Intro
Maulvi Muhammad Ali is one of the most famous Ahmadi’s in history. He was friends with Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din who introduced him to MGA and Ahmadiyya.
In 1899, he moved to Qadian and moved into the house of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (this was elite company). He lived there until 1909.
In 1902, he started the Review of Religions (Urdu and English) and remained as its main editor for 10+ years.
After MGA died in May of 1908, Maulvi Muhammad Ali teamed up with Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din and other prominent Ahmadi’s in Lahore and began secretly opposing the Khilafat of Maulvi Nur ud Din. This came to the forefront at the 1908 Jalsa at Qadian, which was followed with a meeting of the top 200 Ahmadi’s in the world at Qadian on Jan-31-1909, wherein Maulvi Noorudin then forced Maulvi Muhammad Ali and Khwaja Kamaluddin to take a new bait at his hand (the nature of this bait was disputed later in 1914 via “Andruni Ikhtilafat-e-Silsilah Ahmadiyya kei Asbab”, p. 58), they complied accordingly! Maulvi Noorudin then forced Shaikh Yacub Ali Irfani to also take a new bait at his hand and he complied (See page 245). Lahori-Ahmadi sources also allege that Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (before his Khilafat) and Mir Nasir Nawab were made to promise that they would obey him (Maulvi Nur ud Din)(see page 89).
In 1917, his famous commentary on the Quran was published.
In 1920, another edition of his famous commentary on the Quran was published.
In 1947, he was already living in Lahore and didn’t have to move during the migration.
He died on October 13, 1951 (age 76 years), Karachi, Pakistan.
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His wives and children
Life Story of Maulana Muhammad Ali – Part 2: May 1899 to April 1914. – 2. The Times of Maulana Nur-ud-Din
Obituary: Mr Muhammad Ahmad, M.A. (1920–1981) [son of Maulana Muhammad Ali] – Islam Ahmadiyya – alahmadiyya.org
Maulana Muhammad Ali’s first wife (Fatima Begum) died in November 1908, leaving a little girl named Ruqayya. About one and a half years later, at the instigation of Maulana Nur-ud-Din, he married Mehrun Nisa, daughter of Dr. Basharat Ahmad. In September 1909, the doctor had written to Maulana Nur-ud-Din enquiring about a suitable match for his daughter. Another match was under consideration and the doctor had sought Maulana Nur-ud-Din’s permission about it, but the latter wrote in reply saying that in his view there was not a better man for marriage than Muhammad Ali. In February 1910, Dr. Basharat Ahmad took a few days’ leave to come to Qadian from Bhera, and the nikah of Maulana Muhammad Ali to his daughter took place. On 29 April 1910 Maulana Muhammad Ali went to Bhera and on 1 May 1910 he brought his wife to Qadian.
2nd wife—Mehrun Nisa
With Mehrun Nisa, they had a son named Muhammad Ahmad.
They had six daughters and two sons. Atiya, his eldest daughter from his second wife, died after a long illness in 1922 at the age of ten. All his daughters and his older son got married during his life. His younger son Hamid Farooq was sent to the U.K. in 1948 for higher education and he was there when the Maulana died.
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His grandson
Tahir Jahangir.
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1896-1897
He met MGA for the first time.
______________________________________________________________________________________________1899
(Announcement dated 9 August 1899, Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. 3, p. 137, number 206)
Shortly after the young Muhammad Ali joined the Ahmadiyya Movement, MGA wrote and published the following opinion about him in an announcement:
“Among the most sincere friends in our community is Maulvi Muhammad Ali, M.A., who, besides his other qualifications, has also just now passed his law examination. For the past few months, at much loss to his own work, he has been staying with me in Qadian to perform a service to religion by translating some of my writings into English. …
“During this period in which he has been with me, I have been observing him, both openly and discreetly, to assess his moral character, observance of religion and goodness of behaviour. So, thanks be to God, that I have found him to be a most excellent man as regards religion and good behaviour in all ways. He is unassuming, modest, of a righteous nature, and pious. He is to be envied for many of his qualities. … It is obvious that such promising young men possessing these qualities, who are able and honourable, cannot be found by searching.”
(Announcement dated 4 October 1899, Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. 3, p. 157–158, number 208)
“I am very happy that another good young man, having found the grace of God, has joined our community, that is Maulvi Muhammad Ali, M.A., Pleader. I have very good expectations of him. For a long time he has borne a worldly loss in order to stay in Qadian to serve the religion, and is learning the deep knowledge of the Holy Quran from Hazrat Maulvi Nur-ud-Din.
“I am sure that my foresight will not go wrong in this, that this young man will make progress in the path of God, and I am sure that by the grace of God he will prove to be so firm in righteousness and love of religion that he will set an example worthy to be followed by his peers. O God, let it be so! Amen, again Amen.”
“All those books of mine which are published after translation into English are translated by Maulvi Muhammad Ali, M.A.”
“”””When in May 1899 Maulana Muhammad Ali arrived in Qadian, the Promised Messiah gave him accommodation on the third storey of his own house. The ground floor was for guests, while he and his family occupied the middle storey. This storey was adjacent to the Masjid-i-Mubarak and there was a hatch from one room into this mosque through which Hazrat Mirza sahib used to enter the mosque. On one side of the same floor lived Maulana Nur-ud-Din. It was above his room, on the third storey, that Hazrat Mirza sahib made space for Maulana Muhammad Ali.
