The story of the red drops. It’s a story we’ve all likely heard if not once but numerous times. But do we know who that man was with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)? The early history of Jama’at has such amazing stories of individuals who often are unnoticed. It’s important to recount the lives of our forefathers, of those brave souls who had the zeal and courage to fulfill the instruction of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and pledge allegiance at the hand of the Imam Mahdi.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah be his Helper) explained that by recounting such stories, “This will result in a strengthening of the connection of the new generations with the Jama’at and will also help in their training” (Friday Sermon, 12 October 2012).
So who was the companion of the red drops?
Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him).
Born in 1861, he was the son of Respected Karim Basksh Sahib and the grandson of Respected Muhammad Baksh Sahib. He was born in the state of Patayala Tehseeldar Sir e Hind. Specifically in the town of Sanor.
In his childhood, he was a very quiet and unassuming boy. He had tremendous sympathy and compassion for others. This extended to all of God’s creation including birds and other small animals. He would often take pieces of bread and feed them to birds. Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) was very intelligent. He was especially gifted in mathematics and would never hesitate to tutor others.
Family Background
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib’s (may Allah be pleased with him) family was very religiously inclined and pious. They were also renowned for their love of knowledge. Although they primarily worked in the field of zameendari, this was actually a means for them to advance their education as they were very passionate about the acquisition of knowledge. The funds used from the work would be used to support education.
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib’s (may Allah be pleased with him) maternal uncle, Muhammad Yusuf Sahib, played a key role in the moral upbringing of Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him). He was constantly vigilant about his engagements and would always be arranging various means for him to advance in spirituality.
Spirituality during Youth
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) was a part of the Ahl e Hadith before joining the Jama’at of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He was strict in his adherence to the principles of Islam and avoided all forms of innovation. His maternal uncle, Respected Muhammad Yusuf Sahib was pivotal in his moral upbringing. He had a special affection for Abdullah Sanori. Thus, he urged his nephew to visit Amritsar and spend time with Abdullah Ghaznawi Sahib. Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) fulfilled his uncle’s wishes. After spending some time in his spiritual proximity, he decided to take Bai’at at Ghaznawi Sahib’s hands.
A Saint in Qadian
Despite finding a spiritual guide, he still felt unsatisfied and sought his maternal uncle’s assistance in finding other saints. Initially, his uncle had heard of a great saintly figure in the village of Arah. Accordingly, he decided to journey to meet this figure. However, just before departure, Respected Muhammad Yusuf Sahib had heard of another divine and complete figure in the small village of Qadian. He was apparently writing a book with a challenge of ten thousand rupees to match. Thus, Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) was told that if he is to visit any saint, it should be this one. Upon hearing this, he immediately departed to Qadian.
Meeting the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)
At the age of 20 or 21, Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) had the great honor of meeting the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). When he reached Qadian, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was in Bait ul Fikr reciting the Holy Quran. Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) said “Assalam-o-Alaikum” to Huzoor (peace be upon him) and introduced himself. His heart felt great comfort and tranquility by being in the company of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He recognized a light and distinct beauty on his face. He later admitted that the Promised Messiah’s (peace be upon him) face was enough to guide him to acceptance. Although he initially only spent a few days, he quickly returned to Qadian and stayed a week more.
Following this, he began to regularly visit Qadian whenever he had any free time. He would spend months on end with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Especially in the month of Ramadan, he made sure to spend time in Huzoor’s (peace be upon him) presence. Whenever he had an excess of work, he would write to Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) and he would immediately go to Qadian. In these days, Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) would often get the opportunity to benefit from the company of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).
Testifying to the Miracles of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) had the blessed opportunity of personally witnessing many miracles of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). For instance on the 10th of July 1885, he was with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) who was as usual resting on Masjid Mubarak. He was massaging the feet of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) when suddenly he began to tremble and his eyes started tearing. Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) noticed that there were red drops on Huzoor’s garment. Upon seeing this he thought of:
صِبۡغَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ صِبۡغَةٗ
He later on asked Huzoor (peace be upon him) as to what caused these drops of red ink. Huzoor (peace be upon him), after a lot of hesitation, explained that he saw a vision of God sitting atop a building signing various decrees. In this vision, God was using a red ink pen. These drops were a manifestation of that vision. Huzoor (peace be upon him) then pointed out that there were some drops on Sanori Sahib’s hat as well. Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) then requested Huzoor (peace be upon him) to have his garment, but Huzoor (peace be upon him) only agreed on the condition that it was buried with him.
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) also had the honor of witnessing the Revealed Sermon at the occasion of Eid ul Adha in 1900.
Traveling with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) had the honor of going on countless journeys with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Whenever Huzoor (peace be upon him) would plan to go on a journey, he would write to Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) and tell him to accompany him. He traveled with Huzoor (peace be upon him) to Hoshiarpur, Lahore, Patala, Amritsar, Ali Gurh, and many other cities.
