Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2018
Peace be upon you all 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 Today is the first Friday of 2019. First of all, I wish to congratulate Ahmadis around the world with regards to the New Year. May God Almighty bless this year for us and may it bring countless successes.
However, we should also remember that customary greetings are of no avail nor do they help one achieve the pleasure of God Almighty. The real greeting for the New Year is that we promise that we will endeavour to remove our weaknesses and the darkness in us
After God Almighty has shown us the sun of another year and has enabled us to enter a new year. We should promise to remove the shortcomings of the previous year and that we will endeavour to bring upon a greater pure change than before,
Which we have pledged to achieve through our Bai’at with the Promised Messiah (as). The Promised Messiah (as) states on one occasion as to how an Ahmadi ought to be. He states, “After having pledged allegiance, one should not merely believe that
“this Community is true and that one can receive the blessings by merely believing this much.” He (as) states, “After having entered into this Community, “endeavour to become virtuous and righteous. “Safeguard against every evil. Spend every day and night in humility. “Remain soft-spoken. Make Istighfar [the seeking of forgiveness] your habit.
“Offer supplications during the daily prayers.” We can only offer supplications during the prayers, when we fulfil the right of prayers and observe them assiduously. The Promised Messiah (as) further states, “Mere belief does not benefit a person. “God Almighty does not become happy with mere words.
“In the Holy Qur’an, God Almighty has prescribed righteous deeds along with faith. “An action is considered ‘Salih’ or righteous when not even the slightest of blemish is left in it.” Thus, this is the standard. This is our objective. If we follow it during this year,
If we endeavour to the best of our abilities to achieve these goals, then this year will certainly be blessed for us and it will bring many more blessings. However, if this is not the case, then, as I said earlier, our New Year’s greetings will just be customary.
Offering Tahajjud on the New Year’s Eve and then offering Fajr in congregation, does not substitute for the entire year’s good deeds. True righteousness lies in continuing this effort throughout the year as far as possible. May God Almighty enable us to do so. May this year truly bring countless blessings in our personal lives
And may we also see exceptional successes for the Community. After this, I will now turn to the other topic of today. As we all know, the year of Waqf-e-Jadid begins in January. The new year of Waqf-e-Jadid is usually announced on the first or the second Friday of January.
By the Grace of God Almighty, financial sacrifice is a distinctive feature of the Community of the Promised Messiah (as). And why should it not be so! In this age, the Promised Messiah (as), in light of the commandments of the Holy Quran and sayings of the Holy Prophet (saw),
Has given us a true understanding of this financial sacrifice. God Almighty has drawn our attention towards spending in the way of Allah in numerous places in the Holy Qur’an. This is not so because God Almighty needs our wealth.
It is so because it benefits us and, as we can gauge from the progress of the Community, the Community also benefits from it collectively. God Almighty states in the Holy Qur’an: (Arabic – Holy Quran 64:17) That is, “So fear Allah as best you can,
“and listen, and obey, and spend in His cause; it will be good for yourselves. “And whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul – it is such who shall be successful.” In the following verse He has stated, “If you lend to Allah a good loan, He will multiply it for you, and will forgive you; “and Allah is Most Appreciating, Forbearing.” Thus, God Almighty returns the wealth and multiplies it for one, who spend it in His cause.
This financial sacrifice benefits us personally as well as enabling the progress of the Jama’at, which in turn serves as a means of the progress of members of the Jama’at. Similarly, the Holy Prophet (saw) has stated that you should abstain from miserliness, as it was miserliness that destroyed pervious nations.
The Holy Prophet (saw) also stated on one occasion that you should protect yourself from the fire, even if it be by being able to sacrifice a half a date. Even making such small sacrifices in the cause of God Almighty
And in order to acquire the pleasure of God Almighty protects one from the fire. Hence, financial sacrifices are there to benefit us. Drawing our attention towards financial sacrifices, the Promised Messiah (as) states, “It is not possible for you to love wealth as well as to love God Almighty. “You can only love one.”
The Promised Messiah (as) further states: “Fortunate is he, who loves God. “If one of you loves God and will spend in His cause, “I am certain that wealth will be blessed more than that of others. “The reason for this is that wealth is not acquired by itself.
“Rather, it is acquired through the will of God. “Thus, the one who leaves a portion of his wealth for the sake of God, “he will certainly have it returned to him. “However, the one who loves wealth and does not render his service in the cause of God
“as he should render, he will certainly lose (and waste) that wealth.” The Promised Messiah (as) states further, “Do not believe that wealth is acquired “through your endeavours. Rather, it comes from God the Exalted. “And do not believe that you are conferring a favour upon God Almighty and His Chosen One
“by spending a portion of your wealth or by rendering another form of service. “Rather, it is a favour of God that He calls you for this service.” The Promised Messiah (as) states, “You should certainly consider this to task “to have been decreed from heaven and your service is merely for your own benefit.”
