The Friday Times:

Eidtors Note: A short article and photo of Emir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan, who was addressed by Hazrat Masih Moud (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

In April 1896, Hadhrat Masih-e-Maud(as) wrote a letter to the Amir, inviting him into the fold of true Islam that is Ahmadiyyat. The Amir was drunk with power and showed utter disregard and arrogance towards the invitation saying ‘Ainjabiya’ (come here to Afghanistan and you’ll see).

Sources:
Siratul Mahdi by Mirza Bashir Ahmad, Vol. 1 Pg. 580 (Available online)
Life of Ahmad by A. R. Dard Pg. 486 (Available online)

Allah had shown Hudhoor(as) a vision saying that ‘I will bring a tragic punishment unto those who will be the cause of your insult’. On 10th September, 1901 Amir Abdur Rahman was struck with paralysis. He lost use of numerous parts of his body and became more like a corpse than a living being. He couldn’t move himself in his bed nor could he speak. The greatest doctors from all of India and Afghanistan were called but who can change Allah’s punishment. He also suffered from Gout, which caused him unbearable amounts of pain. Eventually his brain was also affected and it was only at times that he was able to think or reason clearly. A few days before his death, his feet died and they caused such a horrendous stench that no one could stay long in a room with him. Under these horrible conditions, he passed away on the 3rd October, 1901.

Khalifatul Masih the Second in his book Dawat ul Ameer invited Amir Amanullah Khan to Islam. He did not become an Ahmadi but the book to invite him to Ahmadiyya Islam went on to become a great instrument for invitation to Ahmadiyya Islam. It describes in great detail ten prophecies of Hazrat Masih Moud and uses highly refined language to convince the Ameer to consider joining the movement. May Allah bless the soul of Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad (May Allah be pleased with him).

Photo Archive By Hulton-Deutsch collection
Abdur Rahman Khan, Emir of Afghanistan, in Rawalpindi (1885)  27 25
Abdur Rahman Khan, the Emir of Afghanistan, stands with a foreign secretary during his visit to meet the Viceroy of India in Rawalpindi. Known as the Iron Emir, Abdur Rahman Khan was a strong ruler who re-established the writ of the Kabul government in the wake of the disarray that followed the second Ango-Afghan war. But among the uprisings he quelled was the Hazara people’s movement of independence from the government in Kabul. Thousands of Hazaras were killed and others migrated to Iran, Russia, Central Asia, and the Balochistan province of British India. Khan negotiated with British diplomat Mortimer Durand to mark the 2,640-km Durand Line border in 1893. In 1885, Russia occupied the Panjdeh oasis south of the Oxus river, creating a diplomatic crisis between Great Britain and Russia. After negotiations, they were allowed to retain Panjdeh in return for giving up claims to other points within the dominions of Emir Abdur Rahman.

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