He had a room and a small courtyard. There was a stairway in the room which went down to the Promised Messiah’s courtyard and the other door opened into the small courtyard. The door of the small courtyard opened on the roof of the Masjid-i-Mubarak. This roof was used in the summer for maghrib and isha prayers, and it was here also that Hazrat Mirza sahib used to sit for his evening gatherings. Next to his room was Maulana Abdul Karim’s room, and his courtyard was also adjacent to the roof of the Masjid-i-Mubarak. From the courtyard next to Maulana Muhammad Ali’s room there was a little stairway going down into a tiny room, and this place served as his office. It was in there that he produced those invaluable English writings for the magazine the Review of Religions,whose language was so perfect that it was alleged that the Promised Messiah must be keeping an Englishman to do the writing!”””” (See “A Mighty Striving” aka “Mujahid-e-Kabir”, written by Mr. Muhammad Ahmad and Mr. Mumtaz Ahmad Faruqui, english translation by Mrs. Akhtar Aziz and Dr. Zahid Aziz).
______________________________________________________________________________________________1901
muj-kabir-uk-online.pdf (ahmadiyya.org)
He married Fatima Begum in the summer of 1901 and she moved in with MGA’s family, the inner circle, she died in 1908. Allegedley, the deceased Fatima Begum was born on 17 March 1886 in Shakar Gharh in this district and was married to Maulvi Muhammad Ali on 4 April 1901 at Gurdaspur. On 20 November 1908, after three months of severe nausea, she returned to her Maker at the age of 22 years and 8 months in Lahore. She was buried in Maqbara-i Bahishti in Qadian on 21 November.{Footnote 3} During her 7 years and 7 months of married life she gave birth to two children who died at birth, and to a daughter Ruqayya Begum on 26 November 1906 who is left with me in her memory.
(15 January 1901, Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. 3, pages 393–394, number 234)
“It was always a matter of sadness and anxiety for me that all those truths, the spiritual knowledge, the sound arguments in support of the religion of Islam, and the teachings giving satisfaction to the human soul, which have been disclosed to me and are still being made known to me, have not yet benefited the English-educated people of this country or the seekers-after-truth of Europe. This pain was so intense that it was no longer bearable. But God Almighty intends that, before I pass away from this temporary abode, all my aims should be fulfilled so that my last journey is not one of disappointment.
“So to fulfil this object, which is the real purpose of my life, there is a suggestion that … a magazine in English be published for the fulfillment of the objectives mentioned above.
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1902
He started the Review of Religions magazine (Urdu and English) and was the main editor.
2 November 1902, Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. 4, page 159
“Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad called in the editors of Al-Hakam and Al-Badr and emphasized to them that they must be very careful in writing down his speeches, in case something got misreported by mistake, which would then be used by the critics in their support. … So (added Hazrat Mirza) ‘it is proper that before publishing such articles in your newspapers you should show them to Maulvi Muhammad Ali. You will benefit by this, and also people will be saved from error.’ ”
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1904
(Tazkira, page 518; June 1904)
“Saw Maulvi Muhammad Ali in a dream. You also were righteous and sincere. Come and sit by me.”
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and the marriage of Maulvi Muhammad Ali – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
This entire entry was taken from the islam_Ahmadiyya reddit forum.
The following material is referenced from Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyya (Letters of Ahmad) Volume 5, Number 3, published on February 18, 1929 compiled by Yaqoob Ali Irfani Sahib and printed in Qadian.
About these letters, Irfani Sahib has said in the preface, and I quote:
“I feel ashamed in having to say that it is sad that until now, there are very few admirers in the jamaat who fully appreciate the value of these invaluable gems”
One of these gems on page 166 is letter number 273 written by the Promised Messiah on October 31st, 1899 addressed to Munshi Rustam Ali Sahib, whereby he is trying to seek Munshi Sahib’s help in finding a match for his companion Maulvi Mohammad Ali Sahib.
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1906
7 November 1906, Ruhani Khaza’in No. 2, vol. 9, page 90
“The Review of Religions was being mentioned. A man praised it and said that its articles were of high quality. Hazrat Mirza said:
‘Its editor Maulvi Muhammad Ali is an able and learned man. He has the M.A. degree, and along with it a religious bent of mind. He always passed with top marks and his name had gone forward for E.A.C. But leaving all this he has settled here. This is why God Almighty has blessed his writing.’ ”
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1906
“Ahmad, the Promised Messiah” by Maulvi Muhammad Ali (1906) – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
Did Maulvi Muhammad Ali (Lahori-Ahmadi) believe that MGA was a prophet before 1914? This has been a hot topic since the split in the Ahmadiyya Movement. However, a huge piece of evidence was always missing. The famous Yohanan Friedman quotes Muhammad Ali from 1906 in his own book about Ahmadiyya, “Prophecy Continuous” on page 148. Friedman quotes a book by Muhammad Ali which was published in 1906 wherein Muhammad Ali made many pro-prophethood remarks. Unfortunately, the Qadiani-Ahmadi’s never quoted this book vs. Muhammad Ali and the Lahori-Ahmadi’s. Part 1 of this book covers roughly 34 pages, this corresponds with the May-1906-ROR pages, 171-205, an Urdu version of this article appeared in the May 1906 issue of the Urdu edition of The Review of Religions from pages 163 to 192. Part-2 covers pages 229 to 256 of the english ROR of June-1906 and makes up the second part of this book.
