by abid khan - al islam s ring finger was on my ring finger. i have no words to describe my feelings...
TRANSCRIPT
2
IntroductiontoPart2
InPart1, IwroteaboutHuzoor’sactivitiesduring thedayspreceding the
startofJalsaSalanaUK2017andconcludedbynarratingsomeofHuzoor’s
activitiesonthefirsttwodaysofJalsa.
InPart2,IwillmentionHuzoor’sactivitiesduringthefinaldayofJalsaand
thefirstcoupleofdaysafteritsconclusion.
OvercoatofthePromisedMessiah(as)
Itwas30July2017andwehadreachedtheconcludingdayofJalsaSalana
UKandthroughoutthemorning,therewasasenseofdeepanticipationfor
theInternationalBai’atceremony.
At12.30pm, IwalkedtoHuzoor’sresidenceandwaitedoutsidealongside
variousothermembersofstaffandthesecurity teamandatexactly1pm,
Huzoor came out of his residencewearing the overcoat of the Promised
Messiah(as).
Since the International Bai’at started in 1993 it has been a tradition that
HazratKhalifatulMasihhasworntheovercoatofthePromisedMessiah(as).
Formanyyears,HazratKhalifatulMasihIV(rh)andthenHazratKhalifatul
Masih V (aba) wore the same green coat of the Promised Messiah (as).
However,inthepastfewyears,Huzoorhaswornadifferentcoatofabeige-
browncolour.
3
Several peoplehad askedmeaboutwhyHuzoorhad startedwearing the
differentcoatandiftherewasanysignificanceattachedtoit.
Regardingthis,onedayIaskedHuzooraboutthis,whilstsittinginhisoffice
atMasjidFazl.
Inreply,Huzoorsaid:
“OvertimethegreencoatofthePromisedMessiah(as)hadbecomevery
wornandfrayedandsoIdecidedthatitwasbettertoweartheothercoat
ofthePromisedMessiah(as).”
Huzoorcontinued:
“WhilstitisatraditiontowearthecoatofthePromisedMessiah(as)at
theInternationalBai’atceremonyitisnotsomethingthatisnecessary.
If this coatbecomes frayedordamaged then the ceremonywill goon
withoutit.”
Anunforgettablemoment
Despitebeingamongstthousandsofothers,theBai’atceremony,formeat
least, isan incrediblypersonalexperience.Thisyear,asIdidBai’at, Iwas
perhapsametreorametreandhalffromHuzoor,withtwopeoplebetween
meandHuzoor.
Probably, it was the closest I have ever been to Huzoor during an
InternationalBai’at.BeingabletoseeHuzoordirectlyandtoseethepurity
4
of his face whilst repeating the words of Bai’at was something that will
remainetchedinmymindforaverylongtime.
ItevokedemotionsthatonlyKhilafat-e-Ahmadiyyacanevokeinthisdayand
age.ThencamethetimeforbowingdowninprostrationduringtheSajdah-
e-shukar (Prostration of gratitude). Whilst, it is called the ‘prostration of
gratitude’,everyyearattheUKJalsaasIbowdown,IfeelasthoughIcansee
mysinsandmistakesofthepastyearscrollpastmyeyes.
Thus,thevastmajorityisspentofferingIstighfar,seekingforgivenessfrom
Allah forallmymistakesandweaknessandpraying thatHe continued to
cover my faults and sins. It was only in the last few seconds that I
rememberedtoprayforthosewhomHuzoorhadinstructedustoprayfor
andformyfamily.
Truehumility
AstheBai’atconcluded,HuzoorproceededtothestageareatoleadtheZuhr
andAsrprayers.
5
WhilsttheAzanwasbeingcalled,Huzoorstoodwithhiseyeslookingdown
andhishandstogether,inthesamepositionthatwewouldnormallyplace
ourhandswhilstrepeatingthepledgeoftheJamaatauxiliaryorganisations.
InormallytrytoavertmyeyesfromHuzooratsuchmoments,asIdonot
wishtobediscourteousbystaringundulyinHuzoor’sdirection.However,
forthosefewminuteswhilsttheAzanwasbeingcalledIcouldnottakemy
eyesoffHuzoor.
Partly, itmayhavebeentheemotionIwasalreadyfeelingaftertheBai’at
but,evenmoresoatthatmoment,Huzoorlookedincrediblybeautiful,ashe
repeatedsomeprayerstohimself.
I have seenHuzoor onmany occasions standingwhilst theAzan is being
calledbutonthisoccasion,Huzoor’spostureandcountenanceseemedtobe
filledwithevenmorehumilityandloveforAllah.
Normally,ItakenotesofcertainmomentsorscenestoensurethatIdonot
forgetbutIdidnottakeanynotesofthatmoment.
However,thehumility,grace,dignityandradianceemanatingfromHuzoor’s
faceatthatmomentisimprintedinmymindunforgettably.
Experienceofajournalist
In attendance at theBai’atwere some journalists, including a lady called
RinaWolfson.
6
Earlierintheday,shehadcommentedthatthelackofmusicattheJalsawas
anoversightonourpart.Herviewwasthatmusicwasameansofeliciting
emotionandsoitwasimportanttohavemusicatspiritualevents.Yet,her
opinionchangedafterattendingtheBai’atceremony.
Afterobservingit,shesaid:
“Idon'tknowwhatcameoverme.I'veneverseensuchrawenergyand
emotioninmylifeandsoIjuststartedrepeatingthewordsmyself.Inow
knowthatitisnotnecessarytohavemusictoevokeheartfeltemotions.”
Later the same journalistwrote a very interesting piece published in the
JewishChronicle,inwhichshewrote:
“Thehospitalityofmyhostswasextraordinary.Heavyrainhadproduced
Glastonbury-esque areas of mud which my flimsy shoes were not
preparedfor.Nomatter.Withinminutesofmyarrival,apairofboots
hadbeenfoundinexactlymysize.BeforeIknewIneededanything,itwas
provided.”
The journalist further wrote about her experience of attending a lecture
givenbytheTurinShroudexpert,BarrySchwortzattheReviewofReligions
exhibition.
Shewrote:
“Isatwithagroupofover200MuslimwomenwhilstSchwortzexplained
thehistoryoftheshroudtothem.Itwasasurrealexperiencetowatchas
7
Hijabi women listened attentively to this bearded Jewish man as he
describedhis40-yearfascinationwithaChristianicon.”
WritingaboutattendingtheBai’at,thejournalistwrote:
“Iarrivedonthefinalday,intimetowitnessaremarkablemoment.As
people gathered in the huge central marquee, with thousands more
outsidewatchingeventsonscreens,theCalipharrived.Hekneeledonthe
groundandputouthishands.Themenaroundhimheldontohisfingers,
andthosebehindthemheldontotheirshoulders.
Eachmanheldontothemaninfront,toformunbrokenlinesofhuman
contact,stretchingfromtheCaliphoutintothecrowd…Afterthepledge,
themenbowedinprayer.Slowly,somebegantocry.Thensob.Thesound
of grownmen crying reverberated around the hugemarquee. It was
astounding.”
AnArab-European
During theBai’at, it is a tradition that a fewAhmadishave the great and
distincthonourtoplacetheirhanddirectlyontheblessedhandofKhalifatul
Masih.
Thoseluckyfewareconsideredrepresentativesofthepeopleoftheirpartof
theworldand inthisway,allnationswheretheJamaat isestablishedare
represented.
8
Following this year’s Bai’at, Imet anAhmadi,Muhammad Ibrahim Ikhlaf,
whowasblessedwith theopportunity topartake inBai’atdirectly at the
handofHuzoor.
Ibrahimsahib,whoisoriginallyfromMorocco,nowlivesinLondonwithhis
family and is serving as a Waqf-e-Zindighi (life devotee) in the Markaz
(centralJamaat)andisalsotheUKJamaatNationalTablighSecretary.
Ibrahimsahibtoldmeofthemomentwhenhefoundouthewouldhavethe
opportunitytotakeBai’atdirectlyatthehandofHuzoor.
Ibrahimsahibsaid:
“Onthe24thofJuly2017,IreceivedaletterfromtheofficeofTabshirin
whichIwasgiventhegladtidingthatHuzoor-Aqdashadchosenmetobe
amongthosemostfortunateonesintheentireworldtotaketheBai’atat
hisblessedhand.WhenIreadtheletter,Iwasoverwhelmedbyemotions
andengagedinsomuchIstighfarasIknewthatIdidnotdeserveit.”
Veryemotionally,Ibrahimsahibcontinued:
“Afterreceivingtheletter,Iwenttomycarandtearsstartedstreaming
downandIprayedtoAllahtheAlmightythatallmywisheshavebeen
fulfilledandthatjustonewishhadbeenleftunfulfilled.Theunfulfilled
wish forwhich I have prayed for the last two decades is to become a
martyrofAhmadiyyat. Iwill indeedbethemost fortunateone ifAllah
couldgiveme theopportunity todie for the sakeofKhilafat, even if I
wouldbecutinpiecesbytheopponents.IthenbeseechedAllah:“O,Allah,
9
IamnotworriedaboutmywifeandchildrenasIamsurethatYouwill
takecareofthem.”
IbrahimsahibalsotoldmeHuzoorhadinstructedthathewouldrepresent
notoneregionbuttwo–EuropeandtheArabworld.
Speakingaboutthis,Ibrahimsahibsaid:
“Iwasamazedandastonished.HowdidHazratKhalifatulMasihknow
thatIalwaysfeltmyselftobeEuropean,asIwasraisedinEurope,whilst
atthesametimeIamanArabandconsidermyselfanArab.Subhan’Allah
thatHuzoorknowsourtruecondition.”
Ibrahimsahibcontinued:
“OnthedayoftheInternationalBai’atCeremony,IworetheAchkancoat
insteadoftheArabicorEuropeandress,asIfeltthatIcouldn’twearone
dressatthecostoftheothernation’sdress.Thebestwaywastowearthe
PakistanidresswhichalsoreflectedHuzoor-Aqdas’clothes.”
Withgreatemotion,IbrahimsahibrecountedtheBai’atitselfandhowitfelt
to place his hand on the hand ofKhalifa-Waqt, whilst at the same time,
repeatingthewordsofBai’at.
Ibrahimsahibsaid:
“I sawHazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (aba) enter the Jalsa Gah andwalk
towards us briskly, just as the Holy ProphetMuhammad (sa) used to
walk,whileHuzoorwaswearingthemantle(overcoat)ofthePromised
10
Messiah(as).Throughoutthistime,Icontinuedtoprayandwaslooking
tothemantleofthePromisedMessiah(as)asitwasthefirsttimeIhad
everseenit.Inmyheart,itfeltasthoughIwasabouttotakethePledge
not only from Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih but also from the Promised
Messiah(as)andultimatelyfromtheHolyProphet(sa).”
Ibrahimsahibcontinued:
“Afterafewmoments,Huzoorstretchedhishandtoputhisblessedhand
onthehands(palms)oftherepresentativesandsoIfeltHuzoortakemy
handandputhismostblessedhandonmyworthlesshand.Allthetime
Huzoor’sringfingerwasonmyringfinger.Ihavenowordstodescribe
myfeelingsandemotionsatthatmoment.Iprayedsimultaneouslythat
AllahtheAlmightyenablesmetosubmitmyselfcompletelytoKhilafat
andtocontinuetobedrownedinAllah’sLove.”
11
Speakingofthelastingimpactandblessingsofthatday,Ibrahimsahibsaid:
“This is indeedagreatblessing,which I andmy familywill takewith
usthroughourwholelives.Iwasinanotherworld.Ididn'tknowwhat
happenedtome.Icouldn’tcomprehendnordescribetheexperience.
I had the opportunity to touch the blessed hand of the greatest and
holiestmanonearth,themanappointedbyAllahtheAlmighty.Whenthe
ceremonyendedandwewentforNamaz.IliterallyfeltthatIreturned
fromanotherworldtothisworld.Ididn’tknowwhathappenedtome,it
wasauniquephenomenon.”
