By Ehtishamul Haq Mahmood Kauser

The life of this noble one is not mysterious to the author of this dissertation. The most prominent example of his character that can be noted is his most warm and wholehearted greeting. Even at his extreme age he would embrace all with a warm hug pulling their bodies closest to his heart to such an extent that you could experience every drumming beat. He would draw his face as close as possible to your cheeks and greet you with the most welcoming greeting that leaves you for hours dazzled and amazed. In every situation including the very first instance that this humble one met Mohsin Mahmud, he would always make an extra effort to leave you with some sort of connection with him, for example the very first instance Mohsin Mahmud asked “What is your name” and when realizing that it was similar to his own quickly said “Mahmud is meeting Mahmud”. It is with this loving example that the life of this righteous soul is presented.

Not only did he embrace Islam wholeheartedly and meet his fellow brothers with much love but also sacrificed his everything for the sake of Islam. Inamulhaq Kauser, missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community commissioned in New York City from 1984-1990, states that among those who sacrificed financially for the cause of Islam and its propagation, Mohsin Mahmud was among those who were the top contributors to the cause of Islam at times even more than Doctors. (He worked in the New York City Sanitation Department).

In the magazine published by an auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Ansarullah called Al Nahl, Mohsin Mahmud has described his life and struggles in his own words. He begins with a basic background of his life and his childhood mentioning that he was born in 1928 and was the seventh of eight children. He mentions about his parents that they were from Barbados. He further states, “but due to family problems and economics, I was orphaned at age 3. From the age of 3 to 18, I lived in foster homes. I stayed the longest with Ms. Gladden, one of my foster parents. I stayed with her from 3 to 4 years. She had a son about my age and a grand daughter who lived in Richmond, Virginia.” Concerning his parents he states that they “were Protestants and I guess Ms. Gladden was too. I cannot say exactly what denomination my foster parents were and at the age I was during this time, it really did not matter a lot. As a foster child you just did what you were told, and tried to stay out of trouble, especially if you had a good foster home.”1
Mohsin Mahmud later joined the U.S. Army in 1944 during World War II and was serving as a cook in New Orleans. He was able to visit New Guinea and the Philippines during his time in the army. He mentions his life after the army in the following words, “I stayed with my brother and mother on 112th street in Harlem. I became employed in the hospital as a porter, and later having passed a civil service test, worked with the Department of Sanitation for about 34 years. During this time, I had married and had two children.”2

Describing his life in New York as a special time, a “period of Renaissance” since the Nation of Islam had begun to spring up and personalities such as Malcolm X began their journey of popularity. Mentioning his first interaction with Islam he states, “There was a Jazz musician most popularly known as Art Blakey, whose Muslim name was ‘Abdullah Bin Hannah. He was a drummer, and lived with his wife Zainab on 117th Street between 5th and Lenox. When he was in town he used to hold meetings at his place. These meetings were informal discussions that revolved around various themes. The one that hooked me was “Who are You?” As this question caused me to look inside of myself to find out who I was, I became actively involved in these discussions. Eventually, I came to realize that my roots were from Africa and Islām. ‘Abdullah was an Aḥmadī Muslim and was also the president of the New York Aḥmadiyyah Muslim Jamā‘at at the time. Back then there were not a lot of foreign Muslims, and Aḥmadiyyat was not very controversial. Islām, however, was controversial, as it seemed to be the religion of the Renaissance movement. I mean people were searching out their past, seeking their identity and Islām was it! Islām suddenly seemed to be a powerful source. The underlying message was to declare to oneself that one individual could make a difference in helping the Black people. People saw the message of Islām as revolutionary.” 3

