(Vol. 4:4)

October 2009 AAIIL Worldwide Edition Editor: Akbar Abdullah

CALIFORNIA JAMA‘AT PROJECT: APPROVED BY THE CENTRAL ANJUMAN, LAHORE

INTRODUCTION

The 13th of October, 2009 is the 58th death anniversary of Maulana Muhammad Ali Sahib (of blessed

memory). I requested our ever-resourceful brother, Captain Abdus Salam Khan Sahib, to write some

anecdotes of his memories about the life of this most venerable Maulana Sahib of our time, and he has

presented some memorable moments for the reading pleasure of our global members, as follow:

In Memory of the Late Maulana Muhammad Ali

My ship lay in Colombo harbor on that fateful day, 13th

October 1951, and I had gone ashore to see the

city. When I came back in the evening I was met at the gangway by my colleague, Anis Ahmad, a Bengali

officer. He informed me about the sad news of the passing away of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali. He

had heard the news on Radio Pakistan.

The same night I saw him in my dream. He repeated to me what he always said in his last days: “Our job

is to spread the Holy Qur‟an in the world; it will then go on by itself to complete the mission.”

Only a few days earlier we had all formed a queue at his bedside as he lay, frail and worn-out, on his bed

at the residence of my uncle (N.A. Faruqui, then Chief Secretary, Sind Government) in Karachi, to shake

his hand – a saint‟s hand that had wielded a scholar‟s pen for fifty years in the service of Islam and

Ahmadiyyat – and to pay our last respects. Despite his condition he still managed to throw a typical,

loving jibe at his son-in-law, Dr. Nazir Ahmad, who, when his turn came to shake the Maulana’s hand,

turned to his son, Nasir, standing back, and told him to come forward and not be shy. Maulana at once

sized up the situation and sensed that Nasir was holding back for Maulana‟s sake, that is, not to disturb

him in his frail condition, and remarked with a smile and a twinkle in his eye: “He is sharper than you are,

Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

.......... The HOPE Bulletin ………..

Health, Ongoing Projects, Education

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Dr. Sahib.” I was astounded. The man is dying and he can still cut a joke. I was reminded of Iqbal‟s

famous couplet:

Nishaanay mard-e-momin ba tu goyam:

Choon marg ayad tubbassam ber lubay oost.

(Let me tell you the hallmark of a true believer:

When death comes, there is a smile on his lips.)

That was the last time I saw him. As I lay in my bunk that night onboard the ship, a long procession of

memories came flooding in. Ever since I had gained consciousness, perhaps from 1929 till his death, we

had been close neighbors, first in Ahmadiyya Buildings, Lahore, and then in Muslim Town, Lahore. He

was like the center light around which all of us revolved. Every Friday he would come up with a sermon

that was new, thought-provoking, and spiritually uplifting. Every word that he said, publicly or privately,

was succinct, to the point, and well-thought out. I have never seen a man so focused; he seemed to be

possessed of just one thought: how to spread the Word of God and proclaim it to the whole world.

From his very humble quarters next to the Mosque in Ahmadiyya Buildings to his palatial ten-kanal

bungalow in Muslim Town, he remained the same simple and rustic person. Dressed in simple cotton

clothes – a shirwani and a turban – he radiated a regal spiritual light that even Solomon in all his glory

would have envied.

Since he was my khaloo, I had the good fortune to observe him in family settings. From our daily prayer

gatherings in the Muslim Town mosque opposite his bungalow in Muslim Town, to the long family hikes

to Khajiar in Dalhousie, I had the honor of knowing this stalwart of Islam from very close quarters.

He was a rare combination: a saint and a modern scholar, a scholar who was teaching Mathematics in

Islamia College, Lahore at the young age of nineteen.

One can fool the public, but not one‟s family. He was indeed a saint to all his family and friends. And he

was easily the most respected figure of Muslim India of his times. The leading political personalities –

Iqbal, Jinnah, Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, to name a few – sought him out. Sir Fazl-e-Hussain was a

personal friend of his.

Even when, towards the end, Iqbal had turned against the Qadian section of Ahmadis, he still held

Maulana in high esteem and would always ask my father to carry his request for du‘a to the Maulana.

The impact that the Maulana had made on the world theological scene can be gauged from the fact that in

the fifties we had a Pakistani Christian from Rome, Italy as our guest in the Woking Mission, England,

who came to us seeking information on the Maulana, as he had been directed by his Roman Catholic

mentors to write his doctoral dissertation on Maulana Muhammad Ali.

Maulana‟s magnum opus – the English translation and exegesis of the Holy Qur‟an and his seminal book

The Religion of Islam – still hold sway in the religious world. Ninety years have passed, but no one in the

world has produced something close to these two remarkable works. If you just acquire these two books,

you don‟t need anything else to teach you about Islam. From missionaries of the Rabwah Jama‘at to the

Judges of the High Courts, all refer to these works for guidance.

There are thirty seven revelations of the Promised Messiah that refer to Maulana Muhammad Ali, more

than any other disciple of his. One of his well-known revelations is as follows:

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Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib, aap bhee saleh thay aur naik iradah rukhtay thay;

Awe-oe hamarya paas baith jao.

(Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib, you also were an upright person and had good intentions;

Come, sit near us.)

An interesting incident about his ilhaam happened in the eighties when Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan

sent me his new book, Noorud Din, from England. I was quite distressed to see that he had painted the

Maulana in a very dark light, accusing the Maulana and his clique (Kh. Kamal-ud-Din, Maulana Sadr-ud-

Din) as ambitious power-grabbers who had schemed to gain control of the Jama‘at in 1914. I protested

and wrote the above ilhaam in support. Sir Zafrullah was quite annoyed, underlined the word “thay”(was)

in the ilhaam, and asked me to return the book if I didn‟t like it. He meant by the underlining of the word

“thay” to indicate that Maulana may have been righteous in the past, but was no longer so later on. I was

surprised by his interpretation, for all he had to do was to read the next sentence, “Awe-oe hamarya paas

baith jao,” which is in the present tense.

I think it was 1971 when Sir Zafrullah and I were walking back to his residence in Peace Palace, The

Hague, when he was the President of the International Court of Justice. He was in a reminiscent mood, and

dwelling upon the Lahori-Qadiani question, remarked: “Did Maulvi Muhammad Ali doubt my faith? Nay,

I believe Hazrat Masih-e-Ma‟ood to be a Prophet of God just as I believe Moses and Jesus to be Prophets

of God.”

To understand the background of this remark please recall that in the early forties Maulana Muhammad

Ali had proposed to Mian Mahmood Ahmad Sahib, head of the Qadiani section of Ahamdis, that to settle

the doctrinal dispute between the two parties they should appoint Sir Zafrullah as the arbiter between the

two sides. Mian Sahib had rejected the proposal, saying: “It is a question of my faith; why should I let my

faith be determined by Sir Zafrullah?”

But glory be to God! Lo and behold, the truth of the matter was settled by Mian Sahib himself, when he

made a 180 degree turn in his belief in front of the Munir Enquiry Commission in 1953, declaring all

Muslims who recited the Kalimah to be within the pale of Islam.

I met Mian Sahib in Karachi in 1955 and submitted to him that: “Since now, after your declaration before

the Munir Commission, there is no doctrinal difference between the Lahori and Qaidani groups, why don‟t

we unite?”

He fully agreed with me, but remarked: “Human natures differ; some people want democracy and some

want Khilafat. But as a first step let us stop demonizing each other. To this end I have already instructed

Al Fazl not to publish anything against the Lahori Jama‘at. In fact, a ceasefire agreement had been

reached between Hazrat Maulana and me in Dalhousie in 1935 through the good office Maulana Ghulam

Hussain Peshawari, but it was not observed by Paigham-e-Sulh.”

