Intro
Lots of this research was taken verbatim from Maria-Magdalena Pruss and her entries on the famous Lahori-Ahmadi blog. She has a PHD in religion from Princeton. His father (Khalifa Hameed-ud-Din) famously was a founder of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam (founded in 1884, Noorudin was also a member, as well as Allama Iqbal)(in a mosque known as Masjid Bakan inside Mochi Gate, Lahore, by Khalifa Hameed-ud-Din).
In 1890, the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam also published “Ibtal uluhiyyat-i Masih” by Nur ud-Din, with the permission of the author and for the “benefit of the people of Islam”, as it says on the title page. It also publicly endorsed other Ahmadi writings in its monthly Risalah. In the 1890s, as you know, Khwaja Kamal ad-Din and Muhammad Ali taught at Islamia College. Islamia College was established by this very Anjuman. There must have been a lot of interaction between the Ahmadiyya Anjuman in Lahore and the Himayat-i Islam, because since 1914, Islamia College and the Ahmadiyya Buildings were on the same street (Brandereth Road). Also, how does one explain the role of Muhammad Iqbal? He still had a positive attitude towards members of the Lahore group, such as Khwaja Kamal ad-Din in 1911 and even after that. Why did he change his position later on and attack the community?
Dr. Khalifa Rasheeduddin was a rich follower of MGA, he was a MBBS physician, he died in 1926. He was a resident of Lahore and remained posted as a Medical Professor at the Lahore Medical College and at various places of India. He was a close friend of Dr. Abdul Hakeem Khan Patialvi, who famously left Ahmadiyya in 1906. MGA and Khalifa Rasheed ud Din had lots of correspondence via letters. In Maktubat Vol.4, which covers the period from 1892 to 1905, these letters are published. Almost all the letters that Mirza wrote to him contained MGA’s request for money, medicines and other items. MGA also sent peoples to him for help as mentioned by him in letters. MGA asked for the hand of daughter of Dr. Khalifa Rashiduddin in Nikah for his son Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmoud before the girl had reached adult age. His daughter was married to Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad and had 9+ children. Incidentally, his other daughter was married to a non-Ahmadi Muslim in Qadian (the nikkah was held in Qadian) and on the same day (in 1902). The girl in question was the sister-in-law of Mian Mahmud Ahmad (the Founder’s own son), and she was married among the relatives of the mother of the girl. These were not Ahmadis, but rather opponents of the Movement. He gave permission to this marriage towards the end of his life, and after his death, the marriage sermon was delivered by the late Maulana Nur al-Din. Mian Mahmud Ahmad himself was present at the ceremony. Later on, in Lahore, he was also present at the departure of the bride. If at that time he had thought that all other Muslims were unbelievers, it was his duty to save the sister of his wife from falling in to the hands of kafirs.
Nevertheless, his other daughters’ children seem to have been eventually married into Ahmadi’s. One of her daughters was married off to Bashir Ahmad Orchard, the first English-Ahmadi-imam. They had 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. We are not sure about her other children and where they went.
MGA also seems to have ordered coco-wine from Dr. Khalifa Rasheed ud Din.
Allegedly on Sep-16-1907, the day that Mirza Mubarak Ahmad died, MGA said that Mirza Mubarak Ahmad had recovered completely from the actual ailment. He had regained full health. There was no sign of fever at all. He repeatedly asked to be taken to the garden. He had a great liking for the garden, so he went there. However, MGA then says that his God had given the news of his death at the very time of his birth (in 1899 via Tiryaq ul Qulub) (See Al-Hakam, vol. 11, no. 34, p. 5–6, dated 24 September 1907, Via Malfuzat-9, pages 394-403).MGA also alleges that on Sep-15-1907, Mirza Mubarak Ahmad called me and put his hand in my hand and shook my hand as if he is departing for some place now and greeting me for the last time.
Dr. Khalifah Rashid-ud-Din reported to the Al-Hakam that a few days ago MGA had said that he had seen in a dream that a death was to take place in this house and a goat had been slaughtered. As Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen was unwell in those days, an apprehension arose concerning him. Nawwab Muhammad ‘Ali Khan, Dr. Abdus-Sattar Shah, and he himself—all three—were a witness to this.
Sayyid Mir Hamid Shah reported to the Al-Hakam that his mother had seen a dream (the morning of (9-24-1907) wherein there were four shining stars of Your Holiness (MGA’s 4 sons), one of them fell and entered the earth.
Then Dr. Khalifah Rashid-ud-Din said, people used to call Mubarak Ahmad, Wali, wali [‘Friend of Allah, Friend of Allah’]. Then MGA said: Yes, Wali is verily the one who is destined for Paradise.
It is also noted that the grave of Mirza Mubarak Ahmad was at quite a distance from the other graves in Bahishti Maqbara (this was most likely because he died of plague). MGA responded to this by fabricating a silly dream which is so nonsensical I can’t make sense of it:
“”Sometimes if the father sees a dream, it means his son, and if the son sees a dream, then it means the father. Once I came here (to Bahishti Maqbarah[—The Heavenly Graveyard]) in a dream and instructed the grave diggers that my grave should be away from others. Note that what was in reference to me was fulfilled in relation to my son”””. Continue reading “Who is Dr. Khalifa Rasheed-ud-din? (died in 1926)” →