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How I
Became an Ahmadi:
by Dr.
Basharat Ahmad Sahib
Translated by Anonymous
Urdu original appeared in: Paigham-e-Sulah,
7th November, 1933.
English Translation appeared in: The Light, Nov-Dec
1999, pp. 4-10
[This is
the translation of an article by Dr. Basharat Ahmad (d.
1943), a great scholar of Islam and the Ahmadiyya
Movement, prolific writer on religious subjects and
author of the famous Urdu biography of Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad entitled Mujaddid-i
Azam.]
I had been interested in religion
from childhood. Since the earliest, I always had an
overwhelming desire to benefit from the company of religious
scholars (ulama). If a maulvi or preacher
happened to be giving a lecture in our locality, I could not
restrain myself from attending it. My forefathers were
Hanafis but while I had an interest in religion I was also
greatly attracted towards investigating religious questions
and concepts.
Joining the
Ahl-i-Hadith:
Some of my acquaintances
belonged to the Ahl-i-Hadith. [Footnote:
A school of thought that held the Hadith (reported sayings
and actions) of Prophet Muhammad to be supreme over the
teachings of the traditional schools of jurisprudence.
Editor.] As a
result of my investigations I joined the Ahl-i-Hadith. I
could not understand that since there existed Hadith reports
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, how one could give preference
to the verdict of any jurist. This was the time when the
Ahl-i-Hadith were called ‘Wahhabi’
[Footnote: A
puritanical movement originating in Saudi Arabia, to which
the Ahl-i-Hadith were doctrinally similar in many points.
Editor.] and were
assaulted in mosques and evicted from them. Our family was
at that time residing in the city of Sialkot and we stayed
in the Sadar Market. I was, however, studying in town at the
Scotch Mission High School. On becoming an Ahl-i-Hadith
follower, I immediately started clasping my hands on my
chest in prayer and saying ‘Ameen’ audibly when
praying in congregation at the Sadar main Mosque.
[Footnote: These are
the minor ritual differences of the Ahl-i-Hadith and Hanafis
in performing the congregational prayer. Editor.]
The imam of the mosque, the late
Maulvi Mubarik Ali, did not object or say anything as he was
a learned man, but others in the congregation got agitated,
there was much noise and uproar and dire threats were
uttered against me. Finally the matter was reported to the
elder of my family, my grandfather. He was quite annoyed
with me. I did not argue with him, but started attending the
Friday congregational prayers at the Ahl-i-Hadith Mosque of
the town. The late Maulvi Abdul Karim used to lead the
prayers, and I had complete freedom to raise my hands
and say ‘Ameen’ in an audible manner.
Argument
with Rev. Youngson:
I have said that I used to
study in the Scotch Mission High School. In my class were
also the late Maulvi Qa’im-ud-din and the late Dr.
Sir Muhammad Iqbal, the same Dr. Iqbal who is the famous
poet and philosopher. Reverend Youngson was our Principal
and was a very intelligent Christian priest. Maulvi
Qa’im-ud-din and Dr. Iqbal would debate and argue with
Rev. Youngson during the Gospel study hour, but in the
discussions on the issue of the Messiah being still alive
and being superior to the Prophet Muhammad they could not
stand up to the reverend. On one occasion there was a
terrible calamity when the reverend Youngson quoted the
Quranic verse Ya ‘isa, inni mutawaffi-ka wa
rafi‘u-ka ilayya [Footnote:
The Quran, 3:55. This verse was generally understood as
meaning: "O Jesus, I will take you and raise you to Me".
Editor.]
as an argument in favour of the
superiority of Jesus Christ. Dr. Iqbal, being ruffled,
responded that this verse was not from the Quran. This was a
clear victory for the reverend: the verse was from
the Quran. We Muslims felt very discomfited. I fretted
within myself and sometimes, may God forgive me, I even felt
annoyed with God, that by bodily raising Jesus to the
heavens He had made the Muslims to be humiliated by the
Christians. At last, the daily criticisms of Islam by
the Christian clergymen resulted in my having doubts about
the veracity of Islam and many a time I thought that I
should leave Islam. The Arya Samaj was a new, popular
movement. Hindu boys used to boast about its merits. I
frequently thought, why not become an Arya. But the love of
Islam which had been with me since childhood did not allow
this. The scholars of Islam, whom we relied on and had
great respect for, however, provided no satisfactory
explanations.
