Pir Meher Ali Shah was born on 14 April 1859. He was a religious scholar of British India, belonging to the Chishti order.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), in his challenge issued on 20 July 1900, invited all so-called scholars and Muslim Ulema especially Pir Meher Ali Shah to demonstrate their eloquence and fluency of Arabic by participating in a seven-hour live contest of writing a commentary in high flown Arabic on 40 verses on a surah selected through drawing a lot at a public meeting in Lahore where all should gather including Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). This was an open challenge to all and none dared to pick up this challenge.
Then one day without notifying or accepting the challenge as put forward, Pir Meher Ali Shah arrived in Lahore, and imposing a condition on this contest, he tried to mislead his own followers that he was in Lahore and the man who held out the challenge was not there. Not only that, he and his followers trumpeted their self-styled victory and heaped abuses on Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) for running away.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) issued another flyer dated 15 December 1900, which is included in Arba‘in Number. 4, to expose the shallow knowledge of Arabic of Pir Meher Ali Shah. Hazrat Ahmad (as) invited Pir Meher Ali Shah to write a commentary on Surah al-Fatihah in eloquent and fluent Arabic. Hazrat Ahmad (as) on his part promised to write a commentary on Surah al-Fatihah in the Arabic language.
Further, Hazrat Ahmad (as) gave permission to Pir Meher Ali Shah to invoke and enlist the help of any or all leading Arab scholars, even professors of the Arabic language and invite them to Lahore to assist him in this venture. Hazrat Ahmad (as) pointed out this was to be done within 70 days and not a day beyond. Three well known Arabic scholars be invited to adjudge and pass judgement on the command, eloquence and fluency of both these writings and if the pir’s entry was adjudged better, then he would give Rs. 500 in prize money and he would burn all books and take an oath of allegiance at his hand and if things happened otherwise and he could not write the commentary in 70 days then he was not interested, it would only expose how a Pir could speak such a vicious lie.
Hazrat Ahmad (as) wrote an elegant commentary on Surah al-Fatihah in Arabic and published it in his book Ijaz-ul-Masih. It was posted to Pir Meher Ali Shah on 23 February 1901.
Just like all other opponents of Hazrat Ahmad (as), Pir Meher Ali Shah also failed to compete with Hazrat Ahmad (as) in the commentary of the Holy Quran, and divine knowledge. Pir Meher Ali Shah always kept looking for excuses, and despite living after the demise of Hazrat Ahmad (as), could not have the courage to accept the challenge of Hazrat Ahmad (as) for writing the commentary in Arabic.
Pir Meher Ali Shah passed away on 11 May 1937.
