Friday Sermon
3 January 2025
Spending and true righteousness: Waqf-e-Jadid 2025
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verse 93 of Surah Aal-e-Imran:
لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ وَ مَا تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ بِہٖ عَلِیۡمٌ
Huzooraa then stated:
The translation of this verse is as follows:
“Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it well.”
The word ‘birr’ [righteousness] refers to an excellent and perfect act of virtue and just as Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran, you cannot attain perfect virtue unless you sacrifice and spend out of your valued possessions for the sake of attaining the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.
Thus, a true believer is one who continues to strive to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty and to acquire those standards of virtue that bring him nearer to God Almighty. In the Holy Quran, we have been exhorted to gain the nearness of Allah the Almighty on numerous occasions and in various manners. Numerous virtues have been set out and to spend one’s wealth in the cause of Allah the Almighty has also been regarded as a virtue. In this verse also, spending in the cause of God Almighty has been regarded as a significant act of virtue. Allah the Almighty says that when you spend out of the wealth you love, or your valued possessions, in the cause of God Almighty, it will then be considered a great virtue. There is no doubt that Allah the Almighty rewards every virtuous deed that is performed to acquire His pleasure. However, since a person has love for wealth, thus special attention has been drawn towards this. Hence, Allah the Almighty has regarded this as one of the highest standards of faith, true virtue and sacrifice; that is to sacrifice that which you love. As [Allah the Almighty] has said, true virtue is that you spend out of that which you love in the cause of Allah and sacrifice it for the sake of attaining His pleasure.
The Promised Messiahas has elaborated on this on many occasions. On one occasion, he states:
“You should not love wealth.” This is very difficult, especially in the current era. The Promised Messiahas continues: “You should not love wealth. Allah the Almighty says:
لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ
“‘Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love.’ If we were to compare the circumstances nowadays with those of the time of the Holy Prophetsa then we pity the current circumstances, because there is nothing dearer than [one’s] life and at that time, (during the time of the Holy Prophetsa), one had to sacrifice his life in the cause of Allah the Almighty.” The Promised Messiahas states: “Just like you, they too had wives and children. Everyone holds their life dear. However, they remained ever eager to find an opportunity to make sacrifices in the cause of Allah the Almighty.”
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“No one can claim to have performed a virtuous deed by spending something worthless and useless. The door to piety is a narrow one. So remember that no one can enter it by spending useless and worthless things. The clear injunction is:
لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ
“[‘You can never attain righteousness until you spend out of that which you love.’]
“Until you spend the things which you love and are dear to you, you cannot attain the stage of being the true beloved [of God]. If you are not ready to bear suffering and to acquire true piety, how can you expect to succeed?”
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Did the Companions attain this rank without doing anything? Just look at how even to attain a worldly position one has to exhaust their resources and toil, and even then this repute of an ordinary level does not even give true peace and satisfaction. Then how is it possible for the title of ‘Allah is well pleased with them’ which grants true peace and contentment and is a sign of God’s pleasure be acquired with such ease?” The Promised Messiahas states: “The truth is that it is not possible to gain the pleasure of Allah – which is a source of true happiness – until one does not bear temporary hardships. Allah cannot be deceived. Blessed are those who care not for pain in order to attain His pleasure, for it is only after temporary suffering that the believer is granted the light of eternal joy and everlasting comfort.” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih Maudas, Vol. 3, pp. 177-178)
The Promised Messiahas then states:
“In the world, we see that people have an immense love for wealth. This is why it is written in books on the science of the interpretation of dreams that if someone sees (in a dream) that they have taken out their liver and given it to someone, this implies wealth. This is why, in order to attain true righteousness and faith, Allah the Exalted states:
لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ
“Meaning, never shall you attain to true righteousness unless you spend what you most love, because sympathy and good treatment towards the creation of God depends to a large extent on the spending of wealth. Sympathy towards humanity (i.e., one’s people) and God’s creation at large is the second aspect of faith, without which one’s faith cannot be complete and firm. Until a person sacrifices for others, how can they give them benefit? (One must sacrifice in order to be of benefit.) Sacrifice is necessary in benefiting others and showing them sympathy. It is this very teaching of sacrifice which has been given in the following verse:
لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ
“Therefore, spending wealth in the cause of Allah Almighty is also a criterion and touchstone by which to judge the good nature and righteousness of an individual.” The Promised Messiahas states: “In the case of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, the extent and level to which his life was devoted to God was that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, expressed a need and he came with everything that he owned.” (Malfuzat [English] Vol. 2, pp. 268-269)
He brought all of his possessions from his home.
