An exclusive look at the passion and love Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa has for the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him
The Promised Messiah’sas portrait was placed in the Fazl Mosque office of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at such an angle that whilst looking at Huzoor’saa blessed countenance, the picture was also in view.
On so many instances, during brief pauses in discussions with Huzooraa, I would shift my glance up towards the picture and then towards Huzooraa. At every such occasion, I would think how this person, who is the Khalifa and successor of the Messiah of the Latter Days and the Awaited Mahdi, thought of his connection with him.
Of course, this question is not easy to pose. Therefore, it is incorrect to suggest that I – or anyone for that matter – understand this feeling. We can only imagine what it must feel like.
On the blessed occasion of the Promised Messiahas Day, let us take a look at a few of such occasions that reflect this love. These are but a few instances and mere opinions; who can actually summarise such a vast subject?
In mid-2007, I received an instruction from Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa that a monthly news bulletin should be aired on MTA International on the persecution of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.
Preparations for the programme were underway and within only a few weeks, a monthly show commenced by the name of Persecution News.
It had been a year since this programme started, when a Pakistani channel aired a hate-filled programme against the Jamaat, wherein the Ahmadis were declared wajib-ul-qatl [liable to be killed]. As a result, two sincere Ahmadi Muslims were martyred.
In accordance with Huzoor’saa instruction, the conversation on our show took a turn towards “Are Ahmadis wajib-ul-qatl?”, “Does Islam allow such murder?”, “Are the beliefs of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya contradictory to Islamic teachings?”, and “What are the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat?”
Huzooraa instructed that an email address and telephone number be provided to viewers so that they could ask any question they had on the topic and answers be given accordingly. Huzooraa also said that Ahmadi scholars should be invited on the show.
Huzooraa would usually himself give guidance on most of the questions we received. The love and passion with which Huzooraa would answer allegations against the person of the Promised Messiahas would show the immense reverence and attachment Huzooraa had with the Promised Messiahas.
“Why do you not ask them that …” “First, tell them to answer why …” and other similar sentences are preserved in my notebooks and memory.
This unyielding passion showed me, for the first time, the pure, deep and firmly rooted love Huzooraa had in his heart for Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas.
Eventually, this programme went on to exclusively detail the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Islam and became known as Rah-e-Huda.
None of us had the courage to broadcast an Urdu show live. Those familiar with the Urdu language and especially the Punjabi language (and nature) know that there are certain “eloquences” and expressions that are unsuitable for a decent environment.
Due to this fear and our lack of courage, we refrained from ever suggesting doing the programme live. But when Huzooraa instructed us to broadcast this show live, at every step of the way, he guided us in such a manner that we never faced any caller who used foul language for the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.
Huzooraa guided us in great detail – how to take calls, how to talk to questioners and how to answer their questions – and that too in a manner that never allowed anyone to hurl abuse at the Promised Messiahas.
It is impossible for me to narrate here all the guidance that Huzooraa gave as it spans over a decade, but the summary of each instruction was:
“The politeness of your tone will influence the questioner and how politely they ask their question. If you address them politely, then no matter how spiteful someone may be, they will feel ashamed to hurl abuse at the Promised Messiahas.”
This instruction was completely in accord with the Quranic teachings and I feel pride in saying that through Huzooraa, I got to witness first-hand the miracles of this Quranic teaching. Alhamdolillah!
After every programme, I would have a mulaqat and Huzooraa would enquire about the questions in detail. At times, Huzooraa would have seen parts of the show and would comment and guide us in light of the answers that were given.
In my experience, Huzooraa would go into greater detail about the questions that related to the blessed person of the Promised Messiahas. While answering such questions, I would witness a mixture of love and indignation, which has not been observed anywhere else. And how can it be? After all, he is the Khalifa and successor of the Promised Messiahas and no one can have more love and jealousy for him.
After some time, a new set was designed for the show. On the wall, a portrait of the Promised Messiahas was displayed. When I went to see Huzooraa for a mulaqat, he remarked:
“The studio lights reflect off the glass of the framed portrait in such a way that the picture appears distorted. Either remove the glass from the frame or place it at an angle that it does not reflect the light. In fact, nowadays, such glass can be purchased that does not reflect light. If you were going to place the Promised Messiah’sas portrait, then you should have found the best frame for it!”
In keeping with the subject of love and passion for the Promised Messiahas, it is also worth mentioning that I have observed the most perfect expression of love and indignation for the Promised Messiahas in Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
During the course of a discussion on the show, once, in a natural expression of love, a panellist displayed a level of passion that forced him to raise his voice, which escalated to a tone of anger. In the following mulaqat, Huzooraa said, “Tell all panellists that there is no need to get furious. As long as I am not raising my voice, no one needs to raise their voice. Answers should be given softly and with love.”
You and I can attest to the fact that no matter the cruelties meted out to members of the Jamaat, the love and passion for his Jamaat has never permitted Huzooraa to express himself as does a normal human being. Huzoor’s expression of passion and love is that of a perfect believer. What is also attestable is that the love and indignation in Huzoor’saa soft tone is even more powerful than mighty slogans. And how could it not be?
