Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2021
Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is the Messenger of Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is the Messenger of Allah Come to Prayer Come to Prayer Come to success Come to success Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest There is none worthy of worship except Allah Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is One and has no partner. and I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is His Servant and Messenger. After this I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Gracious, The Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path – The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings,
Those who have not incurred displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. Recently, a most beloved child of ours and life-devotee, respected Syed Taalay Ahmed, son of Syed Hashim Akber, was martyred in Ghana. “Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”
On the night between the 23rd and the 24th of August, the MTA team was travelling towards Kumasi after finishing recording in the northern region of Ghana. At approximately quarter past seven they were attacked by robbers who fired at them
And two of the three team members, respected Syed Taalay Ahmad and Umar Farooq, were injured. He was first given medical treatment at a polyclinic and approximately four and a half hours later, whilst they were taking him to a bigger hospital in Tamale, Syed Taalay Ahmad passed away.
Although there may have been martyrdoms of members of MTA International in other countries, but this was the first martyrdom from here and I believe that this was the first martyrdom of a Waqifeen-e-Nau from the UK. Syed Taalay Ahmad was the maternal grandson of respected Amatul-Latif Begum Sahiba and Syed Mir Muhammad Ahmad Sahib.
He was the maternal great-grandson of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra). In this way, he was also the paternal great-grandson of Hazrat Dr Mir Muhammad Isma’il Sahib (ra), being the son of his grandson. Hazrat Mir Muhammad Isma’il Sahib (ra)
Was the younger brother of Hazrat Amman Jan [respected wife of the Promised Messiah (as)], Hazrat Nusrat Jahan Begum Sahiba (ra) and in this way, he had a direct lineage to Hazrat Amman Jan (ra) and through Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra), he had a direct lineage to the Promised Messiah (as) as well.
He was also the son-in-law of Mirza Ghulam Qadir Shaheed. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was a Musi and as I have mentioned, he was also a part of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme. He attained a biomedical science degree, and then completed his masters in journalism. In 2013 he dedicated his life (Waqf),
And after working in different departments, he was appointed in the Press and Media Department. Prior to this, Syed Taalay used to serve the Community on a local level. He served in the Tabligh [outreach], Ta’lim [education], Isha’at [publication] and Atfal (children under the age of fifteen) departments
For Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (Ahmadiyya Youth Association) in Hartlepool. In 2016 he was appointed full-time in MTA News. Before that he served as the Head of the Indexing and Tagging department in The Review of Religions. He produced several documentaries for MTA News and was currently working on another three or four documentaries.
He was the one who initiated the programme ‘This Week with Huzoor’, a programme about my weekly activities, and right until the end he continued to work on it with great enthusiasm for its editing, etc. and for the completion of each episode. This programme has become very popular for the viewers of MTA.
Aside from serving as the Editor of the Tahir Magazine, he also served in the Isha’at department of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. He wrote articles for various Jama’at publications such as The Review of Religions, Tariq Magazine and others. Under the Press & Media department,
He went on many tours with me and generally went on tours as well. Respected Taalay possessed an extraordinary passion and desire to not only complete his tasks, but to do so to a high standard, which is why he was not afraid of any dangers. It is evident from the incident of his martyrdom
That he did not worry even for a moment about the dangers. The only concern he had was that he be able to fulfil the task he had come for in the most excellent manner and on time.
For this reason, he set off at a time whereby the there was a greater potential risk of danger. The zonal missionary of Tamale, Abu Bakr Ibrahim Sahib mentions the details of the incident that on 23rd August, when the MTA team was about to depart for Salaga,
He saw Taalay packing his things and said to him, “You are checking out of the hotel, “but when you return from Salaga, you must come and stay here once more.” Taalay replied, “Time is limited so I must go back to Kumasi.”
Maulvi Sahib said to him, “When you return from Salaga it will be late, “and it is not suitable to travel at night.” He told him, “Alright, we shall see,” and also stated, “I have to travel to Sierra Leone as well and I only have two days left.
“As a lot of work still remains to be done in Kumasi and in Accra, I must go, “but since you are saying it I shall consider it.” In any case, when they returned, he decided to travel on and they set off for Tamale.
At 6:45pm Taalay said to Umar Farooq Sahib that they should offer the prayer. They all offered the Maghrib and Isha prayers in congregation. He was then concerned lest the files from the recording in Salaga be corrupted, so he began trying to save the files onto the laptop on the journey.
This was the work he was doing during the journey, as he could not bear for any time to be wasted. Likewise, he would always be concerned about the equipment of the Jama’at as it was expensive and he did not want it to get lost or damaged.
He further states that according to the police report, when the MTA vehicle was approaching the Paha Junction, the robbers started firing at them, which, as I said earlier, resulted in two members of the team getting injured. The driver says, “There was another vehicle passing from in front of us
“and indicated that there was danger, but I was unable to understand. “When the robbers suddenly ambushed us and I saw them in the light of the headlights, “I loudly proclaimed the Kalima [Islamic creed] “and this was at the same time that the robbers began firing.
