Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2017
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah. Come to Prayer Come to success Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.
There is none worthy of worship except Allah. Peace be upon you. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah He is alone and has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is His Servant and Messenger
After this I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. All praise belongs to the Almighty Allah who Lords over all the universe. The Gracious, the ever Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment.
Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. [Arabic]
The translation of this verse is as follows: “Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love; “and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it well.” [3:93]
In this verse, Allah the Exalted has spoken on a subject that has always been understood in a better way by those believers, who sacrifice in the way of Allah. Its greatest manifestation occurred through the companions of the Holy Prophet (saw),
who sacrificed their lives, wealth and time for their faith. They were the ones who understood the essence of al-birr [righteousness]. In other words, they understood and endeavoured to achieve the highest standard of piety, righteousness, morals, financial sacrifice and attaining the pleasure of Allah the Exalted.
Accordingly, it is narrated that when the aforementioned verse was revealed, Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) said to the Holy Prophet (saw), “O Messenger of Allah! I own an orchard, which is known as Birr Rauhah.” That orchard was located in close proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque.
He further said, “Among my properties, this particular orchard is the dearest one to me.” “Today, I wish to donate it in the way of Allah the Exalted.” Such were the standards of the companions of the Holy Prophet (saw). Today, by the Grace of Allah the Exalted,
it is the followers of the most ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (saw), who have the most understanding of all kinds of sacrifices. And it is Ahmadis, who predominantly show practical examples of this.
Today, the world is engulfed in a race for the acquisition of wealth. There is a very large number of Ahmadis, who, when they earn money, when they procure wealth and they are reminded about financial sacrifices, they offer their wealth.
All this is the result of our ongoing moral education and training, which the Promised Messiah (as) undertook. He admonished us regarding financial sacrifices in various ways, at different occasions and with a variety of admonitions.
Thus, at one such occasion, while speaking on financial sacrifices, he stated: “In the world, man has great love for wealth. “This is why it is written in interpretations of dreams that, if one sees that he has extracted his
“liver and handed it over to someone, it signifies giving over of wealth. “This is why for the attainment of true righteousness and faith, it has been stated… ‘[Arabic] ‘Never shall you attain true righteousness unless you spend your most prized possessions’ [3:93]
“because a large part of sympathy and compassion for the creation of God “requires the spending of wealth.” He states that in order to fulfill the rights of mankind a very large part of that requires [the spending of] wealth.
He further states, “Compassion for mankind and God’s creation is half of faith, “without which faith cannot be complete and firmly grounded.” The rights of mankind are also part of faith, without the observance of which, one’s faith cannot be complete, firm and strong.
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “How can a person benefit others until he offers sacrifices? “In order to benefit others and show sympathy towards them, sacrifices are essential and in this “verse [Arabic] a teaching and guidance regarding this very sacrifice has been outlined.”
Thus, spending wealth in the cause of Allah the Exalted is a means of measuring and gauging the standard of a person’s fortune and righteousness. In other words, it is a scale which measures [one’s] righteousness.
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The devotion of Abu Bakr (ra) to God Almighty during his lifetime “was of such a standard and merit that when the Holy Prophet (saw) made a request for a religious
“cause, he presented himself to the Holy Prophet (saw) with all of his belongings.” Thus, this is the highest standard, which Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) established, following which, Hazrat ‘Umar (ra) imparted according to his capacity. The Promised Messiah (as) said that on this occasion,
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) came with all of his belongings, Hazrat ‘Umar (ra) brought half of his belongings and similarly, the other companions also continued to offer sacrifices according to their capacities. Furthermore, this is the very spirit and standard which the Promised Messiah (as)
wishes to develop within us by stating these examples. As I mentioned, there are many Ahmadis, who endeavour to attain the highest standards of offering sacrifices. When they read the Qur’an, Hadith as well as the writings of the Promised Messiah (as),
they have firm faith that Allah the Exalted made a mention of blessing the wealth and souls of those who spend in His cause. Allah has also said that when a person spends something that is very dear to him in His cause,
He will give him more in return; He can multiply this seven hundred times and even more. Hence, when Ahmadis offer such sacrifices, they are also most certain that Allah the Exalted will return this to them manifold and that He will also treat them in the same manner.