Perusal of
the Book Fath Islam:
In 1891, during the period
when I was restless in my mind, one day I was lying in bed
in our courtyard when my paternal grandfather handed me a
book and said:
"Look at the wonder of the
fourteenth century [Footnote:
The fourteenth century of the Muslim calendar began in
1883. Editor.]
— a man, Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad of Qadian, has claimed to be a likeness of the
Messiah, and has published this book."
I took the book, which was Fath
Islam (Victory of Islam) and started reading it.
Immediately the style of writing captivated me. As I
continued reading, I felt as if the words of the book
were directly entering into my heart and soul, and when
I read the arguments and proofs showing that Jesus had died
a natural death, I jumped with joy. I read the whole
book in one sitting and flatly told my grandfather that this
man was truthful. On this he said:
"No, you are yet a child. You
have not seen our religious scholars. I hear they are
preparing a universal proclamation of kufr
(heresy) against this man."
But the truth of the book had cast its
influence upon me. I was not willing to give up belief in
the natural death of Jesus. I had received this gem after so
much wanting. The same verse, Ya ‘isa, inni
mutawaffi-ka wa rafi‘u-ka ilayya,
[Footnote:
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had shown the meaning of this
verse to be: "O Jesus, I will cause you to die and exalt
you in My presence".
Editor.]
which had always troubled me was
now beautifully satisfying my heart. The situation now in
the central market of Sialkot was that in each and every
meeting and function where people gathered Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad was under discussion, but he was invariably
opposed.
A
Dream:
I had a dream, around this
period, which in its nature was quite strange. I saw a very
tall minaret, in the top of which the Holy Prophet Muhammad
was present. I was eagerly climbing the stairs of the
minaret to meet the Holy Prophet. On my lips was the
following verse of poetry:
Some say ‘glory to
me’, some say ‘I am the truth’,
Sing your singing, this is a point for
reflection.
While reading this verse and climbing
the stairs I woke up. At that time I did not understand the
meaning of this dream. But now I know that being asked to
reflect on ‘glory to me’ and ‘I am the
truth’ referred to the concept of burooz
(someone coming as the manifestation of the Holy
Prophet), and the presence of the Holy Prophet indicated the
coming of his burooz. The significance of climbing
the minaret was exactly that mentioned in the revelation of
Hazrat Mirza sahib that the "feet of the Muhammadans would
be established firmly on a lofty minaret".
Hazrat
Mirza Sahib in Sialkot:
After some days the town was
abuzz with the news that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the claimant of
Messiahship was coming to Sialkot. Recently, we had listened
to the lectures of Maulvi Nur-ud-din of Bhera, Hafiz Abdul
Mannan of Wazirabad and Maulana Nazir Husain of Delhi who
had also visited Sialkot. On the arrival of Hazrat Mirza
sahib too, we went to town. He was staying at the house of
the late Hakim Hissam-ud-din. The street to the house was
full of people. As I and a friend squeezed our way through
the crowd, I saw Hazrat Mirza sahib leave one house and
enter the next. In that brief time, when I glanced at his
face I saw such a glimpse of saintliness and light that I
could not help feeling that this could not be the face of an
impostor; it was the radiant countenance of a truthful
man.
Hazrat Mirza sahib lead the asr
prayers in Hakim Hissam-ud-din’s mosque, and I
along with others prayed behind him. After the prayers he
sat in the doorway of the mosque. A large number of people
were present in the mosque and they asked him various
questions on religious matters. His answers were so
satisfying that one’s faith was renewed. Sitting
near me was Maulvi Abdul Karim, the imam of the Ahl-i-Hadith
mosque who had pledged allegiance to Hazrat Mirza sahib. He
said to me: Look, do you see the light upon Hazrat Mirza
sahib’s face? I confirmed that I did.
In the evening we returned home, but
my mind had been deeply impressed. When we returned the next
day, Hazrat Mirza sahib was giving a commentary on the
Sura Fatiha. Today of course every Ahmadi child knows
this particular explanation, but at that time we were
hearing it for the first time. These truths and fine
points of knowledge opened our eyes and the lectures of
other ulama which I had heard now seemed shallow.
