Mahashah Muhammad Omar was born in 1907 in a village in Sialkot district. His birth name was Yogendra Pal and was the son of Dhani Ram.
Until the age of eight, he was educated in the village school where he lived. He befriended Muslim children. In his school, there was an Ahmadi teacher who taught children about Ahmadiyyat as well as teaching the school curriculum.
Mahashah Muhammad Omar was later sent to a religious school in Kangra to pursue higher studies in Hinduism so that he could become a Pandit, according to his ancestral profession. There, he studied for six years.
At the age of 14, he went to Qadian with a teacher and a few boys. He stayed there for a week. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), Khalifatul Masih II, suggested to the teacher to take some Ahmadi boys with him to Kangra to teach them Sanskrit, and said that if those boys wanted to become Hindus, after being influenced by the Vedas, he would not mind. Similarly, Huzoor (ra) told him to leave as many Hindu boys in Qadian as he could, as he would teach them the Holy Quran. He further added that, with the influence of the Holy Quran, if they chose, they were free to accept Ahmadiyyat. In each case, Huzoor (ra) said, he would take care of the expenses for the students.
Years later, Mahashah Muhammad Omar along with a friend of his, wrote to Huzoor (ra) stating that if the offer was still valid, then they would like to come and study Arabic. When Huzoor (ra) answered in the affirmative, the other boy refused to go; however, Mahashah Muhammad Omar went to Qadian. Huzoor (ra) rented a room for him and hired a Hindu attendant as well. And thus, Mahashah Muhammad Omar started learning Arabic. After six months had passed, he declared himself an Ahmadi.
When he went back to his village and broke the news, his brothers beat him with iron rods. Mahashah Muhammad Omar hid in a Muslim house in the village where his mother would deliver food to him. After bearing these hardships for three days, he somehow escaped his village and reached Qadian. In Qadian, Huzoor (ra) entrusted him to Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Mughni (ra).
After a short time, Mahashah Muhammad Omar prepared for and passed the Maulvi Faazil course and dedicated his life to the Jamaat. Huzoor (ra) very kindly took care of all his expenses personally.
Mahashah Muhammad Omar was married to Amir Begum, daughter of Hazrat Munshi Karam Ali (ra).
Mahashah Muhammad Omar also served as a missionary of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.
He passed away on 3 September 1968, and was buried in Bahishti Maqbarah, Rabwah. (Al Fazl Rabwah, 1 and 2 August 2001)