When Ahmadis spend [their wealth] in accordance with this guidance of the Holy Prophet (saw) in which he said that whoever offered a sacrifice of even one date in the way of Allah the Exalted
out of his lawful earnings – it is very important to remember that Allah the Exalted does not accept unlawful earnings, which are earned through deception; He accepts pure earnings The person who sacrifices from lawful earnings, Allah will accept the date with His right hand,
even if the wealth equates to a mere date, and He will continue to increase and enlarge it until it becomes the size of a mountain. He said it is like anyone from among you who nourishes a small calf into a larger animal.
Now, when we read and listen to these accounts and the guidance of the Holy Prophet (saw) [we should remember that] these are not stories from the past. Rather, personal experiences of people making sacrifices exist even today.
Furthermore, their sacrifices enhance and expand their resources and also increase their faith. Hence, I will present some of these accounts. Cameroon, which is an African country, the Missionary in charge says that there is a Mu’allim
[local religious teacher], Abu Bakr Sahib, who said that an Ahmadi by the name ‘Abdullah, who was unemployed last year and who was facing such grim circumstances that it was even difficult to support and take care of his family.
In that condition, he attended the Friday prayer one day. Following the Friday prayer, when the secretary made an announcement with regards to Tehrik-e-Jadid, ‘Abdullah Sahib had ten thousand Francs (CFA Francs) in his pocket. As soon as he heard the announcement,
he contributed the entire amount towards Tehrik-e-Jadid. A few days later, he returned to the centre and said that “Allah the Exalted has accepted my Chanda [monetary contribution]. “Within a week, a private company gave me a job and have approved my income as
“one hundred thousand Francs, which is ten times the amount of my Chanda. “Furthermore, I will receive this every month. “This is a special blessing of Allah the Exalted. “He says that due to this,
“I will give the salary of the first month to the Jama’at by contributing it to Chanda.” These are [accounts of] impoverished people. There is another example of how Allah the Exalted makes them pass through these experiences and subsequently, showers His blessings upon them.
There is a new convert Ahmadi, Daud Sahib, in Congo Brazzaville, which is also an African country. Considering his difficult financial circumstances, he was asked to at least offer every Friday prayer in the Ahmadiyya mosque. When he started to attend the Friday prayers regularly,
one day in a private meeting following the Friday prayer, he was told of the importance of making financial sacrifices and was also told that you should most certainly spend a little out of whatever God the Exalted gives you in His cause.
Whatever you will give in the cause of God, He will return it manifold to you. It is the promise of Allah the Exalted that if you give and spend in His cause out of your lawful earnings, he will return it to you.
Hence, he was told that if he acted in accordance with this, his difficult financial circumstances would improve greatly. The Missionary Sahib says “after saying this, I also gave him a sum for his journey back home. “A week later, he came for the Friday prayer
“and he appeared to be very happy following the Friday prayer. “I asked him why this was case upon which he said that following the emphasis you laid “on paying Chanda the previous Friday, I contributed one “hundred CFA Francs towards Chanda prior to leaving the mosque.
“After paying Chanda, as soon as I reached home, a neighbouring friend, who had stored some firewood “in our garden for several months, suddenly came to collect the wood “and handed me four thousand CFA Francs while leaving.
“I was extremely happy that I had just reached home after giving Chanda “and God the Exalted had simultaneously increased it forty times and returned it to me.” Similarly, the Amir Sahib [National President] of Tanzania wrote that a new convert,
‘Ubaid Koi Sahib narrates “I am a mason by profession. “However, for the past five months, I was unable to find any work. “Our circumstances were rather bleak. “My wife and children were living with difficulty and it was very tough to make ends meet.
“One day, the Mu’allim [religious teacher] emphasised giving Chanda. “He says that at that time, I became even more distressed as the sum that I had on me “was merely enough to support my wife and children for that day.
“Hence, when the Mu’allim Sahib said that by offering sacrifices in the cause of “Allah the Exalted He showers his blessings [upon that individual], “I decided to contribute this sum towards Chanda. “Hence, I acted accordingly.
“Following this, the thought crossed my mind about what my children would eat today. “A few moments had passed as I was engaged in these thoughts, when I received a message that “construction work was being carried out in a certain area and that I should go there
“immediately and take the measurements etc. “Along with this, I was given a sum as an advanced salary. “I was astonished that I was greatly engulfed in difficulties for five months.
