The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Creating branches of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya

In Al-Hakam of 30th June 1907 a circular letter is published under the title An Important Letter. It is written by Maulana Muhammad Ali as Secretary of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. The Editor of Al-Hakam introduces it as follows:

The Secretary of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya has sent the following circular letter to Ahmadis. Due to its importance it deserves much attention, and is published so that people can attend to it immediately.

The letter, dated 23rd June 1907, begins as follows. (I have put in bold some word for emphasis.)

“From the Office of the Secretary, Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian.

Assalamu alaikum

In the beginning of 1906, by order of the Promised Messiah, an Anjuman of his followers was established whose name the Holy Hazrat himself suggested as Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. The purpose of creating this Anjuman was that, except for the langar (food hospitality), all the work done by the Ahmadiyya Movement should come under an organisation. Accordingly, the first three clauses of the rules of the Anjuman, which have been published several times before, are as follows:

1. The objectives of the Anjuman shall be as follows: Propagation of Islam, education both religious and secular, arrangements of the cemetery, distribution of Zakat, and other matters in connection with the Ahmadiyya Movement.

2. Every person belonging to the Ahmadiyya Movement who in any way supports the Movement shall be a member of this Anjuman.

3. Every Ahmadiyya Anjuman that members of the Ahmadiyya Movement establish anywhere shall be a branch of this Anjuman.

Thus in that very year 1906 this Anjuman was legally registered and at present it has under its charge: Taleem-ul-Islam High School and religious school, the magazine Review of Religions and Talim-ul-Islam, the Maqbara-i Bahishti, a library, and support for many poor and orphans.

To carry out these functions is not the work of a few men, but is the duty of the whole of the Ahmadiyya Movement and the responsibility equally of everyone. A person who enters into the bai’at, until he is our helper in these objectives, does not benefit the Movement in any way. Secondly, those who enter into the bai’at and are then not informed of the work and activities of the Movement, and the fresh signs sent by God, do not benefit by being within the Movement. Thirdly, difficulties are always being encountered in carrying out those works which are the important aims of this Movement because not everyone is participating. …

Realising these needs, the central council (majlis-i mu’timideen) of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya has proposed that wherever there is a reasonable number of Ahmadis a local Anjuman should be established there which would be a branch of this Anjuman. To organise this work better, it has been considered necessary that in every district, in whichever place within it there is a Jamaat of a sufficient size, a major branch of the Anjuman should be set up which should organise all the Anjumans in its district.”

The letter then goes on to ask some questions from the existing Anjuman branches to assess their working, and requires them to provide answers as soon as possible. Some of these are: How many members do you have? What are the names of your officers? What are the conditions of membership? What are the rules and regulations of the Anjuman? At the end, having mentioned various functions of these Anjumans, the letter says:

“To sum up, by creating district Anjumans and establishing mutual relations between them, all members will from time to time be informed of the important works and instructions of the Movement.”

This letter clearly shows that the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya was created by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the supreme executive to govern the affairs of the Ahmadiyya Movement and it was carrying out this function during the life of Hazrat Mirza sahib.