Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2020
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah. Come to Prayer Come to Prayer Come to success Come to success Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is none worthy of worship except Allah. Peace be upon you all,
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 Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Gracious, the 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 displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. In his magnum opus, The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, the Promised Messiah (as) has mentioned eight means of finding and recognising God Almighty and strengthening one’s faith in Him.
These means are also necessary to fulfil the purpose of man’s creation. In light of this, I will mention one of these means in an excerpt of the Promised Messiah (as) which he has explained is the fifth mean [to attain the aforementioned].
He states: “The fifth means of achieving the purpose of life appointed by God Almighty, “is striving in His cause; that is to say, “we should seek God by spending our wealth in His cause, “and by employing all our faculties in furthering His cause, “and by laying down our lives in His cause
“and by employing our reason in His cause; “as it is said: (Arabic) – ‘Strive in His way with your wealth and your lives and with all your faculties’ “and ‘Whatever We have bestowed upon you of intelligence and knowledge and understanding ‘and art, employ it in Our cause.
‘We surely guide along Our ways those who strive after Us.’” Then, mentioning one manner in which one can attain the love of God Almighty, the Promised Messiah (as) said on one occasion: “It is not possible for you to love wealth as well as to love Allah.
“You can love only one of them. Fortunate is he who loves Allah. “If any of you loves Him and spends his wealth in His cause, I am certain “that his wealth will increase more than that of others, for wealth does not come by itself, “rather it comes by Allah’s will.
“Whoever parts with some of his wealth for the sake of Allah, will surely get it back. “But he who loves his wealth and does not serve in the way of Allah as he ought to, “will surely lose his wealth.”
He further stated: “It should be so that every member, every individual of our Community pledges “that they shall [regularly] give a certain amount of chandah. “Whosoever makes this pledge for the sake of Allah the Exalted, “Allah will in turn bless his wealth.”
The Promised Messiah (as) has explained that at times people are unaware or they are new to the Jama’at, or they are negligent or even if they are not negligent they sometimes are unmindful with regards to offering financial sacrifice;
Therefore, it is our duty to teach them and advise them that if they have forged a true bond then they ought to make a sincere pledge to Allah the Exalted that they will certainly give an amount towards chandah. By the Grace of Allah, there are hundreds of thousands of such sincere members
That when they are reminded about the importance of chandah, they strive to increase in financial sacrifices in order to gain the love of Allah the Exalted. This is also the reason why I have been reminding the administration of the Jama’at for many years
That they ought to include new converts in the financial system or the system of financial sacrifices. Even if a person is capable of giving only a penny, they should do so according to their capacity. In some places, it has also been observed that at times, affluent people,
Or the administration of the Jama’at in Africa or various impoverished countries; even some people here also pay Chanda on behalf of their poorer relatives, or they pay an amount and say that this is our contribution on behalf of a poor relative. Indeed, this is a virtue, however, those people should participate
According to their capacities, even if they are poor. The purpose is not to merely collect wealth. Rather, it is to offer sacrifices for the religion of God the Exalted in order to acquire His love. Hence, wherever the administration of the Jama’at collects the Chanda in this manner
By telling people and recording it in someone else’s name, it does so incorrectly. At times, such issues are brought to my attention. Nevertheless, I have generally observed, as a matter of fact, in the reports that are received in relation to financial sacrifices I have observed
That the financial sacrifices of poorer people are to be found in greater numbers. They have a greater sense of realisation that they have to offer financial sacrifices. Furthermore, in most cases, I present and mention their incidents in my sermons. One is astonished by seeing the sacrifices of some.
If a person is affluent and has a lot of wealth, it is not an extraordinary matter for him to give a portion therefrom. However, if a person faces difficult circumstances and has little to offer, yet, makes financial sacrifices in the cause of the religion of God the Exalted
In order to acquire His love then this is the real sacrifice, which becomes a means of gaining the nearness of Allah the Exalted. Such examples could be witnessed during the time of the Promised Messiah (as). Once, the Promised Messiah (as) was in need for a certain amount in order to publish some books.
When an individual was informed of this need, in order to encourage his Jama’at to collect such an amount for Chanda, instead of encouraging his Jama’at, he personally provided this amount even though he was not very wealthy and one could say that he was facing difficult circumstances.
Furthermore, he gave the impression that this amount was given by the Jama’at of this city and the Promised Messiah (as) was unaware of this. This personal sacrifice manifested itself when the Promised Messiah (as) expressed his gratitude to another member of that very Jama’at and said
That your Jama’at was of great aid at the time of need. When it became apparent that the sacrifice was made by a single individual, the other members of the Jama’at were upset as to why they were not given the opportunity to render this service.
