Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Sweden requested Sahibzada Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib to address the concluding session of their Khilafat Day Jalsa on 30 May 2021. The English translation of this faith-inspiring talk given by Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib is given below.
I have been asked to speak on the relationship between the Khalifa and the Jamaat. Every Ahmadi is not only a witness to this connection but also feels it first-hand, but it is the Khulafa who feel and witness this unique connection. Since all Khulafa of the Promised Messiahas have described this otherwise indescribable connection that bonds the Jamaat and Khilafat together, what better way to present this than in their own words?
I will, therefore, present before you the very own words of Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat in this regard, starting with an excerpt from a Friday Sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, which he delivered last year in the month of May. About a week before this sermon, Huzooraa had faced an injury by tripping over; this fall had left bruises and hurt on Huzoor’s face and other parts of his body.
This incident brought with it an extraordinary expression of the Jamaat’s love, devotion and concern for Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa. In the sermon that followed this incident, Huzooraa expressed his gratitude for the Jamaat. The following excerpt is from that sermon:
“First of all, I would like to thank all the Ahmadis who expressed their sentiments in an exceptional manner and offered intense supplications after I sustained injuries from a fall. May Allah the Almighty grant the most excellent reward to all of you and may He increase your sincerity and loyalty.
“In this age, it is only in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat that one can find such an example of mutual love, especially sincerity and loyalty, that it shows towards the Khalifa of the time. This is purely expressed for the sake of Allah the Almighty and in accordance with His instruction. It is only Allah the Almighty, Who can instil this mutual love.
“In such a case, one cannot determine as to who feels more pain for the other. At times, it seems that the love the members of the Jamaat have for Khilafat is at its peak and upon seeing the examples of some people, it may appear that the attachment and affection of the Khalifa of the time towards the members of the Jamaat may not be of the same level.
“Nevertheless, this love and this relationship is mutual. As I said, this is such a relationship the likes of which one cannot find in any other worldly relations. I particularly like these words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh: ‘The Khalifa of the time and the Jamaat are two names of the same entity.’ (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 4, p. 423, Friday Sermon, 29 September 1972)
“It is due to the acceptance of your prayers that by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the injuries healed exceptionally quickly. The doctor told me that facial injuries usually heal very quickly, but he was not expecting them to heal this quick. I told him that treatment has its own importance, but the true factor are the supplications that are being made by Ahmadis.
“I had personally thought that there were quite a few injuries and it may take up to two weeks for them to heal and even then it may leave some marks of the injury. However, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, everything was cleared within seven to eight days […]”
This mercy of Allah the Almighty can only be acquired through prayers.
“I remember that some time ago, I was suffering from extreme pain in my shoulder and arm, so much so that it was difficult to raise the arm and would need to use help of the other hand. When I showed it to a specialist doctor, he said that this pain could persist for a period anywhere between six weeks to three to four months. In any case, when he re-examined after a few days, he saw that by the grace of Allah the Almighty, 90% of the pain had been alleviated, upon which he was very surprised.
“I told him that this is how Allah the Almighty blesses a person when hundreds of thousands of people are praying for him. He was an Englishman and said, “I am a Christian and I come from a religious family. I also believe in prayers.” He said, “This is certainly the result of prayers.”
“Hence, this is purely owing to grace of Allah the Almighty, which we should continuously be seeking from Him and submit before Him.” (Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, 22 May 2020)
The above excerpt was from the present day.
After the demise of the Promised Messiahas, the institution of Khilafat was established. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira once got hurt by falling off his horse. The concern and love that the Jamaat expressed at that time were also exceptional.
Reading through the reports from that time, one feels that the reporter might have written in an exaggerated manner. On the contrary, those of us who live closer to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa and witness this love of the Jamaat for the Khalifa, feel that the reporters probably missed a lot of details; the love and sincerity seem to be under-reported, in fact.
