Woking Muslim Mission, England, 1913–1968
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The year 1914

March–April 1914
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March – April 1914

On this page we have compiled reports and news published during March and April 1914.

Continues working while ill

In a letter received in Lahore on 1st March 1914, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din writes:

“Dear brothers, assalamu alaikum.

What trials and tribulations there are! In my last letter I wrote that I was suddenly struck by back ache. It was so painful that I could not turn to the other side. As against this, there was the important post to deal with, and if I did not complete the articles of the magazine this week then the March issue would not be published on time. I rested on the floor. I had a desk made, and worked while sitting on the floor for ten to eleven hours every day. It was the favour of God that the press sent a message saying that the articles were sufficient to fill the issue and, on the other hand, there was relief from pain. I left the bed after three or four days. If the workload is so much that it has to be done even in serious illness, then some more serious ailment would, God forbid, put an end to this work in one week. So please think about sending someone.”

Paigham Sulh, 5 March 1914, p. 1.

Sunday lecture series at Woking Mosque

In a letter received in Lahore on 8th March 1914, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din writes:

“Dear brothers, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu-hu.

It seems this country is not dead towards religion. There is still the thirst for religion, although there is hatred and fear of Christianity. The thousands of ‘isms’ that exist are different forms of religion, and are sufficient evidence of the fact that interest in religion has not died out, while it is true that churches are becoming empty. We found evidence of this in the last two weeks. I wrote in my last letter that I could not go to the mosque [to deliver a lecture] but Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad gave the lecture as advertised, and it proved useful and interesting. There were some seventy men and women in the audience. We could not seat everyone. Anyhow, we spent three Pounds on hiring about thirty more chairs, making a total of 75 seats. However, at the last lecture around one hundred people came, the majority being women. This time I delivered the speech myself for about one hour, after which Chaudhry sahib spoke for 15 minutes. The topic of the speech was: What is religion and what is its necessity? The very faces of the audiences showed their intense interest. There was opportunity for questions afterwards. Questions were asked, but none about the topic of the speech. This week we will have to spend two more Pounds on chairs because the audience promised to come regularly. …

A permanent place has been arranged for in London, which we will take over in two weeks. It has space for prayer for one hundred people. It has many rooms, and is four storeys high. One or two families can also live there. It is intended that besides the Friday prayer there will be a permanent lecture one evening a week in London. …

Another thing which pleases me is the reaction of Muslim students. Their awakening to religion is indicated also by the fact that in most letters I am asked questions about matters of shariah, such as food and slaughtered meat. Today a very interesting letter came in which a young Muslim student has asked questions about personal cleanliness and bath. Is it not a matter of satisfaction that the matters about which the English-educated students in India and Muslim countries are not bothered, I am asked questions about them in England by Muslim students here?

The impact here must not be judged by the number of people accepting Islam. A true judgment is the change of opinion about Islam. Only two or three years ago many articles appeared in the press against Islam. Look now. In the past three weeks two excellent articles have appeared in the Daily Telegraph, one of which was a leading article, stating forcefully that Islam and the Quran greatly improved the status of women. As a matter of principle, this will have a beneficial effect on people’s thinking which will change their attitude. Slowly and gradually, one day will come when suddenly a wave of acceptance of Islam will rise from all directions.

There is a strange matter. Every two or three weeks I am asked about the availability of a translation of the Quran. I receive letters from people wishing to increase their knowledge of Islam. Non-Muslims ask me which translation of the Quran they should read? I wish our brethren would look at the needs of the present age and see which way the wind is blowing, and from where the fragrance is coming, and they should value it. Christian clergymen are printing the Bible in tens of millions and throwing it around, and here people are themselves asking us for a translation of the Quran, but we are silent. Among our Muslim brothers in India the argument is raging whether British Muslim converts are muqallid (followers of fiqh) or non-muqallid, whether they are Sunni or Shiah, whether they are Ahmadis or not. Was it a coincidence that the day this controversy began, the interest which had begun here [in Islam] stopped?”

Paigham Sulh, 12 March 1914, p. 2.