“Syed Taalay was sitting at the back of the vehicle and upon hearing the gunshots, “he too realized that they were facing an attack by armed robbers.” Umar Farooq Sahib says, “During the firing, I was struck in the thigh by a bullet
“but I did not even realise I had been hit it at the time.” After being sprayed with bullets, the robbers became silent, and they [the MTA team] remained there for a short while. Then he says, “After some time, the robbers advanced with their torches
“and took the driver and myself out of the car. “We handed over our phones and any money that we had. “Then, they laid us down on the road and attacked us.” He says, “They also struck me on the head with a stick which caused me to bleed.”
However, despite this, he says that he was more concerned for Taalay. He too [Umar Farooq] is currently ill as he was struck by a bullet and also sustained an injury to the head; may Allah the Almighty grant him good health. Pray for him as well.
Later, after all this took place, the driver Abdur Rahman Sahib says that when the robbers left after looting them, he and Umar Farooq Sahib found the resolve to get up and immediately went towards the vehicle in order to check on Taalay.
They found that a bullet had struck him in the back towards the right and had become deeply lodged, as a result of which he had lost a lot of blood in the vehicle. According to the medical report, this is what proved to be fatal.
After this incident, they used a bus that was passing by to reach the Buipe Polyclinic. He received some treatment there, and then it was decided that he should be taken to the Tamale Teaching Hospital. However while en route, he passed away and he was declared dead at the hospital.
Umar Farooq Sahib says, “Taalay’s head was resting on my leg “and he continuously asked me whether Huzoor had been informed about the incident “and whether he had been requested for prayers.” He says, “This incident had taken a great toll on us “and various concerns and doubts were gripping us with fear.”
He says, “As we were taking him to the hospital, “Syed Taalay informed me that during the firing, “he quickly hid the laptop and other equipment under the back seats, “which were still there and should be retrieved. “He asked to ensure that the cameras, phone and laptop were all safe,
“because he wanted to ensure that all records did not go to waste. “I informed him that by the grace of Allah the Almighty, all the equipment was safe.” He was concerned for the property and equipment of the Jama’at and to preserve the Jama’at history which he had worked to capture.
He says that at around 9:00 or 9:30, his condition started deteriorating due to which those at the Polyclinic decided to immediately move him to the hospital. As I mentioned, he passed away while going to the hospital in Tamale. The ambulance did not have all the necessary equipment,
As is the case sometimes in such countries. It had also initially taken some time in finding an ambulance and he was also bleeding a great deal. Eventually, Allah Almighty’s decree came to pass. Umar Farooq Sahib says, “During this time as we were travelling with our injuries,
“Taalay said to me, ‘Tell Huzoor that I love him, and tell my family that I love them.’” Umar Farooq Sahib says, “When he would regain consciousness, “he would repeat this over and over again” He did not say this only once but did so multiple times.
“He also said, ‘you have taken great care of me and helped me in every possible way, ‘for which I am thankful from the bottom of my heart.’ “I tried to encourage him but he was losing strength. “His condition was such that whenever I would ask him something,
“instead of speaking, he would give me a thumbs up to indicate that everything was fine, “which caused me to worry. “Then he began breathing quickly, after which there was a long silence, “and I understood that the very thing we feared had come to pass.”
He says, “The driver and male-nurse were speaking with one another in the local language, “from which I gathered that they did not wish to inform us, “but Syed Taalay Ahmad had passed away.” As I stated, when they reached Tamale, he was declared dead by the hospital at 1:49 am.
He says, “The people of Tamale were saddened upon this news, “because only a short while ago, they had seen him off smiling and in good spirits.” These were some details regarding his martyrdom. He was a precious gem, which has now departed from us.
May Allah the Almighty continue to grant the Jama’at such people who are loyal, have a sincere and dedicated relationship with Khilafat, and give precedence to the faith over worldly matters. This loss is so profound that it has shaken us.
This beautiful individual understood the spirit of devotion and truly fulfilled the oath he had made. Seeing him left me astonished, and still to this day I am amazed at how, despite being a child who grew up in this worldly environment,
He understood the essence of his devotion and fulfilled it to the highest degree. He used to read incidents of the elders not only to learn about history or to merely express wonder at their sacrifices, but instead he did so in order to make them a part of his own life.
His understanding of devotion and sincerity to Khilafat was to a degree which is found in very few people. In fact, I would say that this level is not found even in some who possess deep knowledge of faith. At times, the knowledge possessed by such people causes them to become arrogant.
In fact, I would even say that this level is not even understood by some of those who think that they understand the rank of Khilafat and the standards of devotion that are required. He demonstrated his utmost loyalty to Khilafat in such a way
That even in his last words when he was at the brink of death, he was mindful of his love and devotion to the Khalifa of the time. Everyone thinks of their children and family at such a time, but there are very few who would constantly think about their love for Khilafat,
Before their children and family, or alongside them. About two or three years ago, he wrote a poem about his relationship and love for Khilafat, which he gave to a friend to keep, and told him not to show it to anyone.
