By Dr Abdul Rashid Badr, MBBS, MS, FMAS, Surgeon Noor Hospital Qadian.

 I am nearing to complete 60th year of my life. It was my fourth or fifth year of life when my mother took me from Qadian to Rabwah for a visit. We were a very humble Derwesh family, but, where ever we went, I was so surprised to see overwhelming tearful welcome because I was from Qadian.

Some people cried and kissed me others hugged me close to themselves with tears flowing all along, some wanted to get fragrance of Qadian, by putting their nose over my chest & rubbing it crying bitterly. I was a kid but it didn’t take me too long to understand this. They had lost their beloved Qadian, the pathetic event that my mother used to narrate to me after we lay down under bare Qadian skies full of stars on summer nights in the courtyard.

Hazrat Mirza Bashir ud Din Mahmood Ahmad- The Musleh Moud was the 2nd Caliph of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

 But bigger event was yet to come, one early morning I was prepared, dressed up & given nonstop instructions of dos & don’ts. I obeyed. Because our Nani jan (wife of Sahabi Hazrat Chaudhary Maula Bakhsh (ra) & mother of earliest T. I. College Rabwah Professors Chowdhary Ataullah M.A.) had access to Qasre- Khilafat (the official residence of Khalifa). On the plea that they are mother and child from Derweshan e Qadian, Hazoor has granted permission for mulaqaat (meeting), despite Hazoor’s weakness & ill health. That was a great honor to Derweshan.

Hazrat Chaudhary Maula Bakhsh (ra), The Companion of the Promised Messiah (as) (1880- March 14,1936)

 I had heard from every one, for years they haven’t even seen Hazoor. It was a rare honor. But none looked jealous they were happy for us. So my Nani jan, my mother, and myself set out to enter Qasre-Khilafat at the appointed time guided by Hazrat Mehar Aapa. We were taken upstairs through steep stairs that looked very clean, natural but extremely ordinary. We made it a point that our steps don’t make any noise because it could disturb our ailing Hazoor. Stairs led into a small but naturally well illuminated and ventilated airy room with huge side window. On the window side, there was a bed with clean light green coloured thin cover, that was pulled up by a fair frail but lovely old man, engrossed in reading a book held in both hands. Un-deterred by visitors he continued his reading.

 He was our Huzoor , Khalifatul Maseeh II, Al Musleh Moud. As a kid it was my experience to see Hazoor without turban. We were on right side of Hazoor.

 Then things happened rather fast. My mother handed over a Pakistani green 5 Rs note into my hand (of which I knew what to do because of the rehearsals done back home) Hazrat Mehar Aapa, went & whispered something to Hazoor. Hazoor left the book aside turned his kind gaze towards me and stretched out his right hand for me with a flood of affection; I reflexly wasted no time in grabbing Huzoor’s soft hand with my both tiny hands. Believe me friends, I was a kid but it was a splendid supernatural feelings. I vouch for this wording of prophecy of Musleh Moud of which I wasn’t so thorough as a kid, but to me the hand appeared of God, as if God descended from heaven کاان الله نزل من ا لسماۓ 

I was lost and minutes after minutes passed, even as a kid I pledged to myself that as long as Hazoor doesn’t withdraw his hand I won’t withdraw mine before that, even 5 minutes-10 minutes passed, the affectionate Hazoor didn’t withdraw his hand too, probably understanding the innocent kid’s purity of devotion. Hazoor kept looking straight into my face I too kept my eyes fixed on Hazoor’s noorani face. Then I saw a few tears trickled down from Huzoor’s eyes and rolled over his right cheek. As a kid I couldn’t bear this why should our Huzoor be sad & tears came into my eyes too. Then it so happened with none prepared to withdraw hands, for over 10 minutes, Hazrat Mehar Aapa had to intervene & forcibly separated the hands. I even now have a feel of Huzoor’s hand and the inevitable separation that slided away the hands. This event in my memory is as vivid as ever.

Still new things were to come, we came back to my Khala’s house in Darus Sadr, there was big crowd awaiting us. Having known that Hazoor has touched this kid’s hands everyone was after me. Kissing & putting my tiny hands on their face, eyes, chest whatever blessings they wanted to take I just obeyed because I had been told by my parents, Darwesh is not born to resent anything. I was even physically lifted up, my hands pained a little but I didn’t resist. After all I thought they never had a chance to get what I got. But the devotion of people surprised me. Ultimately my eldest late Khala Rashida who loved me a lot rescued me by hiding me in her lap, but she too started asking me all about this once I recovered. I told her all that happened.

One thing was consistent, that everyone was in tears for Hazoor. I too got the blessings, same two tiny hands grew into surgeon’s hands, and benefited by performing over 17000 major life saving operations in the most deserving part of humanity, and will inshAllah continue to serve drawing strength from prayers of Khalifatul Masih V. The same hands had the blessings of hand shake of Khalifatul Maseeh III in 1966 at Rabwah with my father, Khalifatul Maseeh IV in 1991 at Qadian, and Khalifatul Maseeh V in 2005 at Qadian when I couldn’t but become Jamaat’s.

I dreamed Musleh Moud many times have sweet memories of those dreams to cherish. May Allah make our end well. Please continue to pray for us, we all are praying for you.