Press & Media

By Abid Khan Introduction Over recent weeks, we have been told time and time again that we are living in ‘unprecedented times’. Despite the media’s propensity to exaggerate or sensationalise, this time their assertion feels right. Unlike Ebola or Zika or other viruses that caused panic and fear in recent years, Covid-19 has not been limited to a few nations or a particular region but has spread far and wide and, at the time of writing, is continuing to place much of the world in a state of paralysis. Speculative green shoots indicating light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel are slowly starting to emerge, wherein some countries are hopeful that the peak of the pandemic may have been reached. However, in reality, it is far too early to say and fears of a deadly second or third or even a fourth wave abound. The virus has also had substantial effect on the activities of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Jamaat events have been cancelled or postponed across the world. We have entered Ramadan unable to visit our Mosques. Yet, with the Grace of Allah, the direct link of Ahmadi Muslims with Khilafat continues through Huzoor’s Friday Sermon, which continues to be broadcast on MTA International – albeit in an empty Mosque for the time being. Almost every Ahmadi I have spoken to has said they have learned, above all, during this period that we must never take the blessings of Allah the Almighty for granted ever again. Each year, at this time, many preparations for the Jalsa Salanas in the UK and Germany begin in earnest. Yet, currently it remains entirely unclear when or if it will be possible for them to take place. Time will tell. Till then, I wish to share some memories of last year’s Jalsa UK and Jalsa Germany in the coming weeks. I start with a conversation I had with Syed Qamar Suleman sahib, Wakil Waqf-e-Nau, who attended the 2019 Jalsa Salana UK as an official representative of Tehrik-e-Jadid Pakistan. As the son of (late) Sahibzada Mir Daud Ahmad sahib and (late) Sahibzadi Amatul Basit sahiba, Syed Qamar Suleman is a member of the family of the Promised Messiah (as) and the maternal grandson of Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra). He is also the cousin of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba). Qamar Suleman sahib, affectionately known as ‘Babbi’, to his friends and family, is also a relative – my Khaloo – the husband of my maternal aunt, Lubna Amatul Kabir, who also travelled to attend last year’s Jalsa. One of my earliest vivid childhood memories is of waking up one morning in the late 1980s to see my mother, (late) Sajida Hameed, panicked as news reached us that Khaloo Babbi had been shot by a burglar at his home in Rabwah. Thankfully, with the Grace of Allah, he recovered well. Furthermore, in the early 2000s, I spent some time with him during personal visits to Pakistan. In fact, he was the person who somehow persuaded me to take hold of a menacing looking snake and to abseil from a rather steep Rabwah mountain. Last summer, I took the opportunity to speak to him about his personal opportunities to observe Khilafat and some of the lessons he had learned during decades of service to the Jamaat. Childhood memories As we spoke, I asked Qamar Suleman sahib to share his memories of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) as a child. He told me how they had competed in Atfal competitions and how he remembered one particular competition about cleanliness in which Huzoor came first. He also reminisced about having had the opportunity to do overnight security duties with Huzoor in Rabwah during their late teenage years and early twenties. He told how he had been on walks with Huzoor to Ahmad Nagar, farmland near Rabwah, and how it would sometimes suddenly start pouring with rain. Instead of being perturbed, he told me that Huzoor would enjoy the rain even if he became drenched. As he told me these stories, I wished I could have been there as a boy to see and know Huzoor during his formative years. (Qamar Suleman sahib meeting Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) in Canada 2016) Qamar Suleman sahib said: “During childhood I saw Huzoor a lot as our families were close relatives and neighbours. Huzoor’s defining feature at that time, which made him stand apart from other children, was that he was mature beyond his years and whatever task or job he was given he would take seriously and complete it with diligence. Unlike most teenagers or youngsters who get excited or do things in haste, I always found that Huzoor approached things in a calm and meticulous way. Furthermore, even in our childhood and teenage years, I always found that there was weight to the words of Huzoor, even though he was a young boy like us.” Qamar Suleman sahib continued: “I am not saying that Huzoor was always serious or reserved. In fact, he displayed a very good sense of humour but his jokes were always decent and would never cross the bounds of decency or appropriateness. Furthermore, unlike some other children, Huzoor never made a cruel joke or spoke in a way that could hurt the feelings of others. This was something that always marked him apart.”  A different relationship After listening to his youthful memories, I asked whether his relationship with Huzoor had changed with the progression of time. In answer, Qamar Suleman sahib said: “I continued to have the opportunity to spend time with Huzoor in the years after he returned to Pakistan from Ghana. For example, once we travelled together along with two other people from Rabwah to Sindh by train. It was an extremely enjoyable journey in which the four of us booked a carriage on the lower level of the train. I recall that a Jamaat Murrabi (Missionary) also happened to be on the train but he had booked a seat on the upper level. The Murrabi was rather heavy-set and