“However, as soon as I spent in the way of Allah the Exalted, He opened the doors of blessings. “Hence, since the day I spent in the way of Allah the Exalted, my circumstances have now changed. “Now, I will never be neglectful in paying Chanda.”
Allah the Exalted even makes new converts pass through these experiences. Mali is another African country. One person there was blessed to have taken the oath of allegiance three or four years ago. Lacina Sahib gave five hundred CFA Francs in Chanda out of his basic salary.
He says that before joining the Ahmadiyya Community and giving Chanda his business was not running well. However, through the blessings of Chanda God Almighty blessed his business in an extraordinary
manner and now by the grace of Allah he is a Moosi [part of the institution of Al-Wasiyyat] and instead of five hundred which he used to give in Chanda, he now donates thirty-five thousand CFA Francs towards Tahrik-e-Jadid every month.
Seeing him and the progress in his business, his non-Ahmadi friends probably believe that the community grants him financial help. A new convert from France, Hamza Sahib writes that: “after taking the oath of allegiance “when I came to know of the Chanda system
“my financial situation was not stable and I had little money. “Some of my Ahmadi friends told me that there are great blessings in Chanda “where God Almighty gives back manifold.
“I had sixty Euros and thought to myself that I shall give it in Chanda in the way of Allah “and we will see what happens after. “Only a few days had passed since I gave Chanda when my bank statement had arrived in my house.
“I saw that six hundred Euros had come into my account from somewhere. “Having made enquiries I came to know that “the government owed me six hundred Euros which were previously not in their records.
“In this way God Almighty returned the amount I gave in Chanda manifold, “in a way which I could never imagine.” Ameer Sahib of Tanzania writes that Ahmad Sani Sahib, a Moosi made a promise of fifty thousand Shillings which he had paid earlier much in advance.
Last month he saw me [i.e. Huzoor] in a dream that I have come to his house and that I have asked him if he extracts gold from the ground. In the dream he said yes Huzoor but this work is not going well.
He further says that I look in his direction when a voice resonates from somewhere to increase the Chanda of Tehrik-e-Jadid. Sani Sahib says that he also practises as a physician and is an expert in home-made remedies.
After this dream God Almighty blessed him extraordinarily that within a month after the dream he donated an extra four hundred and twenty-seven thousand Shillings towards Tehrik-e-Jadid and is the highest contributor in his region. A devout young man of Bangalore, India used to be unemployed,
and as a result of having no work was unable to pay the monthly instalments for his house. The Tehrik-e-Jadid Inspector says that I went to his house but when the secretary informed me of his situation I remained silent.
I did not say anything but the man himself asked me if I wanted to say anything to him. I replied that I was not fully aware of your situation. I previously intended to take your promise of one hundred thousand Rupees to Tehrik-e-Jadid
but only now have I come to know of your situation, that is why I remained silent. You may give whatever you are able to according to your capacity. The man said to write down the promise of one hundred thousand Rupees
and my trust is in God Almighty. God willing I will pay this. God Almighty showered His blessings upon him and he found an excellent job. He paid off his promise for two years i.e. last years and this years too.
The missionary from the island of Mayotte writes that Mayotte is a very poor country where people make a living with great difficulty through selling vegetables etc. in their homes. An Ahmadi friend, Rabyoon Sahib, works in a motorcycle garage and gives the most Chanda.
He says that it is strange that however much I give in Chanda I receive double that amount at the end of the month. One day his wife asked him “Why do you give so much Chanda?”
He replied: “God Almighty gives me double in return so that is why I give it.” He then gave an amount in front of his wife and said: “Observe how God Almighty will most certainly return this amount to me.
“Hence, this was fulfilled when at the end of the month the owner of the shop gave all the workers a “bonus and the amount received as a bonus was greater than the amount he gave in Chanda.
“By the grace of Allah, this man continues to excel in financial sacrifice day by day.” Ameer Sahib of Canada writes that the Lajna Secretary Tahrik-e-Jadid stated: “When Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) launched this scheme, “he advised to give half or full [one months] pay for Tehreek-e-Jadid.”
