Ata-ul-Haye Nasir, Al Hakam
Attempts have always been made to efface divine communities from the face of the earth. Opponents with such intentions, however, are unaware that God Almighty has promised the domination of His divine communities. The support of God Almighty openly declares:
اُولٰٓئِکَ حِزۡبُ اللهِ ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّ حِزۡبَ اللهِ ہُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ
“They are Allah’s party. Hearken ye [O people]! It is Allah’s party who will be successful.” (Surah al-Mujadalah, Ch.58: V.23)
In the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, many trials and tribulations arose and opponents tried their utmost to wipe out Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. But Huzoorra bravely resisted every tribulation that arose, and every plot of the enemy ultimately proved futile.
Ahmadiyyat continues to progress to this day, alhamdulillah, and will continue to do so, insha–Allah.
One of these tribulations which arose on a large scale was in 1934 in the shape of Majlis-i-Ahrar. Muslims were incensed about the existence of the Jamaat; it was as if the whole country had begun to support the Ahrar. These people gathered to hold a meeting and rose up with the determination of destroying Qadian and wiping out Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.
Who were Ahrar?
Some Muslim political activists in the All-India National Congress, who later broke away from the Congress due to some differences, joined hands and formed the Majlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islam on 29 December 1929.
According to an official note of the Government of Punjab in British India, the Working Committee of the Ahrar party consisted of people who were avowedly Congressites. At the time of this note, i.e., the year 1931, the Ahrar leaders failed to attract the support of decent Muslim opinion for themselves. (National Archives of India, Government of India, Foreign and Political Department, Political, File 653-P [Secret])
The Ahrar initiated the anti-Ahmadiyya campaign, and as soon as this propaganda emerged as one of their strongest sentiments, they started to gain popularity amongst the Indian Muslims.
Chaudhry Afzal Haq, known as the Mufakkir-e-Ahrar, has stated that opposition to Ahmadiyyat “was an important part of the Ahrar’s tabligh.” (Tarikh-e-Ahrar, Maktaba-e-Majlis Ahrar-e-Islam Pakistan, 1968, p. 198)
A series of Friday sermons: The Ahrar and Tahrik-e-Jadid
During the turbulent times in the early 1930s, when Ahrar had initiated the anti-Ahmadiyya agitation, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra announced the scheme of Tahrik-e-Jadid, after receiving divine guidance. This heavenly scheme was revealed to Huzoorra in such a way that all the stages of this spiritual conquest became visible to him. Thus, Huzoorra was able to make a comprehensive plan of action for the spiritual battle between truth and falsehood.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra could have announced this scheme all at once, but instead, before announcing the scheme, he built an atmosphere that would instil a spirit of sacrifice in all members of the Jamaat and help them realise the importance of this scheme. Therefore, he gradually made the announcement of Tahrik-e-Jadid.
It was during the days of the Ahrar Tabligh Conference of October 1934, that Allah the Almighty guided Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra to initiate the scheme of Tahrik-e-Jadid. With great patience and wisdom, in his Friday Sermon of 19 October 1934 (just two days before the start of the Ahrar conference) Huzoorra stated:
“Provided that God gives me life and strength, in a week’s time, I will be making a very important announcement for the attention of the Jamaat. I do not consider it appropriate to make this announcement before the said time.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 15, p. 277)
Due to the fact that Huzoorra was going to announce a scheme which demanded many sacrifices from the Jamaat, so, to instil a spirit of sacrifice in the members, Huzoorra reminded them of their pledge of allegiance and explained to them the true meanings of Bai‘at. He stated:
“I will explain the need and reasons for this announcement later, but before that, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you are called Ahmadis; you claim that you are the chosen Jamaat of God Almighty; you claim that you have absolute faith in the ma‘mur of God Almighty; you claim that you have agreed to sacrifice your lives and properties for God; you claim that in return for all these sacrifices, you have made a bargain for Paradise with Allah the Almighty.
“You have repeated this claim at my hand; in fact, thousands of you have made this pledge at my hand because you became Ahmadis in my time.
“In the Holy Quran, Allah says that if your father, your sons, your wives, your loved ones, your properties and your possessions are dearer to you than God and His Messenger, then there is no truth in your faith. This is not a trivial declaration, but a declaration of war for every human being who has the slightest weakness in his faith. This will be a declaration of war for every person who has any shred of hypocrisy left in their heart, but I believe that all the members of our Jamaat, illaa Masha-Allah [with the exception of what Allah knows], are true believers and are firm in their pledge, which they made at the time of Bai‘at; they will always be ready to make whatever sacrifice is asked of them in accordance with this pledge.” (Ibid)
After this, addressing the audience, Huzoorra stated:
“It is forbidden to speak during the Friday Sermon, but a person can speak if the imam gives permission. So I ask you, are you firm upon the pledge that you made to me?” (Ibid)
Huzoor’sra question was answered in the affirmative by the audience and cries of “labbaik” were heard from all corners.
Huzoorra then said to Jamaat members:
“After this, I advise you that when you have sold your lives to me, sold your possessions to me, then I can ask anything of you that is within the boundaries of the Shariah. It is the duty of every member of the Jamaat to fulfil every demand that I make keeping within the Shariah and if anyone does not fulfill this, then such a one is a hypocrite and not an Ahmadi.” (Ibid, pp. 277-278)
After this, referring to the jalsa of the Ahrar, which was scheduled for a few days later, Huzoorra said:
“The first thing I ask of you (the second demand will be made after the first is achieved) is in relation to a jalsa [conference] that will take place here soon. I have received certain information about this conference that the people [associated with the event] want to cause rioting and disorder.” (Ibid, p. 278)
Advising the Jamaat in this regard, Huzoorra said:
“I instruct every member of my Jamaat not to raise their hand against anyone, even if they are beaten, and not to open their mouth. Even if they are about to be murdered, they do not have the right to lift their hand or open their mouth. […] After this announcement, you will be tested and it will be known to what extent you are ready to sacrifice your lives for religion.