He began the poem by saying “I love my Caliph more than the others” and ended it by saying “I love my Caliph but he’ll never know”. O my beloved Taalay! I tell you that even before your final words, I knew that you loved and adored Khilafat.
This love was evident from your every deed, your every moment, when you stood before me with a camera in your hand and even when you met me without your camera, whether in a personal meeting or with regards to official work. This love was clear from the sparkle in your eyes
And from the unique expression of joy on your face. In short, your every action demonstrated how you always expressed this love for the Khalifa of the time. I have hardly ever seen this level of love and devotion in anyone else.
I was discussing in my home that amongst the youth of the family of the Promised Messiah (as), I have not seen this level of devotion being expressed by anyone more than Taalay did. Allah the Almighty knows the state of everyone’s heart.
In fact, it is extremely rare even amongst elders to find this level of devotion. I pray that after this tragedy, may Allah the Almighty grant us more people of this standard. Taalay’s spirit was, as he himself described in his poem,
He wished to hide his expressions of love, however he was unable to conceal them. In some form or the other Allah the Almighty caused his devotion to me to manifest and this is why he was so dear to me.
His ever-present thought was to eagerly await any instruction from the Khalifa of the time so he could immediately act upon it. And he did not simply want to act upon it, rather he also wanted to avail every opportunity to inform the world of the status of Khilafat.
He was waiting for the opportunity to give up his life if needed. Further, there are very few people who have so much devotion to their work. This immense devotion to his work was not simply because he enjoyed doing it. There are many others who thoroughly enjoy carrying out their work.
His enthusiasm for his work stemmed from a passion to want to defend the religion of Islam and the Holy Prophet (sa) and thus he wanted to spread this message to the world and convey the message of the Promised Messiah (as) to the corners of the earth.
This is why he strove to be a helper of Khilafat. During the burial of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh), when I was standing near the grave and before I placed sand, he was standing to my right side. At the time I was unaware of him,
However when I now saw the pictures I realised who and on what occasion it was. This 13 year old child must have pledged at the time that, as he was a Waqfe-e-Nau, he would now become the helping hand of the Khalifa of the time.
Many years later after completing his education he fulfilled this pledge, and fulfilled it in a complete and brilliant fashion. Upon my advice, he studied journalism. By completing this and becoming a Shaheed (martyr), he truly demonstrated that he was the helping hand of Khilafat. O beloved Taalay! I testify that you certainly attained
The very highest levels of fulfilling your pledge of life devotion [waqf]. You can begin to appreciate just how much he constantly strove to fulfil every word of the Khalifa of the time by the following: In some meetings with missionaries,
I advised them to offer the Tajahhud prayer [pre-dawn optional prayer] for around an hour. Taalay did not, like certain missionaries, question how they could possibly wake up during the short nights of the summer and offer Tahajjud prayer for an hour; instead he strove to act upon this guidance.
One of his friends who is a missionary one day noticed that he was exhausted and enquired why this was so. Taalay replied that the Khalifa of the time had advised the missionaries to offer the Tahajjud for an hour;
And he said as he was a life-devotee therefore this instruction was also applicable to him. He said because he had offered Tahajjud he could not sleep fully and this is why he felt tired. This missionary wrote to me that this made him very ashamed and embarrassed that,
Whilst he was the one who had been directly addressed, he could not fulfil the guidance of the Khalifa of the time. On the other hand Taalay, to fulfil the pledge of a life-devotee, acted upon this guidance. This was his elevated status of fulfilling his pledge.
He is therefore an example for life-devotees to follow. And as a member of the family of the Promised Messiah (as), he is also an example in loyalty and devotion for other members of the family of the Promised Messiah (as). Now it rests on the family members of the Promised Messiah (as)
That to what extent they strive to live up to this and do justice to being related to the Promised Messiah (as). There is no value or status in any physical relationship to a family. If anyone respects them it is not on account of any worldly achievements or materialistic pursuits
And neither can this ever confer upon them respect. It is rather in them being servants of the faith and giving precedence to their religion overly worldly matters. Otherwise there are tens of millions of people in the world better off than them financially.
Even those who are not better off financially do not see them in a higher rank or status. Thus, I also say to the members of the family of the Promised Messiah (as) to derive lessons from this departed soul and increase in your levels of devotion and sincerity.
Just as this personification of loyalty fulfilled his pledge and gave precedence to his faith over materialistic desires, the members of the family of the Promised Messiah (as) should emulate his example. This is what will confer respect and grant the blessings of Allah the Almighty to them. Otherwise, materialistic gains and worldly desires
Will not give members of the family of the Promised Messiah (as) even the smallest degree of honour and respect. To be the son or daughter of a revered or senior member of the Jama’at is not a source of pride if your actions do not make you worthy of that honour.