Another memory of the Maulana and Sir Zafrullah comes to mind. In 1950, the Karachi Jama‘at of

Lahore Ahmadis organized a public lecture by Maulana Muhammad Ali and the meeting was chaired by

Sir Zafrullah, the then Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Maulana spoke eloquently about the need to close the

ranks and get on with the task of propagation of Islam. His heart-stirring speech evoked a glowing tribute

from Sir Zafrullah: “Dil say jo baat nikltee hai asar rakhti hay” (Everything that comes from the heart

touches our hearts), remarked Sir Zafrullah in his summing up remarks.

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No doubt this general of the Promised Messiah‟s army continues to touch many hearts, a general that used

the pen instead of the sword to win the hearts and minds of so many in the world. May his soul rest in the

highest reaches of Heaven! Ameen.

)*=*(

JAMA‘AT NEWS

Change in dates of Salana Duaiyya 2009 at Lahore, Pakistan Due to a change in dates of the winter break, Amir Aziz, General Secretary of AAIIL, announced some

slight changes in the dates of the Salana Duaiyya 2009 to be held at the end of this year at Darus Salam

Central Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. His directive follows:

Assalamu Alikum.

This is to inform you that there is a slight change in Annual Duaiyya 2009 programme .This

unavoidable change is due to delayed winter break in Pakistan. Its sole purpose is to accommodate

more families and children to participate in this spiritual event.

Now the Duaiyya 2009 will begin on the 24th of December, which is exclusively set for the ladies

meeting. The rest of the programme will be from 25th to 28th of December, 2009.

The International Consultative Committee meeting will be held on 29th and 30th of December,

2009.

Please accept our apology for any inconvenience you might have faced due to change of schedule.

Hope to see you all, Inshaa Allah, on this great spiritual event.

Kamran Ahmad Choudhary miraculously saved Former Imam Choudhary Saeed Ahmad‟s son, Kamran Ahmad Choudhary, who is the Director of the UN

Food Relief Service in Pakistan, was miraculously saved during the recent terrorist bomb blast at the UN

Food Distribution Centre in Islamabad, where several people perished and many were injured.

Alhamdollillah! All praise is due to Allah. It so happened that on the day of the terrorist attack Kamran

Choudhary left his office on the main floor of the building and went down to the basement for some copy

making work. He completed his work, and as he was about to go upstairs the bomb was detonated, killing

several of his colleagues in the main office floor, while the shock of the blast pushed Kamran back into the

basement. Thus Allah miraculously saved his life.

We must all pray and thank Allah (swt) for His bountiful mercy and for His most cherished blessings in

saving the life of the eldest son of our venerable Imam Choudhary Saeed Ahmad of Islamabad, Pakistan.

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Report on activities at the Berlin Mosque, April 2009 by Muhammad Ali, Imam Berlin FM Radio

On 8th April Miss Juliette Cellier visited the Mosque and conducted an interview to collect information on

the activities of the Mosque. This radio station is one of the popular radio stations of Berlin (104.6rtl). It

has a program in which it covers various places of importance in Berlin worthy to be visited under the title

“One Place One Day”. On day 145 of the year the presenter highly recommended listeners to visit the

Mosque. On the following link you can see a brief coverage about the Mosque on the radio website

http://www.1046rtl.net/365/artikelseite/tag145/artikelseite.html.

Below is English translation of a positive comment on the Mosque:

Lukas 26 from Ahrensfelde The Mosque is a very impressive (Oriental Building) which has withstood the ups and downs of

time. It still it needs some renovation work. I am impressed at how openly the Imam receives the

guests and tries to remove misconceptions. It is, anyway, a good idea to make an appointment and

go through a small introduction there.

On 9th April students from the National

Government School visited the Mosque. This

time there was a group of eleven people. It is

the highest number since we started a special

course for students to tell them about the

history and work of the Mosque and Islam.

One interesting thing for me was that one

couple visited the Mosque for the fourth time

in succession to attend the course. All the

participants were impressed about the picture

of Islam presented at the Mosque. The

visitors expressed their satisfaction to visit a

place which offers such peaceful and

harmonious views about Islam. Many of them

were very keen to know when will be the

next chance for them to visit the Mosque to

attend the course. A number of people left their email addresses to be informed about any such activities

taking place at the Mosque in future.

On 18th April a get-together was organised at the Mosque with the collaboration of Deutsche Stinftung

Denkmalschutz. The meeting took place from 11:30 to 14:30 pm. During the two-session programme I

delivered two talks of 20-25 minutes about the history of the Mosque and an introduction of our

Movement. Mr. Guenther Paetz, local president of Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz who has been an

active partner in this joint venture to support the renovation work of the Mosque and who renders

voluntary service in different ways, also spoke at the start giving his impression about the Mosque and

why his organization is working with us and what he thinks of us.

Then Mr. Ballweski, a prominent person from another organization, who also co-operated in this

programme about the Mosque and extended help to the Deutsche Stitfung Denkmalschutz to organize the

fund-raising meeting, gave a lecture on the theme of Diaspora and its different aspects.

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We also displayed at the entrance of the Mosque four pictures with a brief introduction of the holy places,

including our Mosque, as Diaspora.

Mr. Paetz, together with his equally zealous colleague Miss

Anika Probst, held special programmes for children as they

did last year, so that parents attending the meeting at the

Mosque could listen to the talks attentively while the

children were engaged in drawings and were provided

information about the history of the Mosque and how much

it was damaged during the World War II. During the

intervals children were brought into the Mosque and were

told about the common aspects among different religions,

with special reference to Islam.

I also interacted with children explaining to them A group of students from Berlin University –

the significance of the name Allah and the 19 June 2009

Islamic Kalimah.

)*=*(

PRAYER & HEALTH NEWS

Du‘a from Riaz Ahmad Choudhary, AAIIL, Jammu, India Asalamualikum wrwb.

We, the members of AAIIL Jammu, do pray to the Almighty Allah for successful open heart surgery of

Br. Dr. Khaliel Ghafoerkhan, and also thanks for your untiring efforts in keeping the members of WW

AAIIL well informed about the Jamaats.

Allah Hafiz.

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Du‘a from Arjumand Sadiq, AAIIL, UK Thanks for providing the good news about Brother Dr. Khaliel Ghafoerkhan. May Allah give him

complete health and long life. Soon he will be with his family, Insha Allah.

Condolence from Roger Bissessar, Corresponding Secretary, AAIIT&T Assalaam u Alaikum.

On behalf of the executive and members of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha„at I Islam Inc of Trinidad and

Tobago, I would like to express sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the late Brigadier

Nasir Ahmad Saeed.

We pray that Almighty Allah grant you strength and courage to deal with this personal loss.

)*=*(

HISTORY: MEMOIRES OF JAMA‘AT TRINIDAD

[Contributed. We are publishing the life and mission of a native son of Trinidad, the late Al-Hajj Moulvi

Ameer Ali, as a prelude to follow in the subsequent issue of The HOPE Bulletin the life and mission of

Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Tufail who left a lasting impact in our Caribbean Jama‘ats by his untiring

and dedicated work with the Ahmadiyya Jama‘ats there, more so in Trinidad. – Editor.]

The life and works of the late

AL-HAJJ MOULVI AMEER ALI

EARLY LIFE AND STUDIES ABROAD Al-Hajj Moulvi Ameer Ali was born at Pointe-a-Pierre on 21

st July, 1898, the son of Salar Baksh and

Nasiban. He had no brothers or sisters and lived with his parents and grandmother. At a very early age, he

suffered a tragic blow when he lost the care and protection of his father, who separated from his wife and

emigrated to the United States of America. Subsequently, his mother moved to Siparia to take up

residence and he was left in the care of his grandmother.

