Intro
Al-Bayan, البيان [The Explanation] was published by Suleiman Baddour out of Brooklyn, New York. The newspaper started in 1911 and lasted until 1967. Al-Bayan Newspapers collection includes issues dating from January 24 1911 to January 22 1916, January 25 1917 to July 31 1926, and January 25 to December 31 1938. A search engine can be found herein–KCLDS (arabicsearch.org).
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq arrived in NY in early 1920 and began interacting with the American Mohammedan Society and the Al-Bayan, البيان [The Explanation] newspaper. He was desperately trying to become their Imam. It didn’t work out. In June of 1920, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq travelled from New York to Detroit. The Al-Bayan reported his visit in its edition of 26 June, 1920. On June 14, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq arrived in Detroit and was given a good reception, the Muslims of Detroit had no idea what #Qadianism was nor did they know that MGA claimed to be a prophet. By July-1920, he was back in NY.
By August-Sep 1920, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq arrived in Chicago and began working. The ROR of Oct-1920 reports that Muftree Muhammad Sadiq has converted 40 American’s thus far. It also reports that Sadiq moved from New York to Chicago recently. He seems to have lived and worked in Chicago from Aug-Sep 1920 until Feb 1921.
In February 1921, he was invited again to Detroit for lectures, so he arrived there on 5 February 1921. With the characteristic hospitality of Arab Muslims, he was offered a friendly and generous reception and accommodation. He stayed for more than a month in Detroit and its suburb Highland Park with these Arab Muslim friends and delivered a series of lectures on Islam.
By March 1921, he was back in Chicago, he had met with the Muslims in Highland park and promised to return when the mosque opened. On the way to Chicago, he was given a warm welcome by the Syrian community of Michigan City, Indiana. A banquet was also held in his honour where he delivered a lecture (Al-Bayan, 29 March, 1921, p. 3). The whole programme was announced earlier in The Michigan City News on 8 March, 1921.
In June of 1921, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq returned to Highland Park and led the Eid prayer at the new mosque. The sermon delivered by Hussain Karoub, the brother of Muhammad Karoub. The Eid celebration continued after the Eid prayer as a parade was arranged on Victor Ave. In the July-1921 edition of the Moslem Sunrise, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq thanks Mr. Muhammad Karroub.
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq stayed in Highland Park until June-July of 1922, roughly a year. He was ran out of Highland Park, since it was found out that he was a Qadiani and using the money of Muhammad Karroub to advance the Qadiani Agenda (See the Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep, 1922, p. 75).
In May 1922 he travelled to Chicago and once again made it the mission’s centre. The first Ahmadiyya mission-house/temple in America was built in Chicago on 4448 Wabash Avenue. The July-1922 edition of the Moslem Sunrise states the same, permanent quarters of our [Ahmadiyya] Mission have now been established in Chicago where I have bought a large house – a part of which with necessary alterations has been fixed up into a Mosque and the rest decorated and furnished as the Mission House and the office of The Moslem Sunrise. This building owned by the Ahmadia Movement is situated on Wabash Ave. and 45th Street, Northwest Corner. We appreciate the pains taken by our dear Brother Muhammed Yaqub (Mr Andrew Jacob) – carpenter, in making the Mehrab and the Gumbad (Arch and Dome) of the Mosque.
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Quotes
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1920
June
Al-Bayan, 26 June, 1920, p. 3, 26 Court St. Brooklyn, N. Y.
Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and the Arab Muslim community of America (alhakam.org)
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq travelled from New York to Detroit in June 1920. An Arabic newspaper of New York, Al-Bayan reported his visit in its edition of 26 June, 1920 as follows:
[Translation] “The Islamic Community in Detroit, Michigan has held a general body meeting on 14 June for the reception of Mr Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, one of the best men of India. He has come all the way from New York especially just to visit the Islamic community here in this city.
“Mr Mufti began this meeting with the following words: ‘In the name of Allah, and blessings be sent upon the Holy Arab Prophet’; then he delivered his address in both English and Arabic. He expressed how the Muslims of India were highly determined and dedicated to uplift the pride of Islam again, and how supportive they were towards their brothers in the East and the West. His address left a noble impact in the hearts of attendees.”