As I have said, he was also an extraordinary model for life-devotees [waqif-e-zindagi]. He never complained about his minimal allowance [salary]. He was grateful for whatever he received and made ends meet with it. If he happened to obtain some additional money from somewhere it would fill him with sentiments of gratitude.
He had prayed to Allah the Almighty to prevent him from ever falling into straitened circumstances and Allah the Almighty always answered this prayer. He regularly kept fasts and he possessed uncountable qualities. Many who are writing letters of condolences to me are mentioning these numerous qualities including his relatives and close friends.
These are qualities which are even astonishing to me. I knew how loyal he was to an extent, however his standards of piety and righteousness were very elevated. This is why I deem it appropriate to present to you aspects of his life in the words of others.
These are sentiments of his wife, parents, siblings as well as friends, and include various details and incidents. Amer Safir, Editor of The Review of Religions, says that “Taalay was enabled to serve The Review of Religions for four years “as Head of the Indexing & Tagging archiving project.
“This was a huge responsibility that he fulfilled. “He prepared an index for 100 years of The Review of Religions, “a list of various categories and the different tags for articles. “This was a very large-scale project “that he worked on with great dedication and determination.
“This was a team of eleven people who had to carry out a task requiring immense efforts. “With the grace of Allah the Almighty they completed this task “and Taalay supervised and led all of this.” Then he says that, “I witnessed with my own eyes Taalay’s immense qualities.
“He had brilliant organisational and administrative skills, “immense passion and dedication to serve and unflinching loyalty and love with Khilafat.” Then he says: “One quality I witnessed of Taalay is his ability to take a project from ground zero, “from nothing, build it with his own initiative, and with his passion and his drive
“to make it into something huge and exemplary. “He would never wait to be ‘pushed’. “He would never wait to be reminded. “Rather he would leap forward like a person who was obsessed and utterly devoted for something. “He was like those people whom the Promised Messiah (as) said
“who serve the religion so passionately like a one who becomes zealous “and utterly devoted in sincerity. “Taalay cared not for the world. “Whenever he had the opportunity to serve, “all that mattered to him was the Jama’at and Khilafat for him that was everything.”
Then he says, “I can describe all I observed in him in a nutshell by the following: “for him everything revolved around Khilafat. “Although he had a personal connection with the Khalifa of the time, “whenever I relayed any guidance of yours to him,
“he would freeze, his eyes would open up, and he would listen like a child getting candy. “Then he would thank me for conveying your guidance.” Then he says, “He would not work on just one but several documentaries at a time.
“I would be astonished that how was he able to work on several documentaries at the same time. “Many a times we had no idea that he was working on certain documentaries “as he wanted to surprise us. “Taalay also had excellent research abilities. “Another quality of Taalay’s is that
“he always wanted to ensure his family and relatives served and were attached to the Jama’at. “Whenever I told him that “such and such of his family or relatives has served The Review of Religions well, “he would be delighted.” Quddus Arif, Sadr Khuddamul Ahmadiyya says, “I knew him from childhood.
“I witnessed that Taalay had studied the short commentary by Hazrat Malik Ghulam Farid Sahib (ra) “as well as the five-volume commentary. “In fact, he highlighted various parts in the short commentary “and had also studied the five-volume commentary in great detail “and had highlighted various verses and added small notes in it.”
I will share some details with regards to him reading the five-volume commentary. He took a gap year after his BSc. It is after this or perhaps during a mulaqat in the office that I told him to read the five-volume commentary. I thought he would take many years to complete it,
Yet within a few months he returned and told me that he had read it completely. I was astonished when I heard this at the time. “He produced documentaries which the youth enjoyed. “For example, he made a documentary on football “in which he kept in view including points of moral and spiritual training.”
Then he says, “The documentaries he produced in MTA were one better than the other. “I remember when ‘Brutality and Injustice, Two Trials in a Time’ was broadcast, “I sent a message to Taalay that the documentary is very faith inspiring.
“He replied with utmost humility that ‘please pray for us, all of this is the blessings of Allah.’ “On Twitter someone objected to the name of the documentary “and Taalay replied to it and when mentioned this to him, “he said that ‘because the Khalifa of the time has approved the name, I defended it.
‘If either Abid or I had named it, I would never have replied, ‘however as the Khalifa of the time has approved this I must explain and defend it.’” He further says, “In the first virtual Atfal Rally, “I asked Taalay through the Mohtamim Atfal to relate some of his accounts with you.
“At first he did not agree, but when I asked him directly as Sadr Majlis, he agreed. “The Atfal really enjoyed the incidents he related. “(Taalay then messaged Sadr Majlis) ‘I had wished to reform myself. ‘I considered myself in need of reform and unable to advise others and relate accounts,
‘or I will relate these at an elderly age when I am near my death. ‘In the meantime I hoped to spend my time quietly hidden away, ‘however you have managed to extract these accounts from me.’ “However Allah the Almighty was aware that was the right time for him to share his incidents.”
