“Sadiq’s Diary” is a diary belonging to Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib^ra that was included in Akhbar Faruq on 28 March 1918, exactly a hundred years ago. In the diary, Hazrat Mufti Sahib^ra reveals the challenges he was facing serving as a missionary in England and gives insight to his activities. 

Sadiq’s Diary, from England, 18 January 1918

Currently I am in Ventnor [Isle of Wight]. Today – 13 January 1918 – I received mail from India and it proved to be a source of comfort. It is not too chilly here and in fact the sun has been out. I took my mail and set off on top of a hill where I read all my letters and prayed for everyone. 

Mr Ahmad of Malabar and Mr Lai of Ceylon [now Sri Lanka] have asked when my monthly journal will start. There is a scarcity of paper where I am, thus it is difficult for a monthly journal to start just yet. However, I intend to publish various gazettes every now and then, which cover topics related to tabligh [preaching] and personal accounts about tabligh. In this regard, I request all learned people to share their views…

The person of Seith Abdullah Bhai is also a blessing of the many blessings of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya’s second era. Fal-hamdulillahi ‘Ala Dhalik. [All praise for this is due to Allah.] If only the ignorant opponents could reflect how inconsequential their renunciation proved for Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. All power belongs to Allah; He commissions whoever He pleases. 

Brother Mahbub Alam from Arrah writes, and how true it is, that I was the one who could not bear freezing temperatures but God assigned the task of tabligh in Great Britain to me. For this reason, I declare with certainty that the work being done here is not my doing, I have very little contribution in it. It is all a result of Allah’s blessings and what attracts these blessings are the prayers and supplications of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih and members of the Jamaat. My prayer is always La Haula Wa La Quwwata Illa Billahil-‘Aliyyil-‘Azim. [No power or might is greater than Allah, the Most Supreme, the Highest.]

The propagation of Ahmadiyyat has made Khawaja [Kamaluddin] sahib quite zealous in inciting non-Ahmadis against us. To some he will say that we are mushrik [believers in more than one deity] while he tells others that we are Roman Catholics. He may say what he wills. If anything, his unease, restlessness and requests to non-Ahmadi newspapers to avoid giving us publicity contradicts and disproves his initial claim that Ahmadiyyat was not capable of spreading in England. How can anyone supress the one who God wishes to manifest…

The Cold

Generally it is very cold here. In fact, the temperature at one stage dropped to 23°F. However, it is now stable not exceeding 32-35°F. 

The weather reports we are receiving from London and southern England show that it is extremely cold there. A lady from London wrote that water had started freezing her taps to the extent that the taps would burst and on top of that, plumbers were not available to help. In London, the temperature dropped to around 18°F. I have heard that in Ventnor the temperature has never gone below 22°F. 

One day, I stepped out for a walk when I noticed small white flaky grains floating in the air. I became perplexed as to what it was and soon realised that it was in fact snow. I immediately went back to the house and gazed out of the window observing the snowfall that settled on the road beneath, creating a long white carpet of snow. It was the first time in my life that I had witnessed snowfall and saw it illuminate the surroundings. 

When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra was Royal Physician in Jammu, I travelled with him in the month of April from Jammu to Kashmir as a very young boy. At that time, Huzoor^ra was teaching me the translation of the Holy Quran. We crossed the Pir Panjal Mountain Range where we saw mountains covered in snow. We also walked across many miles of snow. As I was in my youth I did not feel the cold as much. Now I am frightened of the word “snow”. 

Aside from the extreme cold and perpetual snowfall, in his passionate and brave way, brother Qazi sahib has full trust in Allah in the midst of the constant air bombardments. He remains focused on his work both day and night…

A Letter of Complaint from a Priest

One day I had the opportunity of meeting with a Catholic Priest. He was dressed in customary English clothes. I commented, “The Roman Catholic Priests in our country usually wear a long gown. The cummerbund [waistband] is made of ropes with the cross and a chaplet of beads hanging from one side and a hood around the collar. This is usually how we recognise Christian Priests. What sort of Father walks around in a blazer and trousers?”

He took a big sigh and replied, “We are an oppressed people. The Protestants have formed a national law that no Catholic Priest should be seen with a gown, otherwise there can be a huge uproar against it. To extreme extents, we are stopped from purchasing land for building churches. The land we managed to erect a church on in this town was possible only because it was purchased in a lawyer’s name from London. These people do not have any respect for their elders; they reject the Pope and in doing so have all become little popes.” In this manner, the Priest continued to voice his grievances. 

In the end, when I attempted to engage him in a more doctrinal dialogue, he evaded the discussion. 

Generally, I have observed that Roman Catholics refrain from debates and discourse and do not study books of other sects and religions. 

Prophet of God

There is a lady here who once resided in India. Every now and then I get the chance to meet her. One day, she invited me for tea. I gave her and her husband Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s book Islam Aur Digar Mazahib [Islam and other religions]. When I next met them, they spoke highly of the book and the husband – Mr Denton – said that he would read it two or three more times. During our conversation the lady mentioned, “You were walking along a path, one day recently, when a young girl noticed you and abruptly alerted her mother very seriously, ‘Look Mum! There goes a Prophet of God.’ ”

Jesus, the Messiah

There is a Priest here of a big church by the name of Father Cheeseman BD. Every so often we get together and share thoughts in discussions. He is a very courteous and polite human being.

One day, when I entered his house, his youngest daughter came and sat next to me and carefully listened to what we spoke about. She asked me my name which she eventually memorised. 

Thereafter, when I met him on another occasion, he said, “It is strange that when you left that day, my youngest daughter who was carefully listening to what you were saying said to me, ‘Dad, the man who came to our house today was Jesus, the Messiah!’ ”

I am not aware how these thoughts crept into the innocent minds of these children and how those words came out of their mouths. But they proved to be another great way of explaining the prophethood of the Messiah, Jesus, among people. Thus, it was another great means of tabligh. 

It is possible that the souls of the children could smell the aroma coming from my fortunate companionship of the Promised Messiah and Prophet of God^as, resulting in them using such words. Allah knows best. 

Although these words will enrage the rebels of Khilafat and the opponents of the prophethood of “Jariyullah Fi Hulalil Anbiya”, [the Champion of God, in the mantle of all the prophets] the Promised Messiah^as with envy, but the truth is that Hazrat Ahmad Qadiani, as far as prophethood goes, was no less than any prophet. No one can now be at peace and rest without being a recipient of his spiritual blessings. 

Those who wish to wail may do so; those who wish to express their disgust may do so, but nothing and nobody can overrule Allah’s Word. 

Although I am currently in Ventnor but mail sent in my name should be sent to the permanent address in London:

4 Star Street, W2. London. 

Wassalam

Humbly

Muhammad Sadiq 

Ventnor

18 January 1918

(Translated from the original Urdu by Qaasid Muin Ahmad)