By the grace of God Almighty, those who have pledged initiation to the Promised Messiah (as) have understood the spirit of sacrifices and services in an excellent manner and they pay great attention towards making sacrifices. This is not limited to those, who have accepted Ahmadiyyat a long time ago.
Rather, those who have newly joined also understand the spirit and truth of these financial sacrifices after pledging initiation. There are also those, who live in extremely impoverished circumstances. However, they do not wish to be left behind by anyone in terms of their financial sacrifices.
They make sacrifices similar to those of the companions of the Promised Messiah (as) during his time. There are such examples to be found even today. In relation to those companions, the Promised Messiah (as) stated at that time that, “I am astonished at the love and sincerity of my Community,
“as there are individuals with extremely few means of livelihood.” The Promised Messiah (as) then goes on to give an example by stating that, “For example, Mian Jamal-ud-Din, Khair-ud-Din and Imam-ud-Din Kashmiri.” The Promised Messiah (as) states that, “They live near my village.
“These three brothers, who perhaps earn only three or four annas [currency] daily, “yet they earnestly contribute towards the monthly Chanda [financial contribution].” It is a result of the sacrifices of these elders at that time which were made for the propagation of religion that today their progenies are living in comfortable and affluent circumstances.
As I mentioned, we see this very spirit in some places, as a matter of fact, in many places today as well. We are able to observe this amongst impoverished people, living in distant areas, who were born or became Ahmadis a hundred years after the time of the Promised Messiah (as)
And never met the Khalifa of the time in person. Yet, their love for religion, obedience to Khilafat, their oath of devotion and pledge of initiation to the Promised Messiah (as) and their zeal for offering sacrifices for the sake of religion are at an astonishingly high level. If we merely look at this aspect,
It serves as evidence of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (as). No one besides the God Almighty can create this passion within the hearts. I will present some of the incidents in relation to the sacrifices of some individuals and God Almighty’s treatment towards them. An Ahmadi member in Ghana, Rempong Sahib.
He says, “A few years ago, I had to pay a fee of five thousand pounds for my studies. “And even though I was working at the time, but my income was not enough. “Therefore, even if I had collected my salary over twelve months, “I would not have been able to accumulate this amount.
“Nevertheless, I received a loan of three thousand pounds from the bank “and forty percent of my salary was taken to pay off the loan every month. “Regardless of this, I paid my Chanda based on my net income.” He did not care that forty percent of it was taken away.
He says, “One day, I went to the mission house in Kumasi.” Kumasi is a city in Ghana. “There, the circuit missionary reminded me of my promise for Waqf-e-Jadid. “At the time, I put my hands in my pocket and found a sufficient amount for my promise.
“However, I thought that if I contribute this amount toward Chanda then I will not have “enough money to pay for the fare for the next few days in order to reach my job.” He says, “Nevertheless, I immediately contributed this amount towards the Chanda.
“I was on my way home from the mission house, when I received a message on my phone “that an amount had been transferred to my bank account, “which was five times greater than the amount I had contributed towards the Chanda.” Just as the Promised Messiah (as) had stated that God Almighty
Returns it and increases it by manifolds. He says, “I thought that this amount might have mistakenly been transferred by the bank, “which they would withdraw later as my salary had already been transferred to my account. “However, when I went to work the following day, I found out that I received this amount
“from the government, which was an outstanding payment from the previous months. “Upon this, I expressed my gratitude towards God Almighty “as He enabled me to contribute the amount for Chanda, despite my state of fear. “Since that day, I pay great attention towards my promises and towards contributing to the Chanda.”
This gentleman is from Africa and lives so far away. A missionary from Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, which is a French-speaking country, writes, “Zuwdi sahib, a Khadim who is a new convert, “was very stressed due to a mental illness and was taking sleeping pills.
“He was depressed and his condition had worsened a lot. “One day he came to our mission house and enquired about how much payment he should make “for Tehrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid chanda donations.” Our missionary informed him that one can make as much donation as they can afford.
“Zawdi sahib asked him what was an acceptable standard of payment towards this Chanda?” The missionary informed him of the amount and he happily made the payment and left. “After a few days he returned to the Mission House and said,
‘I was unwell however, I feel much better now due to the blessings of the Chanda. ‘I have stopped taking the sleeping pills and I feel a sense of contentment in my heart.’” Thus, he did the Bai’at, became inclined towards God Almighty, offered monetary sacrifice,
His attention was turned towards worship of God Almighty and in return God blessed him. Whereas, before his condition was such that he was contemplating of taking his own life. A member of the Community from the UK writes, “A short while ago, I was reminded over the phone to offer Chanda Tehrik-e-Jadid
“and was informed of the total amount I had paid last year. “So I pledged to pay a greater amount than the previous year. “At the time I had no money. “So I began praying that God Almighty Himself make the provisions for this amount.”