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Feb
Al-Bayan, 19 February, 1921, p. 3
[Translation] “What Muslims generally and Syrian Arabs especially have witnessed during the last three weeks, they have neither seen such a magnificent time since their migration to America, nor have they attained such popularity. You will not find any morning or evening newspaper that is not filled with the joyous mention of their praise, their qualities, their religion, morals and lifestyle. And I swear that the sincere American journalists would never have mentioned them if the beauties of this noble ummah had not been made apparent to them […]
“Furthermore, we can say that due to the coming of Allama Mufti Muhammad Sadiq of India, and as a result of his eloquent speeches and interviews with all the journalists, the name of Muslims and especially Arabs has spread like fragrance […]” .
On 21 February, two Arab brothers, Ahmad Afandi Hamza and Ahmad Afandi Osman, also arranged another big lunch in honour of Mufti Sadiq, followed by his address and other speeches. (Al-Bayan, 26 February 1921, p. 3).
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1921
March
One of his hosts, Muhammed Karoub, a Syrian immigrant real state agent, had intentions to build a mosque. Sadiq left for Chicago, planning to return at the completion of the mosque. On the way to Chicago, he was given a warm welcome by the Syrian community of Michigan City, Indiana. A banquet was also held in his honour where he delivered a lecture (Al-Bayan, 29 March, 1921, p. 3). The whole programme was announced earlier in The Michigan City News on 8 March, 1921.
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1921
June
“The Islamic community of Detroit has neither seen such a magnificent day, nor has it observed such an influential scene of gathering as the one that took place at noon. It was the first of its kind and importance, not only in the city of Detroit, but in the United States or even in the whole American continent.” (Al-Bayan, 14 June 1921, p. 2)
Mufti Sadiq made Highland Park his missionary centre. Soon after, he published his well-known periodical, The Moslem Sunrise from 74 Victor Ave., The Detroit Free Press again gave the heading of “See Highland Park As Islamic Center” (25 June 1921, p. 11).
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1921
July
Al-Bayan, 9 July, 1921, pp. 4-5
[Translation] “It is not our intention to respond to the allegations of Mahmood Nasir except for one thing, and that is because he has mentioned us in a matter in which he has insulted a man who is a profound scholar of Islam. He defends Islam with such strength of knowledge and bravery that he has made the popularity of Muslims among the Americans like a fragrance. I cannot imagine that any person who has religious consciousness and holds honour for Islam would not attest to what we say. […]“If some people had not asked us to testify in favour of Mufti Muhammad Sadiq of India, we would not have gone through the trouble to write on this topic […] Thus, we are deeply saddened by the defamatory remarks about Mufti, and we are really surprised at how we could deny his fearless defence of Islam which he does even in churches. And we people of Palestine were introduced to Hazrat Mufti only through the leaders of Detroit, who welcomed him and honoured him and proudly invited him to their dinners. So we are really surprised how things changed and now some people want to defame him in newspapers […]”
Translation] “So, among the things which really hurt a proud Muslim is to involve respectable Mufti Muhammad Sadiq in this matter, and to blame him for collecting donations on behalf of Mr Karoub and his mosque. We know that he [Hazrat Mufti Sadiq] never indulged himself in such people; rather, he constantly engages himself in defending Islam in gatherings, churches and newspapers […] So any fabrication which hurts the feelings of Mufti Muhammad Sadiq also injures the Muslims’ hearts and this is not only insulting to him but this is an insult to all Muslims.” (Al-Bayan, 16 July 1921, p. 5)
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Links and Related Essay’s
Who is Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (1872-1957)? – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and the Arab Muslim community of America (alhakam.org)
Thesis – Ahmadi institutionalization (harvard.edu)
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Tags
#ahmadiyya #ahmadiyyafactcheckblog #messiahhascome #ahmadiyyat #trueislam #ahmadianswers #ahmadiyyamuslimcommunity #ahmadiyya_creatives #ahmadiyyatthetrueislam #ahmadiyyatzindabad #ahmadiyyatrueislam #ahmadiyyamuslim #mirzaghulamahmad #qadiani #qadianism
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