At Pointe-a-Pierre, Ameer attended primary school only up to Firth Standard, and shortly after leaving this

school, he moved to Siparia to live with his mother and stepfather. Ameer did not attend Secondary school

and in order to obtain some form of qualification for employment, he began to tutor himself in Book-

keeping. Later, he obtained employment as a Book-keeper with Mr. H.B. Syne, a road-building contractor

of Siparia.

The young Ameer worked diligently and honestly, and was not preoccupied with the acquisition of wealth.

Though poor, he did not appear to be so, for he was always contented with what he had. Up to this time,

he was not a deeply religious person and was not known to be an active participant in the affairs of the

local Jama‘at. His limited knowledge of Islam was obtained mainly by reading the Islamic Review, a

journal printed by the Islamic Mission, Woking, England, and distributed to western countries.

However, in 1921, an event occurred which proved to be a turning-point in his life and which

subsequently was of immense importance to the Muslim community in Trinidad. This was the arrival in

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Trinidad of Moulvi Fazal Karim Khan Durrani, a missionary attached to the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-

I-Islam, Lahore, India (now Lahore, Pakistan). His visit to Trinidad was the result of a request for a

missionary made to the Islamic Mission, Woking, England, by a group of local Muslims, among whom

was Abdul Ghany of St. Augustine. Moulvi Durrani organized the “evening of Religious Class” at Curepe

in which he taught the principles of Islam to a small group of Muslims. In addition, he held many public

lectures with the aim of stimulating an interest in Islam among Muslims and of defending Islam against

criticisms by non-Muslims. The heated public debates which he held with priests and pundits were

followed with keen interest by Muslims, Christians and Hindus from all over the colony.

Ameer became deeply interested in this man and his lectures and intimated to him his desire to study

Islam. Consequently, he eagerly accepted the offer of a scholarship which would enable him to study

Islam at the Ahmadiyya College, Lahore, India, and towards the end of 1923 he left Trinidad to travel to

India.

He began his studies at Lahore with courses in Islamic Theology, Arabic and Urdu and followed these in

1926 with courses in Logic and Comparative Religion. His tutors included Maulana Muhammad Ali and

Maulana Abdul Haque Vidyarthi. He was a brilliant student and was deeply impressed with the high level

of learning which existed at this institution. He often reflected on the condition of Muslims in Trinidad,

and in a letter to Muhammad Ishmael Kaidar of Siparia, he lamented that “Muslims in Trinidad are like

Christians and Jews in some of their beliefs about God.”

An outgoing person, he made many friends, and up to the present day, there are places in Pakistan where

he is remembered with much affection and respect. He loved to travel, and in his free time he visited Java,

Sumatra, and many of the villages of Northern India and Kashmir.

In 1927, Ameer had completed his course of study successfully. However, he felt that his learning was not

complete until he had mastered the Arabic language. Thus, on leaving Lahore, he headed for Cairo, Egypt,

and enrolled at Al-Azhar University. Here he made a deep study of the Arabic language and did additional

courses in Islamic Theology, comparing and contrasting the teachings found there with those he had

encountered at Lahore.

In May 1929, he performed the pilgrimage to Mecca, Arabia. He spent the second half of 1930 visiting

several Middle East countries determined to see the main historical sites, such as the Cedars of Lebanon,

the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem, the Temple of Baalbeck in Syria, the

Khadimain Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq, and the Mosque of Sultan Ahmed and the Suleymania Mosque in

Istanbul, Turkey. He completed his studies in Egypt early in 1931 and began his homeward journey from

Cairo. He arrived in England in July, and after a few weeks, boarded the S.S. Magdalena, bound for

Trinidad.

Meanwhile, Muslims in Trinidad, learning of his decision to return home, anxiously awaited his arrival.

Their interest was partly due to the fact that he was the first Trinidadian to go abroad to study Islam and

return a fully-qualified moulvi, and partly to the existence in Trinidad of a crying need for Muslims with

that level of training with which to carry out missionary work. Thus, on 23rd

August, 1931, a crowd of

about two hundred people, all friends and relatives of Al-Hajj Moulvi Ameer Ali, gathered at the Port of

Spain Wharf to welcome him. Among them were H.B. Syne, Abdul Ghany, and other prominent members

of the Muslim community. In the following weeks he was the guest of a number of welcome functions

held in his honour in various districts.

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He lived in Siparia for a few months, after which he moved to San Juan, renting a house at the corner of

Back Chain Street and El Socorro Road. Here, he began his work as a missionary.

RELIGIOUS REFORM In September 1927, some of the leading Muslims in the colony gathered at Chaguanas to discuss the

problems confronting the Muslim community. Some of those present were Sayad Abdul Aziz, Haji

Rucknuddin Meah, Abdul Ghany, Ameer Baksh, Rahim Baksh and Shaffie Mohammed. In order to look

after the interests of Muslims, these men founded the Anjuman Tackveeyatul Islam (or Tackveeyatul

Islamic Association – T.I.A.). This organization was non-sectarian in that any Muslim, of whatever school

of thought, could become a member. Sayad Abdul Aziz was elected its first President. However, he died a

few months later, and the Presidency passed into the hands of Haji Rucknuddin Meah of Tunapuna.

In May 1931, the leaders of the T.I.A. applied to the Legislative Council to have a bill introduced for the

incorporation of Abdul Ghany and Haji Gokool Meah as Trustees of the organization. On his return from

India, Moulvi Ameer Ali joined the T.I.A. and was appointed its missionary. He, together with the two

trustees and the Honorary Secretary, appeared before a Select Committee on December 1st to give

evidence on behalf of the T.I.A. Consequently, on December 15th

1931, the T.I.A. was incorporated by

Act 39 of the Legislative Ordinance.

However, his appointment as missionary was regarded with a certain amount of reservation by Haji

Rucknuddin Meah and others, who suspected him of being an Ahmadi. At the first public lecture arranged

by him at the Liberty Hall, Port of Spain on 29th

December 1931, he delivered an address on “The Death

of Jesus.” During his lecture he declared that Jesus (u.w.b.p.) neither died on the Cross, nor was he taken

in his physical form to Heaven, but that he had survived the Crucifixion and had travelled eastwards from

Jerusalem. This ran contrary to the beliefs of the Muslims in Trinidad, which were that Jesus was alive in

his physical form in Heaven and would someday return to Earth to be a leader of the Muslims. The

Moulvi’s declaration therefore caused a great uproar among his audience and he was immediately

denounced by the majority as a kafir.

He was then asked to state his beliefs about Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya

Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam. He stated that he was not an Ahmadi and that he had no views in particular about

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as he had not made a study of his life and claims. Having refused to openly

denounce Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a non-Muslim, he was accused of being in disguise a Qadiani (a name

that opponents of Ahmadis use when referring to them). That day saw the beginning of a division in the

ranks of the T.I.A., with some members supporting Moulvi Ameer Ali and being branded with the name

“Qadiani,” and the majority sharing the views of Haji Rucknuddin Meah and calling themselves “Sunnis.”

The Moulvi continued to deliver public lectures on Islam, and as the months went by, new controversies

appeared. Soon Moulvi Ameer Ali and his “new” teachings were the topic of conversation in almost every

Muslim home. He questioned the origin and authenticity of all those practices and beliefs that appeared to

him to have no basis on the Qur‟an and the Hadith. And as he did so, a deliberate campaign was initiated

against him by Haji Rucknuddin Meah and his followers who felt that they must oppose the introduction

of “modern” views into Islam. Finding themselves unable to accept the “new” teachings of Moulvi Ameer

Ali, they decided to relinquish ties with the T.I.A. On Sunday 3rd

April 1932, Haji Rucknuddin Mead,

Abdul Ghany, Syed Mohammed Hosein, Basheer Meah, and hundreds of other Muslims founded the

Anjuman Sunnat-ul-Jamaat Association (A.S.J.A.) at Chaguanas.