The person to make this contribution was Munshi Zafar Ahmad Sahib, who sold the jewellery of his wife on that occasion and provided this amount. His wife most certainly partook in this sacrifice as well. Munshi Arora Sahib was a friend of Munshi Zafar Sahib and was a member of that very Jama’at.
When he became aware of this sacrifice as a result of the inquiry of the Promised Messiah (as), he remained upset with Munshi Zafar Sahib for several months as to why he did not inform him and personally provided this amount. Hence, Allah the Exalted blessed the Promised Messiah (as) with such individuals,
Who were ever ready to make every sacrifice in order to acquire the love of God. This is the example, which the companions of the Holy Prophet (saw) established and which the followers of the Promised Messiah (as) have acted upon in this era.
This is not limited to that time in the past, rather, it is still ongoing today. We observe how people make financial sacrifices for various schemes, how they do so by placing themselves in difficulties and how Allah the Exalted, Who does not remain indebted to anyone, blesses them in return.
I will now mention and present some incidents and examples before you. As the new year for Waqf-e-Jadid will be announced today, these incidents will generally be in relation to Waqf-e-Jadid. A local missionary in the Gambia, Keba Jallow Sahib, narrates an incident, which highlights the treatment of Allah the Exalted towards His servants
And to those who offer sacrifices. He says that a new Ahmadi convert, ‘Abdullahi Jawo Sahib, who lives in a village, harvests corn and ground nut. However, in the recent few years, the harvest was not very fruitful. This year, he sold the seeds for the ground nut and completed his Chanda for Waqf-e-Jadid,
Which was approximately seven hundred dalasi, so that Allah the Exalted would bless his farming and crops. He says that as a result of this financial sacrifice, Allah the Exalted blessed his crops to such an extent that he profited three times as much as the previous year.
Hence, after harvesting his crops, he contributed one thousand dalasi towards Waqf-e-Jadid. Then, there is a member, ‘Uthman Sahib, who lives in a village in the north of the Gambia. He says that in the previous year, he had promised to contribute a bucket of corn towards Waqf-e-Jadid.
An affluent person who has plenty of wealth may contribute one thousand dollars, one thousand pounds or even five thousand pounds, out of the hundreds of thousands of pounds he has, but this is not a significant sacrifice. However, these people, who possess crops and grain for their food and farming;
A bucket of corn holds no significance for a person living in the city or in Europe. 1However, this is a great sacrifice for them. He promised to contribute one bucket of corn, which one may be able to acquire here for five or six pounds.
He says that even though the harvest was very little in the previous year and only twelve sacks were harvested and the expenditures of the home were being borne with great difficulty, he completed his promise. He says that as a result of this, he harvested thirty sacks of corn this year
And he harvested another fifteen sacks of something from another crop. Hence, even a small amount given with sincerity is accepted by Allah the Exalted in such a manner that He returns it manifold and this subsequently, becomes a means for them to gain the nearness of Allah the Exalted
And to strengthen their faith in Him. There is another example in which one can witness the favours of Allah Almighty. A Mualim in Cameroon says: “When Ahmado sahib, a new convert from a village called Digoee, “was informed about the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme, he offered to give two buckets of corn.”
People are always ready to offer even the smallest of amounts. He said to the Mualim , “My farm is not producing enough yield. “I was unable to maintain it due to a lack of funds. “The Government is willing to provide support, but that requires a deposit amount from me,
“ and then the Government will invest its funds.” He states: “I did not have enough money to make that payment. “My name was on the list, but I was not going to receive any [support] “as I was unable to deposit the initial amount.”
The Mualim said to him: “You should start offering Tahajudd [pre-dawn voluntary] prayers “and pray to Allah Almighty for Him to grant his blessings.” The Mu’alim then says: “A few days ago he visited me and said: ‘God Almighty has accepted our prayers.
‘I did not have to deposit any payment to the relevant department of the Government, ‘yet they provided me with a water pump machine for the farm along ‘with five hundred thousand CFA Francs for sewing seeds.’ “Thus he began working very hard on his farm, and he thought that because of this,
“his farm will produce a good harvest. “He stated: ‘God Almighty accepted my meagre sacrifice and in return, ‘He bestowed His favours upon me.’ “As a result, he doubled his donation for Waqf-e-Jadid.” Nur Khair sahib, a missionary from Indonesia, states,
“There is a couple who live a very simple life; however, they offer donations regularly. “They separate the appropriate donation amount from their earnings and store it away “in a box, and they present their donation to the Missionary who visits their area.” They live in a far-off island.