Then, whilst imparting advice, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“Do not harbour love for wealth. Allah Almighty states:
لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ
“That is to say, never shall you attain to righteousness, (i.e. true and perfect righteousness), unless you spend what you most love.” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih Maudas, Vol. 3, p. 180)
As I have mentioned before, “Birr” is that piety which is of the highest order and perfect.
Hence, this is the intricate point that members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat have truly understood today, and it is through the effect of this training of the Promised Messiahas that we continue to witness this standard of sacrifice to this day. This is the standard that the Companions established. Then, it was established in the time of the Promised Messiahas by those who resided close to him and by his Companions. Then, during every era of Khilafat, we have continued to witness sacrifices, and we still witness these sacrifices to this day.
The Holy Prophetsa laid great emphasis on financial sacrifice and his Companions understood this and acted fully upon it. In one narration it is mentioned that Hazrat Ibn Mas‘udra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said, “Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he spends it in the way of faith, and a man to whom Allah gives understanding, sagacity, knowledge and wisdom, with the help of which he decides between people and teaches them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-‘ilm, Hadith 73)
Hence, it was to establish this standard that the Holy Prophetsa advised his Companions, and indeed it was established.
It is mentioned in one narration of Hazrat Abu Mas‘ud Ansarira, “Whenever the Holy Prophetsa would instruct us to give alms, some of us would go to the market, do some labour work, and earn an income of one mudd of grain. (Mudd is a unit of measurement equivalent to a few kilograms.) Whatever we would earn, they would give in charity.”
Their desire was to participate in the scheme that the Holy Prophetsa instructed and to partake in it with whatever they earned. It was not the case that they would ask someone and take part in it. Rather, they would work hard and earn money in order to participate. The narrator states that the state of some of them in their sacrifices was such that Allah Almighty rewarded them, whereby they then had hundreds of thousands of dirhams. They would do laborious tasks to give to charity and then came into possession of hundreds of thousands. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab az-zakah, Hadith 1416)
These are the blessings of sacrifice. This is the intricate point that the Holy Prophetsa advised us to adopt. This is what Allah the Almighty enjoins us to do in the Holy Quran, i.e., spend in the way of Allah out of that which is dear to you.
It is also mentioned in the narrations that the Holy Prophetsa would encourage the Companions to give charity, and the Companions would bring whatever they had in their homes, and form piles of various items. Hence, for the requirements of the Community, financial contributions, wealth and various items are required. Communities of the prophets have always understood this and made whatever sacrifices were within their means.
In relation to the immense blessings that exist in financial sacrifice, the Holy Prophetsa advised his sister-in-law Hazrat Asma’ra in one instance, “Do not keep count whilst spending in the way of Allah; otherwise, Allah will also give back whilst keeping count. Do not keep your purses tightly closed and sit with miserliness; otherwise, they will be kept closed. He stated that one should spend openly within their capacity and trust in Allah, He too will continue to reward.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab az-zakah, Hadith 1433)
On another occasion, the Holy Prophetsa stated, as related by Hazrat Abu Hurairahra, “Every morning two angels come down from Heaven, and one of them says, ‘O Allah! grant even more to the generous person who spends [in Your way], and bring about those who follow in their footsteps,’ and the other [angel] says, ‘O Allah! destroy the one who is miserly and his wealth and possessions.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab az-zakah, Hadith 1442)
In any case, today, it is the Ahmadis who understand this point. There are countless examples and the history of Ahmadiyyat is replete with them. This increases with each passing day as to the importance of one who gives generously [in the way of Allah].
