Munir Azim Sahib: Years before the Divine Call

[The series of articles on the family and spiritual background of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius looks at his life before the Divine Call.  The previous instalments in the series were published here at the Sahih Al Islam Blog on October 24 & 26 & on November 03, 2011. While the first two parts detailed the family lineage and provided an account about the righteous parents of the Khalifatullah, the third instalment dealt with the events of his childhood days, especially his Thabligh encounters against the spiritual opponents of Ahmadiyya Islam and his enthusiasm and enterprise in spreading the message of Islam among the people as a young man. 

The current instalment chronicles the services of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib to the Jamaat of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as). In his intrinsic quest for rendering services to Islam, he preferred to work with the organizational framework of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, rather than pursuing job opportunities elsewhere. It is highly unusual for someone who has not graduated from any Jamia to become a full-pledged missionary of the Jamaat. Yet, Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib went on to serve and become highly effective and successful in his Dawa works in Mauritius and outer Islands so much so that even the Caliph of the day was highly appreciative of his selfless services to the Jamaat. Through out this period, his devotion to the cause of Islam enabled him to transcend the pettiness and decadence he observed and witnessed among the employees of the Jamaat, including hierarchical superiors within the Ahmadiyya establishment. The article further provides extracts from a recent speech - intensely moving, retrospective reflections on those eventful years-by the Khalifatullah].

Read from the Biographical Essay:

His love for Deen-e-Islam grew so much that in spite of receiving many good mundane job opportunities elsewhere but he preferred to secure a job in his own Jamaat in 1987 (12 November), thus first entering his job as the part-time driver of the Jamaat (condition made with the Amir of that time, Mr. Moussa Taujoo and missionary-in-Charge Mawlana Syed Hussein Ahmad to have a pay of Rs.500 monthly for part-time – it must be specified that they were not true to their word and instead of part-time, they made him work full time (09.00 to 23.00 O’clock) and for a salary of Rs.300), and filling thereafter (with the new Amir in 1989) at the same time as dispatching clerk in the office (and being active in the Tabligh Desk – dealing with the despatching of “Le Message” (The Message) Newsletters and the “Review of Religions”, and “Al-Taqwa”). Despite his poor pay-rate, he disregarded that, even though he knew that other people who had the same job as him were a great deal better paid off than him. Moreover, he had the support of his mother who always told him: “O my son, even though you may get little from the Jamaat, but Allah shall never let you go empty-handed, for what you do, you do it only for the cause of Allah.”

Therefore, despite all sorts of difficulties, this fervent servant of Allah strived hard to please Allah through his dedication to the cause of Allah. By the age of 29, he decided to go and preach the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat in the other countries at his own expenses. Armed with his love for Deen-e-Islam, he set to go to Reunion Island (through a tabligh contact), a French-governed island in the Indian Ocean and there the message of Islam and that of the Promised Messiah (as) was received with enthusiasm. After his successful trip there, and upon hearing the good news of how he brought new converts to the cause of Islam Ahmadiyyat, after reporting this piece of news to both the fourth Caliph Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (May Allah forgive him) and the then Amir Jamaat (Mr. Zafrullah Domun), it was decided that Munir Ahmad Azim shall now go and establish the Jamaat officially in the nearby islands.

Acceptance of Prayers

Since then, there were many times he witnessed of the presence of Allah by his side. Once during one of his visit to Reunion Island, he needed to find one of his contacts and he had to walk miles, not finding her address. He came under the shade of a tree, and Hazrat Munir Azim felt thirsty due to the heavy walk. While praying, suddenly a mango detached from the tree and landed literally before him!

After this manifestation of the mercy of Allah, he got courage and went once again to look for the house of the lady to whom he was to preach Islam. By the grace of Allah, he found her.

On another occasion, hearing that this dawa contact was ill, he and his wife Hazrat Ummul Mumineen Sayyida Nasira Bibi Sahiba went to her place and came to know that she had cancer. The lady was terminally ill and requested him to pray for her. Upon this, Hazrat Munir Azim took one of her medicine, prayed for her and gave it to her. For months afterwards, he lost contact with her and did not know what became of her. After many years, upon looking for her address, he was astonished to find her in excellent health – no trace of cancer – and in addition, she even became the vice-mayor of her town (Saint-Benoit).