“Once, none of the missionaries were able to visit their area for more than a year. “Despite this, they continued to collect and save away for their chanda donations regularly. “After a year, when one of the missionaries visited them, “they offered a large amount of contribution, which they had set aside in that box.
“They said to the missionary: ‘We have attained great profit this time and as a result, “our belief in the blessings of offering monetary donations has strengthened further. “We have witnessed this, as well. Once, someone deceived us. “We wanted to find out what caused this, and after some reflection,
“we understood the reason for that loss was that we had not offered our Chanda as we should have.” After that point, they started to set money aside in that box for donation. They took care of this matter with immense caution and ensured that the donation amount was correctly calculated from their income.
They stated: “We cannot find peace and tranquility until our donation amount has been put aside.” This is another example how Allah Almighty uses different ways of reforming certain individuals through their losses. As a result, this strengthens them in their faith. Bashiruddin sahib, a missionary from Indonesia, writes:
“A member submitted his Waqf-e-Jadid donation of five hundred thousand Indonesian rupees.” The value of the Indonesian currency is very low, however for them it is a significant contribution. “After a few days, someone sold their land to him, “which he purchased for fifteen million Indonesian rupees.
“After just a few weeks, someone purchased this land from him for 50 million Indonesian rupees.” He bought the land for fifteen million rupees and after a few weeks, someone bought this land from him for fifty million rupees.
He then writes: “It is his belief that for him to earn a profit of 35 million Indonesian rupees “in a short time of a few weeks was only due to blessings of offering his Waqf-e-Jadid donation.” A worldly person may consider this to be a result of their business prowess,
And would say this was owing to his intelligence that he managed this transaction and gained a profit of 35 million. However, those who wish to attain the love and affection of Allah Almighty, those who offer sacrifices for His sake, only this thought arises in their mind
That since they donated Chanda for the sake of God Almighty, He returned it manifold. There is another faith-inspiring incident from Indonesia. Masoom sahib, who is a missionary there, writes: “An Ahmadi migrated to the island of Solah Beesi for employment. “In the beginning, he faced challenging circumstances
“to the extent that he did not even have a place to live. “So he had to be accommodated in the mission house. “Later on, he began a small business of selling fish. “He worked very hard and even though his earning were very low, “he did not hesitate in offering monetary sacrifices.
“After some time had passed, his circumstances changed for the better. “Currently, his contributions to the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme is the highest in his area, “and he is also a Moosi.” According to him, all of this is a result of his financial sacrifices. Abdur Rahman Sahib from the Gambia states that he was facing
A lot of difficulty in paying for his child’s school fees. So he informed the central missionary sahib about this. The missionary advised him to offer financial sacrifice and Allah Almighty will shower His blessings on him. Thus, he donated two hundred and fifty dalasis towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme.
He states that only one week had passed that he found a job with the salary of five thousand dalasis. Now he can pay his child’s school fees and, various other day to day needs are also being met. Now he informs others regarding the blessings and favours of Allah Almighty
And how Allah Almighty granted him through the blessings of offering Chanda. Just as this incident has strengthened his faith, it also blessed his income. Observe how a poor person offers sacrifice and puts his trust in Allah Almighty and how Allah Almighty honours that faith. A missionary of Guinea-Bissau shared an incident.
He states: “A member named Montero Kamara sahib was reminded about his pledge “to donate towards Waqf-e-Jadid. “He responded by saying: ‘I currently have four thousand CFA Franc to eat today.’” This is a very insignificant amount and they have large families to feed as well.
He had kept the four thousand CFA Franc aside for their food. Nonetheless, he said that he will try to arrange something. After some time, he donated the same amount he had kept for the food towards his Chanda and borrowed money from somebody to eat.
In fact, he had left to borrow money from someone. “He states, ‘The very next day his daughter visited him from the city and brought ‘with her two sacks of rice, one cannister of oil as well as some money and other items.
‘This convinced him that Allah Almighty blessed his act of donating the money ‘he had kept for food in such a manner that the very next day, ‘he received countless other food items.’” These people are such that they will remain hungry but continue to offer sacrifices.
Ameer sahib France has written an incident of how God Almighty increases people in their faith. He states: “An Arab member who lives in France said: ‘I heard His Holiness’ sermon from last year in which he narrated incidents ‘of those who offered financial sacrifices.’” Just as I am narrating incidents today also.
“’That sermon had a profound effect on me.’ “He is forty-six years old. “He stated: ‘I was facing extreme financial difficulties. ‘I had never gone through such tough financial circumstances previously. ‘I was compelled to take a loan from my bank and they were constantly asking me for repayment.
