In the Service of Islam
ISNET Homepage | MEDIA Homepage | Program Kerja | Koleksi | Anggota
TRIBUTES TO THE FOUNDER
(BY NON-AHMADIS)
(BY NON-AHMADIS)
HAVING ACHIEVED in twenty years what others could not have done in 200 years, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, passed away on May 26, 1908, at Lahore. The last words on his tongue were, 'Allah, my beloved Allah.' To his beloved Allah he went back, to Whom he belonged. May Allah shower his choicest favours and blessings on him. Ameen!
Tributes paid to him, on his death, were galore. But we reproduce below only a few selected ones from non-Ahmadis to show what his contemporaries (other than his followers) thought, who also had watched him lead a spotlessly clean, pious and Godfearing life, and conduct almost single-handed Jihad on innumerable fronts.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was an outstanding religious leader of the subcontinent and an author, who later joined the political movement against the British, went to prison, and ultimately became, after independence, the Federal Minister of Education in the Nehru Government of India. He was acting as the editor of the Vakeel of Amritsar (Punjab), a paper of high standing, during the temporary absence of its permanent editor, Maulana Abdullah Al-Imadi, when Hazrat Mirza Sahib passed away. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad wrote the following editorial on the deceased:
'That man, that very great man, whose pen was a magic wand and whose tongue was spell-binding; that man whose brain was a complex of wonders, whose eye could revive the dying and whose call aroused those in their graves, whose fingers held the wires of revolution [moral, spiritual and religious] and whose two fists were two powerful batteries; that man who for 30 years was for the religious world an earth-shaking quake, who, like the trumpet of the doomsday, awakened those lost in the slumber of this life, left this world empty-handed. This bitter death, this cup of poison, which entrusted the deceased to the dust, will remain on thousands, nay millions, of tongues, as the words of bitter disappointment and regret. The stroke of death which slaughtered, along with one who was very much alive, the hopes and longings of many, and the wails it raises of lament, will remain in memories for a long time to come.
'The passing away of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib Qadiani is not such an event that a lesson should not be learnt from it, nor should one be content with consigning it to the passage of time to efface. Such people who cause a revolution in the religious world, or the world of intellect, do not come into this world often. These sons of history in whom it rightly takes pride are very rarely seen on the world scene, and when they do come they demonstrate to the world a revolution to remember.
'In spite of our serious differences with Mirza Sahib in respect of some of his claims and beliefs, his separation for ever has convinced the educated and enlightened Muslims that one of their very great personages has left them. And with him the mighty defense of Islam against its opponents, which was linked with his person, has come to an end. His peculiarity that he performed against the enemies of Islam the duty of a victorious general, compels us to express openly our feeling that the grand movement which for a long time defeated and trod over our enemies should be continued in the future also, and that too -if ill-fortune does not obstruct peace and good-fellowship [between Muslims]- with the compulsory partnership required by a joint duty, and in consonance with the blessed principles of Islamic consensus.
'Mirza Sahib appeared in the front line of lovers who for Islam accepted the dedication to sacrifice their time from the cradle, through the springs and autumns, to their graves in fulfilling the pledge of loyalty to their beautiful beloved (Islam). Sayyid Ahmad, Ghulam Ahmad, Rahmatullah, Ali Hassan, Wazir Khan and Abul Mansoor, these were men who were foremost and in front (in the service of Islam) and who took on its defense and were busy in that effort till the end
É
'Mirza Sahib's literature which was produced by him in his confrontation with the Christians and the Arya Samajists has received the seal of general approval. And in this peculiarity, he stands in need of no introduction. We have to recognize the value and greatness of that literature from the bottom of our hearts, now that he has completed his task. That is because the time when Islam was surrounded and was under attack from all sides cannot be effaced from our minds nor forgotten. And the Muslims who were entrusted with the safety of Islam by the Real Saviour, in this world of material means and causes, were lying flat sobbing in the aftermath of their shortcomings. And they were doing nothing for Islam, or perhaps they could do nothing. On the one hand the attacks were so virulent that the whole of Christendom was bent on blowing out the light of Islam, which alone enlightened the true reality, as it [Christendom] found it to be an obstruction in the way [of its darkness]. And the powerful forces of wiliness and wealth were behind the back of these attackers. On the other hand the weakness of the defense [of Islam] was such as if against the enemy's cannons they did not have even arrows. And counter-attack or defense did not exist whatsoever. Because, against reality and through the misfortunes of our evil deeds, the Muslims were held to be the moving spirit behind the riots of 1857, therefore in all Christian countries, particularly in England, there was a storm of political agitation against the Muslims. And the Christian missionaries exploited it no less than their ancestors who exhorted the Christians to fight the Crusades. Just about when their religious passions were about to cure their hereditary rancour of twelve to thirteen centuries by achieving its objective, the defense of Islam began, in which Mirza Sahib had a part. That defense not only shattered to pieces the initial influence which Christianity had because of its being under the protection and promotion of the Government. And thousands, nay, millions of Muslims were saved from this dangerous attack which deserved to succeed otherwise. Not only that, but the talisman of Christianity itself was blown away like smoke É
'So, this service rendered by Mirza Sahib will place the coming generations under a debt of gratitude, in that he by joining the front rank of those waging Jihad by the pen discharged their duty to defend Islam. And he has left as his memorial a literature which will last so long as the Muslims have blood running in their veins and the championship of Islam is visible as their national symbol.