The Promised Messiahas outlined the signs of a truthful imam in his book, Zururat-ul-Imam [The Need for the Imam], among which is that he would never be quick-tempered.
Whilst commissioning programmes for MTA, Huzooraa always reminds us that the purpose is to remind mankind of the true teachings of Islam, which God Almighty sent to the world once more through the Promised Messiahas.
There are countless examples where guidance was sought and Huzooraa picked out a book of the Promised Messiahas, found the relevant portion and gave guidance accordingly. On almost every such occasion, after reading a passage, Huzooraa would say with utmost certainty, “The answer to everything can be found within the writings of the Promised Messiahas.”
If I ever mentioned that an accusation was made against the writings of the Promised Messiahas, Huzooraa would find the quoted portion, study the paragraphs before, after and of the passage in question, and from within those lines, would find the answer. Then, very calmly, compassionately and confidently, he would say, “The fact is that when an allegation is made against the writings of the Promised Messiahas, its context should be studied. Thus, the solution comes to light.”
It has so happened that if Huzooraa ever needed to find a specific part from a book of the Promised Messiahas, but due to the shortage of time in the mulaqat, he was not able to, that same evening, I would receive a message pertaining to the passage Huzooraa was searching for earlier and guidance on it.
One sentence said by Huzooraa sticks in my memory. I wish to quote it here and preserve it. Huzooraa once said:
“Whatever the Promised Messiahas wrote or said was all under the direct command of Allah the Almighty. So, how can there be anything objectionable in it?”
Once, I had entered Huzoor’saa office for a mulaqat and had not yet said anything, when Huzooraa said:
“The Promised Messiah’sas na‘tiyah poetry [in praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa] is played on MTA, but couplets should also be played separately and repeatedly, as one or two couplets each. The whole world should come to learn of the love the Promised Messiahas had for the Holy Prophetsa.”
Immediately after the mulaqat, fillers were made in accordance with Huzoor’s directives. Huzooraa was notified of this through a letter and the na‘tiyah couplets began playing on MTA at intervals.
As I entered Huzoor’saa office for my next mulaqat, I informed him about this verbally also. Huzooraa replied, “Yes, I saw that they were being played. But they are not playing as frequently as I wanted.”
The Promised Messiahas was immersed in the love of the Holy Prophetsa. His Khulafa are also immersed in this love, for which there is no limit that it can be said to be enough.
There is a famous narration of Hazrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad regarding his father, the Promised Messiahas, that he had a copy of the Holy Quran with him at all times and that he must have read that copy, back to front, at least 10,000 times.
This thought occurred to me with great vigour when Munir Odeh Sahib told me that just before the birth of MTA 3 Al-Arabiyya, Huzooraa expressed his desire for the Arab world to have an exclusive channel. From among the organisers, someone said that there were not many Arabic programmes that could be played on such a permanent basis. To this, Huzooraa responded, “Programmes will be made in due course. Even if the recitation of the Holy Quran is played day and night, the purpose will be served.”
This subject is a never-ending one. I conclude this article with details of a recent mulaqat I had with Huzooraa.
On 7 March, I entered Huzoor’s office. A certain someone was being referred to during the course of our discussion, who, in his misfortune, had separated himself from the Jamaat. Huzooraa said:
“After I read out a message in Arabic on MTA and quoted the message of the Promised Messiahas to the Arab world, I received a letter from him saying that he had never actually pondered over the intricacies of the message before. He said, ‘Today, I have reflected upon it and have found new meanings within it.’ Aside from this, he attested to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas verbally and through letters countless times. Now, he talks in contrast to what they used to believe. Either he was lying then or is lying now. He is, of course, lying now. The claim of the Promised Messiahas was true, is true today and shall continue to remain true! No one’s testimony is required for its truthfulness [to become evident].”
I had not got over the spell cast on me from the conviction, fervour and certainty with which Huzooraa had said these words that Huzooraa continued:
“Recently, a video of a maulvi was being spread on social media, in which he fell unconscious whilst talking about the Promised Messiahas. People assumed that perhaps he had died.
“Firstly, he did not die, but only passed out. Secondly, the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas is not dependant on the death of a maulvi.
دشمن مَرے تے خوشی نہ کرئیے
سنجاں وی مَر جانا
“[Do not delight in the death of a foe, for friends too shall also die eventually] There are countless examples of opponents of the Promised Messiahas who died. But the expression of his truthfulness does not require the death of a person. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, was, is and always will be true.”
I wish to conclude this article with Huzoor’saa blessed words. There is so much energy, strength and conviction in these words that to utter anything afterwards will be impertinent:
“Some people say that if so and so dies, then they will enter Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. Others say that as they do not have children, once a child is born to them, they will accept Ahmadiyyat. I always say to such people that the truth of the Promised Messiahas does not rely on the death or birth of a person. There are countless signs of support from God with the Promised Messiahas. To establish the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, Allah the Almighty manifested so many signs that if a pure-hearted person reflects, then no doubt can be cast on his truthfulness!”
(Written by Asif M Basit)