Alislam.org: In his Friday Sermon of 6th April 2012, the Imam of World Wide Ahmadiyya Movement narrated the actual events that led to the brutal muder (martyrdom) of Master Abdul Qudoos.

“Persecution against Ahmadis is meted out most of all in Pakistan. Governmental workers continue to employ extreme measures and brutality there. A few days ago, the in-charge of the Rabwah police station and his assistant locked up a most sincere Ahmadi for a month without bringing any charge against him. They then took him to another location where they subjected him to extreme torture for eight to ten days. This led to the sincere Ahmadi, whose name was Abdul Qudoos losing his life Inna lillahe wa inna illaihe raji’oon and attaining the status of martyrdom.

The detail of this incident is that a resident of Nusratabad, Rabwah was murdered in October. On the instigation of his son the police arrested different people on different occasions on suspicion of murder but they were all released without charge. The deceased’s son asked for Master Abdul Qudoos to be brought to the police station for questioning. Qudoos sahib was the local Jama’at sadr. Without any reason, the complainant chose to name Abdul Qudoos sahib in a request to the district police officer and he was arrested on 10 February. However, his arrest was not formally registered. When contacted the police said they knew Abdul Qudoos sahib was also innocent and that they would free him soon but had to keep him there for some reason or the other. On 17 March the police transferred Qudoos sahib to another location. Ten days after taking him away, they brought him back and asked one of his friends to come and collect him. His friend was asked to sign a plain piece of paper declaring that he was taking Qudoos sahib back. Qudoos sahib was not very well so his friend promptly took him to hospital. It then transpired that after taking him away to another location he was subjected to extreme torture. This affected his health adversely and he had blood in his stools as well as he vomited blood and his kidneys were affected. Qudoos sahib told that he was taken away in the dark of night to another place five hours drive away – Hudhur said due to dirt roads travel takes longer – where he was subjected to extreme torture. The torturers kept saying to him to name other office-holders of the Jama’at involved in the murder and by doing so he could be set free. Among the names they suggested were some Nazirs [directors] and others. They also tried to get him to sign some papers which he did not. They would say it was the first time they had got hold of an office-holder and then tortured him. During torture they used abusive language towards the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and his Khulafa. When Qudoos sahib’s health deteriorated they provided some medical treatment and brought him back to Rabwah police station. Later, in the ICU of Fazl e Umer hospital he was given continuous blood. On 29 March he again started vomiting blood and his lungs were affected. He passed away on 30 March. There had been preparations to take him to Tahir Heart Institute but he had suffered from internal injuries due to the torture and passed away.

His brother-in-law visited him regularly at the hospital and writes the account that Qudoos sahib had related to him. He writes that on the night of 17 March he was taken away from Rabwah and tortured brutally. He said that the police station in-charge and the investigative officer both tortured him. He also said that at one point high ranking police officers sat on chairs in a circle and gave him some papers saying it was his statement and that he should sign it. The papers cited false allegations against some central figures of the Jama’at, so Qudoos sahib refused to sign. He was told that such and such people were involved in the murder and if he signed the papers he would be set free. Qudoos sahib refused saying it was not his statement and it was also not factual. When Qudoos sahib twice refused to sign they threw him to the floor and started hitting him and continually demanded him to comply. They put him through a range of brutal physical torture techniques as well as put him through sleep deprivation. As soon as he would fall asleep they would start beating him up. There was a well-known villain in the cells with him. If they hit him five times, they would hit Qudoos sahib twenty five times. At one point his health declined so they gave him some medicinal treatment but as soon as he was better they re-started the torture. They taunted him to call his superiors from London or Rabwah to come and save him and used abusive language for elders. Qudoos sahib said he endured the physical torture but was agonised when they used abusive language. He was not fed regularly. He said he did not have the strength to face the torture so he prayed to God to give him strength and was granted the same.

Hudhur Aqdas said Sadr Amoomi sahib also wrote to Hudhur and said that he asked Qudoos sahib that with all that torture they must have got something in writing from him. Qudoos sahib replied emotionally that they could not even make him write a dot. Hudhur said thus is the tale of one who kept his faith alive and stayed firm on truth. This personification of resolve and courage gave his life but did not give a false statement. God has declared falsehood tantamount to shirk (associating partners with God) and while this great martyr has given us other lessons, one lesson he gave us and on which the Ahmadiyya Community is based, is not to care for one’s life for the establishment of Tawheed, (Oneness of God). Qudoos sahib also fulfilled his pledge of Bai’at in an excellent manner. Hudhur said if having succumbed to torture, Qudoos sahib had given the desired statement of the torturers it could have proved very dangerous for the Community. Just as in the past a so-called organisation tried to make Mirza Ghulam Qadir shaheed a means, the police tried with Qudoos sahib. Hudhur Aqdas said the senior district police officers are expressing ignorance about the matter, it is entirely possible that they were by-passed and the orders came from above on governmental level and junior officers were used. If in the past Gen Zia ul Huq could personally call a local police station in-charge it may very well also happen in the current times. The provisional government is against us. Now that legal process against the perpetrators is afoot, there is talk of conciliation although in Pakistan it is the criminals who are in authority. The Jama’at is trying to take action while staying within law. Hudhur Aqdas reiterated that had Qudoos sahib signed the papers it would have been most dangerous, many central office-holders may have been drawn in murder case, there could have been restrictions on the central offices and there could have been efforts to bring the peaceful nature of our Community in disrepute. The implications could have been on a national [in Pakistan] as well as international level but God broke their ploys through a gentle and sincere man. Hudhur Aqdas said: ‘O Qudoos, we pay tribute to you; for you accepted to endure extreme torture but did not let the honour of the Jama’at be slighted. By giving your life you saved the Jama’at from a great tribulation.’ Hudhur Aqdas said Qudoos shaheed was not an ordinary martyr, he ranks high among martyrs. Everyone has to leave this temporary world one day. Fortunate is Qudoos sahib who is called living by God and who has been given a provision which is far more excellent than worldly provision. He will find out the true glad-tiding in the Hereafter. We should always remember the lesson of‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and an excellent Guardian is He’ that he gave us.”

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