Imam Bashir Ahmad Rafiq’s Biography
Chapter 56: Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan



Throughout his life, like a moon, Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan kept on illuminating his surroundings. He was indeed endowed with some rare and superlative attributes. He was gifted with superb principles to which he strictly adhered all his life. Fear of God and sympathy for others, were firmly ingrained in his character. He was an arch lover of Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa SAW and of the Promised Messiah. He was passionate about calling others to the path of Allah. He was very hospitable, extremely well mannered and a true devotee to the institution of Khilafat.
The late Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan inherited the esteem for Ahmadiyyat and high morals from his father, Hadhrat Muhammad Khawas Khan. I had known him from my childhood and in various ways, we were related.

In January 1959 when I sailed for England from Karachi three gentlemen came to see me off i.e. the late Sheikh Khaleel ur Rahman Secretary Ziafat in Karachi, the late Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan. He was then a student in the Medical College in Karachi and Dr. Basharat Ahmad of Yorkshire who was also a Medical student in those days. A few years later, after having obtained a medical degree Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan came to London and stayed with me. He found employment in Edinburgh and went there. There he married an English lady who became a Muslim, Selma Mubaraka Khan. The wedding ceremony took place in my house and I made the necessary arrangements for the Waleema feast. On the advent of Selma Mubaraka Khan Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan’s house assumed an image of Paradise. Seldom have I met such a blessed couple who, in the matter of good deeds, Taqwa, Dawat il Allah and hospitality tried to excel each other. They remained engaged in this endeavor as if every moment of their life was reserved for service in the name of God. They held their faith above all worldly affairs in the true sense.
Like fanatics, both husband and wife remained engrossed in Tableegh. Never even for a moment, did they neglect their duty in bringing up their children. They were blessed with three sons and a daughter. They brought them up in an endearing manner and trained them to follow the teachings of Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Because of this effort all four of them are shining examples of Ahmadiyyat and all four of them strictly follow the path of Ahmadiyyat. .
Whenever they visited London Dr. Saeed, his wife and children stayed with me. In those days, Hadhrat Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan used to visit London from The Hague. After his retirement, he settled in a flat in the Mission House.
For the very first time Dr. Saeed met Hadhrat Chaudhry Sahib in that flat. Hadhrat Chaudhry Sahib was deeply impressed by, not only the husband and wife, but also by their little children. That relationship with the whole family became so close that they all became members of the same family. Hadhrat Chaudhry Sahib often said that in spite of being a Pathan, Saeed was meek, serene and tolerant. Selma Mubaraka Khan and Chaudhry Sahib also grew very close to each other. Once, for several days, Chaudhry Sahib stayed in their house in Yorkshire. He corresponded with their children on a regular basis and always referred to the family with great affection. In the days when the Annual Conference of the Jamaat was held in Rabwah at the end of December each year, Dr. Saeed and his family would visit Pakistan and while they were in Lahore, they were guests of Chaudhry Sahib. They really enjoyed his hospitality.
In the days when Dr. Saeed was newly married and lived in a small flat in Edinburgh, Hadhrat Khalifa tul Masih III toured Scotland. I accompanied him. Dr. Saeed asked me if Huzoor, along with his retinue, could visit him in his flat for a short while. I told him that we were pressed for time but if he himself made the request Huzoor might agree. Saeed came to see Huzoor, introduced himself and then begged Huzoor to visit him at his flat in Edinburgh. Without the slightest hesitation, Huzoor accepted the offer. I am sure this was made possible only because of Saeed’s devotion. Huzoor visited him along with his retinue and stayed there for a while. Saeed and his wife Selma Mubaraka were beyond themselves with joy. With full zeal, they remained engaged in serving Huzoor. Although there were other Ahmadis in Edinburgh Dr. Saeed was most fortunate as Huzoor had visited him. Possibly, as a result of that visit the whole family’s contact with Hadhrat Khalifa tul Masih III grew closer and closer. Whenever Saeed and his family visited Rabwah for the Annual Conference, out of his kindness, Huzoor would invite them for a meal at the Qasr e Khilafat. He would also instruct the Ziafat staff to take good care of them.
After a while, Doctor Saeed got employment in Yorkshire on a permanent basis. He bought an enormous and spacious house in a beautiful village. Since both husband and wife were hospitable to the extreme their house became Dar uz Ziafat and all Jamaat visitors and guests began to visit them. Although she was British, in order to be hospitable to her Pakistani guests, Selma Mubaraka learnt to cook Pakistani dishes. She often entertained twenty guests at a time. I too have been privileged to participate in such feasts.
As Waqefeen e Aarzi, Dr. Saeed and Selma Mubaraka, visited Western African countries on several occasions. There they held free clinics and saw thousands of patients; they even provided free medicines to the patients. Their spirit of sacrifice and devotion was rewarded in that dozens of the locals joined the fold of Ahmadiyyat. Very often the Doctor would not accept any fee from some of his private patients. He had indeed been endowed with a big and a generous heart. When, at the end of the Annual Convention in the UK, some V.I.P. visitors set out to tour the Lake District, on the insistence of Saeed and Selma, they would make a stop at their house where they were entertained sumptuously. At being, afforded opportunities to show hospitality to such visitors both would be extremely happy. Selma would prepare some rare dishes and there was never a shortage of any item at their table. Often she would insist that the departing guests took with them some food prepared by her. On many occasions I too was recipient of her favours. Since both husband and wife were mad about Dawat il Allah, for a long time, every week, they would invite a dozen or more non-Muslim neighbours for a meal. Then they would present Islamic literature and answer any questions the guests may ask.
The Doctor was very regular in offering the five obligatory prayers in congregation. He also insisted that all members of the household should regularly join him for the congregational prayers. They had set apart a spacious room in their house for this purpose. During the Holy month of Ramadhan, after prayers, Selma Mubaraka would read aloud the English translation of a portion of the Holy Quran so that her children, who were not conversant with Urdu, would become familiar with the Quranic teachings. In this way, again and again, the English translation of the Holy Quran was read out.