by A. Abdul Aziz

Ahmadiyya Khalifa His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad in his Friday Sermon delivered on 3^rd September said that recently, a very dear life-devotee, Syed Taalay Ahmed (31) was martyred in Ghana, Africa.

Ahmadiyya Head expressed his own love and admiration for Syed Taalay Ahmad too in the sermon. He said:

He was a gem that left us. May Allah the Exalted continue to grant the Jama’at such loyal people who have a relationship with Khilafat (system of Caliph) that is based on obedience and sincerity and who give precedence to faith over the world This beloved individual fully understood the spirit of waqf [life devotion] and fulfilled the oath that he had made in the truest sense.

Born in Hartlepool, U.K., he was the son of Syed Hashim Akbar and Amatul Shakoor. He left his wife Hazrat Nusrat Jahan Begum and two children.

On the night between the 23rd and 24th of August, the MTA (Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International) team which was filming a documentary was travelling when they were attacked by robbers who fired at them, injuring two people, Umar Farooq and Syed Taalay Ahmed. On the way to the hospital, Syed Taalay Ahmed passed away.

Syed Taalay Ahmed had been active in serving the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association UK in various capacities. He also served the Community in his local chapter of Hartlepool, UK. He was appointed to the MTA News team full-time in 2016. He had the opportunity of making various documentaries for MTA. He was also the one to initiate the very popular This Week With Huzoor programme which features on MTA, according to Ahmadiyya Head.

Syed Taalay Ahmed was very passionate about his work and seeing it through, no matter the hardships he may have to face along the way. His main focus was always to ensure that the work was carried out. This was evident from the incident of his martyrdom.

Robbers had begun firing at the vehicle after which they approached the vehicle and took whatever valuables they had. Syed Taalay Ahmed had been struck in the back and lost a great deal of blood. As the robbery was happening, he quickly hid the laptop and other equipment under the seats so that the robbers would not be able to find it. As they were driving to a nearby clinic, Syed Taalay Ahmed would ask whether His Holinesshad been informed about this incident. From the clinic, it was decided that he would need to be taken to a hospital. Along the way, he said, ‘Tell His Holiness that I love him and tell my family that I love them.’, as detailed by Ahmadiyya Head in his Friday Sermon of September 3^rd.

His Holinesssaid that this was a beautiful gem which has left us. This loss has shaken everyone. He understood his oath of life-devotion and fulfilled it to the utmost degree. His Holiness said that Syed Taalay Ahmed always surprised him, and he would wonder how a youngster who had been raised amidst a worldly environment was able to understand and fulfil his pledge of devotion. His level of love and devotion for Khilafat was such that even some who have deep-rooted knowledge of faith do not possess it. His devotion to Khilafat (System of Caliph) was such that even in his last moments, he was constantly expressing his love for Khilafat.

His Holinesssaid that a few years ago, Syed Taalay Ahmed wrote a poem in which he expressed his love for Khilafat (system of Caliph). He started the poem by saying that he loved his Khalifathe most………………

Below we produce Syed Talay Ahmad Sahib’s poem.

I love my Caliph more than the others,

They only love, I’m only his lover.

They crawl to his hand from far icy coasts,

A wonderful host, supported by hosts.

As mountains migrate for prophets and kings,

When heaven comes near, they see him and sing.

My silence might grate but I love him more,

Whole with holiness as my soothed soul soars.

When they see his face they weep and they cry,

My heart beats to tears but my eyes are dry.

But by God’s promise I’m able to boast,

I swear I can prove I love him the most.

They truthfully tell, disclosing their love,

Humble, he blushes, embarrassed enough.

For his weary eyes, here surely prefer,

Durood and takbirs, Allahu Akbar!

So their cue of lovers ends at this line,

I keep my secret for his sake not mine.

The lamp in my night, forever aglow,

I love my Caliph, but he’ll never know.”

(By Syed Talay Ahmad Martyr (Shaheed)

He ended by saying that perhaps His Holinesswould never know how much he loved him. Ahmadiyya Khalifa said that even before Syed Taalay Ahmed’s last words, he knew – he knew how much Syed Taalay Ahmed loved him when he was filming with his camera, and even when he met him without his camera. He could tell from the sparkle in his eyes and the light on his face, indeed from his every action, His Holinesswas aware of the love that Syed Taalay Ahmed had for him, according to the Friday Sermon of September 3^rd.

Ahmadiyya Khalifa said that he himself bears testament to the fact that Syed Taalay Ahmed fulfilled his oath of life-devotion.

His Holinessshared the sentiments of Syed Taalay Ahmed’s father Syed Hashim Akbar. He said that he had seen a dream about his own martyrdom and later learned that his son Syed Taalay Ahmed had seen the same dream about the martyrdom of his father. However he must have prayed that he should be martyred instead of his father. Seeing his excellent qualities, God Almihgty accepted his prayer and bestowed upon him the rank of martyrdom. His soul was devoted to the Holy Prophet, (PBUH) and he lived and breathed for the sake of Khilafat. Syed Taalay Ahmed’s mother Amatul Shakoor said that he was inclined towards religion from a young age. He was very good at his studies and would obtain good grades.

His Holinessshared the sentiments of Abid Khan, Press Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Community who was also Syed Taalay Ahmed’s maternal uncle. He said that Syed Taalay Ahmed possessed a profound love for the Promised Messiah, peace be on him. Though he was extremely proud to be from the progeny of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, he never openly shared this fact nor did he ever use it to receive any sort of favourable treatment……..

His Holinesssaid that Syed Taalay Ahmed fulfilled his due in being the spiritual and physical progeny of the Holy Prophet(PUH) as well as the Promised Messiah, peace be on him. His Holiness said that thus, it is fitting that Allah Almighty chose the (Islamic) month of Muharram for Syed Taalay Ahmed to be able to present this sacrifice.

In the end, Ahmadiyya Khalifa prayed that may Allah Almighty continue to elevate the station of Syed Taalay Ahmed. Surely, he would have been given a place in Paradise near the Holy ProphetMuhammad (PBUH). In fact, someone saw a dream that he was running towards the Holy Prophet(PBUH) who was welcoming him. His Holinessalso prayed that his family may be able to bear this loss with patience.

In 2013, Syed Taalay Ahmad, after completing his master’s degree in journalism, sacrificed his life for the cause of Islam Ahmadiyyat and was posted to the Central Press & Media department. In 2016, he was assigned duties in the MTA News department, an office which he took to new heights.

Syed Taalay Ahmed, British Journalist completed a Masters in Journalism from Sunderland University, is reported to leave behind his wife, two young children, parents and siblings.

Being a Press Secretary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka, I was familiar to him for years. Syed Taalay Ahmed (Shaheed – Martyr) was always assisting us in preparing our News to MTA and air in excellent manner.

Once he was contacting me until 10.30 p.m. as the MTA News to go at 11.30 p.m. (Sri Lankan Time) in an effort to include our News Bulletin on that day.

He also had the habit of appreciating our preaching efforts.

May Allah elevate his status further and further. Ameen.

(The word ‘Promised Messiah’ – refers to: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – the Holy Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Islam.)