“After this, I will make the second demand and see to what extent you fulfil it, but I do not want to make that demand during the days of the Ahrari Jalsa lest it be considered a reaction or it opens another door for disorder. Thereafter, I will see how many of you are ready for this sacrifice.
“The sacrifices made by our Jamaat thus far are significantly less when compared to the sacrifices of Prophet Moses’as jamaat, or Jesus’as disciples, or the Holy Prophet’ssa Companionsra. But now, it is time for us to make sacrifices in a way that soon manifests its fruits and takes us to those heights for which the Promised Messiahas was sent to the world.” (Ibid, pp. 278-279)
Huzoorra further said:
“It is my hope that if you are ordered to go to distant countries without a single penny, you will comply with the order and if you are demanded to make changes in your eating habits or dress, you will comply with it. If you must devote your time entirely for the service of the Jamaat, [it is my hope that] you will agree to it without making any excuses. The one who does not fulfil these demands will not be considered from us and will be considered detached.” (Ibid, p. 279)
Then, in his Friday sermon of 26 October 1934, Huzoorra said:
“In the previous sermon, I instructed the Jamaat to be patient and advised people not to walk around with sticks and to obey all the orders given by representatives of the British government.
“Before today’s sermon, I would like to thank you and express my gratitude to you for your patience in spite of the provocative acts [of the opponents]. Save a few incidents which may have occurred due to misunderstandings, there was nothing else that could be considered a source of embarrassment for me and a problem for them.” (Ibid, p. 282)
Huzoorra then went on to inform members of the Jamaat in detail about the tense situation created by the Ahrar.
He stated that in this provocative situation, the conduct of police officers was very commendable. They felt bad when they heard those words which were used for Jamaat members during the Jalsa.
Huzoorra said that a few of those officers met him as well and agreed that Ahmadis were harmed without any reason. They expressed that a Jalsa for the sole purpose of slander and mockery should not have been held.
Huzoorra further stated that he himself read in a newspaper that the chairperson of the conference said, “Put me in a room with Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud and if he is still alive the next morning, then you can say what you please [about me].”
Huzoorra continued:
“Any magistrate who has an ounce of decency cannot say that this was not a provocative act. Is this not a clear murder threat? […] We know that prophets and their jamaats are threatened like this.” (Ibid, pp. 284-285)
Then Huzoorra stated that he would now commence with the subject which he mentioned in the previous sermon, but it was also necessary to narrate the entire situation to the officers, members of the Jamaat, the public and those who are expressing so much contempt for us.
Huzoorra said that a believer never does anything in secrecy and whatever he would do, he would announce it publicly.
Before proceeding with the subject, Huzoorra said:
“You should remember two things: Firstly, every person who is in the Jamaat – who has pledged allegiance, through me, to the Promised Messiahas, through whom [they have pledged allegiance] to the Holy Prophetsa, through whom [they have pledged allegiance] to God Almighty – has agreed to sacrifice their life, wealth, honour, dignity, children, property, in fact, everything, for the sake of God, the Messengersa and his representatives and now, nothing is their own.
“I would like to make it clear that if there is even the slightest of doubts about these meanings of Bai‘at in anyone’s heart, they should renounce their allegiance if they do not wish to be called a hypocrite. […] If anyone thinks that they have pledged conditional allegiance to me and that they still possess something they can call their own and my obedience is conditional to them, then such people are not in my allegiance.
“I would like to say clearly to you and the millions of people who live in different parts of the world and those who will read it in the newspapers (when this sermon is published), that if there is any indifference left in one’s heart, I do not consider them in my Bai‘at. […] God is my Witness that you are completely convinced that I have conveyed to you that a conditional Bai‘at is not a [true] Bai‘at at all. [True] Bai‘at is that in which one is ready to sacrifice everything. It is your duty to obey my every command which is in line with the commandments of God Almighty and about which there is no contradicting guidance.” (Ibid, pp. 285-286)
Huzoorra further stated:
“You must remember that this is a very critical time for us. There is opposition from all sides and it is your duty to uphold the dignity of the Jamaat while confronting it.
“Once, in a private meeting, at the house of Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, Chaudhry Afzal Haq Sahib told me that their aim was to crush the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. So, the enemies have challenged us.
“So long as blood courses through your veins, it is your duty to accept this challenge and break the strength of this group that is threatening us. Tell the world that you can raze mountains to the ground, you can dry up the oceans and through lawful means, you can defeat anyone who stands up to destroy you, with the help of God, no matter how powerful the opponent may be. […] We must accept this challenge. […]
“As some people of the Punjab government have slandered the Jamaat and there is the challenge of the Ahrar as well, it is your job to remove this defamation and respond to their challenge. And for these two things, offer whatever sacrifices you are required to make.
“For this, I will ask of you such sacrifices that have never been demanded before. They may seem trivial at first, but they will increase later. Ahmadis from all corners of the world should be ready for this and immediately say ‘Labbaik’ when the call comes.” (Ibid, pp. 287-288)
After this, Huzoorra narrated more details about the ongoing situation.
Then, referring to a revelation of the Promised Messiahas, he said:
“O Ahmadiyya Jamaat, as it has been told about the Promised Messiahas that he would create a new earth and a new heaven, it is your duty to build a house for yourself with the grace of God. This revelation indicates that this earth and the heaven will cut you off like thorns.” (Ibid, p. 311)
The Civil and Military Gazette, on 25 October 1934, claimed that “no inflammatory speeches were made” during the Ahrar Conference. However, the truth was that the Ahrar jalsa was full of hateful and inflammatory speeches against Ahmadiyyat. Despite all these hateful speeches, Ahmadis remained peaceful and did not indulge in any violence.
Mistake by the Government
During his Friday Sermon of 2 November 1934, Huzoorra elaborated on the tribulations created by the Ahrar against the Jamaat and the unjust attitudes of some government officials.