She says: “When I informed my sister about this, at the time she was only working part time, “yet it was her ardent desire to obtain a full time job and that way she would give her full [one months] income.”
Thus, when she obtained a full time job her salary was five thousand dollars [per month], which she presented for Tehrik-e-Jadid. There are countless examples similar to this one. By the grace of Allah, from the inception of the Community to this day the faithful have
experienced the treatment and promises of God Almighty. I have narrated incidents of Ahmadis of the past, the present and of many new converts. Sacrifices made in this era, especially financial sacrifices is a distinguished hallmark of this Community.
The majority of Ahmadis realise that this era, which is the era of the completion of the propagation of Islam, for which God Almighty has sent the Promised Messiah (as) and which is happening through the dissemination and translation of the Holy Quran
in different languages, through the propagation of the books of the Promised Messiah (as), through the literature of the Community, through the building of mosques, establishment of mission houses, establishment of Jamias- where today we have Jamias established in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Indonesia,
from which missionaries graduate to spread the message of Islam, then when Ahmadis come to know of all of these things, they know that there is a need for financial sacrifice and indeed make financial sacrifices. Similarly, just as the Promised Messiah (as) has stated that
“compassion to the creation is a part of faith, “as a result of this compassion hospitals and schools are established”. Apart from them a system of assistance is present in the Community. All of this is happening through the sacrifices of the devoted ones
who have firm faith that God Almighty blesses them for their sacrifices in this world and will bless them in the hereafter as well, God Willing. If ever there are shortcomings then often it is seen that the organisation has failed to remind the people.
If reminders are made for this regularly then the people will also pay heed to it. Regarding this, i.e. giving reminders, the Promised Messiah (as) once stated: “It may also be possible that most people have not yet been told
“that our Community is in need of some funds. “There are many who have come crying to take the oath of allegiance. “If they were told to do so they would most definitely give Chanda, “but even then it is important to urge them.
“Let all [financially] weak brothers participate in giving Chanda “and instigate one another to do so.” This is absolutely the case in this day and age as well as I have already said. When attention is drawn, then attention of the people is given.
This is why when I said to increase the numbers in Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid, the numbers are now increasing. After drawing attention to this an interest in making sacrifices has been seen even in the Ahmadi children.
Hence, the missionary of Nakuru, Kenya writes that the current President of the community, Abu Bakr Kibi Sahib who is a very sincere Ahmadi and serves as a Sergeant in the Kenya Defence Forces,
despite living far from the mosque in cantonment area, he always travels a long journey to attend the Friday prayers and brings his three daughters with him. He always tries to bring them.
He has especially set up the dish for MTA in his house in the Cant area and shows most of the programmes of MTA to the soldiers working with him. He says that a while back I was highlighting the importance
of Tahrik-e-Jadid in all the Friday sermons. A few days ago after the Friday prayers he told the missionary that my daughters also listen to this sermon and during the month a guest visited his house.
When leaving they gave twenty-five Shillings in the hand of my youngest daughter who was five years old at the time. When the guest had gone this girl approached her father and whilst handing over twenty Shillings said give this for Tahrik-e-Jadid from myself
and the remaining five Shillings I shall spend on something to eat. The missionary in Liberia writes: “During the collection of Tehreek-e-Jadid, we visited a house in Naigema Jama’at. “We informed the members of the household about what Tehreek-e-Jadid is
“and that everyone can take part in it, children and elders alike, according to their capacity. “Among the family members in this house was a young girl, who was six or seven years of age. “Her name was Bintu Samavira and was selling various small items in her basket.
‘‘While listening to our conversation, she asked, ‘‘can children also take part even if they contribute a very small amount?’’. We replied that yes children can also participate. Hearing this she ran inside and returned with 20 Liberian dollars and said,
‘‘this is all I have but please also include me [in Tehreek-e-Jadid]’’. And so, observing this innocent act of the child, the parents also made a contribution of their own. Thus, such examples of sacrifices can only be the hallmark of an Ahmadi,
both young and old and living anywhere in the world. The sacrifices offered by children is in fact a resonance of their pious nature. May God Almighty enable the Jama’at to continue producing such children and elders
who are instilled with the passion and zeal to offer sacrifices for the sake of God Almighty and they continue to fulfil their pledges that they have made. As per tradition, the new year for Tehreek-e-Jadid is announced in November
and today I shall announce the 84th year of Tehreek-e-Jadid and will also present some facts and figures of the previous year. The 83rd year of Tehreek-e-Jadid has been come to an end, and as I mentioned, the 84th has started from 1st November.