A person wrote “I had only a small amount of money, with which I was going to do some business. I had to buy some important things. My circumstances were quite difficult, and I didn’t know whether it was possible to conduct this business or not. My father told me that I should give however much money I have as financial contributions and sacrifice it in the way of Allah Almighty. Thus, I gave it in chanda, and Allah the Almighty bestowed provisions in such a manner that I received an order which granted me an amount many times more than what I previously had. Then, I began to conduct business and Allah the Almighty put so many blessings in it, that I began to receive countless amounts of wealth.”
Thus, even in this age, Allah the Almighty continues to show such signs to those who have accepted the Promised Messiahas and are his true servants, in order to increase them in their faith. On numerous occasions, the Holy Prophetsa laid great emphasis on making financial sacrifice.
Hazrat Hassanra narrated that the Holy Prophetsa said in a hadith-e-qudsi, meaning he heard this from Allah the Almighty, and thus stated, “Allah the Almighty states, ‘O son of Adam, deposit your treasures with me and be at peace. Neither is there fear of fire touching you, nor is there danger of drowning in the water, or fear of a thief stealing. I will grant you the entire treasure entrusted to Me on the day you will require it most.’”
This refers to the life after one dies, when man has no knowledge of how he will be treated, nor does he know of his good deeds. At that time, Allah the Almighty says, “I will grant you the reward of your sacrifices, and through this, you will receive the means of forgiveness.” (Al-Jami li Shi’b al-Iman li al-Baihiqi, Vol. 5, Maktabah al-Rushd, Hadith 3071, p. 45)
This is the deal [as it were], that Allah the Almighty makes with a believer.
In one place, the Promised Messiahas states, “I truly believe that miserliness and faith cannot coexist in the same heart. A person who wholeheartedly believes in God Almighty does not consider their wealth to be confined to what is locked in their money chest, but rather considers all of God Almighty’s treasures as their own. Miserliness departs from them (meaning stinginess departs from him) just as darkness is dispelled by light.” (Majmu’ah-e-Ishtiharat [1989], Vol. 3, p. 498)
The Promised Messiahas then states:
“Members ought to serve this Movement in every possible way. There should also be no neglect in fulfilling financial obligations. Reflect, no movement in this world can proceed without financial contributions. The Holy Prophetsa, Prophet Mosesas, Prophet Jesusas; funds were collected during every prophet’s time. Therefore, members of our Jamaat must also remember this. Even if people were to regularly give just minimal amount throughout the year, much can be accomplished.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 6, pp. 38-39)
In this regard, observe the excellent example of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira; how he answered the call of the Promised Messiahas and made sacrifices in order to help fulfil his mission. The Promised Messiahas wrote regarding Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, “Had I permitted, he would have sacrificed everything in this cause in order to – much like his spiritual fellowship – fulfil the duty of physical fellowship and remaining in my company at all times.” Then the Promised Messiahas wrote, “I will relate a few lines from some of his letters by way of example.” Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I writes to the Promised Messiahas), “‘I am sacrificed in your cause. Whatever I have is not mine; it is yours. Honoured Leader and Guide! I submit humbly with absolute honesty that if my entire wealth and property were consumed in religious propagation, then I will have achieved my ultimate end. If the buyers of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya are agitated over the delay in the publishing of the book (meaning if there is a problem with publishing it due to a shortage of buyers or because they do not pay the amount), then please allow me to render this insignificant service of paying the entire amount and to also refund them their money from myself and to also give to you any income from it.’” He said this with great anguish [to the Promised Messiahas] that this would be an honour for him and in fact stated that “It is my desire to bear all the printing costs of Barahin.” (The Victory of Islam, pp. 31-32)
This was the standard of sacrifice of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira.
When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra established the Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid schemes, countless poor people came forward and began offering small amounts of money as financial contributions. Some brought chickens, while others brought eggs. And they would say, “We have sacrificed whatever he had.” And at that time, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra whilst mentioning the example of the sacrifices of these poor people, he would also give the example of some of the elders of the Jamaat.