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1907
“Sign number 103. Once, during the days when the plague was raging and it was even in Qadian, Maulvi Muhammad Ali, M.A., got a high temperature and he thought that it was the plague. So he made his last will like a dying man … and he was living within my house, with regard to which there is the revelation of God: I will safeguard everyone who is in this house. Then I went to see him and finding him worried and anxious I said to him: If you have got the plague then I am a liar and my claim to receive Divine revelation is wrong. Having said this, I felt his pulse and saw this wonder of Divine power that his body became so cold that there was no sign or trace of high temperature.” (see Haqiqat-ul-Wahy, page 253. old edition).
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1908
muj-kabir-uk-online.pdf (ahmadiyya.org)
He was in Qadian when MGA died on May-26-1908.
He married Fatima Begum in the summer of 1901 and she moved in with MGA’s family, the inner circle, she died in 1908. Allegedley, the deceased Fatima Begum was born on 17 March 1886 in Shakar Gharh in this district and was married to Maulvi Muhammad Ali on 4 April 1901 at Gurdaspur. On 20 November 1908, after three months of severe nausea, she returned to her Maker at the age of 22 years and 8 months in Lahore. She was buried in Maqbara-i Bahishti in Qadian on 21 November.{Footnote 3} During her 7 years and 7 months of married life she gave birth to two children who died at birth, and to a daughter Ruqayya Begum on 26 November 1906 who is left with me in her memory.
At the first Ahmadiyya Jalsa (Dec-1908) after MGA died, there seems to have been wranglings about the powers of the Khalifa vs. the Sadr Anjuman the famous autobiography of the life of Maulvi Muhammad Ali (Mujahid-e-Kabir, 1962)(See also (Al-Badr, 24–31 December 1908, p.13), (See the 2nd Qadiani-Ahmadi Khalifa’s testimony of 1921 (see page 228). Maulvi Muhammad came to the 1908 Jalsa with a prepared agenda wherein him and others (Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din) attacked the powers of the Khalifa and asserted that the Sadr Anjuman is the true successor.
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1909
The famous Ahmadi clash in 1909 over their silly #Khilafat – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
In early Jan-1909, Mir Muhammad Ishaq (MGA’s brother-in-law, 18 years old) prepared 7 questions about the relationship between the Sadr Anjuman (of which he was President)(Check out Uncle Mushtaq Malik explaining it herein) and submitted them to the Khalifa (Maulvi Nur ud Din)(all 7 questions can be found in Muhammad Ali’s book of 1922, “Haqiqat un Ikhtalaf”, pages 51-53). He lived in the same house as Nur ud Din at the time (1909). Nevertheless, the 2nd Qadiani-Ahmadi Khalifa didn’t mention the questions in 1921 at all, however, in 1962, the Lahori-Ahmadi’s revealed 3 of the questions (the other 4 are alleged to be similar)(see page 88). The 3 questions were: : (1) Is the Anjuman subservient to the Khalifa (Maulana Nur-ud-Din) or vice versa? (2) Can the Anjuman dismiss the Khalifa or vice versa? (3) How far can the Khalifa interfere in the affairs of the Anjuman? Mir Muhammad Ishaq also told the Khalifa that Maulvi Muhammad Ali and his friends were secretly opposing the Khalifa and it’s office. Lahori-Ahmadi sources allege that Maulvi Nur ud Din sent these questions to be answered by Muhammad Ali and they were. They were sent out. The same questionnaire was also sent to prominent Ahmadi’s in Lahore. Maulvi Nur ud Din called an emergency meeting of the top members.
The meeting was setup for Jan-31-1909, on the roof of the Masjid Mubarak (right next to MGA’s house). The 2nd Qadiani Khalifa alleges that 200-225 men were there (See page 242). All members of the Sadr Anjuman were there : Maulana Nur-ud-Din —President, Maulana Muhammad Ali —Secretary, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din —Legal Advisor, Maulana Syed Muhammad Ahsan of Amroha, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan of Malir Kotla, Seth Abdur Rahman of Madras, Maulana Ghulam Hasan Khan of Peshawar, Mir Hamid Shah of Sailkot, Shaikh Rahmatullah of Lahore, Dr. Mirza Yaqub Baig of Lahore, Dr. Syed Muhammad Husain Shah of Lahore, Dr. Khalifa Rasheed-ud-Din, Dr. Mir Muhammad Ismail.
Qadiani-Ahmadi sources alleged that after reading all the responses from Ahmadi’s from Lahore to Qadian, Maulvi Noorudin gave a fiery speech wherein he asserted his control as the Khalifa to whom bait was given and above any Anjuman (see page 243-244). Maulvi Nur ud Din then invited the son-in-law of MGA to speak, Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan. After that Mian Mirza Bashir ud Din Mahmud Ahmad spoke, and lastly Khwaja Kamaluddin spoke.
Lahori-Ahmadi sources allege in the end Maulvi Noorudin repeated what Maulana Muhammad Ali had allegedly already said, that these questions were irrelevant at that stage and it was wrong to dwell on them. His final decision was that, as both the parties had confidence in him, these questions must not be raised in his lifetime (see page 89)(this writing of Maulvi Muhammad Ali has never been found). Maulvi Noorudin then forced Maulvi Muhammad Ali and Khwaja Kamaluddin to take a new bait at his hand (the nature of this bait was disputed later in 1914 via “Andruni Ikhtilafat-e-Silsilah Ahmadiyya kei Asbab”, p. 58), they complied accordingly! Maulvi Noorudin then forced Shaikh Yacub Ali Irfani to also take a new bait at his hand and he complied (See page 245). Lahori-Ahmadi sources also allege that Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (before his Khilafat) and Mir Nasir Nawab were made to promise that they would obey him (Maulvi Nur ud Din)(see page 89).
