The Anjuman Ansarullah

Truth About the Split

It appears from the Holy Qur’an that circumstances often arise which serve to accelerate the course of spiritual maladies. The same happened in the case of these men. In February 1911, I had a dream. I saw a large palace one portion of which was being demolished. Near the edifice, there was a field in which thousands of men were engaged shaping bricks. I inquired what that palace was and who the men were and why they were demolishing it. One of the men replied that the palace was the Ahmadiyya Jama‘at and that they were dismantling a portion of it in order to discard some of the old bricks (God protect us) and to replace some of the sun-baked bricks by kiln-made bricks, and that the place was to be enlarged. One particular fact I noted was that all these men faced towards the east. The thought passed through my mind that all the brick-layers were angels, and that as we had failed to put forth the necessary amount of labour towards the progress of the Jama‘at, angels had taken up the work with the permission of God (The Badr, 23rd February 1911). Moved by this dream, I secured the permission of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) to found a new Society among whose objects were the spread of Ahmadiyyat, implicit obedience to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) , frequent recitations of Tasbih and Tahmid (singing Glory and Praises of God) and Durud (Praying Blessings on the Holy Prophet (sa) ), the study and teaching of the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith, the promotion of mutual love and trust, and the offering of the daily prayers in congregation. Anybody who desired to become a member of this Society was to offer Istikhara (prayer for guidance) on seven consecutive days before he enrolled as a member. No sooner was the foundation of the Society announced than there arose a storm of opposition, and it began to be asserted openly that it was a move to secure the Khilafat.

God be praised that a considerable number of the members of the Society are now associated with the party of Maulawi Muhammad Ali and they are in a position to testify that the Society had nothing to do with the question of succession to the Khilafat. The Society was engaged solely in the work of propagation. This fact has already been formally admitted by some former members of the Society, who are now members of Maulawi Muhammad Ali’s party, namely, their lecturers Maulawi Muhammad Husain, alias Marhame-‘Isa and Maulawi Faqirullah, Superintendent of the office of the Secretary, Anjuman Isha‘at Islam, Lahore. This Society came to secure nearly one hundred and seventy five members and, by the grace of God, it succeeded in removing the prevailing slackness and, in infusing new enthusiasm for the cause of propagation not only among its own members but also among the general body of the Community. Members who had slackened down were roused to activity, while those who were already active increased in their zeal. Curious about the Society Khwaja Sahib also wanted to become a member but the condition of seven day’s special prayers seem to have proved too much for him or perhaps something else stood in his way which at present I cannot recall.

As the object of this Society—the Ansarullah—was the propagation of the Ahmadiyya Movement, I think it relevant at this place to state that just as on the question of Khilafat I had not ventured to take any step until I received a suggestion on the subject from a vision, even so on the question of the best method of public preaching, I deferred coming to any decision until I had offered Istikhara on the subject and had been granted a sign from God. It happened in this way. When objections began to be raised by members of the Community to the method of propagation adopted by Khwaja Kamaluddin, I offered prayers of Istikhara. After those prayers, I had a vision, in which I was shown that Khwaja Sahib had mistaken dry bread for cake and was offering the same to the public. It was after this vision that I undertook to criticise the method of Khwaja Sahib, a subject on which I had previously maintained perfect silence.

As I have already stated, the Community at large had by this time come to realise fully the gravity of the situation, and was alive to the dangers of the road on which Khwaja Sahib was seeking to lead them.

The major portion of the Community was now prepared to resist every external or internal endeavour to divert them from the central purpose of the

Movement. Nevertheless as Khwaja Sahib and his friends had adopted the policy of outwardly supporting the supremacy of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) and as they came frequently to pay their respect to him and to declare their loyalty, the Community at large failed to gauge the real state of their minds. A certain amount of regard, therefore, continued to be paid to them which, otherwise, they would surely have lost. The policy adopted by these gentlemen was to assure Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) that they recognised the supremacy of Khilafat. So on other questions also they took their cue from the known opinion of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih and studiedly echoed his words. This induced Hadrat Khalifatul Masih to believe that they were loyal and sincere in their profession of faith, and let the veil of oblivion cover their past conduct. When anyone made any reference to their antecedents, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) was at times even displeased, and said that errors were common to men and it was wrong to recall their past, seeing that they were now what they ought to be. When, however, Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) breathed his last, the fact became evident that they had all along been acting with duplicity. For, now they made public their denial in a matter, in which Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) used to testify to their affirmation and defend them against the critics who charged them with denial. Under the circumstances anything commendatory said about them by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) cannot be put to their account, except as proof of their hypocrisy during the lifetime of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) . Or else, what they affirmed during his life-time they need not have denied after his death.

It should be remembered that mask is after all a mask. Sometimes some movement of theirs would show even to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) that they were only simulating. He often expressed such views in public. But then they came and sued for pardon. He would therefore, attribute their dissembling to some mistake and believe them to be honest at heart. Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) was trustful by nature and forgiving in his dealings with men. Their situation was indeed queer. On the one hand, by giving publicity to their erroneous views they were fast losing influence with the Community. On the other, a fear of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) and an apprehension of excommunication from the Community—for they were anxious that so long as he lived they should continue to be members of the Jama‘at—led them in his presence to make protestations of the most profound devotion to his person. So that when on occasions their true self asserted itself and exposed their inner nature to him, they made haste to seek his pardon and thus save themselves from the consequences of their conduct.