Al Fazl, 19 May 1921

The Detroit News, a local newspaper of the city of Detroit, USA, in its issue of 13 March 1921, published a photograph of a new convert Muslim lady, Siddiqatun Nisa Rahatullah, along with a short article that is being presented below […] It will certainly be of great interest to readers.

Moreover, we will also present […] two couplets from this woman’s works that the said newspaper has published with her picture. From only these two couplets, the readers can easily comprehend this lady’s love for the light of Islam and her passion for tabligh. The [article] is as follows:

“Siddiqatun Nisa Rahatullah (resident of 624 Stimson Avenue) – who was formerly known as Mrs EM Garber before converting to Islam and adopting her Islamic name – is the first female Muslim missionary to preach Islam and the Holy Quran in the United States of America. She will help Mufti Muhammad Sadiq in his preaching efforts in Detroit. This lady, Rahatullah, is a native of America who was born in Indiana and studied religion for many years.

“Once, she traveled to the Pacific coast where she became interested in a society that had studied and mastered Eastern theology. On her return to the city of New York, she became acquainted with Syed Muhammad Wajih Gilani, a former secretary of the sheikh of Constantinople, who had been selected to go to the nation of Moros in the Islands of Philippine as a Muslim teacher. As Mr Gilani was a descendant of Muhammad^[sa], he was welcomed with respect by Muslims of America, but he passed away before he could leave for the Philippines.

“Mr Mufti Muhammad Sadiq came to America from India to preach Islam and upon learning of Mrs Garber’s acquaintance with Mr Gilani, he started exchanging letters with her. As a result, she converted to Islam and chose for herself the name Siddiqatun [Nisa Rahatullah] which in Arabic means truthful and faithful, and Rahatullah means the one who has been granted peace by Allah.

“Expressing about her conversion to Islam, Mrs Garber states, ‘Muslims of America treated me with such compassion and I gained such a satisfying knowledge of Islam that it became very easy for me to convert to Islam.’

“Mrs Garber has authored a number of preaching poems and songs that will be used in the Ahmadiyya Movement’s preaching campaign in America. The Ahmadiyya Movement is affiliated with Prophet Ahmad^[as]. He was born in India and established a school for teachers who are being trained to spread the teachings of Islam in all parts of the world. After extending [help in] preaching efforts at local level, Mrs Garber, as she states, will travel from Detroit to India for education as a teacher of the Holy Quran and an Ahmadiyya Movement’s missionary.

“Below is the translation of [Mrs Garber’s] couplets:

“I see in the night the world of the beauty of Islam which is ablaze with its shining torch of light.

“In the darkness of the night, I find myself moving forward in this journey as the river flows through the valleys.”

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 19 May 1921 issue of Al Fazl)

The Review of Religions (English), May 1921, pp. 190-99

Our Brother at Michigan City, America

The Michigan City News says in its issue of 8 March 1921:

“The Syrian Mohammedans in Michigan City will hold a banquet on Wednesday evening at the Vreeland hotel in honor of their missionary in this country, Doctor Mufti Mohammad Sadiq of India, the first Moslem preacher in America sent by the great Moslem movement called ‘Ahmadia’ after the name of its founder, the prophet ‘Ahmed.’

“Islam is the final religion and Koran the final book. There can be no new religion or new book after Mohammed, but the inspired reformers appear after him as exponents and interpreters and preachers of Islam. Mohammedans do not worship Mohammed, but believe him a man and a messenger of God, Allah is the Arabic for God and not the name of any man or idol. Drinking wine was prohibited by the master prophet Mohammed 1300 years ago. Moslem countries used to have no saloons and no gambling houses before they were introduced by the Western people. Islam gives equal rights to women. Jesus Christ is believed by all Mohammedans as a holy man and prophet of Allah; but he did not die the cursed death on the cross. His tomb has been found in Kashmir, India, says Dr Sadiq, [and] members of the Ahmadia movement are 600,000 in India.