I will give a brief account of the accident where Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira got hurt. On Friday, 18 November 1910, as Huzoorra rode back to his residence from the mansion of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra, he fell off the horse that he was riding and was injured. This fall was a great shock for the whole Jamaat and left everyone traumatised. As the news got out, members of the Jamaat travelled to visit their beloved master. Letters started pouring in from all parts of the country, enquiring about Huzoor’s health. Every member of the Jamaat, young and old, devoted themselves to prayers. Requests for prayers were officially issued and those who had asked to be informed directly by post were sent postal updates. The love and devotion of the Jamaat for Hazrat Khalifatul Masihra on that occasion was exemplary.
Hazrat Mir Hussain Qureshira, a companion of the Promised Messiahas, supplicated to God that “O Allah, the needs of Hazrat Noah’s time were quite limited, but the demands of this age are not hidden from You. Please accept our supplications and grant Huzoorra the lifetime of Hazrat Noahas.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, pp. 330-331)
This is one example of how members of the Jamaat expressed their love for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira at that time. By the grace of Allah, this expression of love and devotion continues, generation after generation, to this day.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has repeatedly said, and has recently said again in his latest Friday Sermon [on 28 May 2021], that this mutual bond of the Jamaat and Khalifatul Masih is a manifestation of Allah’s testimony, just as is His favour for the Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. Those outside the Jamaat see this manifestation, but choose to live in denial.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, upon seeing the Jamaat’s response, said, “It is satisfying to see that in these days of my illness, the Jamaat has turned to Allah”. (Ibid)
I must mention here that when Huzooraa got injured last year, whenever I got the chance to inform Huzooraa about the messages of love and prayers from members of the Jamaat, he too said that such accidents enable the Jamaat to turn to Allah and pray to him.
Coming back to the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, he wrote a message back to the Jamaat, saying:
“This test that has befallen me has brought with it a wave of Allah’s mercy and compassion. Allah has laid bare before me the condition of the hearts whose love I much require. There are some about whose cordial state with the Jamaat and myself I was not aware of, but the way they have been at my service around the clock is proof of their sincerity.” (Hayat-e-Nur, p. 480)
The reaction of the Jamaat on receiving the news of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’sra accident was recorded in Al Hakam by Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira:
“When the news of the incident reached the Jamaat, men and women arrived in crowds. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira said to tell the women that ‘I am fine; I am neither anxious nor scared. Tell them to head back home and leave behind their names so I may pray for them.’
“Without a hint of my religious attachment or exaggeration, I state the fact that these devotees of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa i.e. the men who are raised to sainthood and Khilafat only remember their Jamaat even in the time of pain and anguish. Even in his state of illness, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira consistently said, ‘I shall pray for you’.” (Al Hakam, 28 November 1910, Vol. 14, no. 40, p. 18)
I would like to cite here another example from the present Khilafat. Immediately after Huzooraa got injured and while the doctor was cleaning the wounds and bruises, Huzooraa was continuously worried about how anxious the Jamaat would be and how he would be able to deliver the Friday Sermon; praying constantly that the wounds may heal before Friday. The doctor said that the wounds might not heal by the coming Friday, or maybe even the following one. Huzooraa continued to express his concern for the anxiousness the Jamaat would have to endure and also continued to pray that the wounds may heal before Friday.
As I said, the bruise had pretty much healed by the next Friday. So, this testimony of Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira is an absolute reality that saints and Khulafa never cease to be concerned about their Jamaat even in times of their personal pain. By the grace of Allah, we see that this concern of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih for his Jamaat continues to this day.
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira goes on to mention how much Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira cared for his Jamaat members:
“Those in service of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih possess a natural love for him. They want to see him recover to good health soon and resume the noble work of teaching the Holy Quran.” (Al Hakam, 7 December 1919, Vol. 14, no. 41)
Once, a member of the Jamaat and his wife were expecting a baby. His wife developed a complication in labour, so he rushed to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira to request him for prayers. The doorman said that he could not convey the message to Huzoorra at such a late hour of the night as Huzoorra must have retired.
Having overheard this debate, Huzoorra emerged out of the door. He prayed and handed the gentleman a date to feed his wife. Her labour went well and a healthy child was born.