'Apart from that, Mirza Sahib performed a very special service of Islam by crushing the poisonous fangs of the Arya Samaj É The writings he produced highlight the claim that they cannot possibly be overlooked however much the defense of Islam may be enlarged in future.
'Natural ability, application and dexterity, and continuous debates [with the opponents of Islam] had lent Mirza Sahib a special splendour. He had vast knowledge, not only of his own religion, but also of other religions. And he used to make use of his vast knowledge with great finesse. His preaching and persuasion had acquired such ability that the person addressed, whatever his ability or his faith, was thrown into deep thought by his spontaneous reply É It cannot be questioned that Mirza Sahib had a special ability to make Islam prevail over all other religions É It is not likely that a person of his status will be born in the religious world of Hindustan [now India and Pakistan] who would devote his highest talents like him to the study of religions.'
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who wrote the above tribute, was a master of Urdu, Persian and Arabic languages and an artist of Urdu diction. It has not therefore been easy to translate him, and we are conscious of the inadequacy of the above rendering.
The permanent editor of the paper Vakeel of Amritsar, Maulana Abdullah Al-Imadi, soon returned to his editorial chair and added his own tribute as follows on May 30, 1908:
'Although Mirza Sahib had not received systematic education in the current knowledge and theology, yet a close assessment of his person shows that he was born with a unique temperament which is not given to each and every person. By virtue of his study and upright nature, he had attained mastery over religious literature. In about 1877, when he was 35 or 36 years old, we find him charged with an unusual religious fervour. He leads a life of a true and pious Muslim. His mind is immune from the worldly temptations. He is as happy in solitude as if he were in congenial company. Even when he is in company, he is busy enjoying the pleasures of solitude. We find him restless. It appears as if he is searching for a lost thing, which has no trace in the mortal world. Islam with all its glories has so overwhelmed his person that sometimes he is holding debates with the Arya Samajists, sometimes he is writing voluminous books to highlight the truth of Islam. His debates in Hoshiarpur in 1886 were so delightful that one cannot forget their pleasant impact on one's mind. As a counterblast to other religions, he has written some unique books which expound the glories of Islam. Their perusal is so inspiring that their effect has not yet faded. His Baraheen Ahmadiyya overwhelmed the non Muslims and overjoyed the Muslims. He has given a captivating picture of religion É As to his character, there is not a trace of any blot on it. He lived a pious life. He was God-fearing all his life. In short, his fifty years of moral integrity, clean habits and sterling services to religion, raised him to the enviable position of great prominence among the Indian Muslims' (Akhbar Vakeel, Amritsar, May 30, 1908).
Ch. Afzal Haq, President, Jamiat-e-Ahrar, wrote:
'Before Arya Samaj came into being, Islam had almost been like a dead body. The Muslims had lost their sense of mission. Dayanand's endeavour to create suspicions against Islam alerted the Muslims for a while. But they soon fell into deep slumber. Among the Muslims no organization came into existence for the propagation of Islam. But there was one soul which was restless at the indifference of the Muslims. He got round him a small Jamaat and went ahead to preach Islam. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad instilled in his Jamaat an unrelaxing zeal for the propagation of Islam. This was a noble example not only for the Muslims of various sects but also an inspiration for the missionary organizations and Jamaats in the entire Muslim world, (Fitna-i-Irtidad aur Siyas Qalabazian, p. 46).
The daily Zamindar (editor, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan) wrote:
'Mirza Sahib faced the Hindu and the Christian religions very ably. His books entitled Surma Chashma-e-Arya and Chashma Masihi, etc., are very good books against the Arya Samajists and the Christians, (Zamindar, September 12, 1923).
Maulvi Noor Muhammad Sahib, Qadri Naqshbandi Chishti, wrote:
'Then Maulvi Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani stood up and challenged the churchmen and their community and said, "Christ, by whose name you swear, died like all human beings, and I am the Jesus whose advent is predicted." By this method, he made things so hot for the Nazarenes that they were hard put to make good their escape. By this very method, he put to rout the Padres both in India and England' (Preface to the commentary on the Holy Qur'an by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, p. 30, 1934 edition).