Popularity of Woking lectures

In his next report, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din writes:

“In my last two letters I wrote that we have started a series of lectures at the mosque in Woking and people are drawn to them. Christian clergymen are a strange breed! There is a Christian club here whose meeting time is 8.00 p.m. Last Sunday they changed the time to 3.00 p.m. which was the time of our meeting. But ‘Allah is dominant over His own affair’. I had arranged for 90 seats, and they were full before 2.45 p.m. When I started the lecture there were more than 125 people, three-quarters of them women. These were respectable people, some having coming from even ten miles away. Our brother [Maulvi] Zafar Ali Khan also came. He was astonished at the size of the audience and kept on saying: This is due to some special spiritual attraction. You cannot realise how unparalleled this success is. Here, even if a meeting is advertised, if fifty people turn up in a place like London, it is considered a very successful meeting.…

The speed at which Islam is spreading in Africa is worrying for all of Europe. Consequently a meeting was held at Kikuyu [East Africa] in which various Christian sects agreed to set aside their differences and face Islam unitedly. … I wrote a letter against this campaign which was printed in The Times, Manchester Guardian and many other newspapers.…

I intend to publish a pocket book containing a couple of hundred hadith and distribute it free. It does not require an appeal for funds as it is a matter of two or three hundred Rupees. If a lover of the Holy Prophet Muhammad wishes to spread the words of his Master in the West, this is the easiest way. Five thousand copies of such a book with a beautiful cover will probably cost less than twenty Pounds to print. If no such devotee of the Holy Prophet comes forward, I will do this work myself.

In this morning’s post a pleasing letter has been received from Singapore. You know that correspondence has been taking place with people in Japan, Singapore, Beirut and Morocco, on the subject of translating the Islamic Review into various languages. If we succeed in this proposal, we can propagate Islam in the whole world while sitting in London. This proposal is of the highest importance. I think that without travelling to these countries it will be difficult to implement this plan. In any case, the correspondence with Singapore has proved fruitful, thanks to Allah. Today the translation of the Islamic Review in the Malay language has been received. … If Muslims of India sponsor two or three hundred copies of this, it would be sufficient help.”

Paigham Sulh, 22 March 1914, p. 1.

Value of the Islamic Review

In his next report, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din writes:

“I cannot sufficiently thank God Who made my effort bear fruit so soon. By effort I mean the Islamic Review. The young man from Southport, with whom correspondence had been going on for more than nine months, has eventually found the right path by reading the Islamic Review over this period. His letter came yesterday morning. In future I will call him by the name Muhammad Edward Woodward. He has asked me, in which month will Ramadan come. Some of our own foolish newspaper writers have described these converts as ‘paper Muslims’. Someone should ask them: How many people in your home country worry about the holy days of Islam? Praise be to Allah, that the woman from Sweden has made much progress. Her family tried their utmost by sending her writings of the extreme slanderer of Islam, Dr Zwemer, which disturbed her. But she writes today: Do not worry about Dr Zwemer. I am satisfied with the picture of Islam presented by you. A dental surgeon has written from a seaside town for guidance, as he wishes to accept Islam. Last night I wrote him a detailed letter and sent a copy of the declaration of becoming a Muslim so that he can write it out in his own hand and sign it. A name will be suggested for him after that.

I wish those Muslim ill-wishers of Islam who oppose our work, especially because they do not want the Muslims of India to be united on any matter, and consider it their duty to create a split on every point, could understand how much money and mental effort is being devoted by missions to convert a person to Christianity. If the return for the effort and money expended on the Islamic Review is the one Muhammad Woodward, it is more than enough.

The January and March issues of the Islamic Review proved highly useful, for which Maulvi Muhammad Ali deserves the thanks for all Muslims. He dealt with the basic principles of Islam and their significance and explained the words uttered during prayer. Many letters of thanks have been received. Although this article is a brief guide to Islam for the new Muslims, but it is not limited to them. There are many Muslim friends here who have discovered from it the significance of prayer. I think the Islamic Review will be of much benefit to English-educated, existing Muslims. They will, God willing, become Muslims anew. They had come to think of Islam as being like Christianity, but now their eyes are opening.

In Newcastle an Egyptian Muhammad Rushdi has started giving lectures on Islam. Before each lecture he sends a letter asking for advice and he has found the Islamic Review to be highly useful. He acknowledges in his letter how  the Islamic Review is turning Muslims themselves into lovers of Islam. A 70-year old Christian wrote from New York to say that he does not openly declare himself to be a Muslim but is keen to read the Islamic Review. Upon my advice he went to meet Muhammad [Alexander] Russell Webb in Jersey, and writes that the meeting was very satisfying. In Ceylon too Muslims have been stirred. The Woking Mission has breathed new life into their various associations. One association has decided to bring out a quarterly review in support of Islam, and asked me for help.