Dr. Iqbal was at that time sitting on the roof of the
entrance of the mosque and was full of praise for this
exposition of the Quran. Hazrat Mirza sahib stayed a few
days in Sialkot and then went back. Many people in
Sialkot took the pledge, among them Maulvi Mubarik Ali, the
imam of our Sadar Mosque. This caused a great deal of
trouble in the Sadar area.
Speeches of
Maulvi Muhammad Husain Batalvi:
In the meanwhile, Maulvi
Muhammad Husain Batalvi arrived in Sialkot. He was a leading
scholar of the Ahl-i-Hadith in the Punjab and was at the
height of his fame for his knowledge and learning. His
mission was to oppose Hazrat Mirza sahib. As I was an Ahl-i-
Hadith follower, I had a special regard for him. I met him
at a dinner in Sadar, and after this there was a lecture
by him at the main mosque in Sadar which was disjointed and
not at all enjoyable. However, he read out some extracts
from a copy of [Hazrat Mirza sahib’s book]
Izala Auham, and by taking the passages out of
context and juxtaposing various passages together he gave a
completely wrong impression to the audience. For
instance, he emphasised to us that Mirza sahib had said that
there is a verse in the Quran: "Surely We have revealed it
near Qadian". He also said that Mirza sahib applied
to himself the prophecy mentioned in the verse of the Quran:
"I (Jesus) give good news of a messenger after me whose name
is Ahmad", and did not apply it to the Holy Prophet
Muhammad; that Mirza sahib says that the Quran is full of
abusive words and that four hundred prophets lied, etc. etc.
In short, this is the way he incited us against Hazrat
Mirza sahib. Little did we know that such a reputed
scholar was standing in a mosque uttering lies, and by
misquoting passages was slandering Hazrat Mirza sahib. We
were led astray by trusting the mullahs, and thus
lost the distinction of being among the first followers of
Hazrat Mirza sahib.
Thus after polluting the atmosphere of
Sialkot, Maulvi Muhammad Husain Batalvi left. With him also
went the spiritual peace I had found. The community of the
Ahl-i-Hadith in Sialkot had become fragmented and the mosque
of the Wahhabis almost desolate. A large portion of the
Ahl-i-Hadith had become Ahmadi and had shifted to Hakim
Hissam-ud-din’s Mosque. The few who were left shifted
to an old royal mosque. Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim of Sialkot,
at that time a young man, was made imam of the mosque. I
also went to say my prayers in that mosque. But his
old-style, traditional khutbas could not attract
someone who had heard the khutbas of Maulvi Abdul
Karim. One Friday was more than enough to disenchant me, and
I stopped going there.
I Meet a
Sufi:
Around this time God so
ordained that I chanced to meet a Sufi of the Chishtiyya
Sabiriyya order. Despite being of the Ahl-i-Hadith school of
thought, I had always been interested in sufism, and in his
company that interest was rekindled. I learnt from him all
the recitals and incantations practised in the Chishtiyya
Sabiriyya order. He once inquired as to my purpose in
following these practices. I replied that I wished to become
a saint. He said that I was the first person who had ever
desired to learn this from him. Generally people used
incantations for the purpose of attaining some worldly
advantage. To cut a long story short, the constant
recitation of the word "Allah" resulted in my heart
frequently feeling moved and a state of ecstasy was
regularly experienced and the thought of the name Allah
remained in my mind constantly. One day I met an atheist who
raised such objections that I lost my very faith. He said
that my entire experience was just a product of my
imagination. I went to my Sufi guide with those objections.
He replied that a Sufi keeps away from debate or discussion.
I said that in this world one cannot avoid encountering
people who hold opposing opinions. What answer, then, would
one give to such objections? He just replied that I should
continue reciting the incantations. My faith had, however,
been shaken, so how could I do the recitations? I tried but
my heart was no longer in it. In those days mesmerism was
the latest thing much talked about. My reading of books on
this subject resulted in the loss of whatever little faith I
still had. I was deeply agitated and the world seemed to be
hell for me.
