Holy Prophet’s [saw] Day and Religious Founders Day

In the late 1920s to the horror of Muslims, a graceless and shameless member of the Arya Samaj named Rajpal published a most scurrilous and disgraceful book concerning the Holy Prophet of Islam [saw], which he called Rangila Rasul (The Flamboyant Messenger). The government prosecuted Rajpal for the offence of insulting the memory of the Founder of a religion and thus provoking feelings of hatred and contempt between the followers of Islam and Hinduism. Rajpal was convicted and sentenced but was later acquitted by a High Court judge, who took the view that the publication of the book, however offensive was its character, did not fall within the scope of the relevant section of the Indian Penal Code. The judgment outraged Muslims and within a short time a Muslim named Ilm Din assassinated him. Ilm Din

proudly confessed his guilt and was sentenced to be hanged. He went to his execution cheerfully and the Muslims acclaimed him as a martyr.

The public excitement over the whole tragic affair had scarcely had time to subside when an equally offensive article against the Holy Prophet [saw] was published in a Hindu journal called Vartman of Amritsar. This type of performance was evidence of the diseased mind of a section of the Hindu community, the appropriate remedy for which had to be prescribed with care, wisdom and foresight. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] considered the whole situation thoughtfully and came to the conclusion that the entire responsibility for it did not lie upon the Hindus, and that the Muslims also had been guilty of a serious default which should be set right as early as possible. The immediate need was to obtain an authoritative clarification of the state of the

law regarding such offensive publications and in case of a loophole to have it filled by legislative action. He drew up a public announcement calling upon the government to

take prompt action to secure the desired result. This announcement was prominently displayed in all the principal towns of the Punjab and evoked a wave of horror against the repetition of Rajpal’s outrage by Vartman. The government fearing communal riots decided that a Division Bench of the High Court should try the editor and publisher of Vartman speedily, so that an authoritative construction of the relevant provision of the law might be obtained as early as possible. The Division Bench overruled the judgment of the single Judge in the Rajpal case and held that the action of the accused amounted to an offence under the relevant provision of the law, and convicted the two accused and sentenced them to a term of imprisonment. The Provincial Government also moved the Government of India to put through an amendment of the particular section of the Indian Penal Code so as to put it beyond all doubt that a publication of the type of Rajpal’s book and the article in Vartman constituted an offence under the law. The real remedy, however, that Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] devised, was to remind the Muslims that they had woefully neglected one of their principal duties, namely, to present the life and character of the Holy Prophet [saw] in its true colour to the non-Muslims. He proposed, therefore, that on a specified day in every year public meetings should be held all over the country in which speeches should be delivered by Muslims and non-Muslims on the life and character of the Holy Prophet [saw]. He proposed that this scheme should be inaugurated on 17 June 1928. He set up machinery at Qadian to make the scheme fully effective and appealed for speakers to address the meetings to be held on 17 June. There was a most heartening response to the appeal, not only on the part of Muslims but also of non-Muslims. The meetings helped to clear the air to remove misunderstandings, to correct misrepresentations and to create a new, wholesome and lovable image of the Holy Prophet [saw] in the minds of non-Muslims throughout the country. These meetings have since been repeated every year and have become a permanent feature of the efforts

directed towards the promotion of friendly relations between the different sects and communities of the country.

Some years later the Khalifatul Masih instituted the observance of another day in every year for speeches and addresses on the lives of the founders of all the great religions. This was a natural and necessary sequel to the institution of the Holy Prophet’s Day, and carried the purpose of interfaith understanding and appreciation still further. This day has become known as the Religious Founders Day.