After reading the Tashahhud, the Ta'uz and the first chapter of the Holy Quran Hazrat Amirul Mo'menine Zafrullah Domun said:
In my last sermon, I started speaking about the year 1913 in the history of Jamaat Ahmadiyya. With the start of the publication of Alfazl from Qadian and Paigham Sulh from Lahore in June and July of that year, the scene was set for a battle of publications which would last almost 40 years between the two groups of opposing brothers.
The health of the khalifatul Masih I was deteriorating day in and day out. But he continued to fulfill his duties. During the month of Ramadhan in August and September, he delivered a Dars of the whole of the Holy Quran. According to Sir Zafrullah Khan the first attack came from members of the Jamaat in Lahore in the form of an anonymous tract in October 1913 under the title Izharul Haq I and Izharul Haq II. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih directed the Anjuman Ansarullah to write a rejoinder. When he got the manuscript he read it and remarked on it:
“Paigham (Sulh) has earned a thousand reproofs by sending us the message of war by publishing its open letter, and has thus proclaimed its hypocrisy. Accursed is one who seeks to awaken a sleeping calamity.”
The rejoinder was published under the titles “ Khilafat Ahmadiyya ” and “ Izhaar-e-haqiqat ” in November 1913.
It was also during the month of November of that year that another son was born in the khalifatul Masih's house. He named him Abdullah. When he fell from the horse and he remained ill for a long period of time in 1910, he dreamt that someone had put one rupee in his pocket. He interpreted it to mean that he would have a son. He understood that his new-born was a fulfillment of that dream.
The next main event of the year was annual convention of the year. It was held as usual from the 25th to 27th December. It was the last annual gathering that the khalifatul Masih would attend. The number of persons present according to Jamaat's records was about three thousands. In the course of one of his speeches he said:
"The fulfilling of covenants is a binding obligation. I invite your attention to one of your, covenants, so that you may reflect how far are you fulfilling it. That is the covenant of obedience you have made with me. Then there are those miserable ones among you who say: What is the Khalifa? He is a dotard. Observe, listen and remember that Allah, the Glorious, has Himself made me Khaifa, and I am not dependent upon any of you for anything. I have prayed to be safeguarded against the consequences of advancing age, and He-has safeguarded me. He has bestowed upon me the understanding of His Word. Your criticism of me is not approved by God. He is jealous on my behalf. Repent of your ill-thinking. He has fully safeguarded all my faculties. All praise is due to Him for all His bounties."
You are not at liberty to bruit about matters bearing upon security or danger. You should convey everything of that character to your Emir or President, for him to take such action as he may deem appropriate. Those who published the two Izharul Haq tracts, and the open letter addressed to Ansarullah, and carried on a discussion about the Khilafat had no business to do so. The open letter cut open my heart. Then someone sent me a printed card and asked my permission to publish it! I told him he had acted contrary to the Quran. He asked for permission to do what he had already done. Such people contravene the directions of the Quran, and seek to divide a people whom God had, of His grace, united at the hands of one person. Beware of them. Then someone said I had fallen from a mare and that this signified my fall from the Khilafat, and that this was due to my lack of steadfastness. This is a gross misinterpretation of a vision of the Promised Messiah as . God has instructed me in the reply to all this. Shun such people and discard ill thinking."(Maulvi Nuruddin by Zafrullah Khan page 276)
After the Conference he recorded the following note:
"Allah, the Glorious, has said in the Holy Quran: If you are grateful for My bounties, I will surely multiply them unto you (14:8). Gratitude for divine bounties becomes a source of further bounties. Therefore, in appreciation of divine bounties, I express my gratitude to God that He has been very benevolent towards us.
During the current year some foolish people tried to create unrest in the community, and with that end in view published very widely the tracts captioned Izharul Haq, wherein I was also made the target of adverse criticism. The purpose of the author of the tracts was to spread discord among the community. But God, of His grace, safeguarded the community and me against his mischief. His help and support was manifested in such manner that all the designs of the mischief-makers were utterly frustrated and the community was shielded against all harm. This was demonstrated on the occasion of the Annual Conference. It was a special manifestation of the help and support of God Almighty that despite several adverse factors and the publication of the disturbing tracts captioned Izharul Haq, the attendance at the Conference was in excess of previous years. The countenances of the participants exhibited such love and devotion as bore eloquent witness to the fact that the Ahmadiyya community is fully safeguarded against every evil influence. Moreover the different branches set an example of sacrifice which was evidence of special divine grace. During the current year the community carried and discharged a heavy burden of subscriptions and yet the Sadr Anjuman was in deficit. The branches cheerfully and joyously undertook the responsibility of meeting the deficit, and a large amount was contributed in cash. Altogether the amount promised and paid in cash was three times the total of last year which, in view of the small number of the community, appears to be special divine grace. The Conference also constituted effective refutation of the misrepresentations of those who sought to construe my falling off from the mare as an indication of my removal from the office and dignity of Khalifa. When the agitation against the Khilafat had started, God had shown me in a dream that I was riding a horse through country that was dry and barren. I urged the horse forward and it began to run so fast that it became difficult for me to control it, but by Allah's grace I remained firmly seated on its back. After traversing a long distance the horse entered a green valley in which all round there appeared thick plantations two feet high.The horse continued to run fast and when it reached the middle of the valley I woke up. From this dream I understood that those who asserted that I would be unhorsed from the Khilafat would be proved false, and that God would not only uphold me, but would bestow success upon me. It is a bounty of God that He has fulfilled this dream of mine also. The Annual Conference of this year has proved that it was a true dream. Despite opposition and the publication of anonymous tracts He has manifested support after support, He has daily fostered love and devotion in the hearts of the members of the community, has drawn their hearts towards me, has inspired them with the spirit of obedience and has shielded them against the wiles of the mischievous."(ibid p 276)
When we read this document, we can understand what may have been going on in the Jamaat at that time. It appears that it was a very difficult moment. The unity among the members of the Jamaat had been shattered. A minority had started to attack the honour of others by publishing anonymous pamphlets. It did not appear that they were following the bidding of the leader. Nonetheless the khalifatul Masih was confident in Allah's help and he said that he was witnessing that help.
