This Week in History: 28 May – 3 June

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    28 May 1934: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra commenced his journey towards Lahore. Huzoorra was to deliver two lectures in Lahore at the request of the Punjab Literary League, whose administrators belonged to Punjab University. 

    The first lecture was given at the hall of YMCA situated at Mall Road on 31 May 1934 at 8:30 pm. The title of the address was The Status of Arabic in the Lingual World. The session was presided by Dr Barkat Ali Sahib Qureshi MA PhD, Principal Islamia College. Many had started arriving at 7 pm. The Hall was completely full at the start of the lecture and those who came late had to go back. The lecture continued for one and a half hour. 

    The second lecture was held at Town Hall on 2 June. This hall was bigger than the previous one and with a capacity of 1,000. Huzoor’sra lecture continued nearly for two hours. The topic was Is Not Man in Need of a Religion? 

    29 May 1942: Sobaidor Khush Haal Khan Sahib was martyred in Sawabi, a city in North-Western part of present-day Pakistan. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, mentioned him during his Friday Sermon of 7 May 1999. Huzoorrh stated that Sobaidor Khush Haal Khan Sahib was very fond of tabligh. He faced severe opposition in his village, Meeni Tahsil Sawabi, District Mardan, due to being an Ahmadi. He was attacked after offering the Friday prayer in Topi area. Some unknown persons opened fire at him. The murderers left a letter on the spot in which they stated, “Leave the Qadiani religion, do not damage the religion of the Holy Prophetsa, otherwise all of you will be murdered.” 

    29 May 1951: Lala Malawamal Sahib passed away in Qadian on this day. He used to spend his time in the company of the Promised Messiahas and witnessed many heavenly signs and even travelled with him on many journeys. 

    It was Lala Malawamal who, at the behest of the Promised Messiahas, had the ring with the inscription:

    أَلَيْسَ‭ ‬اللّٰهُ‭ ‬بِكَافٍ‭ ‬عَبْدَهُ

    made from a jeweller in Amritsar.

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    Lala Malawamal would often help the Promised Messiahas and would be tasked with various duties. On some occasions, Huzooras would give some pages of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya to Lala Malawamal for him to take to the press in Amritsar and get published. 

    29 May 1968: On this date, Hazrat Maulvi Fazl-ud-Dinra, a companion of the Promised Messiahas, passed away. He was born in 1886 and did bai‘at in 1901. He was a pious man and a selfless person. By profession, he was a prominent jurist, a renowned researcher and author. 

    In September 1907, the Promised Messiahas initiated the scheme for life devotion. A condition for a person who dedicated his life in this way was that they would not demand anything for their work and would continue preaching even if one had to live by eating the leaves of trees.

    Hazrat Maulvi Fazl-ud-Dinra was among the first group to respond to this pioneering movement. He was listed as number 11 on the preliminary list of those who dedicated their lives to this service. 

    30 May 1969: On this date, Hazrat Hafiz Abdul Samira, a companion of the Promised Messiahas, passed away. He was born in 1889 and did bai‘at in 1897. As a child, he had the opportunity to visit Qadian and enjoy the spiritual atmosphere there. He would frequently listen to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin’sra dars-ul-Quran.

    Once, he narrated that mostly at around two or three o’clock at night, Huzooras would call him and he would immediately wake up upon hearing this call and be tasked with various duties. 

    31 May 1914: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra nikah with Hazrat Amatul Haye Begum Sahibara was announced by Hazrat Syed Sarwar Shahra. She was the daughter of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. The dowry was set for 1,000 rupees. 

    Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was foretold in a divine vision about this proposal during the life of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. This was his second nikah. 

    1 June 1957: The magazine, Tashheez-ul-Azhan started its publication as an organ of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Markaziya in Pakistan. Previously it was a rich research journal, on oriental and religious topics, founded by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, from Qadian. 

    1 June 1970: On this date, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh returned to England from his tour of Spain. 

    Huzoorrh went to Spain on 25 May 1970. Members of his convoy included, Hazrat Begum Sahiba, Sahibzada Mirza Mubarak Ahmad Sahib, Chaudhry Zahoor Ahmad Bajwa Sahib, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Sahib, Muhammad Saleem Nasir Sahib and Bashir Ahmad Rafiq Sahib.

    Reporting this journey, Bashir Ahmad Rafiq Sahib stated that the journey on the plane took two hours. As they approached Madrid, they sensed a sort of anxiousness in Huzoorrh. When Madrid’s airport became visible, Huzoorrh said, “I can hear the stomping hooves of Tariq’s horses. Can you also hear them?” Huzoorrh repeated this sentence two or three times.

    During this journey, Huzoorrh stayed in Madrid for two days. He then went to the centre of Islamic culture, Al-Andalus, and then reached Cordoba on 27 May. He stayed in a hotel and visited the grand mosque of Cordoba. The following day, Huzoorrh went to Granada and visited the Alhambra palace. During this journey, he went to Toledo as well, which was the capital of Spain until 1560. 

    2 June 1948: After the partition of India, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra instructed that books from Qadian’s Library should be shifted to Chiniot as soon as possible. Upon this, the concerned officials transferred this treasure to Chiniot, until mid-June of that year.  

    3 June 1947: Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra passed away. He was a noble companion of the Promised Messiahas, principal of Jamia and mufti of the Jamaat.

    Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra was given the title of “Ghazanfar” by the Promised Messiahas. He was a descendant of Hazrat Syed Abdul Qadir Jilanirh

    Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra was born in 1855. He left his homeland at the age of 13 for the sake of acquiring knowledge. At the beginning of 1897, he accepted Ahmadiyyat and in 1901, he settled permanently in Qadian where he was able to render services for 46 years. 

    On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas said to Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra that he observed, on the basis of divinely endowed insight, that there was right-mindedness and righteousness in him.

    The Promised Messiahas used to send him as a representative of the Jamaat on various occasions. The Promised Messiahas offered prayers behind him, and also honoured Maulvi Sahib’s exegesis of the Quran with his certification and made special arrangements for its publication.

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    Right to left: Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata Jalandhari, Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra and Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh

    Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra also had the opportunity to accompany the Promised Messiahas on many journeys. In 1907, on his request for waqf (dedicating his life for the Jamaat), Huzooras wrote, “I consider you worthy of this work.” 

    He personally witnessed many signs of the Promised Messiahas and, in this regard, his name is also mentioned in Huzoor’sas book, Haqiqatul-Wahi.

    Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was still a child when Hazrat Syed Sarwar Shahra saw in a dream that this child would attain a status of great glory. Therefore, he used to say that after this dream, whenever he would teach the young Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, he would not sit on a chair but would, instead, teach him whilst standing. 

    Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra also announced the nikah of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra with some of his wives. He delivered hundreds of speeches at the annual Jalsas and other meetings, and travelled extensively for training and preaching. He held many important positions, including nazir talim-o-tarbiyat, principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya, mufti-e-silsala, amir-e-muqami and secretary Bahishti Maqbarah. 

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    Jamia Ahmadiyya Qadian 1939-1940. Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh is seated third from right and Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra is seated on his right

    Upon his demise, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra led the funeral prayer and helped carry the coffin. 

    In his Friday Sermon of 6 June 1947, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, while mentioning the services and achievements of Hazrat Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shahra, said: “If I am envious of anyone’s hard work, it is that of Maulvi Sahib. The institution of Wasiyyat is very grateful [for the services] of Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shah Sahib.”

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