“The Mohammedans will make the best citizen in the United States as they are enjoined by their faith to obey peacefully the laws of the government under which they happen to live. Dr Sadiq is a guest of Mr Neffen Sam, 808 Tennessee Street, and will remain here a few days trying to make the Americans understand what the religion of Islam really is.

“Dr Mufti Mohammed Sadiq will deliver an address to the public and particularly to the Mohammedans of this city tomorrow evening in the assembly hall in the superior court building. All citizens are cordially invited to attend this meeting and hear this eminent man.” […]

Dr Sadiq in the American Press

From the newspapers coming from America, it appears that even in the free country of the United States of America all people are not so liberal minded as we thought they were and that even among them there are Christian gentlemen and ladies who are as intolerant and as bigoted as any Christian that ever breathed. In order to illustrate this, we need quote only one letter from the Free Press Detroit which it gives under the heading “Voice of the People.”

One Anise Atiyeh writing to the aforesaid paper, says:

“A foreigner from India who has recently arrived in this city has repeatedly and publicly accused the Christian ministers [priests] of unfairness religious intolerance, and narrow-mindedness simply because they don’t turn over their churches to him for the purpose of preaching a religion which not only believes in slavery and polygamy, but is diametrically opposed to the Christian religion, and in my judgment is subversive of the very foundations of American society.

“Not only the ministers were subjected to his attacks but the very Christ whom those ministers preach … Muhammad is claimed to be far superior to Christ.”

“Now all this is being done in a pre-eminently Christian community and not only he has his photograph published as an advertisement to attract deluded Christians to flock and hear him and be converted, but his criticisms of Christianity and its founder are given prominence by being published by the daily papers.”

The reader may see how the writer of the above letter is burning with rage on account of the preachings of our missionary to America. He cannot bear the sight of Christians flocking to hear him [Mufti Sahib] and he fears that those who are so fond of listening to his [Mufti Sahib] lectures will be converted. It pains him to see the photographs of our brother and his criticisms of Christianity given prominence in the daily press of that country and if it had been in his power, the kindliest thing he could have done to our brother would have been to turn him out of the country.

His argument for intolerance to Islam is that it teaches polygamy. Polygamy it does sanction, as does the Bible also, and the day does not appear to be very far when Christendom will see the necessity of permitting polygamy as the only remedy for many evils.

Slavery, as practised by Christians right down to our own times is unknown to Islam. Those who attacked the Muslims and fought with them were indeed taken captives by the Muslims, in accordance with the custom prevailing in Arabia, but they had the orders of the Holy Prophet, may peace and the blessings of God upon him, to treat them as their brethren and their emancipation was declared to be a deed which made one entitled to paradise. Besides, the captives themselves could purchase their freedom by making a certain payment to their masters.

Can the writer of the aforesaid letter quote even a single word of Jesus in favour of slaves? Why does not the gentleman who is so enraged at the preachings of our missionary advocate the exclusion of the Bible from the schools, the churches, and the country because the Bible permits both polygamy and slavery?

He is angry with our brother because he [Mufti Sahib] says the Christian ministers are narrow-minded. He wants to defend the ministers but instead of defending, he only pleads guilty of betraying his own intolerance and bigotry.

In connection by with our brother’s reference to the narrow-mindedness of the Christian ministers, the following quotation from one of our brother’s letters in the Free Press will be interesting. Our Brother [Mufti Sahib] says:

“I had asked the Christian ministers if any of them was so broad-minded as our Holy Prophet Muhammad^[sa], who had given his mosque to the Christians for holding their Sunday service. In reply, I have received an all-round refusal, excepting one Unitarian Club; but as the Unitarians, like myself, already believe in Jesus as a man-prophet and reject the doctrines of the divinity of Jesus and trinity, they are considered by the orthodox and other churches as non-Christians.

“Rev Pearson kindly suggests that I should hire a hall. I thank the reverend gentleman, though his advice makes me no wiser … One pastor says that I am in conflict with Christianity and therefore no church door should be opened to me. Well, I love Jesus and I believe as well as the reverend pastor. At least, I am not an enemy of Christ. But suppose I am. Then don’t you [Christians] preach ‘Love your enemies.’ Yes, you do. But you do not practise what you teach. You could not and you do not. I knew this well. But I wanted to get it out of your mouths, and I have got it. Therefore now I say – don’t worry.”