I Read the
Book Barahin Ahmadiyya:
In the army garrison area of
Sialkot, Maulvi Jalal-ud-din used to teach in the army
school. He was a very righteous man and had become an
Ahmadi. One day when I went to visit him he was inside
having a wash. Outside on the bed the famous book by Hazrat
Mirza sahib, Barahin Ahmadiyya, was lying open. As I
sat on the bed my glance fell on the open page and I began
reading it. What a writing it was! It was like a soothing
balm for my wounded soul. The arguments for proving that the
Quran had been revealed by God were so powerful and
convincing that as I read on and on I felt as if a veil was
being lifted from my eyes and my faith was being revived. In
short, that day I once again felt that I was a Muslim. I
was convinced that, whether I understood the personal claims
of Hazrat Mirza sahib or not, if certainty in the truth of
Islam is to be obtained the only way is through reading his
books. This conviction grew further when in Lahore I
heard the famous lecture of Hazrat Mirza sahib at the
occasion of the Conference of Religions, which was later
published as a book entitled The Teachings of Islam.
Maulvi Abdul Karim’s delivery of the lecture had a
magnificent glory of its own. The substance of the lecture
was so lofty and full of the highest truths and deepest
knowledge that the public were listening in a daze of
wonder. The Muslims were so overjoyed that they were jumping
up from their seats. As regards myself, I felt as if the
truth and greatness of Islam was entering every fibre of my
body.
Departure
to Africa and Employment There:
On graduating from the Medical
College, I went to East Africa. There I was always in the
company of the late Dr. Rahmat Ali who was a very pious
Ahmadi. I had the opportunity and time to study Hazrat Mirza
sahib’s books and my faith in his veracity went on
growing stronger. However, some influence of the ulama
still remained upon me and their declarations of
unbelief against Hazrat Mirza sahib prevented me from
becoming an Ahmadi. On returning from Africa, I was assigned
to the Zafarwal District of Sialkot on plague duty. I read
much of the writings of Hazrat Mirza sahib both in criticism
of other religions and about his own claims. The books
A’ina Kamalat Islam and Ayyam-us-Sulh
particularly made a deep impression on me. Around this
time, an Ahl-i-Hadith maulvi became the imam of the
mosque at a nearby village. This resulted in an altercation
between the Hanafis and the Ahl-i-Hadith. The local Police
Superintendent was a staunch Hanafi. He arrested the
maulvi along with all his followers and instituted a
case against them for bail. When I heard of this, the
Ahl-i-Hadith in me was aroused. I took up their cause and
went as far as the Deputy Commissioner of Sialkot, and got
those poor fellows released. They were very thankful to me
and I started to meet them.
Ahl-i-Hadith
Maulvi gets Annoyed:
When this maulvi
realised that I was being influenced by Ahmadiyyat he
gave me the book Saif-i-Chishtiyya’i by Pir Mahr
Ali Shah and another book which was probably entitled
Shams-ul-Badaya. I read these books, especially the
arguments given in favour of the contention that Jesus was
still bodily alive in heaven. On comparison with the
arguments for the natural death of Jesus, the arguments for
Jesus being alive appeared to me to be worthless. I
flatly told the maulvi that the books that he had
given me had only served to increase my belief in the
veracity of Hazrat Mirza sahib. The maulvi was
very annoyed with me, and that was the last I saw of
him.
My
Investigations Regarding Hazrat Mirza Sahib:
I was transferred to
Shakargarh on plague duty. At a nearby village of the
Pathans, an officer Munawwar Khan had been suspended for not
assisting in the efforts against the plague. As I got to
know him, he requested that I intercede for his
reinstatement. He said:
"Previously whenever we were
in difficulties we would ask the Mirza of Qadian to pray
for us, and then by the grace of God our problem would be
solved, but now he has claimed to be Jesus Christ the son
of God. Our ulama have proclaimed him an
unbeliever and therefore we have stopped going
there."
I asked whether he personally knew
Mirza sahib. He replied:
"Yes, I know him from
childhood. He is a very righteous, godly and abstinent
man whose prayers are answered by God. We have experience
of his prayers; they work like an arrow going straight
for its target. There is no doubt that he is a great
saint. But you know that it is the saints who stumble. It
appears that at some stage in the spiritual path Mirza
sahib, like Mansur, [Footnote:
Mansur bin Hallaj, the famous mystic who proclaimed
‘ana-l Haq’ (I am the truth).
Editor.] slipped or
went astray."