Due to misunderstandings and conspiratorial activities of the Ahrar, the Jamaat (especially Huzoorra) was falsely accused of civil disobedience and rebellion.
In response to these allegations, Huzoorra said:
“Some close friends who have friendly ties with the government have also urged me to postpone my special announcement until we try to eradicate these misunderstandings, which have occurred between us and some government officials. If we have ever misunderstood something, as we are a religious group, we have always admitted our mistakes openly.
“I can assure these friends that if any mistake in our actions or misunderstanding is proven, we are always ready to face the punishment and apologise for it.
“It is now a question of whether the government is willing to admit its mistake or not. If it is proved that the government has made a mistake and it admits its mistake, then our grievances can be removed. The believer never keeps resentment or anger in his heart, but seeks the betterment of mankind. […] We want to raise this question only because if this issue is not raised, many problems will arise for us in the future and there is a danger of compromising the peace of the country. Otherwise, what is the significance of what the government has said, in the face of the abuse that we hear from our opponents on a daily basis? It is the government’s fault that it has attributed someone else’s actions to me. […]
“Why can we not tolerate this mistake of the government? The reason is the same as I mentioned earlier, that issuing such a notice by the government, in which we are accused of civil disobedience, is not valid in any case. Our Jamaat is that Jamaat, about which people have been saying from the beginning that it is a flatterer of the government. Some people accuse us of being government’s spies. […] There has never been a time when we have not even been accused of being rebels against the government.
“From the time when the Promised Messiahas announced his claims, the disbelieving maulvis and especially Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Sahib Batalvi started telling the government not to fall for our praise as we were not supporters of the government but rebels. And that if not today, then tomorrow, Ahmadis will stand against the government with swords.
“Thus, from the earliest days of the claim of the Promised Messiahas, people have been saying that we are rebels against the government and now, in the speeches made by the Ahraris in Qadian and Amritsar, they have said the same thing, that people should not fall for what we say as we are actually against the government.
“Such people should read the newspaper Zamindar and see that it openly declares us not to be friends of the government and that in fact, we are opponents behind the curtain. Today, if the government declares us rebels, then it is nothing of a new allegation that will make us angry. […]
“We object to this act of the government because it [the government] represents the [English] monarch, who the Promised Messiahas was always proud of being loyal to. It was under this government that he felt proud to live and we have always been proud of our loyalty for this government. […]
“If peaceful, loyal citizens and servants of the country are declared guilty of such disobedience […] then, we fear that this chaos will continue to grow. […] If an appeal had been allowed in this case, I would not have been so disappointed as I intended to appeal to the High Court to protect the honour of the Jamaat. […] But the law under which I have been declared a rebel and dissident of the government, without any reason, has not left any room for appeal to the High Court.” (Ibid, pp. 313-318)
Then, referring to his personal feelings regarding loyalty to the government of the time, Huzoorra said:
“I know what feelings I have in my heart for this great country. I know what my thoughts are on loyalty and obedience to the government. […] We have always been loyal citizens of this great country. Peace and obedience is the teaching of our religion and even the thought of civil disobedience has never crossed our minds and it never can because our religious teachings prevent it. […]
“I am sorry to say that some government officials have made a mistake and think that perhaps I am going to start a movement similar to the Non-Cooperation Movement. On the other hand, some people in the Jamaat have not understood my scheme. But some have understood it wonderfully, to the extent that they have written letters to me and summed up my scheme in a few words. But some members have presented such suggestions that cannot be right in any case. For example, a person wrote that ‘we should start wearing khaddar [khadi]’. And I think that no doubt if we boycott the English wearings, we can cause a loss of 1.5 million rupees per annum to England, and if we work together with the Congress, the scheme of boycotting the English items can be very much successful. But this act is against our teachings, that we boycott someone who is not guilty. Even though, through this, we can bring the attention of England towards our rights, but as it is not allowed for us religiously, this act is fully inappropriate. Moreover it is against the logic, to hit the people of Lancashire with a stick, for a mistake of an officer of Punjab.” (Ibid, pp. 318-320)
Later in the same sermon, Huzoorra narrated some incidents which raised suspicions that perhaps someone from the Punjab government wanted to harm the Jamaat and was trying to defame it. After narrating these incidents, Huzoorra said:
“Next week, insha–Allah, I will present to the Jamaat the suggestions I have thought. This week, I wanted to make the chapters outside [of Qadian] alert because there are very few outsiders who are aware of the situation in Qadian. In the same vein, women think that they may not have to join this scheme, so I also want to say that women should also join and this sacrifice is required not only from men, but women as well.” (Ibid, p. 360)
In his Friday Sermon of 9 November 1934, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated that currently, religious and political parties were gathering against the Jamaat and people of all religions were against them – not just people of one religion. So, all these afflictions were different links of the same chain and it was the duty of members of the Jamaat to face them very carefully.
Huzoorra said that it was for this reason that after constantly praying to Allah the Almighty and after seeing a divine vision, he had prepared a scheme, which he would start outlining from the following Friday.
After this, Huzoorra narrated visions and dreams in the context of this scheme, the interpretation of which was described by Huzoorra that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya will see extraordinary victories and progress through this scheme.
Need for unity and harmony
During this Friday sermon, Huzoorra outlined three demands for the Jamaat to follow. Huzoorra said:
“When some people in the Jamaat do not even pay the monthly chanda and are not ready to make even this small sacrifice, then how can I assume that they are ready to offer bigger sacrifices? I am ashamed to call this chanda a sacrifice, but even if it is considered a sacrifice, we must understand that when we refrain from smaller sacrifices, then how will we be encouraged to make bigger sacrifices?