‘I had been warned that my bank account would be terminated ‘if the payment was not returned and I would receive a fine as well.’” He states, “During these days there was a general meeting in our area. “Before the meeting, my friend forcibly handed me twenty euros,
“and I kept this amount in my pocket as I had nothing else. “I thought that this amount could be used in the next few days. “Then I went to attend the meeting. “When the finance secretary mentioned about monetary sacrifices, “I offered those twenty euros towards Chanda.
“A few days later, I received a phone call from my bank. “Since I was used to hearing bad news and the circumstances had worsened, “I assumed that this call would be about some bad news “and the bank might have taken severe action against me.
“On the contrary, the bank informed me that the relevant department “had advised them not to terminate my account, “and the six hundred euros that I owed should in fact be deposited in my account as credit.” He states: “This astonished me a lot because usually, “the Banks are very strict about such matters.
“After a few days, I received a large amount of money from my work insurance “which had been pending for some time. “All of this transpired after I heard the sermon on Waqf-e-Jadid “and donated a meagre amount of money towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. “Before, I used to wonder if the miraculous incidents
That we usually hear about other people could ever happen to me. “However, Allah Almighty has shown me an example of the blessings of Chanda. “I have firm faith that such miracles do take place.” Qaisar sahib, the missionary from Haiti, writes about a faith-inspiring incident
That shows the treatment of Allah Almighty and how its strengthens ones faith. These incidents are from different places around the world. Some are from Africa, and others are from America, Europe, the North and the South. Although they are not linked to each other, yet all the incidents are very similar.
“A few days ago, Ibrahim Sahib, a new convert from the Port-au-Prince, “was going home from his office when he dropped a file along the way. “There were some sensitive paperwork, documents and an amount of 13000Gourde in this file.” Gourde is the currency of Haiti.
“He returned along the same path to recover his file but found nothing. “He made a promise to himself: ‘I will make sure to donate the one thousand gourdes ‘which I have pledged towards Waqf-e-Jadid whether I have the money or not, ‘even if it means borrowing money.
‘Hence, I borrowed money from someone and donated it ‘towards my pledge for Waqf-e-Jadid.’” He states: “The same day that I offered my Chanda I received a phone call from an unknown person “who informed me that my file was in his possession and I should pick it up.
“I went to meet with this person immediately, and he handed me the file and stated: ‘I had to go through your file to locate your contact information. ‘So please check to ensure that your documents and the money are all intact. ‘I checked and found everything was there.’”
He states: “I thanked Allah Almighty for this and was convinced “that this was merely the blessings of offering Chanda “that I found my very important documents and the money when all of this seemed very unlikely.” The missionary in-charge of Guinea Conakry writes that an Ahmadi friend
By the name of Abu Bakr Sahib, from a village in the Kindia region was encouraged to make a donation to waqf-e-Jadid. Initially he was reluctant to do so but then he fulfilled his promise. A short while after making this contribution he told our local missionary
That the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is most certainly a divine community. He states, “I work for the government and some time ago I broke my leg in an accident, “and owing to the insufficient medical facilities at the time, “they were unable to fix in back in place properly.
“As a result, one of my legs is shorter than the other “and this left me in a state of unrelenting pain. “But after saving money for some time, a doctor told me “that my leg could be fixed if I have an operation.
“Hence, I had saved up some money at the time in order to have the operation on my leg, “but when the missionary encouraged me to make “financial sacrifices, I thought to myself that I would not donate this time “and instead save the money for the operation.
“However, God Almighty granted me the resolution [to donate] and it came to mind “that I should place my trust in God Almighty and donate the entire amount.” He further states, “Not even two days had passed that I received a letter from my office
“that the government will take on the full costs of the operation “and I may have the treatment wherever I desire.” He says that this only happened due to the blessings of giving charity. This is no mere coincidence, this is how God Almighty treats those
Who place their trust in Him, so as to strengthen their faith, and it also serves as a proof to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (as). Mamoon Rasheed Sahib, the Waqf-e-Jadid Secretary in Qadian writes, “Due to some domestic issues, Sulaija Sahib was in arrears in his Waqf-e-Jadid payments.
“His brother encouraged him to make the donation as soon as possible “as the year was coming to an end. “However, he did not have enough money in his account to make the full payment, “there was only enough to make 30% of the payment.
