This series, Zikr-e-Habib, explores the life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and his sayings, shedding light on his noble character and the impact of his teachings on his followers and the world at large.
M Adam Ahmad, Al Hakam
The promised son of Prophet Ahmadas, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra wrote extensively on the blessed life of his father. Owing to his close relationship with the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, peace be upon him, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had the privilege to explore aspects of his character that other historians could not. Consequently, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’sra historical perspective provides a more thorough understanding of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas legacy, making it stand out as a special and priceless contribution.
To begin with, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra did not blindly pledge allegiance to his father. Rather, he set out on a quest of careful research, ultimately comprehending the high status and profound spiritual wealth ingrained in the personage of Prophet Ahmadas. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra says:
“I did not come to believe in the Promised Messiahas solely because he was my father. In fact, I made a firm vow at the age of eleven, promising myself that I would run away if, God forbid, I found him false on the basis of my research. However, his truthfulness became apparent to me and my faith increased in him. Eventually, as he passed away, my faith grew even stronger [in the Promised Messiahas].” (Al Fazl, 6 June 1924)
The aforementioned statement of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra explicates that his commitment to the Promised Messiahas and his cause was not inspired by filial ties. Likewise, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’sra chronicles of his father simply highlight the great significance of a prophet’s life and the deep wisdom encapsulated in his teachings.
Homeland and origin
Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra narrates that the name of the founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat was Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him, and he was a resident of Qadian. It is a town 11 miles from Batala railway station, 24 miles from Amritsar and approximately 57 miles east of Lahore.
Prophet Ahmadas belonged to a noble and respected family, and its lineage was traced back to Barlas, who was the uncle of Amir Timur. One of Barlas’ family members, Mirza Hadi Beg Sahib, settled in a village near the River Beas, Punjab, and named it Islampur. As time passed, Hadi Beg was designated as the Qadhi [magistrate] of the neighbouring district, so Islampur-Qadhi became the village’s name due to its association with the Qadhi. This name evolved into numerous versions depending on local dialects, until Islampur was eliminated entirely, and it became simply known as Qadian. (Sirat Hazrat Masih-e-Maudas by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, pp. 1-2)
Love for Qadian
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states that places blessed with Divine bestowments are made holy forever and Qadian is one such place. God’s chosen messenger was sent there. He spent his whole life in Qadian and loved this place. Huzoorra relates, “On one occasion, while the Promised Messiahas was in Lahore, (When he went to Lahore in the days of his last illness or in the eventual days of his life.), one day, the Promised Messiahas called me to the house [he was staying in] and said, ‘Mahmud! Look, the sunshine appears so pale.’ I found it the same as what I used to see every day, so I replied that it was no different. The Promised Messiahas said, ‘No, the sun here is somewhat pale and dim. The sunshine of Qadian is very clear and bright.’ Since the Promised Messiahas were to be buried in Qadian, he said these words, expressing his great love and affection for Qadian.” (Friday Sermon, 22 May 2015; Anwar-e-Khilafat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 3, p. 175)
Company of Prophet Ahmadas
As Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra grew older in the blessed company of the Promised Messiahas, the number of those who came to Qadian for various needs also increased. In due course, Qadian became a great place for knowledge and wisdom. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, mentioning this time of his life, states:
“Till this day, the sound of the Promised Messiah’sas voice is reverberating in my ears. I was young but my preoccupation was always to sit in the company of the Promised Messiahas and listen to his discourses.” (Fazl-e-Umar, p. 51)
Describing the benefits derived from the company of Prophet Ahmadas, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra says:
“We heard so many issues being discussed in these gatherings that thereafter, whenever we read a book of the Promised Messiahas, it seemed as if we had already heard all these things from him before. The Promised Messiahas had the habit of discussing, in the gatherings of the morning and evening, whatever he had written during that day. For this reason, we remember all his words and clearly understand their meaning, which are completely in line with the Promised Messiah’sas desire and are based on his teachings.” (Ibid.)