Muhammad Ali moved out of MGA’s house in the early–1909
“””For some time after the death of the Promised Messiah, Maulana Muhammad Ali continued living in his house, and he lived there altogether for eight to nine years. Probably at the beginning of 1909 he moved to a house adjoining the Promised Messiah’s house which was known as the old guest house. Here he stayed for four to five months. After that, he was given a new house by the Anjuman in the Dar-ul-Ulum area where the Anjuman’s school, boarding house, the Nur mosque and a dispensary were under construction. This house consisted of three rooms, one of which was not of solid construction. Here he stayed till April 1914. Two of his nephews also lived with him, whom he had called to Qadian for their schooling. It was after moving to this house that he started the work on the English translation of the Quran, and he continued doing it for the last four years of his life in Qadian in addition to his other duties.””””(See “A Mighty Striving” aka “Mujahid-e-Kabir”, written by Mr. Muhammad Ahmad and Mr. Mumtaz Ahmad Faruqui, english translation by Mrs. Akhtar Aziz and Dr. Zahid Aziz).
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1912
St. Louis Post-Dispatch of Sat, Feb 24, 1912 ·Page 5
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2022/04/05/alexander-russel-webb-was-never-an-ahmadi/
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch of Sat, Feb 24, 1912 ·Page 5 talks about MGA’s book, “The Teachings of Islam” (aka “Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam”), they scoffed at it and called it “The Mahdi’s book on Behavior”, they also mentioned that it was published from London, edited by Maulvi Muhammad Ali, and allegedly with help from Alexander Russell Webb.
Scans
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1914
“Al-Muslih al-Mau‘ud” (1914) by Muhammad Ali (the Lahori-Ahmadi) – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
Muhammad Ali (the Lahori-Ahmadi) wrote “Al-Muslih al-Mau‘ud” (1914).
This was quoted in the Light magazine as of 2007
http://www.ahmadiyya.org/uk/light-apr07.pdf
Paigham Sulh, 19 March 1914.
“””“I have an urge in my heart that compels me to speak out even if I have to accept all manner of tribulation. Calling the followers of the Qibla as being kafir is the crime which Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad bitterly accused his opponent Maulvis of committing. But alas! Today we
ourselves are doing what we accused others of. I shudder at the thought of calling those who
recite the Kalima, ‘There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’, as
being kafirs and excluded from the fold of Islam. … I am prepared to face whatever consequences I may have to bear, and I pray to Allah to give me the strength to be steadfast upon the truth and grant me patience in adversity.””””
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1915
“Prophethood in Islam” by Maulvi Muhammad Ali (1915) – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
“Prophethood in Islam” (this seems to be the 1992 edition) is a book written by Maulvi Muhammad Ali in 1915, published in Dec-1915. It can also be downloaded herein. This book was written in response to the 2nd Qadiani-Ahmadi Khalifa (Mirza Basheer ud Din’s) books, “Qaul al Fasl” (1915) and “Haqiqat un Nubuwwat” (1915).
It should be noted that this is roughly the 4th book on the split in the Ahmadiyya Movement. As soon as Khwaja Kamaluddin returned from England (November of 1914) he gave a speech which was turned into a book, “The Causes of Internal Dissensions in the Ahmadiyya Movement, By Khwaja Kamaluddin, 1914″. Khwaja Kamaluddin’s quotes “Tuhfatul-Muluk” (A Present to Kings) by the Khalifa, Mirza Basheer ud Din Mahmud Ahmad which seems to have been written in the summer of 1914. This book was published on Dec 24th, 1914, during the Qadiani Jalsa. It was the first ever book about the split in the Ahmadiyya Movement, in it, Khwaja Kamaluddin emphatically denied the prophethood of MGA and takfir against non-Ahmadi’s.
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1917
aaiil.org/Files/Literatures/Books/101/muhammadalienglishholyquran1917.pdf
Maulvi Muhammad Ali (Lahori-Ahmadi) and his Quranic commentary of 1917 led many Muslims astray – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
He published his famous English commentary of the Quran and it sold well all around the world.
Noorudin and his team (Maulvi Abdul Kareem and Mufti Sadiq) believed that Esa (as) had a biological father before they had ever met Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, they took this new belief from Sir Syed, who wrote it in 1880. They all worked together in Jammu, with Noorudin being the boss. Nonetheless, Noorudin and his team held the belief that Esa (as) had a biological father until 1903, wherein it is reported by Noorudin himself that he was forced to change his position on the order of MGA. However, after MGA died, per Lahori-Ahmadi sources, Noorudin ordered Muhammad Ali to write in his commentary of the Quran that Esa (As) had a biological father. The Qadiani branch went on to call the miraculous birth of Esa (as) as less then a miracle and some sort of rationally explained phenomenon. Obviously, the classic islamic view is that Esa (as) was born miraculously, just like Adam (as). By the will of Allah.
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1920
Maulvi Muhammad Ali’s 1920 Quran is published.
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1930 to 1940
On page 129, Michael Muhammad Knight mentions how Elijah Muhammad had prayer lessons from Maulvi Muhammad Ali’s 1920 Quran (not the famous 1917 edition). Berg is quoted and how he said that Fard gave Elijah Muhammad a Quran in 1933.