“He became very anxious as to how he could make the full payment. “In the end, he donated whatever amount he had in his account. “He says that within a few moments, an amount of money was received “in my account in a most miraculous manner from God Almighty
“which was sufficient enough to pay the arrears in full. “Thus, he donated the amount that he had promised there and then. “He says that his habit was always to pay the full amount he promised prior to the end of the year, “but this year, due to his ill-health and that of his children,
“he had some arrears and was very concerned as a result. “Yet, God Almighty made arrangements for him in a miraculous manner “and he says that it was also a means of strengthening his faith. ” Abdul Mahmood Sahib of India, who is the Waqf-e-Jadid Inspector,
Relates the incident of a member living in a village of Birbhum in the Bengal. His incident is such that he had a wholesale grocery shop which was running well, by the grace of Allah. As he would open the store he would begin every day by placing 100 rupees in a box,
Which he would give towards charity according to his promise. The first thing he would do in the morning was put 100 rupees in a box. He says that one day, very few customers came to buy from his shop and he was unable meet his expenditure.
Nevertheless, the following day the thought did not even cross his mind that he shall not place 100 rupees in the box. So as he opened his shop the next day, rather than placing 100 rupees in the box, he placed 300 rupees and thought to himself,
Why not enter into a transaction with God Almighty today. Subsequently, God Almighty blessed him that on the same day 8 customers came to the shop. It was a large scale business and it took up a lot of time as he would have had to lift the sacks etc.
He says that he became so busy that he had no choice but to send one back, telling him to return the following day, all the while continuing to supply the goods to the other customers till the late night. By the grace of Allah, he made a good profit that day, and added
That when God Almighty is pleased with someone, He grants them so much that they are unable to even handle it with both hands. Abdul Aziz Sahib, the missionary of the Oio region in Guinea Bissau says that when a frail elderly woman, Maskoota Sahiba was encouraged to contribute towards Waqf-e-Jadid, she replied,
“I had saved up enough money for my promise but at night, “as I was going to my brothers house, the money had fallen and was lost along the way. “I am still searching for the money and will give it as soon I find it.”
Thereafter, she continued to search for the money but was unable to find it anywhere. Therefore, she borrowed money from her daughter and paid the amount towards Waqf-e-Jadid. After doing so, she went again in an attempt once again to find the bag she dropped.
She says, “I only went forward a few metres and all of a sudden found the money “which was sealed in a plastic bag, in the middle of the road.” She was extremely happy as a result of this and the following day she returned and completed her promise.
Thereafter, she informed others that is was merely due to the blessings of contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid that God Almighty returned the money she had lost. Ahmad Bilal Sahib, a missionary from the Sikasso region of Mali writes that Ahmad Jala Sahib, a new convert, came to the mission-house and said
That he used to contribute in giving alms regularly, but due to some financial restraints, he was unable to do so this time. One day he saw in a dream that he was walking with a group of people along a wide path and this path divided ahead into many different paths.
In fact, the paths ahead were all extremely difficult to traverse through. In that moment he prayed and a mount came down from the sky which carried them into the sky and when they had crossed over the difficult path, it brought them back down to the wide path again.
He says that he then saw a pious person who told him that this mount only came to take you due to the fact that you gave charity. He further says that one faces difficulties from time to time, but God Almighty grants ease in the time of hardship for an Ahmadi
Who regularly gives charity in the way of Allah. Thus, this convert made his contribution to charity and made the resolution that no matter what happens in future, he shall never be negligent in giving charity. Can this also be a coincidence? Ameer Sahib of Tanzania writes,
“I went to a Jama’at in the Arusha region to encourage the people to donate towards charity. “Fatimah Sahiba, a poor member who makes a living by selling bananas “and other fruits donated two days worth of earnings towards Waqf-e-Jadid “and encouraged her family to also be regular in their payments to the scheme.
“Likewise, there was an elderly lady of the Jama’at who was also encouraged “to make donations, so the following morning at 8am she came herself “to the mission-house and donated 5,000 shillings to Waqf-e-Jadid.” These people are those regarding whom the Promised Messiah (as) has stated
That one is left astonished after witnessing the extent to which they make sacrifices, and that if they are ever encouraged to do so, they are ever-willing to offer their sacrifices. Ameer Sahib of Tanzania has written about another incident, saying,
“For the last few years the state of the country’s economy has been extremely constraint, “yet despite this the Ahmadis are making financial sacrifices with utmost sincerity.” “Waziri Sahib, a friend from a city in Arusha makes a living by selling newspapers. “When he was encouraged to contribute to Waqf-e-Jadid, he gave within his means
“and said that in future he would save the money of buying a cup of tea every day “and instead give that in charity.” Thus, this is how this poor person saved money by giving up his daily cup of tea and to give that money instead to charity.
This is the true understanding of attaining nearness to God Almighty. Ameer Sahib of Tanzania also writes, “There is a very sincere young man of a Jama’at in the Mara region. “Normally he would make the full payment towards Waqf-e-Jadid prior “to the end of the Waqf-e-Jadid year, but due to the constraint economic situation,
“this year he was in arrears of 15,000 shillings. “He only had a small amount of money; and as it were the shilling has very little value; “so he calculated that if he also donates this amount at the end of the month, “he would not have enough for his expenditures.