During the Jalsa Hazrat Khalifatul Masih appealed for six thousand rupees to re-start the publication of the newspaper Al-Hakm which had stopped for some reasons. He promised one thousand rupees in that fund. The newspaper restarted its publication on 28th February 1914.
On February 2, 1914, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) issued the direction:
"Remember, no provision shall be made for my children out of any charitable fund, or alms, or Zakat, or out of any fund for the uplift of orphans or the indigent. God will make some provision for them. Any one who writes my biography should mention this direction of mine and should restrain any contravention of it. I have no money. All my debts have been paid off. I do not owe any one anything. No one should claim anything from my children."
His health took a turn for the worst. An English doctor was called from Lahore . When he went away the Khalifatul Masih observed:
"The doctor from Lahore took a long time in examining me. The disease from which I am suffering is so easy to diagnose that when I am busy in my clinic and someone enters from the door and greets me, I know from his voice, without looking at him, that he suffers from this disease."(ibid p 292).
In the beginning of March 1914, Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Husain visited Hazrat Khalifatul Masih (ra). During the course of conversation he stressed the desirability of cooperation between Muslims of different denominations in the pursuit of common objectives. After listening to him Hazrat Khalifatul Masih observed:
"We have set an example of such cooperation in the matter of the promotion of the project of the Muslim University. Such cooperation is beneficent, but it is necessary to maintain our distinct identity. Progress is fostered by distinction. A general mingling destroys initiative and arrests progress. Besides, we cannot subordinate ourselves to those who reject our divinely commissioned Founder (as). Then, if distinction is not maintained, enjoining good and forbidding evil are neglected. When a section is distinguished, there is opposition; and as opposition grows those who are distinguished have more and more recourse to supplication and put forth more and more effort. Always remember, unless difficulties are encountered and one has recourse to supplication and effort, there can be no progress. Difficulties stimulate effort, striving and supplication. A person who is in accord with everything can achieve little."(ibid p 293)
On March 4th Hazrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) wrote his will with his own hand. It ran as follows:
"In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful.
We praise Him and call down His blessings on His noble Messenger. This humble one, in full possession of his senses, affirms: There is no god except Allah;
Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah. My children are small and I have no money. Allah will safeguard them. They should not be provided for from any fund for orphans or the poor. A benevolent loan may be advanced, to be repaid by such of my sons as are able. My books and my property should be constituted into a trust for the benefit of my children. My successor should be one who is righteous, popular, and erudite and of good conduct. He should overlook the shortcomings of and exercise forbearance towards the old and new friends of Hadrat Sahib (as). I was a well-wisher of everyone; so should he be. The lessons of the Holy Quran and Hadith should be continued.
Wassalam. Nur-ud-Din. March 4, 1914."
After writing his will he gave it to Molvi Mohammad Ali and asked him to read it. Once he was well satisfied of its contents he gave the will to Nawab Mohammad Ali Khan to be read when he would pass away.
Sir Zafrullah Khan speaks of his last days thus:
“During the last days of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih's (ra) illness, Pir Iftikhar Ahmad (ra), submitted to him that the Sufis had held that the life of a Sufi was a blessing both for himself and for others and urged him to supplicate for his own restoration to health; to which he replied: I hear constantly: "Nay, but you love that which is transitory; and you neglect that which is lasting (75:21)." This was reminiscent of the reply that Abu Bakr (ra) gave to a similar suggestion when he was in the same situation. He said: "I have supplicated and have received the response: I know best. I shall do as I will."(ibid p295)
On Friday March 13 th during the forenoon, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) sent for his eldest son, Miyan ‘Abdul Ha'i, and said to him:
"I have always believed in: There is no god save Allah, and I die in that belief. I honour all the companions of the Holy Prophet (saw). After the Holy Quran, I consider Bukhari's compilation of Hadith most acceptable to God. I believe in Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) as the Promised Messiah and as a chosen one of God. I loved him so much that I held his children dearer than you. I commit you to God Almighty, and am sure that He will not let you perish. I admonish you to read the Book of God, teach it and act in conformity with it. I have beheld a great many things, but have not beheld anything like the Quran. Without a doubt it is God's own Book. For the rest I commit you to God."(Ibid P 296)
The time for the Friday prayer was near. The Khalifatul Masih made the symbolic ablution and prayed. He then breathed his last. Inna Lillahé way inna elayhé rajeoune.
Incha Allah. Next week I will make a last sermon on this subject for the time being. May Allah bless you all. |