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1941
Mirza Bashir Ahmad vs. Muhammad Ali (1940-41) on the topic of Funeral prayers for non-Ahmadi Muslims – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
The Lahori-Ahmadi’s had a long running rivalry with their Qadiani-Ahmadi’s. You can read lots of it on the internet. However, today, we bring you an incident from 1940-1941 wherein the topic of funeral prayers for non-Ahmadi’s-Muslims was discussed between the 2 factions.
1941
Muhammad Ali writes, “Qadianio ko Saalis Bun-nay kee Daawut”. Muhammad Ali challenged any Qadiani-Ahmadi on this issue addressed to Qadiani Jamaat members. He asked if any single one of them could testify that:
“””‘In the time of the Promised Messiah and the time of Hazrat Maulana Nur-ud-Din, that is before 1914, saying funeral prayers for non-Ahmadis was considered to be prohibited as it is now, and no Ahmadi community ever held the funeral prayers of a non-Ahmadi.’”””
Mirza Bashir Ahmad responded
A few months later in 1941, Mirza Bashir Ahmad wrote a book in reply which was more than 200 pages long, entitled Mas`ala Janaza ki Haqiqat. The standpoint in this book was that when the Promised Messiah wrote that janaza prayers of non-Ahmadis were allowed, he put such conditions on it that such a non-Ahmadi would in effect have to be an Ahmadi!
Mirza Bashir Ahmad wrote about these conciliatory statements of the Promised Messiah that:
“The Promised Messiah gave people a bitter pill to swallow which he coated with sugar, but Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih 2 has given them the pill directly without sugar coating.”
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1944
See the Al-Badr issue of October 25, 1906 and ‘Kya Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib Sarasar Ghalt Aur Baybuniyad Ilzam Wapas Lain Gay?’ published in August 13, 1944 issue of Al-Fazl).
The poet himself states
“the aforementioned couplet is in great respect in the Court of Muhammad Mustafa (saw) (the Chosen One). God, who knows the hidden secrets hidden within the hearts, is witness that even my subconscious never considered any personality to be in any way comparable to the Seal of the Prophet(saw). Allah the Almighty knows better that by writing this couplet – ‘and he is greater in status than before’—I never imagined that I was bringing anyone in comparison with the Holy Prophet(saw). Rather, what I said was that Muhammad(saw) has descended—that is his second coming has taken place. This is the belief of all Ahmadi Muslims. It is neither by the way of incarnation nor by the transmigration of souls, but is the descent which is his spiritual manifestation as Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran :
Surely every hour that follows is better for thee than the one that precedes.(Chapter 93 verse 5)
By virtue of durud sharif and noble deeds, not only is such a believer blessed, but the status of the Holy Prophet(saw) is also raised and would continue to be raised because there is no limit to God’s bounties. Therefore, I have said only that the blessings and munificence of Muhammad Mustafa(saw) are descending once again, and that his descent can only mean that his glory is being manifested more than ever before. No other person is mentioned in this couplet, in fact, the final couple of the poem is:
“that is Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) has attained the status of the Promised Messiah as a consequence of his complete submission to, and perfect followership of, the holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) (Al Fazl, August 13, 1944).
In the time of 2nd Qadiani-Ahmadi Khalifa, he removed this couplet and apologized and Musleh Maud said some people can misunderstand this. The 3rd Qadiani-Ahmadi Khalifa said if it was read in the presence of MGA the poet would be removed from the Jamaat. The 2nd Qadiani-Ahmadi Khalifa has made it clear that anyone who thinks that MGA is greater is a disbeliever. 
Scan from 1944
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1944
Al-Fazl of 7 July 1944 which ended with the following words:
“Maulana Muhammad Ali is both a coward and a liar … but if he does not desist from his calumnies … then a day will come when he will be overtaken by God’s noose and the curse of God will strangle him as it chokes liars. … He will see the curse of his fabrications descend in front of his residence and will die the death of a liar.”
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1944, July–Oct
Paigham Sulh on 26 July 1944, exposed these wrong beliefs which Mirza Mahmud Ahmad had attributed to the Promised Messiah.
Open publication of charge of falsehood
After the publication of this article Maulana Muhammad Ali made the following demands upon Mirza Mahmud Ahmad which were published in the form of a highlighted block in every issue of Paigham Sulh from August to October 1944:
The fabrications that Mirza Mahmud Ahmad has committed against the Promised Messiah, I call them nothing but fabrications and will continue to do so. If he considers me to be a liar, then he must accept my invitation to make a statement on oath invoking Divine punishment upon himself in case of being false, and I will also take a similar oath invoking Divine punishment upon myself in case of being false. Otherwise, my allegations against him will prove to be established facts.
I again repeat my allegations in clear words:
1. Mirza Mahmud Ahmad has made a false statement and committed a fabrication against the Promised Messiah that in 1901 he changed his claim in this way that, while previously denying a claim to prophethood and sending curses upon anyone who would claim to be a prophet, he now made a claim to prophethood himself, and cancelled his former writings of several years containing denials of a claim to prophethood.
2. Mirza Mahmud Ahmad has made a false statement and committed a fabrication against the Promised Messiah that he (Hazrat Mirza sahib) himself used to say that prior to 1901 he was misinterpreting the word ‘prophet’.
3. Mirza Mahmud Ahmad has made a false statement and committed a fabrication against the Promised Messiah that around the year 1901 it used to be said in the gatherings of the Promised Messiah that his previous interpretation of prophethood was not correct.
