A picture of Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) in his youth.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) had three sisters. Two were older than him while one was younger. His birth was a very happy occasion because Sayyadah Maryam (ra) who became known as Umm-e-Tahir (the mother of Tahir), had previously given birth to a son who had unfortunately passed away at a young age. Thus, the birth of Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) was a source of great joy for the family.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) had wide eyes and fine black hair with a slightly angled, yet defined nose. He was of fair complexion, medium height, and an average but defined build that exuded energy. When he was weaned, his nurse would take him to the dairy farm where he was given fresh cow milk to drink. He enjoyed a fairly healthy childhood and was of a very cheerful nature, always smiling and happy. He was also mischievous, but did not commit mischief that would cause anyone injury.
A picture of Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) in his youth.
He would play with his peers and engage in competitions, like walking on the wall or jumping over buckets filled with rainwater. When he grew a little older, he started playing football (soccer) and kabaddi which is a contact sport popular in India and Pakistan. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) became very well known in this sport.
Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV (rta) was a keen sportsman since childhood. He played squash, badminton and in the photograph above can be seen playing table tennis.
Early in his life, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) displayed his curiosity, sense of adventure, and caring for others. Once, he watched a well being dug in Qadian. During the day, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta), who was then only a little boy, saw how the workers would grab onto the rope with their hands and pushing their feet against the wall of the well, climb down into the well, and in the same way climb out. In the evening, when all the workers had left, he decided that he would also go down into the well. So, he grabbed the rope, got into the well and started looking for the walls, but his feet were too short and could not reach the wall. As result, he slid down the rope into the well, burning his hands on the rope. This gave him severe burns and scratches. He was scared that when he went home his Ammi Jaan, as he called his mother, would see his wounded hands and become worried. Therefore, he first went to a doctor and got an ointment for his hands but no bandages. In this way, he tolerated the pain but did not let his mother find out about it, since she would be worried. He was also very much afraid of getting in trouble!
Another time Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) was playing kabaddi. He performed a scissor kick on a player from the opposing team with such precision that he broke his shin. This deeply disturbed him and he stopped playing kabaddi after this. Sometime later, his friends insisted that he play just one game to help them since the opposing team was very strong. He agreed to play. Ironically, he used the same scissor kick on the very first player of the opposing team and broke his leg too!
After this incident, he decided never to play kabaddi again and quit for good. However, his interest in the game never ceased. He was also very good at archery and was an excellent horseback rider and a strong swimmer. He was a very courageous and strong individual.
His sister, respected Amatul Qayyum, narrates that in childhood when Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would say earnestly, ‘I will be the people’s shepherd.’
In 1934, when Hazrat Musleh Mau’ud (ra) launched the Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Zindagi schemes, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rta) was only nine years old but despite that, he presented himself for waqf, or a lifelong sacrifice to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He also started to pay his chanda or obligatory alms regularly, which he would save out of his own pocket money.