In relation to this, he presented the example of Hazrat Dr Khalifa Rashiduddin Sahibra who was the father of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra’s first wife, i.e. Hazrat Umme Nasirra. Similarly, he was the grandfather of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes that when Hazrat Dr Khalifa Rashiduddin Sahibra heard of the Promised Messiah’sas claim from a friend, he immediately remarked, “The claimant of such a grand claim cannot be a liar.” Meaning he did not require any evidence. This claim was so grand, he did not require any other proof and accepted that he was indeed the Promised Messiahas. He swiftly pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiahas. The Promised Messiahas has included his name among his twelve disciples, and his financial contributions were so great that the Promised Messiahas gave him a written certificate saying that he had made so many financial sacrifices for the Community that he no longer needed to make any more sacrifices. Nonetheless, he kept offering financial sacrifices, but the Promised Messiahas had expressed his pleasure in this manner.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes, “I remember the era of the Promised Messiahas when a lawsuit was being filed against him in Gurdaspur for which he needed funds. The Promised Messiahas sent an appeal among Community members that their expenses were increasing. The Langar Khana was now in Qadian and Gurdaspur.” Due to the Promised Messiah’sas presence in Gurdaspur, people would come to visit him there as well, and food would also be served to them. The Promised Messiahas states, “In addition to this, there are other expenses being incurred by the ongoing lawsuits. Hence, our friends should turn their attention toward making financial contributions (meaning, offering financial sacrifices to meet the increasing burden). When this appeal of the Promised Messiahas reached Doctor Sahib, it so happened that on the same day, Doctor Sahib received his pay of approximately 450 rupees (which was a significant amount in those days). And he immediately sent the entire amount to the Promised Messiahas. A friend of Doctor Sahib advised that he take out some money to keep for his own household needs. Doctor Sahib replied, ‘If the Messiah of God writes that there is a need to serve the faith, then what other thing can I possibly keep the money for?’
“The point being that Doctor Sahib was so passionate to offer financial sacrifice for the sake of faith that the Promised Messiahas felt the need to stop him and say that now you do not need to make more financial sacrifices.” (Speeches of Jalsa Salana 1926, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 9, p. 23)
Hence, these were the shining examples shown by the companions of the Promised Messiahas. Then, such examples are also seen in the era of every Khilafat.
I will share a few more incidents from the lifetime of the Promised Messiahas. Hazrat Sufi Nabi Baksh Muhajirra Qadian, says, “Once I arrived at the annual convention [Jalsa Salana] and requested that I wish to say something to the Promised Messiahas privately. The Promised Messiahas allowed me to enter inside. It so happened that the entrance from which I came in stayed open, and so some others followed me inside as well.
I said to the Promised Messiahas that my father complains that he ensured that I receive an excellent higher education, yet I am not helping them since I have become employed. (His father had a complaint that despite providing him with a good education, he was not helping them financially. He says:) I said to the Promised Messiahas that my father says that I am not helping them despite him giving me a good education and my wife also says things like, ‘What of becoming an Ahmadi; all of my jewellery has been sold in this cause. He gives away everything we have in chanda.’”
Perhaps in order to fulfil the household expenses, they would sell the jewellery or she complained that they might one day need to sell the jewellery in case of a particular need.
He stated [to the Promised Messiahas], “My father and wife both complain.” Then he said to the Promised Messiahas, “Yet now that I’ve come here to Qadian, I see that for the sake of this mission, there are ardent devotees who sacrifice thousands of rupees in its way. Pray for me that that God Almighty doubles or triples my income so that I too may be able to serve you.”
After conveying the complaints [of his family members], he went on to submit before the Promised Messiahas that “when I see the shining examples of other people’s sacrifices, my heart yearns to give even more than this.” After this, God Almighty brought about the means by which he received a new job with higher pay in a different country. As a result, he was able to help with financial contributions and fulfil the needs of his family as well. (Register Riwayaat Sahaba, Register Number 15, Riwayat Hazrat Sufi Nabi Bakhsh Sahibra, p. 105)
Those pious souls, as a result of the spiritual influence of the Promised Messiahas, in his era, which was also a time of materialism, offered many sacrifices. And today, in a time when materialism is even more rampant than before, we still see such examples. People continue to spend in the way of God. The way that the poor used to sacrifice, we see examples of this even today. Sometimes the people of Africa send me their accounts. But before that, let me share some examples of those who were of meagre means from the time of the Promised Messiahas.