If Mirza Mahmud Ahmad has the courage, he can hold a debate with me about these allegations. I will appoint persons from among his own followers as the judges. If he wishes, he can hold a mubahila after the debate, that is to say, he would take an oath, invoking Divine punishment upon himself in case of making a false statement, testifying that his beliefs as given on page 35 of A’inah-i Sadaqat are in agreement with the beliefs of the Promised Messiah; and I will take a similar oath, invoking Divine punishment upon myself in case of making a false statement, testifying that his beliefs are entirely opposed to the beliefs of the Promised Messiah. However, a debate will be necessary before the mubahila.
If Mirza Mahmud Ahmad remains silent even now, I will continue to repeat these accusations until his followers are moved to ask him to clear himself of these charges.
This statement was printed in the form of a block in Paigham Sulh in every issue from 2 August to the end of October 1944, but Mirza Mahmud Ahmad could not pluck up the courage to reply. During this time Maulana Muhammad Ali suggested Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan as judge and demanded of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad to show Zafrullah Khan the references from the Promised Messiah on the basis of which he had imputed those beliefs to the Promised Messiah. If Zafrullah Khan wrote in judgment that those beliefs have been established from the records of the time of the Promised Messiah then Maulana Muhammad Ali would admit his own error and make a public apology to Mirza Mahmud Ahmad.
However, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad’s lips were sealed. In the Friday khutba on 20 October Maulana Muhammad Ali informed the Jama‘at that God had now shown us the sign during our lives that the wrong beliefs and the falsehood attributed to the Promised Messiah had been proved to be lies. He asked the Jama‘at to keep up these demands and continue asking the Qadianis for proof of their wrong beliefs.
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1945
After this, at the annual gathering in Qadian in 1944, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad in a speech appeared to express his willingness to participate in a debate. So Maulana Muhammad Ali, in his Friday khutba on 5 January 1945, again invited Mirza Mahmud Ahmad to a debate on the three points of contention, which have been mentioned above, whether with judges or without judges as he wished. But after this there was again complete and utter silence from Qadian.
Challenge to debate and mubahila, 1945
In his Friday khutba on 9 March 1945 Maulana Muhammad Ali invited Mirza Mahmud Ahmad to a mubahila on the question whether the Promised Messiah ever said that before 1901 he was misinterpreting the word nabi. The mubahila would have to be preceded by a debate on this issue. After six months had elapsed upon this invitation, Maulana Muhammad Ali reminded Mirza Mahmud Ahmad, on 8 August 1945, and asked if he was prepared to hold the mubahila. He drew his attention to the announcements he had repeatedly made for one year, in which he had declared that “Mirza Mahmud Ahmad has made a false statement and committed a fabrication against the Promised Messiah that he (Hazrat Mirza sahib) himself used to say that prior to 1901 he was misinterpreting the word prophet”, and asked him why he was not showing his proofs to Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan (whom the Maulana had suggested as judge). If he could not agree to have Zafrullah Khan as judge, then Mirza Mahmud Ahmad can himself choose someone else from his Jama‘at as judge. Otherwise, he should take legal action against Maulana Muhammad Ali for falsely accusing him of fabrication and defaming his name.
Maulana Muhammad Ali said that he had already declared under oath that Mirza Mahmud Ahmad had made this fabrication and he invited Mirza Mahmud Ahmad also to take an oath. He declared:
“I have no wish whatsoever to humiliate Mirza Mahmud Ahmad, nor am I at all seeking to ruin him. But I cannot tolerate the humiliation of the religion of Islam or the ruination of the true teachings of the Promised Messiah. My demand is not a difficult one. It is that Mirza Mahmud Ahmad make a sworn statement that in the year 1901 he changed his own belief as to whether or not the Promised Messiah was a prophet, or else he should desist from this fabrication against the Promised Messiah that he changed his belief in 1901.”
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1946
Life Story of Maulana Muhammad Ali – Part 3: Life at Lahore. – 6c. From 1939 to June 1947: Relations with the Qadian Jama`at (muslim.org)
Summary of efforts
However, matters continued in the same vein. Then in Paigham Sulh on 21 August 1946, in boldly printed words, Maulana Muhammad Ali again repeated his demand for a debate and mubahila. The heading of this article was as follows:
“I am prepared to hold with the leader of the Qadian Jama‘at:
(1) a debate, (2) a mubahila,
on the question: Did the Promised Messiah change his belief in the year 1901 about whether he himself claimed prophethood or about prophethood ending with the Holy Prophet Muhammad.”
As the accompanying announcement issued by him was a summary of all the preceding events, it is reproduced below:
“1. We and the Qadian Jama‘at both agree that when Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be the Promised Messiah in 1891, he denied claiming to be a prophet. He announced his claim as that of being a muhaddas, declared prophethood as having ended with the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and denounced as an imposter and liar anyone claiming prophethood after the Holy Prophet Muhammad. The disagreement between us and the head of the Qadian Jama‘at is that we hold that the Promised Messiah adhered to this position for the rest of his life, but the head of the Qadian Jama‘at writes that the Promised Messiah changed his belief in 1901 by laying claim to be a prophet himself and opening the door of prophethood after the Holy Prophet Muhammad.2. It is obvious that the burden of proof regarding the change in claim in 1901 lies upon the Qadiani leader. I have invited Mirza Mahmud Ahmad, again and again, to a debate on this issue. I went so far as to say that I would nominate some five or seven judges all from among his own followers. But he does not respond.