“Despite this, he placed his trust in God Almighty and donated that sum of money. “The very next day he received a phone call from his work “that his three months’ worth of bills to be paid were cleared. “Furthermore, he also received a significant pay at the beginning of the year.
“He firmly believes that owing to the blessings of giving alms, “a few days later he received 6 times the amount he had given.” How things had changed where at first, he was unable to even pay his bills, to the point where God Almighty then granted him 6 times more money than before.
The missionary of the Kaya region of Burkina Faso writes, “There is an Ahmadi by the name Abadu Sahib who says “that he would contribute to charity, but was not regular in doing so. “The previous year he decided to make full efforts to participate in all the schemes.
“He said that ever since he became regular in giving in charity, “by the grace of Allah all his affairs; his wealth, his cattle, his crops “and everything else were all filled with blessings. “Furthermore, the difficulties he was facing and which left him concerned, “slowly began to resolve themselves.
“It was only a month ago that his wife was pregnant and he did not have enough funds “to pay for the hospital costs. “However, when the time came for the delivery, God Almighty granted support “from the unseen where the whole matter was resolved, his daughter was born “and his wife was recovering well.
“He says that he witnessed all this with his own eyes and understood “that it was out of the sheer blessings of giving charity.” The missionary of Russia writes that Khudayan Sahib, an Armenian living in Russia, was able to accept Ahmadiyyat after much research and deliberation.
As he accepted Ahmadiyyat he was informed about the system of financial sacrifice within the Community. Thereafter he became regular in contributing monthly to Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid. He travels extensively for his job, within the country and also to other countries, but despite all his travelling he was regular in making his donations.”
He has an ordinary job, he does not travel owing to the fact that he was a very wealthy person. Adwaar Sahib states that he had to travel to Armenia for work in January 2020. From there he was supposed to travel to Kazan for some important work,
However, he did not have enough money to travel. He was very anxious and was praying constantly. He says that on 30th December, a company deposited money into his account, an amount that he was expecting the following February [i.e. February 2020]. He stated that there were other people who were also expecting this payment,
However, he was the only one who received his payment in December [as opposed to February 2020]. He is convinced that this was only due to the blessings of paying Chanda, otherwise, it is inconceivable that from among so many people, only he received his amount on 30th December.
He further writes that only an Ahmadi Muslim can experience this love and kind treatment from God Almighty. God Almighty strengthens the faith of others in this manner. Waqar Sahib, a missionary serving in the San Pedro region of the Ivory Coast writes:
“In 2014, a small Jamaat consisting of 20 members was established in a village called Fatakoro. “Jara Sahib, who was originally from Burkina Faso, was an active member of that Jamaat, “but it had been one year that he had returned to Burkina Faso.
“He was anxious because other members of the Jamaat were not as active, “and they required moral training. “Nonetheless, they made contact with his son, Isa Jara- who was married “and worked as a farmer. “He was encouraged to attend the National Ijtema and was told about the blessings
“and importance of giving chanda, the importance of remaining attached to the Jama’at “as well as remaining engaged in prayers.” He then says: “Isa Sahib came to see me in December before the National Jalsa Salana “and handed 10,000 Franc for Chanda. “I was surprised by this because compared to his circumstances,
“this was a large amount and therefore asked him why he gave such an amount? “Upon this he said: ‘Since I started paying Chanda, God Almighty has blessed me greatly. “My farm produces more yield as compared to others.
“A short while ago, I saw a saintly gentleman in a dream who had a glowing countenance “and was calling others towards the right path.” He then further said: “This was the Promised Messiah (as) “who was calling the world towards guidance.
“All praise is due to Allah the Almighty, for He granted me the opportunity “to join the Ahmadiyya Community.” He then stated that he now regularly gives Chanda. The Inspector of Waqf-e-Jadid in India mentioned an incident relating a twelve-year-old girl. He stated that she was regular in giving chanda for Waqf-e-Jadid each year.
She would collect the money in her wallet. She is unable to speak nor able to hear, yet whenever she saw others giving chanda, she also wished to give chanda and would save money for it. Similarly, the missionary in Liberia writes: “There is a Jamaat in the Cape Mount County.
“After the Maghrib and Isha prayers, “I urged the members to participate in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. “Hence, as is their practice, the members came one by one to give their chanda “and also for their family members. “During this time, two young boys, Suleman and Abdullah Kamara stood up and left the mosque.
“After a short while, both boys returned with 20 Liberian dollars each, “which they paid towards their chanda. “Since, usually the parents pay the chanda on behalf of the children, “I was curious to know how they managed to pay the chanda themselves.
