The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-05 00:00:00

THE GREAT MOULVI NOW IN
CALCUTTA.

• For the last few days Calcutta has been kept in a
perfect ferment, in consequence of the arrival of a great
Moulvi, who is credited with possessing miraculous
powers of curing all diseases which flesh is heir to.
His process of treatment is extremely simple. As he
passes where people are assembled with earthern pots
of water and a small quantity of k,ala jari, he breathes
blessings on either side ; and a single breath is said to
impregnate the water with curative properties.
Whether any cures have been effected or not, we are
not in a position to say ; but we hear that earthern
pots and kala jari are now selling at unprecedently
high prices in the city, so that whatever other results
may followed it, the Moulvi's arrival has at least
done some benefit to trade. The Moulvi's process is,
in fact, neither more nor less than what spiritualists call
mesmerising water. Never before, perhaps, except on
the occasion of the landing of the Prince of Wale.,
were such countless crowds gathered together along
the Strand, as during the last few days have been
flocking to see the great Moulvi now in Caicutta, and
to avail themselves of the benefit of his miraculous
powers. Not only Hindoos and Mahomedans, but even
Christians of all classes have joined in this concourse.
Wherever he goes, people flock after him in thousands
and thousands. A few details regarding him will,
doubtless, be found interesting. The name of this
gentleman, who is now making such a stir in Cal-
cutta, is Moulvi Hafiz Ahmed, and he is the son of
the late Moulvi Keramut Ali of Jaunpore. Like his
father, he is a Mahomedan Sunni preacher. He
generally travels about in his Budgerow in Burrisaul,
Furridpore, Jessore, and other parts of Eastern
Bengal, where he has thousands of disciples. He
is a man in easy circumstances, and does not
ask for anything from anybody. Whatever is
given to him i 3 pontaneously he spends freely in
charity. His father was a most loyal subject
of the Queen. He used to preach against Waha-
beeism, and once delivered a lecture, on the 23rd
November, 1870, at a meeting of the Mahomedan Lite-
rary Society in Calcutta, on a question of Mahomedan
law, involving the duty of Mahomedans in British
India towards the ruling power. In that lecture he
gave it as his opinion that India was a Dar u'
Islam, a country of Islam, and that, consequently,
no je;tad could be declared in this country. The
effect of the lecture was that Wahabeeism co n-
siderably lost ground, till it is now scarcely heard of in
India. He and his father have always been on the side
of law and order. On another occasion, his father read
the prayers of Eed on the maidan at Calcutta, where,
according to the reports of the police officers stationed
there to keep order, nearly 50,000 persons were pre-
sent. The great Moulvi lives in his Budgerow at
Prinsepp's Ghat—the same Budgerow in which he
travels about to visit his disciples in Eastern Bengal.
He yesterday visited the Mosque in Colutolla-street.
The Moulvi is generally known to be a most pious
man, and is considered a great authority on points of
Mahomedan doctrine and law.—lndian Mirror.