Souvenir on 50th Jalsa Salana USA — Page 52
IMLS MISSIONARIES IN USA l. Hadhrat Dr. Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (RA) was a dedicated and very close companion of the Promised Messiah (AS). He had the honor of record- ing many of his oral presentations. which have been included in the Malfoo-:_at. He had a charming personality. Blessed with a vast measure of lnowledge, he was very well versed in Urdu, Arabic, Persian and Hebrew. Before coming to USA he spread the religion of Islam in England and set an unparalleled prop- agation record. Hadhrat Dr. Mufti Mohammad Sadiq (RA) arrived in Philadelphia on Sunday, 15 February 1920, on-board the Haverford. For religious reasons he was detained in the Elfo bland and was not permitled to propagate Islam in this country. On hearing the news of his detention, Hadhrat Mirn Bashir-ud-din Mahmood Ahmad (RA), Khalifatul Massih II , delivered a prophetic speech. He said: "America, a country that claims to be the strongest nation, may have chal- lenged many a nation and may have even defeated them. But if it dares chal- lenge the spiritual kingdom, it will find out that it can never defoat us because the Almighty Allah is on our side. We will propagate Islam in the countries surrounding America and after converting their people, we will send them into America. America will not be able to stop them. And we hope that one day America will resound with the proclamation: "There is none worthy of worship except Allah. " On 20 May I 920, Hadhrat Dr. Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (RA) was released by the order of the Secretary of the State. Even during his detention, he made many converts. He stayed in New York for some time and continued to preach Islam. Later, he moved to Chicago and established the first headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, at 4448 Wabash Avenue, giving it the name "Al Masjid" - a part of that building served as the Ahmadiyya Mission I l ouse. In propagating the message of I slam, Dr. Sadiq tra ve l ed extensively. His spiritu ally charming personality imme- diately attracted the media's attention. He used to be invited to deliver lectures in many towns and shared the pul- pits of many chu r ches in different parts of the country. His speaking assignments were announced in local news- papers. The dignitaries of l oca l towns would arrive in large numbers to hear him. Some newspaper editorials commented very positively on his presentations on Islam as the solution of American social ills. Even Christian clergymen cou ld not withh old their admiration of him. Converts came into the fold of I slam from far and wide. Dr. Mufti Muhammad Sadiq's particular style of propagation was to write hundreds of missionary epistles week- ly to convey the message of hlam to renowned personalities throughout USA and al so throughout the world on historic occasions. For examp l e, he wrote to General Smuts, on successfully suppressing the Johannesburg rebel- lion; Mr. Montague, sympathi1ing with him on his resignation; Viscount Peel, on his accepting the office of Secretaryship of State for Indi a; King Fuad I of Egypt, on his inaugurating the New Regime; Sarwat Pasha, on making the first cabinet of the Egyptian Kingdom; "Wacinyanpi" - Leader of Sioux Tribe; Professor Robert H. Goddard, the Scientist who intended to make a trip to the Moon aboard a rocket; Sir Arthur J. Balfour, on an ear ld om conferred on him; Attorney Untermeyer, on his stopping grain gambling in the Corn Exchange; Mr. Shapurji Saklatwala, congratulating him on his being elected a member of the British Parliament; Prince of Wales of British Empire; Mr. Henry Ford of Detroit; President Hardin g; Mr. Edison, the In ventor; Lord Northcliff, o n his visit to America; Ex-President Taft, on his appointment as the Supreme Court Judge; and Prince Regent Alexander of Servia, on his escape from death when a bomb exp lod ed in Belgrade. By July 1921, 646 letters had been received and 2,800 had been dispatched. About 300 books and leaflets had been distributed. Another 1,000 missionary epistles with literature had been mailed to the main libraries all over USA. 500 letters, giving the Message of Islam with sample copies of the Moslem Sunrise, were sent to Masonic Lodges all over the country. His missionary efforts were crowned with great success. He published the names of over 400 persons in the earliest issues of the Moslem Sunrise; the total number of converts ran into thousands- from New York to Florida to Wisconsin - during his stay in USA. Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (RA) held weekly meetings for the spiritual training of the new converts every Sunday morning at 11 o'clock in the Mission House in Chicago. Three rooms were joined together for the pur- pose, and some sat on the staircase, but still many had to stand for want of accommodation. After extensive missionary work in USA, he returned to the International Headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Community at Rabwah, Pakistan. Il e died on 13 February 1957. He was indeed a model missionary leader, a lov- ing teacher, a prolifi c writer, an engrossing speaker and, above all, a distinguished ambassador of I slam. May the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful Lord of Honor and Glory shower him with His infinite grace and mercy in Jannatul Firdous.