ItwasveryemotionaltohearIbrahimsahib’scommentsandtolearnabout
anexperiencethatallmembersoftheJamaatwouldsurelydreamof.
Later,whenItoldIbrahimsahibthatImaymentionsomeofhiscomments
inmydiary,Ialsoaskedhimhisage.WhilstIdonotaskladiestheirage,I
prefertowritetheageofthemenImeetforthesakeofcontext.InIbrahim
sahib’s case, Iwasparticularly interested to findoutbecausehehas long
beenadearfriend,yethehadalwaysmanagedtoconcealhisage!
Whilst,normallynevershortofanopinionorcomment,whenIasked, for
once,Ibrahimsahibwasuncharacteristicallyreticent.Hemerelysaid:
“MydearbrotherAbid,allyouneedtoknowisthatIamayoungKhadim
atheart!”
Thesecretremained!
12
ConcludingSessionofJalsaSalanaUK
TheconcludingsessionofJalsaSalanatookplaceonSunday,30July2017.
Huzoor arrived in the Jalsa Gah at 4.25pm and, after some short guest
addresses,Huzoorbeganhisconcludingaddressat5.15pm.
Duringhisaddress,HuzoorspokeaboutIslam’strueteachingsandexplained
withmuchdetailhowAhmadisshouldrespondtothosewhoclaimedIslam
wasaviolentorextremistreligion.
HuzoorquotedvariousversesoftheHolyQuranandpresentedtheblessed
exampleoftheHolyProphetMuhammad(sa)provingthatsuchclaimswere
entirelyfalse.
Huzoorsaid:
“Islamdenouncesall formsofdiscriminationbasedon creed, casteor
colourandstates thatallpeople,nomatterwhere theyhail from,are
bornequal.Indeed,theHolyProphetMuhammad(peacebeuponhim)
13
categoricallyproclaimedthatnoArabboresuperiorityoveranon-Arab
andnorwas there any difference between the people of any differing
raceorethnicity.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“AccordingtoIslam,GodhassentprophetstoeverynationandMuslims
believeinalloftheprophetsofGod.Thisuniquepointillustratesthatno
faithcanrivalIslam’scommitmenttoreligiousfreedomandtolerance…
WhilstotherpeopleuseviletermsagainsttheHolyProphetMuhammad
(peacebeuponhim),Muslimsatthesametimesendsalutationsofpeace
ontheprophetsandfoundersofotherreligions.ThisisthetrueIslam.”
Later inhisaddress,Huzoorcondemnedthe internationalarmstradeand
saidthatWesternpowerswerefuellingwarsintheMuslimworldbyselling
weapons to certain Muslim countries or providing them to some rebel
groups.
Suchweaponsoftenendedupinthehandsofterroristsandextremistsand
causingdeathanddestruction.
Concluding,Huzoorsaid:
“Theworld has exhausted allworldlymeans and schemes in order to
establishpeacebutsadlytheseeffortshavealldesperatelyfailed.Rather,
we see howdisorder, hatred and conflict have continued to burn and
escalate.ThetruthisthatuntiltheworldadoptstrueIslamicprinciples
ofloveandjusticeatalllevelsofsocietytheywillnotbeabletoachieve
14
peace.ThemeanstopeacearetorecogniseOne’sCreatorandtoserve
humanity.”
ConclusionofJalsa
Huzoor’s address concluded just after6.20pmandafter a very emotional
concludingdua(prayer),Huzoorannouncedthatmorethan37,000people
hadattendedtheJalsafrom107countriesoftheworld.
Thereafter,ashasbecomeatradition,variousgroupssangTaranay(poems)
in different languages, interspersed with extremely passionate naaray
(slogans).
Thisyear,onepoemwascalled‘Whitebirds’andsunginEnglishbysomeof
ourWesternconverts.Iamsurethosewhotookpartwouldbethefirstto
15
admitthattheywerenotnecessarilynaturalsingers,yetitwasverytouching
tohearthosepeople,bornandbroughtupintheWest,proclaimingthefact
thattheyhadenteredthe‘GardenofAhmad’.
Thereafter,Huzoorwaved to theAhmadispresentand thosewatchingon
MTAonefinaltimefromthisyear’sJalsa.Withgreatemotionandfervour,
thousandsofAhmadiswavedbacktowardstheirbelovedImamandraised
powerfulandemotionalslogansoflove.
HuzoorreturnedtohisresidencewherehegraciouslymetAmirSahibUK
andNasserKhansahib(OfficerJalsaSalana)whoofferedmubarakbaad to
HuzooronthecompletionofJalsa.
Huzoor seemed very pleased that, with the Grace of Allah, the Jalsa had
concludedsuccessfully,thoughhedidnotethatthisyear’sJalsaattendance
wasaroundonethousandlessthan2016,whichhadbeencelebratedasthe
UKJamaat’s50thJalsaSalana.
Subsequently,thousandsofAhmadisreturnedtotheirhomesortheirplaces
ofresidence,whilstmanyothersremainedbehindtoassistinthewind-up
operationandtocontinuetheirdutiesforsometime.
Photoswithdelegations
After a few minutes in his residence, Huzoor returned to his office at
HadeeqatulMahdi,whereheacceptedtherequestofvariousgroups fora
photograph. The groups included the Alislam.org team, the IAAAE and
representativesofMajlisKhuddamulAhmadiyyafromaroundtheworld.
16
Duringoneofthephotos,averyelderlyAhmadi,rushedtotakeapositionon
thefloordirectlyinfrontofHuzoor.
Itwas immediately apparent thatHuzoorwas concerned that the elderly
manwasseatedonthefloor,however,themaninsistedthathedidnotwish
tostandorbeseatedonachair.Hisdesirewastobeseatedontheground
beforehisbelovedspiritualmaster.
Upon this,Huzoorvery lovinglyplacedhishandson the shouldersof the
elderlyman.
MeetingwithTurinShroudscholars
Huzoor then met with various delegations from abroad, which included
dignitaries,non-Ahmadiguests,mediaandnewconvertstoAhmadiyyat.
Following a meeting with a delegation from Sweden, Huzoor met a
delegationofacademicswhohadgiventalksandpresentationsattheTurin
ShroudexhibitionhostedbytheReviewofReligions.
The group included Barry Schwortz, a Turin Shroud expert, who was
attendingtheJalsaforthethirdtimefromAmerica,aswellasseveralother
renownedexperts.
During the meeting, Mr. Schwortz said that he felt this year’s Review
exhibitionwasthebestyet.Healsospokeofthewarmreceptionhereceived
attheJalsa.
17
Mr.Schwortzsaid:
“IgetmorelovehereattheJalsathanIgetfrommyfamily!Infact,Inow
considermyselfaspartoftheAhmadifamilyandasaJewishmemberof
Ahmadiyyat!”
Mr.Schwortzcontinued:
“I get treated better here at the Jalsa than I do anywhere else in the
world!WhenIcameforthefirsttimeIwasveryapprehensive,butIsoon
realised there was no need for any concern. You are truly peaceful
people! I have already now confirmed my attendance at next year’s
Jalsa.”
HuzoorsmiledandthengesturedtowardsAmerSafir,theChiefEditorofThe
ReviewofReligions,beforesaying:
“AmerwasworriedthatpeoplemaybecometiredorboredoftheReview
ExhibitionasitwasnowinitsthirdyearandsoIamgladthatsomenew
academics and scholars attended as they will have given a fresh
perspective.”
Inresponse,oneofthefemaleacademicssaid:
“YourHoliness, I have to say that your Ahmadiwomen are extremely
intelligentandtheydonotcomeandlistensilently,rathertheyaskedus
extremelychallengingandintellectualquestions.Itwasamazingtosee
this!”
18
Huzoorsmiledand itwasapparent thathewaspleased that theWestern
academic had seen first-hand the intelligence and high educational
standardsofAhmadiwomen.
Huzoorsaid:
“OurAhmadiwomenhavemore interest in religious studies than our
men.Forexample,wehaveateamthatstudies‘comparativereligions’
and90%oftheteamaremadeupofwomen.”
Thereafter,Mr.Schwortzsaid:
“YourHoliness, I am very grateful tomeet you this evening because I
wanted toshowyou that Iamwearinga Jalsadutybadgeonmyarm
becauselastyearyousaidIshouldwearone.”
19
Huzoorsmiledandsaid:
“It is good youarewearing it and you should consider yourself as an
officialpartofourJalsaorganisingcommittee.”
HuzoorthenpointedtowardsAmerSafir,beforejokinglysaying:
“Nexttimeyouwillgettowearhisbluebadge!”
EveryonelaughedandenjoyedHuzoor’scommentthatMr.Schwortzcould
assumethebluebadgewornbythedepartmenthead.
Thereafter,oneofthefemalescholarssaid:
“IhaveseenagreatloveofJesus(as)amongstAhmadiMuslimsand,as
aChristian,Ihavereallyappreciatedthis.”
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Yes,webelieveJesus(as)tobeamanofGodandthisiswhyIsaidinour
addressthatwecanneverspeakillofhimorofanyProphetofGod.”
Asthemeetingconcluded,Mr.SchwortzremindedHuzoorofthecomment
hemadewhenattendingtheJalsaforthefirsttimein2015.Whilstgivinga
short addresson stage,Mr. Schwortzhad said that,whilstAhmadiswere
doing great and positive work, “nobody in America had ever heard of
them”.
20
At the time, some of our Ahmadis in America, who served in the Jamaat
mediaandpublicrelationsteams,feltthiscriticismwasslightlyharshand
unwarranted.However,itcertainlyhighlightedthefactthattherewasstilla
great deal of work ahead for the USA Jamaat in terms of spreading the
messageofAhmadiyyat.
AfterremindingHuzoorofhisearliercomment,Mr.Schwortzsaid:
“I am now starting to hear more about the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community in the United States and in this current era of President
TrumpitisevenmoreimportanttoheartheAhmadimessageofpeace
andtolerance.”
MeetingwithBuddhistdelegationfromLosAngeles
Thereafter,Huzoormetadelegationofmorethantwodozenguestsfromthe
UnitedStates,whoweremembersoftheCompassionateServiceSociety,an
organisationbasedinCalifornia,baseduponBuddhistprinciples,andwhich
definesitsmissiontodevelop‘spirituality’and‘unity’.
ThegroupwasledbyaBuddhistMonkwhoworeatancolouredrobeand
was accompanied by members of his organisation, who wore matching
turquoiseshirts.
Astheyenteredtheoffice,eachcameforwardtopaytheirrespectstoHuzoor
bybowingtheirheadsonebyoneandHuzooracknowledgedtheirgesture
withgreathumility.Itwasaverybeautifulscene.
21
TheBuddhistMonkinformedHuzoorthatthemembershadtravelledfrom
Orange County in Los Angeles but most of them were originally of
Vietnameseheritage.
TheMonkfurthersaid:
“Webelievethatcompassionistherootofsuccessandisnecessaryforus
toliveinharmony.Thisiswhyweareproudtohavemadeanassociation
with Ahmadi Muslims because we have seen you are compassionate
people.”
TheMonkcontinued:
“WehavebeenoverwhelmedbythelovewehavereceivedatthisJalsa.
Wehaveneverseenpeoplewhohosttheirguestswithsuchgenerosity
and open hearts. You are beautiful and very friendly people and also
22
extremelyorganised.Itisourviewthatthisspiritandthesevalueswe
havewitnessedarearesultofyourwisdomastheKhalifaandwewill
conveythistothepeopleofAmerica.”
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Wemustalwayshonourandrespecthumanvaluesandrealisethatwe
sharethecommonvaluethatishumanity.Thisiswhywesay‘Humanity
First’.”