The editor of the monthly magazine Nigar wrote:
'Mirza Sahib was a passionate lover of Rasool (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and a sincere man of action. I found him a believer in the Finality of Prophethood and a lover of the Holy Prophet in the true sense of the word. I also studied his life and works and found him a man of action, courage and determination. He discerned the true significance of religion and presented Islam in the manner which is reminiscent of the times of the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the pious Caliphs' (Nigar, November 1961).
Shamsul Ulema Maulana Sayyid Mir Hassan Sahib, who was the teacher of Allama Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal, wrote:
'Hazrat Mirza Sahib came to Sialkot in 1864 during his service. He lived there. As he was a pious man, he was averse to trivial and nonsensical talk. He lived in aloofness. He did not relish meeting people as it was a sheer waste of time' (Hayat-i- Tayyebah, p . 29, compiled by Sheikh Abdul Qadir).
The same scholar said on another occasion:
'It is a pity that we did not appreciate him [Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]. I cannot describe his spiritual excellences. His life was not like the life of ordinary people but he was one of those who are special servants of Allah and come into this world only occasionally' (Al-Hakam, dated 7th April, 1934).
Doctor Sir Muhammad Iqbal, Ph.D., Barrister-at-Law, philosopher and poet of international repute, said while the Promised Messiah was still alive:
'Amongst the present Muslims of the sub-continent [now India and Pakistan] Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani is the greatest religious thinker' (magazine Indian Antiquary of September 1900).
Shamsul Ulema Maulana Sayyid Mumtaz Ali, editor of Tehzib-e-Niswan, Lahore, wrote:
'The late Mirza Sahib was a very saintly and exalted personage. And he had such spiritual power born of virtue that it could enslave the most hard-hearted persons. He was a very knowledgeable scholar, a reformer of high resolve and an exemplar of the purest life. Although we did not believe in him as the Promised Messiah, his guidance and leadership in fact performed the Messianic revival of those spiritually dead.'
Allama Niaz Fatehpuri wrote on three occasions as follows:
'Whatever I have studied so far about the Founder of Ahmadiyyat, and not only I but whoever studies the circumstances of his life and his character with sincerity and in search of the truth, he will have to admit that he [the Founder of Ahmadiyyat] was a lover of the Prophet in the correct sense, in that he had a very sincere concern and anxiety for Islam.'
'I can say without affectation that he [the Founder] was a man of unusual resolve and constancy and a man of prescience and perception.'
'Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib defended Islam well, and he did so at a time when the greatest of the Ulema could not dare to face the enemies of Islam.'
(The Nigar, Lucknow, July 1960, November 1955 and October 1 960.)
Hazrat Khwaja Ghulam Farid Sahib
This venerable saint was the Pir of Chachran Shareef (now in the Punjab). He said:
'Mirza Sahib is a good and virtuous person. He sent me a book containing the revelations received by him. That book alone shows his spiritual excellence. He is a true person in his claims. He is not a forger or a liar' (book Isharat-e-Faridi, Vol. 3, p. 42).
'Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib Qadiani is on truth. In his affair he is truthful and correct. Day and night he is engrossed in the service of Allah. And for the progress of Islam and raising aloft the matter of religion, he strives with his life. I see nothing wrong or undesirable in him. If he has claimed to be Mahdi and 'Isa (Messiah) even that is something permissible' (Isharat-e-Faridi, Vol. 3, p. 79).
'Mirza Sahib spends all his time in the service of Allah, prayer and recitation of the Holy Qur'an and similar other preoccupations. He is so resolved to champion Islam that he has invited Queen Victoria of England to accept Islam. Similarly he has invited the Kings of France, Russia, and other countries to accept Islam. All his efforts are for the purpose that the creed of Trinity and the Cross, or total disbelief or godlessness, should be finished off, and in their place the Unity of God should be established on earth. Look at the Ulema of the time that, leaving alone all false creeds, they have attacked this good man who is a complete follower of the Prophet of Allah, and he is on the right path and shows guidance to others. Such a venerable man who is perfect in all respects has been condemned as kafir [heretic] although if you see his writings they show that they are beyond the capacity of a human being. And all that he says is totally full of inner knowledge and truths, and it is wholly the path of true guidance. And he is not a disbeliever in the faith of the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat and the requirements of the religion of Muhammad' (Isharat-e-Faridi, Vol. 3' p. 66).
