specialisation. Despite his other commitments and illness, he would make the utmost effort to ensure that not a single day passed in which we did not have a Hadith class. One day, he was extremely ill and therefore could not come to office, however he called us to his home to continue the lessons.”
Asif Owais, who is also a missionary serving in Wakalat-e-Ishaat, writes: “I was appointed to the office of Wakalat-e-Ishaat a few months ago. These few months were some of the most memorable moments of my life. On every occasion, Mian Sahib took care of me with great love and kindness. Despite an age gap of more than 55 years between us, it seemed as if this difference was just a mere number. His conversation was always impressive, and to lighten the mood of the gathering, he would often share some jokes.”
He further states: “I am assigned [to continue] his translation work of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. Despite his age and extremely poor health, he possessed such astonishing level of strength to continue his work. He would never entertain any doubt or the possibility that any work could not be completed.”
A student of Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah, Muhammad Kashif, says: “I visited Mirza Anas Sahib on numerous occasions in the last few months in relation to my thesis, which was regarding the private secretaries of Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat. By the grace of God Almighty, he very lovingly gave me some of his precious time. Despite his illness, he gave me detailed interviews. One day, in a very emotional tone, he said, ‘A summary of my life’s experiences are that one’s own efforts and struggles are of no value; whatever one has is purely due to the grace of God Almighty and through Khilafat.’”
Asif Ahmad Zafar from Rabwah says: “A short while before his demise, he was admitted in the Tahir Heart Hospital and I went to visit him. He was wearing an oxygen mask and when I introduced myself, he took off the oxygen mask himself and began talking to me. I then said in relation to his health, ‘Mian Sahib, Insha-Allah God Almighty will bestow His grace.’ He replied, ‘It is also out of His grace if He calls one to Himself.’ Upon hearing this, I was left astounded that despite his condition he had such trust in God Almighty and was not worried about death.” There is absolutely no exaggeration in what various people have written about his relationship with Khilafat, in fact his relationship was even stronger than that and he demonstrated this relationship through every action and example.
When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh appointed me as the Amir-e-Muqami and Nazir-e-Ala, he showed complete obedience to the Amir and had great regard for this even though I was at least thirteen or fourteen years younger than him, but this was purely due to his obedience towards Khilafat. After my appointment to Khilafat, he continued to show complete obedience and devotion.
May God Almighty grant him His mercy and forgiveness, and may God Almighty also fulfil His desire, which he mentioned in relation to acquiring the grace of God Almighty. May He grant him a place among the company of his loved ones and also enable his progeny to establish a bond of loyalty with Khilafat.
When Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib passed away, he saw a dream which I also mentioned in the Friday Sermon. He related, “The night before yesterday, I saw in a dream close to the time when Mian Sahib passed away, that Mian Khurshid and Mian Ahmad have gone to God Almighty and they are meeting the Holy Prophetsa and the Promised Messiahas. At the time, I express my desire to God Almighty that He also grants me the opportunity to meet them as well. And so, I prayed, ‘O Allah! Call me towards Yourself.’ God Almighty replied, ‘Come forward.’”
Thus, he was granted the closeness of God Almighty, and God Almighty had already informed him of bestowing His forgiveness and mercy upon him. May God Almighty continue to elevate his station and may his progeny also be righteous and pious.
(Translated by the Review of Religions)