At least in the Muslim world the Islamic Review has created an awakening, given encouragement, and made them believe that Islam is a power, it is the true religion, it is rational, it is the life and faith of those who like rationality, and if efforts are made then Islam, and only Islam, will triumph. Today Muslims have started to realise the meaning of [the Quranic promise]: ‘He will make it prevail over all religions’.

There is a magazine in Chicago entitled Rationalist. The editor wrote an interesting article in it saying that freedom of opinion is not possible in Christianity, and he challenged whether there is any religion claiming to be from God which can tolerate the views of its critics, respect difference of opinion, and allow the opposite views to continue in existence. He sent this article specially to me. I have replied that Islam is that religion. I have written an article entitled Islam and Rationalism which will appear in the April issue.

Dr Zwemer’s camp in Egypt has been stirred into action against us.  Two articles in the Islamic Review, entitled Jesus the only son of God or one of many sons of God  and The perfect image of God [January 1914, p. 3], has caused consternation to this enemy  of Islam and enemy of God. … Alas! Muslims have not served Islam. They neglected the example of the early elders of Islam. They regarded it as forbidden to study the books of other religions. Unless you understand the crux and root of another religion, how can you refute its doctrines? … Never accept any quality for Jesus which cannot be found in human beings. … The moment you accept a quality in Jesus which was not found in any other prophet, you are handing a weapon to the foolish Christian preacher.

Dr Zwemer committed a foolish error in his article The dying forces of Islam which he published in his so-called Moslem World journal, the magazine devoted to the destruction of Islam. One reason he uses to prove the spiritual death of Islam is that some Muslims have accorded the attributes of God to the saint Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. In reply I have written an article under the title Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani and Jesus [The Islamic Review, March–April 1914, p. 85–87], and said that if such beliefs cause a religion to die spiritually, then death came over Christianity some 17 centuries ago [when Jesus was deified]! Moreover, books about the life of the Shaikh, which are more authentic than the recognised Gospels about the life of Jesus, contain a record of events and miracles of the Shaikh which excel the events and miracles of Jesus. If Jesus spoke of his glory, the Shaikh has used even more superlative titles about himself. If Christians consider their beliefs about Jesus to be authentic because these are written in the Gospels, then books on the life of Shaikh Abdul Qadir are even more reliable than the Gospels. Point to us any miracle of Jesus which was not performed by the Shaikh?”

Paigham Sulh, 2 April 1914, p. 1.

Two renowned Urdu newspapers on the Woking Mission

Hamdard was an Urdu daily started by the political leader Muhammad Ali Jauhar in 1911. Its London correspondent wrote as follows in his report about the Woking Mission:

“I have from time to time made your readers aware of the useful services being rendered by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din from Woking. He is propagating his spiritual teachings with great determination from this small town, and its influence is spreading all around. He has started a series of lectures of his message in Woking. … The lectures of the Khwaja, preaching the message of Islam and the teachings of the Holy Prophet, are excellent, and the local people are much impressed by them and by the religion of the Muslims. … Our old friends, the Christian missionaries, have started an organised campaign against Islam in Woking and they are doing their utmost to prove that the Islam which Khwaja sahib is preaching is entirely different from Islam that is followed in India and Muslim countries. … Khwaja sahib and his brethren at Woking are presenting that magnificent image of the world-wide unity of Islam because of which Christian missionaries are being unsuccessful against Islam despite their powerful attacks. Anyhow, today Woking is the centre of Islam in England. There is no doubt that until the proposed mosque in England is built this small place in Surrey will remain the centre of our religion.”

— Paigham Sulh, 7 April 1914, p. 1.

