Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 136
Khilafat Centenary Amarat (Presidency) in America: Working with Kaleem Sahib pro vi d ed me wi th spiritual nearn e ss and an increase in a p ers onal relationship with him. If elucidation of the word dar ves h (student of Islam) is intended, then he was a darvesh in pra ctice and a mirrored image of one. I al ways found him in recital of praises of Allah. He was an agile and living image of a Momin (beli ever) in conte ntm ent, simplicity, loyalty, always concerned with preservation of the sanctity of Jama' at and calling others towards Allah. He was a renowned and excellent scholar of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Arrogance and vanity ne ver crossed his path. He possessed a very humble natur e. However, he always spoke fearlessly when it matt ered. His speeches were argumentati ve and ef fecti ve; he arranged the subject matter very carefully, resulting in the audience always listening to his speeches with rapt attention. His voice could be h eard clearly wit hout a loudspeaker, even in a crowd of 200-250. In his sermons and instructional sessions, he knew how to use the subject in a suitable and prop er manner, which included references from the Holy Qur'an, Ahadith of the Holy Prophef aw, excerpts from the books of the Promised Messiah as , and his sayings. His w ay of expression was simple, easily understandabl e, and impressive. Neither did he speak in a very slow ton e so as to make people fall asleep, nor did he speak so hastily that it would be difficult for peopl e to understand. It was always appealing and effective. He would give dars -ul-Qur'an (r eadi ng and commentary of the Holy Qur'an with explanation) at Masjid Mubarak, Rabwah, during Ramadan, where he would mostly quote from the Promis ed Messiah's as commentaries. This was a distinct quality and fashion of Maulana Kaleem by which he was recognized. He lead a very success[ul life as a missionary and proved that undoubtedly he was a content and humble person with a deep desire in his heart to spread Allah's religion. He was a diligent observer of salaat {prescribed prayer) and tahajjud, (supererogatory prayer) resigned to the will of Allah, and a God-fearing warrior. He was extremely careful when spending ]ama' at funds. Allah provided him with an opportunity to serve in different nations for a long period. There is a large population of Pakistani youth in Germany, for whose training an active scholar like Maulana Kaleem was needed. Therefore, he performed this divine responsibility with wisdom and prayers. These young men were always impressed by his personalit y. He possessed a simple but refined nature and was a very caring person. He always treated his subordinates with compassion and ignored their shortcomings. He wished for their good welfare from the depths of his heart. That is why his displeasure was full of love and why he always tried to console them afterwards. However, he never compromised the dignity of his faith at any cost. Respected Kaleem Sahib was among the seasoned, simple and practicing scholars that we encountered in America. He was an extremely simple, patient and resigned person. He was tall, with a firm build, a bearded face on a wheat complexion, a fine nose, bright eyes and a wide forehead. He was dignified and sociable, a man of few words. He spoke with comprehension and clarity. Even at the age of 70 or 72, he was very alert and fast paced. His spine did not arch, nor did his pace slacken. There was suc h pleasantness in his speech and advice, that one did not want to part company with him. After listening to some unpleasant domestic arguments, he would bri ng forth a valuable collection of gems of advice and would present these to the arguing person with extreme affection. He was a very affectionate, kind, generous person, who had a full grasp of affairs. Forceful expression of words and prayers was his outstanding quality. In spite of being of pure Punjabi origin, he spoke and wrote beautifully in very refined Urdu. He held unbiased and sincere sympathy for everyone, which cannot be found anywhere except in Ahmadiyyat. Even today, eyes become moistened with the memory of this well-wisher, and one prays for him. Maulana Kaleem started the publication of The Guidance from Ghana, Al-Noor and the Ahmadiyya Ga zette from America, Akhbar-i-Ahmadiyya, Nur-ud- Din, Khadijah, and Gulshan-i-Ahmad from Germany. He published 18 books in English and Urdu, some of which were also translated into other languages.