What inspired him to serve Islam

In his own words by Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi

Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi regarded his service of Islam as a continuation of the work started by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, and he has described how he was inspired by the work of the Founder.

1. When the Maulana started a series of articles in Paigham Sulh in 1937 about the truth of the Holy Quran, entitled ‘A Glance at the Holy Quran, Bible and the Vedas’, he prefixed it with the following note:

“In his first book Barahin Ahmadiyya, the Mujaddid of the Age has set in motion the practice of expressing love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad which requires loving the Holy Prophet through the Holy Quran. There are plenty of evidences showing the truth of the Promised Messiah, but a most powerful evidence of the truth of his claim is his love for the Holy Quran. Barahin Ahmadiyya was an irrefutable collection of the truths and deep wisdom found from the Quran, and a manifestation of this same light of prophethood is displayed in his many other writings. Following in the same path, an incomplete effort has been made under the above title.” (Paigham Sulh, 15 March 1937, p. 7)

2. When the second edition of his world-famous English work Muhammad in World Scriptures was about to be published, Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi wrote about it in Paigham Sulh in 1967, and opened it as follows:

“In his very first fine writing, Barahin Ahmadiyya, the Promised Messiah promised to put forward 300 evidences of the truth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. He published this book in four volumes, in which, addressing the scholars of all the religions of the world, he showed the Holy Quran to be an unrivalled book, a great miracle of the Holy Prophet, and a clear proof of the truth of the Holy Prophet. This writing is a unique production in terms of its kind and subject, and it is a shining proof of the fact that Hazrat Mirza sahib was a recipient of knowledge bestowed by God and the Mujaddid of this century. This is the real work which must be the focus and pivot of all the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Whatever will be done in this regard, it will be dedicated to the name of the Promised Messiah, and will be regarded as benefit received from him and as his work.

Barahin Ahmadiyya was the book which earned glowing tributes from the Ulama of the time, and it was this book by reading which my late father became an admirer of Hazrat Mirza sahib and desirous of becoming his follower. Ever since I can remember, I have drunk from this same fountain of spiritual knowledge, and thereby conducted successful debates with the leading representatives of the Arya Samaj and Christian scholars.” (Paigham Sulh, 27 December 1967, p. 7)

3. In an article in Paigham Sulh in 1962, Maulana Vidyarthi relates that when the lecture entitled Message of Peace by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was read out to the public at University Hall in Lahore (which happened on 21st June 1908, a few days after the author’s death), he was among the audience. In this Message, Hazrat Mirza appealed to Hindus to accept the Holy Prophet Muhammad as true, in return for Muslims accepting the Hindu Sacred figures as true prophets. The Maulana writes:

“…The Promised Messiah’s Message of Peace left Hindus and Muslims with the message of unity. More than fifty years have now passed over it. I was one of the people listening to this Message of Peace in University Hall, Lahore. At that time I was a youth, who then devoted his life for the completion of this Message, learnt Sanskrit, studied Hindu scriptures in depth, gave lectures on these topics, and participated in public debates.…” (Paigham Sulh, 24 January 1962, p. 14. Above displayed extract only partly translated here.)

(Note: The Maulana’s article is about the Gayatri mantra of the Hindus, arguing that its meaning portrays a picture of the coming Holy Prophet Muhammad. Hence his comment at the end of the extract displayed above about offering it to Hindu friends who may accept the gift in future years.)

4. Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi also stated:

“The great victories I won in my public debates with the Arya Samaj and the Chris­tians is proof of the truth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and our Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at”.

These are the words he said to me (Zahid Aziz) on a visit to England in the summer of 1976, the year before his death, and I feel it my duty to convey them to the public. He said this due to the extremely hostile anti-Ahmadiyya atmosphere prevailing in Pakistani circles at that time, following the branding of Ahmadis as non-Muslims by the government of Pakistan in 1974. That wave of severe opposition only strengthened Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi in his faith in the truth of Hazrat Mirza sahib and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at.