Thereafter,theMonkpresentedHuzoorwithagift,encasedinawoodenbox
madefroma1500yearoldVietnamesetree.Verycarefully,Huzooropened
theboxand insidewere someprayerbeads,whichHuzoor rotated inhis
hand.TheMonk informedHuzoor that theVietnamesepeopleconsidered
suchbeadstobeanationaltreasure.
SpeakingofhisdesirethatHuzoorvisitsAmerica,theMonksaid:
“Your Holiness, we have seen first-hand that you are kind,
straightforward,honestandyouareamanofintegrityandsoweneed
youtocometotheUnitedStatestoguideourpeople.Iwouldrequestyou
tocomeandmeetmyfellowBuddhistsandtoguideus.”
Huzoorthankedhimfortheinvitationbeforesaying:
“ThebasisofIslam’steachingsistorespectandhonouroneanotherand
eachother’sbeliefs.WeevenconsiderBuddha(as)tobeaProphetanda
veryrighteousperson.”
23
Thereafter,HuzooraskedtheMonkaboutthedifferencesbetweenvarious
Buddhistsects.HewasinformedthatsomesectsconsideredtheDalaiLama
tobetheirspiritualleaderbutothersdidnot.
TheMonksaid:
“Ihadtheopportunitytoorganisesomelecturesdeliveredbythecurrent
DalaiLamainHawaiiandheisnotasfriendlyasyouareyourHoliness!”
Huzoorsmiledandsaid:
“OnTVtheDalaiLamacomesacrossasveryfriendly!”
Huzoor also spoke with the other members of the delegation. A Priest
mentioned that he had read the Promised Messiah’s (as) book ‘The
PhilosophyoftheTeachingsofIslam’andithadaprofoundimpactonhim.He
saidthathewishedtotranslateitintoVietnamese.
In response, Huzoor said it was possible that the Jamaat had already
translateditandifso,hewouldsendacopytotheguest.
TheBuddhistMonksaid:
“I would not mind at all if some Vietnamese people became Ahmadi
Muslimsasthiswouldsurelybenefitthemandournation.”
As themeeting concluded, the delegation had the opportunity of a photo
withHuzoor.
24
AstheyfiledoutofHuzoor’soffice,thePriestturnedtomeandsaid:
“Yourleader(Huzoor)isasaintandasage!Takecareofhim.”
Aspinningchairandahastyresponse!
Asthemeetingfinished,InoticedthatHuzoor’schairhadstartedspinning
aroundandsoIquicklymovedforwardandtriedtobringittoahaltbefore
Huzoortookhisseat.However,inmyhaste,Imanagedtomakeitrotateeven
faster!
Bynow,Huzoorhadreturnedtohisdeskandhadseenmyfailedattemptto
controlhischair!
Uponthis,Huzoorsaid:
“Whenyourushor try todo things tooquicklyyoumakemistakes. In
everything,weshouldalwaysshowpatienceandcalm.”
Whilst feeling slightly embarrassed at my unnecessary haste, I was very
gratefultoreceivethisvaluableandpreciousguidancefromHuzoor.
MeetingwithCanadianParliamentarian
Huzoor’snextmeetingwaswithaCanadianNationalMemberofParliament
whohadakeeninterestintacklinghumanrightsabusesacrosstheworld.
25
Thus, as soon as the meeting started, he informed Huzoor that he had
recentlywished to travel to Algeriawhere the Jamaat has been suffering
fromseverepersecutionoverthepastyearortwo.
The MP informed that, despite being a serving Parliamentarian, his visa
applicationwasrejectedandhehadbeenspecificallyaskedifhewasseeking
tohelpAhmadis.
The MP also informed Huzoor that he had a keen interest in studying
differentfinancialsystemsandwishedtoattaingreaterknowledgeofhowa
financialsystem,basedonIslamicprinciples,wouldfunction.
Inresponse,HuzoorsuggestedhereadHazratMuslehMaud’s(ra)book‘The
EconomicSystemofIslam’.Huzoorsaidthatintoday’ssociety,interesthad
consumed the world’s economic system, to such an extent that it was
unrealistictosuggestthatitcouldbeeliminatedaltogetherintheshortterm.
However,therewerecertainmeasures,basedonIslamicprinciples,which
couldmaketheworld’sfinancialdealingsandtransactionsmuchfairerand
solvemanyissues.
MeetingwithMayorofBrampton
AftermeetingtheMP,HuzoormetwiththeMayorofBrampton,Canada,as
wellasanothermemberofthelocalCouncilofBrampton.
Theyhad travelled fromCanada toobserve theUK Jalsaand toassess its
scale because the Canada Jamaat had purchased a large area of land in
26
Brampton,whichtheyhopetoutilisefortheirJalsainfutureyears.However,
beforeitcanbeusedtheyrequiredpermissionfromthecityauthorities.
Uponbeinginformedofthepurposeoftheirvisit,Huzoorsaid:
“HereatHadeeqatulMahdi,thewind-upoperationhasalreadystarted
andwithinaweekitwillbecompletelyclearedbutIdonotknowifthe
Canadiansareasefficient!”
TheBramptonMayorspokeofhowwell-organisedtheJalsawasandhow
shehadbeenparticularlyimpressedtoseethewayLajnahadbeenrunning
theladiessideoftheJalsa.
TheMayorsaid:
“TheAhmadiladieswereshiningthroughout”.
Verybeautifully,Huzoorrespondedbysaying:
“Our ladies are independent. We have no interest in keeping them
constrainedundertheshadowofmen,ratherwewantthemtoflourish
andexcel!”
Acauseofregret
Huzoor’snextmeetingwasagroupfromJamaica.ItincludedaRastafarian
leader,aswellasaJamaicanjournalist.Sadly,onthisoccasion,Ifeltthatthe
conductofbothguestswasdisappointing.
27
Duringmeetings,Huzoorisoftenaskedchallengingquestionsandcertainly,
nooneexpectsthatnon-Muslimjournalistsorguestswillnotaskdifficultor
challengingquestions.However,inthismeeting,thetoneoftheguestswas
oftendisrespectful,occasionallysarcasticandunnecessarilyquarrelsome.
Theguests repeatedlyaskedabout thesegregationofmenandwomenat
Jalsa.
Very patiently, Huzoor responded by explaining the concept behind
segregationandhowourAhmadiMuslimwomenwererunningtheiraffairs
independently.
Thereafter, the guests asked Huzoorwhy therewere no Ahmadi women
speakersattheJalsaandwhythewomenwerenotaddressingthemen.In
response,HuzoorexplainedthatLajnahadtheirownsessionwithspeeches
byladiesandthathehimselfdeliveredaspeechontheLajnaside.
Ofcourse,itisnotexpectedthatguestsorjournalistswillagreewithevery
answergivenorsuddenlyacceptIslamicteachings.Yet,alevelofrespectand
cordiality,especiallyasaguest,canreasonablybeexpected.However,the
guestsbecameincreasinglyargumentativeandoneofthemrolledtheireyes.
AmirSahibCanadawasalsopresent,asJamaicaJamaatiscurrentlyunder
CanadaJamaatintermsofadministration.Thus,asthemeetingcontinued,I
tried to gesture to Amir Sahib to wrap up the interview, however, it
continuedforafewmoreminutes.Throughout,Huzoorremainedamodelof
patienceandcalm.HekeptreinforcingIslam’strueteachingswithoutany
senseofangerorirritation.
28
Thereafter,Huzoorstoodhimselfandverygraciouslysaidthatifanyofthe
guestswishedforaphotowithhimtheycouldcomeforwardandtheyalldid
comeandhavetheirphototakenwithhim.
InthemanyinterviewsofHuzoorIhaveattended,thiswastheveryfirstone
whereHuzoorgaveanyhintlaterthathehadnotappreciatedthestyleofthe
journalists.
Yet, evenso,during the interview itself,Huzoor remained fully courteous
andpatientthroughout.
Regardless, Iwasextremelydisappointed thatHuzoorhad to endure this
meetingandso thenextday ImetAmirSahibCanadaandmentionedmy
concernsabouttheinterview.Isaidtherewasnothingwrongwithbringing
journalistsorguestswhowerecriticaltoattendoureventsbutatthesame
timetherewasnoobligationtorequestaninterviewortimewithHuzoor.
In the UK, our media team receives many requests from journalists to
interviewHuzoor, however, due toHuzoor’s status and due to the heavy
constraintsofhistime,weonlyrequestHuzoortomeetasmallpercentage
ofthem.
Theother journalists,wemeetourselves andoffer othermembersof the
Jamaat for interviews. I requested that if, in future, Canada Jamaat
recommendedaninterviewwithHuzoorAmirSahibandhisteamshouldat
the very least be sure that the journalists will maintain a respectful
demeanour.
29
Belize,IcelandandBelgiummeetings
Thereafter,HuzoorheldfurthermeetingswithgroupsfromBelize,Estonia,
IcelandandBelgium.
During the meeting with guests from Belize, a journalist from Belize
mentionedhowtheJalsahadaprofoundeffectuponhim.Hesaid:
“The best thing about this Jalsa were the speeches delivered by Your
Holiness because they conveyed a true message of peace. In every
address,youspokeoftheneedtobecompassionateandtotreateveryone
asyourbrothersandsisters.”
ComingimmediatelyaftertheJamaicadelegation, I thoughttomyselfthat
thiswas an example of how Allah the Almighty is alwaysmindful of the
honour of Khalifatul Masih. Where the previous group had not been
respectful,herewasaguestwhoopenlystatedhowmuchHuzoor’swords
affectedhim.
Inbetweenthemeetings,a ladyfromeasternEuropemetHuzoorbutshe
was not part of a delegation and had come to personally seek Huzoor’s
advice.Asaresult,Iwenttothebackoftheofficesothatshecouldspeakto
Huzoorprivately.
However,IcouldnothelpbutoverhearhertellHuzoorthatanAhmadihad
proposed toherandshewaswondering if sheshouldacceptAhmadiyyat
basedonhismarriageproposal.
30
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Donot accept Ahmadiyyat just for the sake ofmarriage. Rather, you
shouldonlyacceptitwhenyoutrulybelievetheteachingsofAhmadiyyat
tobetrueandyoubelieveintheclaimofthePromisedMessiah(as).”
Theladyseemedinstantlyrelieved,reassuredandgrateful.
ReturntoLondon
Themeetingsconcludedat9.35pmandthereafterHuzoorwentbacktothe
JalsaGahtoleadtheMaghrebandIshaprayers.ThoughtheJalsawasnow
finished,themarqueeremainedatleasthalffullwithAhmadis,whooffered
SalatbehindHuzoor.
FollowingNamaz,anumberofNikah(marriage)ceremoniestookplacein
thepresenceofHuzoorbeforeHuzoorwasfinallyabletoreturntohishome
atMasjidFazlinLondon.Afterarelentlessfewdays,inwhichHuzoorhad
delivered a series of addresses and held dozens ofmeetings, the coming
weekwouldalsoprovetobefilledwithcountlessexamplesoftheblessings
ofKhilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.
Arabdelegation
ImustadmitgettingoutofbedthemorningafterJalsawasachallenge!Iwas
tired and my body was aching after the three days of walking miles at
HadeeqatulMahdi!
31
Thankfully,Ididmanagetogetupontime,getreadyandarrivedatMasjid
Fazl earlymorning, asHuzoor had a number ofmeetings scheduledwith
variousdelegations.
The largergroupsmetHuzoor in theMahmoodHall,whilst therestwere
abletomeetHuzoorinhisoffice.
ThefirstmeetingwaswithalargegroupofArabsduringwhichvariousArab
Ahmadis expressed their joy at attending the Jalsa and narrated some of
theirtreasuredexperiences.
OneArabladyaddressedHuzoorandsaid:
“Thisyear’sJalsahashadahugeeffectonmyheartandIfeelasthough
Ihavebeengivenanew life.Weareso fortunate tohavereceivedthe
adviceandguidanceofHuzoor throughoutandparticularlywhenever
Huzoor spoke about the need for harmonywithin our homes it had a
hugeeffectonme.”