Consequently, he states, “After a few weeks, I received a letter from the Department of Taxation “that I had overpaid my tax during the year and they were returning that back to me. “I am an accountant myself and I am aware of the details relating to my taxes.
“However, God Almighty arranged for this amount in a miraculous manner because according to me, “I had paid the correct amount towards my taxes.” He states, “After a few months, Sadr sahib called me again “to remind me about Chanda Waqf-e-Jadid. “He informed me of the total amount I had paid the previous year.
“So I pledged an amount greater than the amount from the previous year. “Coincidently, I did not have any money with me this time as well. “I remembered how God Almighty had arranged the amount from my Tax Returns, “however that does not seem like a possibility anymore. So I began praying.
“A week later when I was going through my papers I saw a bill with an offer attached to it. “I called the relevant company and they sent me a prepaid card with more money in it “than I had pledged for Waqf-e-Jadid. “This is how Allah Almighty arranged for my Waqf-e-Jadid chanda.”
Such incidents are not only to be witnessed in Africa, rather, they are witnessed everywhere by anyone who desires to offer financial sacrifices sincerely. Basharat Ali sahib, a missionary from Burkina Faso, states, “Konay Adam sahib, a new convert from Boromo region, “was encouraged to participate in Waqf-e-Jadid.
“And so, he began contributing towards this with the money “he would originally give to the Maulavi [muslim cleric] of the village every year. “He was a [non-Ahmadi] Muslim and would give that amount to the Maulavis. “However, after having done the Bai’at, he began donating that same amount towards chanda.
“His father was really angry when he found out about this. “Therefore, his father gave a portion of the land to him and severed all ties with him. “He says, that year he harvested his crops “and by the grace of God Almighty the produce was excellent.
“It rained heavily in some areas and ruined the harvest. “However, there was no damage to the portion of the land he owned. “Moreover, even the areas that were covered by water were still not ruined. “Not only did he assist his father to harvest his crops again,
“he also shared a portion of the good harvest of his land. “His father commented on this and said, ‘Certainly, God Almighty has blessed you “due to your financial contribution towards the Jama’at. “His father conceded to this and also stated, ‘Your Community is on the right path.
‘You should always remain loyal to it. I cannot leave the maulvi due to some constraints.’” Some people are restricted due to ancient customs and tradition. “Even this year he has pledged an amount twice as much as last year.” Some opponents tried to turn some Jama’at members away from Ahmadiyyat
In a village of Gambia in the Kiang district. They proclaimed that they were successful in making all members of the Community to reject Ahmadiyyat. Jalu sahib, who is an Ahmadi member of the Community told Mua’alim sahib, “This opposition was serving as a fertilizer
“because I was not an active Ahmadi prior to the hostility. “However, not only am I now offering my Waqf-e-Jadid and Tehrik-e-Jadid contributions, “rather I have also signed up for the blessed scheme of Al-Wasiyyat.” The opponents were trying to efface the Community however their opposition caused the Ahmadis to progress in faith even further.
There is a country named Guinea Conakry. A member of the Community, Akobi Sahib, says, “When the Missionary In-charge there presented my [Huzur-e-Anwar’s] sermon from last year “regarding Waqf-e-Jadid wherein various stories of financial sacrifices were presented; “it deeply impacted me.
“The next day I was preparing to head for a business trip to Sierra Leone “and realised I had but three hundred dollars for the trip and still in need of more. “Despite this, I took a hundred dollars out of the three hundred and wrapped it up in a bag
“intending to donate it to Waqf-e-Jadid. “Shortly afterwards, I became occupied in some other matters and forgot to send the bag in. “Hardly two hours had passed since this that an individual came into my office “and handed me a bag saying a friend of mine has sent this for me.
“As I opened the bag, I found three hundred dollars with a written note saying ‘You are going for travel, so I am sending this to you for your travel expenses’. “I suddenly recalled that I had not even sent the money for donation yet
“and God Almighty reimbursed me – by several folds more- the amount I had donated.” He says, “My heart was instantly filled with the praise of God “for how He has enabled us to be a part of this beloved Community of the Promised Messiah (as).”
