Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Ahmad

Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad (12 January 1889 in Qadian - 7 November 1965 in Rabwah), was the second caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the eldest son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad from his second wife. He was given the title of Khalifatul Masih II. He was elected to this office on 14 March 1914, the day after the death of his predecessor, Hakim Noor-ud-Din at the young age of 25. Among his achievements are the establishment of the organizational structure of the community, improvement of the administration of the community, a ten volume commentary on the Quran and extensive missionary activity outside the subcontinent of India. He was a renowned orator and was also an active political figure especially in pre-partition India.

Early life

Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad was born to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Nusrat Jehan Begum on 12 January 1889 in Qadian. He is sometimes referred to as the Promised Son (Pisr-e-Maoud). Acconts of his early childhood describe him to be rather mischievous, playful and carefree.^[1] Once, he is recorded to have been discussing with his younger brother about whether wealth was more valuable or knowledge. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who was present among them at once admonished them that neither wealth nor knowledge is valuable, what is most valuable is the Mercy and Grace of God. Without God's mercy both can be harmful.^[2] Due to excessive illness Mahmood could not attend to secondary education. During his youth he engaged himself in the service of his father's movement by founding an organization called Anjuman Tashheezul Azhaan (organisation for the sharpening of minds), he also started a magazine by the same name for the purpose of proselytizing. He often accompanied his father on many of his journeys.^[2]

In 1907 he claimed to have been taught the commentary of Al-Fatiha (the opening chapter of the Quran) by an angel by way of a vision. According to Mahmood this vision signified that God had placed the knowledge of the Quran in his mind in the form of a seed. From then onwards he is said to have been gifted with the special knowledge of the commentary of the Quran.^[3]

On 26 May 1908. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad died at Lahore when Mahmood was 19 years old. On 27 May 1908, he was the first to take the oath of allegiance to Noor-ud-Din the first successor of Ghulam Ahmad. He studied the the Quran, Sahih Bukhari, the Masnavi and some Medicine under the tutelage of Hakeem Noo-ud-Din, the first Khalifa with whom he developed a close friendship and who became one of the leading influences on Mahmood later in life. He also began writing articles for various periodicles of the Ahmadiyya community and would often engage himself in theological debates with various scholars of the community.

Mahmood Ahmad visited Egypt and Saudi Arabia in September 1912 during the course of which he performed Hajj. In June 1913, he started a newspaper ^[4] which became the central organ of the Community.

Caliphate

Under the leadership of Mahmood Ahmad, there was further development of the scope of missionary activities, and the establishment of a Madrasa Ahmadiyya [Seminary] up to university level. As part of this, he established 46 foreign missions. He established the Anjuman Tehrik-e-Jadīd which collected the funds from the members of the Ahmadiyya community for the training of missionaries and had them posted to various countries. These foreign missions included London (1914), Mauritius (1915), USA (1920), Ghana(1921), Egypt (1922), Bokhara (1923), Iran (1924), Palestine and Syria (1925), Java and Colombo(1931) Burma and Japan(1935), Argentina and Albania (1936), Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone (1937), Spain (1946) and Lebanon (1949). Later under the supervision of Mahmood Ahmad there were Mosques built in most of the places where missions had been established. the publication of Magazines and periodicals was also initiated in various languages. He also started afresh the translation of the Qur'an into English with explanatory notes for the benefit of European nations.^[5]

The split

On March 14, 1914, in Qadian, the will of Khalifatul Masih I was read out, which requested the people to elect someone as his successor. When the Khalifa passed away, Mahmood Ahmad was elected the second successor to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1914, being 25 years of age at the time. Having been elected, a faction, led by Maulana Muhammad Ali, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din and some others strongly opposed his succession and refused to accept him as the new Caliph. This was due to certain doctrinal differences they held with him such as the nature of Ghulam Ahmad's prophethood as well as the suitability of Mahmood Ahmad to lead the community as Caliph. They eventually left Qadian, settled in Lahore and later came to be known as the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam. In his book Prophecy Continuous. Aspects of Ahmadi Religious Thought and Its Medieval Background, Professor Yohanan Friedmann describes the episode thus:

On the defeat of Turkey

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad was one of leading political figures in pre-partition India, and had close links with the leadership of All-India Muslim League. In 1919 following the defeat of Turkey during the first world war, the All India Muslim Conference was held in Lucknow to discuss Turkey's future existence. Mahmood Ahmad was invited to attend, but could not attend in person. However he wrote a booklet, on the subject of The future of Turkey and the duty of Muslims which was read out at the conference.^[7]