Our brother had no desire to make use of the Christian churches. His object was only to bring home to the Christian ministers and others the noble-mindedness of the Holy Prophet^[sa] and their own narrow-mindedness and to show that they did not practise what they taught from their pulpits.

The Christian ministers are convicted out of their own mouths and being unable to make any reply to the criticisms of the Ahmadi missionary they want to conceal their defeat by showing anger and rage at his criticisms. True, indeed, is the Persian saying which says, “When a person is discomfited in debate, he resorts to quarrelling and fighting.”

Beautiful Islam

A paper written and read by Madam Siddiqatun Nisa (Mrs EM Garber) at the weekly meeting of the Ahmadia movement in Chicago on 21 November 1921:

Truth in its radiant beauty so clear,

Has presented a living life so dear,

Through the claims and teachings of Ahmad^[as], the seer,

To the one who hath a listening ear.

O blessed prophet of the latter day,

In humble posture how often didst thou pray!

That thy true light might illumine without delay,

The world’s corruption sinking in decay.

Thy words are filled with strength and power;

They blossom forth as doth the flower;

They nourish our souls as the gentle shower,

Droppeth her kisses from Allah’s tower.

In far away India this master hath been found,

Born in a little unpretentious town,

But by the blessed Allah he hath been crowned,

And the name of Ahmad is peeling forth in sound!

The beauty of his teachings shall soothe the weary heart

As a stream of life from it doth start

Into thy life t’will bring the joy of the lark,

Freeing thee forever from worldly shark.

Islam’s beauty the master doth reveal

Which to the many hath been a book concealed,

But today in the desert is growing a new field,

Which to the faithful sweetest fruit will yield.

Islam’s strength and eternal patience

Is being known throughout each and every nation,

For Allah hath established a wireless station;

And the true and faithful one shall receive his allotted ration.

In the study of Holy Quran I [Madam Siddiqatun Nisa] found a beauty in Islam surpassing any beauty I had ever known. Not as it is manifested by some of its people who have lost much of its beauty owing to their mingling with Christian worldly ambitious people but in my silent hours of study and thought this book revealed its true meaning to me.

The beauty in Allah’s strength, the freedom of spirit, the breaking of the bends of ignorance and delusions of the imaginations. The power to stand alone with Allah’s truth, fortified against all petty notions the world would heap upon us. The beauty in a pure unbroken love which manifests its self in the hearts of the faithful. These are but a few of the beauties of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught through his inspired word.

Today we have with us right in our midst a blessed teacher Professor Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, who has come to awaken our hearts to the true meaning of Islam and the beauties contained therein and I have found in him the true spirit of Islam and the quality of beauty expressing its self through him. His patience, his tolerance, his kindness and his humble devotion to his master Ahmad^[as], his love and reverence for the great Arabian Master Prophet Muhammad^[sa] and his submission to the One and only Allah the Creator and his desire to bring others to this truth are some of the beauties of his nature.

Day and night he labors to spread this truth, which shall break all the chains of bondage, uniting us in one perfect whole – keeping our minds balanced as we ascend step after step to that Divine Throne where bliss shall be eternal and wisdom our guide throughout the infinite time.

(Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original article in The Review of Religions [English], May 1921)
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100 Years Ago… – Ku Klux Klan, Ahmadi converts begin preaching in America and Press Congress of the World newspaper (alhakam.org)

Al Fazl, 22 December 1921 & 2 January 1922

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^ra (1872-1957)

Valuable efforts of new convert Ahmadi preachers

By the grace of God, some new converts have been granted such zeal and strength by God Almighty that they are actively engaged in the preaching of Ahmadiyyat among the Christians of this country, [America]. The most noteworthy of them are:

1. Mr Jacob (Muhammad Yaqub), who was the first to convert to Islam in Chicago, is constantly trying to convert others to Islam ever since. Thus far, 15 men and women have joined Islam after being guided through his efforts and their weekly gathering is held every Sunday at the house of Mr Roman, a Bengali Ahmadi Muslim.

