14 May 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra received an invitation from the organisers of the Wembley Conference, London. Huzoorra wrote a detailed letter to the Jamaat for mutual consultation and also elaborated on the background and different aspects of the proposed tour.
Huzoorra wrote that people of many walks of life were scheduled to attend and “in relation to this conference, it is said that even in the next 100 years, it will be difficult for the English people to hold an event of this calibre.”
At the end of this letter, the following note was made:
“Note: It seems appropriate, for the time being, that the subject of this letter should be limited to Jamaat members only. Khaksar, Rahim Baksh MA, Afsar Dak.”
14 May 1932: Mirza Muhammad Ashraf Balanvi Sahib completed his tenure as auditor and muhasib of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. On his retirement, a farewell dinner was held. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra graced this event with his presence and an address.
Mirza Muhammad Ashraf Sahib joined the office on 1 January 1907. He possessed extraordinary expertise in mathematics. It was Mirza Muhammad Ashraf Sahib who suggested that the Jamaat should establish provident funds. From this money, the Jamaat was able to purchase the magnificent building adjacent to Masjid Aqsa in which some offices were later shifted.
Huzoorra, in his speech, stated that although the Jamaat’s system was currently very limited, a time would come when the progress of the world would rely on this system. And along with spiritual progress, material progress would also be in the Jamaat’s control.
16 May 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra conducted a shura on this day after Asr prayer in Masjid Mubarak, Qadian and discussed with representatives the invitation received from the Wembley Conference.
Al Fazl reported that on 16 May, after the Asr prayer, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra called an Aam Majlis-e-Shura in which every Ahmadi had the opportunity to give his view. At last, voting was held on that matter and the votes in favour of the matter were far more than the votes against it. Huzoorra stated that he would not disclose his view until the viewpoints of the other Jamaat members living outside Qadian.
16 May 1938: On this day, Hussain Bibi Sahibara, the mother of Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra, passed away.
Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra wrote a book, My Mother, in which he narrated events and incidents of his mother’s life. Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khan’sra mother’s life and high spiritual status is mentioned in this very interesting and faith-inspiring book, which can be found at www.alislam.org/book/my-mother/
16 May 1948: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra wrote a pamphlet under the title, Al-Kufru Millatun Wahidah, on the establishment of the Jewish state, published in Al Fazl of 21 May 1948 (pp. 3-4). In this thought-provoking account, Huzoorra expressed his cordial desire for unity within the Muslim ummah. This message was so powerful and in need of the call of the time that almost all Arab states widely circulated it on various media platforms. Syrian radio stations aired its summary and many Arabic newspapers published its excerpts, including Al-Yaum, Al-Akhbar, Al-Nasr and Al-Urdan.
17 May 1935: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was in Hyderabad, Sindh. He led the Jumuah prayer here and later that day, delivered a lecture in a hall. Huzoorra, whilst delivering a very fluent speech, paused for 1-2 seconds. This pause was felt by all Ahmadis there. In actuality, some saints of Sindh had made prophecies in regard to the Imam Mahdi. Among the signs of the Imam Mahdi, one was pause or stammer in speech, which was a specific sign of the Promised Messiahas. This sign was fulfilled on this occasion, during Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra speech.
17 May 1946: Two Ahmadi missionaries – Malik Ataur Rahman Sahib and Chaudhry Ataullah Sahib – reached Paris, France to establish a mission there. They rented a room in a hotel and commenced their preaching activities.
17 May 1975: Hazrat Malik Mahmud Abdullahra passed away on this date. Hazrat Malik Mahmud Abdullahra was a companion of the Promised Messiahas and was the elder brother of Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rehmanra, then amir of Jamaat Qadian. His body was brought to Rabwah, from Qadian, on 18 May. His janazah was led after the Asr prayer in Masjid Mubarak.
18 May 1952: The Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Karachi held its annual convention. Opponents tried their utmost to incite the gathering, but after failing in their efforts, they resorted to violence and set the Jamaat’s property and building, especially the library, on fire. The next day, the chief commissioner of Karachi shared the details of the attack with the media. Moreover, some newspapers also denounced the actions of the miscreants and foes of the Jamaat.
19 May 1952: Mahmud Abdullah Shaboti Sahib reached Rabwah from Aden to acquire religious education. He enrolled in Jamia Ahmadiyya on 25 May. He devoted his life to the cause of Islam in February 1960 and after completion of his studies in Rabwah, returned to Aden in August 1960 as a missionary.
In those days, it was difficult to get permission for a missionary to come from Rabwah to Aden and to live there. The local Jamaat, in Aden, consulted and sent this young boy to acquire religious education. This boy, on return to Aden, started a magazine, Al-Islam, and occupied himself in introducing the Jamaat in academic circles.
19 May 1955: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was in Zurich and sent greetings of Eid to members of the Jamaat through a telegram.
“Eid Mubarak to all Ahmadis of Pakistan, India and around the world. I pray for the removal of their worries and problems and their spiritual progress”.
20 May 1922: An English newspaper, Al Bushra, commenced its publication from Qadian. Chaudhry Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, a teacher of Talim-ul-Islam High School, was its proprietor and manager.
20 May 1950: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra instructed that in the Jamaat’s literature, the family of the Promised Messiahas should be remembered by the name of “Khandan Hazrat Masih-e-Maud [family of the Promised Messiah]” instead of “Khandan-e-Nabuwat [Family of Prophethood]”.
20 May 1953: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra introduced a project for compiling and preserving the history of the Jamaat. Huzoorra asked for 12,000 rupees for the expenses of the venture and assigned Mahasha Fazl Hussain Sahib on this task.
Later, on 25 June, this task was handed over to Maulana Dost Muhammad Shahid Sahib, who remained tirelessly occupied in it till his last days. Huzoorra specifically oversaw and guided the department. From the start, Huzoorra had instructed that a weekly report needed to be provided. Apart from the days of Huzoor’sra tour of Europe, these reports were being presented to him regularly. He would look at the reports and sometimes make some remarks and grant instructions in writing or, at times, verbally. Some instructions would be written by Hazrat Syeda Umm-e-Matin Sahiba, as per Huzoor’s instructions.