Thereafter,alittlegirlcalledAyesha,whoappearedtobe6or7,reciteda
portionofaNazm in frontofHuzoorbeforerunningtowardsHuzoorand
embracinghim.
Whilst herparents lookedonnervously,most lovingly,Huzoor embraced
her.Itwasabeautifulandextremelyaffectionatemoment.
AnArabladyaskedHuzooriftherewasany‘spiritual’reasonwhytherehad
beensomuchrainatthisyear’sJalsa.
32
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“TheweatheriscontrolledbyAllahandevenrainisameansof
blessings.”
AnArabmanaskedHuzoorwhytheWestcontinuedtoengageinthearms
tradebysellingweaponsandfuellingwarsacrosstheworld.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Thearmstradeisverydangerousandcertainlythewarsbeingfought
intheArabworldareameansofdividingtheMuslimsandweakening
Islam.Yet,asArabs,beforeyouseektoreformtheUnitedStatesorthe
West,youshouldseek toreformyour fellowMuslimswho fall into the
trapslaidbytheanti-Islampowers.”
TheSadrKhuddamKababirwasalsopresentandsoughtHuzoor’sprayers
forhisfamily.
Uponthis,Huzoorsaid:
“Sadly, I receive reports that our young generation of Ahmadis in
Kababir are not as involved in the Jamaat as their elders. As Sadr
Khuddam, it is your duty and responsibility to activate them. In this
regard,youhavetwomaintasks–first,youshouldmakesurethatallthe
Khuddam are offering their five obligatory prayers and secondly you
shouldstrivetobringthemclosertoKhilafat.”
33
Thereafter,HuzoornoticedayoungArabboysittingononeofthechairs.
Uponseeinghim,Huzoorsaid:
“Irecogniseyoubecauseyouaretheboywhoalwayswavesatme.Ipray
thatyoutryyourbesttobeagoodAhmadiboyandthenwhenyouget
olderIwouldlikeyoutobecomeagoodAhmadiMissionary.”
HearingHuzoor’swordsandprayers,theyoungboybeamedwithjoyand
delight.
Acharteredplane
ASyrianAhmadipresentinformedHuzoorthathehadcomefromCanada
andwaspartofthedelegationofaround375Khuddamwhohadtravelled
togetheronacharteredAirTransatplanefromCanada.
Apart from travelling to attend the Jalsa itself, the Khuddam had all
volunteeredforWaqf-e-Arziandhadbeeninstructedtoassistinthewind-
up duty of Jalsa Salana and so were spending the week after Jalsa at
HadeeqatulMahdi.
EachKhadimhadpaidaround$1200dollarstocoverthecostoftheirtravel
expenses.
Upon learning this, Huzoor asked if he had taken permission from Sadr
Khuddam Canada to leave theWaqf-e-Arzi and attend the meeting with
Huzoor.
34
TheKhadim informedHuzoor thathehad takenpermission and in reply,
Huzoorsaid:
“Ok, but after thismeeting concludes you should returnand then you
should volunteer an extra two hours to make up the time you have
missed.”
ItwasareminderofhowKhalifa-WaqtexpectsAhmadistofulfiltheirduties
andresponsibilities.EvenwheretheKhadimhadtakenpermissiontocome
andattendthegroupMulaqat,Huzoorstillwantedtoremindhimthathe
shouldnotneglecttheprimarydutythathehadcomefor.
MeetingwithGambianMinister
AfterthemeetingwiththeArabs,Huzoorreturnedtohisofficewherehemet
withtheMinisterofAgricultureinTheGambia,whohadtravelledtoattend
theJalsa.
Our Jamaat in Gambia had faced difficulties and persecution under the
previousregimebutthisyearanewGovernmentcameintopowerafterlast
December’sgeneralelection.WiththeGraceofAllah,thenewGovernment’s
attitude had been much fairer and a demonstration of this was that the
MinisterhadcometoattendtheJalsa.
ItwasinthisspiritthattheGambianMinistersaid:
“YourHoliness,whenIreturnhomeIwillaskourPresidenttoformally
invite you toTheGambiabecause someof yourpredecessors came to
35
Gambiaandnowwewantyoutocomeaswell.Ifyoucomethenthewhole
worldwillseethatthenewGovernmentofTheGambiaconsidersyour
secttohavethesameequalrightsasallotherreligionsandsects.”
Inreply,Huzoorsaid:
“Yes,we shouldall remember that religion is amatter of one’s heart.
Thus,everyoneshouldhavefreedomofreligion.Ihopeinyourcountry
theperiodofdictatorshiphasnowendedforgoodandthatallpeopleare
grantedtruelibertyandfreedom.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“I thank you for your kind gesture andwhether an official invitation
comesornot,Iwilltrytovisityourcountry,Insha’Allah.”
Also, during the meeting, Huzoor’s farming expertise was exhibited
throughout.Huzoor referred to various types of farming such as ‘modern
farming’and‘co-operativefarming’.
HuzooraskedaboutthefarmingconditionsinTheGambiaandwasinformed
that peanuts and rice were the main export but that The Gambia was
currentlyonlyutilisingfifteenpercentofitsfarmland.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“YouhavevastlandavailableinTheGambiaandsoyoushouldusemore
ofitforfarmingsothatyournationcanbeself-sufficientandhavereal
36
foodsecurity.Youhaveasmallpopulationandsoyoushouldbeableto
feedyourselveswithoutrelyingonothers.Trytoincentivisefarmingso
thatpeoplearedrawntothistrade.Ifyouallocateeven1,000acresto
theJamaatwewillutiliseitformodernfarmingandusetheproducefor
thebenefitofthenation.”
TheMinistersaidthatalong-standingprobleminAfricawascorruptionand
thishadhinderedthesuccessoftheContinent.
Hearingthis,Huzoorsaid:
“WhenIlivedinGhana,corruptionwasalsoveryprevalentatthattime,
to the extent that the locals used to describe corruption as ‘chopping
money’.Thus,theresourcesandwealthofthenationwerebeingwasted,
ratherthanbeingusedforthebettermentofthepeople.”
Thereafter, theMinister also informedHuzoor about the Gambian health
sectorandhowitalsoneededagreatdealofimprovement.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“In The Gambia, though our Jamaat has already set up a hospital, in
addition,wecansetupsmallclinicsthatdispenseallopathicmedicine
andhomeopathyandsmalltreatmentscanbeconducted.Inparticular,
wewouldliketofocusontheextremelyremotevillagesandareaswhere
nosuchfacilitiesexist.”
37
Thereafter,theMinisterspokeabouthisexperienceofattendingtheJalsa.
Hesaid:
“ThespiritofvolunteerismthatIsawatyourJalsawasexceptional.In
every department, whether it was transport, discipline, food or any
other,Iwasextremelyimpressed.Ididnotseeasinglepersononduty
withoutasmileontheirfaceandIcansaythatIhavelearnedagreat
dealfromtheexampleoftheAhmadishere.”
Anemotionalmoment
AfterthemeetingendedandtheMinisterhadlefttheroom,Huzoorlooked
atmeandsaidsomethingthatmademeveryemotionalandwhichIthought
aboutfortherestoftheday.
Huzoorsaid:
“Yesterday, during the concluding sessionof Jalsa,myback started to
acheandIhadsomeseriouspain.Evenbeforemyaddress,therewere
morethan90studentswhoreceivededucationalawardsfrommeand
thepainstartedsoonafter.”
I felt extremely emotional thinking how Huzoor was continually making
sacrificesforthesakeofusandsometimesweforgetheisahumanbeing.
AsHuzoorsaid,hehadstoodtopresentover90studentswithawardsthe
daybefore,whichonitsownisnotaneasytaskandthenhedeliveredthe
concludingaddressandheldvariousmeetings.
38
Thecumulativeeffectofdaysandweekswithoutanyrestwhatsoeverwas
boundtohavesomeeffect,evenonKhalifatulMasih.
PrivateSecretary,MunirJavedsahibwasalsointheroomandheresponded
bysaying:
“ThelastthreedaysHuzoordidtheworkequivalentofthreemonths.”
Haitidelegation
Thereafter,HuzoormetadelegationfromHaiti, includingtheex-Mayorof
Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince and also a politician who was officially
representingthecountry’sPresident.
Addressingthepolitician,Huzoorsaid:
“I was not in the Jalsa Gahwhen you delivered your remarks but, by
chance,when I switchedon the television youwere speakingand so I
listenedtoyourspeechlive.”
Inresponse,thepoliticiansaid:
“Thankyou,itisagreathonourformethatYourHolinesslistenedtomy
words. Ialsowishtotellyouthatthis Jalsahashadaverydeepeffect
uponmeandmy impression of Islamhas changed for the better. Any
concerns I had have evaporated and I have realised that the stigma
surroundingIslamisentirelyunfair.”
39
SpeakingabouttheJamaatinHaitiandhisvisionforfurtherhumanitarian
service,Huzoorsaid:
“OurMissioninHaitiiscurrentlyinitsinfancybutaswebecomemore
established Iwould like us to build schools andhospitals there, if the
Governmentpermits,sothatwecanservethelocalpeople.Inthepast,
wehaverunsometemporaryprojectstherebutIwouldlikeustodevelop
some permanent means to serve the local society. Wemay be few in
numberinHaitibutwehavebigambitions!”
ThemeetingconcludedastheHaitianMinistersaid:
“YourHoliness,wewouldlikeyoutocometoournationsothatyoucan
savelivesandsavesoulsinHaiti!”
Philippinesdelegation
Huzoor’snextmeetingwaswithagroupfromthePhilippines, includinga
member of the National Congress, a local journalist and a local Filipino
AhmadiMuslim.
The journalist asked Huzoor about increasing extremism and so-called
MuslimterrorisminsomesmallIslandsthatarepartofthePhilippines.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Theauthoritiesandgovernmentmustremainvigilantatalltimesand
ifthearmyistakingactiontostoptheterrorists,itisright.Thepriority
40
mustalwaysbethepeaceofthenationandsoiffirmmeasuresneedto
be taken to protect the people from terrorists and extremists it is
justified, otherwise, there is a risk the extremismwill spread further
afield.
CroatiaandMacedoniadelegation
Thenextdelegation tomeetHuzoorconsistedofguests fromCroatiaand
Macedonia.
ACroatianstudentaskedHuzooraboutastoryhehadnarratedduringhis
LajnaJalsaaddress,whereamurdererhadbittenthetongueofhismother
asafinalactbeforereceivingthedeathpenalty.
Uponbeingaskedwhyhehadconductedthisvileact,themurderersaidthat
ifhismotherhadstoppedhimfromcommittingsmallmistakesandwrongs
whenhewasachild,hewouldneverhavedevelopedintotheevilbeinghe
did.Thestudentaskedifitmeantthatonlymothersweretoblameforthe
wrongsoftheirchildren.
Inreply,Huzoorsaid:
“Ofcourse,aperson’sfatherandthesocietyalsohaveaninfluenceand
responsibility, however, amotherhas thegreatest influenceuponher
childandsoifshetrainsherchildreninapositivewayitwillbeameans
ofprotecting them. Ifamotherreformsher child, shewillnotonlybe
helpingher familybutalsowillbehelpingthesocietyat large.This is
whyourSecondKhalifa(ra)saidthatif50%ofwomenwerethemselves
41
goodandpious,itwouldmeanthat90%oftheyouthwouldbereformed
andmoral.”
Another guest asked Huzoor about his views on the United Kingdom’s
decisiontoexittheEuropeanUnion(Brexit).
Inresponse,Huzoorsmiledandsaid:
“I amnot a politician but it ismy personal view that if the European
nations stay united it will be for their betterment. Thus, as a British
national,IusedmyvotetovoteagainstBrexit.”