Wakeel, well-known Muslim newspaper of Amritsar, reported:

“The attention of the religious circles of England is today turned towards the small town of Woking in the county of Surrey where Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din is engaged in the propagation of Islam. He draws Christians to the Woking mosque by his influential lectures, so much so that on Sundays the mosque is full. Christian churchmen cannot tolerate this, and having failed to stop the residents of Woking by other means, they are now resorting to a different method. They openly announce to people that the picture of Islam which Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din is presenting is contrived and such Islam cannot at all be found in Islamic countries. The true Islam, they say, is what the preachers of Christianity have been presenting for centuries, and you must not be beguiled by the deception of Muslim missionaries in the Woking mosque. Against one preacher of Islam are ranged many Christian churchmen with all their power and the area of Woking has become the centre of a great storm. That one person has nothing more than the help of God while those on the other side have the resources, strength and wealth of a determined nation. Superficial opinion will consider the greater numbers of this side to be a sign of its success. But those can discern the truth will consider that there is no greater power than God’s help.”

— Paigham Sulh, 7 April 1914, p. 1.

Death of Hazrat Maulana Nur-ud-Din

Hazrat Maulana Nur-ud-Din, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Movement and spiritual mentor of Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, died in Qadian (Punjab, India) on Friday 13th March 1914. Shaikh Nur Ahmad, the helper of Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, in his report from the Woking mosque wrote:

“On 13th March, when we returned in the evening from Friday prayer in London, we received the telegram that Hazrat [Maulana Nur-ud-Din] had died. We said the words ‘We belong to Allah, and to Him do we return’, and exercised patience. It is indeed a great loss that such a believer departed from us. May Allah grant us all patience. Then a telegram came that Mian Mahmud Ahmad has been made khalifa. This was followed by a telegram that he had been made khalifa by one party of men. They then sent a telegram saying that those who do not pledge allegiance to Mian Mahmud Ahmad are sinners. Khwaja sahib, after repeatedly praying, has sent a letter entitled Khilafat-i Ahmadiyya in today’s post for publication. …

While Maulana Nur-ud-Din was alive God informed me three or four times that Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib is truthful. On the basis of these dreams and visions, after special prayers, I wrote a letter to say that I accept Maulvi Muhammad Ali sahib as my leader. … I do not mean that others should follow my opinion because my visions, revelations and dreams are not binding on others, but they are binding on me. … It is under indications from God that, leaving behind my family, I have come to this land. In fact, I am working under Khwaja sahib due to indications I received from God.…

Matters here are running fine. His Lordship [Lord Headley] is busy writing his book. Last Sunday he came here with his four sons. There was a gathering of about 70 men and women. Khwaja sahib made a speech on the Islamic Baptism. On 22nd March he will speak on the rights of women. The announcement has been published. Friday prayers are held in London  and public lectures are held here [at the Woking mosque] on Sundays. The correspondence work is growing. More than 4000 copies of the [Islamic Review] magazine are now published. In West Africa there are now many avid readers of the Islamic Review. Christian clergymen have now started saying in churches that we are followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who called himself the like of Jesus, or even greater than Jesus. So far no one has asked us this question. We hope this question will be asked and then we will, God willing, shed light on this issue. … So far we are removing the misconceptions which exist about Islam and the Founder of Islam.”

— Paigham Sulh, 9 April 1914, p. 1.

“Propagation of Islam in Western lands and my needs”

Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din’s next report, entitled Propagation of Islam in Western lands and my needs, is very lengthy, and we can only quote its new and most interesting points.

“It is the special favour of God that my humble efforts have at this time awakened the whole of the Islamic world. Letters of satisfaction are received every week from Morocco, Beirut, Constantinople [Istanbul], Zanzibar, Mauritius, Nigeria, and all around. Letters are coming from every province of India from young men promising to devote their lives for this good work. In Lahore and Delhi, the affluent sections of the community want to send a mission. …

Here, unlike India, no one has the free time to go to a course of lectures to learn about religion. Everything is done through writing. Lord Headley is an exception. In the beginning I went to his house three days every week, and now one or two days. He comes with his whole family to see me on Sundays. Other converts I have never met. We look for those who, despite being disillusioned with Christianity, still have regard for religion. They are sent the Islamic Review, and some of them start correspondence. If the time comes for acceptance of Islam, we call them to the Friday prayers in London, and they embrace Islam before the khutba. If they cannot come, they are sent a written statement of the wording of acceptance of Islam, which they copy out in their own hand and return. … By this means, a man sitting in England can shake the whole Western world and draw its attention towards Islam. …

The second method is the Friday prayers in London. A few non-Muslims come. The main good effect is on the Muslim students of London who take back with them the new things they learn and spread them within their circle, as if doing propagation work.