Hazrat Qazi Qamar-ud-Din Sahibra mentions an incident about Saain Deewan Shah Sahib. He says that he used to ask him, “Saain Sahib, is there a special reason that you go to Qadian?” He used to frequently visit Qadian and because Saain Sahib would go past Qazi Sahib’s village on the way, he would stay the night in his village. Qazi Sahib explains that Saain Deewan Shah was a resident of Narowal, and used to travel on foot to Qadian. This was a journey of many miles that he undertook from Narowal to Qadian. He explains that even if you use a shortcut, it still is a journey of approximately 100 miles that he used to make on foot.
So he explained that he asked Saain Sahib, “Is there any particular reason that you are making this journey repeatedly or is it just so that you can go and meet the Promised Messiahas.”
Saain Sahib responded, “I am a poor man. One reason is certainly a deep desire to meet the Promised Messiahas. The second reason is that I am poor and cannot make financial contributions of hundreds of thousands of rupees like those who are affluent do. So, I go there to make the beds of guests as my contribution.” Meaning that he would make the beds for free as a service instead “and in this way to remove the guilt that I carry around as a result of not being able to contribute financially. This service of making the beds gives me consolation. So I make the beds in the Langar Khana and find comfort in the fact that this is my financial contribution.” (Register Riwayaat Sahaba, Register Number 2, Riwayat Hazrat Qazi Qamar-ud-Din Sahibra, p. 96)
Such was the spirit that existed among the poor in those times. Even today, we observe how Allah the Almighty has instilled this spirit in people. People from distant countries where Ahmadiyyat was introduced just a few years ago have accepted Islam and joined the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. We witness remarkable displays of their eagerness for financial sacrifices. We see in them the same passion that existed fourteen hundred years ago. We observe in them the same spirit which was in those people whose examples were given by the Promised Messiahas in his time. And this is the spirit that has emerged today in the Ahmadiyya Community due to the rejuvenation of faith after accepting the Promised Messiahas.
The missionary from Marshall Islands wrote, “Ladri Isacc Sahiba is a devoted member who works tirelessly for the Jamaats Langar. She comes daily to serve and cook where meals are prepared twice a day. However, whenever she receives her salary, her first priority is to offer financial sacrifice on behalf of herself and her five grandchildren, and her contribution to Waqf-e-Jadid is the highest in the Jamaat.” The missionary says, “These are people whose homes are very modest and when you see them, the blessed words of the Promised Messiahas come to mind: ‘A God-fearing person can find true prosperity in a humble hut that a worldly person consumed by greed cannot find even in a magnificent palace.’”
Similarly, there is another lady, Loreen Sahiba, also from the Marshall Islands, who works in the Langar Khana of the Jamaat. The missionary says, “When I reminded them about the Waqf-e-Jadid contributions, noting that the year was ending and their contributions were less than the previous year, Loreen Sahiba came to the office after Friday prayers and presented her Waqf-e-Jadid contribution so they could meet or exceed the previous year’s target.”
The missionary from Kazakhstan, speaking about Ayaan Ibrayev’s contributions, says, “Ayaan Ibrayev Sahib once told me, ‘There was a time when I didn’t have money to buy bread. I had to borrow money for food and drink, and my wife worried about how we would survive. But even in those circumstances, I started paying my financial contributions, and even now my principle is that whenever I receive money, I pay my financial contributions first. Allah the Almighty has shown such remarkable favour to me that whenever I pay my contribution, He blesses me with better financial resources. Sometimes when my wife asks where this money came from, I tell her it’s all the blessing of giving chanda. Allah the Almighty doesn’t keep a loan, and He says, ‘When you spend wealth for My sake, I will give you even more,’ and Allah fulfils this promise.”