This is how God continues to increases the faith of people. These people are realising what the Promised Messiah (as) has explained to us that the wealth comes from God Almighty alone. A missionary from the Boiko Region of Benin writes that, “In the Boiko region, a certain local president of the Abume branch,
“Ahongaan Jeysik Sahib was struggling to pay off a large sum of debt he had previously taken. “Meanwhile, the local Muallim came and drew attention that the financial year for Waqf-e-Jadid “was coming to a close, anyone who had not yet fulfilled their pledge should do so.”
The local president states, “At the time I did not have much money “and now the worry of paying Waqf-e-Jadid also began burdening the mind. “Therefore, the five hundred francs I had in my pocket at the time I took out and donated it to
“the chanda and made my way back home praying and wondering how I would possibly pay off the debt.” He says, “The very next day I received some temporary employment “and the total salary for which was just above the amount I was in debt.
“I agreed to the work and was able to complete it in a few days. “Thus, my entire debt was paid off and I was able to gather enough surplus “to even arrange for ration in the house.” He says, “I now realised all this was purely from the blessings of the Chanda.”
These people do not merely believe such incidents to be random coincidences, rather they believe that it is God Almighty Who is arranging this for them. A Missionary from the Sakaso Region of Mali states that a new convert by the name of Abu Bakr says that, “Ever since accepting Ahmadiyyat,
“he has personally felt the wonderful blessings of paying Chanda.” He says, “Every year in the monsoon season, one of my sons would become severely sick “and large amounts of money would be spent trying to cure him; “while the cost of the stress and absence from work was a separate problem in of itself.
“Yet, ever since I have started contributing to the various chandas, my son no longer gets sick. “There is not even a shadow of a doubt “that this is a result of the blessings of spending in the way of God Almighty.” A missionary from the San Pedro region of Ivory Coast writes that,
“Several people from the village of Kai Leefa were blessed with the acceptance of Ahmadiyyat. “In November 2018, he was able to go on a tour of the village staying overnight “conducting a preaching session that lasted long into the night “where a good number of non-Ahmadis had also joined the gathering.
“After this, Fajr was offered at the house of an Ahmadi member “where many members attended and took part in a Dars that was delivered after Fajr. “After this, the members were told that the next month was the last financial month
“for the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme; all Ahmadi members should strive to take part in this scheme. “After having heard this, the people returned to their homes.” The missionary says, “I had looked at the place and thought it to be poor “and expected that the region would perhaps contribute five thousand Franc Cefa.
“An amount that would be ample keeping in mind their condition.” But he says, “The extent of my surprise crossed all bounds when they came back to me “sincerely apologising stating that due to the poor yield from the crop “and general difficulty in circumstances had permitted them a contribution of
“only seventeen thousand Franc Cefa. “Moreover, they requested for prayers that may Allah bless their business and crops “so that we may become capable of contributing larger amounts in His way.” The Finance Secretary of India, Iqbal Sahib, writes, “Members of the Kamoradi branch were encouraged to make contribution towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme
“to which a young man got up and immediately offered his complete donation for chanda. “Shortly after, that very day, he received a massive amount of money “for which he had previously been waiting for almost eight years, “in fact, he had almost given up hope that the amount would ever be given to him.
“Not only did he receive this amount, but along with this, “his temporary employment was changed to a permanent position. “Upon this he became very happy and would say this is solely “the result of having spent in the way of Allah. “He also said that from now on, he would contribute 15 percent of
“his entire income to Chanda.” The missionary from Romania, which is in Eastern Europe, writes of a local Ahmadi there named Faheem Sahib who works in the field of Romanian tailoring and contributes regularly to the chandas with complete sincerity and happiness.
“Never has there been a need to remind him of contributing to any Chanda “for he always pays it on time. “Moreover, he practices a tremendous degree of civility in presenting the amount “by putting it in a simple bag or white envelope upon “which he imprints neatly the words of ‘financial sacrifice’.”
He wrote this letter to me and the missionary makes reference to that same letter, in this letter he had written, “By Allah’s grace, I pay my financial contributions. “Ever since I started paying these contributions, I have observed that along with offering them
“for the pleasure of Allah, the number of my customers increases as well. “There is a special grace in my income. On the one hand, I empty my pockets to spend in the way of Allah, “and on the other, God returns that same amount back into my pockets with even more,
“because after I contribute, even more customers file in.” So, despite living in European Nations and spending their lives in the midst of materialism, these are the people whose faith – after having guided them to Ahmadiyyat – God is granting steadfastness and strength by His grace. The finance secretary from India, Saleem Sahib, writes,
“A Private School Teacher from Jaipur, was encouraged to contribute “to the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme and requested that considering his income, “his pledge should be 5000 Rupees. “He responded, ‘I am just a teacher in a simple Private School; “how will I be able to contribute such a huge amount?’
