USA — a land granted to the Saint-of-Allah, i.e. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri
In Muslims there is a concept that when Allah (SWT) appoints His Saints (Auliya), He grants them a piece of land in which they preach their teachings and propagate Holy Quran and explain its finer points to his followers. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib once said that modern means of communication were invented for him. In fact, he wrote this several times.
Professor Dr. Khalid Omar, real name Hibbatul Abdul Mannan Omar, grandson of Maulana Noor-ud-Din, delivered Jumma Khutaba in Black American Muslims, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed faction largest mosque near Capitol Hill (US Congress and Senate). He explained fine points of Holy Quran.
From Saad:
AoA Rashid sb,
Can you explain to me the relationship between Warith Deen Muhammad and the Lahori Ahmadis?
Has made any statements about Ahmadiyyat of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad?
From Zahid Aziz:
Here is part of an article written in 2004 by my friend and co-worker, the late Akbar Abdullah of California, about his father's life, which may answer the questions asked by Mr Saad.
Article begins
A TRIBUTE TO Master Maulana Muhammad Abdullah ( 1905 – 1992 )
by Akbar Ibn Abdullah
This year marks the 99th year birth anniversary of the Late Master Maulana Muhammad Abdullah, a legend that peacefully returned to Allah over a decade ago. Although born, raised, educated, and married in the former British India (now Pakistan), Master Maulana Abdullah claims a special part of history in establishing a true root of Islam (mainstream) amongst the hundreds of thousands of Black Muslims of America under the leadership of the Honorable leader Imam Warith Deen Mohammad.
In the first twenty years review, since Imam W.D. Mohammad took the helms of leadership of his community, he paid glaring tribute to Master Maulana Muhammad Abdullah in his keynote address titled, “Success in America”, which was delivered in Chicago Convention on April 7, 1996. He said:
“How Black American Muslims evolved to the position we have taken and dedicated ourselves is mainly due to the influence of the 'Professor' (fond reference to Imam Muhammad Abdullah). He put Islam first. He hoped to bring about condition and circumstances for a real Islam to be raised in America. It happened and I believe he prayed for it as a Muslim follower of Muhammad the Prophet of Islam. He had a great respect and reverence for the Holy Qur’an. I have an old picture showing that he is praying with the Ahmadiyyas. The ‘Professor’ whom I love and respect, remember with great affection was saying mainly to the Islamic world leaders that Islam is freedom, justice and equality. Much of the skeleton in the construction I am building, the bones came from the thinking of the ‘Professor’, especially the discipline in our community. He instructed and guided me towards real Islam (mainstream Islam)”.
There is a great historical impact in Maulana Abdullah’s zealous endeavors amongst the Black Muslim community, and his special relationship with their leader, Imam W.D. Mohammad for a period of over 33 years. Imam Mohammad acknowledges this fact by sharing his memories:
“I met Professor Abdullah in late 1958 or early 1959. I met him at my father’s (the Honorable Elijah Muhammad); he was there for dinner. He knew that I was going to Philadelphia to be a minister that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was sending me there. He gave me Urdu lesson that is the Indian language. He gave me lessons in recitations in Qur’anic reading and in just religious discussion. He had a way of saying things without saying things. I consider him a very dear friend, in fact the best friend that I have known. He was the best friend to the Nation of Islam and to me that I know of. His passing was as the passing of a dear uncle or a very close person.”
… in 1970, during a record gathering at the International Lahore Ahmadiyya Convention, hosted by the Suriname Jam’at, in honor of the visit of the Late Hazrat Ameer Maulana Saddrudin (Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement), Imam W.D. Mohammad participated in the proceedings in accompaniment of Maulana Muhammad Abdullah. It was through the determined efforts of the Late Maulana Tufail Sahib (Lahore Ahmadiyya missionary) and the great instrumentality and the influence of our dear Master Abdullah that we had the unique privilege of having at the Convention, Imam Wallace D. Mohammad.
Maulana Muhammad Abdullah, as Editor of the ‘Bulletin’, published from Hayward, California, frequently reviewed his missionary activities amongst the Bilalian Muslims of America, and gave prominent news coverage to their National leader, Imam Warith Deen Mohammad. In 1974 Maulana Abdullah was instrumental in encouraging champion boxer, Muhammad Ali to visit Guyana and the neighboring countries.
In 1975 along with Imam Warith Deen Mohammad he toured Egypt, Libya and Saudi Arabia and performed Umrah. During this tour they also visited the Central Ahmadiyya Anjuman at Lahore and discussed matters of common interest to both organizations….
