A Surreal Anecdote

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Adeel Shah – Jāmia Aḥmadiyya UK

I feel a tremendous sense of awe and gratitude that Allah the Almighty enabled this humble soul to put the following narration to paper.

You may recall reading a recent narration about a family converting to Ahmadiyyat and how their journey to this pristine destination was a winding one. The letter also mentioned the family’s condition and how certain relatives opposed them upon their conversion.

To briefly summarise, a Sunni family (born in South London and still living there today) accepted Aḥmadiyyat after an inspiring journey, wherein they saw the Holy Prophet^sa in their dream, wherein Huzoor-e-Anwar himself pledged allegiance to our beloved Prophet, watched MTA programmes, and were also given the message of Islam Aḥmadiyyat by some members of the Jamā’at. The whole family, the mother, three daughters and their son, entered the fold of Aḥmadiyyat, but their father did not.

He openly embraced his family’s decision to convert but did not himself feel comfortable with formally converting. However, in order to demonstrate his support and open-mindedness, he still attended various Jalsas and even local Jama’at programmes. Whenever he was approached by Jama’at members to attend programmes, he would happily comply and took a keen interest. I even remember how he attended local Jama’at meetings and would respond with great feedback, expressing how the structure, brotherhood, love and friendship amongst the members of the Jama’at was incredible and beyond expression. Regardless, he still did not feel comfortable accepting Islam – but he did not stop his family in any way. Rather, he would fully support them and would often be their driver, dropping them off to whichever Jama’at programme they had to attend.

Three years had elapsed since the family’s conversion, during which the family, including the father, who still had not converted, attended three Jalsa Salānas, and three years’ worth of local, regional, and even national Ijtemā’āt. During this three-year tenure, the family had been constantly and fervently supplicating that their father, (Uncle Sumsam) also accept Aḥmadiyyat. Finally, one day Uncle Sumsam expressed interest to meet Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa.

The entire family was overjoyed. The family believed with firm conviction that seeing beloved Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa in person would change his mind, and that after three years of anxious waiting and prayers, he would also be blessed with the opportunity to pledge allegiance at the hands of Khilāfat-e-Ahmadiyya. However, Uncle Sumsam rejected all such proposals and comments made about this. His mind was set on only meeting Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa and seeing how things go.

On 17^th July 2016, the day finally arrived. I remember it was the day after I had just come back for my summer vacations from Jamia. The family was getting ready for their Mulaqaat in the evening, and we made our way to Fazl Mosque to meet our beloved Imam.

After Asr prayer, we waited anxiously for our Mulaqaat and the call finally came, announcing for the family members to come forward to proceed to the waiting area. After a few minutes, the family was finally called in to Huzoor-e-Anwar’s^aa office. Johnathon Butterworth Sahib & I were blessed with the humbling opportunity to accompany them in their Mulaqaat and sat in the back of Huzoor-e-Anwar’s^aa blessed office while the Mulaqaat took place.

Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa asked about their family background and where they were from in London. Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa was told that the family had all converted, but that the father had not. The conversation was only still progressing when suddenly, Uncle Sumsam himself requested Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa that he wished to pledge allegiance at Huzoor-e-Anwar’s^aa hand. Everyone in the room was dumbfounded by the unprecedented and totally sudden turn of events – that too by the same man who downright rejected any proposal of doing Bai’at on countless occasions.

Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa jokingly said ‘Do you want the others waiting in line to become angry, because it’ll reduce their Mulaqaat time.’

To this Uncle Sumsam humbly smiled and looked down. Then came a sudden surprise.
Huzoor-e-Anwar, our King and Leader, turned to this humble one and instructed:

‘Adeel Shah, Jao Bhaag Ke Tabshir Ke Daftar Se Bait Form le kar aoo’

Meaning, ‘Run and bring back some Bai’at forms from the Tabshir Office.”

I was speechless, baffled as to what Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa had just said to me. I had never seen someone leave Huzoor’s office and then go back in immediately, and so was a bit perplexed. I stood up, but I had no idea what I was supposed to do. Did it mean get the forms filled afterwards? My mind was speaking another language to me! I mustered some courage and asked beloved Huzoor^aa,

‘Huzoor, Abhi?’

Meaning, ‘Huzoor, should I go right now?’

Huzoor smiled and replied in the affirmative.

I got up, opened the office door, and told the Private Secretary Office what beloved Huzoor^aa had said, and requested them that if they find it before me, they should go and give it to Huzoor. I quite literally ran through the offices, left the Fazl Mosque premises, across the road, up the stairs and finally reached the office of Tabshir. Respected Majid Tahir Sahib quickly helped me when I told him what Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa had instructed. My sprint back to Huzoor’s^aa office was another Olympic session, and I made a mental note to seriously work on my fitness.

When at last I returned to beloved Huzoor’s^aa office with the Bai’at forms, a gentleman working in the office had printed out the words of the Bai’at, and the light (signalling us to enter Huzoor’s blessed office) blinked on again. We walked in with the form and the words of the Bai’at. Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa instructed Uncle Sumsam to stretch out his hand to hold the blessed hand of the Khalifatul Masih^aa, and to repeat the words of Bai’at. Uncle Sumsam later told us all that the Noor, i.e., spiritual glow, which emanated from Huzoor’s^aa blessed features was like the roar of a lion, shining as brightly as the sun, and expressed that this man is a blessing of Allah.

Uncle Sumsam offered his hand forward and held Huzoor’s^aa blessed hand. Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa then turned to Uncle Sumsam’s wife and children and instructed them to repeat the words. This made them emotional – they said that they had observed the Bai’at of women at Jalsa even before they joined Aḥmadiyyat, and had longed to repeat the words of Bait whilest they all pledged allegiance together to Huzoor^aa.

Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa then looked at Johnathon Butterworth Sahib and told him to come behind him, to hold him by his shoulder and to join the proceedings of Bai’at. I was now in the back of the room, on my own, wondering if I should approach Huzoor^aa and join in too. But how could I? I wanted to very badly. Every iota of my body, mind and heart relished the thought of joining in this golden moment, but the King had not instructed it. How could I tell him, that doing Bai’at while holding his hands had been a fond dream of mine for ages. Yet I knew this dream was an impossibility, as holding beloved Huzoor’s^aa hands during the Bai’at was reserved for converts only.

Then the Lion of Allah, the King, looked towards me and said,

‘Adeel Shah, Tum bhi ajao!’

Meaning, ‘You join us as well.’

I was speechless, full of joy; full of unspeakable emotion. All praise belongs to Allah, who made this impossible dream a reality.

I approached Huzoor^aa, held onto his hand, and for the next five minutes, stood right next to him. I simply don’t have the power to express the sheer magnitude of that timeless moment.

Such is the Might of Allah – He guides who He pleases and fulfils the humble desires and dreams of even His lowliest servant.