“Mere verbal declaration never makes a person succeed. […] We do not believe in a particular time, but say that when God Almighty wills, He will accomplish this task, and if we spend even a hundred years in this task, then what is our harm in it. We have to serve the Jamaat and the servant has nothing to do with the outcome of his work. He serves and is never afraid to serve. […]
“It is clear from the Holy Quran that when there is a war going on, there can be no success without fighting like بُنۡیَانٌ مَّرۡصُوۡصٌ [a strong structure cemented with molten lead]. It is as if this sign of victory has been ordained by God Almighty that the believers should stand side by side against the enemy and become a lead clad wall; no crack or hole should be visible. This is the symbol of a victorious nation as revealed by God Almighty.
“According to this, unless there is unity in our Jamaat that guarantees victory, how can I be sure that you will be able to do anything significant in the fight that is in front of us? […] Today, on the one hand, the Ahraris are against our Jamaat and on the other, those who are non-Ahrari but still sympathise with them – Sikhs and Hindus – are also with them.
“So while different religions are uniting in opposition to us, I want to see this example in my Jamaat that it becomes بُنۡیَانٌ مَّرۡصُوۡصٌ [a strong structure cemented with molten lead]. […]
“So, my second commandment is that, within this week, every person who has a grudge with another person and every person who has stopped talking to someone should go and apologise to his brother and make peace. If you are not forgiven, you should apologise to the person with humility and accept all kinds of shame before them so that mercy may arise in their heart and they may remove resentment from their heart. When I make another announcement, let there be no two Ahmadis at that time who do not talk to each other. So go and clear your hearts; go and unite by apologising to your brothers; go and remove every form of discord from within you; then the angels of God Almighty will descend to help you. Heavenly armies will descend to fight your enemies and your enemy will be considered God’s enemy. Here are two examples I would like to see in my Jamaat.
“Whoever reads the words of this sermon should not sleep until they obey this command, unless it is impossible for them to do so. […] The secretaries of the Jamaat should convene their local jamaats after receiving this sermon of mine and tell them that [Khalifatul Masih] has commanded that today, only that person will join this war who clears all of his arrears in chanda and is regular in its payment in the future. Then convey to them another command that [Khalifatul Masih] commands that today, only that person can join this war, who has no quarrel or fight with any of his brothers and who has reconciled and united with his brother.
“When I choose people for sacrifice, I will ask each person if there is any resentment or malice for anyone in their heart, and if I find out that there is malice and hatred towards any person, I will assume that you are not بُنۡیَانٌ مَّرۡصُوۡصٌ [a strong structure cemented with molten lead] and you are not standing shoulder to shoulder with your brother. It is well nigh possible that the enemy attacks us from your shoulder; so go, I do not need you.” (Ibid, pp. 366-371)
Huzoorra further stated:
“For now, I would like to make another announcement and that is that I need people, as soon as possible, who are ready to leave their homeland for the Jamaat. They should be willing to risk their lives and go through all the hardships of hunger and thirst, without any salary.
“Therefore, I announce that those youth who are ready for these tasks should submit their names. Regarding the qualifications of the youth, I would like to say that they should be either maulvi [fazil], Madrassa-e-Ahmadiyya graduates or at least matriculation pass or a graduate.
“I know that there are many young people in our Jamaat who are a burden on their parents and squander their money. I tell them not to waste themselves in this way. Islam needs their service today; Ahmadiyyat needs these young sons today. They should come forward and present their names. The response to this announcement will also give me an idea of how many people in the Jamaat are willing to make sacrifices practically.
“I also ask the fathers of the youth to present their children in the way of God Almighty; I ask mothers to present their children in the way of God Almighty, but such young people are needed who are free and whose condition is such that they are not government employees, nor businessmen, nor students and only young people who are waiting at home for a job. I don’t even need people who are engaged in the Jamaat’s work, nor do I need young people who are running shops or farming. I call only on those young people who have not yet found jobs and whose devotion will not hurt their agriculture or trade. So, I tell the unemployed youth to go ahead; I tell their fathers to prepare their children and I tell their mothers to get their sons ready for service and remember that the parents who offer their children in the way of God Almighty, they share in every reward that the child earns and whatever their child does for the progress of the Jamaat, parents will also get its reward. In this regard, it is also a condition that these young people have to dedicate themselves for at least three years, although sometimes, work may continue for a longer period of time.” (Ibid, pp. 372-373)
At the end of this sermon, Huzoorra informed members of the Jamaat that the scheme which he had intended to present, would be presented next Friday.
Loyalty to the government: What does Islam teach?
In the Friday sermon dated 16 November 1934, Huzoorra referred to a letter, in which it was suggested that the teachings of the Jamaat about loyalty to the government should be reconsidered as perhaps it had gone too far. In response to this, Huzoorra said:
“I would like to point out that the definition of loyalty to the government as laid out by our Jamaat has been done so with such conviction and certainty that I still consider it as true and correct as it was before. And I believe that this is the definition that will fulfil the will of the Promised Messiahas, the Holy Prophetsa and God Almighty. And no matter how dangerous the situation may arise in the future, without a minute’s pause, I am ready to tread along the path we have always followed, because I am absolutely convinced that the teaching of loyalty to the government […] is absolutely correct and right and there is no possibility of any change in it.” (Ibid, p. 377)
Then, referring to the delay in narrating the scheme, Huzoorra said that he could have explained the scheme at the beginning, but some potential harms prevented him from describing the scheme, which could have been detrimental to Muslims and the Jamaat. (Ibid, p. 387)
Further Huzoorra stated that even though the Jamaat was small in number, Allah the Almighty had granted knowledge and understanding to members of the Jamaat. Due to their righteous conduct, Huzoorra said that Allah the Almighty would surely grant the Jamaat success.
Huzoorra also instructed the Jamaat that they should not take any step without farsightedness and wisdom.
