This Week in History: 9-15 February

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

9 February 1878: An article written by Dayananda Saraswati on the subject of souls being eternal was published by the Arya Samaj in newspapers such as Wakeel, Hindustan, etc., on 7 December 1877. In response, the Promised Messiah^as rigorously challenged Swami Dayananda’s views on souls and effectively countered the Arya Samaj’s criticisms of Islam. Huzoor’s^as deep commitment to serving Islam was evident in these articulate responses, which were serialised in the Safir-e-Hind newspaper from 9 February to 9 March 1878. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 153)

9 February 1945: On this day, the National College Lahore hosted an event highlighting the importance and need for unity between Sikhs and Muslims. Giani Wahid Hussain Sahib, an Ahmadi orator, raised important points to be considered on the matter. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 9, p. 559)

10 February 1925: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra initiated a special fund to broaden tabligh in Europe and invited Jamaat members to donate 100,000 rupees towards this cause. Ahmadis contributed the required amount within three months. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 515)

10 February 1956: A barrister from the Baháʼí faith said that as Islamic teachings and the sharia were now redundant [God forbid], the new constitution of Pakistan was made from Baháʼí teachings that filled the gap of Islam’s inability to construct a constitution. On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra strongly condemned this false and baseless claim through logical and irrefutable arguments. Moreover, Huzoor^ra challenged members of the Baháʼí faith to show the teachings that were supposedly not present in the Holy Quran and were contained in the Baháʼí faith. He also urged that they present the teachings of the Holy Quran that were, according to them, not applicable in this age. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 17, p. 390)

10 February 1980: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^rh began his journey from Rabwah towards Karachi, Sindh, where he stayed till 8 March. (Al Fazl Rabwah, 11 February 1980, p. 1)

11 February 1955:  On this day, a delegation representing Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya UK met the Prime Minister of Ceylon in London and presented a copy of the English translation of the Holy Quran to him. The Birmingham Post and other newspapers published this event. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 17, p. 312)

11 February 1956: On this day, Talim-ul-Islam College Rabwah students got to attend a talk by successful journalist, writer, and poet, Abdul Majeed Salik. The title of his speech was “The evolution of my poetry”. Talim-ul-Islam College was the centre of academic and literary events in the country. In February 1956, the college organised speech competitions in which teams from different colleges of Punjab participated. Among the eminent writers and journalists of the country, Naresh Rizvi, Chaudhry Abdul Rashid Tabassum and Abdul Majeed Salik were invited to Rabwah to act as judges. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 18, p. 346)

11 February 1975:  The Ahmadiyya Mission in Japan was established in June 1935, when Sufi Abdul Qadeer Sahib was sent there as the first missionary. Owing to multiple reasons, this mission could remain fully functional, but it was later revived in the blessed era of the Third Khilafat when, in September 1969, Abdul Hameed Sahib was sent as a missionary. On this day, Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib reached Japan to take charge of the mission. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 3, pp. 658-661)

11 February 1988: On this day, during his tour of Africa, while in Ghana, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh granted an audience to the country’s president. Huzoor^rh also prayed at the grave of Mahdi Appah, who was a respected local chief and among the pioneer locals who accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat in Ghana. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 845)

11 February 2014: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa delivered the keynote address at the Conference of World Religions, which was organised by Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya UK as part of its centenary celebrations at the famous Guildhall in the City of London. The theme of the much-anticipated event was “God in the 21^st Century.” Around 500 delegates attended the conference, including faith leaders from various countries, politicians, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, academics, and representatives of various NGOs. The conference also received messages of support from the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Dalai Lama, David Cameron (then prime minister of the UK), and several other dignitaries. (“Historic Conference of World Religions Held at Guildhall, London”, www.pressahmadiyya.com)

12 February 1946: On this day, the Arya Samaj’s Delhi chapter convened an interfaith conference where Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata Jalandhari^ra also delivered a speech.

Tej newspaper published a summary of his speech. The title for this conference was “My religion is not an obstacle to the development of the country.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 9, p. 619)

13 February 1835: On this day, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi,was born to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtaza and Hazrat Chiragh Bibi. It was a Friday and according to the Hijri Calendar, it was 14 Shawwal 1250 AH. The Promised Messiah^as was born at the break of dawn in Qadian. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 48)

13 February 1953: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra discussed preemptive measures for the establishment of peace during the violent anti-Ahmadiyya agitations in Pakistan. Huzoor^ra said that if the opponents won, then Ahmadis would be proven false, but as they were truthful, Ahmadiyyat would prevail. Huzoor^ra also instructed all Ahmadis to remain where they were during the agitations. (Al Fazl, 15 February 1953)

13 February 1955: On this day, a famous Italian academic and linguist visited Rabwah and enjoyed the blessed audience of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra during his short stay. (Al Fazl, 15 February 1955, p. 1)

14 February 1925: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, advised the Muslims of India concerning communal representation at the elections. His suggestions proved to be of great benefit, especially considering India’s political backdrop at the time. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 517)

15 February 1920: In response to the New Year’s Message from the then British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra delivered a lecture on this day at the Bradlaugh Hall in Lahore, titled “Kiaa dunya ke amn-o-amaan ki buniyad Isa’iyyat par rakhi ja sakti hay?” – Could the foundation of world peace be laid on Christianity?

For more details, see “Response to an appeal of British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s lectures in Lahore and Amritsar, 1920”, www.alhakam.org.

15 February 1960: On this day, the supervisor of the Ahmadiyya mission in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sheikh Amri Ubaidi Sahib was elected as the mayor of Dar es Salam. He was the first native African to be chosen as mayor of the capital of Tanzania at the time. (Al Fazl, 11 December 1998)