The third method — lectures in Woking — has astonished me and makes one think that there must have been some Divine purpose in Muslims giving funds to Dr Leitner to build the mosque in Woking. They started with a mere written announcement some eight weeks ago that there would be lectures on Islam at the mosque. When almost seventy people came for the first lecture, we thought they may have come out of curiosity. By the fourth lecture, the number was more than 125. What is more astonishing is that more than a half come regularly to our mosque, as if going to church. … This caused the Christian clergymen great worry. They tried to stop people coming here. They started rival lectures of their own at the same time, showing moving films. But this did not stop those who were interested in our lectures.

Then on another occasion, three weeks ago, they called here Rev. Dr. Weitbrecht, retired Christian missionary who had served in Batala [town in Punjab, India, near Qadian], whose speech had the title ‘Islam in India’. The purpose of his talk was to show that the attractive image of Islam presented in the Islamic Review was not the real Islam but an imaginary one which the writers have put forward to appeal to the European mind. The real Islam is found in India, which is not worthy of attention.… When the Rev. Weitbrecht came here again to meet me, I challenged him verbally, telling him that his church colleagues were making mis-statements about us, and that if they had courage they should confront me and they should show where in my writings is there something which is not based on the Quran and Hadith. Then I will expose them. This challenge shook him. He already knows our [i.e. Ahmadiyya] pluck from his experience in India. During his lecture, one of us sat in the audience, and when he saw this he felt crushed. In his speech he toned down his criticism and made only the common objections against Islam, and said: What they tell you at Woking is not all, but there is more. We have published a brief reply to his speech in the local newspapers, and a comprehensive reply in the April [1914] issue of the Islamic Review. In the end he said something significant, or gave a hint, that Christians must fight this mission because it is not to the betterment of our people. We understand the underlying meaning he intended, and are prepared for every difficulty. May Allah have mercy. For the present, it had the opposite effect on our audience. The next Sunday even more people came than ever before, which astonished the clergymen.

Then it was the turn of the Bishop of the area. It seems that people told him that we love God more than Christians do and understand Christianity better than they do. It was with this in mind that the Bishop of Winchester made his speech [when performing the rite of Confirmation at Christ Church, Woking]. The Bishop [addressing the youngsters] said that he understood that since he was last in Woking there had started amongst them a movement of the Mohammedan religion … Christians must behave with charity and courtesy, but they could not help entirely refusing it as a religion … he thought they [Muslims] set Christian people an example in the matter of prayer but their religion was not one which they could accept, because they could not believe that anyone but Christ could have been sent from God to be the Redeemer of mankind. …

The very words of the Bishop show how grave he considers this matter to be. It is a special grace of God that the nation which was used to not caring about anyone else as important, they themselves have been forced to recognise us. I have started refuting the Bishop in the Islamic Review and written the first such article in the April issue. Considering together the speeches of the Rev. Weitbrecht and the Bishop, we must now not be negligent about what we are facing. …

There are a few Muslim in Liverpool. Shaikh Abdullah Quilliam’s son is there. In the end Shaikh Abdullah’s circumstances were not good, which damaged the Islamic mission there. Anyhow, the house is still there, in which prayers used to be said, and his son is a Muslim. I want a branch of the Islamic mission to be opened there, and a missionary regularly based there who would gradually start work. …

Firstly, what is needed here is someone who can write articles in English and is also knowledgeable in the Quran, Hadith and Islamic matters. He should have such capability that if no article is received from outside he can write the whole magazine by himself. Up to the present I have been doing this work, but now the work of correspondence has increased greatly, and that task requires much thinking. …

Secondly, it is a great need to have a British Muslim on the Woking staff. One problem is that it is essential to know a nation but it takes a long time to be acquainted with the mind of the people there. Another problem is that these people hesitate to talk to us because we are unfamiliar to them. Many of them wish to ask questions about Islam, but the lack of familiarity is a barrier. For instance, people came for the lectures at Woking for a full month, yet we did not exchange a word of conversation. When Lord Headley started coming, from that day we became on speaking terms with many people. They do not wish to come to our house because we are foreigners, but when one of them is among us then this difficulty will be removed.

Thirdly, it is needed to increase the free distribution of the Islamic Review. At present 2000 copies are distributed free, but this is insufficient. This year we propose to send about 500 copies to different branches of the Unitarian church of Christianity.”

Paigham Sulh, 14 April 1914, p. 2–3.