A prelude to great battles
After this, explaining about the ongoing opposition and the great tribulations which may arise in the future, Huzoorra said:
“I have stated many times that the trial [caused by] the Ahrar is not a major one. Even after their jalsa, I do not say that this trial is an extraordinary one. However, when I say that this trial is not a major one, this does not mean that it is not a great trial, but rather, it means that greater trials are yet to come before the Jamaat. […] So, it must be remembered that when I say that this trial is not a major one, it means that you should not consider it to be the last trial, but rather, understand that it is a prelude to great battles and there are even greater trials than this to come, which will be faced by the Jamaat.
“We are not to spread Ahmadiyyat in any one city or country, but it is to be promulgated to the whole world. So while our goal is to compete with the whole world, how could we assume that we can easily conquer the whole world after overcoming Chaudhry Afzal Haq Sahib of Lahore, Maulvi Mazhar Ali Sahib, Ataullah Sahib Bukhari, and Maulvi Zafar Ali Sahib and their friends? […]
“A lot of people have promised me that they are willing to sacrifice their lives and their wealth. There are many jamaats and people belonging to different jamaats, who have made promises for this sacrifice. Aside from men, women have also offered themselves for this sacrifice and I think if everyone is counted, the number will reach thousands. I rejoice in my heart that Allah has breathed into our Jamaat such a spirit of sacrifice that it is ready to endure all kinds of hardships for the sake of faith and is ready to respond to every call which comes from God and His Messenger and His deputies.
“This is a source of happiness. But since these promises are premature and I have not yet stated the scheme which I intend to describe, I am not entirely satisfied because people may not have properly assessed the sacrifice and when the demand for real sacrifice is put before them, some of them may start offering excuses. […] Therefore, I would like to point out that only those who will present their names after the scheme is announced, will be considered as real devotees.” (Ibid, pp. 389-393)
Religious, economic and political fitna
Huzoorra then explained that the current fitna against Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is religious, economic and political at the same time. In this regard, he said:
“When [non-Ahmadis] hear that so many people have converted to Islam through Ahmadis in such and such country, so many people have converted to Islam in Africa and so many in the United States, they ask the maulvis, ‘What else do you do except making infidels?’ When the maulvis hear these words, they do not have anything to say except, ‘We should prepare sticks and if any Ahmadi is seen, they will be beaten’. […]
“Recently, a report was published by the Church of England in which, while mentioning Africa, at seven different places it was stated that Ahmadis have harmed the progress of Christianity. Because of these circumstances, Muslims, Christians and Arya Samajists, all three religions want to unite to wipe us [Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya] out.” (Ibid, pp. 398-400)
In relation to the opposing ulema, Huzoorra stated that they assumed that their edicts of infidelity would efface this community and they claimed that this Jamaat was so small that it could not achieve any success. Those people who used to think that they could crush Ahmadis whenever they wanted, were now amazed to witness the progress of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. They saw that this Jamaat has a champion, which would eventually conquer the whole world.
Huzoorra further stated that people may despise us, but the Jamaat did not have enmity for anyone. He said that the Jamaat was a well-wisher for Muslims and Hindus alike, in fact the Jamaat wished everyone well.
Towards the end of this sermon, Huzoorra announced that the rest of the details regarding the scheme would be stated in the following Friday sermon. But since the first part of the subject was specifically about women, therefore women should come in large numbers on that day.
During the Friday sermon of 23 November 1934, while highlighting the strategy that had been adopted in connection with this scheme, Huzoorra stated:
“There are some plans that man has to hide from his opponents. They are not intrinsically harmful. No one in the world can object if it [the concealed information] is revealed after a certain time. However, while it is being implemented and the opponent knows about it, then it becomes difficult for man to succeed.
“For example, an army of an oppressed nation attacks a city, which marches forward to defend themselves from the oppressor, in fact, to conquer the fort that was its own. This is not only a good deed, but also an act worthy of reward. But if these people send a message to the enemy’s army and tell them, ‘We will enter through such and such pass’, ‘We will have this many soldiers, this many guns, this many cannons with us and this will be our way of fighting’, then the inevitable result will be that the enemy will find a counterstrategy before they see the plan reach its fruition and will easily defeat their attack. […]
“So just as a clever general’s job is to limit the enemy’s forces to one specific side and utilises the strengths [of his own army] on other sides, so that he can achieve maximum success, in the same way, it is the duty of the missionary administrator to distract the [focus of the] opposing propaganda in such a way that the work of preaching is not harmed and the opposing party does not know the reality of the actual work, and thus succeeds by keeping opponents unaware of it.
“Thus, given these circumstances, there are some parts of my scheme that I will not describe in detail because if I describe them, the result will not be as important and spectacular as it could be by ignoring certain details. I have felt the need to state this clearly because the Holy Quran forbids the formation of secret societies and covert operations and I have stated this openly so that the difference between the two may be known.”
Huzoorra continued:
“I say it openly that we will carry out preaching. Yes, there will be some secrecy in it. That is, we will not inform the enemy about the battlefront or the means of preaching. It will be that preaching which is a lawful act. The only difference is that the means and place of preaching will be kept a secret and thus maximum benefit will be gained from preaching. […]
“I did not make the scheme mandatory because there are parts of it which will not be explained in detail and I demand such sincere people who despite this secrecy, can offer their sacrifices and those who do not wish to, may not. In this way, I do not want to leave room for even the slightest objection. Even if not a single person joins the scheme, I am only responsible for myself before Allah the Almighty. My job is to preach, train, draw people to their duties and place the commandments of God Almighty before them. I am responsible only for my life and certainly I am responsible for conveying the call of God Almighty.” (Ibid, pp. 405-409)
Huzoorra then explained the importance of creating an environment of sacrifice and good deeds. He said:
“No great sacrifice can be made unless an environment is created for it. If a good seed is planted in a place where it cannot germinate or during a season when it cannot grow is of no use and the result of trying to grow it will be that hard work will be wasted because it cannot grow in that specific place or season. Therefore, for success to be achievable, it is necessary that the environment is right and the surrounding conditions are favourable. If the surrounding conditions are not favourable, then success cannot be achieved. Many people are deprived of goodness because they do not understand this point. They may have the spirit and passion to do good deeds, but they cannot create an environment under which they can make the right sacrifices. […]
“If a person says, without bringing about a change in [their] circumstances, that all their wealth is present [as a donation] while knowing that they have nothing to give, then such a person is a hypocrite and a fool. If such a one makes this claim out of sincerity and without thinking, then such a one is a sincere fool. If they make such a claim with wisdom, they will have thought about what part of their wealth they are sacrificing. Unless such a person reduces their expenses from 100 to 95, 90, 60 or 70, what sacrifice is there left to make?” (Ibid, pp. 409-411)
The 19 demands of Tahrik-e-Jadid
In his Friday Sermon of 23 November 1934, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra began outlining the 19 demands of Tahrik-e-Jadid.
