Bright Lights of the Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 50
50 BRi GhT LIGHTS OF THE AHMADIYYA MOVEME T The Muslims now began to build a new place for themselves and started schools and mosques. The Ahmadi Muslims could not return to Qadian, so a search began for a site for the Headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Movement. An area was located of about one thousand acres of dry, barren soil. It was ninety- five miles west of Lahore. In June of 1948, the Movement purchased the land from the government. This town, to be built on a treeless, grassless, dry, un- cultivable tract of land, was named Rabwah. This name was ironic because it was taken from the Holy Quran, Chapter 23 Verse 51: "And We made the son of Mary and his mother a Sign, and gave them refuge on an elevated land of green valleys and springs of running water. " The word 'Rabwatin' can be found in the Arabic of the verse. A party of Muslims planned how the town would be and submitted their plans to the Government Town Planner who caused several difficulties. There were sixteen quarters of the town and he could not understand why a mosque had to be built in every quarter. He said that two central mosques were enough for the sixteen quarters. But the Rabwah group pointed out that they would need sixteen other mosques in addition to the center two because the mosque was the center of each quarter , therefore, one was needed for each. The Town Planner also objected that there was no cinema or theater. This was absurd, however, since Muslims are not allowed to attend the theater and no one could understand why one or more would be needed. So they took the matter to a government official who overruled the Planner 's objections. After offical matters were settled, the little town began to take shape. Tem- porary offices were established for the Khalifa and Ahmadi Muslims began to settle there. That summer was very difficult though because there were few facilities and living was uncomfortable. Eventually sweet water became