Qasim Choudhary, Missionary USA
In an unknown village in Africa lived an elderly woman labouring away and weaving a basket for two months. You must be wondering, why or for whom was she undertaking such an arduous task? You see, this was not just any ordinary basket composed of coarse cotton yarn. Each weave of this seemingly worthless basket was intertwined with pure love and devotion. This basket was to be presented to her king, whom she held dearer than her own children.
The king was from a distant land and upon his arrival, he was given the basket. However, upon his departure, it was mistakenly left behind by his companions. When the king was informed of this, he immediately sought that the basket be brought to him even though he lived a thousand miles away.
The king explained to his companions, “In your eyes the basket is worthless, but the love that prompted her to weave it was invaluable and I shall not leave it behind, even if the transporting of it costs us thousands.” (Message of Love and Brotherhood to Africa, by Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh, pp. 19-20)
This story is by no means a fable. It is a personification and the reality of the bond between the Khalifa and his Jamaat. It is a manifestation of the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh when he said:
“The Imam of the Jamaat and the Jamaat itself are two names of the same thing. The Khalifa of the time and the Jamaat itself both unify to become one entity. This is why it is the task of Khilafat to strive to alleviate the pain and suffering of the Jamaat.” (Al Fazl, 21 May 1978)