USA 2022: A tour with many blessings

Asif M Basit, Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre

Upon Hazrat Amirul Momineen’s^aa return from his successful tour of the US, I had the blessed opportunity to have an audience on Sunday, 23 October 2022.

Some moments are too delicate to be wrapped in words, lest they lose their fragile serenity. Therefore, I will not even attempt to wrap my own words around these blessed moments, and will describe them as I found them.

Everything Huzoor^aa mentioned about the tour was full of gratitude to Allah the Almighty. I congratulated him on the immense success, and the essence of his response was, in the words of the Promised Messiah^as:

تیرے اے میرے مربی، کیا عجائب کام  ہیں

گرچہ بھاگیں، جبر سے دیتا ہے قسمت کے ثمار

O my Lord, your ways leave us all in awe;

Unworthy as we are, you bring us rewards.

I mentioned how warmly the dignitaries of the US had taken Huzoor’s words, to which the reply was a reflection of:

ابتدا   سے   گوشۂ   خلوت    رہا    مجھ     کو    پسند

شہرتوں سے مجھ کو نفرت تھی ہر اک عظمت سے عار

پر   مجھے   تو   نے   ہی   اپنے  ہاتھ   سے   ظاہر   کیا

میں نے کب مانگا تھا یہ تیرا ہی ہے  سب  برگ  و  بار

Always dear to me was my solitude

And always I despised fame and honour;

But You, O Lord! Shone your light on me

I’d never asked for it, you brought about this blossom.

There was mention of the mayor of a city who had initially said he would not be able to attend. He had later called to say that not only would he attend but would also present the key to his city to Huzoor^aa. When he arrived for the reception, he requested a private audience with Huzoor^aa where he expressed how deeply moved he was – so much so that he found it hard to hide his emotions. Huzoor’s contentment, while speaking about this incident, revolved around the fact that:

آرہا ہے اس طرف احرارِ یورپ کا مزاج

نبض پھر چلنے لگی مُردوں کی ناگہ زندہ وار

The liberal hearts of the West are now flocking to us;

The dead silent pulse is beating to live again.

I expressed how faith-inspiring it was to witness the love of the American Ahmadis for Huzoor^aa throughout the tour; Huzoor’s response was along these lines:

اِس قدر مجھ پر ہوئیں تیری عنایات و کرم

جن کا مشکل ہے کہ تا روزِ قیامت ہو شمار

O Allah, so many bounties have you bestowed upon me,

If I count till doomsday, I cannot count them all.

The success of the US tour had further pushed our enemies in their jealousy. But on this topic, I saw Huzoor^aa filled with sympathy and prayer for them. He was, as if, saying:

ہاتھ میں تیرے ہے ہر خسران و نفع و عُسر و یُسر

تُو ہی کرتا ہے کسی کو  بے نوا  یا  بختیار

عزت و ذلت یہ تیرے حکم پر موقوف ہیں

تیرے فرماں سے خزاں آتی ہے اور بادِ بہار

قبضۂ  تقدیر  میں  دل ہیں اگر چاہے خدا

پھیر دے میری طرف آجائیں پھر بے اختیار

O Allah! You alone grant failure or success, hardship or ease,

You alone make someone heard, or mute the fanfare of others;

Honour and disgrace both rest on your command,

With your orders comes autumn to some, and spring to others.

All hearts are held in the custody of your hand;

Turn them such, that they come flying towards me.

Just behind Huzoor’s chair, on the shelves, was placed the key to the City of Zion. Huzoor^aa asked if I wanted to have a closer look. Restless to do so, I went closer and had a look at the historic souvenir. Huzoor^aa also mentioned that he intended to send it to be displayed with other such souvenirs in a few days’ time.

I congratulated Huzoor^aa on the key of the City of Zion and the response I received can be summed up in the following verse:

مجھ کوکیا مُلکوں سے، میرا مُلک ہے سب سے جدا

مجھ کو کیا تاجوں سے میرا تاج ہے  رضوانِ  یار

Do I care about territory? My territory transcends land;

What is a crown for me? My crown is the pleasure of God.

(اللھم اید امامنا بروح القدس)