3. Seventy men from among us, including myself, made a sworn declaration [in 1915] that we had taken the bai‘at of Hazrat Mirza sahib before 1901, and the belief which we held at the time of our pledge, namely, that prophethood ended with the Holy Prophet Muhammad, was the belief we held unchangingly for the rest of his life. He did not change his belief about prophethood in 1901.
4. Today more than thirty years have elapsed that we have been demanding that seventy members of the Qadian Jama‘at make the sworn statement that they took the bai‘at before 1901 believing that Hazrat Mirza sahib claimed to be a muhaddas, but that in 1901 they changed their belief and started to believe that he was a prophet because in that year they came to know that he had changed his belief. But the entire Qadian Jama‘at has been silent upon this demand for thirty years.
5. I then had recourse to the last resort allowed in Islam, namely, that Mirza Mahmud Ahmad should undertake a mubahila with me, on the question whether Hazrat Mirza sahib changed his belief in 1901 about claiming prophethood. But he still remained silent.
6. However, some followers of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad keep on demanding from me if I am prepared to enter into a mubahila with Mirza Mahmud Ahmad. To dispel all doubts, I announce again the following.
7. On the question whether the Promised Messiah changed his belief in 1901, I am prepared to hold a debate with Mirza Mahmud Ahmad, and I am willing to appoint as judges only persons from among his own followers, one of whom would be Sir Zafrullah Khan.
8. By having judges, it does not imply that Mirza Mahmud Ahmad must personally accept their verdict and change his own beliefs. But the misconception in people’s minds will be cleared. If he considers it beneath his dignity to have judges, I will withdraw this condition, and hold an unconditional debate with him, whether it is in a public gathering or in writing. He can set any other conditions as he wishes. My only proviso is that the topic of the debate will be restricted to the question whether Hazrat Mirza sahib changed his belief in 1901 or not.
9. I am prepared to hold a mubahila on this issue with Mirza Mahmud Ahmad, if he so wishes. The mubahila can be between just himself and me, or other people from both sides can be included who joined the Movement before 1901.
If Mirza Mahmud Ahmad does not regard 1901 as the date of change of claim, then whatever other date he proposes for this change I am prepared to hold a debate and mubahila with reference to that date. I ask Mirza Mahmud Ahmad himself to reply to this announcement.”
Challenge by a Qadiani for oath
However, there was no response from Mirza Mahmud Ahmad himself to this announcement and demand, but one of his followers, Seth Abdullah Allahdin of Sikanderabad, who had been spreading misconceptions earlier by announcing challenges with offers of great rewards, made the following announcement in Al-Fazl, dated 26 October:
“Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib believes that Hazrat Mirza sahib was a mujaddid and the Promised Messiah but not a prophet, nor can any person become a kafir by denying him, and this was also the belief of Hazrat Mirza sahib. We have challenged him that if he announces his belief in a public meeting under oath, then we will pay him Rs. 5000 in cash in the same meeting, and if within a year there does not befall him some examplary wrath from God, in which human hands play no part, then a sum of Rs. 50,000 will be paid in addition. Anyone who can persuade him to accept this challenge will also receive Rs. 5000 in cash.”
After that Seth Allahdin wrote to Shaikh Muhammad Inam-ul-Haq, the Anjuman’s missionary there, that if he would have this announcement published in Paigham Sulh, then he (Seth Allahdin) was prepared to deposit the total of Rs. 60,000 with Abdul Karim Babu Khan of Sikanderabad.
Upon this, Shaikh Inam-ul-Haq wrote to Maulana Muhammad Ali, and he responded by announcing in Paigham Sulh of 11 December 1946 that he would take the required oath during the forthcoming annual gathering and therefore Seth Allahdin should deposit the promised sum with Abdul Karim Babu Khan. But Seth Allahdin never fulfilled his promise.
M. Muhammad Ali takes oath in speech, December 1946
On 25 December 1946, which was the first day of the annual gathering, Maulana Muhammad Ali delivered a speech on the topic ‘The demand for oath by the Jama‘at of Qadian’. In this speech he fully expounded the issues of prophethood and of unbelief (kufr) and Islam, and went over all the events which have been mentioned above. He said that when he invited Mirza Mahmud Ahmad for the last time in August 1946 to hold a debate or a mubahila, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad gave no reply directly, but his private secretary wrote letters to some of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad’s followers in which it was said:
“Let him quote any writing in which I have said that the Promised Messiah had changed his belief (‘aqída) about prophethood. I only wrote that the Promised Messiah changed the definition (ta‘ríf) of prophethood.”
At this, Maulana Muhammad Ali had immediately published in Paigham Sulh examples of quotations from Mirza Mahmud Ahmad in which he had written many times that the Promised Messiah, either in 1901 or in 1902, had changed his belief about prophethood.{footnote 6} But there was no answer from Mirza Mahmud Ahmad. Then Maulana Muhammad Ali, mentioning in detail the demands of the khalifa of Qadian and his adherent Seth Abdullah Allahdin, related the following history.
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1947
Life Story of Maulana Muhammad Ali – Part 3: Life at Lahore. – 6c. From 1939 to June 1947: Relations with the Qadian Jama`at (muslim.org)
This speech was published in Paigham Sulh, dated 15 January 1947. The oath had also appeared earlier in Paigham Sulh dated 11 December 1946.
