The Promised Messiahas states:
“God Almighty has repeatedly informed me through divine revelation that everything that will be achieved, will only be achieved with the help of prayers.” (Seerat Masih-e-Maudas by Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira, p. 518)
The Jamaat has achieved all success by adhering to this advice of the Promised Messiahas. The blessing of Khilafat that God Almighty has bestowed on Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is also a result of the prayers of the Promised Messiahas.
One of the great blessings of this blessed institution is that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih is given the miracle of the acceptance of prayers. Explaining its philosophy, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“When Allah the Exalted elevates someone to the position of Khilafat, He increases the acceptance of his [the Khalifa’s] prayers because were his prayers not accepted, it would be tantamount to disrespecting His own choice.” (Mansab-e-Khilafat, p. 32)
Khulafa have a living relationship with God Almighty. Hence, those who obey the Khalifa and do good deeds are saved from calamities as a result of the prayers of the Khalifa.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, while addressing the first Jalsa Salana of his Khilafat on 26 December 1908, stated:
“Know full well, if you wish, that it is a blessing of God that He has appointed such a person as your Imam who prays for you in anguish.” (Badr, 7 January 1909)
Prayers of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira
Malik Muhammad Abdullah Sahib narrates an incident of his childhood, which was narrated by his elder brother, that when he was one and a half years old, an abscess appeared on his leg, which later became very severe.
When every treatment proved ineffective, he was sent to the Mission Hospital Sialkot in severe pain, where a British doctor advised that his leg be amputated. Upon this, his parents came to Qadian with him and with great worry, presented the situation to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira.
Another girl in Qadian was also suffering from the same problem. Huzoorra appointed a board of two doctors who examined her and advised that the leg should be amputated.
Malik Sahib was to have an operation the next day. Prayers were also offered and since one of the sons of Huzoorra was a friend of Malik Muhammad Abdullah Sahib’s elder brother, he also requested Huzoorra not to amputate his leg. Huzoorra said that the repeated pleading had stirred his heart, which he considered to be divine intervention. Huzoorra postponed the operation and gave some ointments and some doses of medicinal powder, which brought a lot of relief on the same day and by the grace of Allah, the effect of the disease disappeared within three days and within a few further days, he recovered completely.
Malik Sahib said, “Today I am 85 years old; the signs of the illness are still present in my knee but there has never been any pain after that.” (Al Fazl International, 24 May 2002)
Chaudhry Haakim Din Sahib’s wife was experiencing severe labour pains. He went to the house of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira at eleven o’clock at night and asked the watchman if he could meet Huzoorra at that time. The watchman replied in the negative but Huzoorra heard the voice and called him inside.
When he mentioned the problem, Huzoorra recited something on a date and gave it to him and said, “Give it to your wife and once she has given birth, inform me too.” He gave her the date and soon after, a girl was born.
However, he thought that it was not appropriate to wake Huzoorra up at that time. So, he came at the time of Fajr azan instead and informed Huzoorra about the situation.
Hearing it, Huzoorra said, “After the birth of the girl, you and your wife went to sleep comfortably. If you had informed me as well, I would have also slept without being worried. I spent all night praying for your wife.” (Ibid)
Chaudhry Ghulam Muhammad Sahib narrates an incident about the acceptance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’sra prayers.
In the rainy season of 1909, it rained for eight consecutive days, which caused many houses of Qadian to collapse. On the eighth or ninth day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira said, “I am going to say a prayer, [and] all of you should say, ‘Amin’.”
After praying, he said, “Today I offered a supplication which the Holy Prophetsa only offered once in his entire life. That supplication was the prayer to stop rain.”
It was raining heavily at the time the prayer was offered. However, the rain stopped soon after it and during the Asr prayer, the sky cleared and the sun was shining. (Ibid)
Prayers of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra
Syed Ijaz Ahmad Shah Sahib states that in the year 1951, his younger brother from Jaranwala sent him a telegram in Rabwah stating that their father’s condition was critical, so he should come immediately. He offered the Maghrib prayer in a state of panic and after the prayer, he requested Huzoorra for dua. Huzoorra said, “Okay, I will pray.”
He states, “When I reached Jaranwala the next morning, my father was sitting upright on a charpoy while chewing paan.”
Ijaz Sahib’s brother told him that since last evening, the situation had begun to improve miraculously; otherwise, it was alarmingly dangerous at first. Ijaz Sahib told him that he had requested Huzoorra for prayers in the evening and that was the blessing of his supplications. (Ibid)
After the formation of Pakistan, Hazrat Nawab Abdullah Khan Sahibra was serving as nazir-e-ala. In 1948, he had such a severe heart attack that doctors became hopeless for his life.
When Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was informed, he and Hazrat Amma Janra started praying to Allah with great anguish. Doctors used to say that they had read about such severe heart attacks in books but that was the first time they had seen such a patient.
Hazrat Nawab Sahib’s heart had [nearly] stopped functioning and the signs of life were almost gone, but suddenly, Allah the Almighty accepted the prayers and he was granted a new life.
For a long time after this heart attack, he was not allowed to move even slightly. Many times, the situation became dangerous and each time, Allah the Almighty saved him with prayers. After many months, he was able to take the first step and then miraculously lived a healthy 13 extra years. (Ibid)
Saeeda Khanum Sahiba states that a toe injury of her two-year-old daughter resulted in a damaged bone and the wound became infected. Doctors said there was a risk of amputation.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was requested for prayers. Thereafter, Allah the Almighty blessed the same medicine, which they had used many times before and her health was restored. (Ibid)
Sheikh Fazal Haq Sahib’s fourth son became seriously ill eight to nine months after birth. Many treatments were tried for three years until his legs became non-functional. People used to advise him to use amulets [ta‘wiz] but he would say that he would not use any amulets even if his son died.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was requested for prayers. He replied, “Allah the Almighty will heal Aziz.” Soon after the reply, he started to recover and was eventually healed. (Ibid)
Abdul Hameed Khurshid Effendi, a sincere Ahmadi of Egypt, came to Qadian for 40 days in 1938 and requested Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra for prayers as he had no children, despite being married for 10 to 12 years. Huzoorra responded that he would pray.
A few days later, when he met Huzoorra, he said, “I have prayed for you. Allah the Almighty will grant you a son.”
Effendi Sahib returned to Egypt and there, he had a son who was named Jalaluddin, after Maulana Jalaluddin Shamsra, the first Ahmadiyya missionary to Arabia. Later, another son, Shamsuddin, and a daughter, Aisha, were also born. (Ibid)
Prayers of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh
Dr Mubarak Sahib, a sincere Ahmadi from Ghana, states that after his marriage, he was deprived of the blessing of children for a long time. Doctors performed various tests and said that his wife could not become a mother. He took his wife to Germany where further tests were conducted but the result was the same.
He then wrote a letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, in which he explained the whole matter and requested prayers.
Sometime after that, a reply came in which it was written that Huzoorrh had prayed and that Allah the Almighty would give him a son and that he should give that son such and such a name.
After a while, his wife became pregnant and when they went to the doctors, they were surprised to see the reports. The doctors said that this woman could not have become pregnant. However, after some time, a son was born and they named him as told by Huzoorrh.
Once, when he was in Germany, Huzoorrh was also visiting Germany. They met Huzoorrh and took their son with them and told Huzoorrh the whole story. Huzoorrh remembered everything. He held the child and said that when his brother was born, he should be given such and such name and when another brother was born, he should be given such and such name. Later, God fulfilled the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih and granted them two more sons.
A woman from West Africa wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh requesting prayers as she had been married for 37 years but had no children. She also expressed her increasing concerns regarding her age. Allah the Almighty accepted the prayers of Huzoorrh and granted her a son after 40 years of marriage. (Ibid)
Mian Muhammad Aslam Sahib was able to accept Ahmadiyyat in November 1963. He got married in April 1965, but despite treatment, he had no children for 12 years. Opponents of Ahmadiyyat started saying that since he had become an Ahmadi, he would remain without issue.
He requested Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh for prayers and described the circumstances. Huzoorrh said that Allah the Almighty would never waste him and would surely bless him with male offspring. Then, Allah the Almighty granted him four sons. (Ibid)
Prayers of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh
A Ghanaian woman was rather perturbed as her children would die within two weeks after birth. When she requested Huzoorrh for prayers, Huzoorrh replied, “Name the girl Amatul Haye.” Allah the Almighty then granted her a healthy daughter. (Ibid)
When a Ghanaian chief converted to Islam at the hands of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, he did not have any male children and his wife had suffered two miscarriages. Disappointed, he requested Huzoorrh for prayers. Huzoorrh prayed with great anguish and soon, Allah the Almighty blessed him with a healthy son. (Ibid)
Abdul Basit Sahib of Germany had just started writing a letter to Huzoorrh in distress over his case, when an Arab friend came and on his enquiry, Abdul Basit Sahib said that all worldly means had been exhausted and that he was writing a letter to his Imam.