Religious understanding

In 1919, he also appointed a number of young talented Ahmadis to research into the world's major religions. He also delivered a number of public lectures on The need for religion, The dependence of peace upon Islam in the future, etc. In 1920, in order to promote understanding and harmony between Hindus and Muslims he suggested that Hindus should send twenty students to Qadian for the study of the Quran, and sent two Muslim students himself to certain Hindu centeres for the study of the Vedas. He also gave lectures on the exposition of the Quran fo Ahmadi men and women.^[8]

Reforms to the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya

In 1919 Mahmood Ahmad also made certain reforms to the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya (Central Executive Directorate). He initiated the system of separate departments within the Anjuman like education, treasury, literature, and general affairs. Each department is headed by a secretary (Nāzir)

Later reforms included the introduction of the department for foreign affairs, and the establishment of the system of provincial Amārat initially, only within the Punjab The Emir of each province functions under the Caliph for the Ahmadiyya community of various places.^[8]

Establishment of Majlis-e-Shūra

In 1922 Mahmood Ahmad established the Majlis-e-Shūra (Central Consultative Body) of the community. The Majlis consists of elected representatives from various parts of the community who gather once a year and offer counsel and opinion on matters presented to them. The final decision is however left to the Caliph.^[9]

The Shuddhi Movement of the Arya Samāj

In the early Twenties the Arya Samāj (a Hindu reformist Movement) started the Shuddhi missionary campaign to revert to Hinduism, those who had converted to other faiths (in most cases to Islam), particularly the Malkanas, a group of Rajputs. The Shuddhi Campaign had been somewhat successful in their activity between 1922-1923^[10] and had been active in Agra and in the Punjab. When Mahmood Ahmad came to know of this activity he launched a counter campaign by setting up a network of missionaries across Uttar Pradesh where this activity was rife, to propagate the teachings of Islam and save people from converting to Hinduism. ^[11]

In 1923, he sent a delegation of Ahmadis to the area to prevent the advancement of the Shuddhis, an act which earned him some popularity among the Muslim elite of India. After facing extreme resistance from the Ahmadiyya, the Aryas announced the end of the Shuddhi movement in September 1923. ^[12] In the latter part of the Twenties and early Thirties, under Mahmood Ahmad’s directives various gatherings and meetings were held across the Indian subcontinent commemorating the life of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad known as (Jalsa Seeratun-Nabi) attended by Mulsims and non-Muslims alike. A practice which is still carried out by Ahmadis today.^[13]

Tour of Europe

In 1924, accompanied by 12 eminent Ahmadis, he visited various Middle Eastern and European countries. He traveled from Port Saeed to Cairo and from there to Jerusalem, Haifa, Palestine and Akkā. He traveled to Damascus by train where he is reported to have attracted a lot of publicity as well as opposition. Here he discussed the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad with leading scholars, and held various meetings with the intellectual community of Damascus.^[14]

On the 16th of August he reached Italy and stayed in Rome for 4 days. He also visited France and England where he delivered numerous lectures, held meetings and spoke to the representatives of various newspapers. His speech on Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam was read out in The Conference of Living Religions Within the Empire held in Wembly, where he had been invited by the conveners of the conference to represent Islam. In London he also laid the foundation stone of the Fazl Mosque, an occasion which was well publicised. The construction of the Mosque was completed in 1926 and the cost thereof was borne entirely by the women of the community. ^[15]

The All India Kashmir Committee

In 1931 the All India Kashmir Committee was formed under the dirctions of Mahmood Ahmad who was elected as its first president, a committee set up for the establishment of the civil rights of the Muslims of Kashmir and to alleviate their oppression. He resigned from presidency in 1932 due to the agitations of the Ahrar party which sought to 'wipe out' the Ahmadies. In 1934 he founded the Tehrik-e-Jadid (the new initiative) for the establishment of foreign missions. This initiative called upon members to volunteer themselves for missionary work, and to donate money towards a special fund for propagation in foreign countries during the course of which 46 foreign missions were established.

Auxiliary Organizations

Lajna Amaa’ illah for ladies above the age of fifteen, Nasiratul Ahmadiyya for girls aged seven to fifteen years, Ansarullah for men above the age of forty, Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya for the youth aged fifteen to forty and Atfalul Ahmadiyya for boys aged seven to fifteen.

The Hijri/Shamsi calendar

The Gregorian Calendar is based on the solar movements and starts with the birth of Jesus, while the Hijri (Islamic) calendar is based on lunar movements and starts with the migration of Muhammad form Mecca to Medina, which occurred in 622.