Respected Satwat Sahiba, Talaay’s wife relates, “He was very loving and affectionate. “He was very compassionate and kind both with our children and towards me. “He was so caring that he appreciated even the smallest of things. “He never complained about food he was given regardless of how it was.
“After my father’s martyrdom I became quite worried and soon after I was engaged. “I was very sad because of the loss of my father. “However, Taalay took great care of me and ensured I did not remain sorrowful. “After my engagement I thought just how much Taalay loves the Holy Prophet (sa).
“Although he was an adult, he cried like a child when he discussed the Holy Prophet (sa). “He would relate stories to our son Talal about the Holy Prophet (sa) “and when doing so he would weep and cry intensely. “He was familiar with a great deal of accounts relating to the Holy Prophet (sa)
“and had even memorised many of them “(many others have also written regarding this “(that he possessed deep knowledge of history and of the life of the Holy Prophet (sa)). “He would say to me ‘Talal goes to a Christian school,
‘so on the way to taking him there I recite Surah Ikhlas so he repeats it after me.’ “He was greatly devoted to Khilafat and had a sense of great honour to defending it “(there are many seemingly small things which actually demonstrate a person’s sincerity.)
“He would become so overjoyed whenever he found out you were happy with him or our son. “He always treated us after any Mulaqat or he would give Talal some chocolates, “saying to him that he had been a really good boy; or sometimes he would treat us to ice cream.
“He would express his happiness on small things “because he felt that our son had behaved really well or that we had such a good Mulaqat. “Sometimes he felt that I [Huzoor] was displeased with him about something “(this must have just been something he thought
“(because I do not remember any such incident where I was displeased with him). “Whenever he thought you were upset with him, “he would weep immensely in his Tahajjud [pre-dawn optional prayer] “and beg Allah the Almighty for forgiveness. “He would weep and cry so much, like a child wailing.
“After producing documentaries he would have the same concern “as he waited in anticipation for a positive response “and approval from the Khalifa of the time. “When he started ‘This Week’ he was elated “that he would get the greatest possible opportunities “to be in my [Huzoor’s] office and record me.
“A great quality he possessed was that “he always gave precedence to his faith over worldly matters. “He was completely averse to materialistic things and he never coveted anything worldly. “He never harboured greed for material things. “He had no desire for worldly pursuits. “He would be anxious whenever he was gifted with something expensive.
“He was happy and entirely content with what he had, “and he would thank Allah the Almighty profusely for it. “He would say that in his childhood, “he read an incident of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) “about how Allah the Almighty assisted him in financial matters.
“He said, ‘I immediately raised my hands and prayed, “O Allah! Treat me in the same manner.”’ “He had full conviction that Allah the Almighty had accepted this prayer of his “and thought that Allah the Almighty would treat him the same as “Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Nooruddin Sahib (ra). “Indeed, this came true.”
She further says, “I myself saw that whenever he would be in need of money, “he would instantly receive it from somewhere.” She says, “Recently, after a time period of 10 years, “a loan company phoned him to say that they owed him £1000.
“He was overjoyed and said that he could use that to pay his car insurance “and also pay towards the necessary maintenance of the car, “and that he would no longer need to ask from the Jama’at.”
She states, “I am a witness to the manner in which Allah the Almighty afforded him with His love. “He would narrate an incident about this treatment and said, “‘When I was a student in university, (which is approximately 10 years ago), ‘I was extremely hungry, but I did not have any money left.
‘I offered my prayers and when I had finished, I saw £10 lying under my bed.’ “He was surprised and said that Allah the Almighty had given this money to him. “He had absolute trust in Allah. “I would say to him that some people would make financial provisions, etc.,
“but he was convinced that Allah the Almighty would provide for him “therefore he did not need to chase after the world and instead focused on fulfilling his Waqf.” She then says, “When we lived in our previous rental home “and the tenancy agreement came to an end,
“the council wrote to us saying that due to the council [tax] bill or electricity bill “we had some surplus money, £200 or £300. “He immediately said that he would return it to the Jama’at, “even though the Jama’at did not ask for it and did not follow up
“strictly saying that he must return the amount. “He said that he wanted to return the amount to the Jama’at “and did not wish to be a burden on the Jama’at. “He would say that if it was possible he would pay for all of this from his own self;
“he did not like being a burden upon the Jama’at or request anything from the Jama’at. “Even in the last days, his only worry was “that he was taking expensive equipment of the Jama’at to Africa, “how would he look after it. “He did not worry about himself at all.
“He was very hospitable. He would always look after his family and my family. “He always wore a simple attire.” His wife says, “I have a feeling that some people misunderstand him, “or think that perhaps he was arrogant or spoke out abruptly.
“However, his confidence was such that he would say things in a loving manner. “He did not have the slightest bit of arrogance in him. “Taalay was very forgiving and would cover the faults of others. “He would never hold a grudge against anyone.”
