Bashir Ahmad Orchard

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Bashir Ahmad Orchard (April 26 1920 – July 8 2002; born James Bryan Orchard) [1] was an English convert to Ahmadiyya Islam and the first European Ahmadi Muslim missionary [2]

English people Nation and ethnic group native to England

The English people are a nation and an ethnic group native to England who speak the English language. The English identity is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Angelcynn. Their ethnonym is derived from the Angles, one of the Germanic peoples who migrated to Great Britain around the 5th century AD. England is one of the countries of the United Kingdom, and the majority of people living there are British citizens.

Contents

Life

Orchard was Born in Torquay and was brought up within a Christian household. He joined the British Indian Army in 1942 and became a lieutenant. He was a member of the Church of England at the time and had a brother who was a Roman Catholic priest. [3] During his service in India, an Ahmadi officer from his unit taught him about Islam and the Ahmadiyya movement. [4] While stationed at Manipur, a good 1000 miles from Qadian, the Ahmadi headquarters, this officer, Abdur Rahman Dehlvi, arranged for a copy of The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be sent to Orchard from Qadian. [5] Later, Orchard used his army leave to visit Qadian where he met the Caliph, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad and was much impressed, describing him as 'an embodiment of energetic repose radiating physical, intellectual and spiritual magnetism which captivated all in his presence'. [6] Shortly after his visit to Qadian, as his unit advanced towards Burma, Orchard signed the form of Bay'ah (allegiance) and sent it to Qadian, thus formally joining the Ahmadiyya movement, [7] and adopted the Arabic name Bashir (bringer of glad tidings) in 1945. At the time of his conversion Orchard had a vivid dream in which he met the Caliph and received advice from him. [8] On demobilization in 1946 Orchard offered his services to the London branch of the Ahmadiyya movement and was appointed by the Caliph as a missionary. In 1949 he came to Glasgow where he stayed for three years, before going to the West Indies. He returned to Glasgow in 1966, where he stayed for the next 17 years. He moved to continue working, first in Oxford, and later London. While, associated with the London Mosque (London Muslim Mission), Orchard was the editor of the monthly Review of Religions . [9] In his later years, he travelled to Mecca and performed the hajj pilgrimage. [10]

Torquay town in Devon, England

Torquay is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies 18 miles (29 km) south of the county town of Exeter and 28 miles (45 km) east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay and across from the fishing port of Brixham.

A lieutenant is a junior most commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire services, police and other organizations of many nations.

Church of England Anglican state church of England

The Church of England is the established church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric, although the monarch is the supreme governor. The Church of England is also the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain by the third century, and to the 6th-century Gregorian mission to Kent led by Augustine of Canterbury.

See also

Ahmadiyya in the United Kingdom

Ahmadiyya in the United Kingdom began in 1913 with the pioneering efforts of Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sial. Sial was the first missionary sent to the UK under the direction of Hakeem Noor-ud-Din. Hakeem was the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the time - the first successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, whom the Ahmadis consider the promised messiah. Not many years later, the need for a mosque in the UK became evident and in 1926, the Fazl Mosque was constructed in London and became the city's first mosque. The sect expanded to include Ahmadi mosques and mission houses across the country. The also notable Baitul Futuh Mosque in South London stands as one of the largest in Western Europe.

<i>Review of Religions</i>

The Review of Religions is an English language comparative religious magazine published monthly by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Regularly in print since 1902, it is one of the longest running Islamic periodicals in English. It has been described as the main publication of the Ahmadiyya movement in the language and as a valuable source material for information on the geographical expansion of Ahmadi activity. The magazine was launched by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad with the aim of conveying an accurate understanding of Islamic teachings across the English-speaking world and dispel misconceptions held against the faith. The articles, however, typically comprise distinctly Ahmadi perspectives and the idea that the Review should publish more articles of a general nature with those specifically connected to the Ahmadiyya movement being printed in a supplement was abandoned early on at Ghulam Ahmad’s behest. Initially published from Qadian, its editorial office was transferred to London by Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud, the second Ahmadi Caliph, when he visited the city in 1924 to lay the foundation for the London Mosque. The scope of the magazine has since grown to cover a vast array of topics surrounding theology, science, philosophy, history of religions, international politics and contemporary issues. It is mainly based in London, while a considerable amount of its editors are themselves based in the United States or Canada, making it a rather international and global magazine.

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References

  1. ↑ The Herald, Monday 30 September 2002
  2. ↑ Gilham, Jamie (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. C. Hurst & Co. p. 180. ISBN   978-1-84904-275-8.
  3. ↑ The Herald, Monday 30 September 2002
  4. ↑ Gilham, Jamie (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. C. Hurst & Co. p. 168. ISBN   978-1-84904-275-8.
  5. ↑ Bashir Ahmad Orchard, (1993), Life Supreme, Islam International, p.124
  6. ↑ Gilham, Jamie (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. C. Hurst & Co. p. 168. ISBN   978-1-84904-275-8.
  7. ↑ Gilham, Jamie (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. C. Hurst & Co. p. 168. ISBN   978-1-84904-275-8.
  8. ↑ Gilham, Jamie (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. C. Hurst & Co. p. 144. ISBN   978-1-84904-275-8.
  9. ↑ Gilham, Jamie (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. C. Hurst & Co. p. 180. ISBN   978-1-84904-275-8.
  10. ↑ Gilham, Jamie (2014). Loyal Enemies: British Converts to Islam, 1850-1950. C. Hurst & Co. p. 190. ISBN   978-1-84904-275-8.
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