The much-reduced membership of the T.I.A. consisted of strong supporters of Moulvi Ameer Ali, and

they soon appointed him their Mufti for Life. Two of his closest friends were Mohammed Rafeeq and

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Mohammed Hakim Khan. These three men led the T.I.A. for the next fifteen years, struggling for the

defence and propagation of Islam and for a reformation of Muslim practices and beliefs in Trinidad. Some

of the controversial issues in which they were involved are presented below.

Defence of Islam

When one speaks of the defence of Islam, one refers to the clarification of the Islamic concepts

misunderstood by non-Muslims and the refutation of false allegations made by non-Muslims about the

teachings of Islam and about the character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (u.w.b.p.). To this task,

Moulvi Ameer Ali turned his full attention.

At all his public lectures, non-Muslims were invited to attend. For the benefit of both Christians and

Muslims, he dealt at length with the birth, mission and death of Jesus. To the Muslims, he taught that Jesus

was born from human parents, that he was dead and was not alive in his physical form in heaven; to the

Christians, he taught additionally that Jesus was neither God, nor the son of God. He held many debates on

these topics with interesting Christians. He also devoted much time to refuting the remarks made by

Christians and Hindus that Islam was spread “at the point of a sword.” In this connection, many Muslims

remember his masterly reply to Pundit Ajodha Persad (a visiting Arya Samajist from India) at the

Paladium Cinema, Tunapuna, sometime in 1934, when the Pundit said that Islam was spread “at the point

of a sword.”

However, he at no time encouraged the fostering of prejudicial feelings among the three communities of

Muslims, Christians and Hindus. He believed that all citizens of the colony had the duty of working

together for the upliftment of the entire community, and that Muslims and Hindus especially had a great

deal to do to establish themselves as part of the machinery that determined the destiny of the colony.

He was an impressive speaker and rarely was he at a loss for words. At his public lectures he never read

from a prepared text, preferring to refresh his memory from jottings made on small pieces of paper. He

had command over the Arabic, Urdu and English languages. This ability, as well as his factual analyses of

the topics under discussion, earned him the admiration of his audiences. Today, most Muslims who new

him unreservedly praise him for his fearless defence of Islam.

Importance of Qur’an and Hadith

Moulvi Ameer Ali felt that one of the factors contributing to the general weakness of the Muslims in

propagating their religion was the fact that the average Muslim did not endeavour to understand the

teachings of the Qur‟an and was not well acquainted with the life of the Prophet Muhammad (u.w.b.p.). At

that time, the reading of the Qur‟an by many Muslims was more of ceremonial value than educational, as

they were mainly concerned with the blessings from God that accrued from its recitation in Arabic, while

the understanding and interpretation of its teachings were the tasks of the few literate ones among them.

On almost all religious occasions parts of the Qur‟an were recited in the Arabic or Urdu language by

groups of men and boys; all recited simultaneously and very seldom were the recitations followed by

explanations of what was read. This ceremony was called a Moulood Shareef, and included the rendering

of Urdu songs, the most common theme of these being the praise of Prophet Muhammad. Moulvi Ameer

Ali opposed this ceremony of Moulood Shareef and appealed to all Muslims to read the Qur‟an with the

aim of understanding it.

The members if A.S.J.A. laid great stress on the adherence of the religious customs of their forefathers;

but the Moulvi argued that a number of practices in vogue among them were borrowed from other

religions, especially Hinduism, since Hindus and Muslims had lived together for centuries in India. One

example of this was the holding of Moulood Shareef ceremonies on the third day, the fortieth day, and one

11

year after the death of a Muslim, these ceremonies being performed by the close relatives of the deceased.

At these functions, it was customary for a dish to be prepared of the food most liked by the dead person

when he or she was alive, for prayers to be said over this food by an Imam, and for this dish to be left as an

offering to the soul of the deceased. Moulvi Ameer Ali opposed these practices and urged all Muslims to

follow Prophet Muhammad rather than their Indian ancestors. He encouraged them to restrict themselves

to the use of the Qur‟an and those books of Hadith considered to be the most authentic by the consensus of

Muslims all over the world.

Islamic education

Moulvi Ameer Ali conducted religious classes at his home and at centres throughout the colony, such as

St. James, St. Joseph, Port of Spain, Preysal Village, San Fernando, Princes Town and Siparia. He held

these classes in mosques and, when it was more convenient to do so, in the homes of Muslims. Very often,

after his afternoon classes, he would remain for hours discussing Islamic concepts, especially the ones

giving rise to controversies in Trinidad. When this occurred in villages far from his home, his hosts would

be only too happy to accommodate him for the night.

He encouraged Muslims to read the Islamic Review, which preached Islam in the light of the most modern

thought. In January 1933, he began the publication of a monthly journal, The Comforter. This was to be

the organ of the T.I.A., and featured articles on Islamic principles, information on the life of Prophet

Muhammad, news about Muslims in other countries, a children‟s page, and discussion on the controversial

topics of the day. This journal was circulated throughout Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname, and a smaller

number of copies were also sent to Islamic associations in India and England.

In these ways he sought to educate Muslims and non-Muslims about Islam and to stimulate an Islamic

consciousness in the minds of Muslims.

Meelad-un-Nabee (commemoration of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad)

The Moulvi felt that the method adopted to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, that of

holding Moulood Shareef ceremonies, was inadequate in that both Muslims and non-Muslims were left in

the dark as to the true nature of the Prophet. He suggested that “papers reflecting the character and

personality of the Prophet should be prepared and read on the occasion. And these should be printed in

pamphlet form to be circulated among Muslims and non-Muslims.”

Tazeem It was a practice of the Muslims that at the end of Moulood Shareef ceremonies they would all stand

upright and render a song in the Urdu language called Tazeem. It was a method of paying tribute to

Prophet Muhammad, they felt, and refusal to do so was considered a great sin. The Moulvi taught that this

practice was unnecessary, and that there were more meaningful ways by which to honour the Prophet, the

best of them being obedience to him. He therefore omitted the rendering of the Tazeem at religious

ceremonies conducted by him.

Women in Islam

An area in which he focused great attention was the position of Muslim women in society. Up to 1931

Muslim women were not allowed to participate in activities outside the home and could not even attend

religious functions held at pubic centres. Muslim girls were made to leave school at an early age due to

pressure of work in the home and to the fear of Christian conversion efforts. The Moulvi felt that Muslim

women were denied the opportunity to contribute towards the development of their community.

12

He therefore encouraged the members of the T.I.A. to allow their womenfolk to join that organization and

to attend the religious functions and public lectures. Later, he urged them to participate in the religious

activities by singing Islamic songs and delivering speeches. The Moulvi set the example by allowing his

wife to deliver a speech prepared by him on the topic “Muhammad, the Exalter of Women” on 6th

July

1933. The occasion was the commemoration of the Prophet‟s birthday, organized by the San Juan Men‟s

Muslim Association, and Mrs Ameer Ali was greeted by thunderous applause when, in the course of her

speech, she said: “The Arabs, in the days of ignorance, use to murder their daughter physically, but many

a Muslim father here today murder their daughters spiritually.”

The Moulvi ignored the many protests made by the members of A.S.J.A. against these activities. At every

opportunity that presented itself, he would publish in the columns of The Comforter instances in India and

Muslim countries where Muslim and Hindu women were entering public life and struggling side by side

with men for the upliftment of their societies. In addition, he scolded Muslim and Hindu fathers who

would not make the necessary sacrifices to give their daughters and a sound academic education.

He was opposed for many years by members of A.S.J.A., but today Muslim women from the various

organizations are engaged in forming women‟s groups, pursuing higher education, and seeking

employment.