Near the city of Maroua in Cameroon, there is a jamaat where a member by the name of Muhammad Yusun Sahib, says, “I was very poor. I used to work on people’s farms, but after becoming an Ahmadi, I started offering financial contributions. Through the blessings of chanda, Allah the Almighty not only accepted my financial contributions but blessed me so much that I now own my own farm. This gives me satisfaction that Allah the Almighty has accepted it because He has blessed me countless times and granted me ownership of a farm, raising me from a laborer to an owner.”
There is a poor jamaat in Niger. Their missionary wrote about an Ahmadi, Lawali Sahib, who cultivates tiger nuts. He says, “I hadn’t told anyone, but I had intended in my heart to give one-tenth in financial contributions. After cultivation, there were excessive rains, and crops were at risk of being destroyed as they don’t need that much water. The neighbours’ crops were damaged and yielded very little, but Allah the Almighty put such a blessing in my crop that while others with larger lands got five or six bags of harvest, I received ten or even eleven bags from my fields.” In such conditions when crops fail, prices also increase and one can earn well in the market, but he didn’t give in to greed. He had made a promise in his heart to Allah the Almighty, not telling anyone, and for Allah’s sake, he was ready for sacrifice. According to his promise, he gave that eleventh bag which he had intended to give to the Community as financial contributions, and love of wealth didn’t overcome him.”
These are the examples of people who offer sacrifices we see in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat today, living in every country.
In a jamaat called Yurobowal in The Gambia, the local president received some money which he divided into two parts. One part he kept for financial contributions and the other for personal use. Unfortunately, he says, the money for personal use was lost. Now he only had the financial contribution money left which he could have used, but despite his need, he didn’t use the financial contributions money for personal expenses. Love of wealth didn’t overcome him, and he didn’t make excuses that since the other money was lost, he should use half of this. He said no, the money he had set aside for financial contributions would be paid as financial contributions, and he did so. Allah the Almighty’s doing was such that after some time, he found the lost money and his need was fulfilled. In such circumstances when there is need, surely the love of wealth increases, but people show extraordinary devotion that whatever promise they make to Allah the Almighty, they must fulfil it.
Then there is another incident where the need for money and love of wealth couldn’t overcome the spirit of sacrifice. In Niger’s Maradi region, there is a jamaat where Ahmad Sani Sahib regularly contributes to Waqf-e-Jadid. This year, due to floods in the region, crops were destroyed. It was thought that people wouldn’t be able to contribute much, but Sani Sahib said that although excessive rains and floods had destroyed the crops, he wouldn’t reduce his contribution because of this, and he actually gave more than his previous contributions.
Then, there is another account of giving precedence to making financial contributions despite having [personal] needs. There is a jamaat in Dibsu, Niger. There was little rainfall there and it had a very negative impact on the crops. There are places where there is too much rain and other areas where there is not enough rain. There are natural disasters, and the majority of our people and jamaats in Africa are in the villages. Furthermore, the political situation in those countries is very bad these days. There is a great deal of inflation and the local missionary says that in light of this, he was very worried about people not having enough money and he wondered how they would make financial contributions. However, when the people in the village were informed that the Waqf-e-Jadid year was coming to an end, a man there by the name of Shafi Aingo Sahib stood and said, “We offer financial contributions every year and there has never been a year in which Allah the Almighty did not give us more in return. Hence, Allah the Almighty rewards us through the blessings of financial contributions and we are economically stable. Despite straitened circumstances, we are fine and so we will not step back. We will offer financial contributions.” And they did exactly that. This is another instance of them not being overcome by the love for wealth.
There is a member from Tanzania named Ibrahim Sahib who says, “When I learned about the blessings of financial contributions, I designated an amount every month for financial sacrifices. Through its blessings, my work continued to increase and Allah the Almighty continued increasing my wealth.” He says, “Once, the local missionary encouraged me to make financial contributions and I had some money that I had reserved for some work that needed to be done (he had reserved that money for his business). However, when this appeal was made to me, I decided to give that amount as a financial contribution. The next day, I made a phone call to the seller from whom I was going to buy the goods, and I told him that I no longer had money and so I would not be able to take the goods from him, which I had intended to. Upon this, he told me that it was not a problem because someone had already paid half the amount for the goods I was going to buy and I could pay the remaining amount later on.” He says, “I do not know where half that payment was made from or who made that payment, and to this day I have not been able to understand how it happened.” And so there are times when Allah the Almighty renders help in such ways that one does not even realise.