He further says concerning his own interaction with Islam and what caused him to be pulled towards Islam, “I saw the answers to my curiosity in Islām. At last, on the urging of ‘Abdullāh, I accepted Aḥmadiyyat, the true Islām…The mission house at that time was in a loft on 116th Street between Lexington and 7th Ave. Missionary Ghulām Yāsīn was the Aḥmadiyyah missionary.” A very close friend, Abid Haneef Sahib relates how Moshin Mahmood Sahib and himself would go to the streets of Manhattan to propagate the message of Islam. He relates, “We realized that we had to go out and teach the Quran and occasionally quote it, so Mohsin Mahmood and myself, we used to go to Mount Morris Park, in New York in Manhattan (now known as Marcus Garvey Park), that was ultimately in those years where the chess players lived, and they would put the tables out and they would be playing chess there, and Moshin and I would go there…we would read at the top of our voices because we knew nobody could hear us, and we were modeling on the famous Roman Orator who used to go out to the sea and used to deliver his declamations to the seas and the waves. It helped later on when we went to times square.” 4

Mahmood Sahib mentions that the members that joined Islam Ahmadiyya at that time were musicians and although they were active members the missionary admonished them to find suitable occupations. He states, “At that time a large number of African American musicians were Aḥmadīs, such as Ḥassan Ḥakīm, Ḥalīm Rashīd, Ṣāḥib Shahad, McKoy Tyner and others would come to the mission house when they were in town and especially on Jumu‘ah or Friday for prayers. However some would soon fade away as the missionary admonished them to find suitable occupations, as the money from their occupations was not acceptable, that of playing music in bars where their profession was promoting all sorts of unacceptable behavior. To some of them, however, the attraction to Islām was so strong that gradually they had to make the change and eventually became very good members of the Aḥmadiyyah Community.”5 Mahmud Sahib mentions that the times were tough and some members “through misunderstanding[s]…dropped out of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at” but still a few remained. Mahmud Sahib was among those few fortunate ones who had the opportunity to meet such personages as Muḥammad Zafrullāh Khān Sahib (ra) and ‘Abdul-Kadir Zaigham. In conclusion Mohsin Mahmud Sahib says, “I hope that it has become clear that I came into Aḥmadiyyat because it was the True Islām. All the people, who were intellectually motivated, nationally motivated and spiritually motivated, were all Aḥmadī Muslims, and they became my mentors, my tutors, and my friends. I pray for them and I thank Allāh for bringing these people in my life. I will always be grateful to them for the path they showed me, Al-Ḥamdu Lillāhi Rabbil-‘Ālamīn.” Mohsin Mahmud was residing in Queens, NY area until his death and had been recognized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community by receiving an award that highlighted a lifetime of commitment, entitled, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Lifetime Commitment Award. All of those who have ever come in contact with him and his wife have been touched down to the core of their lives, and they are ever grateful for the positive change that came about by simply meeting Mohsin Mahmud.
An Interview conducted under the guidance of President of New York City Jamaat, Nazir Ayaz Sahib.

Background
Born in Harlem, 1925.
Converted to Islam in 1958.

How he converted to Islam
Brother Mohsin Mahmood was introduced to Islam and Ahmadiyyat by a number of friends who were musicians (Art Blakely, Abdullah) in Harlem during the 1950s.
They gave him a book called “Life of Muhammad” which really appealed to him. The idea of peace and loving humanity deeply resonated with him.
As a foster child since the age of 3, he lived in several different homes and was separated from his family until the age of 19 when he joined the army to fight WWII. He was stationed in the Philippines and guarded Filipino prisoners of war who were the same age as him. He was “just a kid” and didn’t ‘hate’ the enemy.
Ahmadiyyat gave him a sense of purpose, which he had been seeking throughout his years adrift in the foster care system and his time at war.
He eventually met missionaries Ghulam Yaseen, who served as NY Jamaat President from 1947 to 1956 and lived/worked in an old brownstone in Harlem. He they taught him more about Islam and Ahmadiyyat. At that time, the NY jamaat consisted of less than 40 people. (30 men, 10 women).

