Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 140
K h i l a f a t C e n t e n a r y. _ ·-·~ ',"~- , Hadhrat Sahibzada Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad --------------------------- Zahir M. Ahmad Hadhrat Sahibzada Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad, known to his friends as MM and his colleagues and admirers as Mian Sahib, was an Ahmadi Muslim legend. In this article, I will first draw a brief sketch of his illustrious life and then share some personal experiences, including reminiscences of the visits of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih Ill ra and Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV 1 a to the United States. Life Sketch Hadhrat Sahibzada Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad was born in Qadian on February 28 1 \ 191 3 to QaMr. ul Ambiya Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra and Hadhrat Syeda Sarwar Sultana Begum, making him a grandson of the Promised Messiah as He acquired his early education in Qadian and wa s se nt to attend Government College, Lahore for a deg ree in law. After completing his studies, he competed for the very prestigious Indian Civil Service Exam. By the Grace of Allah, he passed the exam and headed to the United Kingdom for higher education. He attended Oxford University and completed his studies there. After returning to India, he married Sahibzadi Amatul Qayyum, daughter of Hadhrat Musleh Mau ' ood ra. He joined the Indian Civil Service where he held important portfolios before opti ng for Pakistan at the time of partition in 1947. Once he joined the Civil Service of Pakistan, commonly referred to as CSP, he swiftly rose through the ranks. Among the portfolios he held were: Secretary Finance West Pakistan, Additional Chief Secretary West Pakistan, Federal Secretary Commerce, Federal Secretary Finance, Minister of Planning and Minister of Finance. Upon completing his career with the Government of Pakistan, he headed to the World Bank as the Executive Director for the Middle East and Pakistan. He retired from the World Bank in 1984. During his tenure at the World Bank, he also served as the Executive Secretary of the Joint Ministerial Committee of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The final chapter of his life, and the one most revered by him , began when he was appointed the Amir of the USAJama'at in 1989 by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV 1 a. All his life he had preached the creed , "I will give precedence to my faith over all worldly objects. " Allah provided him with the formal opportunity to serve the cause of his faith, Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. Once given the opportunity, he never looked back and at age 76 , with failing health, he embarked on a 13- year jou rn ey, enh ancing the condition of t he Jama' at in eve r) way. Love of Allah, the Holy Qur'an and Holy Prophet saw If one has to describe Hadhrat Mian Sahib in o ne sentence, it wo uld be th at Taqwa , or fear a nd love of Allah ruled his every action. His love for Allah ran so deep that the m ere mention of the nam e f Allah would bring tears to his eyes. It was easy to assess his love for Allah as he treated the word of the H o ly Qur 'an with utmo st respect. He did not even allow us to sit or stand in a way that our backs were towards the Holy book. He read the Qur'an several times a day and read all the different commentaries that ha ve been rendered. Most copies we have at our home have extensive handwritten notes on them. His love and devotion to the Holy Pro phet of Islam, Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa saw was evident during the speeches he delivered on the subject of Zikre- Habib (remembrance of a beloved one). It was his favorite subject and despite the fact that he had written those speeches many times, he would become extremely emotional and consumed while preparing and delivering those speeches. Love for the Institution of Khilafat Since this article is to be included in the issue to celebrate the blessings of Khilafat, I will concentrate on this aspect of Hadhrat Mian Sahib's personality.