Maulvi Sirajuddin Sahib
He was the father of Maulvi Zafar Ali Khan, editor of the daily Zamindar of Lahore. He wrote:
'I can say from personal observation that Mirza Sahib was even in his youth a very virtuous, God-fearing and a venerable person É He was free from pretense or forgery in matters of religion É Personally we did not have the honour of believing in his claims or revelations but we consider him to be a perfect Muslim' (The Zamindar, dated 8 June 1908).
Further Tributes
Maulvi Sayyid Waheedudin, editor Aligarh Institute Gazette, wrote:
'The deceased [Mirza Sahib] wielded the sword of Islam very well against Christianity, Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj É There is no doubt that he was a great warrior of Islam' (Aligarh Institute Gazette, June 1908).
Maulvi Bashiruddin, editor Sadiqul Akhbar, Rewari (UP India), wrote:
'Because Mirza Sahib had with his forceful speeches and magnificent writings silenced the enemies of Islam for ever, after giving telling replies to all criticisms, and had proved that truth is after all the truth, and because Mirza Sahib had in fact left no stone unturned in the service of Islam and had fulfilled all the requirements of the championship of Islam, justice requires that one should condole the sudden and untimely death of such a firmly resolved defender of Islam and the helper of Islam, and an eminent and irreplaceable scholar' (Sadiqul Akhbar, May 1908).
Mirza Hairat Dehlavi, editor The Curzorz Gazette, Delhi, wrote:
'The services of the deceased which he rendered to Islam in confrontation with the Christians and the Arya Samajists deserve the highest praise. He completely changed the tone of debate. And he laid the foundation of a new literature in the sub-continent [now India and Pakistan]. Not only as a Muslim but also as a seeker after truth, we admit that the biggest Christian missionary could not dare to open his mouth against the Mirza Sahib. Although he was a Punjabi, but his pen was so powerful that today in the whole of Hind [now India and Pakistan], nobody could write so forcefully. There was a vast store of words, full of emotion and force, in his head. And when he sat down to write, there was such a flow of choice, chaste words that it is impossible to describe it É Although there is in places a tinge of the Punjabi dialect in his Urdu, even so his forceful literature is completely unique in its magnificence. And in reality some of his writings make one go into ecstasy. Among his followers there are not only common people but also very able graduates and M.A.'s, and very scholarly Ulema too. Is it not enough matter for pride that among his disciples there are scholars of both the traditional and modern kinds? He predicted the destruction of his enemies, and in the teeth of opposition and the fire of criticisms he cleared his passage and reached the zenith of progress. On every claim he made, there were exclamations of "We believe, and we attest its truth" from his disciples. And every person can draw the conclusion from these acclamations what success he achieved in his lifetime' (Curzon Gazette, June 1, 1908).
Pir Mehr Ali Shah of Golra Sharif Punjab:
'Imam Jalal-ud-Din Sayuti (may peace be on him) says that there are certain stages of spiritual progress where many servants of Allah become the Messiah and Mahdi. I cannot say whether he [Hazrat Mirza Sahib] is only at that stage or whether he is the same Mahdi promised for this Ummat [Muslim nation] by the Holy Prophet, but he [Mirza Sahib] is proving to be a cutting sword against false religions and is certainly Divinely aided' (Al-Hakam, dated June 24' 1904, p. 5).
Lastly, let us quote an eminent Christian, the British editor of the famous Pioneer of Allahabad, which was held in high esteem:
'If one of the Israelite prophets of the past could come down from heaven to preach, then in the circumstances of the twentieth century he would be as misfit as was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib of Qadian who died recently in his native Punjab É [a study of him] would have thrown a new light on the prophets of Beni Israel. But our narrow and limited horizons of thought prevent such a comparison because our religious literature is enclosed within a narrow circle É'
Even this cynical Christian writer could see the resemblance between the Promised Messiah and the prophets of Israel!
AHMADIYYAT IN THE SERVICE OF ISLAM by N.A. Faruqui Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam, Lahore, Inc. 36911 Walnut Street, Newark California 94560 USA Copyright© by Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam Lahore, Inc. 1983. First published in 1983 by the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam Lahore, Inc. (USA) 36911 Walnut Street Newark, California 94560 USA Library of Congress catalog car number: 83-71698 ISBN 0-913321-00-1 All rights reserved. Cover Design: Details of Wall Mosaics in the Mosque of El Bordeyhy (17th century) From Dover Pictorial Archive Series Arabic Art in Color (Dover 1978). Typeset by Linguatype Limited, Slough, Berks, England.
Indeks Islam | Indeks Ahmadiyyah | Indeks Lahore | Indeks Artikel | Tentang Pengarang
ISNET Homepage | MEDIA Homepage | Program Kerja | Koleksi | Anggota