Maulvi Naimatullah Khan
Quran-2:154: “And say not of those who are killed in the cause of Allah that they are dead; nay, they are living; only you perceive not.”
The Afghan Martyrs
“While the Khalifatul Masih and his party were still in London news arrived of the tragic death by stoning of Naimatullah Khan, a young Afghan, who had studied religion at Qadian and had returned to his own country after finishing his studies. He was only 19 years of age and life spread out before his imagination in attractive and alluring colours. His outstanding quality, however, was devotion to his faith”
(Fazl-e Umar, pages 174-176)
“When he arrived in Kabul he was arrested and confined in a cell like a dangerous criminal and was charged with apostasy from Islam. He rejected every suggestion made to him that he should repudiate the Messiah of Qadian but like all his predecessors in that situation, he remained firm in his faith, in the full consciousness that he could do so only at the cost of his life. During the period of his confinement he found an opportunity of scribbling a note on a piece of paper and arranged to have it conveyed to his host in Peshawar. The note, which has been carefully preserved by his host, read: “Sir, I am now face to face with the contingency that you had mentioned to me and, by God’s Grace, I am able to inform you that I am resolved to follow the example of the great martyr, the Sahibzada Sahib.”
Another Ahmadi Martyr
Musleh Maud lovingly writes about Maulvi Naimatullah Khan:
“Maulvi Naimatullah Khan, a peace loving, pious and peaceful young man, and after subjecting him to torture for over a month in jail and making vain efforts to make him recant, he in the afternoon of 31st August caused him to be taken round the streets of Kabul and had it proclaimed that he would be stoned to death for apostasy.
(Review Of Religions – September 1924 Edition)
The same day, after the Asr prayers, our brave brother was taken in chains to the place of execution in the Kabul Cantonment and there stoned to death.”
Reading the following statement about our beloved Maulvi Naimatullah Khan, hearts are left shaken and in awe, for the great sacrifice our devotee had for his faith; not caring for worldly affairs and wanting to embrace every hardship and torture for the sake of his faith. This is true obedience and Bayʿah:
“A person who sincerely enters my allegiance of Bai’at and wholeheartedly follows me and submerges themselves in obedience to me to the extent that they relinquish their own will. O ye people who consider yourselves members of my community! You will be counted as such in heaven when you truly tread upon the ways of righteousness…. It is inevitable that you should also be tried with various forms of anguish and misfortune, just as the faithful before you were tried.”
(Noah’s Ark, pages 24-25)
“You will certainly suffer pain and many of your desires will not be fulfilled, but do not lose heart in such situations, for your God tries you to see whether you are steadfast in His path or not. If you desire that even the angels should praise you in heaven, then endure beating and remain joyful, hear abuse and be grateful, suffer setbacks but do not sever your relationship with God.”
How great is Maulvi Naimatullah Khan, he has truly fulfilled his Bay’ah and shown what true sacrifice is. Reading on we can see how his actions reflected what the Promised Messiah wanted from his community, “endure beating and remain joyful, hear abuse and be grateful, suffer setbacks but do not sever your relationship with God.”
“Before execution, he asked permission to say two rakats of prayer, which eh offered to his Lord and Master after the manner of Muslim martyrs. Before being stoned to death, he was once more asked to renounce his faith in the Promised Messiah but he refused to do so and declared that he would rather die than give up his faith in the Promised Messiah. God bless our brother!”
(Review Of Religions – September 1924 Edition)
Remember the great sacrifices done for Ahmadiyyat
To conclude, let us not forget the great sacrifice these martyrs had given for Ahmadiyyat. Pray for them and pray to become like Shahibzada Abdul Latif, Niamatullah Khan and Abdur Rahman. As Musleh Maud had said, “Let all of us make up our minds from this moment that we will not rest until we conquer that land of martyrs (converting its people to Ahmadiyyat).”
Review Of Religions – September 1924 Edition (Pdf page 26-28)
https://www.reviewofreligions.org/20274/review-of-religions-september-1924-edition-2/
https://www.ahmadipedia.org/content/personality/248
This Reuter’s is being quoted in a newspaper from 1924 when the martyrdom took place.