When that gentleman came for the Fajr prayer, he informed Huzoorra that the birth had happened and there were no complications thereafter. Huzoorra said to him, “Your child was born; you and your wife went to sleep peacefully. Had you informed me during the night, I too would have slept in peace. I prayed all night for your wife.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 553)
Similarly, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra mentions this unique connection of love in the following words:
“I can most honestly state that the love and compassion I have for my people, for being at this status that God has granted me, cannot exist even between a father and a son, or vice versa. But when I compare this compassion of mine with that of the prophets, it is as if comparing a firefly with the sun – the love of the prophets appears to have no bounds.” (Swanih Fazl-e-Umar, Vol. 5, p. 468)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states:
“It is by Allah’s grace that he gave in my hands the reins of such a Jamaat about which I would be most ungrateful to say that it does not listen to me. To say that they listen to me would be an understatement; there are many who are ready to sacrifice their wealth, time, honour and anything that is dear to them, only at a signal on my behalf.” (Swanih Fazl-e-Umar, Vol. 2, p. 85)
Describing how believers in Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya are different from those who deny it, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“Is there any difference between you and those who denied Khilafat? Apparently, no, there isn’t! But actually, there is a great difference. For you, there is a person who has a great deal of love and compassion for you; one who takes your pain to be his own; who takes your problems to be his own; one who supplicates to God for you. For them, there is none.
“This one person feels your agonies and pains and prays restlessly to God for you; for them, there is no one to do so.
“An ordinary person becomes restless if a single person close to them falls ill; can you imagine the state of a person whose thousands, rather hundreds of thousands are taken ill?
“So, you continue to enjoy your freedom, but a person who was once free like you has been taken to carry a huge burden of responsibilities.” (Barakat-e-Khilafat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 2, p. 158)
As Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra set out on his journey to England in 1924, he sent a message from the deck of the ship before setting sail from Mumbai. Huzoorra assured his Jamaat that his prayers had always remained with the Jamaat, always would remain with the Jamaat and that he was devoted for the Jamaat in life and death.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, in this message, gave the example of a quarrel that could happen in common households: A wife asks her husband to buy her jewellery, whereas the husband finds excuses to avoid the big expense. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says that he had, on the contrary, come across women who wanted to donate their jewellery and valuables for the Jamaat, whereas the husbands told them to keep them safe for a time of need.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:
“Allah has blessed our Jamaat with such devotion that while worldly women run after jewellery, our women run after us to accept it as donation.” (Swanih Fazl-e-Umar, Vol. 3, p. 324)
“It surprises me immensely and I find myself saying to God, ‘O Allah, what strange ways Your will has! How have You instilled such love for me in the hearts of my people?’
“If I decide to ride a horse for a journey, a few men start to walk alongside for my protection. As I come off the horse, they rush to massage my feet, thinking I must be tired. I am left amazed when I consider that I was riding on the horse, and these men walked on foot beside my horse; their love shields this thought in their mind that I was riding the horse and they were walking, replacing it with the thought that they were riding and I had walked along.
“I insist that I am not tired and these men insist that, ‘No, you must be tired. Give us the chance to serve you’; saying so, they start to massage my feet […] (Swanih Fazl-e-Umar, Vol. 3, p. 471)
“Allah has granted me the swords that split apart any infidelity. God has gifted me with hearts that are ready to sacrifice anything at my call. Should I ask them to jump into the sea, they would be ready to do so. If I were to ask them to jump off a cliff, they would most certainly do so. Should I ask them to jump into burning ovens, they would jump into them.” (Mein hi Musleh-e-Maud ki peshgoi ka misdaq hoon, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 17, pp. 241-242)
We know it from history that people would jump onto the train that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra would be travelling in; they would run parallel to the train for as long as they could.
We witness such expressions of devotion to this day. Those who have travelled with Huzooraa and even those who watch Huzoor’s tours through MTA, have witnessed children and youth longingly see Huzoor’s car arrive, even run parallel to it to catch a glimpse of Huzooraa, wave to him to express their love and devotion for Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa. This love and devotion has been passed down from one generation to the next.