I was particularly struck by what he
said. I had the opportunity to frequently go on official
duty to various areas of Gurdaspur District.
[Footnote: The
village of Qadian was located in this District.
Editor] I met Shaikh
Nur Ahmad, a chief of Batala, and various other people who
were not Ahmadis and were acquainted with Mirza sahib since
childhood. Their replies to my inquiries regarding Mirza
sahib convinced me that he was a righteous and saintly
person. I was already satisfied with regards to his
claims but I was still apprehensive about taking the pledge
(bai‘at), for opposition to Ahmadiyyat knew no
bounds.
Illness of
Mumtaz Ahmad:
My son Mumtaz Ahmad was at
that time two years old. I was appointed in Shakargarh,
District Gurdaspur, on plague duty, while my family was
residing in Amritsar. Mumtaz Ahmad contracted typhoid
fever [Note by
the webmaster: Typhoid fever did not have any treatment in
those days] so dangerous that
his temperature would not go below 105° Fahrenheit day
or night and sometimes rose even higher, and the signs and
symptoms of typhoid fever became fully apparent. The best
doctors of Amritsar were in agreement that the typhoid was
so severe that, if the boy survived, the fever would not
reduce in less than three or four weeks. I had taken one
week’s leave from work. The child was unconscious all
the time, lying like a corpse, and there appeared no hope of
survival. On the 11th day of the illness
my leave expired. The boy’s pulse was erratic and there
was no change in his fever or unconscious condition. I was
desperately worried and refused to return to duty. The
elders in my family advised me not to take such a foolish
step, as what was destined to happen would happen in any
case, and I should not risk my employment. By coincidence,
in those days Hazrat Mirza sahib’s book
Barakat-ud-dua (The Blessings of Prayer) was in
our house and my wife had read it. She said to
me:
You will have to pass through
Gurdaspur on the way back to Shakargarh. On the way is
the town of Batala. From there if you go to Qadian and
ask Hazrat Mirza sahib to pray for the child it is
possible that God may answer. Mirza sahib in his book
Barakat-ud-dua has written with great
emphasis:
O you who say that
‘if prayer is effective then show it’, where
are you? Run to me so that I show you that effect as
clear as the sun.
My First
Time in Qadian:
On hearing these words from my
wife, I immediately prepared to depart. As I was unfamiliar
with the environs of Qadian, I requested an Ahmadi friend to
accompany me. The train left Amritsar at 10 p.m. and we
reached Batala at midnight. There we hired a horse cart to
take us to Qadian. The road was in an extremely poor state
of repair. After a rough and jerky ride we reached Qadian at
two in the morning. The night was terribly dark and nothing
was visible. There were no sign of lanterns in Qadian. It
was the winter season, so the doors of the houses were
closed. There was no sign of any human being. I thought
about what Mirza sahib would be doing at this time? Would he
be sleeping comfortably or be offering the tahajjud
prayer (voluntary night prayer)? Anyway, I felt a desire
to know what he was doing at this time. My Ahmadi friend led
the way and I followed behind. In the darkness we could not
make out anything, when unknowingly, my friend pressed
against a door of Hazrat Mirza sahib’s house and it
fell open with a jolt. Hazrat Mirza sahib was offering
the tahajjud prayer. He closed his prayers with
salam just at that time and after inquiring as to our
purpose, he directed us to go upstairs to the Mubarik
mosque. On arriving upstairs we found ourselves in a small
mosque. There was a room adjoining the mosque, named
bait-ul-fikr (the contemplation room). The entire
mosque was filled with people offering the tahajjud
prayer with great humbleness and devotion. In the
room we found the late Khwaja Kamal-ud-din sleeping on a
bed. He awoke on our arrival and offered us the bed.
Thinking of the inconvenience to him, I refused, but he said
that he was now going to offer the tahajjud prayers.
So I lay down, and Khwaja sahib performed his ablutions and
was soon engrossed in prayer. But I was terribly embarrassed
lying and resting as people were praying with such
humbleness and with overflowing tears that I was feeling
ashamed of myself. But I was very tired so I fell asleep. At
4 a.m. the call was given for the morning prayers. Somebody
woke me up and offered me water for performing ablutions. I
had just performed my ablutions and offered the individual
prayers (sunnah), when the late Maulvi Abdul Karim
arrived. I was delighted to see him as he used to be imam of
our Ahl-i-Hadith Mosque at Sialkot. He also met me with
great warmth, saying: "At last you have come; yes, God
did bring you". After this I mentioned to him that my
son was critically ill and I was requesting prayers for him.