In the U.S.A. Master Maulana Muhammad Abdullah Sahib established very close relationship with the Leaders of the Black Muslim Movement. It was as a result of his influence on Imam Wallace Deen Muhammad that the Black Muslims abandoned their beliefs as were alien to the mainstream Islam and by attaining affinity of beliefs came to be regarded as their fraternal brothers by rest of the Muslim Ummah. This resulted in changing the spiritual destinies of hundreds of thousands of Afro-American Muslims and this service of the Late Master Maulana Muhammad Abdullah to the cause of preaching of Islam is unparalleled and unsurpassable.
End of extracts from article.
In addition Mr Saad may also read a speech by a member of Imam Waris Deen Muhammad's group given in Lahore at the centre of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in May 1981. Read in particular the last paragraph starting in column 1 of p. 17 (within which are the words: "We salute Mirza Ghulam Ahmad…"). See this link.
Photos of Warith Deen Muhammad with Lahore Ahmadiyya leaders in Lahore, during his visit of 1976 to pay tribute to the work of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement
Maulana Sadr-ud-Din was Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement at that time (Source: Paigham-e-Haqq, Fiji, July-December 1980).
Above: Warith Deen Muhamamd is emerging from car, with Muhammad Abdullah (wearing glasses). Gentleman wearing hat is Mian Fazl-i Ahmad, leading Lahore Ahmadiyya official who hosted his stay.
Above: On stage, Warith Deen Muhammad, seated centre. On right is Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan, then Vice-President and later Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement from 1981 to 1996. Muhammad Abdullah is making speech.
(Source of last two photos: The HOPE Bulletin, July 2007, Supplement)
From Saad:
Very interesting. JazakAllah, for sharing this Zahid Sahib. I have to give credit to the Lahori Jama'at on this one for taking the initiative to guide members of the NOI. To be frank we of the Qadian Jama'at largely ignored NOI as we thought of them as abomination for holding positions that counted as shirk and Black supremecist views.
The only attempt made by us to bring the NOI back towards orthodox Islamic practice was by Brother Abdul Hameed sb when he visited Malcolm X in jail and educated him on basic principles and gave him Arabic phonetic prayer book which he memorized. He also seemed to have changed his tone by insisting Allah is universal and there was no such thing as 'Black Muslims' only Muslims. The rest was smaller iindividual efforts.
He converted Sunnism after Hajj but remained in contact with Ahmadis but was Murdered before he could sway the majority of NOI membership.
Warith Deen Muhammad thanks to Lahore Jama'at's guidance suceeded.
From Zahid Aziz:
In August 1992 while visiting Columbus, Ohio, USA, I was invited to give a brief talk about Islam to the local chapter of the Nation of Islam. Please see the text of this talk, and which Islam I presented, at this link.
Everyone listened quietly. After the talk, I led the Zuhr prayers in the way in which I have always said or led Salat.
From Rashid Jahangiri:
Brother Saad ASA,
I don't know if you care, anyways, here is some info:
Late Abdul Mannan Omar (son of Maulana Noor ud Din) and his son Prof. Khalid Omar have been person guests of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad at his home and in Chicago and they stayed there. Imam WD Muhammad also use to visit them in their home in Delaware. Imam remembered many years later in California that Abdul Mannan Omar sahib asked him question in Lahore, "what can be done to propagate Islam in USA?".
According to Abdul Mannan Omar sahib, in USA he asked Imam WD Muhammad about his beliefs. And his answers were Lahore Ahmadiyya Jamaat beliefs i.e. HMGA was Mujaddid, Isa (AS) is dead, etc.
From Zahid Aziz:
A photograph of Maulana Muhammad Ali, signed by all his sons and daughters, was presented to Mr Wallace Deen Muhammad during his visit to the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre in Lahore, Pakistan in April 1976.
View that photo with the signatures at this link.
(There is another thread in this blog where this visit by W.D. Muhammad has been discussed. See this link.)
From Saad:
Salaam Zahid sb,
Recently, there has been a lot of allegations on Wallace Fard Muhammad being a incognito Lahori Ahmadi Missionary, does the Lahore Ahmadiyyah have a official position on this issue?
From Zahid Aziz:
First of all, you are mixing up Wallace Deen Muhammad (later Waris), son of Elijah Muhammad, with the so-called Fard Muhammad. Secondly, no one knows who Fard Muhammad was.