“In any case, he was told that God will enable him to do it. “Next year, when Saleem Sahib again went to visit him, “he found him seated on the Principal’s chair at the same school. “The man [who was now principal] explained that ‘Allah has so blessed me
‘because of my financial contributions, that I have purchased this entire school.’ “In light of this, the Principal was encouraged to further increase his pledge “that year so that God might enable him to purchase even more schools. “The Principal revealed that, ‘There were talks underway for purchasing another school,
‘and that the previous owner called and told him to come and take the keys for that one as well.’” The finance secretary further writes, “Now the man owns four separate schools. “He used to live in a small house with a tin roof which was more of a shelter than a home.
“By Allah’s grace, he now owns a three-story house, “of which one floor is dedicated for the Friday Prayers.” This grace is only and only due to having spent in the way of Allah, and by virtue of it, it is also increasing his faith. Amir Sahib of Liberia writes,
“In December, our Tabligh Team arrived at a village called Sooker town “which is not too far off from Monrovia city, “but still totally bereft of any modern facilities, “and it is also very difficult to reach there. “In order to even get there, one has to traverse three Monkey Bridges,”
There are makeshift bridges which are temporarily made using sticks and ropes. “After prayers, we began preaching. “We conveyed the message of the Promised Messiah (as) to them “and told them about the purpose and objectives of the Ahmadiyya Community. “At this, one elderly member of the village, Usman Kumara,
“stood up and related a dream of his, saying, ‘Some days ago I saw that the heavens have fallen and there is chaos all around. ‘In the midst of all this commotion a car with white people inside stops, ‘and the people inside tell me to go with them
‘and that they would grant me safety and the dream the ended. ‘After this, I began contemplating what sort of dream this was and what it could mean. ‘It is upon your arrival that I have come to understand its true meaning.
‘I have attained to quite an age, but this is the first time in my life ‘that I have witnessed white people, that is, non-Africans, preaching Islam to Africans.’ “As a result, all those present decided to join the Community and did the Bai’at.
“It was also the end of the Waqf-e-Jadid year, so they were encouraged toward taking part as well. “After accepting their Bai’at, when they were requested, they also paid their Waqf-e-Jadid.” Through this, their faith and sincerity is ever-increasing. The National President of Lajna Imaillah Canada [the Women’s Auxiliary in Canada] writes that,
“While touring a certain Jama’at, one woman told her that her 12-year old daughter had won “an $80 prize from her school. “She wanted to buy something with it, but upon encouragement from the Waqf-e-Jadid Secretary, “decided to spend the entire amount in Waqf-e-Jadid. “The National President relates that God also blessed her in return.
“The next day the little girl obtained first position in the Abdus-Salam Science Fair, “and received a $300. reward, and thus did God reinforce her faith and her belief.” Nowadays a game called fortnight is being played regularly amongst the youth in which their money is going to waste.
Parents as well as the auxiliary organisations such as Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya in particular must refrain them from doing so because one step leads to another where they will eventually get hold of bank cards and spend the money on it.
In fact, a few days ago an article was published in which a survey was quoted showing that certain groups were forming which get in contact with the youth and having incited them into using bank cards, they gain access to the bank accounts of their parents.
Only some time later do the parents realise that money is missing from their bank account. This is as a result of this game which is becoming a drug-like addiction amongst the youth, where not only is their time being wasted and dangerous thoughts are creeping into their minds,
On top of that some of their parents have even suffered a great deal. Hence, one must avoid this and instead instil in children the habit of spending in the way of Allah, which He draws our attention to, especially to schemes such as Waqf-e-Jadid. The finance secretary from India writes,
“A refreshers course was held in the Karnataka province “which I attended along with the Naib Nazim Maal and Waqf-e-Jadid secretary. “There the Naib Nazim Maal mentioned in the house of a local Mu’alim “that there were severe rains in Kerala causing terrible destruction,
“and for this reason there has been difficulty in receiving the donations for Waqf-e-Jadid there.” As he was leaving the house, the Naib Nazim Maal gifted 100 rupees to the children of the Mu’alim. He says, “Later on I returned to that Jama’at on tour
“and the children of the Mu’alim donated the 100 rupees towards Waqf-e-Jadid which was gifted “to them saying that due to the flood the situation in Kerala is not so good, “we therefore wish for you to accept this Chanda from us.” Despite their young age they had understood the significance of giving Chanda.
A member of Lajna from a UK Community states, “I had the honour of accepting Ahmadiyyat in 2010. “Having taken the oath of allegiance, “I was thrown out of my home and at the time I had no job. “I was extremely embarrassed every time I was unable to give Chanda.”