A few days later, the case of that Ahmadi was decided in his favour on the same day he received a reply from Huzoorrh. Impressed by this, the Arab friend said, “Write a letter for prayers for me.”
By the grace of God Almighty, the Arab friend’s case was also accepted on the same day when he received a reply from Huzoorrh.
When this matter became known to others, another non-Ahmadi friend asked for prayers to Huzoorrh for his loved one who was critically ill in Pakistan and doctors were unable to diagnose his illness. So, Allah the Almighty bestowed His grace and one day, the doctors were able to diagnose the disease and then the patient was healed.
Coincidently, the doctors diagnosed the disease on the same day when Huzoorrh replied to his letter. (Ibid)
Prayers of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
Abdul Majid Tahir Sahib, Additional Wakil-ul-Tabshir states that on 4 May 2006, when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa was in Nandi, Fiji during his tour of the Far East, after midnight, news was received that a serious sea storm had struck a close-by island called Tonga. The intensity of this storm was greater than the tsunami in Indonesia, in which hundreds of thousands of people died and which brought destruction to various countries.
According to the most recent news on television at the time, the tsunami was continually growing in its intensity and there were fears that Fiji, nearby islands, Australia and some parts of New Zealand would be flooded in water. This was a very frightening and worrying situation.
When Huzooraa arrived for Fajr prayer, he was informed of the whole situation. Huzooraa then led the Fajr prayer and remained in prostration longer than usual. He prayed so fervently before his Mighty Lord that after the Fajr prayer, he addressed the members of the Jamaat by saying:
“There is nothing to fear, Allah the Almighty will show His grace and mercy. Nothing will happen.”
The faith-inspiring manifestation of God was shown in such a way that after about two and a half hours, they received news that the tsunami had abated. Later, news was received that the tsunami that was about to wreak havoc in the entire area had stopped dead in its tracks. The newspapers in Fiji would later write that it was a miracle that this tsunami had stopped. (Al Fazl International, 21 November 2014, pp. 15-16)
A young pilot from Ivory Coast had come to Belgium for a one-year course. Here, he had a meeting with Huzooraa and he said that his selection for becoming a pilot was due to the prayers of Huzooraa. It so happened that when he attended the Jalsa Salana of Ivory Coast a few years ago, a friend there told him that he had seen an advertisement that Air Ivory Coast was holding a competition to hire people but the date had passed.
Despite the fact that date had passed, he wrote to Huzooraa requesting prayers and at the same time, submitted his application.
A few days later, he received a reply that although he had submitted the documents late, they were allowing him to participate in that competition. He then took a written test for the competition and out of a thousand candidates, only 15 were selected, including him. He said that all this happened due to the prayers of Huzooraa. (Al Fazl International, 25 October 2019)
A missionary of Mayotte Island states that during a delegation’s mulaqat, during Huzoor’s tour of Germany in 2019, Yusuf Labiun Sahib said to Huzooraa that when he had a child, the doctors said that the child was disabled and would not be able to sit, stand or see, in the future. Therefore, he wrote a letter to Huzooraa requesting prayers and after that, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the child grew in a miraculous way and the same child could now sit and stand.
During the same mulaqat, Huzooraa placed his hand on the child’s head and said, “Allah will show His Grace.” Yusuf Sahib states that after that, Allah the Almighty showed more miracles and the child’s eyes also improved and his strabismus was also healed. (Al Fazl International, 23 July 2019)
Kushtrim Alhadaraj Sahib from Kosovo says that his son, aged four, was unable to walk and he wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa requesting prayers. He states that just two days after writing the letter, his son started walking on his own feet. (Al Fazl International, 27 September 2019, p. 15)
Ibrahim Ikhlaf Sahib, a life devotee from the UK, was affected by Covid-19 and was in a critical condition in the ICU. Munir Odeh Sahib said to Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa during a meeting that Reem Sahiba (wife of Ibrahim Ikhlaf Sahib) was very worried due to the situation of her husband. Upon this, Huzooraa said:
“Tell Reem to not worry. Nothing will happen to Ibrahim. He will recover.”
Due to the prayers of Huzooraa, Ikhlaf Sahib recovered and became a living proof of the acceptance of prayers of Khalifa-e-Waqt. (Al Fazl International, 21 April 2020, pp. 16-17)
Thus, the thousands of faith-inspiring incidents that are scattered in every part of the world and the bounties of Allah the Almighty demand that we instil the love of Khilafat in our next generations as well.
May we have such a personal relationship with Khalifatul Masih, based on true obedience and sincere love, that we are able to receive an ample share of the blessings of Khilafat. Amin.