On issue of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ and understanding the larger problem, let’s first dwell back into recent past.

Summer of 1897 was approaching. There lived an Arya Samaji Pandit Lekh Ram who was in continual academic confrontations with Ahmediyas.

The self proclaimed prophet and founder of Ahmediya Cult, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had been a staunch critic of Hindu-Dharma and Arya Samaj specifically.

Pandit Lekh Ram was not only questioning Islamic doctrine, he was also vocal about show it as root behind Hindu-Muslim tension. Mirza published Surma-i-Chashm-i-Arya (Antimony to open the Eyes of the Aryas)

In response Pd Lekh Ram wrote Nuskha-i-Khabt-i-Ahmadiyya (A Prescription for the Madness of the Ahmadiyya).

To influence more in Punjab, Ahmad wrote Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya (The Muhammadan Proofs). Lekh Ram refuted that work through Takzeeb Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya (Falsification of the Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya).

This flared up matter and began the series of disputes between two sides that shall end only with Lekh Ram’s murder (March 1897). 

1892, Lekh Ram published his, Risala-i-Jihad ya’ni Din-i-Muhammadi ki Buniyad (A Treatise on Holy War or the Basis of the Muhammadan Religion).

Lekh Ram showed Islam as being a faith based on only war and sensuality which was root of Hindu Muslim tension of 1890s. 

1893, Mirza Ahmad published a prophecy stating that Lekh Ram will face divine punishment and die in violent circumstances within 6 years. Mirza spoke of Lekhram as a “lifeless bellowing calf”, and went in to state that the fateful day for latter’s death will be very close to Eid.

Four years later, 6/3/1897, the next day to Eid, Lekh Ram was stabbed to death in Lahore. He was stabbed by a stranger who had come to Lekh Ram to become a Hindu becoming his disciple. 

We observe two points here:

A) The event occurred exactly as Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had professed, hence it can be a conspiracy hatched to prove his prophecy.

B) Al-Taquia has been a very evident tool against Kafirs .

While Lekh Ram was attacking Islam academically, the followers of Islam (Ahmadiya) sect showed terrific intolerance, thereby leaving him dead. This assassination led to lots of street violence among Hindus and Muslims. 

It is interesting to note that Mirza went on record to state that he had no hand in the fulfillment of the prophecy other than through purely spiritual means.

The point to be noted is this, that Mirza by heart always wished Lekh Ram to meet such death. Lekh Ram never wished such for any Muslim, yet… 

We all know that Dharmik faiths don’t convert but Islam and Christianity were on spree of mass conversion by force and by luring.

Examples of worst forced conversions were shown during Khalifa Movement supported by Congress and pioneered by MK Gandhi. 

Looking at the situation, Swami Shradhanand, a disciple of Dayanand had begun Shuddhi Movement (known as Gharwapasi today). But it made Muslims go on extreme offence. The discussion between Shaukat Ali and Savarkar is a great example of such case. Vikram Sampath has documented the whole discussion as it was in his book Savarkar-2.

It is ironic that even though Saukat Ali was keen not to stop converting, he had problem with Reconversion. MK Gandhi came out as strong critic of Shuddhi Movement too. 1922, he writes as below in Young India, in piece “Hindu-Muslim-Tensions: Causes and Resistance”-

“Swami Shraddhanand has also become a character of disbelief. I know that his speeches are often provocative. Just as most Muslims think, that every non-Muslim will one day convert to Islam, Shraddhanand also believes that, every Muslim can be initiated into the Aryan.”

Interestingly he never asked Muslims to stop conversions though he knew the problem. On 23/12/1926 he was assassinated by Abdul Rashid.

Interestingly it happened as opposition to Shuddhi. It gives clear hint that even though Muslims were keen to convert, they had issue if Hindus wanted to resist and do Gharwapasi. 

Later Gandhi went on to defend Abdul Rashid very boldly. He even called him his brother. He even went forward to save Abdul Rashid from any action by the government of the day. 

Sources–

• Arya Dharm: Hindu Consciousness in 19th-century Punjab by Kenneth Jones, pg 149
• Prophecy Continuous: Aspects of Ahmadi Religious Thought and Its Medieval Background, pg 9 
• Islam and the Ahmadiyya jamaʻat: history, belief, practice. Pg 48, by Valentine Simone
• Islam and Britain: Muslim Mission in an Age of Empire by Ron Graves, Pg 38
• Prophecy Continuous: Aspects of Ahmadi Religious Thought and Its Medieval Background, pg 10 

(This article has been compiled from the tweet thread of @Aabhas24)