Marriage ceremony

An indication of the extent to which Muslim women were kept in seclusion was the manner in which the

majority of marriage ceremonies were conducted. In these, the bride and bridegroom were not allowed to

sit next to each other. Instead, the bride would be made to remain inside her house, while the bridegroom

sat before the assembled guests. Three witnesses would then carry messages to and fro between them in

order that each may be informed of the other‟s acceptance of the marriage vows.

Eid service

Two important festivals in Islam are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day

of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, and marks the end of the Muslim‟s fast during the

previous month of Ramadan. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated about two months after Eid-ul-Fitr and coincides

with the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca, Arabia.

On both occasions, Muslims in Trinidad congregated at mosques for worship. However, in his studies,

Moulvi Ameer found that it was the practice of Prophet Muhammad to hold the Eid services in the open

air and not within the confines of a mosque. This he decided to institute for the first time in Trinidad on

Sunday 17th

April 1932, when he and scores of members of the T.I.A. gathered at the Aranguez Savannah

to hold the Eid-ul-Adha service. Part of the service was an address by the Moulvi on the topic, “The

Pilgrimage to Mecca.”

However, this event aroused the anger of the members of A.S.J.A. who attempted to prevent the Moulvi

from conducting further open-air Eid services. On 5th

April 1933, when Moulvi Ameer and his friends

gathered at the Aranguez Savannah to prepare the site for the Eid-ul-Adha service the following day, they

were told by the manager of the estate (on which the Savannah was situated) that they would not be able to

do so, as a group of Muslims had informed him that such practices were un-Islamic. They then had to

obtain the permission of the manager of the Aranguez Concrete Works, situated nearby, to hold the service

on the lawns of that factory.

13

Miraaj-un-Nabee (Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad)

Late in his life, Prophet Muhammad had an experience called Miraaj (Ascension), in which he found

himself in the Divine Presence. Muslims in Trinidad, as in many parts of the world, believed that he was

taken to Heaven in his physical form. The Moulvi, however, preached that the Prophet‟s journey to

Heaven was in fact a spiritual experience, that he had a vision in which he saw with his spiritual eye

certain events and people, and that he had not entered Heaven in his physical form.

Taraweeh prayer

A Muslim is commanded by God to pray five times daily. Each prayer is divided into sections called

rakaats, which are repeated several times until the completion of the prayer. Each rakaat consists of

recitations in the Arabic language while moving through a series of standing, bowing, prostrating and

sitting postures. During the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims, after

fasting for the entire day, gather in the mosque each night to perform a special prayer called Taraweeh.

For more than eighty years, Muslims in Trinidad had been performing twenty rakaats for the Taraweeh

prayer. They also believed that it was a compulsory prayer.

Moulvi Ameer Ali informed the Muslims that this prayer was not a compulsory one. However, it was

highly recommended as a Muslim ought to devote more of his time to prayers during the month of

Ramadan. But one of the greatest controversies was born among Muslims when he announced that they

should perform only eight rakaats for the Taraweeh prayer. This led to some of the most heated debates

between members of the T.I.A. and members of A.S.J.A., and up to the present time, Muslim opinion is

still divided in this matter.

As a result of these differences in beliefs, a state of undeclared war existed between the T.I.A. and

A.S.J.A. The Moulvi would criticize certain beliefs and practices of the members of A.S.J.A., while

expounding the principles of Islam in his public lectures and in The Comforter, and as he did so, Haji

Rucknuddin would reply by also holding public lectures and by printing pamphlets for distribution among

the Muslims. For a time, each would answer challenges extended by the other to appear for public debates

on the controversial issues. However, these invariably ended in chaos, with each leader adhering firmly to

his views. At this stage, there was not the slightest ray of hope that Muslims would re-unite. Every

Jama‘at in the colony felt the destructive effects of this disunity. In many instances, members of a family

would be divided in their support for the two organizations, causing great enmity which, in some cases,

exists up to the present day. Finally, efforts to work out a compromise between the two parties were

unsuccessful as neither leader was willing to give up any of his views. Consequently, Moulvi Ameer Ali

and his small band of followers were ostracized by the rest of the Muslim community.

Insults were hurled at the Moulvi wherever he went. At his public lectures, certain persons attended merely

to abuse him and cause confusion. Consequently, many of these meetings broke up in arguments and

sometimes fights between members of the two opposing factions. Songs were composed, which were

rendered during his lectures in order to ridicule him.

There were very few marriages between members of the two factions, and those few were attended by

much wrangling by the families involved. This was especially so in the case of the Moulvi, for when his

engagement to Nurrun Nahar Khan, daughter of Ayub Khan, was announced, many relatives, who were

members of A.S.J.A., tried to influence Mr. Khan to disallow the forthcoming marriage. However, he was

a firm supporter of the Moulvi, and the grand ceremony duly took place on 6th

November 1932, performed

by Sobratee Meah.

14

As the years went by, opposition and hatred towards Moulvi Ameer Ali grew to the extent that in their

frustration at being unable to suppress his preaching, certain persons sought to frighten him by throwing

stones at his house at night. This happened with such regularity that whenever he returned home from a

particularly rowdy meeting in which he had got the better of his detractors, he would warn his wife: “Be

careful tonight, they will throw stones at the house.” On one such night in early 1935, they were awakened

by a neighbour to find their house on fire. Some neighbours had to rush into their house to rescue them

and their two infant children, while others formed a bucket brigade to put out the blaze. As a result of this,

the Moulvi decided to change residence, moving to Sellier Street, St. Joseph.

In spite of these difficulties, Moulvi Ameer Ali continued to preach, travelling from district to district,

inviting all Muslims to unite under the banner of the T.I.A. He felt that the controversial issues were not

fundamental to Islam and should not produce so much disunity, which would cripple the Muslim

community. At the same time, he encouraged the members of the T.I.A. to exercise the utmost patience

and forbearance, consoling them with the words that “anyone introducing new, progressive ideas in a

community must expect a response similar to that displayed by the members of A.S.J.A.”

During July and August of 1934, Moulvi Ameer Ali visited Guyana and Suriname to conduct a series of

lectures, at the request of the Muslim organizations there. He introduced the same ideas which he had been

preaching in Trinidad, and very soon the organizations in these countries began to be dominated by these

new ideas. He returned to Trinidad in September 1934, and soon after was appointed to the post of

“President for Life” of the T.I.A.

Meanwhile, the members of A.S.J.A. felt the need for a missionary to counter the influence of Moulvi

Ameer Ali and Moulvi Nazir Ahmad Simab arrived on 12th

November 1935. This missionary, while in the

employ of A.S.J.A., conducted religious classes at a number of centres throughout the island. However,

after about eighteen months, he was dismissed, and he returned to India on 15th

July 1937.

SOCIAL REFORM Moulvi Ameer Ali was a man of wide vision and was concerned not only with matters in the religious

field, but also with social issues, especially those affecting Indians. He struggled hard to improve the

position of Indians and to place them on an equal footing with more privileged communities in the colony.

Education The threat to Islam and Hinduism posed by the indoctrination of Christian teachings in the minds of

Muslim and Hindu children at the Canadian Mission Schools, and the high level of illiteracy among

Indians, were of great concern to the Moulvi.

He encouraged Muslims and Hindus to study and respect their religions, and when the Education

Commission sat in Trinidad in 1933, the T.I.A., together with other Indian organizations, made

representations to have at least one Indian language (Arabic, Urdu or Hindi) taught in the primary schools,

as an aid in the preservation of their religion and culture. On learning that the Marryat and Mayhew Report

of 1932 recommended that the Indian community could have their own schools like the Christian

denominations by forming an organization for that purpose, Moulvi Ameer Ali held discussions with other

Indian leaders and the Indian Educational Association was formed in 1937, with the Moulvi as the

President. But their application for permission to build a school was turned down by the Governor, Sir

Hubert Young.