Lectures at Woking continue

In his next report, which reached Lahore on 19th April 1914, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din writes:

“The lectures at Woking are proving very successful. Reporters from local papers also come. Our opponents are apprehensive, and are continuing the series of rival lectures. I am sending you a newspaper cutting, from which you can judge. …The opponents are trying to dissuade people from attending these lectures. They may create some other problem. The Rev. Weitbrecht has started writing against us in newspapers. God willingly, he will meet with disgrace. The Christian magazine called The Moslem World has published a leading article about myself and my mission.

Last night a wonderful manifestation of the grace of God was seen. Under the auspices of the Anglo-Ottoman Society, Mr O. Ronald, sub-editor of Outlook, gave a lecture at Caxton Hall on alcohol consumption in Islamic countries. I was presiding at this occasion, and in my presidential address I showed in detail how the evil which has existed in civilization from ancient times till today, and whose harm is now accepted by science, was recognised long ago by the Holy Prophet on his own, without the existence of any campaign against it. On the other hand, no wise man or sage was free from it. The speech had a good effect. The lecturer himself was full of praise for the Holy Prophet.

After the lecture, when people among the audience spoke, whoever came to the platform, he acknowledged the greatness of the Holy Prophet. So much so that one said: Although we are Christians we see no reason why we should not include Muhammad in the list of prophets along with Moses, Jesus and other prophets. Foolish is the one who, in the cold winds, does not foresee spring coming! Glory be to Allah! This is the place where the Holy Prophet was not mentioned in good terms, but today, due to different influences, praises are sung of the Holy Prophet. Is this my work? I would be a sinner if I even thought this. These are the ‘days of Allah’. This is the breeze of the Islamic spring which is blown by God. Spiritual forces are working all around. Autumn is at an end and all trees are opening their eyes. Soon buds will appear. Is there anyone who will recognise the time and come to the field to reap? This is not the time to sleep but the time to do work.”

Paigham Sulh, 23 April 1914, p. 1.

Lectures on status of women in Islam

The Woking Herald of 27th March 1914 reported on lectures at the Woking Mosque by Lord Headley and Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din on the status of women in Islam, given the previous Sunday. According to the report:

“There was a full attendance of the public, but consisting chiefly of women. Lord Headley opened the proceedings by reciting prayer, and then went on to refer to the recent criticism of the Mohammedan religion by a speaker at a meeting of the Church Missionary Society at Woking. He said the missionary seemed to misrepresent everything, and talked about the Koran when, perhaps, he had only seen the outside of the cover; he certainly knew nothing about it. These people told lies. These people spoke as if women had an awful tie in the Mohammedan world, but as a matter of fact, women were taken great care of … Proceeding, his lordship read an article on the subject which he had written for publication in Muslim India [Islamic Review]. Mr. Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din then followed with a lengthy address on the subject, which is to be continued on Sunday.”

Islamic Review, May 1914, p. 157. Paigham Sulh, 26 April 1914, p. 1.

The Woking Herald of 10th April 1914 reported on Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din’s lecture the previous Sunday on the rights of women in Islam. According to the report, he spoke for almost one hour. He stated:

“… her [woman’s] legal position was nowhere even in the Western advanced communities of Christendom. Until very recently even in England a married woman possessed no right independently of her husband. … In Islam woman could keep her property in entirety wilt full right of enjoyment and alienation. … She could enter into any contract she liked, creating rights and obligations in her own name without any interference by her husband. As to marriage, the Khwaja said a woman, as a sui juris [competent to manage own affairs], could under no circumstances be married without her own express consent, and after marriage she did not lose her individuality. Marriage in Islam was a contract subject to conditions, the breach of which would make it void and the husband had to pay damages previously agreed upon. Monogamy might be one of the conditions. Quoting verses from the Koran, the speaker said that the ideal wifehood in Islam was love, affection and tenderness, not subordination and subservience. The Koran did not say in the words of the Bible: ‘Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee’. Referring to the spiritual progress open to women in Islam he complained of misrepresentation by the statements that Islam did not believe in the soul of the woman and did not allow her to enter Paradise. The Koran spoke in one breath of man and woman, and gave them equal chances.”

Islamic Review, May 1914, p. 157. Paigham Sulh, 30 April 1914, p. 1.

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the successor of the Woking Muslim Mission.