Even though it is not necessary for converts to contribute in their first year. She further says, “I was concerned with regards to this and made a vow that the moment I find a job “I will give Chanda from the day I did the Bai’at.
“A few months later I secured a job and began giving Chanda. “By the grace of Allah and through the blessings of giving Chanda, “I received a pay-rise three times in my first year. “Thereafter, communication with my parents; “who had ex-communicated me, was restored and our bond became even stronger.
“I also married and by the grace of Allah I had everything I was in need of.” The local Mu’allim from the Cape Mount County of Liberia says, “The Nagbena Jama’at were reminded with regards to Waqf-e-Jadid “and a few days later a sincere Ahmadi woman named Moso Kamara Sahiba told me,
‘When you spoke about the blessings of financial sacrifice ‘whilst urging us to contribute to Waqf-e-Jadid, ‘others were making their donations whilst I had nothing and was therefore unable to contribute. ‘But last night I had a dream where I saw you coming once more ‘and I donated 100 Liberian dollars in Chanda.
‘I was left astonished when I woke up in the morning ‘as I did not have the money to make such a contribution. ‘But it was only by the grace of Allah that a few moments earlier someone came ‘and gave me 500 Liberian dollars from my son.’” That is, from the woman’s son.
“Thus, I donated 100 Liberian dollars in fulfilment of the dream.” There are many such incidents of women giving Chanda, in fact they are often a means of reform for their husbands and draw their attention towards giving Chanda and often they better understand its importance.
Abu Bakr Sahib of Guinea Conakry, who is also the Sadr of a Jama’at and works in the agricultural department, writes, “After I accepted Ahmadiyyat, “the missionaries and mu’alimeen would regularly draw our attention to giving Chanda. “However, I would only give a small amount
“whereas my wife was very strict in this matter and would regularly give Chanda. “She would always encourage me to also make regular contributions, “but I would put it off by saying only when we have more money will “I start giving Chanda regularly.
“Her answer would be that the only way we will have more money “is when we first give the due rights to Allah Almighty. “In this way, my wife made me start giving Chanda, “and when I started paying Chanda at the prescribed rate, “I witnessed God Almighty’s blessings rain down upon us.
“The crops of those who were better educated than me and who had degrees in agriculture “did not bear the same fruit as the ones God Almighty had begun “granting this humble self of little understanding. “Now I only bring back home the harvest once I have taken it all into account,
“given it in Chanda to the local missionary and brought back the receipt.” The regional missionary of Ivory Coast writes, “Zablu Sahib, a friend of ours had the honour of accepting Ahmadiyyat through his dreams. “After taking the oath of allegiance he regularly listened to the Friday sermons
“and is very passionate in calling people to God. “He buys literature of the Jama’at from his own pocket and hands it to non-Ahmadi contacts. “Zablu Sahib had a great position working in a hotel “but he is without work at the moment
“and his wife is supporting him by paying the expenses of the family. “A few days ago he spoke to me over the phone saying that “he is sending 30,000 CFA francs for the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. “I responded by saying how is this possible when you are not in the best of circumstances.
“I said this as I was aware of his situation and so that he should contribute a little less. “I said that this amount is a lot for you and the Annual Jalsa is also upcoming. “He answered saying, ‘I told my wife that we should give 20,000 CFA francs in Chanda
‘but my wife insisted we give 30,000.’ “By the grace of God Almighty they were also able to attend the Jalsa.” Like her, there are so many women around the world who have their husbands make sacrifices. The Sadr of the Australia Jama’at states,
“A sincere friend had made his contribution already towards Waqf-e-Jadid on 20th December. “The members of the Amila were once again “especially encouraged to pay the remainder [of their promises] and they were contacted. “Subsequently he donated a huge sum of money.
“The following evening I received a phone call from him where he very emotionally told me that “God Almighty had returned in a single day the Chanda he had given for Waqf-e-Jadid. “He said that he has been running a food takeaway shop for the last three years
“but in that time not a single day has passed where so many customers had come, “as had done so after he gave Chanda this time.” Similarly, there is an account from Indonesia – one is left astounded at such accounts in which people show such determination in their faith.
There is a convert from Indonesia who took the Bai’at in 2016. After doing so he began facing intense opposition from his family and neighbours, to the point where one day members of his family beat him relentlessly, forcing him to forsake the Jama’at and forbidding him from meeting the local missionary.
“Thereafter he would only meet the missionary in secret. “The missionary told him, ‘You will find that one must make sacrifices after joining the Community’. “Nevertheless, he replied by saying, ‘I will continue to make sacrifices, even if the persecution increases.’ “He was also taught about the importance of Chanda and financial sacrifice.
