The Islamic Renaissance: (Part 2 of the chronological account Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s(ra) Journey to England)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra visits Cairo, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Damascus enroute to England

In his Arabic treatise Hamamat-ul-Bushra, the Promised Messiah^as expounds upon this prophecy, elucidating:

ثم يسافر المسيح الموعود أو خليفة من خلفائه الی أرض دمشق، فهذا معنی القول الذی جاء فی حديث مسلم أن عيسیٰ ينزل عند منارة دمشق۔ فان النزيل هو المسافر الوارد من ملك آخر۔ وفی الحديث۔۔يعنی لفظ المشرق۔۔ اشارة الی أنه يسير الی مدينة دمشق من بعض البلاد المشرقية وهو ملك الهند

“The Promised Messiah or one of his Successors [Khulafa] will undertake a journey to the region of Damascus. This corresponds to the narrative in Muslim’s hadith which stipulates that Jesus, peace be upon him, will descend near a minaret in Damascus. Here, the term ‘nazeel’ denotes a traveller arriving from a foreign land. Furthermore, the mention of the ‘east’ in the hadith signifies his journey from the eastern lands to Damascus, with the specific eastern country being India.” ^[2]

The prophesied descent of the Messiah near a white minaret in the eastern vicinity of Damascus was practically fulfilled through Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra. Additionally, another prophecy also pointed towards Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^ra journey to the Arab lands, including Damascus. On September 7^th, 1905, the Promised Messiah^as saw a vision wherein he was presented with a document bearing the inscription:

مصالحالعرب۔مسيرالعرب

This connotes setting right the affairs of the Arabs. Journey among Arabs. Regarding this revelation, the Promised Messiah^as explained:

“(Walking among the Arabs) may signify a divine decree for our journey to Arab lands. Approximately 25-26 years ago, I saw a dream where someone inscribed my name—half in Arabic and half in English. Prophets, too, undertake migrations; however, while some visions materialise during the prophet’s lifetime, others are realised through their progeny or followers. For instance, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was shown in a vision the keys to the kingdoms of Caesar and Khosrow, yet it was during the era of Hazrat Umar^ra that these lands were conquered.” ^[3]

After eight days of sailing, the ship arrived at the port of Aden in Yemen on July 23^rd, 1924. A telegram was promptly dispatched to the centre, notifying them of their safe arrival. Subsequently, the ship continued its journey towards Port Said, Egypt. On July 25^th, while en route, it passed through Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where a congregational voluntary prayer was fervently offered, seeking success for the mission. The ship finally reached the waters of Port Said harbour on the evening of July 28^th.^[4]

On July 27-28^th, in correspondence directed to Qadian, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra articulated his concerns and apprehensions. He expressed a fear that Europe might embrace Islam but refrain from adopting Islamic civilization. In the unfortunate event of such a scenario materialising, the transformed perception of Islam would likely originate in Europe before disseminating globally, potentially resulting in a distortion reminiscent of the historical trajectory observed within Christianity. He added:

“It is our duty to contemplate the remedy for this calamity before its arrival and to carefully consider every step taken for the propagation in Europe. This cannot be accomplished until there is first-hand knowledge of the conditions there. Therefore, despite my poor health, I have chosen to undertake this journey.” ^[5]

His Holiness^ra and his entourage then travelled from Port Said to Cairo, where they stayed for two days.

Visit to Palestine

“The visit of his Holiness created a stir among the people of Jerusalem” ^[6] – Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra

Departing from Cairo on the evening of July 31^st, 1924, the entourage journeyed to Baitul Maqdis, Jerusalem, where His Holiness^ra visited renowned religious sites significant to all three Abrahamic faiths. In addition to Jerusalem, he toured Bethlehem and Haifa. Throughout these visits, he engaged with Muslims, influential figures, policymakers, and politicians. On August 2^nd, the President of the Supreme Council of Palestine hosted a party in honour of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra. The city’s prominent figures were invited to meet His Holiness, and the President engaged in an extended conversation with His Holiness^ra about Ahmadiyyat.^[7]

His Holiness^ra also met many Muslim leaders and warned them that the Jewish people are set on taking over their native land as they considered it rightfully theirs.^[8] His Holiness^ra feared that the time was approaching when the Jews would become dominant in the land. He voiced his concerns regarding the wishful thinking of Muslim leaders on the issue of Palestine.

“I have met with prominent Muslims there who are assured and believe that they will succeed in expelling the Jews. However, in my opinion, they are mistaken. The Jewish nation is firmly entrenched in their ancestral land. It is evident from the prophecies of the Holy Qur’an and some revelations of the Promised Messiah that the Jews will indeed prosper in this country. Therefore, in my view, the confidence of Muslim leaders will ultimately lead to their own downfall.” ^[9]

Hazrat Zafrullah Khan^ra would say the same thing in 1934. He proposed in 1934, while on a trip to England, that a law should be established in Palestine to ‘prohibit by law the transfer of the Arab farmland to non-Arab buyers.’^[10] His Holiness^ra also met with Sir Gilbert Falkingham Clayton, who served as a representative of the High Commissioner of Palestine during the latter’s temporary absence. They convened on two occasions to discuss the political situation of the Muslim world.^[11] While journeying from Baitul Maqdis to Damascus, His Holiness^ra stayed for a night in Haifa, where certain members of the entourage engaged in discussions with adherents of the Baha’i Faith.