Huzoorra described eight major types of expenses, on which the world usually spends:
1. Food
2. Clothes
3. Women’s jewellery
4. Medical treatment
5. Entertainment – Cinema, theatre, circus and sports matches
6. Marriage
7. Decoration
8. Education
Huzoorra explained in detail how sacrifices can be made by reducing expenses towards the aforementioned expenditures.
Addressing women, Huzoorra said:
“We desperately need women to support us for this sacrifice, otherwise our sacrifice will be merely a verbal sacrifice. So I specifically draw the attention of women to pay heed to these sacrifices and the matters which I will explain. Share this responsibility with men. Anyone who wishes to make a sacrifice without taking women on board, will actually be reducing their expenses forcibly. Thus, on the one hand they will be deprived of reward and on the other, there will be chaos in the house. Our women must remember that there have been such women before them who had made such sacrifices that are astonishing. It is written about Hazrat Aishara that she used to give a lot of charity.” (Ibid, p. 416)
Huzoorra narrated examples of the sacrifices of some prominent Muslim women and said that such wonderful examples of these women can be found, the likes of which cannot be found elsewhere.
Regarding the expenses on jewellery, weddings and other celebrations, Huzoorra said that these expenses could be reduced to make sacrifices for this scheme.
Regarding food, Huzoorra said:
“Every Ahmadi who wants to join us in this war should agree that they will only consume one type of dish from today. Roti [bread] and salan [curry] or rice and salan are not two things, but both will make one. But two salans with roti or two salans with rice will not be allowed.” (Ibid, p. 426)
Regarding clothing, Huzoorra said:
“People who have enough clothes should not have more clothes made until they are worn out. Then those who make new clothes often, should reduce the number of new clothes to half or 3/4 or 4/5.” (Ibid, p. 427)
Huzoorra instructed the Jamaat that no Ahmadi should go to the cinema, theatre or circus etc. for three years. Later on, in his Friday Sermon of 8 December 1944, Huzoorra stated that the cinema was the biggest curse of that era. Cinema owners’ sole purpose was to earn money, not to teach morals and for this, they present such vulgar stories and songs, which have a negative impact on morals.
Huzoorra added that when descent people go there, their way of talking and sense of humour becomes filthy and uncivilised. He said that cinemas are affecting the country so destructively, that even if he doesn’t prohibit it, a believer’s soul should itself rebel against it.
Huzoorra continued to state the demands and said:
“So for those individuals or jamaats who wish to join, I am setting a deadline of one month. Residents of India should submit their names within one month and those living in other countries should do it within four months. The year will begin from the time they make this pledge.” (Ibid, p. 431)
“The second demand for sacrifice from the Jamaat, which is actually based on the first demand, is that there should be a group of sincere people who deposit 1/5 to 1/3 of their income in the treasury for three years for the benefit of the Jamaat. In this case, the amount they give in various donations or spend on other pious works […] should be deducted from that amount, and deposit the rest of the money for this scheme at Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya.” (Ibid)
“The third demand of sacrifice from the Jamaat is that in order to confront the enemy, there is a great need to respond to the foul and abusive literature which our enemy is publishing against us, or our point of view should be conveyed to the people in the best possible way and to remove the obstacles that are being created in the way of our progress. We need money, men and new ways to work.” (Ibid, p. 432)
In connection with the above mentioned third demand, Huzoorra announced the formation of a committee and mentioned the names of its 15 members.
Then he stated:
“The fourth demand of sacrifice from the Jamaat is that a nation needs to spread in times of trouble. In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty tells Muslims that if there was passion [from the opponents] against the Muslims in Mecca, then why did they not go out and spread to other countries. If they went out, then Allah the Almighty would open many avenues for their progress. […] How do we know where our madani life [referring to the prosperity of Muslims after migrating to Medina] begins? Qadian is indeed our religious centre, but I don’t know where our centre of glory and power is. It could be in any other city in India, and it could be in China, Japan, the Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Russia, the United States, or any other country in the world. So when we find out that people are humiliating the Jamaat for no reason, they want to crush us, then it becomes our duty to go out and find out where our madani life begins.” (Ibid, pp. 433-434)
“The fifth demand of sacrifice from the Jamaat is that I have a preaching scheme in my mind, which will cost a hundred rupees a month and thus, 1,200 rupees are required for it [annually]. Those members who can take part in it should do so. In order to involve the poor in this too, I allow them to contribute even five rupees to participate in this scheme.” (Ibid, p. 436)
“The sixth demand of sacrifice from the Jamaat is that I want five devotees to be appointed to travel all over Punjab on bicycles, and send detailed reports to the Markaz on the possibility of the propagation of the Jamaat. […] The five men who will go on bicycles must be maulvi fazils or have passed matriculation. They should dedicate themselves for three years. […] A total amount of 27,500 [rupees] is required [for this scheme], however, 17,500 from this amount is needed urgently. The members who can participate in this, should contribute.” (Ibid)
Then, during the Friday Sermon of 30 November 1934, Huzoorra stated that during the previous Friday Sermon, he presented six demands of the scheme, which would enable the Jamaat to tackle the ongoing opposition and tribulations. By these means, we could remove obstacles in the way of our progress.