His father writes, “All praise belongs to Allah; through His special grace and benevolence, “Allah the Almighty bestowed our son with the rank of martyrdom.” He further says, “Owing to a dream I had seen, I began preparing my wife and Taalay. “When I narrated the dream to Taalay,
“he said, ‘Have you seen a dream about being martyred?’ “I was surprised and asked him how he knew, “to which he replied that he had also seen a dream in which he saw that I had been martyred.” Nonetheless, he says that Taalay had the utmost love and reverence
As permitted by Allah the Almighty between a father and son. I think it was for this reason that perhaps he prayed to be granted the station of martyrdom instead of his father, because he was worthy enough for Allah the Almighty to bestow upon him the rank of martyrdom
And so He bestowed him with this honour. After he was shot, he said to Missionary Sahib, ‘Whether I survive this or not, I have completed my mission.’ He further says, “From an early age, Allah the Almighty had placed in his heart “that although he was born into a certain family,
“he ought to understand his responsibilities and fulfil them; “and that he should know that his life does not belong to him, but in fact belongs to Allah, “and that he must live his life by Allah’s command alone. “Through his life and death, Taalay proved that he fulfilled this responsibility.”
He further says, “He possessed a soul whereby every fibre of his being “was engrained with the love of Allah and Allah’s loved ones. “From his childhood, he possessed such a heart “that upon hearing the name of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the mere mention of him,
“his innocent lips would quiver and his eyes would be filled with tears. “He had a pure soul which was free from any evil.” He then says, “He was beautiful inside and out, “and if I was to make a comparison, “it would be with Prophet Joseph (as), he possessed a resolute character.
“Owing to his love for the Holy Prophet (sa), “his soul would wander among the streets of Makkah and Madinah of 1400 years ago. “His body was infused with love in its entirety. “His livelihood, food and drink and every breath was for the sake of Khalifatul Masih.”
His mother, Amatushakoor Sahiba, writes, “I am very blessed and very fortunate “that Allah the Almighty granted me such an extraordinary child. “The 31 years of Taalay’s life was one of the greatest blessings of this world.” She then mentioned a dream of a woman,
Who saw a child in a cradle that has extended his arms outside. She heard the child say, “Peace be upon you”. Next to the child was a blue colour card which contained the word “Allah” in Arabic, and “God” in English.
This lady would say that she thinks that the colour blue means a boy. This lady saw this dream before the birth of Taalay and related it. She stated that she thought that she would be bestowed with a boy and that wherever the boy would go, he would spread peace and tranquillity.
She further says, “I was bestowed a beautiful and handsome child. “In 2005, when he was 15 years old, we did Wasiyyat at the same time. “He was very mindful of matters related to faith.” She then says that when he was three years old, he memorised certain chapters of the Qur’an
And when she told her mother, she was very surprised. She further says, “I also remember that when he was three years old, “I would share matters of Tabligh with him, and he would attentively discuss them with me. “He was very good in his studies and would pass with good grades.
“It was my desire that he would become a doctor, “but Allah the Almighty had planned something else. “After obtaining a degree in biomedical sciences, “Allah the Almighty enabled him to complete a masters in journalism. “After his demise, I have come to realise more than before, “just how much love he had for you.”
She says, “When you instructed him to make documentaries “capturing historical aspects [of the Jama’at] for MTA, “you also gave him permission to independently work on these project “and this is something that greatly inspired him.” She says, “His wife, Satwat told me that he had sent her an email in 2019
“which consisted of a list of eight programmes “and said that if something happened to him, “to pass on this list to the relevant people for its completion.” His sister, Nudrat says, “Having lived with Taalay, I saw his dedication to Jama’at work. “He would often return home late due to his work.
“I came to stay with them during my time in University. “He would return home sometimes after 10pm and at times after midnight. “He would eat his dinner and then continue his work. “For him, even his days off were not really a holiday until his Jama’at work was not complete.
“He worked with passion and enthusiasm. “In his spare time, he would watch documentaries and certain videos; “I have never seen anyone study and analyse a programme in such depth as if it were a textbook. “Upon asking he would reply that to be the best at his craft,
“he had to study lots of different documentaries and videos. “He had an extraordinary talent “for preparing exceptional documentaries about the history of the Jama’at. “He had an extensive knowledge of Islam. “He was often the first person I went to if I had any in depth questions about Islamic teachings.
“He had studied the Ahadith carefully. “In the answer, he would often present a hadith “that most people would not know of and would give its reference. “He would reference verses of the Holy Qur’an on various topics. “He was able to talk about any given topic. “He could explain concepts and debate so powerfully
“that you would be left with no option but to accept his point. “He also began learning the Arabic language and had a good grasp of Arabic grammar. “This is because he desired to understand the Word of Allah first hand. “I asked him how he had studied Arabic in such depth
“and he sent me a comprehensive list of instructions and guided me. “There were 26 lessons in the list which contained many points and tips. “He used all his intellectual capabilities “to attain the nearness of God and to serve the Jama’at.” She further says, “There are two dreams that I know of
“which Taalay directly discussed with me and which pointed to his martyrdom. “The first dream was related to me by Taalay was during a discussion about his son, Talal, “and that was that Talal had an extreme fear of one of his parents passing away
“and this was because he knew about the martyrdom of Chacha [Uncle] Qadir. “Taalay then became a little serious and lowered his tone.” She then says, “I do not remember all the details of the dream, “but I do know the overall message.
