The Shuddhi Movement

In the province of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India there was a large section of Muslims who were known as Malkana Rajput. Hindu influence in their customs and beliefs was widespread to the extent that they worshiped idols despite the fact that they were Muslims. During 1922–23 the militant wing of the Hindu Arya Samaj devised a plan to reconvert these people to Hinduism. These Hindus believed that the only way to achieve Hindu–Muslim unity was to turn all the Muslims into Hindus.105 As a result of this “Shuddhi campaign”, as it was called, scores of Malkana Muslims converted to Hinduism. As soon as Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] came to know of this apostasy movement he immediately launched a counter campaign.

Thousands of Ahmadis offered themselves to do the missionary work for a period of three months entirely at their own expense, at the expiry of which they would be replaced by fresh batches of volunteers. They travelled to Uttar Pradesh and started the missionary work with great zeal. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih alerted the non–Ahmadi Muslims against the gravity of the danger that threatened and appealed to them to make common cause with the Ahmadis against the challenge of the Arya Samaj. He made it quite clear that the Muslim effort should be directed towards strengthening the faith of the Malkanas in Islam and that no sectional advantage should be sought to be derived from the situation with which they were faced.

These volunteers rigorously worked there day and night. One particular feature of the campaign was that it opened at the height of the dry summer season, and the volunteers who perforce came from urban areas and were accustomed to the amenities available in towns and cities for the purpose of mitigating the extreme discomfort resulting from the very high temperatures in the summer months, were called upon to work in rural areas at unaccustomed tasks in conditions of extreme discomfort. Their

food was mostly rough and unappetising, and cold drinking water was a luxury that was not readily available everywhere.

The movement of apostasy petered out in due course. Thousands of Muslims were saved from being converted to Hinduism. Those who did convert subsequently decided to join the fold of Islam. The whole campaign while it lasted assumed and maintained the character of the exercise of the highest moral and spiritual values. While the outward emphasis was on hard labour, the inward emphasis was on eagerness in winning the pleasure of God.

In contrast, the effort mounted by non–Ahmadi Muslims was half–hearted, sporadic, hesitant and lacking in willingness in the face of discomfort. It soon became apparent and was freely acknowledged, that the campaign organised and set in motion by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] was alone proving effective against the activities of the Arya Samaj which were well supported with men and money. The Arya Samaj had to beat a reluctant and rueful retreat. The non–Ahmadi leadership and the Press expressed great appreciation of the stand Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] had taken throughout the campaign that he had organised and continued to direct over several months till the object had been fully achieved.

The activities of the Community in the Malkana areas not only succeeded in averting the immediate danger that had threatened but gave substantial sections of the Community valuable training in the field of missionary work and inured them to physical hardships.