AladyinformedHuzoorthatshehadconvertedtoAhmadiyyataftermeeting
himatthepreviousJalsa.
ShesaidthatthreemembersofherfamilyhadnowacceptedAhmadiyyatbut
hersonhadnot.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“As hismother, Insha’Allah you can guide him towards Islamaswell,
Insha’Allah.”
Cyprus,IndonesiaandNepaldelegations
HuzoorthenheldseparatemeetingswithguestsfromCyprus,Indonesiaand
Nepal.
42
DuringthemeetingwithguestsfromCyprus,ayoungCypriotladysaid:
“YourHoliness,theJalsawasfascinatingandeveryonewassowarm.You
cannotimaginehowmanyinvitationsIreceivedfromAhmadisaround
theworldinvitingmetotheirhomes!Ihonestlydonotknowwhereto
start but I know now that I will have a place to stay in almost every
country!”
In his meeting with Indonesian guests, Huzoor was introduced to an
IndonesianProfessorofIslamichistory.
Uponmeetinghim,Huzoorsaid:
“Youshouldnotrelyonthehistoricalversionofeventsrecordedbythe
Orientalistsas theyhavemisrepresentedmuchof Islam’srealhistory.
Always remember that the Holy Quran says, ‘There should be no
compulsion in religion’ and so whatever terrorists like Daesh or Al-
QaedadoiscompletelyopposedtoIslam.Theextremistswanttohijack
IslamandtocontrolMuslimcountriesandsoIhopeIndonesiaisstrong
enoughtowithstandthisthreat.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“The Holy Prophet (sa) said that whosoever repeats the Kalima is a
MuslimandsoitisnotuptotheUlematoexpelcertainsectsortosay
someareMuslimsandsomearenot.Islamisthatreligionthatseeksto
unitemankind.Itisthatreligionthatsaystokillonepersonisakinto
43
killingallofmankindandsoweMuslimsmustbethosewhogivelifeto
others,ratherthantakingitaway.”
UponmeetingaBuddhistacademicfromNepal,Huzoorsaid:
“I think at the Jalsa you will have learned that whilst Buddhists are
knowntobepeacefulpeople,AhmadiMuslimsareevenmoreso!”
Inreply,theacademicsaid:
“Yes, Your Holiness that is actually true. I have not seen such a
demonstrationofpeaceeverbefore.”
AnAhmadiconvertfromNepalpresentedHuzoorwithatraditionalNepali
cap.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Jazak’Allah,Icanwearthiswhenprayinginmyhome.”
AnotherguestfromNepalsaid:
“We visited Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and saw that many of your young
membershavededicatedtheirlivesforthesakeoftheirfaith.Thiswas
extremely inspiring because amongst Buddhists the concept of
dedicatingyourlifeisonlyseeninmucholderpeople.”
44
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Webelievethatyoucannotreformanationwithoutfirstreformingthe
youthandsothatiswhywefocussomuchonthemoraltrainingofour
youngones.”
UnitedStatesdelegation
Themeetingscontinued,asHuzoormetalargedelegationfromtheUnited
StatesintheMahmoodHall.
ThegroupincludedanumberofconvertsandAfricanAmericanAhmadis.
An African American lady said that the visit to the Jalsa had proven
personallyverybeneficialtoher.Shesaidshefeltclosertoherfaithandhad
cometoknowmanymembersoftheUSALajnafortheveryfirsttime.
45
Hearingthis,HuzooraddressedSadrLajnaUSAandsaid:
“IttookatriptoLondonforhertogettoknowherfellowLajnamembers
and this shows that there are not enough interactive Lajna events in
America where the members are able to meet and get to know one
anotherclosely.”
Anotheryounglady,SisterAmanda,said:
“Huzoor, we have enjoyed this visit a great deal but it has also been
physically tiring. For example, we were checked on four separate
occasionsbytheimmigrationauthorities!”
Inreply,Huzoorsmiledandjoked:
“Youareluckytheycheckedyouonlyfourtimesandnotsixorseven!”
As a person who often gets ‘extra attention’ from immigration when
travellingtotheUnitedStates,IappreciatedthetruthinHuzoor’scomment!
Justrecently,ItravelledtoAmericaandIlostcountofhowmanytimesIwas
pulledoverfor‘random’securitychecks!
An American non-Muslim guest, Alexia, also spoke of howmuch she had
enjoyedattendingJalsaalongwithanAhmadifriend.Shesaid:
“Itwasan incredibleandspirituallyuplifting Jalsa.Thebestpartwas
seeingsuchalovingcommunityexistonsuchalargescale.”
46
Hearingthis,Huzoorsaid:
“ThisistrueIslam.”
Huzoorfurthersaid:
“Ihopethebadweatherdidnotcauseanyproblem.”
Inreply,sisterAlexiasaid:
“Notatall!MyshoesbecamedirtybutIcleanedthemlater!Theblessings
farexceededanyweatherissue!”
AnAfrican-AmericanAhmadilady,HaleemaDinsahibarequestedHuzoor’s
specialprayersforAliyaLatifsahiba,anAfrican-AmericanAhmadilady,who
foranumberofyearshaslookedaftertheAmericandelegationofladiesthat
travelforJalsa,aswellasfulfillingahostofotherJamaatduties.
HaleemaDinsahibasaid:
“Huzoor,Aliyaiswonderful.”
Inreply,Huzoorveryaffectionatelysaid:
“Yes,IknowthatAliyaiswonderful!”
47
Uponthis,IlookedinthedirectionofAliyasahibaandsawherunabletohold
back her tears. She later told me that Huzoor’s response had left her
completelyastoundedandhumbled.
UponseeingaguestcalledJamesfromNewYork,Huzoorsaid:
“YoulooklikeanAhmadi!”
Inresponse,Jamessaid:
“I am very close to accepting Ahmadiyyat. This Jalsa has been a
phenomenal experience for me and it has led me far down the path
towardsacceptingIslam.Here,allthepeopleIhavemetseemtohavea
higherpurposeinlifeandthisisprofound.”
Reflectionsofaconvert
AnAfricanAmericanladycalledNicoleWilliamsfromLasVegasinformed
HuzoorthatshehadacceptedIslamandbecomeanAhmadiinApril2017.
Afterthemeeting,IspoketoSisterNicoleaboutsomeofherexperiences.
SisterNicolesaid:
“ThiswasthefirstJalsaIhaveeverattendedanditallfeltsosurreal.The
amountofspiritualityatalltimes,Huzoor’saddresses,theinternational
Bai’at, the kindness of everyone, the great attention to detail, the
graciousnessofallthevolunteersandhostsshowedmewhatagenuinely
48
greatblessingitistobeapartoftheAhmadiyyaCommunityandforthe
firsttimeIwasabletowitnessthescaleofourJamaat.”
SisterNicolecontinued:
“Inparticular,theBai’atceremonywassoprofoundandbeautifuland
theemotionshitmelikehugewaves.Therewasnotadryeyeintheladies
marquee.”
SisterNicoleadded:
“Icansaythatduringthistrip,Iwasabletowitnessfirst-handtrueIslam
in all its beauty and I saw ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ personified
throughout. IhavedevelopedbondswithAhmadisisters fromtheUSA
andfromaroundtheworldthatwilllastalifetime.Itwasanexperience
I will never forget, where I saw the growth of Ahmadiyyat to all the
cornersoftheworld.”
SpeakingaboutmeetingHuzoorforthefirsttime,SisterNicolesaid:
“TherearenowordstoexpresshowitfelttoactuallymeetHuzoor.For
thepastyear, Ihaveeagerlywatched theFridaySermonwithEnglish
translationandsotofinallymeethimduringtheUSAgroupdelegation
was awe inspiring.WhenHuzoor entered the hall and took his seat I
actuallyfeltasthoughmyhearthadstoppedbeating.Itwaslikeabright
lighthadentered.”
49
SisterNicolecontinued:
“Toseehowgenuine,friendlyandwarmHuzoorwastoeveryonewasa
beautiful thing to observe. To know that he meets so many families,
individualsandgroupsduringtheday,alongwithalltheothertaskshe
has,isinspiring.
IwasluckyenoughtobeabletointroducemyselftoHuzoorandwhenI
toldhimIhadrecentlyconvertedtoAhmadiyyathesmiled.Iwillnever
forgetthatmomentandIalreadyunderstandthatitisessentialthatI
stayattachedtotheKhilafat.”
Experiencesofaguest
Another person I spoke to was a non-Ahmadi guest,Muhammad Abdur
Rashid. Though not an Ahmadi, he told me that the Jalsa had made him
recognisetheimportanceofreligion.
BrotherMuhammadAbdurRashidsaid:
“Iwas inLondon forapproximatelyeightdays toattendthe Jalsaand
duringthattimeIhavegrownclosertotheAhmadiyyaCommunityand
havebeeninspiredtorenewmystudyofIslam.
WhilstspendingtimewithAhmadis,Isawanincrediblemanifestationof
what Islam trulymeans. The experience of Jalsa has changedmy life
forever. It has inspiredme to be a better husband, father, friend and
Muslim.”
50
BrotherMuhammadAbdurRashidcontinued:
“Itwasawonderfulexperience tomeetHuzoorand Iwasparticularly
pleasedtoseehowmuchtimehespenttalkingtothefemalemembersof
our groupandhowmuch care he took to answer their questions and
ensure they were all heard. The fact he took time out of his
extraordinarily busy schedule tomeetuswas truly remarkableanda
testamenttohischaracter.”
AsIlistenedtoAbdurRashidsahib,Ithoughthowtheexperienceofmeeting
HuzoorhasaprofoundeffectnotonlyonAhmadisbutonnon-Ahmadisand
non-Muslims as well. Abdur Rashid sahib spoke openly of how meeting
HuzoorandattendingtheJalsahadmotivatedhimtobeabetterpersonand
totreathislovedonesinabetterway.
Indeedlater,hetoldanAhmadicontact,thathiswifehadsaidthatshehad
feltagreatchangeinhimsincehereturnedfromtheUKandhewasnow
“becomingthehusbandshealwayswantedhimtobe”.
HungaryandSouthKoreadelegations
Following themeetingwith theAmericandelegation,Huzoorheld further
meetingswithgroupsfromHungaryandSouthKoreainhisoffice.
A young guest from Korea informed Huzoor that he was a teacher of
language.HesaidthattheJalsahadprovedtobea“healingexperience”for
himandthathehadneverfeltsuchasenseof‘brotherhood’.
51
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“AtourJalsa,peoplefromallwalksoflifegathertogetherandeveryone
considersallotherparticipantstobetheirbrothersandsisters.Evenyou
havetoldmeyoudonotbelieveinanyreligionandyetyoustillfeltas
thoughyouweretreatedasourbrother.Thisisthetruebrotherhoodthat
Islaminspires.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“Nowyoushouldconsideracceptingareligionbecauseitisreligionthat
has taught us the values of humanity and to love and care for one
another.”
Theguestmentionedthat inKorea therewere thousandsofchurchesbut
onlyahandfulofMosquesspreadacrossthecountry.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Insha’Allah,IhopeonedaywewillhaveourMosquesinKorea.”
Nikahceremony
Followingtheconclusionofthemorningmeetings,Huzoorproceededtothe
FazlMosquetoleadtheZuhrandAsrprayers,beforeperformingtheNikah
marriageceremoniesofanumberofcouples.
52
One Nikah was of Huzoor’s nephew, Mirza Nayyer Ahmad, the son of
Huzoor’s elder brother, Sahibzada Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad sahib. His
marriage was arranged with another member of the progeny of the
PromisedMessiah(as).
Duringtheceremony,Huzoorsaid:
“ThefirstNikahisofthesonofmyelderbrotherandheisfromamongst
theWaqf-e-NauschemeandsoIpraythatAllahenableshimtofulfilhis
Waqf and to fulfil the objectives and expectations of the Promised
Messiah(as).”