“Taalay said, ‘I do not claim to be anything like my father-in-law, but I had a dream.’” In this dream a similar incident took place. In the dream, Taalay was wearing the Khuddamul Ahmadiyya colours and while holding the flag he was entering paradise.
Everyone was calling him by his father-in-law’s name saying, “Mirza Ghulam Qadir has come.” “The second dream which I have an account of is in the form of a message [from Taalay]. “I fell ill during my pregnancy and my situation became quite serious. “I was admitted to hospital several times
“and he would regularly phone me and enquire of my health and try to reassure me. “During this time, he mentioned one of his dreams “that indicated that his sisters will live on after his demise. “He stated that a few years earlier, he saw a dream wherein he was entering paradise
“and his relatives had organised a welcoming party for him. “He stated that in his dream he was shocked upon learning of his demise “and was worried lest his younger sisters had passed away before him “and so he looked around but could not find them anywhere.
“He stated to his sister that if this dream was true then she need not to worry – “even though she had to go into hospital “and the doctors had said that it was a very serious situation – “however he told her that she should not worry
“because if this dream of his was true then she would get better. “By the grace of Allah the Almighty everything returned to normal thereafter. “She further states that she was very proud of his intelligence and love for Khilafat.” His younger sister says, “He was an excellent role model
“and I had the opportunity to learn many things from him.” She further stated, “When I was 13 or 14 years of age, “at home Taalay once wished to recite one of his most favourite chapters of the Holy Qur’an “and thus he recited Surah Yusuf in a very beautiful and melodious manner.
“He would also say that “he would often listen to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh)’s Dars-ul-Qur’an. “(He would listen to the Dars whilst travelling to and fro from office.) “Once, I shared a joke with him which mentioned Christianity and slightly mocked the faith. “Upon this, he stated that they should not mock any faith
“because in this way people will also speak against us as well.” Abid Waheed, who is serving as the Central Press Secretary and is also his maternal uncle states, “I had a very special relation with Taalay. “We did not just share one relation but our bond consisted of many different relations.
“I was his maternal uncle but there was not much of a difference in our age “and he was like a younger brother and a friend. (There was only a difference of seven years). “I always felt and witnessed as well “that Taalay had immense love for the family of the Promised Messiah (as).
“If anyone from among the family of the Promised Messiah (as) had done something wrong, “he would feel great pain and sadness due to it “because it would cause dishonour “to the Promised Messiah (as) and the Khalifah of the time.” He had love for his family members but did not love them blindly,
Rather he would be sad and pained and could not tolerate if someone from among them had committed an act which would bring disrepute to the name of Promised Messiah (as), his family and the Khalifa of the time. He further states, “He would often speak to me on such issues
“and there would always be a sense of pain in his voice. “Although he was very proud to be a member of the Promised Messiah’s (as) family “but he would not go around mentioning this to anyone or try to take advantage of it.
“Many people did not even know of his relation [with the family of the Promised Messiah (as)].” He further states, “After a few months of working in MTA News, Taalay came to me and said, “‘It seems to me that MTA News is considered as a very ordinary section in MTA
‘and people in MTA openly or through their attitude towards it say ‘that MTA News is one of the weakest departments within MTA.’ “However, Taalay took this as a challenge and very confidently stated “that when the various projects will be completed then InshAllah, “people will watch MTA News with great interest and will say
“that the best programmes on MTA are those produced by MTA News. “He stated that this was his challenge which he had accepted to take on. “Thereafter, Taalay produced some documentaries and various other programmes. “I saw that for the preparation of these documentaries “he would often spend 18 to 19 hours in the day.”
His recent trip to Africa was based on my instruction in which I directed that MTA News should go to Africa and produce a documentary on the Nusrat Jehan Scheme. According to the programme, he was to first travel to Ghana, Sierra Leone and then The Gambia.
Hence, he had gone for this purpose in order to produce a documentary on the Nusrat Jehan Scheme. “Before travelling to Africa, Taalay very diligently made preparations for everything. “He prepared a detailed travel plan with a full schedule of daily activities, “so that no time was wasted. He planned very carefully.”
He further states, “There would often be a difference of opinion between me and Taalay “and often after a few minutes of debate, I would accept defeat “because I knew that until I did not accept his argument “he would continue to debate and give his opinions.
“However, I noticed one thing that if during the discussion I stated “that the opinion of the Khalifa of the time was such and such then he would say, “‘if Huzoor’s opinion is even slightly different to mine ‘then I shall openly accept the fact that I am completely wrong.’”