There are also those to whom Allah the Almighty grants jobs as a result of their financial sacrifices. There is a young man who is originally from the Czech Republic who speaks about how Allah the Almighty teaches him the philosophy of financial sacrifice. He says, “I have been granted a new spiritual life through financial sacrifices. I see that my fellow students are gripped by worries while I am very much at ease. Whereas everyone is busy trying to save money, by the grace of God, I have developed the habit of sacrificing any wealth that comes into my possession in the way of God. My friends say that this is useless, but God is my witness that my life depends on this.” He says, “I was having difficulty finding a job in my field. By the grace of Allah, through the blessings of financial contributions, that difficulty was removed. I did not have a place to live, but Allah the Almighty arranged for it.” He says, “Before, my pockets would always be empty, but now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, my pockets are always full. I also offer financial contributions and then Allah the Almighty somehow fills [my pockets].”
The finance secretary from India writes, “There is a member whose [pledge for] Waqf-e-Jadid contribution was 24,000. Only a few days remained and he said that he had some of the amount; however, he needed the money for something important. I told him that it was the end of the Waqf-e-Jadid year and that he could decide whether he felt it best to offer the amount or do so later. He said that he would place his trust in Allah and he offered the money as a financial contribution. The very next day, he called me and said that he had a very large amount of money for his business that had been held up somewhere, which he received all of a sudden. Although it was not the full amount, he received 50,000 and the person who owed the remainder promised that he would pay it very soon.” See how Allah the Almighty said to this person that since he was abandoning the love for wealth for His sake and was trying to fulfil the needs of the Jamaat by abandoning his own personal needs, then He would help him. This is how Allah the Almighty renders help.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the expenditures of the Jamaat are as the Promised Messiahas said, that there has never been a prophet who did not make financial appeals for the sake of running the organisation of their Community. And in this way, in order to run the system of the Community, the Ahmadiyya Community must also make financial appeals. From all our missions established around the world, it is only Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid that comes to the central headquarters. Everything else is spent locally. However, people living in Africa are not very well off, despite which they make financial contributions; however, they have many expenses. There are mission houses and mosques that are operational. Currently, in Africa, there are 7,953 mosques that have been built while 306 are under construction. Similarly, plans are made every year for dozens of mosques. There are 1,860 mission houses that are operational; some are rented while others we own. There are 400 central missionaries who are working there and more than 2,000 local missionaries working there. Then there is Qadian, South American countries and islands which are funded by the headquarters as they cannot bear all their expenses. The running expenditures to meet the mission’s costs are very high. There are also expenses for distributing literature. Sometimes literature is sent from here [in the UK]. Most of that literature, aside from the larger books and even still some of the larger books as well are distributed for free; of course, smaller literature is free. Some literature is also published there. Allah the Almighty continues to bestow from His grace for us to bear these costs. Sometimes it is incomprehensible how there are such vast programmes and so many expenses, whereas the amount collected is not much. If the contributions made towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid which come to the central headquarters, are combined, it amounts to about 30-31 million pounds. However, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, just the annual grant that is given to 106 countries alone approximately comes out to the same amount. Then there are the Jamias, which cost millions for which grants are given. Millions are spent on MTA. Then there are the costs for the central headquarters. Allah the Almighty fulfils these expenses in such ways that cannot be comprehended. Sometimes the thought arises that perhaps the expenses have become too much, wondering how they will be met. However, by His grace, Allah the Almighty continues to fulfil those expenses and never allows for there to be any shortage. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, these missions are operational and are being worked on. Allah the Almighty told the Promised Messiahas that He would grant him wealth and Allah the Almighty is indeed bestowing that wealth. May Allah the Almighty always enable the Jamaat to utilise this wealth in the right way and spend it in the right way and may there never be any sort of irregularity in this regard.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“It is not possible for you to love wealth and also love God Almighty. You can only have love for one. Fortunate is the one who loves God. If one of you loves God and spends in His cause, I am certain that their 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 aside a portion of their wealth for the sake of God, will certainly have it returned to them. However, the one who loves wealth and does not render their service in the cause of God as required, will certainly lose that wealth.
