Abdul Rahim Dard

Abdur Rahim Dard, known as A. R. Dard (June 19, 1894 – December 7, 1955) was an Ahmadi Muslim writer, missionary, and political activist for the Pakistan Movement, who served as the Imam of the historic Fazl Mosque, the premier gathering place for Indian Muslims regardless of denomination in London. He is known for convincing Muhammad Ali Jinnah to return to British India and fight for the Pakistan Movement.[1][2][3][4]

Abdur Rahim Dard
Born19 June 1894
Ludhiana, Punjab, British India
Died7 December 1955(1955-12-07) (aged 61)
Rabwah, Punjab, Pakistan
OccupationMuslim Missionary, Religious Scholar, and Pakistan Movement Activist
Known forImam of historic Fazl Mosque and the relaunch of Jinnahs political career

Career

Dard was a speaker, Ahmadiyya missionary and a writer.[5] He addressed many large audiences, most notably during the events of Jalsa Salanas, Interfaith Events, and Political Debates on Pakistan. He wrote many books both in English and Urdu, among them Life of Ahmad – Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement (1948),[6] a biography which covers the life of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad up to 1901, however, he was unable to complete the work.[7][8][9][1] He also wrote a book The Islamic Caliphate (1938).[10]

Dard met Muhammad Ali Jinnah in March 1933, (who getting utterly disappointed from Indian Politics had returned to England and started his legal practice there),[11] and tried to convince him to return to India being direly needed by the Indian Muslims.[12] Dard told Jinnah that Jinnah's abandonment of politics in British India him a "traitor" for the Muslim cause. To symbolize Jinnah's return to the political scene, Dard arranged at the Fazl Mosque in London in April 1933, a lecture titled The Future of India which was presided over by Sir Nairne Sandeman in which Jinnah criticized the recent White Paper on the Indian Constitutional Reform and argued for self-government by Indians.[13][14]

With the consensus of the All India Kashmir Committee, Dard became its Secretary.[15][16] He served the Jama'at as Nazir Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya for many years, and accompanied Khalifatul Masih II.

Religion

Dard was the Private Secretary to Khalifatul Masih II from 1920 to 1924 and accompanying him to Damascus, Palestine, Egypt, Italy and France ultimately reaching England on 22 August 1924 for the Wembley's Conference of Living Religions 1924,[17][18] and was appointed as the missionary in Charge of the London Mission.[19] He served as an Ahmadiyya missionary in England for a total of 10 years in two terms. The Fazl Mosque in London, was built in 1926 under his supervision.[20][21] He finally returned to Qadian in 1938.

Dard was Imam of the Fazl Mosque in London twice, from 1924 to 1928 and then again from 1931 till 1938.[22]

Bibliography
  • A. R. Dard (1938). The Islamic caliphate. London.
  • A. R. Dard (1948). Life of Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Tabshir Publication.

References
  1. "The Life of Hadhrat Abdur Raheem Dard(ra)". The Review of Religions. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  2. Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, 8 April 1933.
  3. Madras Mail, 7 April 1933.
  4. Sunday Times(London) 4 September 1933
  5. Near East and India. 44. 1935. pp. 790–.
  6. The Panjab Past and Present. 37. Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University. 2006. pp. 85–.
  7. "Life of Ahmad : Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement" (PDF). Alislam.org. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  8. Review of Religions Ahmadiyya Community Vol 65 p158 1971 "The Khalifa-tul Masih II went more than two miles on foot out of town to receive Maulana Abdurr Rahim Dard."
  9. Nathalie Clayer; Eric Germain (2008). Islam in Inter-War Europe. Hurst. pp. 51–. ISBN 978-1-85065-878-8. ... converts such as Khalid Sheldrake and Abdullah Quilliam celebrated the festival of 'Id at the Ahmadi Mosque from time to time, and Abdullah Yusuf Ali gave speeches on such occasions. Indeed, both Fateh Sayal and Abdul Rahim Dard, the two most prominent Ahmadi missionaries after the First World War, were very much part of the mainstream Indian Muslim network
  10. A. R. Dard. "The Islamic Caliphate" (PDF). Ia701500.us.archive.org. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  11. Prakash K. Singh (2009). Encyclopaedia on Jinnah. 3. Anmol Publications. pp. 31–. ISBN 978-81-261-3779-4. Few known this fact that Mr. M. A. Jinnah had quit the Indian political scene and out of the frustration left Indian politics. ... Times London (April 9, 1933) carried a report of a reception that was held by the Imam of London Mosque, Mr. Dard, ...
  12. Bashīr Aḥmad (1994). The Ahmadiyya Movement: British-Jewish Connections. Islamic Study Forum. pp. 145–.
  13. "Country's Founder Persuaded to Return to Politics by London Imam" (JPG). Ahmadiyyatimes.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  14. Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (1978). Ahmadiyyat: the renaissance of Islam. Tabshir Publications. pp. 242–. He, therefore, directed Mr A. R. Dard, Imam of the London Mosque, to get in touch with Mr Jinnah and try to persuade ... of 9 April 1933: There was a large gathering in the grounds of the mosque in Melrose Road, Wimbledon, where Mr Jinnah, ...
  15. Syed Taffazull Hussain (23 November 2013). Sheikh Abdullah-A Biography: The Crucial Period 1905-1939. Syed Taffazull Hussain. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-1-60481-603-7.
  16. Muhammad Yusuf Saraf (1977). Kashmiris Fight for Freedom. 1. Ferozsons. pp. 419–. An All India Kashmir Committee was set up with Mirza Bashir-ud- Din Mahmud Ahmed as President and Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dard as Secretary to forge a common platform for co-ordination of the movement that had so spontaneously ...
  17. William Loftus Hare. "A Parliament of Living Religions". Opensiuc.lib.siu.edu. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  18. "Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad" (PDF). Alislam.org. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  19. Jamie Gilham (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. Oxford University Press. pp. 140–. ISBN 978-0-19-937725-1. ... the temporary premises. Another important change in leadership occurred in 1924 when the khalifa visited London and ... The khalifa appointed his private secretary, Abdur Rahim Dard, to lead the jama'at in England, and transferred the ...
  20. Review of Religions. 68. M. Masud Ahmad. 1973. pp. 38–. The work was, however, soon resumed by the grace of God and finished in the end of 1926. The Khalifa-tul Masih planned to give the First London Mosque a befitting opening ceremony. At his instance Maulana Abdur Rahim Dard, Imam ...
  21. "Scholar follows in footsteps of pioneer uncle ; Mosque crusade a family tradition". Birmingham Evening Mail (England)  – via HighBeam (subscription required) . 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  22. Man Singh Deora; Rajinder Grover (1991). Documents on Kashmir Problem: Discussion of the India-Pakistan question in the Security Council meeting. Discovery Pub. House. pp. 76–. ISBN 978-81-7141-155-9. and Abdul Rahim Dard, ex- missionary in charge of the mission in London.
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