Part 1 – By Ibrahim Ikhlaf (life devotee of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community) Introduction  Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hand), our beloved master and guide is like a whole of which we are just a part. Indeed we will perish if we break away from him. I am unable to fully describe my suffering and the near-death experience I went through when I was diagnosed with COVID-19 a few weeks ago. I am extremely grateful to all our brothers and sisters who prayed earnestly for us. The prayers of all our brothers and sisters who are like the limbs of the body of Khilafat were heard, because Allah the Almighty responded and accepted the supplications of our Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hand). Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hand) supplicated earnestly and lo, Allah, the  Bestower of Life revived me from death and granted me a new life. During my illness, I deeply felt that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hand) beseeched Allah the Almighty with such sincerity, love, faithfulness and unshakeable resolve that Allah the Supreme created the antidote and changed His Destiny. His will took on a different shape and the cool breeze of the Healer and Protector started to blow. Indeed, I blame myself for my ailment. On different occasions in the past has Huzoor told me: “Ikhlaf sahib, you seem not to sleep more than 3-4 hours; you have to sleep 6 hours as the body has a right over you. I am telling people to work and as far as you are concerned I am telling you to sleep; buy a sofa bed for your office, close the door and sleep in the afternoon for half an hour to one hour to complete the 6 hours!” Although by Allah’s Grace I am extremely obedient to Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V’s (may Allah strengthen his hand) instructions, I somehow unconsciously and unintentionally continued to sleep 2, 3 or 4 hours maximum and worked around 18 or 19 hours daily.  Although my body is strong, it was impossible to maintain a strong immune system. “I was drowning” Some days before being admitted to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, I experienced some symptoms related to coronavirus, so I isolated myself completely. Every limb of my body was aching extremely. I could neither sit nor stand; I was extremely exhausted and gradually I started to wheeze. During the evenings I had a high temperature. My whole body would sweat and I started to feel drowsy and dizzy. In the meantime, my respected wife Reem also started to feel unwell and showed symptoms. We thought to ourselves: “Could this be the coronavirus? And if we are afflicted by COVID-19 then how will I disclose this?” This was because, unfortunately, some people considered this to be like the sign of the plague during the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)’s lifetime. They assumed that one who gets infected is weak in faith. We prayed, cried and beseeched Allah the Almighty not to be afflicted with the coronavirus. While I isolated myself, I continued to perform my Jamaat work from home. However, the illness exacerbated and on Thursday morning I started coughing blood and had a fever reaching 40°C. Ultimately Allah the Almighty bestowed upon me such high resolve that I told my wife: “Whether it’s coronavirus or something else, it seems I can’t survive and I am about to leave this world; please call the ambulance and call respected brother Mian Waqas sahib (Sahibazada Mirza Waqas Ahmad) and tell him to humbly request Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih Vaba to pray for me.” Mian Waqas sahib later that day informed my wife that Huzoor is praying for Ibrahim. I was immediately admitted to the hospital where an X-ray and blood tests had been taken. Meanwhile, a throat swab was taken to detect for coronavirus. I informed brother Abid Khan sahib about my situation and he sent a text message informing me that Huzoor, not yet aware that I had COVID-19, was praying for me and recommended I should give Sadqa, while myself and my family should take homeopathy. This of course strengthened me and gave me hope. Throughout the day, my illness worsened as my lungs became filled with inflammatory material and were unable to get enough oxygen into the bloodstream, reducing the body’s ability to take on oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. It seems I ended up with severe respiratory conditions including pneumonia accompanied with restlessness and anxiety. I felt as if I was drowning and death was approaching me rapidly. As if the fever approaching 40°C was not yet enough, I discovered that the room temperature was extremely high as the nurses had forgotten to switch the heater off that was blowing hot air and I was unaware of it. I was gasping for air. In general, I love the weather around Fajr time as the level of oxygen is very high. I told the nurse to open the window and I felt the oxygen entering my lungs, which gave me some comfort. Beseeching the Almighty At that moment, I prayed fervently to Allah, while my eyes were filled with tears that coursed down my cheeks: “O, Allah the Most Supreme, throughout my life You saved me from all calamities. O, Allah, You know that I dedicated my Life to You and I am fully aware that You are my lifelong Friend Who has always been with me since childhood.  Because of my faith in the Promised Messiahas, the Imam and Prophet of our Age I, for Your sake, lost all my family members [with the exception of my mother and siblings who are Ahmadis]. “I was attacked once by 300 to 500 Sunnis in a mosque who severely beat me up and left me for dead because of my faith and You saved me. Moreover, there was once a conspiracy to kill me; someone attacked me, because of my faith, aiming with a brick to smash my head, but You made