Poem: Odyssey of Our Time

QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY LONDON

The second incident that I wish to mention happened as Taalay began his biomedical sciences degree at Queen Mary University in London. Making new friends in a new environment provides a support system for students beginning a new independent phase of life. Such friends have an important place, providing company and support in free time and during study hours.

This was also the case for Taalay.

Having moved from his home and familiar surroundings and friendships in Hartlepool in the North East, he was now in East London, a completely unfamiliar place for him and he was glad when he made a friend (I think he was called Alan). Alan, who was a great support in many ways, however, also wished for Taalay to accompany him on some of the get-togethers and parties Taalay at sixth form that the other students were enjoying. Taalay had politely declined all such invitations. Until one occasion.

I found out what had happened one evening at the end of October 2008. Taalay rang me as he was sitting on the London Underground on the way to Southfields. He explained that as Alan had requested him so many times to accompany him to parties, finally, just to pacify him, he had agreed to go with him to a party for a short while that evening.

“Guess what, Mama!”, he happily exclaimed. “I remembered this evening that Hazuraba was having a family mulaqat and I felt a sudden desire that I must go. (Some informal meetings for the extended family would take place in Hazur’saba home at that time.) However, once I began the journey, I remembered that today, I had agreed to go to the party for a short while with Alan. Now I’ll just have to explain to him I forgot!” Taalay sounded very happy and content at this turn of events Masha’Allah.

So, this is what happened the next time Taalay had an innocent plan to go to a party! His love for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba prevented him from doing something that was not good for him.

Through the years that followed, these mulaqats (meetings) with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba were the highlight of Taalay’s days. Almost always, after each mulaqat, Taalay would ring his father or I and happily narrate anything Hazuraba had said to him or his family members.

As Taalay became more and more occupied with MTA work, or other Jama’at related work, or his personal in-depth research into Islam Ahmadiyyat, I learnt that Taalay’s time and attention was more and more precious. Yet after each mulaqat, sometimes, even fairly late at night, the phone would ring and Taalay’s excitement was, by the grace of Allah, irrepressible.

Taalay (on the right) in the company of Huzoor during his college-going days

There is an incident recorded about the Holy Prophetsaw when he was a youth and he set off to attend an evening gathering of the style of those times. It is likely the gathering would not have been according to the dignity of our beloved Holy Prophetsaw, so slumber overtook him and he woke up in the morning to find he had missed the event. (Tarikh alTabari, Vol. 2, p. 207, Babu Dhikri Rasulillahisaw wa Asbabihi [Darul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, 2002])

It is surely a source of delight to parents like myself reading this that the blessings bestowed by Allah the Almighty on His Chosen Holy Prophet Muhammad Rasulullahsaw are also bestowed to this day on his humble followers, particularly those that have joined the beautiful Jama’at of his Ardent Devotee, the Promised Messiahas .

May Allah continue to shower such blessings on our son in Heaven and on this wonderful and blessed community, that is Jama’at-e-Ahmadiyya. Amin.

دیم دیح کنا �ھا�ا لا لیعو �ھا�ا لیع تیلص اک دمم لا لیعو دمم لیع لص مھللا دیم دیح کنا �ھا�ا لا لیعو �ھا�ا لیع تکر� اک دمم لا لیعو دمم لیع کر� مھللا

“Bless, O Allah, Muhammadsaw and the people of Muhammadsaw , as Thou didst bless Abrahamas and the people of Abrahamas. Thou art indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.

“Prosper, O Allah, Muhammadsaw and the people of Muhammadsaw, as Thou didst prosper Abrahamas and the people of Abrahamas. Thou art indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.”