He was even fortunate to serve and preach the message of Islam-Ahmadiyyat in several ways during the blessed life of the Promised Messiah (as). It was during the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra), he was sent abroad to establish the mission of the Promised Messiah (as) in the West.
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND
Under the guidance of Khilafat, on March 10, 1917, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) started his voyage to England to convey the news of the advent of the Messiah and to present the beautiful teachings of Islam-Ahmadiyyat to the West. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib(ra) spent about two and a half years in England and published many tracts during his stay. He preached the message of Islam-Ahmadiyya, Death of Jesus and the advent of the Messiah to important personalities including King.
George V and the Queen of England, Secretary of State, Lord Montego, the British Prime Minister, Lord Mayor of London, and Prince Yori Hito Hakashi Foshi of Japan. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) delivered public speeches in Hyde Park, Central Hall, Mission House, and in various churches in London. He was awarded honorary degrees and diplomas for his contribution to religious knowledge. He debated with Christian Preachers and planned to convey the message of the Holy Quran in churches in every possible way. About one hundred noble souls entered in the fold of Ahmadiyyat by the Tabligh of Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) during this time.
ESTABLISHING A MISSION IN THE UNITED STATES
In 1920, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) directed him to establish the first Ahmadiyya mission in the USA. Following the commandment of his master, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) reached the shores of Philadelphia in February 1920. The immigration department blocked his entry on the grounds that he cannot preach on this soil. He faced the whole situation with great courage, patience and wrote letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) for prayers. Huzoor prophesied that: “America cannot and will not stop our entry into the country to establish our mission.”
Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) started preaching to the other inmates while he was detained in Philadelphia. By the Grace of Allah the Almighty, they started accepting Islam one by one and eventually, within two months, 15 of them converted to Islam. Observing this situation, the immigration officer was perturbed that if Mufti Sahib stayed there for long, he would convert everyone to Islam.
So, he himself sent a telegram to the authorities to make a decision quickly. And as per the prophecy of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) Mufti Sahib entered America. Even during this time, many newspapers, including the Public Religions, had already begun to publish reports on Ahmadiyya Muslim beliefs, and objective and purpose of his arrival.
TABLIGH EFFORTS IN NEW YORK
After nearly two months of preaching in Philadelphia and converting many souls while he could not enter in the county. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib went to New York to expand his horizon of preaching. There he rented a room but was given a notice by the landlady to vacate it because of complaints of some Christian preachers. He found another place and continued his “Jihad” of Tabligh.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST MOSQUE IN USA
Again, within three and a half years of his stay in USA. He was able to successfully establish a mission of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaʿat in the USA. The first Mosque, House of Allah for prayers was established in Detroit. A dedicated and sincere Jamaʿat began to emerge in response to Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib’s prayers and efforts.
”I prayed for three things when I left England for America: a sincere Jama’at of Ahmadi Muslims, construction of a Mosque and starting a new Journal. In spite of all the difficulties, God Almighty has answered my prayers and gave me a sincere Jama ʿ at during the first year, ‘The Muslim Sunrise’ was started in the second year and a Mosque and a house was constructed during the third year.”
SILENT TABLIGH
His way of Tabligh, even his style of clothes was such that even by-passers, without saying a word, would consider him as a prophet or a saint. Once he was passing through a street in Chicago when a small girl with great joy pointed to her mother: “Look, Mother, Jesus Christ has come.” When asked by the parents of the girl, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) replied that;
”I am a mere servant of the Promised Messiah, not a Christ.”
TABLIGH VIA LECTURES & Q/A’S
Every Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) had a regular general meeting scheduled to deliver lectures on specific subjects and then answered questions from the audience. He was also invited by different societies and churches to talk about Islam-Ahmadiyyat. Reports of these educational lectures were being published in the press all over the country. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature by Jefferson University of Chicago for his contribution to education and services to human welfare. He was also elected as a member of The Press Congress of The World.
TABLIGH THROUGH CHALLENGES
In a public lecture on February 15, 1921, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) challenged the Christian World to follow the noble example of love, tolerance and freedom of religions set by the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (sa) who allowed the Christians of Najran to offer their prayers and religious services inside his Mosque/ Masjid Nabwi. Are the Christians’ so tolerant to let me say my Prayer in their Church? The Christian clergy was speechless and absolutely refused to allow this. This news was well covered by the national press reporters.
TABLIGH THROUGH ADDRESSES IN CHURCHES
Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) gave a talk on Islam-Ahmadiyyat to a gathering of respectable citizens at the invitation of a French Bishop. Someone in the audience commented: “We used to send missionaries to India, now India has sent one to America.” Upon hearing this, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) replied: “India does not need missionaries nor can they be effective there in the presence of a Reformer chosen by God Almighty Himself,”
TABLIGH THROUGH THE PICTURE OF PROMISED MESSIAH
Once an American lady wrote to Mufti Sahib that in a dream, she saw herself being guided by a pious man from India. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) sent her some photographs and she identified the picture of the Promised Messiah (as) as her noble guide.
LONE MISSIONARY IN USA
Once Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (ra) had a lecture in a society. After the lecture, during a question-and-answer session, a priest asked:
”What will a lone missionary [of Islam] do in America? We have sent hundreds of missionaries to India.”
Mufti Sahib explained to him:
”Analyze what your scores of priests have done in 100 years by spending billions of rupees and then look at my two years of work. According to the number of your priests, not even one person per missionary came into their hands. But I am a lone [missionary of Islam in America] and the work I have done in just two years has been much more successful, and this is only the impact of the truthfulness of Islam.”
What Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib (RA) mentioned made that priest speechless because he knew the success of Mufti Sahib. In merely 3 years of Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib’s arrival in USA, he converted more than a thousand souls into the fold of Ahmadiyyat.
May Allah Ta’ala enable all of us to follow the blessed footsteps of Mufti Sahib (ra) and may He enable us to do Tabligh in the similar manner so we can also guide the lost souls to come under the banner of the Promised Messiah (as) and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), Āmīn!
