The institution of Wasiyyat is now established worldwide, but here we recall the person remembered in the Jamaat as “Musi No. 1”: Hazrat Baba Muhammad Hasan Sahib (ra), who became widely known as “Baba Hasan Muhammad”. He was born in 1870 in Ujlah, District Gurdaspur. He accepted Ahmadiyyat in the early years and later migrated to Qadian in 1902 so that he could remain close to the Promised Messiah (as). During the earliest days of Al-Wasiyyat, several sincere Companions responded with remarkable devotion; however, Hazrat Baba Sahib’s (ra) Wasiyyat was the first to be formally accepted under the rules of the Nizam-e-Wasiyyat. On 5 March 1906, his Wasiyyat was approved for one-fifth of his property and he was thus granted the lasting honour of being remembered as the first musi. His only son, Hazrat Maulvi Rahmat Ali Sahib (ra) was also devoted to the service of faith and was blessed with the opportunity to serve for a long period as a missionary in Java and Sumatra. Detailed narrations of Hazrat Baba Muhammad Hasan Sahib’s (ra) life may be read in Al Fazl, Lahore, 23, 26, 27 and 28 September 1950.
Following his demise in 1950, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) wrote an obituary in Al Fazl. Its English rendering is presented below.
“‘Musi No. 1 – Baba Hasan Muhammad Sahib has also passed away’
“News has been received from Rabwah that Baba Hasan Muhammad Sahib, one of the early Companions of the Promised Messiah (as), passed away on Thursday at 7 pm at the age of 80.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
“‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.’
“The late Baba Sahib was a resident of Ujlah, District Gurdaspur. He was a member of a special group of Companions consisting of six devoted individuals. Among them was his close relative, Mian Abdul Aziz Sahib (ra) and the three well-known brothers from Sikhwan, near Qadian: Mian Jamal-ud-Din Sahib (ra), Mian Imam Din Sahib (ra) and Mian Khair Din Sahib (ra). These six elders had the honour of taking bai‘at at the hand of the Promised Messiah (as) in the early days and remained steadfast upon their pledge with sincerity and perseverance until the end. During the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (as), they would often travel to Qadian together.
“It is recorded that once, during a stay in Gurdaspur, when the Promised Messiah (as) was unwell, Mian Abdul Aziz Sahib (ra) served him throughout the night with such devotion that he remained awake the entire time. Later, the Promised Messiah (as) remarked that God had greatly blessed them, for while Prophet Jesus (as) repeatedly urged his disciples to pray during the incident of the cross and they kept falling asleep, here, even when repeatedly asked to rest, Munshi Abdul Aziz Sahib did not sleep for even a moment and remained engaged in service throughout the night.
“Baba Hasan Muhammad Sahib (ra) was the father of Maulvi Rahmat Ali Sahib, the [pioneer] missionary in Java. He was among that blessed group of six who were granted the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat in its earliest days. Thereafter, every new day of his life brought him closer to God. It is indeed sorrowful that the Jamaat is rapidly losing such sincere Companions, while many among the new generation have yet to learn the lesson of faithfulness without which no divine community can truly prevail.
“Baba Sahib devoted almost his entire life to preaching, guiding others and teaching the Holy Quran. His style of preaching was so engaging that simple village folk would greatly enjoy and benefit from it. I estimate that hundreds of women learned to read the Holy Quran and acquired religious knowledge from him. Even in his later years, when he was residing in Chiniot by the instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra], several non-Ahmadi women also attended his lessons. It is said that upon his demise, they wept as children grieve over the loss of a kind and affectionate father.
“Perhaps his greatest distinction, however, was that he was granted the honour of being the first musi. When the Promised Messiah (as) initiated the scheme of Al-Wasiyyat in early 1906, Baba Hasan Muhammad Sahib (ra) was the very first to respond and thus his Wasiyyat was registered as number one. Another distinction is that his only son, Maulvi Rahmat Ali Sahib was granted one of the longest opportunities among missionaries to serve abroad, having spent over 25 years preaching in Java and Sumatra. Naturally, a righteous father shares in the virtues of his offspring.
“May Allah grant the late Baba Sahib a place under the shade of His grace and mercy and may He be the Protector and Helper of his progeny. Amin.”
(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl, 25 July 1950)