On 1st January 1938, Moulvi Ameer Ali became the first non-Christian member of the Education Board.

At one of its meetings, he moved the resolution that Hindus and Muslims should be eligible to receive

15

Government aid in running schools in the colony, but this motion was defeated. However, he continued to

agitate in this matter and when his term on this Board ended in 1942, his efforts were continued by other

Muslims. Finally, in 1949, through the persistence of N.M. Ghany, Secretary of the T.I.A., the El Socorro

Islamia School became the first non-Christian denominational school in the colony to be granted

Government aid.

Franchise reform

Another example of his involvement in social issues was in the area of franchise reform. On October 6th

1944, a decision was made in the Legislative Council that an inhabitant of the colony was entitled to be

registered as a voter after satisfying a number of requirements, one of which was that “he or she is able to

satisfy the registering officer that he or she can understand the English language when spoken.” Indian

leaders realized that Indians formed the majority of those affected by this provision, dubbed the “language

test,” as illiteracy was highest among them.

They called an emergency meeting on 15th

October 1944 at the India Club and Moulvi Ameer Ali

attended, representing the T.I.A. The Indian Central Committee was formed, and the Moulvi was one of

the members. This Committee launched a well-planned campaign, which included tours throughout the

colony, holding public lectures at which they dealt with the implications of the “language test.” After

about two months, this committee succeeded in having the “language test” removed, and many more

Indians were able to exercise their right to vote.

Muslim Marriage and Divorce Ordinance By the Immigration Marriage Ordinance, Indians in Trinidad were required to register their marriage so as

to be considered legally married. For a number of reasons, Hindus and Muslims were reluctant to do so,

and by the end of the nineteenth century, the disadvantages of not registering their marriages began to be

felt. Their children bore the stigma of “illegitimacy” and some were excluded from secondary school

because of this. Also, the wives and children of a person who died intestate possessed no inheritance rights

and so disputed successions were often settled in a violent manner. Thus, from the early twentieth century,

individuals and groups began to protest against these disadvantages.

In 1924, the Government drafted a Bill on Indian Marriages and Divorces, to be discussed by Hindu and

Muslim organizations. When Moulvi Ameer Ali returned from India in 1931, he found the Indian

community in a state of confusion over this Bill, one of the main difficulties being that Muslims could,

under certain circumstances, contract divorces, while divorce was not permitted by Hindu religious law.

The T.I.A., under his leadership, requested the government to consider the question of a separate Muslim

Marriage Bill, and shortly after, the “Draft of a Bill, An Ordinance relating to the registration of Muslim

Marriages and Divorces” was published in the Royal Gazette. The executive of the T.I.A. examined this

Bill, found in it nothing to which a valid objection could be made, and the Muslim Marriage and Divorce

Ordinance came into being in 1934. By this Ordinance, marriage and divorce officers were appointed from

among the Muslim community, and the stigma of “illegitimacy” on children born of married Muslim

couples was removed.

FORMATION OF THE TRINIDAD MUSLIM LEAGUE Nazir Ahmad Simab returned to Trinidad on 13

th April 1939, at the request of some of his former students

in Trinidad who had formed themselves into a group called Tabligh-Ul-Islam. Apart from religious work,

he was very interested in setting up schools to be run by Muslims, and Moulvi Ameer Ali granted his

request for the use of the Islamic Hall, El Socorro (headquarters of the T.I.A.) to conduct a primary school.

Thus, in 1940, the El Socorro Islamic School opened its doors.

16

However, Nazir Ahmad died on 10th

December 1942, leaving his organization in the hands of Abdul

Ghany, President, and N.M. Ghany, its Secretary. They soon realized that their organization, with a

membership of just over two hundred, could not function without a missionary. Thus, a committee headed

by Abdul Ghany negotiated with the T.I.A. in an attempt to unite the two organizations. Moulvi Ameer Ali

agreed and relinquished the title of “Life President” of the T.I.A. in order to facilitate the “merger.”

Finally, on 7th

February 1943, the Tabligh-Ul-Islam Association was dissolved and its membership was

absorbed by the T.I.A., with Moulvi Ameer Ali as President.

Unfortunately, disunity again reared its ugly head, when, at a General Meeting held in February 1944 for

the election of officers for the new term, every office contested was won by a former member of the

Tabligh-Ul-Islam Association. Investigations into events leading up to this election led the Moulvi to the

conclusion that in extending his hand in friendship, his organization was snatched away from him. The

matter was then taken to court in an effort to have the results of the election declared null and void. By this

time, there were two factions within the T.I.A. – one led by Abdul Ghany, the newly-elected President,

and the other by Moulvi Ameer Ali. In the next three years, very little religious work was done by both

factions, as they were hindered partly by restrictions arising from the Second World War and partly by the

many litigations lodged in the courts by both parties.

In November 1944, the Moulvi’s faction began publishing Al-Azan along the same lines as The Comforter,

publication of which was ceased a few years earlier. In 1945, the Moulvi changed residence, moving to 64

Charlotte Street, Port of Spain, where he ran a small dry goods store called The Gem Store. Here, he also

sold Islamic books imported from England and India, and collected books to form his own library called

the Bee Library.

By 1947, he realized that struggling for control of the T.I.A. was a lost cause and the matter was settled

outside of the courts. Abdul Ghany‟s faction retained the title “T.I.A.” and kept control of the El Socorro

Islamia School, while Moulvi Ameer Ali accepted two parcels of land, one at Princes Town and the other

at St. Joseph. The Moulvi and his friends then had to form their own organization. They founded the

Trinidad Muslim League (T.M.L.) on 15th

August 1947, an organization subscribing to the creed of Ghair

Mukallidiam (Non-Conformist), and elected Moulvi Ameer Ali to the post of Mufti.

An examination of the idea of Ghair-Mukallidiam would reveal more clearly the role of Moulvi Ameer

Ali as a reformer of Islamic thought and practice in Trinidad. After the death of the Holy Prophet

Muhammad (u.w.b.p.) in 632 A.D., his followers split themselves into well-defined sects, the two main

ones being the Shi‟ah sect and the Ahl-us-Sunnat sect. Late in the 19th

century, another group, the

Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam was formed. By far the majority of the Muslims belong to the Ahl-us-

Sunnat sect and are called Sunnis. Among them there were four schools of thought. These are the Hanafi,

Maliki, Shafi-i and Hanabali schools. The term Mukallid refers to any Muslim who follows unreservedly

one of the four schools of thought.

Moulvi Ameer Ali regarded Mukallidiam as totally contrary to the spirit of Islamic teachings, which

postulates that all actions must be the outcome of intelligent reasoning. He felt that Mukallidiam was the

greatest single factor which was causing a disintegration of Islamic thought, and had to be removed before

a true reformation of Islamic thought and practice could be affected. Thus, he adopted the creed of Ghair-

Mukallidiam by which a Muslim does not conform to one particular school. Instead, in order to settle any

controversial issue on which no clear ruling is set down in the Qur‟an and the authentic books of Hadith, a

Muslim is free to examine the rulings of the four schools before arriving at a conclusion. The T.M.L.

remains the only organization in the Caribbean subscribing to such a creed.

17

The name of the new organization and the date of its birth reflected the high degree to which Moulvi

Ameer Ali and his supporter identified with Muslims in India. During the 1940‟s, political developments

in India held the attention of Muslims and Hindus in Trinidad. India was in the process of obtaining

Independence from Britain, while the Muslims in that country were agitating for self-rule. The decision to

create Pakistan was greeted with much rejoicing by Muslims in Trinidad and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the

father of Pakistan and leader of the All-India Muslim League, was held in very high esteem here. Thus,

Moulvi Ameer Ali chose Pakistan Day, 15th

August 1947, to declare the formation of the Trinidad Muslim

League, the name closely resembling the All-India Muslim League of Jinnah. In addition, when the

T.M.L. built its first mosque at St. Joseph, it was named the Jinnah Memorial Mosque.