On 4^th August, 1924, His Holiness^ra embarked on a rail journey and arrived in Damascus by evening. There were some difficulties in securing suitable accommodation, and His Holiness^ra prayed fervently during the night. He received a revelation referring to him as عبد مکرم (our servant who was given honour). The following morning, a gathering of several hundred individuals convened in front of the hotel, alarming the hotel owner about potential unrest. Police intervention ensued, with an officer expressing concerns about the risk of disturbance. His Holiness^ra, in his wisdom, addressed the congregation and apart from a few instances of verbal abuse, he was met with expressions of profound affection, with attendees hailing him as Haza Ibn al-Mahdi (This is the son of the Mahdi) and offering salutations. However, the police insisted that His Holiness^ra remained, permitting entry to individuals only with explicit authorization.

Numerous students arrived with notebooks, posing questions and diligently recording the responses provided by His Holiness^ra. When a local maulvi attempted to speak against His Holiness^ra, these erudite individuals admonished him to remain silent and derided his actions, labelling him a fool for his attempt. In Damascus, the press showed great interest, conducting interviews with His Holiness^ra that sometimes lasted for hours. Several local newspapers portrayed His Holiness^ra and the community favourably, writing positively about their endeavours. Copies of these newspapers sold out immediately.^[12]

During his stay in Damascus, an intriguing incident unfolded concerning the white minaret where it is said Jesus^as will descend. It is recounted that Maulvi Abdul Qadir Al-Maghribi, an associate of Hazrat Syed Waliullah Shah^ra, came to visit His Holiness^ra. They engaged in discussions related to the death of Jesus^as and the prophethood of the Promised Messiah^as.^[13]

His Holiness^ra asked Maulvi Abdul Qadir Al-Maghribi, about the minaret where it is believed Jesus^as will descend according to him, seeking clarity on its location. Different opinions emerged among the locals; one suggested it was part of the Umayyad Mosque, while another claimed it was the Christian quarter. Yet another expressed the belief that Jesus^as himself would return to erect it. This divergence of views left His Holiness^ra and his companions perplexed. However, as dawn approached, a significant event occurred. As His Holiness^ra concluded his prayer with Taslim (the closing salutation in prayer), to his surprise, the white minaret was right before his very eyes, separated by a single road.^[14]

Abdul Qadir Al-Maghribi, who was scholar from Damascus, also expressed to His Holiness^ra that, while they honoured him as a revered leader of a community, they did not expect anyone in those regions to be influenced by his ideas. They explained that they were of Arab descent, and Arabic was their mother tongue, whereas Urdu, regardless of the speaker’s prestige, would not provide him with the capacity to comprehend the meanings of the Qur’an and Hadith better than themselves.

His Holiness^ra refuted the notion with a smile, asserting that their missionary work had reached all corners of the world. However, upon returning to India, his first task would be to dispatch missionaries to their country and see if their assertion stands before the flag bearers of divine knowledge. Accordingly, upon his return to India, he appointed Hazrat Syed Waliullah Shah^rh and Maulana Jalaluddin Shams^rh to establish a preaching centre in Damascus.

His Holiness^ra concluded his stay in Damascus on 10^th August, 1924, having conveyed the message of the Promised Messiah^as to influential members of Arab Society. En route to Haifa, the entourage visited Akko, renowned as the headquarters of the Baha’i faith. However, they found no significant Bahai presence there. His Holiness^ra spent the night in Haifa and departed the next morning for Port Said from where he embarked on his journey to Brindisi, Italy.

Click here for part 3:
https://history.ahmadiyya.uk/the-islamic-renaissance-part-3-of-the-chronological-account-hazrat-khalifatul-masih-iisra-journey-to-england/

REFERENCES:

^[¹] Sahih Muslim 2937a.

^[²] Ahmad, Mirza Ghulam. Hamamat-ul-Bushra in Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 7, p. 225.

^[³] Badr (1905), Vol. 1, No. 23, September 7; Al Hakam (1905), Vol. 9, No. 32, September 10, p. 3.

^[⁴] Shahid, Maulana Dost (2007) Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4. Qadian: Nazarat-Nashro Ishaat, pp. 438-439.

^[⁵] Ibid., p. 439.

^[⁶] Review of Religions (1924), September, p. 331.

^[⁷] Ibid.

^[⁸] Fazl-e-Umar Foundation. Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 8. Tilford, Islam: Raqeem Press, p. 447.

^[⁹] Al-Fazl (1924), 13 September, p. 6; Fazl-e-Umar Foundation. Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 8. Surrey: Raqeem Press, p. 448.

^[¹⁰] Khan, M.Z. (2014) Tehdise Nemat (Recollection of Divine Favours). Translated from Urdu by Kunwar Idris; Qadian: Zafar & Sons, p. 509.

^[¹¹] Fazl-e-Umar Foundation. Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 8. Tilford, Islam: Raqeem Press, p. 448.

^[¹²] Shahid, Maulana Dost (2007) Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4. Qadian: Nazarat-Nashro Ishaat, p. 443; The Review of Religions (1924), September, p. 332.

^[¹³] Bhai, Abdul Rehman Sahib. Safar-e-Europe. Rabwah: Zia Press, p. 59.

^[¹⁴] Shahid, Maulana Dost (2007) Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4. Qadian: Nazarat-Nashro Ishaat, p. 443.