Who was Begum Shafi Ahmad?
Summary
Begum Shafi Ahmad: Ahmadi Muslim woman who helped create Pakistan
Member of the Muslim League
Appointed as in charge of the local women’s department in 1938
Appointed to Working Committee by Muhammad Ali Jinnah – Worked as a journalist after Pakistan’s creation
More details
Begum Shafi Ahmad was born in 1898 in Meerut. Her grandfather, Khan Bahadur Ghulam Nabi was the Raees-e-Azam (Chief) of Meerut who served as the Minister of Finance and Prime Minister of the State of Bahawalpur. Begum Shafi’s father was Sajjad Nabi Qureshi.
At the age of 16, she married Hazrat Syed Shafi Ahmad (ra) of Delhi, who had accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1903. He belonged to the family of Hazrat Khawaja Mir Dard (rh), and was the son of a cousin of Hazrat Syeda Nusrat Jehan Begum (ra), wife of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).
Begum Shafi came to know that her husband was an Ahmadi after her marriage, but she was very much impressed by her husband’s regularity in prayers, recitation of the Holy Quran and high morals. When this came to the notice of her family, they made it clear that the nikah had been abrogated. But after much difficulty, she returned to her husband and said that they would follow their respective beliefs.
Hazrat Syed Shafi Ahmad (ra) was writing the first Ahmadiyya pocketbook ‘Muhaqqaq’ in those days. He wisely said to his wife, ‘You do recitation [of the Holy Quran], please help me to write the book, and during the recitation, write down the verses about the fate of those who believe in the prophets and those who disbelieve.’ Thus, Begum Shafi’s heart opened and she accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1920.
When there was a fundraising movement for the Fazl Mosque in London, Begum Shafi Ahmad presented her necklace.
On 18 April 1927, when Lajna Imaillah was established in Delhi, through Hazrat Syeda Nawab Mubaraka Begum (ra), Begum Shafi Ahmad was appointed as the first Secretary Finance.
She was a very good speaker as well and had the opportunity to deliver a speech at Women’s Jalsa Salana in 1934.
Her husband passed away on 31 October 1941, and one day she saw her husband in a dream who was telling her to re-launch the newspaper called Dastkari, which was published from 1913 till the death of her husband. After this dream, in 1943, Begum Shafi Ahmad also entered the field of journalism and launched the weekly Dastkari.
Many of her editorials not only brought her to fame but also made her a member of many organizing committees in Delhi.
She was also an ardent member of the Muslim League. In 1938, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah appointed her as the in-charge of the local women’s department and later nominated her as a member of the Working Committee. She used to attend press conferences and meetings with full care of her purdah, along with her son.
On one occasion, Mrs Sarojini Naido hugged her and openly admitted that the burqa (veil) did not really hinder her progress. Begum Shafi Ahmad also attended the Shimla Conference and the inauguration of the Interim Government in 1946 as a correspondent.
After the partition of the Indian subcontinent, she also played a significant role in the protection of Muslims and Qadian Dar-ul-Aman.
Source: https://www.ahmadipedia.org/content/personality/235/begum-shafi-ahmad
Met Nehru
An Ahmadi lady journalist, Begum Shafi Ahmad, Editor of Dastkari weekly was fully involved in a political movement that emerged into the creation of two states – India and Pakistan. She had equal access to Indian Prime Minister Mr. Nehru and the founder of Pakistan M. A. Jinnah. At a news conference in Delhi called by Quaid e Azam to meet Muslim Journalists, she had the rare honor of sharing the sofa with Quaid e Azam.
During the height of civil disturbances in India in September 1947, she rushed to the residence of Mr. Nehru in New Delhi to convey the message of the Hadhrat Mirza Bashir ud Din Mahmud Ahmad that Qadian was in midst of turmoil. Clad in a green Burqa, she was stopped by the security at Nehru’s residence, who luckily passed through saw her and was immediately allowed. Begum Shafi Ahmad conveyed the message of her master. Whereupon Mr. Nehru said that he was taking every step and assured there was peace in Qadian, when this information was conveyed to Hadhrat Sahib retorted, “If Mr. Nehru calls this as peace, let there be such peace in Delhi”.
The next day Delhi saw one of the worst violence and thousands of Muslims lost their lives.
Begum Shafi left for Pakistan on October 17, 1947, when she found she can no longer operate in Delhi. She came back to Delhi as a member of the Pakistan Journalists delegation sent to India as a part of the Goodwill Mission in 1951.
Indian website describes her
Begum Shafi Ahmad was born in 1898 in Meerut. She was born in an elite family as her grandfather, Khan Bahadur Ghulam Nabi was the Raees-e-Azam (Chief) of Meerut who served as the Minister of Finance and Prime Minister of the State of Bahawalpur. She was 16 when she was married to Hazrat Syed Shafi Ahmed of Delhi. This started her journey as a women leader in various social and national movements in Delhi. Begum was married in a family which was actively involved in journalism. She along with her family was actively involved in the Civil disobedience movement. Her husband was suspected to be a propagandist by the British. He assisted the Delhi administration in Civil Disobedience and was sent to 6 months of rigorous jail. This was also an inspiration for Begum to mark her presence in journalism as she was associated with newspaper ‘Dastkari’. On 18 April 1927, when Lajna Imaillah was established in Delhi, through Hazrat Syeda Nawab Mubaraka Begum (ra), Begum Shafi Ahmad was appointed as the first Secretary Finance. She was a very good speaker as well and had the opportunity to deliver a speech at Women’s Jalsa Salana in 1934. After the death of her husband on 31 October 1941, re-launched the newspaper called Dastkari, which was published from 1913 till the death of her husband. Many of her editorials not only brought her to fame but also made her a member of many organising committees in Delhi. She was also a member of the Muslim League. In 1938, Muhammad Ali Jinnah appointed her as the in-charge of the local women’s department and later nominated her as a member of the Working Committee. On one occasion, Sarojini Naidu hugged her and openly admitted that the burqa (veil) did not really hinder her progress. Begum Shafi Ahmad also attended the Shimla Conference and the inauguration of the Interim Government in 1946 as a correspondent. After the partition of the Indian subcontinent, she also played a significant role in the protection of Muslims.
https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?9749
Book on her life
Name
اماں كى عظمتوں كو سلام سوانح بگيم شفيح
Amma ki azmaton ko Salam – Sawaneh Begum Shafi Ahmad
Download here: https://archive.org/details/sawaneh-begum-shafi