Taking the Bai’at
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) sought to take bai’at at the hands of Huzoor (peace be upon him) for many years. In 1889, when Allah the Almighty commanded him to take the Bai’at, Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) was also blessed to take part. He was fortunate to be the fourth person to take bai’at that blessed day.
Obedience to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)
Prior to his acceptance of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) had the habit of using hookah. Once Huzoor (peace be upon him) found out about this and in a gathering, ordered a companion to bring Hookah and ordered Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) to smoke it. Initially, Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) was very embarrassed so he hesitated. However, Huzoor (peace be upon him) told him that you have a habit of smoking so why are you embarrassed now? Eventually, Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) took a small amount. Huzoor (peace be upon him) then told him that he is staunchly opposed to this habit. Upon hearing this Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) says that his heart began to hate the practice.
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) had the blessed opportunity to personally learn the meaning and commentary of the Holy Quran from the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) himself during the month of Ramadan. After learning under the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) he notes that a new and deep understanding of the Holy Quran opened up to him.
Once Huzoor (peace be upon him) prepared a pamphlet to invite opponents and non-Muslims to come see the signs of his truthfulness. Huzoor (peace be upon him) instructed Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) to deliver this pamphlet to a priest, Wyatt Bright. It was late afternoon and it was cold and rainy. Another companion was given this task too but he chose to wait till the next day. However, Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) said that since Huzoor (peace be upon him) has given him this work, he must go and complete it now. He went straight to the priest and delivered the message.
Important Services
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) served the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) since their first meeting. Despite having a humble job and earnings, he spent months on end completing the tasks assigned to him by Huzoor (peace be upon him). Early on, Huzoor (peace be upon him) would have Sanori Sahib (peace be upon him) transcribe his letters. Often Huzoor (peace be upon him) would send Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) to Amritsar to complete publication work. Similarly he sent Hazrat Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) to carry out the work associated with his revelation “وسع مکانک.”
When Huzoor (peace be upon him) first published Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, he would often reply to letters by himself. These responses would require vast theological knowledge. However when Huzoor (peace be upon him) was familiarized with Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him), he passed this onto him.
As mentioned earlier, despite a humble job, Hazrat Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) was open hearted in his donations for the propagation of Islam. He would constantly donate for the sake of religion. Huzoor (peace be upon him) praised him in his book “Izala Auham” highlighting that despite humble earnings, he always has the habit of donating in the cause of Allah. He even urged his wife to sell her jewelry and donate the funds in the cause of Islam. Huzoor (peace be upon him) personally wrote to Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) and his wife regarding this sacrifice and prayed for them.
During the era of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), Hazrat Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) had the honor of partaking in a mubahila (prayer duel) in 1916. Mualvi Sanauallah Amritsari raised various allegations on the incident of the red drops, so Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) was sent to respond. He went to his house on November 27, 1916 to respond, however Mualvi Sanuallah never responded.
Additionally, Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) played a big role in the collection of the narrations of Sirat-ul-Mahdi by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad M.A. (may Allah be pleased with him). Many narrations have been narrated directly by him.
The Promised Messiah’s Love for Hazrat Sanori Sahib
On countless occasions it is mentioned by Huzoor (peace be upon him) that he prayed especially for Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him). Anytime he faced a difficulty or went through a trial, Huzoor (peace be upon him) would pray for him.
Huzoor (peace be upon him) himself once stated, “I am very happy with you. I know that Allah has filled your heart with sincerity and love.”
His Family
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) had two wives. His first marriage was before moving to Qadian. From his first wife, he had four sons and one daughter: Rahmatullah Sahib, Habeebullah Sahib, Abdur Raheem Sahib, Ismatullah Sahib, and Sharifan Sahiba.
When the need for his second marriage arose, he began searching for potential spouses. He informed Huzoor (peace be upon him) regarding this and Huzoor (peace be upon him) himself helped search for spouses. When Huzoor (peace be upon him) was praying regarding this, he received the revelation “نا کامی” then he received the revelation “فصبر جمیل”. Eventually, Hazrat Master Qadir Bakhsh Sahib gave his daughter, Zainab Sahiba, in rishta to Sanori Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him). Master Sahib faced great opposition from his father and family due to this, however Allah greatly blessed this marriage.
From his second wife, he had one son and one daughter: Abdul Qadeer Niyaz Sahib and Maryam Sahiba.
Death
Hazrat Abdullah Sanori Sahib passed away on October 7, 1927 at the age of 66. Although he was generally healthy, he suffered from a stroke a few days before his death. This pious soul served the community of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) till his final breaths. He had the great honor of serving Huzoor (peace be upon him) for 26 years.