Going back in history, when Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was on his tour to Europe, Babu Siraj Din Sahib wrote to Huzooraa the following words:
“O my master! We are far from you and are helpless. Had it been possible, we would turn into dust and cling to your shoes, only to be saved from the pain of being distanced. I have not been to Qadian for four years, but at least I had the peace of mind that whenever I wanted, I could travel to see my master. But now, even to pass a single day is burdensome. May Allah bring Huzoor back safely, triumphant and victorious.” (Swanih Fazl-e-Umar, Vol. 5, p. 475)
Now, coming back to the present time, the last year-and-a-half has seen many restrictions by law as well as by way of safety. People have been unable to visit Islamabad, Tilford. Similar expressions of love can be witnessed. So many people say that we would sacrifice anything in exchange for a visit to Islamabad; anything for a single prayer to be offered behind Huzooraa; and anything to partake in the Friday congregation with Huzooraa. For a huge number of people, it has been more than a year that they haven’t seen Huzooraa. They vehemently express their desire to see Huzooraa live once again, and their hearts ache at their helplessness.
Some people have given vent to their emotions by only driving past Islamabad, looking helplessly towards Huzoor’s office and house, praying for his wellbeing. In the given restrictions, this is the closest they could get to Huzooraa, and they availed this chance too even though it meant only driving past the main gates and merely glancing towards Huzoor’s abode.
Such an expression of devotion can never be out of conceit; it is a bond of true love instilled in the hearts of one generation after the other.
History has it that when an attempt was made at the life of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, a huge wave of concern and anguish ran through the spine of the Jamaat. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra sent a message in response:
“I have always loved you more than my wives and my children. I have been ready to sacrifice anyone dear and near to me in the way of Islam Ahmadiyyat. I expect you and your generations to follow suit.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 17, pp. 234-235)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh also described this bond of love between Khilafat and the Jamaat. I quote here a few extracts:
“I am aware of how the Jamaat prays for me; they pray for the success of my objectives. When the Khalifa has to worry for their worry, they, in return, get even more concerned that the Khalifa is having to endure pain for them […]
“Just as an injured finger causes the whole body to become restless, and just as mental stress causes the body to feel stressed, the same is the case with the Khalifa of the time and Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.
“It is, therefore, wrong to see the Jamaat and the Khalifa as two different entities. By the grace of Allah, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and imam of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya are one and the same; both combine to result in a form of unison.” (Al Fazl, 21 May 1978)
On another occasion, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh stated:
“O my brethren, who are dearer to me than my life, every bit of my being I offer to you as homage. You have, by the grace of Allah, shown such a great example of unity and stability that the angels in the Heavens are proud of you. So receive the blessings of heavenly souls.
“History will remember you and the generations to come will take pride in you for that act of uniting on the hand of this humble one and pledging to forward the mission of establishing the Oneness and grandeur of Allah, initiated by the Promised Messiahas; the same mission carried forward to the corners of the earth by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra through sacrificing everything dear to him; you are the ones who will keep speeding up your efforts […]
“My prayers are with you and I am in great need of yours. To alleviate your burdens, and for the peace of your hearts, and for your worries to be removed, I have asked my Merciful God to show me a sign through the acceptance of my prayers. I trust that Pure Being that He will not reject my supplication.” (Hayat-e-Nasir, p. 374)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh once recalled how some Christian missionaries met Huzoorrh in Copenhagen. One of them asked what status Huzoorrh held in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. He replied by saying:
“This question is incorrect because we take the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and the imam of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat to be one and the same thing; they combine to become one. It is the responsibility of Khilafat that it should alleviate the pain of the Jamaat and for the Khalifa to pray for the Jamaat. There are occasions when the Khalifa of the time prays for you all through the night.
