Circle of contacts

In his childhood days his relationships extended to friends, brothers and sisters, teachers, with his revered mother and father, and also extended to the Imam of Imams Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa [saw]. There was no opportunity to have direct contact with opponents because circumstances never arose to bring about such an encounter. His treatment of children younger than him has been glimpsed in the small incident involving his horse. It demonstrated his bid to please the poor little girls who requested hair from the horse’s tail.

Some of the impressions of his childhood friends have been given here and there and no doubt some will be related in the future. However, a study of how he treated his own brothers and sisters and their developing impressions of him is quite revealing.

IMPRESSIOnS OF HIS SISTER HAdHRAT MUbARAKA [ra_ha]

It is fortunate that Hadhrat Nawab Mubaraka Begum sahiba [ra_ha] who was his younger sister, by the Grace of Allah has captured her memories of childhood in print. She states:

“I heard Hadhrat Ummul Momineen [ra_ha] (Hadhrat Amma Jan, mother of

Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib) relate a dream several times. She stated, ‘When your older brother was about to be born I saw in a dream that I was being wed to

Mirza Nizam Din. This dream had a terrible affect on my heart because of Mirza

Nizam Din’s staunch opposition. Why did I see my wedding with an enemy? I remained sorrowful for three days and wept quite frequently. I did not mention this to your father, the Promised Messiah [as]. But upon his persistence to know what was wrong and what pain I was suffering, I hesitantly related the

dream to him. The Promised Messiah [as] became ecstatic upon hearing it and said you had such a blessed dream and kept it hidden from me all this time! You shall have a boy from this very pregnancy; concentrate upon the name Nizam Din. Its meaning is not this Mirza Nizam Din, you have suffered for so many days and you did not relate this good news to me. “Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib loved and cared a great deal for his brothers and sisters. He particularly loved me a great deal. He bore my whims and caprices. I never remember him being displeased and angry. “From the very beginning he was always very informal with me. He could always tell me everything and I was the same with him. I was very open with the Promised Messiah [as] and with my older brother, Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood [ra]. The Promised Messiah [as] also knew that there was greater love and informality between us so on three or four occasions he said Mahmud is very reserved in speech, he never declares his requirements nor does he ask for anything. Ask him what he wants. I asked him and he told me. Once he requested the complete set of Bukhari. On another occasion he wanted to subscribe to a newspaper. Once his sister-in-law had gone to Lahore. He said ‘I do not like her being gone for long to Lahore, call her back.’”

FIRST MARRIAGE TO HAdHRAT RASHIdA bEGUM

The Promised Messiah [as] preferred to get his sons married as soon as they came of age. Hence, Hadhrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad sahib was thirteen years of age in 1902 when he requested one of his disciples, Dr Khalifa Rashid Uddin [ra] to ponder over the idea of the engagement of his oldest daughter Rashida Begum (who Hadhrat Amma Jan named Mahmuda Begum and who later became popularly known as Hadhrat Umme Nasir) to Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib. The

Promised Messiah [as] wrote the following to Dr. Rashid Uddin sahib in connection with this:

“Mahmud appears to be happy over this engagement and although I have not received any revelation concerning this, however it is my wish to have some knowledge concerning it so that none of our actions are contrary to Divine

Will. However, Mahmud’s willingness is a proof that God Almighty, inshallah, overwhelmingly approves this matter. Therefore, I am informing you that if this be the Will of God Almighty and it meets no opposition in defence of which all intentions become null and void, so in this circumstance with this in mind please remain ready and prepared so that when you are formally approached for Nikah in writing offer Istikhara prayers for a couple of weeks as whatever is done by Istikhara and according to the Will of Allah is always blessed.

“Secondly, it is my intention that everything is done according to the practice of our beloved Prophet [saw]. There should be no innovation and frivolous expenditure and foolish customs in this Nikah. On the contrary, it should be conducted in such a straight forward and simple blessed manner as to be approved by the Holy Prophets of Allah.” 46

Respected Dr. Rashid Uddin sahib’s relatives who were non-Ahmadis opposed this engagement but despite this Doctor sahib showed his willingness for this blessed union. In those days Doctor sahib was stationed in District Saharanpur (UP). The Nikah ceremony was held there. Hence, Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmad sahib, Hadhrat Maulvi Nooruddin sahib [ra], Hadhrat Mir Nasir Nawab sahib [ra], Hadhrat Mir Mohammad Ismail sahib [ra] along with a couple of other revered elders and friends reached there on the night of 2 October 1902. They were received at the station by Doctor sahib along with his many friends. Hadhrat Maulvi Nooruddin sahib [ra] performed the Nikah and the Haq Mehr was set at Rs.1000. On 5 October

1902 after the Asr prayers the party returned safely to Qadian. After Maghrib prayers Hadhrat Maulvi Nooruddin sahib [ra] congratulated the Promised Messiah [as] upon the Nikah and praised the sincerity of Doctor sahib. Huzur [as] expressing his pleasure stated that Allah Almighty had blessed Doctor sahib with great sincerity, possessing great aptitude, wisdom and the light of perception. 47

The Rukhstana ceremony was held in the second week of October 1903 in Agra. In those days Dr. Rashid Uddin sahib was a professor in the Agra Medical College. The wedding entourage returned to Qadian on 11 October 1903. The next day Huzur [as] distributed sweets in celebration of this event. 48

From Bombay, Seth Muhammad Ismail Adam sahib [ra] despatched a gift of a cap and a shawl on the occasion of the wedding. The Promised Messiah [as] sent a thank you letter to respected Seth Muhammad Ismail Adam sahib [ra] in which he stated:

“Your gift that you despatched with love and sincerity for my beloved sons

Mahmud and Bashir on the occasion of their wedding namely a cap and shawl have been received. I am most grateful for this gift and pray for you that Allah

Almighty reward you for this in spiritual and worldly terms. Ameen.” 49

In 1906, Allah Almighty blessed Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib with his first child who was named Naseer Ahmad. Sahibzada Mirza Naseer Ahmad died in childhood and

was buried in Lahore. 50

In November 1909 another boy, Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmad was born. Allah Almighty had already given Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib [ra] the glad tidings that this birth would be blessed. Hence, he stated in one of his letters of 26 September 1909:

“I have also been given the glad tiding by God Almighty that I will bless you with such a son who will be a helper (Nasir) of the faith and shall be ever ready to serve the cause of Islam. 51

This glad tiding was fulfilled in full splendour fifty–four years after this vision, in 1965 when Hadhrat Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmad sahib [ra] was elected to the office of Khilafat.