*Huzoor is the term Ahmadi Muslims use to refer to His Holiness, the fifth Caliph/Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community*

Qurratul-Ain Tahir, Slough

My days begin with praying for this 'Man of God' and the last prostration of my evening Prayer is always dedicated to thanking Allah Almighty for the immense blessing of Khilafat in my life.

Why?

Because this is the least I could do in return for the countless moments of love, support and guidance I have received from my Khalifa, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) over the last almost 19 years of my life.

I say this with utmost humility that my joys, no matter how small they may be, are not complete, unless and until I have shared them with my beloved Huzoor (May Allah be His Helper), and in times of trials, nothing brings me true peace and comfort except the prayers, guidance and support I receive from him in abundance. This is because I truly believe that my Khalifa's prayers have a big part to play in all the joys of life I experience, and all the obstacles that are removed from my path. I am also aware that I am not alone in sharing these feelings, for his prayers made in the silence of the night bring joy and comfort to thousands of people around the globe, each and every day.

In 2003, when His Holiness was elected as the 5th Khalifa (Successor) of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I was still a newly married young woman. After many examinations, when I was told by doctors that I had no chance of conceiving naturally, and perhaps a very small chance through IVF treatment, which was of course very costly and beyond my means at the time. I poured all my concerns out to beloved Huzoor (May Allah be His Helper) during a mulaqat (meeting). During the next 9 years of my life, beloved Huzoor (may Allah be his Helper) continued to guide me regarding homeopathic treatment, to console me with comforting words, and taught me what it truly means to put one's trust in Allah alone. By the grace of Allah and as a result of the continuous prayers of beloved Huzoor, I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy in 2011, who was conceived completely naturally, without the help of any fertility treatment. I heard the words 'miracle baby' on countless occasions in the years that followed.

My story however does not end here…

My husband and I had decided not to find out the sex of our unborn baby during the second scan as we wished to keep it a surprise. However, soon after my scan, during another mulaqat (meeting), while kindly writing the name of our baby on a piece of paper, Huzoor smiled and remarked,

"This time you will be blessed with a baby boy. However, next time we shall see."

In the world of science, there is no room for miracles - only rare occurrences! That's exactly how most doctors classed my first pregnancy, even though some of them were forced to use the word 'miracle' at times. To suggest that I would ever conceive another child would be next to impossible in their books, especially following the complications of birth from my first pregnancy. However, the words I had heard during our mulaqat, had not been uttered by an ordinary human being but by 'a Man of God'. To cut a long story short, without the help of any treatment whatsoever, 5 and half years later in 2016, by the grace of Allah, we were blessed with another baby boy.

As an Ahmadi Muslim, I believe that a Khalifa is Divinely appointed. On this earth, he is the person who shares the closest relationship with God Almighty and as a result his prayers are accepted day and night, and through him God Almighty shows miracles which help to strengthen our faith. Hence, during the last prostration of my evening Prayer, while thanking Allah Almighty for all His blessings, I pray that my children and I are always enabled to hold fast to this rope of Allah, so that we may continue to experience the delights and rewards which come with attaching to this Divine rope. Ameen.