According to the reports that have been submitted, up till now, the Jama’at has been enabled to present a total sacrifice of 12.58 million pounds, Alhamdulillah, all praise belongs to Allah. By the grace of God Almighty,
this is an increase of 1.537 million pounds from last year’s total collection. In terms of total collection, if we take Pakistan out, Germany is number one. Members of the Jama’at in Germany also making great sacrifices towards their 100 mosque project
and the auxiliary organisation of Ansar, Khuddam and Lajna have pledged huge sums towards this. They are collecting approximately 3 million Euros towards this and many of them are not affluent, however by the grace of God Almighty they have a lot of passion for sacrifice.
May God Almighty increase their wealth and accept their sacrifices. Number two is Great Britain, number three is USA, number four is Canada, number 5 is India, number 6 is Australia, number seven is Indonesia, number eight is a Jama’at from Middle East,
number is also a Jama’at from Middle East and Ghana is tenth. In terms of per capita, the Jama’ats from the Middle East occupy the first and second position. Number three is Switzerland and then followed by UK.
However, the total number of people who have participated in the UK is far less than the number of those who attend their Jalsa [annual convention] and even then not all attend. This therefore means that enough attention is not being drawn towards this.
Number five is USA, number six is Australia, number seven is Germany. The number of participants is almost close to the total number of their attendees at their Jalsa. This means that their Secretary for Tehrik-e-Jadid has made a very good effort and the respective secretaries.
Number eight is Sweden, then Norway and Canada. In terms of total contribution from the African countries, the most notable achievements were in the following order: Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Cameroon, Liberia and then Benin.
In any case, the total amount is achieved regardless, however for the past few years I have emphasised on the including as many people in the total contributors. The Promised Messiah (as) states: ‘The Chanda [monetary contribution] should be taken from everyone, even if it just one penny’.
Just as individual drops form together to make a river, in the same way just a single penny can lead to a huge total. Nonetheless, I had said to increase the total number of contributors and by the grace of God
the total number of contributors this years is over 1.6 million and by the grace of God Almighty this year there is an increase of two hundred thousand. Among the African countries in terms of increasing the number of total contributors,
Nigeria is first in which there was an increase of 57,000 people in monetary contribution. After this it was Cameroon in which there was an increase of 23,000 people. Then, it is Benin, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Guinea Conakry, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal,
and Burkina Faso who have also made notable efforts. The countries outside of Africa in terms of increasing their total contributors are: Indonesia is number one, then Germany, Great Britain, India, USA and Canada.
However, there is still more room for improvement in increasing the total number of contributors and the Jama’ats should pay attention towards this. The administrative structure in regards to their regions has changed slightly in Pakistan.
Therefore, instead of their districts, the list presented in relation to their local Jama’ats is as follows: Rabwah, Islamabad, Lahore Township, Azizabad Karachi, Delhi Gate Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and Gujranwala. At district level in Pakistan, it is as follows: Sargodha, Faisalabad, Umerkot, Gujrat, Narowal,
Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Bhawalpur and Okara are level and then Toba Tek Singh and Kotli Azad Kashmir. The first ten Jama’ats in Germany are as follows: Neuss, Lindow Mark, Main-garten, Nidda, Dornberg, Mehdi Abad, Heidelberg, Limburg, Kiel and Florsheim.
In term of their regions, the position of the first ten is as follows: Hamburg, Frankfurt, Morfelden, Gross-Gerau, Wiesbaden, Dietzenbach, Mannheim, Riedstadt, Darmstadt and Offenbach. The first ten large Jama’ats in Great Britain, in terms of contribution, is as follows: Masjid Fazl,
Worcester Park, Birmingham South, Bradford South, Putney, Glasgow, Islamabad, New Malden, Gillingham, Scunthorpe. In term of the position of the regions for per capita is as follows: South West, North East, Islamabad, Midlands and Scotland.