“After a month of taking the Bai’at this person began giving Chanda. “He had not as of yet secured a job, but he kept aside a portion of the little income “he would earned from odd jobs here and there, to pay in Chanda.
“He would keep out of sight of the people and secretly visit the mission house at night. “Prior to going to the mission house he would visit a few different villages “so that no one could see him going directly to the mission house.
“In this way he would keep regular contact with the mission house “and this is how he would come to give his Chanda.” Then there is another incident which demonstrates just how God Almighty on occasions inspires even those who are not Ahmadi.
A missionary from Mali Jamaat writes, “Huzoor’s Friday Sermon from last year about Waqf-e-Jadid “was playing on Radio Ahmadiyya Keeta. “During that time the chief of a village, situated 45 kilometres from the town rung “and invited us to preach in his village.
“When we went to preach in the village, the Chief said in an emotional tone, ‘The Khalifa was narrating the faith inspiring incidents from all over the world. ‘Listening to those incidents had an extraordinary impact on the people of our village.’” There were Ahmadi Radio stations there and they were listening to them.
“The village people were regretful that they had not taken part of this blessed scheme. “They said, ‘That is why we called you here.’ “There was a Tabligh program held and on the same day, by the Grace of Allah, “fifty people accepted Ahmadiyyat.
“The people of the village immediately gave one bag of maize and 1000 franc “in the blessed scheme of Waqf-e-Jadid.” God Almighty is not only spreading the message of the Promised Messiah (as) in extraordinary ways, but He is also providing helpers [for this cause]. A missionary in Benin writes,
“The Community in Lokossa was encouraged to take part in the Waqf-e-Jadid Scheme. “Our Regional Jalsa [convention] was only a few days away, “hence they were encouraged to participate in that also. “Ghaffar Sahib, who is the Sadr of the Community [local president], came to me and asked
“that he had gathered some money for him to be able to participate in the Jalsa, “however, since giving Chanda is also important, what should he do? “I advised him to participate in the Jalsa and God Almighty will bestow His grace. “Also that he could pay the Chanda at a later date.
“After a few days he met me during the Jalsa and said for me to accept his Chanda. “I asked the Maal Secretary [Finance Secretary] to cut a receipt for him. “At this the finance secretary informed me that
“Ghaffar sahib has given the same amount in Chanda as he had saved for attending the Jalsa. “He travelled 15 kilometres by foot along with his family in order to attend the Jalsa.” These are the people who God Almighty has granted the Promised Messiah (as).
They listen to the words of God Almighty, His Messenger (saw) and the Promised Messiah (as), then in order to purify themselves they are prepared to offer every sacrifice. In reality, these are the very people who fulfil the right of their Bai’at.
If those who are devoid of understanding and have a covering over their eyes, ponder over the sincerity and loyalty these people have and the sacrifices they offer, are these not evident signs of God Almighty’s support for the Promised Messiah (as)?
If their judgement was not impaired they would be able to see that this alone is proof of the fact that the Promised Messiah (as) was sent by God Almighty. The Promised Messiah (as) was sent to this world to advance the teachings of the Holy Prophet (saw).
If the Muslims understand this and if only they would understand this truth, then through the Grace of God, Islam would spread rapidly throughout the world, God Willing. Then we will see the reverse of what we are witnessing today in which Muslims and the name of Islam is ridiculed, God Willing.
Nevertheless, our responsibility is to reform ourselves and to prostrate before God Almighty, focus our attention on propagating the Message of Islam, offer sacrifices and highlight the truth of Islam to the world. I shall now present some facts and figures [for Waqf-e-Jadid].
By the Grace of God Almighty the 61st year of the Waqf-e-Jadid concluded on 31 December 2018. The members of the Community were enabled to make a total sacrifice of 9.134 million pounds. There was an increase of 271,000 pounds from last year’s total collection. Pakistan has continued to maintain its top position,
However apart from them the first ten position of the countries is as follows: 1. UK, Germany held first position for Tehrik-e-Jadid and the Amir Sb [UK] said that God Willing, that they will come first in Waqf-e-Jadid and by the grace of God Almighty they have come top by a great margin.
May God Almighty bless the members of the Jama’at and their wealth and enable to them to excel in the future as well. 2. Germany; 3. USA; 4. Canada. I should mention to USA here that there is a very small margin of difference between them and Canada.
If they do not make any extra effort then from once being first they dropped to third position, but in future they could perhaps fall even behind. Canada came in fourth position. 5. India; 6. Australia; 7. Indonesia; 8. A country from Middle East; 9. Ghana 10. A country from Middle East
In terms of contribution per person, the positions are as follows: 1. USA; 2. Switzerland; 3. Australia In terms of the total contribution amongst countries in Africa, the positions are as follows: 1. Ghana; 2. Mauritius; 3. Nigeria; 4. Tanzania; 5. Burkina Faso; 6. Benin
By the grace of God Almighty 1,732,000 people took part in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme this year. There is an increase of 123,000. The countries which have made a notable effort in relation to increasing the number of participants are Niger, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Gambia, Congo Kinshasa, Tanzania, Liberia and Senegal.