“The two children said that since they learnt that it was the directive of Khalifatul Masih “for children to participate in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme, they decided to save money “so they could pay chanda themselves.” These children reside in a distant land and perhaps have never even seen the Khalifa.
It is only God Almighty that can instil this level of loyalty and connection in their hearts. May Allah the Almighty increase them in their loyalty and sincerity. Thus, whether one is a young Ahmadi child or an Ahmadi of advanced age, whether they are a new convert or an Ahmadi by birth,
They understand full well that in order to attain the love of God Almighty, one must spend in His way. For some people, God Almighty Himself shows them the path, as I have mentioned in some of the narrations. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet (saw),
The people who sacrifice in the way of God Almighty are those who are deemed worthy of envy. I will now present the report for the sacrifices offered as part of the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme for the previous year and also announce the beginning of the new year for the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme.
By the Grace of Allah the Almighty, the 62nd year of Waqf-e-Jadid came to an end on 31st December [2019]. During the course of the year, the members of the Jama’at were able to make a total sacrifice of £9.643 million, which is an increase of £500,000 from the previous year.
In terms of the overall contribution, the UK stood first, further details are as follows: United Kingdom stood 1st, followed by Pakistan, Germany, USA, Canada, India, Australia, Indonesia and two Communities in the Middle Wast. Ameer Sahib [of UK] said that the UK would increase in their Waqf-e-Jadid,
And it seems that he has fulfilled his word. The first ten of the large Jamaats who have significantly increased their collection in their local currency from the previous year are as follows: Indonesia is 1st, then Germany, and USA, then there are other Communities,
But these are the first three from among the large Jamaats. India has also achieved a notable increase, as did Canada, UK, the middle east Jamaats, Pakistan and Australia, but the increase in local currency for India was more than these other countries. Therefore, India is in fifth position.
In terms of the total contribution of countries in Africa, the positions are as follows: Ghana is 1st, Nigeria is 2nd, Burkina Faso is 3rd, Tanzania is 4th, Benin is 5th, The Gambia is 6th, Kenya is 7th, Mali is 8th, Sierra Leone is 9th and Congo-Kinshasa is 10th.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the total number of members that participated in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme was 1.821 million, which is an increase of 89,000 participants. The countries which have made a notable effort in relation to increasing the number of participants are Cameroon stood 1st,
Then Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Indonesia and there are other Jamaats as well. In terms of total collection, the ten large Jamaats of the UK are: Islamabad is 1st, Aldershot is 2nd, Worcester park is 3rd, then Birmingham South, Masjid Fazl, Putney, Gillingham, New Malden, Birmingham West and Hounslow North.
The first five regions are: Baitul Futuh Region is 1st, then Masjid Fazl Region, Midlands Region, Islamabad Region, and Baitul Ehsan Region. The first ten Jamaats for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Aldershot is 1st, then Roehampton, Putney, Islamabad, Mitcham Park, Cheam, Leamington spa, Worcester park, Raynes park, Surbiton.
The positions of the Jamaats in Pakistan for the collection from adults are as follows: Lahore is 1st, Rabwah is 2nd and Karachi is 3rd. The currency of Pakistan has devalued significantly and owing to this they have fallen in the rankings.
If the value of the currency of Pakistan was the same as it was last year, they would have stood 1st again, therefore considering this the UK have not performed extraordinarily. The positions of the districts of Pakistan for the collection from adults are as follows: Islamabad, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Umerkot, Hyderabad,
Dera Ghazi Khan, Mirpur Khas and Peshawar. The first ten Jamaats in terms of collection are as follows: Islamabad, Township Lahore, Defence Lahore, Darul Zikr Lahore, Gulshan Iqbal Karachi, Samana Bagh Lahore, Rawalpindi, Azizabad Karachi, Gulsham Jami Karachi and Delhi Gate Lahore.
Although they are faced with all sorts of difficulties, yet by the Grace of Allah, people there have sacrificed large amounts. The three large Jamaats in Pakistan for the collection of Daftar Atfal are as follows: Lahore is 1st, Karachi is 2nd and Rabwah is 3rd and the positions of the districts are as follows:
Sialkot is 1st, Gujranwala is 2nd, then Sargodha, Hyderabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sheikhupura, Mirpur Khaas, Umerkot, Okara and Peshawar. In terms of total contribution, the first five local Jamaats, Amaraat of Germany are: Hamburg stood 1st, then Frankfurt, Dietzenbach, Gross-Gerau, Wiesbaden. The positions of first ten Jamaats for the collection from adults are as follows:
Neuss, Rödermark, Nieda, Mahdi-Abad, Flörsheim, Friedburg, Bensheim, Langen, Koblenz, Hanau and Pinneberg. The first five regions for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Hessen Sud Ost, Hessen Mitte, Towinz, South Rhein, Landcorz, the Germans ought to rectify the names of these places themselves.
