Muhammad Ali Jinnah, also known as Quaid-e-Azam, was born on 25 December 1876 in Karachi. He was the son of Jinnahbhai Poonja and Mithibai.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah received his early education at home and then joined the Sindh Madrasatul Islam (now Sindh Madressatul Islam University) in Karachi. Later, he got admission to the Christian Missionary Society High School in Karachi, where he passed the matriculation examination. Muhammad Ali Jinnah went to England to study law, and after becoming a barrister, he returned to British India and joined the Bombay High Court. As a lawyer, Jinnah gained fame for his skilled handling of the 1908 "Caucus Case".
Muhammad Ali Jinnah married Emibai Jinnah in 1892, and then in 1918, married Rattanbai (later Maryam Jinnah).
Muhammad Ali Jinnah also took an interest in national politics, and began political life by attending the 20th annual meeting of the Congress, in Bombay, in December 1904. He was amongst those members of the Congress, who wanted Hindu–Muslim unity in achieving self-government. Later, he joined the All India Muslim League, and advocated for the Muslims' rights and then emerged as a leader of the Pakistan Movement.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was striving hard for the Indian Muslims, but when he suffered disappointment on the part of Indian politics in the early 1930s, he moved to England and decided to settle there. Realising the situation, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), Khalifatul Masih II, wished to bring him back to India so that he may continue his efforts. Hence, he instructed Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dard (ra), the then Ahmadi imam of The London Mosque, to persuade Jinnah to return to British India.
Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dard (ra) had meetings with Jinnah and tried to convince him, and upon his invitation, Jinnah attended an event on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha at the Fazl Mosque in London, in April 1933, and delivered a speech on the future of India. This speech attracted many newspapers of the British and Indian press, including The Statesman, Madras Mail, Hindu, The Sunday Times, etc.
Pakistan Times reported:
“It was Mr Liaquat Ali Khan and Maulana Abdur Rahim Dard [ra], an Imam of London Mosque, who persuaded Mr M. A. Jinnah to change his mind and return home to play his role in the national politics. Consequently, Mr Jinnah returned to India in 1934 and was elected to the Central Assembly, un-opposed.” (Pakistan Times, 11 September 1981, Quaid-I-Azam Anniversary Supplement, p. 2, col. 1)
Quaid-e-Azam then restarted his efforts for the Muslims of India, with a new zeal, and had great support from Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) at every crucial step.
The elections of 1945-46 hold great importance for the establishment of Pakistan. While narrating an incident of those crucial days, Sirdar Shaukat Hayat states:
“One day, I got a message from Quaid-i-Azam saying ‘Shaukat, I believe you are going to Batala, which I understand is about five miles from Qadian. Please go there and meet the Hazrat Sahib of Qadian [Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra)], request him on my behalf for his blessings and support for Pakistan’s cause.’
After the meeting that night at about midnight, I reached Qadian. When I got there, Hazrat Sahib had retired. I sent him a message that I had brought a request for him from the Quaid-i-Azam. He came down immediately and enquired what were Qaid’s orders. I conveyed to him Quaid’s message to pray for and also support Pakistan. He replied ‘Please convey to the Quaid-i-Azam that we have been praying for his Mission from the very beginning. Where the help of his followers is concerned, no Ahmadi will stand [in elections] against a Muslim Leaguer.’” (The Nation That Lost its Soul, p. 147)
Pakistan was established in 1947, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Governor-General. He worked to establish the new government and policies and to aid the millions of migrants. He appointed Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (ra), a companion of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, as the first foreign minister of Pakistan.
On 11 August 1947, during his address to the First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said:
"...Life,... property, and the religious beliefs should be fully protected by the state at any cost... My guiding principle will be justice, fair play and complete impartiality in the discharge of my duties..."
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah passed away on 11 September 1948 and was buried in Karachi.
Further Reading:
- Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Masroor: Volume 7, (*****), 147, 148
- Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Masroor: Volume 10, (*****), 191
- Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Tahir: Volume 3, (*****, 2005), 624, 712, 735
- Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Tahir: Volume 7, (*****), 578
- Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Tahir: Volume 8, (*****), 36-39
- Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Mahmood: Volume 28, (*****), 188
- Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Mahmood: Volume 29, (*****), 314-315
- Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Mahmood: Volume 32, (*****), 158
- Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Mahmood: Volume 35, (*****), 317, 333
- Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Mahmood: Volume 37, (*****), 389
- Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Khutbat-e-Mahmood: Volume 39, (*****), 311