Huzoorra added that he suggested some new tasks to enhance the spread of Islam Ahmadiyyat to find such new places where we can preach our religion. For this purpose, an appeal for 27,500 rupees was announced.
Huzoorra elaborated that the main addressees were those who could donate a hundred rupees or more. But as Allah the Almighty had granted a bigger spirit of sacrifice to the underprivileged, Huzoorra did not deem it appropriate to deprive them of this reward. So, Huzoorra said that they too could participate in this scheme by donating even five or 10 rupees.
Huzoorra continued to state the demands of this scheme and said:
“Now, I present the seventh demand and that is, in view of the preaching needs of the current time, in spite of all the demands that I have made, our preaching needs are not met and our example is like that of the martyrs of Uhud. It is said that if their heads were covered with a cloth, their feet would be bare and if their feet were covered, their heads would be bare. At that time, there was not enough cloth available. We are in a similar situation at the moment. […] In such a case, there must be another way of preaching efforts. That is, there should be a reserve force that can be used as and when required, to fulfil our needs, in addition to the work of missionaries.” (Ibid, pp. 447-448)
“The eighth demand is that which has already been published, that such youngsters should present themselves who will dedicate their lives for three years.” (Ibid, p. 450)
In this regard, Huzoorra said that so far, about 125 youngsters have presented themselves, out of which 30 or 40 are maulvi fazils, while the rest have merely passed matriculations, FAs and BAs.
Huzoorra continued:
“The ninth demand in this regard is that those who cannot dedicate three months because there are some employees who do not get such leave […] such people should dedicate whatever seasonal holidays or due holidays are available.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 15, p. 454)
“The tenth demand is that people who hold a status in terms of their position or knowledge, i.e. doctors, lawyers, or those honourable jobs or tasks that people look up to with respect, such people should present themselves so that they can be sent to the jalsas of different areas instead of the missionaries.” (Ibid, p. 456)
“The eleventh demand is that once, I had instructed to set up a reserve fund of 2.5 million rupees and thus create such an income that the [Jamaat’s preaching] works of urgent nature can be accomplished with it. Now, our budget is such that we cannot spend anything on such works. […] Let us survey the whole country and see where success can be achieved and then emphasise there.” (Ibid, pp. 458-459)
“The twelfth demand is that when these tasks have been achieved, the work at the Markaz will increase. Many outsiders say that the staff at the headquarters do not have much work to do. I ask them to come and work here themselves and when someone comes and works, they then say that there is a lot of work to be done here. […]
“I come to my office in the morning and start work, go through the letters and office papers, then meet visitors, and thus, six to seven hours are already spent and no time is left for any other work. Then people expect me to devise schemes, give direction, deliver speeches and write books. There is no doubt that there can only be one Khalifa at a time; there cannot be many khalifas like the nazirs, but if there are more subordinates working under the Khalifa, then matters will still come to him, but he can give direction and guide towards the best practices.
“In the current situation, work cannot go on like this, unless there are more people working. […] Therefore, I urge those men [to devote their lives] who receive pensions and are sitting at home. God has given them the opportunity to get pensions from the lower government and serve the higher government, that is, serve their religion.” (Ibid, pp. 461-462)
“The thirteenth demand is that members of the outside jamaats should send their children to Qadian’s High School or Madrassa-e-Ahmadiyya for education.” (Ibid, p. 462)
“The fourteenth demand is that those affluent people who want to give their children a higher education, should dedicate their sons for serving the Jamaat, instead of deciding according to their personal wishes and desires or that of the children or their friends.” (Ibid, p. 463)
“The fifteenth demand from the Jamaat, especially from the youth of the Jamaat, is that as I have said, many youngsters are unemployed. […] They should leave their homeland and go abroad. As far as other countries are concerned, if they make the right choice for themselves, there is a 99% chance of success. Some of them should go to America, some should go to Germany, some should go to France, some should go to England, some should go to Italy, some should go to Africa; that is, they should go to a distant location and try their luck.” (Ibid, pp. 464-465)
“The sixteenth demand is that the members of the Jamaat should develop the habit of working with their hands.” (Ibid, p. 465)
“The seventeenth demand is that those who are unemployed, should not remain so. If they do not go abroad, they should do whatever job is available. They should even sell newspapers and books and start collecting money for the reserve fund. No one should be left unemployed.” (Ibid, pp. 467-468)
“The eighteenth demand from members of the outside jamaats is that they should try and build houses in Qadian. Till now, by the grace of God Almighty, hundreds of people have built houses, but there is still a lot of room. As the Ahmadi population in Qadian grows, our Markaz will progress and the ghair element will start diminishing.” (Ibid, p. 468)
“There is one more thing [the nineteenth demand] that remains, which is for everyone, although the poor can play a greater role towards it. No matter how much worldly efforts are made, they are only worldly efforts and our progress does not depend on them; instead, our progress will be through divine plans.
“Although this field is the most important, but I have put it at the end; I am talking of prayer. Those who cannot participate in these demands and cannot work according to them should especially pray that those who can work, may God help them to work and bless their work.
“Our victory will not come about through the apparent wealth but through the inner wealth. If true faith is filled in our hearts and if we belong to God alone, it is not difficult for us to conquer the whole world.
“The Promised Messiahas used to say that if even 40 believers stood up, they could conquer the whole world. Those who cannot do it, keep on praying that may God Almighty create 40 such believers about whom the Promised Messiahas said that they can conquer the world.” (Ibid, p. 469)
After this, in his Friday Sermon of 7 December 1934, Huzoorra stated that nobody can instantly jump from the ground onto the roof, instead, one has to use a staircase. Similarly, in our scenario, the already mentioned demands are the first step of this staircase.
Huzoorra stated that in every aspect of the scheme, he had taken into account certain issues which he had not yet disclosed.