He said:
"Follow the example of the
Abraham, and for you too the call will come from
heaven:
‘O fire, be
coolness and peace for Abraham’.
God will change this fire of yours
into coolness and peace."
I was much reassured by his
words.
Meeting
Hazrat Mirza Sahib:
Just then Hazrat Mirza
sahib came out. I felt as if an embodiment of light was
standing in front of me. Maulvi Abdul Karim took me by
the arm and introduced me to Hazrat Mirza sahib in these
words: "Sir, I present before you another righteous soul". I
pray that God makes me truly worthy of these words and that
I meet a good end. Hazrat Mirza sahib shook my hands with
great warmth. As some people had spread the rumour that
Mirza sahib suffered from leprosy and that his hands were
covered by rash, I looked at his hands closely. In my own
sinful hands, it appeared to me as if his hands, bathed
in light, were like silver. Maulvi Abdul Karim only
introduced me in the words mentioned above, and in my
opinion there are no better words to introduce somebody to
the Messiah appointed by God. I therefore myself related the
details about me. We then offered the congregational
prayers. I was standing shoulder to shoulder with Hazrat
Mirza sahib and Maulvi Abdul Karim was leading the prayers.
Praying behind him was nothing new for me as I had prayed
behind him for long in Sialkot, but I had never before
experienced the grandeur with which he now recited the Quran
at Qadian. His recitation was now so perfectly eloquent, and
it penetrated the heart so much that as I listened to it my
heart melted and yearned. It is my belief this change was
due to the blessing of the Messiah, for I had long heard
Maulvi Abdul Karim’s recitation of the Quran; it had
neither possessed such eloquence, nor this penetrating
effect.
Result of
the Meeting:
After the prayers Hazrat Mirza
sahib went inside. Khalifa Rashid-ud-din had already asked
me whether I would like to meet Hazrat Mirza sahib in the
mosque or privately. I desired to meet him in private.
Shortly thereafter, Hazrat Mirza sahib invited us inside. We
entered a room in which some children were sleeping. Hazrat
Mirza sahib was sitting on a bare, rope-woven bed, not
covered by any soft bedding. On seeing me, he shifted
towards the foot of the bed and invited me to sit towards
the (more comfortable) head of the bed. Out of respect,
I refused, but he took my hand and sat me down near the
head. He himself remained at the rough side and my
friend sat between us.
I asked to know of some spiritual
devotion for the purification of the heart. He
said:
"Just say the daily prayers
with care and with understanding of the meaning of the
words."
I was quite moved by his
answer. For, I had tried various incantations and
recitals, but with no good result, except that my heart had
got spiritually weaker and I had lost the strength to face
the world. Furthermore, the way taught by the Holy Prophet
Muhammad to his companions, for the purification of the
heart, was the offering of these very daily prayers. So it
was the method to be found in the Sunna of the Holy
Prophet, these daily prayers, that the Promised Messiah
taught for the purification of one’s heart. From this I
realised how firmly he followed the Sunna
[Traditions] of the Holy Prophet, and that he
did not approve of any way that was a later addition in
Islam (bid‘ah). Hazrat Mirza sahib spoke more on
the purification of the heart. And what a speech! It felt as
if a spiritual doctor, diagnosing the real disease, was
applying the treatment. The answers to my weakness of faith
and my doubts and qualms were coming in such a manner that I
sometimes felt as if my heart was open in front of him and
he was identifying the maladies in it and treating them.
When he said that a sinful person is like a criminal whose
arrest warrant has been issued, so at every step he is
afraid, and every moment he is anxious that he is about to
be captured, how then can a sinner have the tranquillity of
heart which is granted to those who turn to God — these
words caused me to tremble. I had heard plenty of sermons,
but I don’t know what it was about these simple words
that they were so effective as to penetrate my
heart.