Later,Huzoorsaid:
“Thosewhogetmarriedshouldrememberthattheyshouldnotfocusjust
onworldlypursuitsbutshouldseektoalwaysprioritisetheirfaithover
allworldlymattersandtomorallytrainthenextgeneration.”
53
Offeringmubarakbaad
After the Nikah ceremonies were concluded, Huzoor returned to his
residenceforlunch.Iwenttothe41GuestHouse,acrossthestreetfromthe
Mosque, to offermubarakbaad to the families who had just had Nikahs
performedbyHuzoor.
Dozens of people came to offer their congratulations andwe all enjoyed
lunchthathadbeenkindlyprovidedbytheparentsofthosewhohadjust
hadtheirNikahceremony.
Afteraroundhalfanhour,I lefttheguesthouseandpreparedsomenotes
beforereportingforMulaqatinHuzoor’soffice.
AsIentered,Igavemubarakbaad(congratulations)toHuzoorontheNikah
ofhisnephewandinformedhimthatIhadjustbeenforlunch.
Despitebeingsobusy,Huzooraskedmewhathadbeenserved for lunch,
whetherIhadenjoyedandwhoelsewaspresent.
Of course, Huzoor was too busy to join, as he hadmanymoremeetings
scheduledduringtheday,yetasanuncleandbrother,hewasinterestedin
howthefamilyeventhadtranspired.
SucharethesacrificesofKhalifa-Waqtthatherarelyhastimetoattendeven
eventsofhisclosestfamilymembers,ashispriorityisalwaysfulfillinghis
ever-consumingresponsibilitiestotheJamaat.
54
Ahistoricaljourney
Oneof thepeopleattendingthisyear’s Jalsa,wasMirzaFazalAhmad(50)
fromRabwah,theNazirTaleemPakistan(DirectorofEducation).
Mirza Fazal sahib is also Huzoor’s nephew, the son of Huzoor’s sister,
SahibzadiAmatulQudoossahiba.
Intheafternoon, IspentsometimewithFazalbhaiandwas interestedto
hearsomeofhisrecollectionsofHuzoor.
SpeakingaboutthewayHuzoorworks,Fazalbhaisaid:
“BeforehiselectionasKhalifatulMasih,onethingIalwaysobservedin
Huzoorwasthathewasverythoroughandpaidattentiontoeverydetail
inJamaatmatters.ItisnotreallyaPakistanitraittobesothoroughbut
Huzoor was extremely meticulous. If something was decided then he
wouldensurethatitwasfulfilledandnotjustleftasanopen-endedplan.”
FazalsahibhadalsobeenpartofthesamedelegationasHuzoorhimselfthat
had travelled to London for the Intikhab-e-Khilafat (Election of Khilafat)
followingthepassingofHazratKhalifatulMasihIV(rh)inApril2003.
Itwascaptivatingandemotionaltohearhimrecountsomedetailsfromthat
historical journey and of that period where the Jamaat faced great
uncertaintyanddevastation.
55
AsFazalbhaispoke,myownmemoriesof thattimecamefloodingback. I
recalledhowIwasathomealoneinHartlepoolwhenIreceivedacallfroma
cousininformingmethatHazratKhalifatulMasihIV(rh)hadpassedaway.
Although Huzoor had been unwell for some years, the news came as a
completeshock,especiallygiventhathehaddeliveredtheFridaySermon
justadaybefore.
Overthenextfewdays,IfeltashockingvoidandgriefthatIhadneverfelt
before.ThiswasthefeelingsharedbytheentireJamaat.
However,atthesametime,thesenioroffice-bearersoftheJamaat,hadto
putasidetheirowngrief toensurethattheNizam(system)of theJamaat
remained intact and that the necessary arrangements for the Intikhab-e-
Khilafatcouldbemade.
Fazalbhai,whoatthetimewasWakil-ul-MaalRabwah(DirectorofFinance)
saidthathereceivedacallontheafternoonof19April2003fromhisfather
tocometotheofficeimmediately,asameetinghadbeencalled.
Uponarriving,itoccurredtohimthatthehealthofHazratKhalifatulMasih
IV(rh)mayhavedeterioratedbutstillhehadnoideaofhispassinguntila
fewminuteslaterwhensomeonecameandwhisperedthenewstohim.
Hewentoutside to theroofof thebuildingandremained therewhilsthe
composedhimself,beforereturningtothemainoffice,whereHuzoorwas
alreadyworking.
56
Fazalbhaisaid:
“Huzoor,whowasthenNazir-e-AlainPakistan,waspresentandhe,and
afewotherpeople,weredraftingthestatementthatwouldbeplayedon
MTA announcing the demise of Hazrat KhalifatulMasih IV (rh). They
werealsomakingthearrangementsforthemeetingthatneededtotake
placelaterthatdayinordertopreparefortheIntikhab-e-Khilafat.”
Fazalbhaicontinued:
“AtthattimeIsawthatHuzoorremainedcalmandprobablydidnoteven
have time to consider his own personal grief and his onlyworrywas
protectingtheJamaatatthattimeofcrisis.”
Whilst,IwasamazedattheremarkablewayHuzoorsetasidehispersonal
griefforthesakeoftheJamaat,Iwasnotatallsurprised.
For,Ihaveseentimeandtimeagain,howHuzoor’sfirstpriority,atalltimes,
nomatterhowdesperateordevastating the circumstances, is to fulfilhis
dutiestotheJamaatandtoensurethatthemissionofthePromisedMessiah
(as)never,Godforbid,drawstoahalt.
YetundoubtedlyHuzoorwillhave felt thepainandgriefof thedemiseof
HazratKhalifatulMasihIV(rh)morethananyotherAhmadibecausehewas
themosthumbleanddevotedservantofKhilafat.
57
Fazalbhaisaid:
“Later thatday,weweregetting ready to travel to Londonand sowe
werecollectingourpassportsandquicklydoingourpacking.Forsome
reason, I had to go to Huzoor’s house. I cannot remember if I was
collectingsomethingordroppingsomethingoff.Anyway,whenIarrived
HuzoorwasofferingNamaz.”
Fazalbhaicontinued:
“IcouldhearHuzoorengagedinthemostferventanddesperateprayers
andcouldhearhisutterlyemotionalstate.Whilstinprostration,bowed
beforeAllah,hewascryinguncontrollably.IhadneverseenHuzoorin
suchastateeverbefore.Yet,whenHuzoorreturnedtothepublichewas
composed again and, as far as I am aware, he remained so until the
momentofhiselectionasKhalifatulMasihV.”
Adelicatemoment
Fazalbhaisaid that therewere fourteensenioroffice-bearers in that first
groupwholeftRabwahforLondon.
Amongst them were some elderly people who suffered from various
ailments,suchasdiabetesorjustgeneralillhealth.
ItwaseveningtimebythetimetheyleftRabwahandaftersometimethey
hadtostopataservicestationtousethebathroomfacilities.
58
Narratingwhathappenednext,Fazalbhaisaid:
“IwasalsopartofMajlisKhuddamulAhmadiyyaandsoIhadarranged
forsometeaandbiscuitsattheservices.Ithadalreadybeenaverylong
day and I knew no one had eaten and the elderly peoplewould need
something.However,whentheteawasserved,suddenlyoneofoursenior
andelderoffice-bearersbecameveryangryandsaid‘Isthisanytimeto
bedrinkingtea?’
Emotionallywhathewassayingwasrightthatnobodywantedtoeator
drinkbuttherealitywasthatsomeoftheelderscouldhavecollapsedif
theydidnoteatordrinkanything.Anyway,Huzoorobservedthisentire
incidentandIwasworriedthathetoomightadmonishme,butwithout
sayingasinglewordhepickedupacupandstartedtodrinkfromit.”
Fazalbhaicontinued:
“Huzoor handled the delicate situation beautifully and with great
wisdom.Heneithersaidanythingtotheofficebearerwhohadscolded
me,asheknewemotionswererunningveryhigh,butatthesametime,
healsoknewthatpeoplewouldneedtoeatordrink.
Thus,justfromhispersonalexampleandwithoutsayingasingleword,
Huzoorgaveusthegreen lightguidingusthat itwaspermissibleand
necessarytotakesomethingtoeatevenatthattimeofgriefandworry.
Lateron,afewoftheelderscameuptometothankmeandsaidthatthey
feltonthevergeofcollapseuntiltheyhadtakensometeaandfood.”
59
Acupoftea
With the Grace of Allah, the delegation from Rabwah arrived in London
withoutincident.Fazalbhaisaidthatimmediately,Huzoorandothersenior
office-bearers held meetings with Amir Sahib UK and the senior central
office-bearersbasedinLondon.
AsFazalsahibnarratedthis,IrecalledthemomentwhenHuzoorarrivedin
London on 20 April 2003. Iwas given a duty to clean some of the guest
houseswheretheguestsfromabroadwerestayingandalsotoservetea.
I vividly remember that as soon as Huzoor and the rest of that first
delegationarrivedinLondon,Iwasaskedtobringteaforthem.
The firstperson, Ipresented tea towasHuzoorhimself and I always feel
gratefulthatIhadthatopportunitytoserveHuzoorafterhisjourneyfrom
Pakistan.
ReflectionsoftheIntikhab-e-Khilafat
FazalbhaiwasamemberoftheElectoralCommitteefortheFifthKhilafat,
whichtookplaceon22April2003.
Speakingofthoseunforgettablemoments,Fazalbhaisaid:
“WhenIenteredtheFazlMosquefortheelectionIhadnoideaofwhoI
wouldvote for.Notasinglepersonhadenteredmymind,yetoncethe
election process begun within seconds everything changed. Within
60
seconds,allmyattentionwasdivertedtowardsHuzoorandIknewthat
hewasthepersonImustvoteforasKhalifatulMasih.Atthatmoment,I
feltasthoughAllahhadmovedmyheartinhisdirectionandIfeltAllah
wascontrollingmethroughoutthatelection.”
Anewrelationship
Also,presentthatafternoonwasMirzaAdeelAhmad(44),aWaqf-e-Zindighi
(lifedevotee),servingintheJamaat’sLegalAffairsDepartmentinRabwah.
Adeel sahib is Huzoor’s cousin, as his (late) mother, Sahibzadi Amatul
Waheedsahiba,wastheyoungersisterofHuzoor’srespectedfather,(late)
HazratSahibazaMirzaMansoorAhmadsahib.
IaskedbothFazalbhaiandAdeelbhaiabouttheirrelationshipwithHuzoor
ashiscloserelatives.
Fazalbhaisaid:
“AsafamilymemberandnephewofHuzoor,Ihonestlybelievethatmy
fearofdisrespectingKhilafatinanywayisnotanylessthanpeoplewho
arenotrelatedandifanythingitisevenmore.
Ithasneverbeenmystyletobetooformalwithmyrelatives,eventhe
older ones and so before his Khilafat, whilst I had much respect for
Huzoorasanelder,Iusedtobeabletospeakquitefreelywithoutfear.
Yet since the moment he was elected Khalifatul Masih everything
changed.Tosayitislikenightanddayisnowherenearenough.”
61
Fazalbhaicontinued:
“All the time, I think that Huzoor is Allah’s representative and my
everything.Ifhesmiles,Ismile,ifheisseriousorupsetthenitislikeI
havedied.Nothingelsematters.Therelationshipofuncleandnephew
nowhaslittleoranyvalue,theonlyrelationshipthatmattersisthathe
ismyKhalifaandIamhisservant.”
Uponthis,Adeelbhaismiledandsaid:
“IagreewitheverythingFazalbhaihas said. I also feelas thoughmy
familyrelationshipwithHuzoorendedon22April2003.”
Fazalbhaisaid:
“SomepeoplethinkthatduetoourfamilyrelationshipIcanconfidently
saythingsbeforeHuzoorbutitisjustnotthecase.Icannotexplaintoyou
inwordshowIfeelwhenIseeHuzoor,butIknowitandcanfeelitinmy
heart.”