The erection of an edifice of the stature of the Jinnah Memorial Mosque is an achievement that is worthy

of the highest praise. That this small group of Muslims built in the space of three years the most beautiful

mosque in the Caribbean at a cost of $120,000.00 is an indication of the deep spirit of dedication and

sacrifice with which these early members were imbued. They were inspired by Moulvi Ameer Ali,

Mohammed Rafeeq, Mohammed Hakim Khan, and later by Aziz Ahmad, who took over the presidency of

the T.M.L. from Mohammed Hakim Khan when the latter resigned in 1952. On 31st January 1951, the

Moulvi dug the first shovel of earth, after saying a short prayer, to begin construction work. From then

until its completion his constant presence was a source of encouragement to all those engaged in this task.

He took part in the carpentry and masonry work and held the office of Exchequer, all monies passing

through his hands. Thus, Sunday 25th

April 1954 was a day of great significance for Moulvi Ameer Ali

and every member of the T.M.L., when the Jinnah Memorial Mosque was finally opened.

The Moulvi was a member of the T.M.L. School Board as he was very interested in Education, both

secular and religious, and even before the completion of the Jinnah Memorial Mosque the T.M.L. had its

first primary school, which was established on the premises of the Prince Albert Street Mosque, San

Fernando, in 1953. Further, though faced with the heavy burden of liquidating the debts on the Jinnah

Memorial Mosque, two more schools were built, one at Libertville, Rio Claro in 1955, and another at St.

Joseph in 1957.

During the 1950‟s, the Moulvi was engaged in conducting Islamic classes and delivering lectures at the

various mosques associated with the T.M.L., as well as officiating at many wedding ceremonies and burial

services, these duties comprising part of his work as a missionary. In 1950, he produced An Islamic

Catechism for Muslim Children. In addition, he edited the T.M.L. Bulletin, a monthly journal which

replaced The Azan, the publication of which had ceased when he and his supporters relinquished ties with

the T.I.A. Through his journal, he engaged the missionaries attached to the other Muslim organizations in

debates on religious issues. Some of these missionaries were Moulvi M.I. Saqi, attached to the Ahmadiyya

Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam, Rabwah, Pakistan; Maulana Fazlur Rahman Ansari and Maulana Siddiqui, both

visiting missionaries attached to A.S.J.A.

The impact of the T.M.L. in this decade was felt not only in Trinidad, but also in adjacent territories,

notably Suriname and Guyana, from where requests came for the Moulvi to conduct lectures there. He also

established and maintained contacts with Islamic associations in other countries, such as South Africa,

India, Pakistan, Egypt and England.

***

In 1958, Moulvi Ameer Ali took time off from his missionary work in order to do a refresher course in

Islamic theology at Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. He left on Sunday 30th

March 1958 and arrived in

18

England on 15th

April, where he was met by some of his relatives. He visited a number of mosques in and

around London, and spent some days at the British Museum, reading the history of the Moors. Before

going on to Egypt, he spent three weeks in Spain, where he visited some of the great examples of early

Islamic architecture. In Cairo, he attended Al-Azhar University between the months of September and

November, studying such topics as “Mukallidiam in Islam” and “The Islamic Concept of Miracles,” as

well as improving his knowledge of the Arabic language. He then returned to Trinidad in December 1958,

and resumed his missionary duties.

During 1961, he conducted “The Hive Class,” an Islamic class held every Sunday morning at the T.M.L.

School, St. Joseph. For most of 1962, he was ill, and as a result he closed down his business and moved to

10 Picton Street, Port of Spain. At around the same time, he gave up the office of Mufti of the T.M.L. in

favour of the formation of an Ecclesiastical Board of which he was a member. This Board comprised

members of the T.M.L and handled all religious matters in which the T.M.L. was involved. In 1963,

having fully recovered his health, he accepted an invitation to attend the Annual Jalsa of the Ahmadiyya

Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam, Lahore, Pakistan, due to take place in December.

It must be understood at this stage that although the Moulvi was not an Ahmadi, he accepted and preached

most of the ideas taught by that faction of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman based at Lahore. (The other faction

has its headquarters at Rabwah, Pakistan.) He was also an agent for the distribution of Ahmadi literature

since the 1930‟s. In addition, his organization, the T.M.L., had, since its inception, maintained close ties

with the Ahmadis of Lahore and had, over the years, hosted several Ahmadi missionaries during their stay

in Trinidad. It is believed that the Moulvi intended to use this opportunity to clarify certain lingering

doubts in his mind about the controversial claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

He left Trinidad on 24th

October, allowing himself enough time to visit relatives in London and to tour

several countries in the Middle East before going on to Pakistan. He arrived in Lahore on 11th

December

and attended the Jalsa held from 25th

to 27th

December. Here he met Ahmadi missionaries from all over

the world and held discussions with many of them. In January 1964, he journeyed to Rabwah, where the

other faction of the Ahmadis had their headquarters. Here, he also met many missionaries who served in

various parts of the world, and discussed with them the question of the “prophethood” of Mirza Ghulam

Ahmad, and other claims made by him. He used this opportunity to compare the views held by both

factions of Ahmadis.

He left Pakistan in February 1964 and was met by his wife in Cairo, having made plans to accompany her

on the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Arabia. After the Pilgrimage and a tour of several countries in the Middle

East, they returned home in 1964.

By this time, the President of the T.M.L. was Aziz Ahmad, who had become an Ahmadi on one of his

visits to Lahore. During the absence of Moulvi Ameer Ali in 1964, Aziz Ahmad extended an invitation to

Maulana S.M. Tufail, an Ahmadi missionary attached to the Islamic Mission, Woking, England, to visit

Trinidad and to conduct a series of lectures on the teachings of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman (Lahore). As a

result of the work of this missionary, many members of the T.M.L. joined that organization. Moulvi

Ameer Ali was one of these. In August 1964, after the departure of S.M. Tufail, Moulvi Ameer Ali and

some of the Ahmadi members of the T.M.L. formed an “Ahmadiyya Committee” at the Gasparillo

Mosque. Later in that month, as part of the programme of activities drawn up by this Committee, he

delivered, at Preysal Village, a lecture entitled “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Reformer of the 20th

Century.”

However, soon after this, he fell seriously ill and this committee ceased its activities

19

Although he recovered his health a few months later, this illness marked the evening of his career. His

involvement in the affairs of the T.M.L. gradually declined and he spent more of his time at home. In

1966, he made the last major decision in the affairs of the T.M.L. when he said that the creed of Ghair-

Mukallidiam did not prevent an affiliation between the T.M.L. and the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-

Islam, Lahore, thus paving the way for these two organizations to be affiliated in 1967.

From here onwards, the sun began to set on the career of this illustrious worker for the cause of Islam. He

would become ill for months at a time, during which he was confined to bed. His loving wife and children

were never far from his side, having been a source of inspiration and comfort to him throughout his many

trials. He rarely left his home, doing so only to attend a religious function at the home of a Muslim friend

or at a mosque. Though his health steadily declined, the religious zeal continued to burn strongly in his

mind, and he confided to his friends that, “I wish I could find ten or twenty young boys, devoted to Islam,

to whom I would teach this religion.” However, this was not to be.

At 12.15 a.m. in February 1973, Moulvi Amer Ali finally breathed his last. Hundreds of people gathered

from mid-afternoon of the same day at the Jinnah Memorial Mosque to pay their final respect. After a

short burial service, his body was interred in a grave on the premises of the Jinnah Memorial Mosque,

permission for which was obtained from Government just one month before his death.

