This Week in History: 6–12 September

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

6 September 1934: Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad^rh embarked on his journey to England to pursue higher studies at Oxford. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra penned a thirty-page set of guidelines and instructions. Additionally, Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begum^ra wrote a heartfelt poem filled with prayers, commencing with the following lines:

جاتے ہو مِرى جان خدا حافظ و ناصر

اللہ نگہبان خدا حافظ و ناصر

The voyage concluded on 22 September, upon reaching his destination. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 6, p. 187)

6 September 1947: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra chaired a pivotal session of Majlis-e-Shura in Lahore to address the challenges that arose following the Partition of India. Over the course of about five hours, Huzoor^ra provided a comprehensive roadmap for the Jamaat to navigate these turbulent times. The session, held at Ratan Bagh, Lahore, was attended by around 150 delegates and resulted in the adoption of six key resolutions to address the situation concerning Qadian and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat at large. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 10, p. 46)

7 September 1927: On this day, a session of the Unity Conference in Simla took place at the hall of Brahmo Samaj Mandir under the chairmanship of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. During this session, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra delivered a significant address, advocating in favour of the Muslims’ demand for a separate electorate. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 614)

7 September 1974: On this day, the National Assembly of Pakistan, through a constitutional amendment, declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims.

For a deeper understanding of this significant event, refer to Husain Haqqani’s book Reimagining Pakistan and see “1953-1974: A story of a state turning against its citizens” at alhakam.org (6 September 2019, pp. 8-9).

7 September 2016: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa inaugurated the Subhan Mosque in Mörfelden-Walldorf, Hessen, Germany. (“New Ahmadiyya Mosque opened in Morfelden-Walldorf, Germany, by Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community”, www.pressahmadiyya.com)

8 September 1894: On this day, the Promised Messiah^as notified Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahman^ra through a letter that he had received his financial contribution. He shared that a new book, Anwar-ul-Islam, along with an important announcement regarding Abdullah Atham, was being printed with the support of his donation. In this letter, Hazrat Ahmad^as kindly provided a summary of the book and details of the prophecy concerning Atham for Hazrat Seith Sahib^ra. On the same day, the Promised Messiah^as responded to a letter from Hazrat Munshi Rustam Ali^ra, informing him of the favourable outcome ordained by God Almighty in the matter of Abdullah Atham. Huzoor^as mentioned that to clarify the entire situation, he had prepared an announcement, and 5,000 copies were being printed and would be sent to him soon. Hazrat Ahmad^as encouraged him to rejoice, as God had manifested a clear sign in favour of Islam through the victory of the Muslim camp. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, 2008, Vol. 2, pp. 331-333, 603)

8 September 1928: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra delivered the concluding dars of the Holy Quran at the Aqsa Mosque in Qadian, marking the end of a month-long series of Quranic duroos. The dars extended from morning until noon. After completing the final dars, Huzoor^ra led the congregation in silent prayer and distributed prizes to those who had achieved exemplary results in an examination based on the duroos. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p. 59)

9 September 1966: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^rh declared a spiritual jihad against harmful customs and innovations. He instructed:

“I direct the attention of the Nazarat Islah-o-Irshad to gather all the harmful customs and innovations found in various regions of our country and to ensure that our Ahmadi brothers and sisters remain free from these customs and innovations.” (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 1, pp. 375-386)

9 September 1983: On this day, during his tour of the Far East, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh delivered the Friday Sermon in Singapore. On the same day, Huzoor^rh also laid the foundation stone for a new mosque there. This marked a historic first, as it was the first time any Khalifatul Masih had toured that region. (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 2, pp. 465-478)

9 September 1988: During the Africa tour, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh delivered his Friday Sermon in Tanzania on this day. On the same day, Huzoor^rh also gave a lecture to students and faculty at the renowned University of Dar-es-Salaam. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 850 and Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 7, pp. 617–624)

10 September 1982: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh inaugurated the Basharat Mosque in Spain by delivering the Friday Sermon and leading the prayer. Following the sermon, Huzoor^rh took bai‘at. Later in the day, at 5:30pm, he addressed a press conference, and at 7pm, the formal inauguration ceremony took place. During this event, Huzoor^rh delivered a speech to an audience of over 2,000 guests from 40 countries.

10 September 1983: During his tour of the Far East, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh was in Singapore on this day. Huzoor^rh presided over the historic session of the first-ever Majlis-e-Shura of the Jamaat in Singapore, with delegates from Indonesia and Malaysia also in attendance. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 825-826)

11 September 1927: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra delivered a lecture at the Elphinstone Hall in Shimla and made the Muslims aware of their individual and national responsibilities.

For more details, see “Communal harmony, Unity Conference and Muslim rights: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s 1927 visit to Shimla” at alhakam.org (24 February 2023, pp. 13-16).

12 September 1931: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra attended the first day of a two-day session of the Kashmir Committee held in Sialkot. He participated in both days of the session. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p. 482)

12 September 1959: On this day, the Noor Mosque in Frankfurt, Germany, was inaugurated by Hazrat Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan^ra. The foundation stone of this mosque had been laid earlier by Chaudhry Abdul Latif Sahib, the In-Charge of the German Mission, on 8 May 1959. The opening of the mosque received coverage from the German press, including publications like Frankfurter Rundschau. The mosque’s design was created by Mr Zafrullah Knaak, and the construction was completed under the supervision of Mr Schmidt. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 20, p. 525)