March/April 2008 - Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada

Promised Reformer – about whom
he had formed a model in his mind
– must be of higher station than
him. Some of his friends at Lahore
told him that Sir Syed Ahmad
Khan, Founder of the Aligarh
Muslim University, seems to be
the reformer of this age, and listed
his qualifications. He answered
them that, being deprived of
righteousness, he could not be a
reformer.
Based upon his personal experience,
he was dissatisfied with the great
saints and Maulvis of his age. How
these persons, themselves unaware
of the innumerable objections,
targeting Islam, can do the job of
defending it? Without any pride
or boasting, he was convinced that
although his knowledge of Arabic
was less than them, he could face the
enemies of Islam and can explain to
them the truth of Islam better than
them.
During his tour of Punjab in
1887, he found this province most
fertile from the religious point of
view. This was the reason that the
Christians, the Brahmus, the Arya
Samaj, etc. tried their best to convert
this province to their respective
faiths. Sir Syed named them
“Zinda Dil Punjab,” because for his
educational services, this province
supported him more than any other
province. This could be the reason
that God raised the Prophet of this
age-Hazrat Mirza Ghulam a.s.-in
this province.
At Amritsar, Hasan Ali heard the
name of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad of Qadian, district
Gurdaspur, who has successfully
and excellently faced the Christians,
the Arya Samaj and the Brahmus,
has authored a renowned book,
Braheene Ahmadiyya, and also
claims to be Mulham (a revealed
person). Hazrat Ahmad’s claim
to be a revealed person did not
surprise him, because he knew that
revelation is not confined only to
the Prophets, it includes the non-
Prophets as well. After knowing
about Hazrat Ahmad, Hasan Ali
felt a desire to meet him. With a
companion he went to Qadian, where
Hazrat Ahmad’s warm welcome
deeply impressed them. Hasan
Ali’s friend, who accompanied him
in his journey from Amritsar to
Qadian, was a great opponent of
Hazrat Ahmad and thought him
to be an impostor and pretender.
After meeting Hazrat Ahmad,
he changed his views and, in the
presence of Hasan Ali, apologized
to Ahmad for having mistrust in
him. In Qadian, Hasan Ali met an
old relative and great opponent of
Hazrat Ahmad. On being asked
about Hazrat Ahmad, this man said
that he thinks Hazrat Ahmad to be
false in his claim to be Mulham, but
admitted that from his very early
age Hazrat Ahmad was of good
conduct, fond of books, and always
inclined towards prayer. At the time
of his departure, Hazrat Ahmad
offered him Braheene Ahmadiyya
and Surma Chashme Arya. Study
of these books convinced him of
Hazrat Ahmad’s high station.
After meeting Hazrat Ahmad,
Hasan Ali even for a moment
thought him to be pretender. The
only evil thought that came to his
mind was that Hazrat Ahmad was
deluded about himself. It was so
because of the wrong model he had
about the reformer of that century.
Although he did not offer allegiance
to Hazrat Ahmad, it was only due
to this meeting that in the very
next year (1888), 14 years after his
marriage, he was blessed by God
with his first issue, a boy, whom he
named Ahmad.
After returning from Qadian,
Hasan Ali was again engaged as
a missionary, in which his success
was more than his own imagination.
Several hundred Hindus embraced
Islam at his hand. More than 2,000
Muslim students who, under the
influence of the Western Philosophy,
had turned into atheist, agnostic,
or weak in faith, returned to Islam
after listening to his lectures. He
lectured in more than 40 cities in
India. And with cooperation of
rich Muslims, he founded orphan
houses and/or Madrasas in 12
cities. In seven years (1887-94), he
was well known all over India. He
had the honour of being the guest
of honour of Maharaja Mysore,
Nawab Weqaral Amra Bahadur,
chief minister of Hyderabad state,
and Nawab Sir Asman Jah. Lord
Canmara, Governor of Madras (now
Chennai), chaired the meeting, in
which he delivered lecture in the
Senate Hall of Madras in English.
Hasan Ali’s monetary condition
surprisingly turned better. As a
headmaster he was getting Rs.
Hadhrat Maulvi Hasan Ali ra 40