CONCLUSION During his long career as a missionary, Moulvi Ameer Ali came in contact with and was influenced by

some of the greatest Muslim minds of this century, and shared with them a strong desire for a rejuvenation

of Islamic thought. In his sojourns to Muslim countries he would spend long hours studying and

marvelling at the sublime beauty of early Islamic architecture, as manifested in the great mosques and

palaces built by early Muslims, and in his quiet moments he experienced the glory of Islam in days gone

by. He kept in touch with Islamic development in other countries and read widely, having at his disposal

the results of the most modern researchers in Islamic theology. He exemplified the words of the Prophet

Muhammad: “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave,” and in his old age, his mind was as receptive

to new ideas as it was in youth. Indeed, it was this particular quality that set him apart from all other

contemporary Muslim leaders in Trinidad.

In the 1930‟s, he was a long way ahead of his time, this being borne out by the fact that today the

descendants of many of those Muslims who had vehemently opposed him in that decade are now

gradually accepting the practices that he had fought so hard to establish. It is now a common sight to see

Sunni women participating in Muslim youth camps, organizing ladies‟ groups, engaging in fundraising

activities such as bazaars for their mosque, and moving out into the professions. More and more Muslim

marriages are conducted along the lines practiced by the Moulvi. An increasing number of Muslims are

today rejecting the traditional methods of studying and practicing Islam in favour of the more logical

approaches taught by the Moulvi; (and in many Sunni homes the Moulood Shareefs of today are far

different from those of yesteryear, those rituals of purely ceremonial value having being omitted).

However, a great fear of modernism still exists in many quarters and these continue to offer strong

resistance to the slightest inclination towards change in their beliefs.

Moulvi Ameer Ali is held in high esteem by those Christians and Hindus who recall his admirable

performances in the defence of Islam. But among Muslims, mention of his name produces varied

responses. Some dismiss him as a modernist who distorted the teachings of Islam, and others, though

becoming increasingly progressive in their thinking, still refuse to admit the influence of his work.

However, there are those who believe that, had Muslims united themselves under his leadership, this

community would have been able to make a more effective contribution to the political, economic and

20

religious life of this nation. Fragmentation and suspicious of each other as the various Muslim

organizations are, they have allowed to go a-begging many opportunities by which they could have made

the Muslim presence felt more strongly.

Thus, any assessment that is made of the present position of Muslims in Trinidad must be done not only

by reviewing their achievements since 1845, but also in the light of what could have been achieved had

they not sacrificed unity in favour of loyalty to sectarianism. In doing so, Muslims will recognize that they

owe a debt to the late Al-Hajj Moulvi Ameer Ali, which they will begin to repay only when they realize

that he gave his entire life for the progress of Islam in Trinidad.

)*=*(

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Gems of the Qur’an – Mortality and the death of Jesus “Is He then who creates like him who creates not? Do you not then mind” (Qur‟an: 16:17).

“And those whom they call on besides Allah created naught, while they are themselves

created”(Qur‟an: 16:20).

These verses explain the parable in chapter 3, verse 48 relating to Jesus‟s creation of a bird.

“Dead are they not living. And they know not when they will be raised” (Qur‟an: 16:21).

These verses show conclusively that neither Jesus Christ nor any other person who is taken for a god ever

created anything; and secondly, that Jesus Christ was not alive at the time of the revelation of the

Holy Qur‟an: “Dead are they not living.” Further, they do not know when they will be raised.

May Almighty Allah grant us the courage to accept truth, live by it, and propagate it so that others will

benefit from it. Ameen.

[Contributed by Ashraf & Nafiesa Ali, TT.]

The gender of the sun (shams) and the moon (qamar) The word shams (sun) is feminine, and qamar (moon) is masculine.

The sun burns itself out to give light and life to everything around, and the moon is muneer, meaning it

reflects the light. Within itself it has no light; it radiates the brilliance of the sun.

So when we shine as men, the implication is that we are reflecting the glorious light of our women.

– Shaykh Abdullah Adhami

[Contributed by Akela Haroun, USA.]

)*=*(

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PUBLICATION

Web link to The HOPE Bulletin on Central Anjuman’s official website The aaiil.org Webmaster will place online, at http://aaiil.org/text/articles/hope/hopebulletin.shtml some

selected issues of The HOPE Bulletin and some articles and special photographic supplements which do

not carry any sensitive or confidential matters of our worldwide Jama‘at.

Publication of the latest videos by AAIIL, UK Mudassar Aziz of the UK informed us that the latest khutbas are online at

http://www.virtualmosque.co.uk/video_latest.php

Also, the two latest dars are now on Youtube at the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tt7ty4twi4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fd4bthk0Xg

)*=*(

WHAT OUR READERS SAY

Appreciation of Nasir Ahmad, AAIIL, UK Assalamo alaikum.

Thanks for the Hope Bulletin September, 2009. It covers some interesting and inspiring events of our

golden past and the devotion of missionaries like the late Mirza Wali Ahmad Beg and others

demonstrated. It is also quite colourful, showing Eid in various countries.

Congratulations and prayers for your stamina and health.

I can see that people like Dr. Zahid Aziz, Ch. Akthar Masud, Captain Abdus Salam Khan and others have

started contributing valuable information and thoughts. It is becoming a global publication of the Lahore

Ahmadiyya Movement.

May Allah keep you in health and strength to continue so that this “Bond of Friendship” may grow and

may it create renewed and vigorous relationships amongst the members of the Lahore Ahmadis the world

over.

With thanks and prayers.

Acknowledgement from Ali Asghar, Hamburg, Germany

Jazak Allah for the link about Mirza Wali Ahmad Beg. Subhan Allah.

Best regard.

)*=*(

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HUMOUR OF THE DAY [Courtesy Akela Haroun]

Vegetarian chicken Each Friday night after work, Santa Singh would fire up his outdoor grill and cook a tandoori chicken and

some meat kebabs. But all his neighbours were strict Catholics ... and since it was Lent, they were

forbidden from eating chicken and meat on a Friday.

The delicious aroma from the grilled meats was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they

finally talked to their priest. The priest came to visit Santa, and suggested that he become a Catholic.

After several classes and much study, Santa attended Mass ... and as the priest sprinkled holy water over

him, he said, “You were born a Sikh, and raised a Sikh, but now, you are a Catholic.” Santa‟s neighbours

were greatly relieved, until Friday night arrived and the wonderful aroma of tandoori chicken and meat

kebabs again filled the neighbourhood. The priest was called immediately by the neighbours, and as he

rushed into Santa‟s backyard, clutching a rosary, prepared to scold him, he stopped and watched in

amazement...

There stood Santa, holding a small bottle of holy water which he carefully sprinkled over the grilling

meats and chanted: “O ye, you waz born a chicken, and you waz born a lamb, you waz raised a chicken,

and you waz raised a lamb, but now yara (dear), you are potatoes and tomatoes.

)*=*(

HOPE MEMBER SERVICE

Recipe of the Month

Banana cake Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

2 tablespoons golden syrup

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup self-raising flour

pinch of salt

Method of Preparation

Heat oven to 180 degrees

Grease the base of cake pan

In a medium bowl, mash bananas then add golden syrup.

Add the sugar and stir in

Add egg, sifted flour and pinch of salt and lightly mix until combined Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until skewer that is inserted into the middle comes out clean.

)*=*(

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PHOTOGRAPHIC PRESENTATION Muslims at prayer

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah

Editor, The HOPE Bulletin

Mailing Address: P.O. Box A2127

211 South Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60690, U.S.A.

E-mail Address: akbar_786us@yahoo.com

Telephone Number: (773) 539-6892

Facsimile Number: (773) 539-9975