At this, Maulana Muhammad Ali had immediately published in Paigham Sulh examples of quotations from Mirza Mahmud Ahmad in which he had written many times that the Promised Messiah, either in 1901 or in 1902, had changed his belief about prophethood.{footnote 6} But there was no answer from Mirza Mahmud Ahmad. Then Maulana Muhammad Ali, mentioning in detail the demands of the khalifa of Qadian and his adherent Seth Abdullah Allahdin, related the following history.
He said that he had already declared under oath in 1915, as one of a group of seventy members of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at, that the Promised Messiah did not change his belief in 1901. In response, not even one member of the Qadian Jama‘at had dared take an oath stating the contrary to this. The second time, in 1944, when the Lahore and Qadian communities of the village of Data (District Hazara) came to an agreement that each would ask its head to take an oath about his beliefs, he had again taken the oath, with wording formulated by them, as follows:
“I, Muhammad Ali, head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at, knowing Allah the Most High to be witness to this, Who holds my life in His hands, do swear that to my knowledge the belief of the Promised Messiah from 1901 to 1908 was that a person not believing in him is still a Muslim and within the fold of Islam, and his denier is not a kafir or excluded from the fold of Islam. The same has also been my belief, from 1901 till this day, on the basis of the belief of the Promised Messiah.”{footnote 7}
But Mirza Mahmud Ahmad had not responded to the same demand upon him by that branch of his Jama‘at to take a corresponding oath about his beliefs. Then his follower Seth Abdullah Allahdin started publishing, again and again, demands for an oath with offer of financial reward. Now that Maulana Muhammad Ali had published in the paper that he was prepared to accept the challenge to take the oath, Seth Allahdin became silent and did not deposit the reward-money as he had promised to do. In short, concluded Maulana Muhammad Ali, as Mirza Mahmud Ahmad was not willing to take part in a debate or a mubahila, it must have become clear to everyone that those who attribute this change of claim to the Promised Messiah are making a fabrication.
In this speech Maulana Muhammad Ali took the oath in the words demanded by Seth Allahdin as follows:
“I, Muhammad Ali, head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at, do swear that my belief is that Hazrat Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad] sahib of Qadian is a mujaddid and the Promised Messiah, but not a prophet, nor can any person become a kafir or excluded from the fold of Islam by denying him. This was also the belief of Hazrat Mirza sahib.
O God, if I have uttered falsehood in this oath taken in Thy name, then send upon me from Thyself such exemplary punishment as has no human hand in it, and from which the world would learn how stern and terrible is God’s retribution for one who deceives His creatures by swearing falsely in His name.”{footnote 8}
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1951
He died on October 13, 1951 (age 76 years), Karachi, Pakistan.
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https://www.muslim.org/m-ali/hmviews.htm
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Obituary: Mr Muhammad Ahmad, M.A. (1920–1981) [son of Maulana Muhammad Ali] – Islam Ahmadiyya – alahmadiyya.org
Obituary: Mr Muhammad Ahmad, M.A. (1920–1981)
Son of Maulana Muhammad Ali
The Islamic Guardian (UK), April to June 1981 Issue (Vol. 2, No. 2, p. 20)
Mr Muhammad Ahmad, son of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali the late Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, passed away in London on 23 January this year [1981] —
“we belong to Allah, and to him do we return”.
Mr Ahmad marhoom [The late Mr Ahmad] had last year retired from a high post with Pakistan Railways, after a long and distinguished career in which he was noted for his ability, hard work, integrity, and devotion to duty. Spurning offers of lucrative jobs, he decided to devote the rest of his life solely to the service of Islam and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Anjuman. He had many ambitious plans in mind, and had set up a fund for propagating the Quran and other Islamic literature.
Even while pursuing his official career, Mr Ahmad made the most valuable contribution to the Anjuman’s literary work as well as to its internal administration. He revised some of his father’s major English works, and prepared a briefer version of the Hazrat Maulana’s Quran commentary. He was the author of the Maulana’s Urdu biography, Mujahid-i Kabir, which is a standard work in Ahmadiyya literature. On the organisational side, he served the Anjuman in various capacities for thirty years, and recently did very valuable work for its Foreign Missions Committee.
Since June last year [1980] he had been in London for treatment for a serious illness. Despite immense discomfort, he attended functions and meetings organised by the Jamaat [branch] here. He led both the Eid prayers and gave excellent khutbahs [Friday sermons], and also addressed other gatherings. He gave invaluable advice, and made an indispensable contribution, regarding the U.K. Jamaat’s organisational affairs.
Mr Ahmad had learnt French with the intention of translating the Holy Quran into that language — a task he was well-qualified to undertake considering his linguistic proficiency and M.A. degree in English and Arabic.
The untimely demise of this humble, unassuming, and thoroughly worthy son of a great man, is a serious loss to the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. The U.K. Jamaat extends its deepest sympathies to his wife and children. May Allah raise his soul to the highest ranks in heaven, Ameen!
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Links and Related Essay’s
muj-kabir-uk-online.pdf (ahmadiyya.org)
Click to access muj-kabir-uk-online.pdf
The famous Ahmadi clash in 1909 over their silly #Khilafat – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
The 1908 Jalsa at Qadian – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
“Al-Muslih al-Mau‘ud” (1914) by Muhammad Ali (the Lahori-Ahmadi) – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
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Tags
#ahmadiyya #ahmadiyyafactcheckblog #messiahhascome #ahmadiyyat #trueislam #ahmadianswers #mirzaghulamahmad #qadiani #qadianism
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