Tahrik-e-Jadid and progress of Ahmadiyyat
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, today we can all witness that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is continuously moving forward and progressing at all times, for which Tahrik-e-Jadid has a great role to play.
Tahrik-e-Jadid was a heavenly scheme, which revolutionised the whole world. During his Friday Sermon on 13 December 1935, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says:
“Do not ever think that Tahrik-e-Jadid is from myself. No, I can prove each and every word of it from the Holy Quran and show every command from the sayings of the Holy Prophetsa. But for this, a reflecting mind and a believing heart is needed. So do not think that what I have said is from me, but it is He in Whose hands your life lies.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 16, p. 818-819)
During his speech delivered on 31 July 1938, Huzoorra said:
“Tahrik-e-Jadid is not a new movement. In fact, it is the same early movement that was initiated by the Holy Prophetsa, 1,350 years ago. According to the Gospel’s phrase, it is an old wine, which is being offered in new pots. But it is not the wine that corrupts and beguiles the human intellect; rather, it is the wine about which the Holy Quran says:
لَا فِیۡہَا غَوۡلٌ وَّ لَا ہُمۡ عَنۡہَا یُنۡزَفُوۡنَ
[Wherein there will be no intoxication, nor will they be exhausted thereby. (Surah al-Saffat, Ch.37: V.48)]
“That is, drinking this wine will not cause headaches or cause one to utter nonsense, because its source is the divine nur that Muhammad Rasulullahsa brought into the world.” (Al Fazl, 16 June 1959, p. 2)
During his Friday Sermon on 27 November 1942, Huzoorra said:
“We need men. We need money. We need determination and perseverance and we need prayers that will shake the throne of God Almighty; the combination of all these things is called Tahrik-e-Jadid. Tahrik-e-Jadid has been initiated so that we can accumulate such funds which could help us in easily and conveniently conveying the name of God Almighty to the corners of the world.
“Tahrik-e-Jadid has been initiated for this purpose, that there should be people who dedicate themselves for the propagation of the religion of God and spend their lives in this task. Tahrik-e-Jadid has been launched so that that determination and stability may be created in our Jamaat, which is necessary to be found within working jamaats. […]
“Members of the Jamaat are proud that Sahibzada Abdul Latif Sahibra Shaheed sacrificed his life for the Jamaat. However, we do not need only a single Abdul Latif to revive the Jamaat; instead, hundreds of Abdul Latifs are needed who should go out to different countries and sacrifice their lives for Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Unless [people like] Abdul Latif are born in every country and every region, the grandeur and majesty of Ahmadiyyat cannot be established until that time.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 23, pp. 522-525)
During his Friday Sermon on 18 January 1952, while shedding light on the objectives of Tahrik-e-Jadid, Huzoorra said:
“The work of Tahrik-e-Jadid is neither limited to a few years, nor the duty of a few people only, but rather this scheme has been initiated to achieve the victory of Islam over all other religions – which is the core objective behind the establishment of Ahmadiyyat. […]
“During the Latter-Days, Islam was to pass through difficult times [according to the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa], which would have ‘damaged’ its greatness and glory, and the opponents would have the opportunity to raise allegations against Islam and to disrespect it. After that, Islam was destined to regain its glory and reach such a position that would make the opponents disappointed.
“And the responsibility [to help Islam regain its glory and greatness] lies on everyone who claims to be a Muslim and Ahmadi. Therefore, in regards to the task of achieving Islam’s victory over the entire world and the spread of Ahmadiyyat, a Muslim and Ahmadi can never say that ‘it is someone else’s duty, not mine’. This is the duty of every Ahmadi and it will continue in every era till the Day of Judgement. […]
“The only method to achieve the victory of Islam over all other religions is to perform tabligh. […] This is the Jihad which is incumbent upon the Muslims forever. […] The Jihad which was presented by the Promised Messiahas and which is being followed by us [in this era] can never end. […] Jihad means to reform oneself and to carry out tabligh for converting people to Islam. […]
“You should tell every Ahmadi that those who participate in [the sacrifices under the scheme of] Tahrik-e-Jadid, in fact, fulfil the purpose behind the establishment of Ahmadiyyat. […] We will have to offer sacrifices for the sake of Islam since our God has entrusted to us the responsibility [to propagate Islam to all corners of the world].” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 33, pp. 12-16)
Tahrik-e-Jadid created a great revolution among the Ahmadis and strengthened their zeal for the faith. But at the same time, it had an extraordinary impact on others as well. Many newspapers wrote about it. The newspaper, Inqilab (of Lahore), wrote:
“The Imam of Ahmadis has ordered his followers not to go to the cinema, theatre, circus, etc. for the next three years. They should adhere to simplicity in food and clothing. They should not have new clothes made unnecessarily. For now, wherever possible, they should use the current clothes and donate towards preaching.
“The Muslims, who have started a campaign against Qadianis nowadays, should take advantage of this opportunity and take an oath from Muslims that they will not go to the cinema in the future. They will not go to the theatre. They will not watch the circus. They will not make new clothes except under extreme necessity. One meal will only have one salan [curry] and they will definitely donate some amount of chanda every month for the propagation of Islam.
“If the competition [between Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis] is in such a way that it benefits the nation [Muslim Ummah], then subhanallah! How wonderful it would be if those Muslims, who did not pay attention to their economic reforms despite the hue and cry of their leaders, pay attention to it, even just for the sake of opposing Qadianis.” (Akhbar Inqilab [of Lahore], 4 December 1934, Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 7, p. 33)
Conclusion
The series of victories achieved by Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya through Tahrik-e-Jadid still continues and more great victories are yet to be achieved. But the condition for this is that we all abide by the demands outlined by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and clarified and reiterated repeatedly by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. May Allah the Almighty enable us all to do so. Amin
اِک وقت آئے گا کہ کہیں گے تمام لوگ
ملّت کے اس فدائی پہ رحمت خدا کرے
“The time will come when everyone will say, ‘May God have mercy on this devotee of the nation.’”