Maul ana Abdul Wahi d, Fazi l , f ac ed w i t h a daunt i ng t ask i n Fi j i

By Fi j i sun USA edi t or Dr . H. Koya

As t he f i r st Ahmadi yya Musl i m mi ssi onar y t o t he Fi j i I sl ands post ed i n 1962 t housands of mi l es
aw ay f r om hi s homel and Pak i st an, t he l at e Maual ana Abdul Wahi d Fazi l w as f ac ed w i t h a daut ng
t ask of bui l di ng a new j amaat f r om t he sc r at c h.
The l at e Khal i f a of J amaat Ahmadi yya Hazr at Mi r za Mahmood Ahmad had assi gned Dr . Mat i ul l ah Dar d t o
assi st Maul ana Andul Wahi d sahi b on a par t t i me basi s wi t h i nst r uc t i ons pr i mar i l l y t o ser ve Fi j i c ommuni t y
as a hi gh sc hool t eac her . I n c hoosi ng and pl ac i ng Maul ana Abdul Wahi d sahi b f or t he Fi j i mi ssi on, t he
Khal i f a sahi b w as c l ear l y dr i ven by t he pr ophec y of hi s l at e f at her t he Pr omi sed Messi ah (peac e be on hi m),
I shal l c ause t hy movement t o r eac h t he c or ner s of t he ear t h.
Mi ssi on house on Ki ngs Road, Samabul a
New i n an i sl and c ount r y wi t h l i mi t ed r esour c es, Maul ana Wahi d r ent ed a smal l house on Ki ngs Road i n
Samabul a about 20 mi nut es f r om dow nt ow n Suva Ci t y, Fi j i s c api t al . Thi s w as a c onveni ent l oc at i on f ac i ng
t he mai n hi ghw ay wher e al l maj or buses st opped by and wi t hi n r eac h of shoppong c ent er , l oc al pol i c e
st at i on and a Musl i m sc hool c l oseby.
Thi s dw el i ng house w as c onver t ed i nt o a mosque w i t h a smal l I sl ami c l i br ar y. A c hal k boar d post ed
out si de f ac i ng t he r oad of f er r ed f r ee Ar abi c c l asses t hat i mmedi at t el y at t r ac t ed l oc al par ent s t o send i n
t hei r k i ds f or eveni ng c l asses.
Wi t hi n a f ew shor t mont hs a handf ul member s j oi ned t he J amaat t hat paved t he
w ay f ur t her pr ogr ess.
Qur an i n Fi j i an l anguage
Wi t h a wi nni ng per sonal i t y and gr eat peopl e sk i l l s, Maul ana Wahi d qui c k l y made
f r i ends w i t h t he Fi j i ans i nc udng a r et i r ed sc hool t eac her w ho w as hi r ed t o
t r ansl t e t he Hol y Qur an i nt o Fi j i an l anguage. Maul ana Wahi d sahi b w as abl e t o
ac c ompl i sh t hi s huge t ask i n l ess t han t w o year s. The manusc r i pt l ay i n w ai t f or
a r evi ew and f i nal pr oof r eadi ng bef or e c omi ng out i n pr i nt w hi c h w as i ni t i at ed
some 12 year s l at er i n 2006 by t he vi si t i ng Khal i f a Hazr at Mi r za Tahi r Ahmad.
Gr eat or at or and ex ponent
Maul ana Wahi d w as f amous f or a hi s l ongi sh ex post i ons i n Ur du l anguage t hat f or med t he basi s of
our k now l edge. Many f ol l ow ed hi s or at or y st yl e t o bec ome gr eat speak er s t hemsel ves. He al w ays
bac k ed ar gument s w i t h c opi ous r ef er enc es f r om t he book s of Hazr at Masi h-e-Maoud.
Si r Zaf r ul l ah Khan vi si t Fi j i on hi s w at c h
One of t he gr eat est event s w as a vi si t t o Fi j i i n 1964 by Si r Muhammad Zaf r ul l ah
Khan t he f i r st f or ei gn mi ni st er of Pak i st an and r et i r ed j udge of t he I nt er nat i onal
Cour t of J ust i c e as par t of vol unt eer (w aqf e aar zi ). He w as di r ec t ed by Hazr at
Khal i f at ul Masi h I I t our Fi j i on hi s w ay t o Aust r al i a. Thi s w as an appoc h mak i ng
vi si t as Col oni al VI PS, Di pl omat s and Gover nment of f i c i al sought t o meet Si r
Zaf r ul l ah Khan and at t end al l t he publ i c event s t hat dr ew pac k ed audi enc e.
Fi j i medi a gave t he vi si t max i mum ex posur e f or t he hi gh pr of i l e and i nt er nat i onal
popul ar i t y Si r Zaf r ul l ah Khan enj oyed as a j usr i st , pol i t i c i an and sought -af t er publ i c speak er .