2. The second preacher is Mrs Garber (Madam Rahatullah) who is working in New York. Five people have already converted to Islam through her efforts and this week she has sent letters of another three new converts.

3. The third person is Mr Alberto who lives in Florida state. His picture has been published in the third issue of The Moslem Sunrise. Through his efforts, 10 men have thus far acquired guidance. Moreover, he is also trying to get the people of that city to contribute and invite me there for lectures and also to cover the expenses of my trip with their donations. As Florida is 2,000 miles from Detroit, two-way train fares will cost about 500 rupees. In this country, there are no partitions in the train. Everyone is provided with the same type of carriage and equal comfort. However, there is a separate carriage for sleeping in which beds, etc., are provided and its fare is a bit higher but not too much.

Another tribute

A congress of newspapers has been formed in this country which has been named as Press Congress of the World. This congress, in one of their special sessions, elected me as a member on the basis of me being the editor of an Islamic magazine and requested me to accept it. Its members include well-renowned editors whose newspapers are published in millions on daily basis. President Harding is also a member [of the said congress].

Ahmadis in Central America

In Guatemala, Central America, a friend named Mr FR Mandal has joined the Ahmadiyya Jamaat through correspondence. Before him, there was one friend who become an Ahmadi Muslim in Central America. While living in the United States, tabligh can be carried out in all the countries of the Americas, provided we have sufficient resources.

Address for telegram

It is to inform friends that:

1. I have registered my brief address in the telegraph office, Western Union. The [address] is: Sunrise, Detroit, Mich., USA. This [address] will only be counted as two words. The telegram officials do not charge for the word “America”, and “Detroit Mich.” is counted as one word.

2. The VP [Value Payable Post] service is not available between America and India.

3. If a person wants to send some money and order something from here, they should send the Indian currency notes in a registry envelope without getting them insured or send a check in the name of the Thomas Cook Company, New York. Moreover, I can easily receive [money via] hundi here from any city of America.

Mr MM Sadiq, 27 La Belle Ave., Highland Park, Mich.

Al Fazl, 2 January 1922

The Messiah will appear in India

On the shores of California lives a man of Jewish descent named Edward Bachour who claims to be the promised messiah of the Jews and [says that] through him, peace and prosperity will be established in the world. I have informed him about the appearance of our Messiah. He is studying the books of the Jamaat. He runs a small magazine called Messianic Messenger. In its September issue, an article by one of its correspondents, Mr Rudhyar, has been published. Mr Rudhyar wrote that the one who would reveal the hidden secrets to the world was about to be born in India – the great reservoir of wisdom and spirituality. His exact English words are as follows:

“The Great Hierophant shall come from the great reservoir of wisdom and of spirituality: India.”

Secret committees in America and Ku Klux Klan

The country of America is a collection of wonders. There are hundreds of secret societies here. Each society is licensed by the government. Recently, the secrets of a new secret society called the [Ku] Klux Klan have been revealed. It has been five years since this society was established. Its members currently number 500,000 and their primary objective is to ensure that whites always dominate the blacks. They believe that blacks were created for slavery. Some black killings and riots are attributed to this society. Some newspapers are strongly opposing them.

The Promised Messiah^as was once told that no secret committee would be able to assassinate him. It also sheds light on the fact that the main goal of the secret committees is to murder their opponents.

American postage cost has risen

The postage cost on letters from India to America used to be two and a half annas [a unit of currency formerly used in the subcontinent, equal to 1/16 of a rupee]. Now, it costs three annas, but as our friends do not know that, they still put [a stamp of] only two and a half annas on their letters and so I have to pay three annas here for each letter. It is to inform that the friends and offices who intend to write should put a stamp of 3 annas on their letters. Moreover, if the letter is too heavy, add a stamp of another one and a half annas.

Muhammad Sadiq, America

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 22-26 December 1921 & 2 January 1922 issue of Al Fazl)