Hard work and active life
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra relates that though the Promised Messiahas was never inclined towards the world, he was still very hardworking and not lazy at all. He preferred solitude but never shied away from arduous endeavours, and it often happened that when he went on a journey, the Promised Messiahas would send the servant with the horse ahead and himself travel 20 to 25 kos [a kos is approximately 2 miles] on foot to reach the destination. The Promised Messiahas would mostly travel on foot and rarely mount the horse. (Sirat Hazrat Masih-e-Maudas, p. 16)
‘Fire is our servant’
During the lawsuit of Dr Henry Martin Clark, where the Promised Messiahas advised others to pray, he also asked Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Mahmudra to pray and perform istikhara [seek goodness from God Almighty]. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra narrates, “At that time, I saw in a [divine] vision that there are guards surrounding our house. I entered the house by the steps where there used to be a basement. I saw that they made Huzooras stand, and in front of him, they raised a screen of dung cakes over which they poured petrol and then tried to set it alight. But as they strike the match, it does not light up. They try it time and again but are unsuccessful. I became very worried about this spectacle. However, when I looked towards the doorsill, it was written [there]: ‘No fire can burn the men of God.’” (Fazl-e-Umar, p. 87; Al Fazl, 16 February 1968)
Absolute obedience
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra relates that he was still a child when he heard the instruction to show loyalty to the government from the lips of the Promised Messiahas. Huzoorra said, “Thereafter, I became so committed to this advice that I disagreed with my close friends on this subject. I even disagreed with several leaders of the Jamaat about it.” (Al Fazl, 30 August 2004; Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 15, p. 323)
When Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra was just a child, the Promised Messiahas instructed him not to take any food or drink from anyone. The English teacher of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali Sahibra, states:
“Now observe how this child of tender age acts upon the Promised Messiah’sas guidance. […] Huzoorra would come to my house for tuition. This house was adjoining the house of the Promised Messiahas; in fact, it was a part of the Promised Messiah’sas house. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra came to study there for three years. Whenever Huzoorra became thirsty, he would get up, go to his own house and return after having a drink. No matter how pure the water, no matter how clean the glass being offered to him, he would not drink it only because it was the instruction of the Promised Messiahas. […]
“Firstly, one can see how completely Huzoorra obeyed the instructions of the Promised Messiahas from an early age. Secondly, we see the care he took to obey the instruction.” (Fazl-e-Umar, pp. 52-53)
Kindness
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra relates that a government official once said to the Promised Messiahas in the middle of an issue that, “The people (of Qadian) are your fellow citizens, you should treat them kindly.” The Promised Messiahas replied:
“Ask this noble elder here if he missed a single opportunity to hurt me when he got the chance, and then ask him if there was even a single occasion where I had the chance to be kind to him and I did not show kindness.” (Al Fazl, 24 November 2004; Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 10, pp. 277-78)
Sublime manner of tarbiyat and edification
Sometimes, a child eats more food than is necessary, and the parents get upset and reprimand him. Even when they attempt to take it away, the child refuses to give in and becomes more insistent. During such times, the Promised Messiahas used a very different approach, and the result was also totally different. A companion of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Syed Fazl Shah Sahibra, narrates:
“One day, the Promised Messiahas was sitting in the upper storey courtyard with almonds in front of him. I was shelling the almonds when Hazrat Mian Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad[ra], who was 4 or 5 years of age at the time, came and took all the almonds and put them into his lap. Observing this, Huzooras said, ‘Mian is very good; he will not take too many. He will only take one or two. He will put all the rest back.’ When Huzooras said this, Mian Sahib[ra] quickly put all the almonds in front of me and only took one or two for himself.” (Fazl-e-Umar, p. 23)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra once went out hunting and returned with a parrot. The general Muslim public of the subcontinent considers parrot’s flesh unlawful, and many scholars oppose eating it but do not consider it forbidden. However, there is no evidence that it is deemed unlawful under Shariah, and eating it is not prohibited. Rather than plunging into these apparent complexities, the Promised Messiahas addressed the problem to Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra in such a loving manner that he not only resolved the main issue but also shed light on other matters. The Promised Messiahas said:
“It is flesh, so morally it is not forbidden to eat it. But God has not created all birds for eating. Some beautiful birds are there for us to see and enjoy, while other birds are gifted by nature to delight us with their songs. The parrot is one of them.” (Ibid., 68)
It is not kindness to allow every action of a child in any kind of situation, even if they behave irresponsibly. When Hazrat Mian Mahmud’sra mishap burnt his priceless manuscripts – which had been prepared through countless hours and nights of labour – the Promised Messiahas showed extraordinary forbearance (Sirat Masih-e-Maudas by Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira, pp. 20-21). However, the Promised Messiahas could not tolerate the naive disrespect directed towards a Muslim King who, though he had no personal relationship with Prophet Ahmadas, was martyred protecting national honour. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra narrates:
“Once, as I was standing at the door, a dog approached. At that time, there were just Huzooras in the room. I beckoned the dog, calling it, ‘Tipu! Tipu!’. ‘Aren’t you ashamed?’ Huzooras asked, emerging [out of the room] in a state of distress, adding that ‘the English have named their dogs after the names of devout Muslims due to their enmity. Beware! Never say that again!’ This was the day Tipu Sultan’s respect was firmly established in my heart, and I was just eight or nine years old at the time.” (Al Fazl, 30 August 2004)
Opposition is a blessing in disguise
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra heard many times from the Promised Messiahas that, “When people slander us, we feel pity for them as they are ruining their life hereafter. On the other hand, if they do not abuse, we still feel bad because, without opposition, the Jamaat does not make [quick] progress. Thus, we feel contented in facing abuse, so none of us should care about allegations or the foul language of the people.” (Al Fazl, 24 November 2004; Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 15, pp. 265)
Works of the Promised Messiahas
Realising the need to remind and educate people about the important works of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra gave a lecture at Jalsa Salana Qadian on 28 December 1927. This lecture was later published as a book under the title Hazrat Masih-e-Maud Ke Karnamey [Remarkable Works of the Promised Messiahas].
In this speech, Hazrat Muleh-e-Maudra delineated several contributions of Prophet Ahmadas to the cause of Islam. For instance, Proving the existence of God, Establishing a Jamaat, Removing all forms of Shirk, Explaining true nature of divine revelation, Describing works of angels, etc. (For details, see Remarkable works of the Promised Messiahas, Al Hakam, 22 March 2019, Vol. 2, Issue 53)
Conclusion
The writings and narrations of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra on the life of Prophet Ahmadas are certainly replete with rich anecdotes and vivid accounts of his father’s memories. Hence, it is impossible to present all of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra recollections, yet within the limited description above, readers will learn a great deal about the blessed character of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi.