SpeakingofhowhefeltwhenhemetHuzoornow,Adeelbhaisaid:
“Abid,youwillhaveseeninHuzoor’shomesometimesIhavebeenthere
andyouwerethereaswellandIremainsilentandcannotbringmyself
tosayasingleword.Infact,mymother-in-lawoncesaidtomethatwhen
youmeetHuzoorheasksyouhowyouareandsoyoushouldtalktohim
butIcannotbringmyselftospeakbecauseIamintotalfearofsaying
somethingthatiswrongordisrespectfulinsomeway.”
62
It was true, I had seen Adeel bhai on occasions at Huzoor’s house and
invariablyhewouldremainvirtuallysilent.Anyway,Ihadenjoyedthehour
I spent with Mirza Fazal sahib and Mirza Adeel sahib and hearing their
perspectivesascloserelativesofHuzoor.
EmotionsofaGhanaianfamily
Duringtheafternoonof31July2017,Imetsomeofthepeoplewhohadthe
opportunitytomeetHuzoorinMulaqat.
AnAhmadifamilywhometHuzoorwereUmarFarooqAil(53)andhiswife
SalmaFarooqfromGhana.UmarsahibwasabornAhmadi,whilsthiswife
hadconvertedduringthe1990s.
SpeakingmomentsaftermeetingHuzoor,Umarsahibsaid:
“WheneveryoumeetHuzooritislikeanewexperienceandevenbetter
thanyouremembered.Thesmilethatcomesonmyfacewhenmeeting
Huzoor is bigger than at any other time. I was laughing when I left
Huzoor’s office because Huzoor made me feel so joyous and happy.
Huzoor knowsmore about Ghana thanwe Ghanaians! He loves us so
much!”
Speakingofherownfeelings,Salmasahibasaid:
“ItoldHuzoorthatjustseeinghisfacewasenoughbecausethelightthat
emanatesfromhimpenetratesourheartanditprovesthatheisatrue
mananddivinelyappointed.”
63
Salmasahibacontinued:
“IacceptedAhmadiyyataround20yearsagoafterdoingalotofresearch
andstudy.Beforeaccepting,Iwasanon-Ahmadiandafterreadingmany
booksthelightofAhmadiyyatdawneduponme.Inowknowthatitisour
duty to convey the salam of the Holy Prophet (sa) to the Promised
Messiah(as)andsoIamextremelyluckytobepartofthisJamaat.
I haveneverhadany regrets about acceptingAhmadiyyat and I have
never looked back since the day I did Bai’at. Rather, I havemarched
forward and I am now serving as Lajna National Tehrik-e-Jadid and
Waqf-e-JadidSecretaryinGhanaandthisisagreatprivilege.”
Asourconversationended,Salmasahibastartedlaughingandsaid:
“Abidsahibandpleasedon’tfalloveragainasyoudidinAustralia!”
I laughedas I realised shehad reada ratherembarrassing incident Ihad
written in a diary about Huzoor’s 2013 tour of Australia in which I had
mentionedthatIhadfallen,notoncebuttwice,fromastage,whilstinthe
presenceofHuzoor!
BangladeshJamaatofficialMulaqat
Wehadreached1August2017and,asperthepreviousday,Huzoorheld
meetings with various delegations from around the world. However,
Huzoor’s first meeting was a daftari (office) Mulaqat with senior Jamaat
office-bearersfromBangladeshJamaat.
64
Duringthemeeting,AmirSahibBangladeshpresentedtoHuzoordesignsfor
anewMosqueinAhmednagar.
Afterseeingtheplans,Huzoorsaid:
“Ofcourse,youshouldgoaheadandbuildthisMosquebutitisuptoyour
Jamaattofinanceit.ManyotherJamaatsnowarestandingontheirown
feetandnow it is the time forBangladesh Jamaat toalso stand itself,
ratherthanrelyingoncontinuoushelpfromtheCentre.
YousaytomethatnormalAhmadisarenotinvolvedenoughorreadyto
make necessary sacrifices but the real issue is that the Jamaat
administrationinBangladeshneedstobemuchmoreactiveandthiswill
automaticallyleadtogreaterengagementfromtheJamaatmembers.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“TherearemanyJamaats intheworldmuchsmallerthanBangladesh
andhavefarfewerresources.YourJamaatwasfoundedmorethan100
years agoand so there is no excuse. Youmust encourage theAhmadi
youthandbringthemforwardandgivethemresponsibilities.
Eachyear, IgiveGermany Jamaata target to raise1millioneuros for
Mosquesand theyachieve itwith theGraceofAllah.Youshould learn
fromthisandtrytoavoiddebtortakingloansasitwillbecomeahabit.
Youcanachievegreatthingswithlove,compassionandhardwork.Thus,
treat the Ahmadis lovingly and set a personal example for them to
follow.”
65
SpeakingofthewaytomotivateAhmadis,Huzoorsaid:
“InsteadofvisitingpeoplejusttogetChanda,visitthemtoseehowthey
areandiftheyhaveanyproblemsorissues.Insha’Allah,astheybecome
closertotheJamaattheywillrealisethemselvesthatChandaisnotatax
but is a means of Tarbiyyat. Of course, my prayers are with you but
alongside them you must also work extremely hard and fulfil your
duties.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“AsIsaidloveandcompassionarethekeybecausethisishowAllahthe
AlmightytoldtheHolyProphet(sa)totreatthepeoplewhohadaccepted
hismessage.Ifyoushowharshnesspeoplewillrunaway.”
Later, Amir Sahib Bangladesh informed Huzoor that the Jamaat had
establishedaregularsystemofprovidinghelpandaidtothepoorandneedy
inBangladesh.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Iamveryhappytohearthisandyoushouldcontinuetoincreaseyour
effortstohelptheweakandneedy.Nomatterwhatitisourdutytoserve
others.”
Indonesiadelegation
Huzoor’snextmeetingwaswithadelegationfromIndonesia,consistingof
over100Ahmadisandguests.
66
During the meeting, the Indonesians had the opportunity to introduce
themselvestoHuzoorandseekhisprayers.
IwatchedfromthesideasanAhmadiladybrokedownintearsinforming
Huzoorthatshehadnotbeenabletoconceiveanddesperatelysoughthis
prayersforahealthyprogeny.
Others, became very emotional recounting their emotional and spiritual
experiences at the Jalsa. Many asked Huzoor to pray that they and their
familiesalwaysstayedclosetotheJamaatandwereabletoserveitinthe
bestway.TheyalsospokeofthesacrificestheyhadmadetoattendtheJalsa.
OneAhmadimansaid:
“IhadtoresignmyjobtoattendtheJalsabecausemybosswouldnotgive
meanyholidaybutitdoesnotmatter.IhavefirmfaiththatAllahwill
blessmeforattendingtheJalsa.”
Inreply,Huzoorprayed:
“MayAllahgrantyouanevenbetterjobthanbefore.”
MeetingwithMaoriAhmadis
In2016, the firsteverMaoriAhmadiconvert travelled fromNewZealand
shortlyafteracceptingAhmadiyyattoattendtheUKJalsa.
67
Uponmeetinghim,Huzoorsaidthatheshouldreturnin2017andtakeBai’at
directlyatthehandofHuzoorduringtheInternationalBai’at.Twodaysafter
theBai’at,theMaoriAhmadiandhiswifemetHuzoorinMulaqat.
UponenteringHuzoor’soffice,theMaoriAhmadipresentedHuzoorwitha
traditionalclayshapedpotwhichhehadbroughtfromNewZealand.Hesaid
hiswishwasthatHuzoorwouldkeephis‘specialpossessions’withinthepot.
Thereafter, he asked Huzoor to pray that more Maoris came to accept
Ahmadiyyat.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“Yes,IwillpraythatmoreMaorisjointhefoldofAhmadiyyatandnow
youshouldconsideryourselfasourMissionarytotheMaoris.”
TheMaorisaid:
“Huzoor,Ihavealreadywitnessedtheblessingsofyourprayersbecause
lastyearmysevenyearoldsonhadabraintumourandIsoughtyour
prayerswhen I came to London.WithGod’sHelp, he had a successful
operationandhasnowrecoveredfully.
ThemeetingconcludedastheMaoricameforwardandgreetedHuzoorwith
theMaoritraditional‘nose-to-nose’greeting.
68
BurkinaFasodelegation
Thereafter,HuzoormetadelegationfromtheAfricancountry,BurkinaFaso,
includingtheChairmanHumanRight’sCommission,whotoldHuzoorthathe
consideredthattherewaspeaceandrespectamongstdifferentreligiousand
tribalgroupsinBurkinaFaso.
Uponhearingthis,Huzoorsaid:
“Ifyouaresuccessfulinachievingthisthenyournationwillprogressand
succeed.”
TheguestmentionedhowHuzoor’saddressesatJalsahadagreatimpacton
him.Hesaid:
“YourHoliness,youraddressatJalsawaslikeacharteroffreedomfor
the entireworldand is theneedof the timebecause there is somuch
conflictintheworld.Ihavenodoubtthatyourwordsarethesolutionto
thecontemporaryissuesfacedbytheworldtoday.”
Another member of the delegation was the National Secretary Umoor-e-
Kharija(ExternalAffairs)inBurkinaFaso.Referringtohisattendanceofthe
2008JalsaSalanaGhana,hesaid:
“Huzoor,in2008whenyoulastvisitedGhana,IwasoneoftheKhuddam
whocycled fromBurkinaFaso toGhana toattend the Jalsa. Itwasan
experienceIcanneverforget.”
69
Inreply,Huzoorsmiledandsaid:
“Irememberverywellhowyouallcameonbikesthatwereextremelyold
andhalf-brokenbutitdidnotstopyoufromtravellingallthatway.”
AsHuzoorsaidthesewordsyoucouldsensehislovefortheKhuddamand
theeffortstheymadetoattendtheJalsa.
RepresentingAmerica
Laterthatday,ImetAbdurRahimLatif(46)fromNewJersey,USA.Hewas
attendingtheJalsaUKafterthreeyearsandhadbeengiventhehonourof
representingAmericaattheInternationalBai’at.
Thus,hehadbeenoneofthefewpeoplewhohadplacedhishanddirectly
upontheblessedhandofHuzoor.
Withgreatemotion,AbdurRahimLatif toldmeabouthisexperiences.He
said:
“ThisvisithashadagreatimpactuponmeandeachdayIhavefeltmy
burdens and worries wash away one by one. All those issues or
difficultiesthathavearisenovertheyearshavealldisappeareddueto
theblessingsofJalsaandbeingclosetomyspiritualmaster.”
DescribinghisfeelingsatfindingouthewouldtakeBai’atatHuzoor’shand,
AbdurRahimLatifsahibsaid:
70
“ItwasthenightoftheseconddayofJalsaSalanaandIwasattending
the Tabshir dinner. Another person was supposed to represent the
UnitedStatesduringtheBai’atbutunfortunately,hewastakenunwell
andsowhilstIwaseatingIwasinformedthatHuzoorhadapprovedfor
metorepresenttheUnitedStates.ItsohappenedthatduringtheTabshir
dinner,IwasseatedacrossfromHuzoorandsoasIreceivedthisnewsI
couldseeHuzoordirectly.”
Ashesatinfrontofme,AbdurRahimLatifsahibbecamevisiblyemotional
andtearsfellfromhiseyes.Hesaid:
“Iwascompletelyshockedanddumbfoundedandcouldnotcontrolmy
emotions. I felt sounworthyandsooverwhelmedand I couldnotstop
crying.”
AbdurRahimLatifsahibcontinued:
“Uponseeingmyemotionalstate,ateacherfromJamiaapproachedme
andaskedifIwasokandwhyIwascrying.WhenIexplainedhesaid,‘I
understandandsopleasecontinuetocry!’”