“During the 1974 episode, I think I was not able to sleep for two months. Many months passed in praying. Therefore, the Khalifa of the time is one who shares your sorrow and your happiness […]
“The bitterness experienced in those days by the individuals of the Jamaat would all accumulate in my heart. There came nights when I, by the grace and blessings of Allah, continuously prayed for Ahmadis without sleeping for even a minute. I request the members of the Jamaat to remember me in prayers also. May Allah keep me in good health and may He enable me to carry out the responsibilities that he has laid upon my shoulders. Pray that the Jamaat and I are able to fulfil our duties, for I do not see the Jamaat and myself as distinct to each other. The Jamaat and the imam of the Jamaat are two names of the same body and two angles of the same view.” (Al Fazl, 21 May 1978)
I will now present a few excerpts from the sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh. Huzoorrh stated:
“A living miracle of the Promised Messiahas, that encompasses all other miracles, is the establishment of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, its training and its special features that are nowhere to be found in the world […]
“Its devotional love and its adoring makes one envious. Despite the fact that there is love, but there remains a sort of envy.” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 1, pp. 2-3)
A Canadian professor who had visited Rabwah and had met Ahmadis and the Jamaat’s officials visited Hazrat Khalifatul Masihrh on his way back to Canada. Having met Huzoorrh, he is reported to have said that he thought the Jamaat loved their imam, but he had actually seen that their imam loved them even more. (Mahana Khalid, Syeduna Tahir, no. 2004, p.299)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh said on one occasion:
“The Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas is so adorable that not to adore it is just not possible; one is left with no choice but to love it. The one worry that makes my heart melt is that I am able to fulfil the rights of the Jamaat that have been entrusted to me by the Promised Messiahas. I desire to die in a state that Allah assures me that I have fulfilled its rights.” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 3, p. 374)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh once expressed this bond of mutual love in one of his couplets:
“I am not distinct from you, as you are my universe; It’s you that gives meaning and soul to my life.” (Kalam-e-Tahir, p. 26)
Now, I will present some sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
We have heard Huzooraa, on many occasions, speak about and mention his deep love for the Jamaat – at times, using expressions such as, “O my beloved Jamaat”. He has always spoken about how much love he feels from the Jamaat too.
On one occasion, Huzooraa says:
“Like last year, I have been able to witness the devotion and loyal love of Ahmadis during my tour of African countries. Some such expressions can be felt but not described in words.
“In Tanzania, there is a route that stretches across 600 to 700 kilometres and, owing to the poor state of the roads, can be covered in no less than eight or even 10 days. We travelled to a relatively bigger town of that area in a small aeroplane. Many had travelled from surrounding areas and assembled there to welcome us. Their zeal was incredible. Some of the areas there did not have the facility of MTA so it cannot be said that they had seen me and had therefore developed that zeal. Their enthusiasm showed that they have a special love and connection with Khilafat.
“The sentiments of those who got to shake hands with me are hard to describe. For instance, one of such people who stood in a queue, held out his hand for a handshake, but instantly became overwhelmed with emotion and started crying.
“Does this love ever exist for kings or rulers? Or is it instilled in hearts by God? […]”
“Another person, who had suffered a paralytic stroke, had travelled forty or fifty miles to meet me. His hands were deformed which he held out for a handshake […] Does anyone undergo such trouble for a worldly cause?” (Al Fazl International, 10-17 June 2005)
Huzooraa further explains how Ahmadis who had travelled from Kenya and Uganda expressed their devotional love for Khilafat. Reminiscing his arrival in Uganda, Huzooraa once mentioned how, when his car drove out of the airport, a woman carrying her two-year-old child, started to run with Huzoor’s car. She wanted her child to see Huzooraa but the child’s gaze was distracted. She got pushed around in the crowd but didn’t give up until her child caught sight of Huzooraa. Only then did she come to a halt. Huzooraa mentioned that the smile that emerged on the face of the child was such as if he had known Huzooraa for a very long time.
