Cherished Memories of Africa — Page 214
196 Prophets or Iblis – which group do you belong to? Tanaf is a town near the border with Guinea-Bissau. Near Tanaf there is a small village. A renowned Hyadara family lives there. Their murids (followers) are spread all over Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. I had good friendly relations with the head of the family Muntaqa Haidra. The saintly figure was a noble person and an admirer of the jama’at. Whenever he visited Dakar he would come to see me without fail, would pray with us and said, ‘I know that Ahmadiyya jama’at is on the right path’. Once I was on a tour of that area accompanied by Fazal Ahmad Sahib Majoka and some imams from Kolda. Hydara Sahib received us cordially. In a big room he had me seated by his side; he had informed his friends about my visit and the hall soon filled up. Hydara Sahib introduced me to the audience. I later spoke on the teachings and beliefs of Ahmadiyya Jama’at. While that was going on, a young man entered the room; he looked like a mullah. He stood there for a while and then asked Hydara Sahib, ‘who are they?’ Hydara Sahib said, ‘they are a delegate of Ahmadiyya jama’at and they have come from Dakar to see me’. The mullah, who was actually a relative of Hydara Sahib and had returned after studying in Saudi Arabia said, ‘you do not know that these people are kafir (infidels). The government of Pakistan has declared them as kafirs and thrown them out. Their khalifa is in London these days. The head of our neighbouring country the Gambia has also turned them out of the Gambia’. He added, ‘you know that we have very friendly relations with the head of the Gambia. If he came to know of our contacts with the Ahmadiyya jama’at, it will have a negative