The positions of the first ten Jamaats in USA for their total contribution are as follows: Maryland, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Houston, Central Virginia, Seattle, Detroit, South Virginia, Chicago and North Virginia. The positions of the Amarat’s in Canada for their total contribution is as follows: Vaughan, Calgary, Peace Village, Vancouver, Missisaga.
The position of the large Jamaats [in Canada] are as follows: Durham, Bradford, Edmonton West, Milton West, Hamilton Mountain, Ottowa East, Ottowa West, Airedrie, Winnipeg and Abbotsford. The five notable Amarat for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Vogan – this should be Vaughan,
But in Urdu they have written it as Vogan, Calgary, Peace Village, Western, Brampton West. The five notable Jamaats for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Durham, Bradford, Milton West and Airdire, Hamilton Mountain. The positions for the provinces in India are as follows: Kerala is 1st, Jammu Kashmir stood 2nd
Despite the difficult circumstances there, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The positions of the Jamaats in terms of contribution are as follows: Pathapiriyam, Qadian, Hyderabad, Calicut, Bangalore, Kyobator, Kolkata, Karulai, Pengadi. The overall positions of the first ten Jamaats in Australia are as follows: Melbourne Long [Warren],
Castle Hill, Melbourne Berwick, Marsden Park, Adelaide South, MT Druitt, Penrith, Black Town, Canberra and Perth. The position of the Jamaats in Australia for the collection from Atfal are as follows: Melbourne Long Warren, Adelaide South, Melbourne Berwick, MT Druitt, Penrith, Logan East, Perth, Marsden Park, Castle Hill and Logan West.
The position of the Jamaats in Australia for the collection from adults are as follows: Castle Hill, Melbourne Long Warren, Marsden Park, Melbourne Berwick, MT Druitt, Black Town, Adelaide South, Penrith, Canberra and Perth. Even in Australia these days, the [bush] fires have caused a lot of destruction,
May Allah Almighty have mercy on them and may the people there recognise their creator. Despite all this, the Ahmadis there are offering great sacrifices. May God Almighty greatly bless the wealth and progeny of all those around the world who offered sacrifices. As mentioned earlier, the economic conditions of Pakistan are worsening
As a result of which their currency has devalued significantly. Hence they have fallen behind in the rankings [for Waqf-e-Jadid]. Despite all of this, they have not allowed their sacrifices to diminish. Similarly, the political situation in Pakistan is also unstable and this has a bearing on the economic conditions.
Furthermore, in that region, the tensions are heightening between India and Pakistan. According to local news reports, the internal state of affairs within India is also grave. In the context of the overall situation in the world, it is as if the world itself is calling out for its own destruction.
The Middle East is also falling into further disarray. There is a growing possibility of war erupting between the USA, Iran and Israel. There is no unity among the Muslim countries. Thus, we ought to pray profusely to save the world from catastrophe and for mankind to turn towards God Almighty.
May God Almighty shower His blessings and grant them wisdom and understanding. As we enter the new year we congratulate one another, however, storm clouds continue to gather ahead. Thus, in order to make this year a blessed one, we should pray to God Almighty,
That may He halt governments, who only want to prove their superiority over others, from taking the world towards destruction, rather, may He enable governments to instead dispense justice and peace in the world. May these governments not annihilate mankind having succumbed to their egos and in pursuit of their vested interests.
May God Almighty grant them wisdom. May the Muslim countries wave the flag of the Holy Prophet (saw) aloft throughout the world and spread the Unity of God by attaching themselves to his Ardent Devotee – the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi ,
As opposed to exceeding all bounds in opposing the Promised Messiah (as) as they have done so. May God Almighty grant us the ability to do more justice to believing in the Imam of the Age and may we thereby wave the flag of the Unity of God in the world.
May we bring others under the flag of the Holy Prophet (saw) and may we exhaust all our efforts and faculties in achieving this. If we fail to adopt this approach and mentality and to pray in this manner when entering the new year, then congratulating one another
On the new year would be superficial and serve no purpose. Thus, this true new year greetings place a great responsibility upon every Ahmadi, be they a man, woman or child and they ought to be mindful of this. We must utilise all of our strengths, faculties
And capabilities and strive to our utmost to achieve this. Through our prayers, we must form a special relationship with God Almighty and only then can we receive the blessings of this year. May God Almighty enable us to do so. 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.