In 1940 under the directives and supervision of Mahmood Ahmad, after much research and calculations, a new calendar was worked out, the Hijri/Shamsi (solar/Hegira) calendar. Although this calendar is based on solar calculations, however it starts form the migration of Muhammad instead of the birth of Jesus. According to this method 2008 CE corresponds to 1387 Hijri/Shamsi, i.e. 1,387 years have passed since the migration of Muhammmad from Mecca to Medina. The number and time frame of each month of this calendar is the same as the Christian calendar (the lunar month being shorter by some days than the solar one).^[16] Each month of the Solar/Hegira calendar is based on an important event of early Islamic History:

The Promised Son

In a public gathering in Delhi in 1944, he made the claimed that he was the ‘Promised Son’ whom his father Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had foretold about. He explained in a number of meetings held in various places in India that this claim was based on various revelations and dreams.

He also managed the translation and publication of the Qur´an into various languages. His ten-volume “Tafseer-e-Kabeer” is one of the most detailed commentaries done on the Qur´an in modern times. His scholarship of religious and secular subjects was well known among the literary circles. He delivered a series of famous lectures on a variety of topics in educational institutions which were attended by the intellectuals and leaders of that time.

Migration to Pakistan

In 1947 following the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, He carefully oversaw the emigration of members of the community from Qadian to Pakistan. He kept 313 men known as Dervishes in Qadian to guard the sites holy to Ahmadis, including two of his sons. In 1948 under the leadership of the second Caliph, the Community found a tract of arid land and built the town of Rabwah, which became the new headquarters.

Persecution

In 1953 there were severe agitations against the Ahmadis in which street protests were held, political rallies were carried out and inflammatory articles were published. These agitations led to 2,000 Ahmadiyya deaths. Consequently, martial law was established and the federal cabinet was dismissed by the Governor General.^[17]

Assassination attempt

In 1954 there was an assassination attempt on Mahmood Ahmad. Immediately after having led the Asr prayer, a man attacked him stabbing him twice with a dagger. He sustained fatal injury but survived. He traveled to London for medical treatment where he held a conference of all missionaries stationed in Europe and visited various other European countries such as Italy, Holland, France, Switzerland, Germany,etc. After having partially recovered he returned to Pakistan.

In 1957 he started the new dedication scheme (Waqf-e-Jadid) which sought to take care of the spiritual upbringing of the members in rural areas and the preaching of Islam to the Hindu population of the country. A network of teachers dispatched to various rural areas of the country. This project was intended mainly for rural communities of India and Pakistan until 1986 when it was internationalized.

During the early 1960s he became seriously ill. He died in Rabwah in 1965 after 52 years as Caliph.

Works and speeches

Family, Marriages and Children

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad was the eldest son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad from his second wife Nusrat Jahan Begum, also known as "Amma Jan" (The Mother) in the community. He had three brothers and two sisters in addition to two step-brothers from the first wife of his father, Hurmat Bibi.

Wives

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad married seven times, never having more than 4 at a time in accordance with islamic teachings. His wives are:

1 Mahmooda Begum (the real name was Rashida, it was later changed to Mahmooda), daughter of Khalifa Rashid-ud-Din,, married 11.10.1903 (Nikah on 2.10.1902).

2 Amatul Hayye, daughter of Hakeem Maulvi Noor-ud-Din, xxx-yyyy, married 31.5.1914.

Children

From Maryam Siddiqa called Choti Aapa (lesser Sister) and Umm Matin (mother of Matin)

References

^ Swaneh Fazle Umar
^ ^a ^b A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: His Upbringing
^ Al-Mau'ud, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol.17 p.570
^ Al-Fazl
^ A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: Propagation of Islam
^ Prophecy Continuous. Aspects of Ahmadi Religious Thought and Its Medieval Background, Oxford University Press, 2003, p.21
^ Pan-Islam in British Indian Politics, by M. Naeem Qureshi
^ ^a ^b A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: Upbringing of Members
^ A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: Advisory Council, Department of Justice
^ Muslim reactions to the shuddhi campaign in early twentieth century North India, The Milli Gazette
^ A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: Malkana Movement
^ Pan-Islam in British Indian Politics, by M. Naeem Qureshi
^ A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: Advice for Muslims in India
^ Hazrat Musleh Mau'ood, Khalifatul Masih II, in the Eyes of Non-Ahmadies
^ A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: First Journey to London
^ A Brief History of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam: Hijri – Shamsi Calendar
^ Library of Congress Country Studies: Pakistan - Jamaat-i-Islami

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