Chief of the Prophets

Chief of the Prophets — Page 235

235 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger About the Author, Sheikh ‘Abdul-Qādir (Written by Maulāna Abul-‘Aṭā’ Jalandharī and published at the end of Ḥayāt-e-Ṭayyibah written by Sheikh ‘Abdul-Qādir, formerly Saudāgarmal. Translated by the translator) With heartfelt joy and pleasure, I congratulate my learned and dear friend, Sheikh ‘Abdul-Qādir, (Maulawī Fāil) 1 on successfully completing Hayat-e-Tayyibah, and feel pleasure in introducing the readers to his life history. In my view, Sheikh ‘Abdul-Qādir is one of the best missionaries of Islam. He possesses a profound devotion for Aḥmadiyyat, has a heart that yearns for the service of Islam, and leads a simple life of a true believer. I have known him, or more appropriately, have had a close friendship and affection for him since the time when he was a student. Right from the beginning, he possessed an exemplary nature and was always full of the desire to serve religion. Since his life history can be a source of motivation for righteousness for many a youth, I consider it essential to include the account of his life in this book. This is my only intention behind writing these passages. Sheikh ‘Abdul-Qādir was born on August 15th, 1909 in the territory of Gorna Pathāna, Tehsil Bhalwāl, District Sargodhā in a Hindu Khatrī family. His parents chose the name Saudāgarmal for him. His father, Lāla Wazīrchand, did not have the faintest idea that his child, whom he named Saudāgarmal 2 because of his trading business, would become a spiritual trader by serving Islam in the future, and a source of guidance for many. 1 An educational degree 2 Saudāgarmal literally means a trader. [Publisher]