Changing his name
Changed his name from Louis ___ to Mohsin Mahmood. He was well-liked and respected at work and although changing his faith and his name presented challenges at times, he says he “won respect by demanding it in a respectful manner”. Although he was afraid of a backlash, changing his name was empowering. One of his bosses at the time, Mrs. Birch, even called a meeting, letting everyone know that he had changed his name and wished to be called Mohsin Mahmood from now on and therefore everyone would need to abide by his wishes. She even told them “if you can’t get along with Mohsin, you can’t get along with anybody.”
Tabligh – major emphasis from the get-go
After accepting Ahmadiyyat, Brother Mohsin Mahmood was devoted to spreading the message of love and peace that Ahmadiyyat embodies. He, along with the few members of the jamaat during the late 1950s, chipped in enough money to buy a manual copier. Unlike modern photocopiers, these machines did not spit out hundreds of copies at the touch of a button. Members of the Jamaat would manually crank out copies of flyers, pamphlets and books after typing up whichever document they wanted to distribute.
Armed with literature about Islam, a passionate few, including Muhammad Rafi, Abid Hanif (father of American missionary Azhar Hanif) and Muhammad Sadiq, would head to Times Square. It was the 1950s and racism was rampant but that did not deter these devoted men. They would haul a ladder to the heart of NYC, climb to the top and boldly declare “Jesus didn’t die on the cross!” or “The Messiah has come.” On one such occasion, the three men were arrested and spent the night in jail. (MM Couldn’t remember exactly what they were charged with, but I found this quote in a old jamaat newsletter about the incident:
“Abid Hanif also remembers the confrontation with Billy Graham. It may be recalled that during Billy Graham’s visit to Kenya he was challenged by Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad Sahib, who was Amir and Missionary Incharge in East Africa at that time. Brother Abid Hanif, Brother Bashir Afzal and Brother M. Sadiq had put up banners and distributed pamphlets outside the Madison Square Garden, where Billy Graham was holding a meeting. Police attacked and arrested the three of them and they had to spend the night in lockup. They got suspended sentence and were later acquitted.”
Brother Mohsin helped bail them out of jail. (I have not confirmed the above passage with Brother Mohsin.)
Meeting Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan
As the president of the UN General Assembly and Pakistan’s permanent representative, Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan visited NYC on many occasions. He would stay with the then president of the jamaat, Muhammad Sadiq in New Jersey.
Brother Mohsin would meet him on several occasions and once accompanied him to a nikkah ceremony. Brother Mohsin fondly remembers those visits, recalling that Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan “loved his brothers.”
Experience with Khilafat
MM fondly remembers the honor of meeting a Khalifa for the first time in 1976 in New Jersey when Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad was visiting. He was kind and affectionate and the opportunity to meet him was very rewarding.
Another major aspect of Brother Mohsin’s life was directly impacted by Khilafat. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad played a huge role in brother mohsin’s marriage with sister Fahtima Hanif after she visited London in the mid -1990s. (The two are happily married and are currently residing in Queens, NY)
Thoughts on keeping new converts active in jamaat:
Give them responsibilities within the jamaat to give them a sense of belonging and fulfillment.
Brother Mohsin’s advice to young Ahmadis
Be honest with yourself. Seek the truth and invest in knowledge. Are you really satisfied? Surround yourself with people who are trying to pursue a purpose in life. Embody the spirit of Islam and look to see that you are taking part in the peace making process. Always be a source of love and peace.
On both an individual and jamaat level, we need to do more. We need to change our selves in order to change the world. We must do more tabligh and above all, we must pray. Find your strength and contribute.
Fighting Islamaphobia
Islam is a very positive religion. If you want other people to embrace Islam, become a living example of this faith. The most important thing is how you change yourself. Be confident and don’t be afraid to be different

References:

1 Al-Naḥl, 1999, Vol. 10, No. 2-4.

2 Al-Naḥl, 1999, Vol. 10, No. 2-4.
3 Al-Naḥl, 1999, Vol. 10, No. 2-4.
4 Haneef, A. (2011, February 6). Life. (E. M. Kauser, Interviewer)

5 Al-Naḥl, 1999, Vol. 10, No. 2-4.