Voice of British Muslim Women

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

Sabiha Khan, Hampshire

Growing up in Pakistan, I could only ever have dreamt of having the honour of seeing His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the fifth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in the flesh let alone talk to him. Yet even all those miles away, there wasn’t a moment when I felt separated from my beloved Khalifa. From a young age our parents inculcated in us the habit of writing letters to Huzoor at every trial, before every exam and after every achievement. Even before I could write properly my mother would write out the words for me to trace on top so that I could send a letter written with my own hand. And for this habit I will always be indebted to my parents because it developed in me a strong connection with Khilafat that only strengthened with time. For a young girl to be able to write to His Holiness about exams and to receive a reply full of prayers and even congratulations on an achievement is so empowering. It made me feel a sense of purpose and made me want to work even harder.

Even now, coming home to a letter from Huzoor gets me excited the same way as it did my 10-year-old self. I open the envelope, still in my coat and hijab, and read the letter once to myself, then out loud to any family member near me (a family tradition) and then carefully place it in my precious collection of letters from Huzoor. But the most special thing for any Ahmadi is to open the envelope to a letter that Huzoor himself has signed. These letters are special, in every sense of the word. It becomes hard to keep tears at bay when I realize that the man who has the weight of the world on his shoulders has taken the time to sign a letter to me. Often, I just hold the letter, hugging it, as if to touch my heart with the ink from the pen of my beloved Khalifa. And when I read it, I read it again and again and again until I know it from memory. With every prayer from His Holiness, I feel so grateful to be under the gracious wing of an amazing leader who is so kind and loving to every single one of the millions of Ahmadis around the world and tears well up simply due to the staunch resolve in my heart to follow every instruction contained in the letter.

During the pandemic when everyone has been so isolated, for a long time mosques were closed and mulaqats (meetings) have been put on hold, letters to Huzoor were and are ever more important. It’s the way to connect with our Khalifa and to ask for his guidance and prayers in our personal matters. About two years ago, I was doing a college project on the usage of gene editing technology in humans to cure hereditary diseases and wanted to know the Islamic perspective. I asked many people but often got different answers. That’s when I decided to write to Huzoor in the hope that  he would guide me. I don’t know what I was expecting to receive in reply but what I did receive left me in complete awe. About 2 months after I sent the letter, I got the reply letter from Huzoor himself in which he graciously answered my question saying,

“Any technology which is of benefit to human life is permissible and allowed, however if it brings about corruption, then it is wrong. Allah has prohibited it.”

What a beautiful and comprehensive statement not just about gene editing but answering my question perfectly. And how lucky we are to have a Khalifa who guides us in even our smallest concerns and loves us and prays for us.

May Allah Almighty always enable us to reap the blessings of Khilafat and fulfil our own duties towards it. (Ameen).