The collection of the Chanda for the Khuddam and Atfal is recorded separately, particularly in Pakistan and now also in Canada. In terms of collection from the adults, the first three positions of the Jama’ats in Pakistan are: 1. Lahore; 2. Rabwah; 3. Karachi. The positions for the provinces of Pakistan is as follows:
1. Sialkot; 2. Islamabad; 3. Faisalabad; 4. Rawalpindi; 5. Sargodha 6. Gujranwala 7. Multan; 8. Hyderabad; 9. Mirpur Khaz; 10. Dera Ghazi Khan The position of the large Jama’ats for the collection from Atfal is as follows: 1. Lahore; 2. Karachi; 3. Rabwah. The positons of the provinces is as follows:
1. Islamabad; 2. Sialkot; 3. Rawalpindi; 4. Sargodha ; 5. Gujranwala; 6. Hyderabad; 7. Dera Ghazi Khan; 8. Sheikhpura 9. UmerKot; 10. Nankana Sahib. The first ten positions for the large Jama’ats in UK are as follows: 1. Worcester Park; 2. Masjid Fazl; 3. Birmingham South; 4. Gillingham
5. Birmingham West; 6. Islamabad; 7. Hayes; 8. Bradford North; 9. New Malden; 10. Glasgow. The positons of the regions is as follows: 1. London B; 2. London A; 3. Midlands; 4. North East; 5. Middlesex The UK has also submitted a report for the collection from the Atfal
And their positions are as follows: 1. Bradford South; 2. Surbiton; 3. Glasgow; 4. Roehampton; 5. Islamabad 6. Roehampton Vale; 7. Mitcham Park; 8. Battersea; 9. Malden Manor; 10. Mosque West. The first five regions of Germany are: 1. Hamburg; 2. Frankfurt; 3. Wiesbaden;4.Moerfelden-Walldorf; 6. Dietzenbach.
The position of the first ten Jama’ats in USA for their total contribution is as follows: 1. Silicon Valley; 2. Seattle; 3. Detroit; 4. Silver Spring; 5. Central Virginia; 6. Boston; 7. Dallas; 8. Laurel; 9. Georgia; 10. Carolina; 11. York. The positions of the regions in Canada for their total contribution is as follows:
1. Vaughn; 2. Calgary; 3. Peace Village; 4. Brampton; 5. Vancouver. The position of the large Jama’ats in Canada are as follows: 1. Durham; 2. Windsor; 3. Bradford; 4. Edmonton West; 5. Saskatoon North; 6. Saskatoon South; 7. Montreal West; 8. Milton West; 9. Hamilton West; 10. Abbotsford.
The top five positions for the collection from the Atfal is as follows: 1. Durham; 2. Milton West; 3. Bradford; 4. Hamilton South; 5. Saskatoon. The positions for the regions in India is as follows: 1. Kerala; 2. Jammu and Kashmir; 3. Karnataka; 4. Telangana; 5. Tamil Nadu; 6. Odisha;
7. West Bengal; 8. Punjab; 9. Delhi; 10. Uttar Pradesh. The positions for the districts in India is as follows: 1. Hyderabad and Calicut. Both Jama’ats are at first position. 2. Qadian; 3. Pathapiriyam; 4. Calicut; 5. Kolkata.
Hyderabad is at the first position, they have made a mistake with Calicut. It is in fourth position. 6. Bangalore; 7. Chennai; 8. Karoli; 9. Rashi nagar; 10. Delhi. The position of the first ten Jama’ats in Australia are as follows: 1. Castle Hill; 2. Melbourne Long Warren; 3. Penrith; 4. Melbourne, Berwick
5. Marsden Park; 6. Brisbane; 7. Adelaide South; 8. Brisbane Logan; 9. Canberra; 10. Plumpton. The positions from the Atfal collection is as follows: 1. Adelaide South; 2. Brisbane Logan; 3. Melbourne Long Warren; 4. Melbourne, Berwick 5. Brisbane South; 6. Marsden Park; 7.Mount Druitt; 8. Castle Hill; 9. Melbourne East.
Since these names have been written in Urdu therefore there is possibility that some may have been mispronounced but those local Jama’ats will nonetheless have been informed. May God Almighty bless all those who have taken part and their wealth and enable them to offer exemplary sacrifices in the future as well.
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 (saw) 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.