AsLatifsahibtoldmetheresponseoftheJamiateacher,Ifeltanurgetolaugh
athowhetoldhimtocontinuetoweep!
However, the overriding emotions of Latif sahib as he narrated the story
wereofgratitudetoAllahandgenuinelyofshockthathehadbeenchosento
representhisnationattheBai’atceremony.
71
AbdurRahimLatifsahibthentoldmeabouttheactualexperienceoftaking
Bai’atandhowithadledtomuchsoul-searchingonhispartandastateof
deepreflection.Hesaid:
“Themomentswhere I tookBai’atwereunbelievably emotional and I
wasconsumedbyfear.Ikeptthinking‘Iwanttodobetterinmylife’and
Ikeptanalysingmyselfandfocusingonmyweaknesses.
If you sit inyour livingroom thousandsofmilesawayandrepeat the
words of Bai’at it is still very important, however, to take the pledge
whilstrepresentingaJamaatandtohaveHuzoorholdingyourhandisa
hugeandindescribableburden.AsIrepeatedthewordsofBai’at,Ikept
promising tomyself that Iwill improveand Iwill strive to fulfil every
conditionofBai’at.”
Reflectingonhisvisit toLondonmoregenerally,AbdurRahimLatifsahib
said:
“ThisvisittoLondonhaschangedmylife.Forexample,Idon’tlivetoofar
from our Mosque but I was sometimes weak in attending it for
congregationalprayersbutnowIhavenoexcuse.Imustendeavourto
improvemyselfandtoeradicatewhateverweaknessesIhave.”
AbdurRahimLatifsahibcontinued:
“I also got to personally meet Huzoor on this trip and it was an
unforgettable experience. When Huzoor is on MTA, the setting is
normallyquiteformalandsoHuzoorappearsserious.Yetwhenyoumeet
72
himinpersonyourealisehowwarmandopenheisandyouseehisvery
softandlovingside.Itisunbelievabletothinkthatwehavedirectaccess
to the person who is closest to Allah the Almighty on earth. He
encourages,hewelcomesusandheevenhostsuswhenwecometosee
him.Heletsusshareourdeepestconcernsandworrieswithhimandhe
takesthemaway.”
SpeakingofhowHuzoorgivessomuchtimetotheJamaat,AbdurRahimLatif
sahibsaid:
“OneyearwhenHuzoorcametotheUnitedStatesIhadtheopportunity
todosecuritydutyattheMosque.Huzoorhadonlyarrivedthedaybefore
but from morning until evening he remained engaged in meeting
AhmadisinMulaqat.
Thoseofusdoing securitywould take regularbreaksbutHuzoor just
continuedtomeetAhmadiafterAhmadiandtheamazingthingwasthat
everypersonwho cameout ofHuzoor’s office had thewidest possible
smileontheirface.Thatwasjustonedayanditcontinuedthroughout
thetour!”
Asmy enjoyable conversationwithAbdurRahimLatif sahib concluded, I
lookedupathimandsaid:
“IalwaysfeelextremelysmallwhenIaminthecompanyoftheLatifs’!”
Helaughedknowingthathewasprobablyagoodfoottallerthanme,justas
hisotherfamilymemberswere.
73
GuatemalaandCostaRicadelegation
On Tuesday morning, Huzoor’s meetings continued when he met with a
delegationfromGuatemalaandCostaRica.
ItincludedaCongresswomanfromGuatemalaandaMemberofParliament
andjournalistfromCostaRica.
TheGuatemalanCongresswomanmentionedtheeffectJalsahadonher.She
said:
“IhavelearnedsomuchabouttheAhmadiyyaCommunityinthepastfew
days and I now understand the true philosophy of Islam. I feel
comfortable and content with your religion and any fears of
apprehensionshavedisappeared.”
Uponthis,theMPfromCostaRicaadded:
“IwholeheartedlyagreewithmycolleaguefromGuatemala.Allthefalse
andwrongimpressionswehadaboutIslamhavebeenentirelyremoved.
My own personal views of Islam have completely changed and I
appreciateyourreligionagreatdeal.”
Huzoorsmiledandsaid:
“AtourJalsa,youarewitnesstothefactthattherewasnodisturbance,
disorderor fighting.Onsucha largescale, Idonotthinktherecanbe
suchapeacefuleventanywhereelseintheworld.”
74
InresponsetoHuzoor’scomment,theCostaRicanMPsaid:
“Yes,Iagree.AttheJalsapeoplecamefrommanydifferentcountriesbut
theyallspokethesamelanguageandthatwasthelanguageoflove.Also,
IrealisedthatwhatIhadheardaboutwomenandIslamwascompletely
differenttothereality.
Ifeltsafeandsecureontheladiessideandenjoyedbeingwiththeladies
only. Ialsowent to themen’s sidebut I enjoyedon the ladies side far
more!”
Inreply,Huzoorsaid:
“Yes–ourwomentellthementomoveoutofthewaysotheycanflourish
withoutanymenrestrictingthem!”
A young non-Muslim lady from Costa Rica then spoke and told of her
experiencesofJalsa.Shesaid:
“YourHoliness,Ihavereceivedhugespiritualandeducationalbenefits
fromlisteningtoyourspeeches.Iparticularlylikedhowyousaidthata
personshouldevenprayforhisenemies,shouldbeforgivinganddisplay
love.
IliveinacountryofCatholicsandProtestantsandIknowthatitisnot
possibleforsuchacomprehensivemessageofpeacetobegivenbyanyof
theChristian leaders thatyouhavegiven. Inessence,youhave taught
thatifwearegoodwithotherpeoplethenGodwillbegoodwithus.”
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Uponthis,Huzoorsaid:
“People ofmany religions attended the Jalsa andwe love and respect
themallbecausethesearetheteachingsofIslam.”
TheCostaRicanjournalistthentooktheopportunitytoaskHuzoorabout
theriseofterrorismintheworldandhowthepeopleofdifferentreligions
andbeliefsshouldacttowardsoneanother.
Aftergivingadetailedanswerinwhichhesaidthatallformsofterrorism
wereagainstIslamicteachingsandinwhichheexplainedthetrueconceptof
Jihad,Huzoorsaid:
“TheHolyQuranhassaid‘laikrahafid-deen’whichmeans‘Thereshould
benocompulsioninreligion’.
Whatdoesthismean?Itmeansthatreligionandfaithisamatterofone’s
heart.Of course,Christians, Jews,Muslimsand thepeopleofall faiths
havetherighttopeacefullyspreadtheirmessage,however,atthesame
time, every individual has the absolute right to accept or reject that
messagefreelyandwithoutanyfear.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“We are preaching the teachings of Islam and those people who are
persuadedarejoiningus.However,weholdnoillwilltowardsthosewho
donotacceptitbecauseweallremainfromamongsttheprogenyofthe
ProphetAdam(as)andsoitisourdutytoloveandrespectoneanother.”
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Huzoor also asked for an update about theNasir Hospital being built in
Guatemala by Humanity First. Upon this, the local Congresswoman
expressed her desire that Huzoor himself comes to inaugurate the Nasir
Hospitalonceitiscomplete.
Uponthis,Huzoorsaid:
“IamgratefulforyourkindinvitationandInsha’AllahIhopeitispossible
formetoinaugurateit.”
Russiandelegation
Huzoor’snextmeetingwaswithasmalldelegationfromRussia,consisting
ofaRussianjournalistandaRussianconvert.
The journalist asked Huzoor a series of questions in a formal interview,
howeverbeforedoingsohementionedhowhehadenjoyedtheJalsaagreat
deal andhadbeensurprised toobservemore than30,000Muslims“who
followedall the rulesandwereextremelypatientanddisciplined”.He
addedthattheonlyproblemhesawwastherain,whichhadcausedsome
difficultiesfortheparticipants.
Uponthis,Huzoorsaidwithasmile:
“Ichallengeyoutofindmeaneventanywhereintheworldwherethere
areover30,000people,ofanyreligion,whoactwithsuchdisciplineand
morality at all times. You will only see such characteristics in the
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AhmadiyyaMuslimCommunity!Yousawhowweremainedpatienteven
whentheweatherwasadverseandconditionsweredifficultandthisis
onlypossibleifyouhaveafirmfaithinyourreligionandvalueit.”
Intheformalinterview,thejournalistaskedHuzoor’sviewsontheriseof
terrorismandtheradicalisationofyoungMuslimsacrosstheworld.
Inreply,Huzoorsaid:
“Ihavespokenagainstradicalisationandterrorismmorethananyone
elseoverthepasttenormoreyearsandthereasonIhavespokenout
againstitisbecauseIfollowtrueIslam.
Nowthereareotherpeopleandgroupswhocondemnextremismandare
warningoftheriskstoworldpeacebutletitbecategoricallyclearthat
theAhmadiyyaMuslimCommunitywas thevery first towarnof these
dangers.”
Huzoorcontinued:
“As a journalist, you should ask yourself where the terrorists and
extremists get their weapons. They are rarely produced in Muslim
countriesandarebeingimportedfromtheWestandEasternEurope.
Allsides,Muslimandnon-Muslimmustshowwisdomandsense.Itisnot
impossible to stop terrorists. For example, in the past year theworld
powershavebecomemoreseriousintheireffortstostopDaeshandasa
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result,theyhavebeenabletoneutralizeitsgrowthandnowithasbeen
almostdefeatedasanorganisation”
Mostbeautifully,Huzoorsaid:
“There are some worldly solutions to the problems of today but our
Jamaatfocusesonthespiritualsolutions.Thus,weconstantlybowdown
beforeAllahprayingforthepeaceoftheworldand,accordingtoIslam’s
teachings,weareengagedinthemoraltrainingofthemembersofour
community fromchildhood.Asa result,AhmadiMuslims,arewith the
GraceofAllah,spreadingonlypeaceacrosstheworld.”
Changingthesubject, the journalist thenaskedifHuzoorwas in favourof
womenImams.
Inresponse,Huzoorsaid:
“IfollowtheSunnah(practice)oftheHolyProphetofIslam(sa)andifhe
saidsomethingiswrongthenitiswrong,regardlessofwhattherestof
theworldmaysayorthink!Heisourmasterandourguide.”
HuzoorthenreiteratedmanyofthepointshehadmadeinhisLajnaaddress
atJalsaaboutwhy,practicallyspeaking,itwasnotpossibleforwomentobe
Imams.
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Asourceofblessings
Asthemeetingconcluded,thePrivateSecretary,MunirJavedsahibinformed
HuzoorthathisnextmeetingwaswithadelegationfromSierraLeoneand
wouldtakeplaceintheMahmoodHall.
Inreply,Huzoorsaidhewouldcomeoutinaminuteandhethenturnedtoa
trolleybehindhisdesk,pickedupaglassandpouredalittlewaterandtook
acoupleofsips.
ItwasarareandfleetingmomentwhereHuzoorwasabletohaveaminute
tohimself,beforehe stoodandwalked the fewdozenstepsacross to the
MahmoodHall.
Overthepastfewdays,IhadseenonceagainhowKhilafatisthesourceof
trueblessingsinthiseraandthepurestreflectionofIslam’steachings.
Personafterperson,fromcountryaftercountry,hadspokenofhowHuzoor’s
wordshadimpacteduponthemandchangedtheirunderstandingofIslam
andremovedanyfearsorworriestheyhad.
Oneafteronetheyattestedtothefactthattheyhadneverseenanythinglike
the Jalsa Salana before with its unique spirit and peaceful atmosphere.
Huzoor’smeetingsandJalsaactivitiesweresettocontinueforseveralmore
days.
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Justliketheprecedingdays,theywouldprovetobeextremelyblessedanda
pure manifestation of the mutual love between Khalifa-Waqt and the
membersof the Jamaat. Iwasvery luckytobeabletoonceagainwitness
suchscenes.
EndofPart2
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