*Huzoor is the term Ahmadi Muslims use to refer to His Holiness, the fifth Caliph/Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community*
A Lajna Member, London
"Hold fast, all together, by the rope of Allah and be not divided…" (3:104)
A few months ago, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. It's a word we hear often and it's a diagnosis which will affect one in two people, yet nothing can quite prepare you for the moment that it's confirmed. A pessimist by nature, in the days following the diagnosis I found my mind wandering to the worst-case scenarios and tried, and failed, to mentally prepare for the coming weeks and months.
One Quranic commentary of the aforementioned verse states: "Ropes are thrown to save the life of a drowning man"[1] and truly it felt like I was drowning in thoughts and emotions in those first few days. But, as is customarily done by members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, letters were written to Huzoor, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Khalifa and rope of Allah, (may Allah be his Helper) to seek prayers and I encouraged my children to also write, even though they didn't have a full understanding of the diagnosis. Our prayers increased, and, as family and friends began to hear the news, they too promised their prayers and support.
Within a week I was no longer walking out of the room where my husband was sitting to have a private cry, my head was no longer clouded with thoughts of fear and dread for the future. In fact, I was, and still am, feeling positive with complete faith and confidence that Allah, As-Shafi, The Healer, will bless my husband with a full and complete recovery. I have no doubt that it was the power of the prayers of beloved Huzoor that made my negative feelings turn around, that blessed me with a positive outlook and reaffirmed my tawakkal al Allah, my full and complete unwavering trust in Allah and His plan.
Furthermore, not only do I believe that this emotional U-turn was a result of the prayers of our beloved Khalifa, but also the prayers of his people, who hold on to that very same rope, anchored to Allah, that I do, who pray fervently for Huzoor and for others and who too are striving to attain the pleasure of Allah through following His commandments and acting upon the guidance of Huzoor. It is only through this unifying and blessed institution of Khilafat, prophesied over a century ago by The Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) that we can hope to tread on the path of righteousness and achieve the ultimate purpose of our lives. May Allah strengthen the hand of our beloved Khalifa and enable us to always hold fast to this rope of Allah. Ameen.
[1] English w/ 5 Vol. Commentary (2018)
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