The position of the Jama’ats in USA is as follows: Silicon Valley, Oshkosh, Seattle, Detroit, York, Los Angeles, Silver Spring, Central Jersey, Chicago South, West Atlantis, Los Angeles Inland. The position of the local regions in Canada in terms of their collection is as follows: Vaughn,
Peace Village, Brampton, Vancouver and Mississauga. The position of the Jama’ats in India is as follows: Kerala, Carnatic, Jammu Kashmir, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Punjab, Bengal, Delhi, Maharashtra, The position of the large Jama’ats in India is as follows: Calicut Kerala, kathaprem kerala, Qadian,
Hyderabad, Calcutta, Bangalore, Kenal Town, Pingadi, Matutum and Keroli. The positions of the Jama’ats in Australia is as follows: Castle Hill, Melbourne,Berwick, Canberra, Marsden Park, Brisbane, Logan, Adelaide South, Compton, Melbourne longwarry, Pezith, Melbourne East.
May Allah the Almighty bestow abundant blessings upon their earnings and their offspring. After this I would like to launch a new appeal, which is primarily for those residing in the UK and also open for all affluent people around the world;
and this [appeal] is for the restoration of that part of the Baitul Futuh Mosque [complex] that was burnt down approximately two years ago. Since 1984 – especially in the present climate – due to the migration of Khilafat,
members from all over the world have been coming here and they are provided with accommodation. Furthermore there are various events that are held here. All year round, the auxiliary organisations of the community from all over the world visit in
large numbers and there is a difficulty in accommodating all of them. Previously, there was a hall and several rooms attached to the mosque, where they could be accommodated. After the fire it is becoming more difficult to make arrangements.
The plans for the new construction are complete and the proposal is substantially larger than before. Although the area is only slightly larger, the overall proposal is rather significant. When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) initially launched the appeal for the construction of this
mosque, the amount proposed was five million pounds. However, instead of the main structure of the mosque, more money was spent on other parts of the project. Therefore, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) made an appeal for another five million pounds.
Even after this the project continued at a slow pace and the [UK] Jamaat had to spend out of their own budget. The project was complete to a large extent, nevertheless, this tragic incident that took place
was part of God Almighty’s decree, the building caught fire and a large part of it was destroyed. The new proposed plan will also cost a similar amount, which is close to 11 million pounds. Out of this approximately half of the amount has been obtained
through the insurance and also some people have contributed. Nonetheless, just over half of the amount is still required and for this people will have to sacrifice, as they have always done so. In terms of its construction, size and beauty,
the Baitul Futuh Mosque is included on the list for Europe’s largest buildings. That was when this project was complete. At that time Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) expressed his sentiments by saying this is
Europe’s largest mosque, and in fact, there will not be a larger mosque than this [in Europe], in which seven or eight thousand people can worship. At the time he said that this will cater for our requirements.
Including the halls the mosque complex can accommodate ten thousand worshippers. However, after two or three years [of the opening] it became inadequate as a result of which the administration had to make an announcement for people of other Jamaat’s [localities] not to come
to here for the Eid prayers and instead for them to read it in their own localities. As everyone will be aware despite all of this we would have to erect marquees in the park for the Eid arrangements.
Nevertheless, there is a need for this [reconstruction] and we should endeavour to make it to the best of our abilities and as big as possible. Those people who did not have the opportunity to partake in the construction
[of Baitul Futuh Mosque] previously should endeavour to take part in this scheme. Since this is a UK Jamaat project, as I have already mentioned, it is primarily the duty of the Ahmadis residing in the UK, therefore they should contribute towards this project.
The affluent members living outside [of the UK] should also partake in this scheme. The auxiliary organisations should contribute in their capacity as an auxiliary organisation. Similarly the Jamaat’s should contribute in their capacity as a Jamaat and the larger Jamaat’s
should also partake according to their own capacities because guests visit the UK all year round and the UK Jamaat provide for their accommodation. In fact the number has reached thousands. On one occasion the Promised Messiah (as) stated:
“During the reign of Alamgir the Imperial Mosque caught fire. “People came hurriedly and informed the king about the fire. “Upon hearing this the king fell in prostration expressing his gratitude”. The viziers were perplexed by this and asked: “Your highness! How can you express gratitude when
“the House of God is on fire, which has caused the hearts of the Muslims to bleed.” To this the king replied: “An age has passed during which I would ponder over this glorious mosque “and how this building has benefitted thousands of people.