Thereafter, the woman related to him how after he had prayed for her and given her the medicine she had felt better till now and that from then onwards her cancer disappeared!

By the Grace of Allah he was also able to present various programmes on Islam on the radio and many articles also appeared in the newspapers over there. In April 2000, the magazine “Mutualité de la Réunion - Économie Sociale Média” interviewed him and afterwards published an article on him where he talked about Ahmadiyyat. Due to his preaching, many persons were blessed to accept the True Religion (ISLAM). Again by Allah's Grace he was able to register the Jamaat as a legal entity over there. These same accomplishments were repeated in other nearby islands like the Seychelles, Rodrigues and Mayotte (Comoros Islands).

Fourth Khalifa Appreciates the  Extraordinary Achievements

By that time he was a full-fledged missionary within the Jamaat (recognised and very much appreciated by the late fourth Caliph of the Jamaat). Several times, the Khalifatul Masih IV wrote Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) and poured upon him lots of duas. He was particularly appreciative of his honesty, sincere interest in propagating Islam, of giving gifts to the Jamaat, capabilities in giving the right message to the people and making them true Ahmadi Muslims (not paper-signed ones!) In a nutshell, he was very happy for the selfless way that this missionary (despite not being graduated from Jamiah) used to do his Deen works.

It is to be noted that every expense which Hazrat Munir (atba) used to do with the Jamaat’s money, he wrote everything down, up to the last cents! So much so, that if he consumed half a loaf of bread, he used to write it down and give a detailed account of his expenses when he returned from his mission abroad. The Amila members back then were appreciative of this excellent quality of his, his honesty and his striving not to squander the Jamaat’s money! The secretary of finance, who is the brother of our Hazrat Ummul Momeneen Fazli Amena, the International Sadr Sahiba, once related to her these special qualities of Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba). He was full of praises for him, but unfortunately with the rise of the Divine Manifestation, while he, the witness of these qualities, disregarded the claim of the Muhyi-ud-Din of the present time, his sister became the first lady to have believed in the claim of the Messenger of this era.

In his other Dawa travels (as a missionary of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya), Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) encountered many problems (be it in Rodrigues, Reunion, Mayotte & Seychelles), whereby his life was several times in danger, but Allah came to his rescue and made his enemies taste defeat.

About his early life and tabligh mission, in his Speech of 30 June 2011, the Khalifatullah (atba) is quoted to have said:

“… my academic education is very limited, and that since a child I had in me a profound love to serve the religion of Allah, and that is why my time was spent mostly in the mosque (since 7 years old), and following the missionaries and tabligh volunteers (in my early teens) to go and preach Islam in all parts of Mauritius. It is the same love to spread the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat (the good news of the advent of the Promised Messiah (as)) which made me serve the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

Every human needs to feed himself and his family. As I needed a job, what was better for me than to work for my own Jamaat? Despite difficult times which I was bound to go through, but this experience today has proved to be fruitful for this humble self because Allah made me witnessed how the officials and other people from the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (as) have fallen prey to the luring of Satan.

My love for Allah, I keep it in my heart and soul, but that love surged forth to such an extent that Allah admitted me in His mercy and chose me as His humble Messenger. Even though I am a weak human, but Allah so desired to elevated me to my present spiritual status. What I can assure the world is that a sinner I am, but had not it been for the grace of Allah on me, I would have been ruined. I am a human, but Allah made me His Messenger. Should you discard all your arrogance, and pretention to knowledge and superiority to other people, should you love Allah and worship Him alone instead of this temporal world, therefore you shall have felicity in both worlds.

I have always believed and this is my personal opinion that it is not for one (be it a Dai’Ilallah or especially so for a Messenger of Allah) to expect that people come to you when you have the duty to spread the word of Allah, to preach Islam. That is why, firstly as a Dai’Ilallah I did not hesitate to devote my time and money for the advancement of Islam and secondly as a Messenger of Allah I go towards people instead of expecting them to come to this humble self.

 I have not come to make people know me, but verily I have come to make people know Allah. Should they believe firmly in Allah and abide by the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), therefore automatically, that person’s spiritual aura will be such that Allah Himself shall become his eyes to see the signs and divine manifestations to testify to the truthfulness of the claim of His Elected Messenger.”