He was preparing a documentary on Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) and his cousin told him, “Make a really good documentary on Abba Jaan “(the cousin was the granddaughter of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra)) “because it is not every day that such documentaries are made.”
Upon this, Taalay stated, “I don’t think it will be as good “because it is not directly about a Khalifa “but may Allah enable it to be such that people like it.” This was his relationship with Khilafat. Mirza Talha Ahmad has also written,
“He had planned to produce a documentary on Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan Sahib (ra) “and for this he had also assigned me some work. “By the grace of Allah the Almighty he would produce very good documentaries. “He had a great skill in scriptwriting and storytelling.”
Adam Walker Sahib writes (I believe it is Adam Walker Sahib), “I knew Taalay from childhood “and later we both worked together in Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, “Central Press Office and MTA. “Particularly in relation to MTA work, “I noticed that Taalay would always very meticulously assess the work “and would delve into the depth of the matters.
“If ever he had an idea of spreading the message of the Promised Messiah (as) “or the instructions and guidance of the Khalifa of the time to other people, “he would without any hesitation discuss it with me and express his thoughts.
“He would always be thinking of the different ways of how to spread the message online. “From this it is evident that he would deeply ponder over your instructions “and would strive towards its implementation. “He would always give precedence to speaking the truth. “Whenever he wished to present a suggestion or express his opinion,
“he would always do it honestly and with no ambiguity. “He would always give honest feedback to those who we worked with.” Naseem Bajwah Sahib writes, “I was serving as a missionary in Bradford between 2001 and 2009 “and during this time I would also travel to the Hartlepool Jama’at.
“I always saw him passionately taking part in the programmes as a Tifl. “He was a Tifl, who was punctual, disciplined, intelligent, “passionate to increase his religious knowledge, offer prayers in a very calm manner, “obedient, hospitable, respectful towards his elders,
“possessed great love for Khilafat and would intently listen to the words of the Khalifa, “he would fulfil his responsibilities in a very excellent manner, “he would carefully ponder over matters, occupy himself in the remembrance of Allah, “passionately take part in Tabligh and would recite the Holy Qur’an in a very beautiful manner.
“Later in his youth, his qualities manifested even more.” One of his cousins, Mubarka Nauman states, “One of the qualities of Taalay which I always noticed was “his sense of contentment and simplicity as a life devotee [waqf]. “Many a times he would recount the blessings of Allah the Almighty had bestowed upon him.
“I never noticed him having any interest for material things. “In fact, if ever any worldly matter would be discussed in front of him “he would laugh in his own unique manner and express his gratitude to Allah the Almighty “that He had enabled him to be a life-devotee [waqf]
“and thus made him free of such matters and God Himself granted him all his needs. “He was a true life-devotee.” One of his friends and missionary, Nohsherwan Rashid states, “I had the opportunity to serve alongside brother Taalay in MTA News for the past three years.
“In these three years, Taalay was not only my colleague, “but also my teacher and above all a friend and brother.” He further states, “In the past three years, “I saw Taalay regularly keep a fast on Thursday “and was very watchful over his five daily prayers.
“He would go to the mosque ahead of the prayer time “and I also saw that he would pay his Chanda well in time.” There are many accounts and many people have written to me and I have mentioned only a few in view of the time.
He did true justice to being a member of the Holy Prophet (sa) and Promised Messiah’s (as) physical and spiritual progeny. He was from among the progeny of the Holy Prophet (sa) and Allah the Almighty chose him for this sacrifice in the month of Muharram.
As I mentioned earlier that he was a precious gem among the life-devotees. May Allah the Almighty continue to elevate his rank. I am hopeful that Allah the Almighty has granted him the nearness of the Holy Prophet (sa). In fact, after his demise, someone saw in a dream
That the Holy Prophet (sa) was standing in one place and Taalay went running towards him and embraced him and the Holy Prophet (sa) also embraced him closely and said, “Come my son, welcome!” How fortunate are those who offer sacrifice for the sake of their faith and attain such a lofty rank.
May Allah the Almighty be the Protector and Helper of his wife and children and grant them patience and strength. May He also grant patience and strength to his parents and siblings and enable his children and siblings to continue his virtuous deeds. InshAllah after the prayers today, I will lead his funeral prayer.
The funeral has arrived. All praise is due to Allah We laud Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection; we confide in Him, we trust Him alone and we seek protection against the evils and mischief of our souls and from the bad results of our deeds.
Whomsoever He guides on the right path, none can misguide him; and whosoever He declares misled, none can guide him onto the right path. And we bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. We bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is His servant and Messenger.
O servants of Allah! May Allah be merciful to you. Verily, Allah commands you to act with justice, to confer benefits upon each other and to do good to others as one does to one’s kindred and forbids evil which pertain to your own selves
And evils which affect others and prohibits revolts against a lawful authority. He warns you against being unmindful. You remember Allah; He too will remember you; call Him and He will make a response to your call. And verily divine remembrance is the highest virtue.