Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 81
Khilafat Centenary Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifatul Masih 1y rta ---------------------------- Dr. Ahsan M. Khan UVERSES - "Short is the time, enormous is the task- move on. The evening is turning fast into dusky grey - move on. I- L. I. I Let life not see such an end, as works should remain incomplete-move on. The gait of the swift breeze is beckoning us, as long as the breath blows- move on. 0 The destinations are calling aloud, tread the paths in the mornings and evenings- move on. Come 0 friends, walk close to me, as the symbol of nearness- move on. " Q. . English trans l ation o f an excerp t from a poem by Hadhrat Mirza Tah ir Ahmad rta Kalam-e-Tahir, page 62 London, UK, 9:30 am, Saturday, April 19 , 2003. Both time and space seemed frozen. Most of us can recall where we were and exactly what we were doing when the painful news of the passing of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih Nrt a reached us. In New York, hundreds of Khuddam and Atfal were waiting patiently for the closing session of the Northeast Regional Ijtema, when Maulana Daud Hanif , in a somber voice filled with love and fear of Almighty Allah, presented the devastating news to the shocked audience. In Chicago, man y of us were waking up to calls from loved ones, the tragedy in their voices echoing through the phone lines. In Los Angeles, the news arrived for man y shortly before Fajr prayers, tears flowing from their eyes and agony gripping their inner core. Allah Almighty had taken back one of His own, after blessing all of us with his presence, his guidance and his comforting voice for so many years. To this day, over four years later, the tears still seem fresh, but the void left in our hearts is now replaced with a rich reservoir of cherished memories and reflections of our beloved Huzur r ta. This essay is but a mere humble attempt to pro vide glimpses of the magnanimous and illustrious life of a true saint of Almighty Allah, our dear Huzur Aqdas, Khalifatul Masih N r ta. On the blessed occasion of the centenary of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya, we celebrate the life and accomplishments of that Khalifa who incurred a spiritual revolution in America; who brought the message of the Promised Messiah as directly into our living rooms; who planted the seeds of Taqwa , and foundation-stones of mosques, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Coast; and who, with his genuine love for our Jama' at and painstaking efforts to better our cause, interlaced the spirit of Khilafat into the fabric of Ahmadi - American culture. This illustrious son of the Promised Son, Hadhrat Musleh Mau'ood ra, was born in Qadian , India in December of 1928. His intellect and zeal for religious knowledge became readily apparent at an early age. After studying for two years at Government College in Lahore, Pakistan, Huzurrta pursued further education at the University of Punjab. His mother, Hadhrat Syedah Maryam Begum, passed away while he was taking matriculation examinations in 1944. He obtained the Shahid Degree fromjamia'a Ahmadiyya Rabwah in 1953 and traveled to Europe two years later with