Intro
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and other Ahmadi editors lied about white converts to Ahmadiyya from Europe and America.
Mrs. Garber was a student of Islam in 1911 as a sufi, either that or she was in love with Sayyid Wajih al-Kilani and his mission in America (he was dead by 1916). She claims to have converted to Islam (see Detroit News of Sunday, Nov-19-1922) via Kilani in the 1914-1916 era. The Detroit Free News of March 13-1921 (see scans in the below) alleges that she was converted to Islam (Qadianism) by Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and even allegedly named herself Siddiqatun [Nisa Rahatullah](See Al Fazl, 19 May 1921). In the Moslem Sunrise of July-1921 (the first edition, page 13) she is described as someone who was already Muslim and converted to Qadianism (See Khan too). It seems that Garber aka Madam Rahatullah had no idea that Ahmadiyya was Kufr. She seems to have met Mufti Muhammad Sadiq in NY, in the summer of 1920.
By 1922 she had become a regular Muslim again, she married a Sunni Muslim named Mr. Mustafa Taha (See Jan-1922 edition of the Moslem Sunrise) and they lived in Highland Park, MI. She lived in Kufr for about 3 years. A few years later, she became a follower of Satti Majid (b. 1883), a prominent Sudanese Sunni missionary who formed what may have been the first national Sunni Muslim organization; after Majid left the U.S., he attempted to obtain a fatwa from Egyptian religious authorities against the U.S. Ahmadiyya missionaries he had encountered. By 1924, she was totally out of Ahmadiyya and working with Satti Majid aka Sheikh Majid Mohammed (in Buffalo) and the Islamic community of Highland Park-Detroit. (See the Buffalo Courier Express of 11 Sep 1924, Thu ·Page 5).
Her conversion is unclear, she was never listed as a convert in any edition of the Moslem Sunrise/ROR or Al-Fazl, but she was openly collaborating with Mufti Muhammad Sadiq in his mission, she seems to have converted in the summer of 1920 and in NY. She was the most prominent helper of his in late 1920-1921, in fact, in Nov-1920, she helped out the Mufti immensely via speeches. The ROR of Jan-1921 mentions the Mufti and his lectures at No. 4334, Ellis Avenue, Chicago and mentions a few converts but doesn’t mention Garber. The ROR of May-1921 (see pages 198-199) mentions Mrs. E.M. Garba and her speech at No. 4334, Ellis Avenue, Chicago of Nov-1920. Mrs Ophelia Avant and Madam Rahatullah were prime examples of how Mufti Sahib empowered women into leadership roles. It is this affirmation that has been entitled “effective insurgency”; Muslim women were able to live between Islam and a racial religious form during the past century. (“Raising Muslim Girls: Women of Color Legacies in American Islam”, With Stones in Our Hands, p. 327).
Siddiqatun Nisa’s (aka Mrs. Garber) name first appeared in the Al Fazl, 17 January 1921, as someone who also gave a speech after Mufti Muhammad Sadiq. This was on 21 November 1920, and in Chicago, she also read out a poem and her speech was sent to Qadian to be published in the ROR. Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and Ella May Garber are mentioned in the ROR of May-1921 (see pages 198-199), her name is spelled as Mrs. E.M. Garba. The date of this speech of hers is given as Nov-1921, it should be Nov-1920.
In July of 1921, she translated a letter for the Mufti in the July-1921 edition of the Moslem Sunrise, see page 7, this was a poem from the 2nd Khalifa. She is mentioned also on page 13. The Moslem Sunrise alleges that she has been a Muslim for 10 years already. On Page 14 she is mentioned as someone who has been lecturing on different topics like, “She who is tried”, “The Power of Truth”, “The Strong Will Conquer” and “The Smoke”. She is also helping Mufti Muhammad Sadiq with correspondence work. She also helped in writing a message of greeting for New Years eve (see page 19).
She has a 6-page essay in the ROR of Aug-1921, which is allegedly a lecture that she gave on Feb-8-1921 at the Ahmadia Hall in Chicago. In the same edition, she translated a poem of the 2nd Khalifa. She seems to be living with Mufti Muhammad Sadiq at 72 Victor Ave, Highland Park, MI (this is the Highland Park Mosque and headquarters of the Moslem Sunrise).
She is mentioned again in the Moslem Sunrise of Oct-1921, she is alleged to be giving lectures in NY (See ROR of Oct-1921 also). In New York, she lectured on Islam and gained at least two converts from her own missionary work (See pages 36-38 and 39-40). Sadiq had often published her verses within The Moslem Sunrise, and she frequently collaborated with Sadiq in translating poems of Ghulam Ahmad into English for publication. Mrs. Garber (Madam Rahatullah) 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. (See the Al Fazl, 22 December 1921 & 2 January 1922). It is reported in the Jan-1922 edition of the Moslem Sunrise that Madam Rahaullah has sent in information on 2 new converts in the NY area. She has a poem written on the back page of the Jan-1922 edition of the Moslem Sunrise. On page 97 it is announced that she was married to Mr. Mustafa Taha. Her date of marriage was given by herself as Feb-6-1922 (See The Moslem Sunrise of Oct-1922). Her husband in Syrian and was living in Highland Park, MI. The Moslem Sunrise of Jan-1923 mentions that Sister Rahatullah is living in Highland Park and doing work therein. It also mentions that in the Detroit Daily News of Nov-23-1922, Sister Rahatullah is presented as the first ever Muslim Woman missionary. She is here for converts and living at 128 Victor Ave. She also has a poem on page 117. The Moslem Sunrise of Apr-1924 alleges that Siddika Rahatullah has translated a poem of MGA.
By 1923 she had become a regular Muslim. She became a follower of Satti Majid (b. 1883), a prominent Sudanese Sunni missionary who formed what may have been the first national Sunni Muslim organization; after Majid left the U.S., he attempted to obtain a fatwa from Egyptian religious authorities against the U.S. Ahmadiyya missionaries he had encountered.
Mufti Muhammad Sadiq and other Ahmadi editors lied about white converts to Ahmadiyya from Europe and America and sometimes in the pursuit of women. Another case is that of Mrs. EM Garber, or Siddiqatun Nisa Rahatullah). Ella was a young white woman from Indiana. Ella aka Rahatullah (aka Mrs. E.M. Garba) had been studying Islam about a decade prior to meeting Sadiq. Rahatullah had originally become Muslim in 1911 while studying Sufi poetry, and likely become a student of the Sufi sheikh Inayat Khan’s movement in California.
Continue reading “Who is Ella May Garber? AKA Rahatullah, a fake Ahmadi? And then an ex-Ahmadi” →