“I would say if only there were an opportunity for me to partake in this valuable and noble scheme. “However, I observed the building from all angles “and found it to be complete and flawless in every aspect.
“I was at a loss of how I could gain a reward from it. “Thus, today, God Almighty has opened for me an avenue through which I can receive blessings. “And God Almighty is All Hearing, All Knowing.”
Thus, as I have mentioned earlier, those people who were unable to offer sacrifices for this cause previously must make an effort to take part this time. They should endeavour to pay their pledged sums within three years
and should try to pay one third of the promise within the first year. The details of this project are as follows: previously the covered area was 4700 square meters, but according to the new plan the area will be 5800 square meters.
The ceiling of the Nasir Hall has been raised slightly. Aside from this the ceiling of the first floor, which is the Noor Hall, has also been raised. The offices will be located on the second floor.
Then on the third and fourth floors there will be some offices as well as exhibition halls and rooms for accommodating guests. According to the plans the building is to be constructed slightly away from the [main] gate to allow some space for parking.
This will create ease for the incoming and outgoing traffic as well as for pedestrians and will create a separate path for men and women. May Allah the Almighty bless this [project] and enable the UK Jamaat to complete this project.
After the prayers I will lead a funeral prayer in absentia of Mr Adil Hamooz Nakhoozah Sahib from Yemen. He passed away on 14th October due to heart failure at the age of forty. To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.
His son, Tariq Sahib writes: “Prior to performing the Bai’at [oath of allegiance] my father was not regular in offering his [obligatory] prayers. However after performing Bai’at he not only offered his prayers regularly,
but in fact he would always explain to us about the importance of religion and the need for establishing a strong connection with the Jamaat. He would ensure that we offered the prayers in congregation at home on a regular basis.
He would read the books of the Promised Messiah (as) to us. He would always carry cards that had the frequency of MTA and would distribute them as a means of Tabligh [preaching the message]. After accepting Ahmadiyyat his life changed completely
and signs of prosperity and contentment would resonate from his face.” An Ahmadi gentleman by the name of Ali Arghami Sahib states: “The deceased would invite some friends to his place including myself “and would ask about Ahmadiyyat.
“We would explain to him about various issues of contention “such as the appearance of the Antichrist, the life and death of the Messiah [Jesus (as)] “as well as the appearance of the Mahdi. “The deceased was taken to our arguments.
“Whatever he would hear contrary to the Jamaat he would research about those matter. “A short while before performing the Bai’at, “we were thrown in Jail due to certain false allegations. However, despite being a non-Ahmadi at the time,
“the deceased defended us very bravely and stood by us.” His other relatives have all written the same about him that after Bai’at, his life changed completely. Whenever he would speak about religious matter he would use the verses from the Quran
or would present his arguments based on Ahadith. It would amaze us all as to how he managed to gain so much religious knowledge in such a short period of time. When we would ask, the deceased would reply that
“he has gained all that knowledge from the Promised Messiah (as) “since he had gained all his radiance from the Holy Prophet (saw).” Aside from his wife, the deceased leaves behind one son and one daughter.
By the Grace of Allah the Almighty, the majority of his family members are Ahmadi. May Allah elevate the status of the deceased, grant him forgiveness and shower mercy upon him by granting him a station in the company of God’s loved ones.
May He protect and help his wife and children and also provide for their every need. May He enable them to become pious and righteous and enable them to follow in the footsteps of their father. All praise is due to Allah.
We laud Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection; we confide in Him, we trust Him alone. and we seek protection against the evils and mischief of our souls. and from the bad results of our deeds.
Whomsoever He guides on the right path, none can misguide him; and whosoever He declares misled, none can guide him onto the right path. And we bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. We bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
O servants of Allah! May Allah be merciful to you. Verily, Allah commands you to act with justice, to confer benefits upon each other. And to do good to others as one does to one ‘s kindred and forbids evil which pertain to your own selves;
and evils which affect others and prohibits revolts against a lawful authority. He warns you against being unmindful. You remember Allah; He too will remember you; call Him and He will make a response to your call. And verily divine remembrance is the highest virtue.