James. L Rogers (Abdul Rehman) & F.L Anderson (Hassan Ahmad)

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra was always keen and passionate in conveying the message of Islam to the west while residing in Qadian. He writes:

Among the letters that were sent for the purpose of propagation to America and other parts of the world, one copy from among those letters is presented as an example. This letter was written in 1902 to a new Muslim whose address was shared with him by Alexander Russell Webb. His name is J.L Rogers, he lives in Santa Cruz California. The Promised Messiah^as named him Abdul Rehman.

A summary of the letter is as follows:

Mufti Sahib while confirming the receipt of his letter on 16^th April 1902 replied that his letter was a source of happiness. The word happiness is not written merely as a ritual as often mentioned by today’s hypocritical civilization. Rather like a true believer through his words Mufti Sahib’s heart had recognised him to be the true worshiper of God and felt contentment. A true worshipper who has escaped the blind trinitarians, ignorant unitarians and misfortunate atheists. He further wrote that his beloved brother Muhammad Webb had also written to Mufti Sahib about him and wanted Mufti Sahib to correspond with you because he (Webb) believes that he (Mr Rogers) has the capability to propagate the message of Islam in your country. Webb also wrote that he had visited various countries and have read many books on various faiths.

Mr Rogers had met many Muslims and had friendly relationship with some and as his distance from Christianity grew, he became closer to Islam and ultimately accepted it and announced to the world that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad^sas is Allah’s messenger and only Islam is the true religion. This signifies that the grace of Almighty God is with him, Allah the Almighty to choose him out of the millions of people from his country is so that after attaining the light of Islam he may spread that light to entire nation. Alas not only that the Americans are ignorant of the Islamic faith, but they have been misinformed by the fabricated stories falsely attributed to Islam… Next Hazrat Mufti Sahib^ra explained that the state of the Muslim world is also in despair and that it had been 1300 years since the Holy Prophet^saw had left this world the people have moved away from the true teachings of Islam. Their reading of the Holy Quran does not benefit them because they only utter words with no understanding of its meaning.

Thus, God in accordance with his ancient practice has sent a reformer and a prophet who is the Promised Messiah^as of the age in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as_. Mufti Sahib further stated that he is sending him a small leaflet for the introduction to the Promised Messiah^as and that the Promised Messiah^as was pleased to know of his conversion to Islam. Mufti Sahib further stated that he had mentioned the internal and external decadence of the Muslims, from external what he means is that since other nations are not aware of the Arabic language therefore, they cannot translate the Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet^sas. Majority of the translations found today are inaccurate, it is rightly understood that the translation can never convey the full meaning. It is ever so true particularly in the context of the Holy Quran because the Almighty God has succinctly mentioned all that was needed for man’s physical and spiritual benefit. Yet to expand on the meaning and the inner truths of its words and sentences require many volumes. Next Mufti Sahib explained the meaning of the very first verse of the Holy Quran بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم  after mentioning its translation he mentions that this verse is mentioned before each chapter of the Holy Quran. Mufti Sahib after elaborating on the commentary of the verse urges Mr Rogers to live in accordance with the meaning of this verse… which would help him in the attainment of truth and righteousness. Rogers had mentioned that he is in search of teacher to which Mufti Sahib wrote that he informs him of the teacher appointed by God himself in this age. From the millions of people in Europe and America the Almighty God has chosen him so that he may be among the first to accept Islam. This is a form of God’s mercy (Rehmaniyat) and grace. The Promised Messiah^as gave him the name Abdul Rehman which means the servant of the merciful. The purpose of adopting a Muslim name is to distinguish from other non-Muslims.[1]

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra further mentions Mr Andersen who he had first written to in in 1901[2] with the help of Alexander Russell Webb.[3] He entered the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat on 26^th September 1904 through a letter. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra declares him to be the first American Ahmadi in the first issue of Moslim Sunrise.[4]  The Promised Messiah^as in the fifth part of Braheen-e-Ahmadiyya writes:

“Similarly, for some time my Jama‘at has been gaining acceptance among the traditional Christians of Europe and America. Only recently a respectable English gentleman of 200–202, Worth Street, New York, in the United States of America, whose earlier name was F.L. Anderson, but who has been named Hasan after he became a Muslim, wrote to me by his own hand to ask that his name be entered into my Jama‘at. He reads my books that have been translated into English. He can read the Holy Quran in Arabic and can also write in Arabic. There are many more Westerners who are full of praise for this Jama‘at, and express their agreement with it.”[5]

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[1] Zikr-e-Habib P.74

[2] The Moslim Sunrise 1921 No 2

[3] Zikr-e-Habib P. 314

[4] The Moslim Sunrise 1921 No 1

[5] Braheen-e-Ahmadiyya Part Five P.131