On Sunday evening, just before Hazur met with dozens of Ahmadis in Mulaqat he visited the home of Dr Ahmad Hameed Qureshi and his wife Dr Ayesha Ahmad. Many of their close and extended family members were also there.
Hazur stayed for around 30 to 40 minutes and you could see the joy on the faces of the hosts.
At one point I said ‘Mubarak ho’ to Ayesha baji and she looked at me and tears started forming in her eyes. It was again evident just how strong the bond between Ahmadis and their Khalifa is. It was quite clear to me that those few minutes were something that Dr Ahmad and his family would cherish for the rest of their lives.
Dr Ahmad had an interest in target shooting and so in preparation of Hazur’s visit, he had set up a target in his garden. The target was small and pasted to a tree at quite some distance. To the delight of the hosts, Hazur‐Aqdas agreed to fire at the target.
Thus using Dr Ahmad’s gun, Hazur settled the gun into position with great care.
I remember watching and thinking that the target was so small that it must be impossible to hit. But then Hazur fired the trigger and hit the target directly, Masha’Allah.
Then after the successful first shot, Hazur readied himself to fire at the target again. The second time Hazur took even more care to make sure he had the gun in the correct position. Hazur pulled the trigger and once again he hit the target perfectly, Masha’Allah.
Dr Ayesha Ahmad, who was also the local Jamaat Lajna Sadr, said after Hazur’s visit:
“Hazur’s visit was amazing. It felt as if members were recharged. We had been preparing for months and all of that was worth it even for a small glimpse of Hazur. Many members and Lajna shared that they personally renewed their attachment to Khilafat during this trip and followed him to Canada since they wanted to enjoy his company longer. His visit to Hadee Mosque Harrisburg was particularly moving to all of us locals.
The fact that he took time from his busy schedule to inaugurate the Mosque and the fact that we got an unexpected bonus of his extended stay in Harrisburg, particularly his departure from that Mosque felt it was divinely planned.
Many members changed their plans and drove from surrounding Jamaats to bid Hazur farewell. Every Lajna I saw that morning had tears in her eyes.
I am now praying for Hazur’s health and the Jamaats well‐being with far more attention now. I also look at Jamaat work differently now. The way Hazur leads the Jamaat with no moment to spare for self makes me realize that we do a fraction of that so we should not complain.
I also noticed that Hazur’s presence affected children and teens profoundly. It’s as if they discovered this love for their Khalifa that was lying latent but needed to be activated by his physical proximity.
Hazur’s visit to my home was surreal. Every moment feels like a dream that I have replayed in my mind dozens of times. It was a blessing that certainly did not deserve. I will never forget that experience. It was one of the nicest things that has ever happened in my life.”
Myra Qureshi, aged 15, and the daughter of Dr Ahmad Qureshi and Dr Ayesha
Ahmad said:
“I felt extremely blessed that Hazur decided to come to America this Jalsa, especially since he has not come for four years.
Since in America we don’t have the luxury to see Hazur as often as we would like, we all try to get the most out of his brief visits as we possibly can.
I have always loved going to Jalsa, so it was a great honour for it to be held in my hometown of Harrisburg this year.
I also felt very grateful that Hazur took the time out of his busy schedule to visit our home. It was a great blessing for me and my family.”