Huzooraa stated:
“As long as such mothers will be born in the Jamaat, bringing up children who love Khilafat, then Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya is not in any danger.” (Ibid)
I quote Huzooraa from another occasion:
“The Jamaat, by the grace of Allah, is very strong; as strong as a lead-clad wall. When I was recently in Africa, many people, who had never met me before, met as if they lived apart for a very long time. What would one call this? The love and joy that I saw on their faces, what would you call it? The painstaking journeys they undertook to come to me; what was it? Is this love that these inhabitants of remote areas have for Khilafat merely for vainglory? […]
“So, what Allah instils in hearts, cannot be removed by human effort, howsoever one may try. I have seen men, women and children weep with tears; all this is out of the love for Khilafat that their hearts are laden with. The young children that run to me from here and there – crossing all security protocols – do so out of the love that Allah has instilled in their hearts; this outburst cannot result if they are asked to do so.
“The parents of such children and other onlookers visibly become overwhelmed with the same love.” (Mash‘al-e-Rah, Vol. 5, p. 20)
Huzooraa recalls that such parents, who themselves had not been able to meet Huzooraa, would hug their children for they had received the love of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. Huzooraa stated:
“The love and joy that this beloved Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas expressed, is unique to this Jamaat only. This expression of joy and love cannot be found anywhere in the world. This alone is sufficient proof of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, but only to be seen by God-fearing hearts […]
“I see this expression every day in the letters I receive. My heart is overawed with Allah’s praise by seeing how someone living hundreds of miles away has love for the Khalifa of the time merely in the way of God. The same is reciprocated at this end when these emotions run through my body like an electric current.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 1, p. 17)
Huzooraa recalls that when he was in Singapore, Ahmadis had travelled from Indonesia, Malaysia and other neighbouring regions. Some of them had accepted Ahmadis fairly recently, but the love they expressed for Khilafat was incredible. For most of the Ahmadis that assembled there, the journey had been very costly. They had taken the burdens of this journey wholeheartedly and, Huzooraa says, it testified to the truth of the words of the Promised Messiahas: “These are the people of God; God alone is taking care of them”.
I would like to state here a saying of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra:
“The eighth way of attaining the blessings of angels is through having a strong relation with the Khalifa of the time […]
“Once, the people of a prophet asked him to appoint his successor from whose advice they could continue to benefit in their worldly affairs. But when the prophet appointed a successor, the people asked what was special about him and what was in him that lacked in other people […]
“The prophet responded by saying, ‘Alright. Let me tell you what is special about him. The difference is that those who stay attached to this successor will be comforted by angels.’
“This shows that staying connected to Khulafa leads to a connection with angels […]
“What will make such people distinct is that angels will carry their hearts and reveal unto them the knowledge of previous prophets and saints. Therefore, having a relation with Khilafat leads to angels descending on hearts.” (Malaikatullah, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 5, p. 561)
In the end, I would like to present a saying of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa:
“What dictator has a connection with his subjects? The Khalifa, on the other hand, has a personal relation with every Ahmadi of every nation and every ethnicity. They write to me in person and state their personal issues. If one sees the volume of such letters that I receive daily, they would find it incredible.
“It is only Khilafat that is concerned for the problems of every Ahmadi living in all parts of the world; the Khalifa personally prays for them.
“What worldly leader is there who prays for the ill? What worldly leader remains restless for matrimonial matches of his youth? What worldly leader remains concerned for the education of the children of his nation?
“Governments do provide schools and health facilities, but the concern for the education and health of people spread across the globe is only in the heart of the Khalifa-e-Waqt.
“There is no problem that afflicts Ahmadis – of personal nature or to do with the Jamaat – that does not leave the Khalifa-e-Waqt concerned; he not only takes practical measures to alleviate these problems but also prays for them.
“The Khulafa before me and I too have always done so. There is no country in the world where my imagination does not take me; praying for the Ahmadis living there while awake or even when asleep.
“I am not mentioning this as a favour. It is my duty and I pray that Allah enables me to fulfil this duty even better than ever before […]” (Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, 6 June 2014)
May Allah enable us and our generations to establish and maintain a strong relation with Khilafat.