Taking the
Pledge (Bai‘at):
In the same connection, Hazrat
Mirza sahib said that one should be ready to depart for the
next world just as a long waiting traveller eagerly awaits a
passage home. These words made such an impression upon me
that worldly matters began to seem quite unimportant. The
talk ended on the topic of the natural death of Jesus which
was characteristic of Hazrat Mirza sahib. Hazrat Mirza sahib
had such a great desire to wipe out the false doctrine that
Jesus is alive that most of his talks would eventually turn
to this topic. I was so engrossed in the talk that my
boy’s illness had slipped my mind and indeed I was
totally unmindful of any worldly matter. In the future too,
I would feel the same — that is, after I had taken the
pledge of Hazrat Mirza sahib, whenever I went into his
company I would forget the world. I would feel too
embarrassed to ask him to pray about any matter of the
world, even hesitating to request his prayers in the case of
illness of a near and dear one. I would think that to ask
such a great man for prayer for any mundane matter is to
devalue his status and worth. Anyhow, when Hazrat Mirza
sahib ended his talk saying, "whatever doubts or objections
arise in your mind, you can write to me or visit here in
person to have them cleared and get satisfaction," the
uncertainty of life loomed before me. I realised that so
much of my life had already passed searching for the truth
and I remained deprived of the blessing of Ahmadiyyat. One
cannot rely on life, and I might die in a state of spiritual
ignorance. I said: "Sir, accept my pledge
of allegiance, for how long
will I go on stumbling like this". He took my pledge and
prayed for me.
The Effect
of Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s Prayer:
When I was about to take my
leave, I mentioned my son’s illness and requested
Hazrat Mirza sahib to pray with special attention. He
immediately raised his hands and prayed for a long time.
After he had finished praying he gave me leave to depart.
From there, I went to Hazrat Maulana Nur-ud-din, with whom I
had old relations from my days of being a Wahhabi. He
also spoke about prayer briefly. From there I departed
straight for Gurdaspur. At the railway station I met my boss
who was an English Doctor. I told him that my child was very
sick and I needed leave. He asked me for the present to go
to Shakargarh, but when he would return from Pathankot in
two days’ time I could get leave for even ten days. I
immediately went to Shakargarh. On the third day I received
a letter that the temperature had subsided and the child was
completely well. As I had already applied for leave, I went
to Amritsar and learnt that, on the morning I had got Hazrat
Mirza sahib to pray, the condition of the child was very
critical. By nightfall everyone was despondent. Twelve days
had elapsed since the onset of the fever. But when the
temperature was taken late night it was found to be normal.
The elders of the family, on hearing of this, said that the
thermometer had not been placed properly. However, after
taking the temperature several times and finding it normal,
the doctor treating the child was informed. He was a highly
capable doctor. He said:
"Have you gone out of your
minds? This type of intense typhoid fever never subsides
in twelve days, and suddenly as well! This is all an
error of not placing the thermometer correctly."
He came himself and took the
temperature again and again, and felt the pulse. He was
astonished. He said:
"This is some special
blessing of God. I can’t understand it. I have never
come across such a case — a child in such a bad and
weak state and then the sudden appearance of good health.
This is a Messianic miracle that a dead person has been
brought to life."
And indeed it was the grace of God and
a miracle of a Messiah. How truly does Hazrat Mirza
sahib say (in a poetic verse about the qualities of the
exalted man who is chosen and sent by God):
"You can wrack your brains
a thousand times and still not solve your problem,
But when you come before him, just one prayer by him is
enough."
The Grace
and Favour of God:
By the grace of God, despite
intense opposition, gradually my entire family and almost
all my friends and close relations became Ahmadi. And
this is all the favour of God.
As for myself, whenever I would be
sitting in the company of Hazrat Mirza sahib, and my gaze
would be fixed upon his radiant face, my heart would become
filled with thanks to Almighty Allah for His grace and for
my good fortune, that the man whom so many great saints in
Muslim history were yearning to meet but they passed away, a
sinner like me was graced with meeting him and taking his
pledge! This was indeed a great favour of God.
All praise to be Allah, the Lord of
the worlds. !
See his
photographs by clicking
here.
Read:
Commentary of the Holy Quran by Dr. Basharat Ahmad
(Anwaar-ul-Quran)
Top
Auto(biography)
Section
> Autobiographies
> How I Became an Ahmadi by Dr. Basharat Ahmad Sahib
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