Nusrat Jahan Begum

Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan Begum (1865-1952), also known by the title Ummul-Mu’mineen meaning ‘Mother of the Believers’ and Hazrat Amman Jan ‘Beloved Mother' by members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, was the second wife of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. According to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, it was revealed to him by God that he will get married for the second time. The revelation had called the second wife “Khadija “. Ahmadis believe that the second marriage was a fulfillment of many Divine prophecies.

Family History

The family had descended from the “ Ahl al-Bayt” (Family) of Muhammad, hence called the “Sada'at”. The genealogical tree connects her to Hussain the grandson of Muhammad after 40 generations. Her forefathers had migrated from Bukhara in the reign of the Mughul King Shah Jahan. The well known Urdu poet and Mystic Khwaja Mir Dard (1721-1785) was the great grand father of Nusrat Jahan Begum.

Early life

Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan Begum was born to Mir Nasir Nawab (1846-September 19, 1924) and Sayyad Begum (1849-November 24, 1932) in Delhi in 1865. In her young age she was also called ‘Ayesha Begum’ and ‘Naseer ul Jehan’.

Marriage to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

The Nikah (Wedding Ceremony) of Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan Begum and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was performed on November 17, 1884, at Delhi, by the famous religious scholar Syed Nazeer Husain of Delhi. The said Mullah Syed Nazeer Husain (Muhaddith Dehlvi) was so old and weak that he was brought in a Doli (palanquin, also known as palkhi). The Dower was fixed Rupees Eleven Hundred. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad paid the Mullah Rupees Five and a 'Prayer mat'. Very few of his friends had accompanied Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to Delhi. They included a servant Hamid Ali and a Hindu friend Lala Malawa Mal.

A Spiritual Order

A great-grandfather of Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan, with the name Sayyed Muhammad Nasir Andaleeb (1692-1758), is said to be a known poet and spiritual personality. He had been the author of many books, prose and poetry. He founded a spiritual order with the name "Silsilla Muhammadiyya". Sayyed Muhammad Nasir Andaleeb was a contemporary of Shah Waliullah (1703-1762), Shah Abdul Aziz (1745-1823), and Muhammad Fakhr-ud-din. It is reported that he saw a vision that his Spiritual Order shall last till the Mahdi appears and will then get merged in the Order established by the Mahdi.

Prophecy fulfilled

The Ahmadis claim that the last Head of the Muhammadiyya Order was Mir Nasir Nawab's father and the latter's embracing the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the hands of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad fulfilled the words revealed to Sayyed Muhammad Nasir Andaleeb. Khwaja Mir Dard in his book "Maykhana Dard" pages 145-148, he writes:

"[Translation-Urdu] ... God appointed Sayyed Muhammad Nasir Andaleeb for the Revival of Islam at the head of the 12th Century (Hijri). He took the 'sun of Islam' to its greatest heights and enlightened the world with the pure light of the Light of Muhammad....This is the saved group....its light shall continue till the appearance of the Promised Reformer,(On whom be peace) whose Light shall enlighten the whole world. In the Light of that Great Sun, the light of all sects shall merge."

Nusrat Jahan Begum and claims of Ahmad

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed he had received a divine revelation on February 20, 1886; two years after his wedding to Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan. Till then he had no issues from her. He published his divine revelations as an Announcement

"[Urdu] Your house will be filled with blessings and I shall perfect My favours unto you and you will have a large progeny from blessed women, some of whom you will find hereafter, and I will cause a great increase in your progeny and will bless it; but some of them will die in early age and your progeny will spread greatly in different lands. Every branch of your collateral will be cut off and will come to an end soon through childlessness.......Your progeny will not be cut off and will flourish till the end of days". [Announcement of February 20, 1886, Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 1, pp. 102–103]

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also predicted that a son would be born to him, a possessor of great qualities. He wrote in the same Announcement (February 20, 1886):

"A handsome and pure boy is coming as your guest. His name is Emmanuel and also Bashir. He has been invested with a spirit of holiness, and he is free from all impurity. He is the light of Allah. Blessed is he who comes from heaven. He will be accompanied by grace which shall arrive with him. He will be characterized with grandeur, greatness and wealth. He will come into the world, and will heal many of their disorders through his Messianic qualities, and through the blessings of ... He is the Word of Allah for Allah’s mercy and honour have equipped him with the Word of Majesty. He will be extremely intelligent and perceptive and will be meek of heart and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge.....His advent will be greatly blessed and will be a source of manifestation of Divine Majesty. Behold a light comes, anointed by God with the perfume of His pleasure. We shall pour Our Spirit into him and he will be sheltered under the shadow of God. He will grow rapidly in stature and will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage. His fame will spread to the ends of the earth and peoples will be blessed through him. He will then be raised to his spiritual station in heaven. [Arabic] [This is a matter decreed.]

Children

Ten children were born to Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan Begum:

Five children died young:

1. Ismat (15 April 1886–July 1891)
2. Bashir (7 August 1887 – 4 November 1888)
3. Shaukat (1891–1892)
4. Mirza Mubarik Ahmad (14 June 1899 – 16 September 1907)
5. Amtul Naseer (28 January 1903 – 3 December 1903)

Five children lived longer:

1. Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad (12 January 1889 – 8 November 1965)
2. Mirza Bashir Ahmad (20 April 1893–September 1963)
3. Mirza Sharif Ahmad (24 May 1895–December 1961)
4. (Nawab) Mubarika Begum (2 March 1897 – 23 May 1977)
5. (Nawab) Sahiba Amtul Hafeez Begum (25 June 1904 – 6 May 1987)

Last days

Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan Begum joined Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1884, five years before the foundation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889 and lived till the age of 87. She died in 1952.