“Do not believe that wealth is acquired through your own endeavours. On the contrary, it comes from God the Exalted. 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 His favour upon you that you were able to serve in this manner.
“I say truly that if you all were to leave me and do not extend any service or help to me, He will raise another people who will be ready to serve Him.
“Let it be known that this matter has been decreed from heaven, and whatever services you offer will be to your own benefit. Let it not be the case that you develop arrogance in your heart and assume that you are rendering a financial service or any other form of service. I say to you time and again that God Almighty is not in need of your help even in the slightest. Rather, He has bestowed His grace upon you by granting you an opportunity to serve.”(Majmu’ah-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, pp. 497-498)
Thus, this is the realisation, and the very thought the Promised Messiahas instilled within the Jamaat.
By the grace of Allah Almighty, even after the passage of one hundred and thirty-five years, this spirit continues to live on in the hearts of the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, including the youth and new converts. They continue to offer sacrifices, as I have narrated in some of the accounts, illustrating how they have understood the essence of this spirit – that Allah Almighty blesses their wealth, and for His sake, they remain ready to make every sacrifice. May Allah Almighty continue to bless their wealth and their lives.
Along with this, I will now present a report regarding the contributions made towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme for this year. This will provide insight into the extent of the sacrifices made by the Jamaat, by the grace of Allah Almighty.
By the grace of Allah, the sixty-seventh year of Waqf-e-Jadid concluded on December 31st, and the total financial contribution from the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community amounted to £13,608,000, approximately fourteen million pounds. This is an increase of £736,000 compared to last year, alhamdulillah. In terms of sacrifices, and the amounts contributed, the United Kingdom ranks first. There is very strong competition between the United Kingdom and Canada. Canada has also significantly increased its contributions, yet it remains behind the United Kingdom. Germany comes in third place, followed by the United States, India, Australia, a Jamaat in the Middle East, Indonesia, another Jamaat in the Middle East, and Belgium.
In terms of total contributions in Africa, the Jamaat of Ghana is first, followed by Mauritius. Burkina Faso ranks third and despite the challenging circumstances there, they continue to offer sacrifices. There are still several areas for which reports have not been received due to communication difficulties. Following these, we have Tanzania, Liberia, Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Benin, and Congo Kinshasa.
According to the reports received, the number of individuals who have joined the financial system of Waqf-e-Jadid has reached one million five hundred and fifty-one thousand. Despite the challenging circumstances, there has been an increase in the number of contributors compared to last year, including a notable rise among the people of Pakistan. Additionally, there has been an increase in contributions from Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and Congo Brazzaville.
Among the ten larger jamaats in the United Kingdom in terms of contribution, Farnham ranks first, followed by Worcester Park, Islamabad, Walsall, Aldershot South, Ash, Cheam South, Gillingham, Aldershot North, and Ewell.
In the top five regions, Islamabad ranks first, followed by Baitul Futuh, Midlands, Fazl Mosque, and Baitul Ehsan.
The Daftar Atfal within Waqf-e-Jadid has its separate record. Among the top ten jamaats in this are: Aldershot ranks first, followed by Aldershot North, Farnham, Ash, Aldershot South, Bordon, Cheam South, Islamabad, Roehampton Vale, Manchester North and Walsall.
Among the regions in Canada, in terms of contributions, Vaughan ranks first, followed by Calgary, Peace Village, Vancouver, Toronto West, Brampton East, and Toronto.
As for the top ten larger jamaats in Canada, Hamilton ranks first, followed by Edmonton West, Hamilton Mountain, Milton West, Bait-ur-Rahman Saskatoon, Durham West, Regina, Montreal West, Baitul Afiyat, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Airdrie, Lloydminster, and Newfoundland.
In the Daftar Atfal, the top regions are Vaughan, Toronto West, Vancouver, Peace Village, Calgary, Mississauga, Brampton East, Brampton West, and Toronto.
Among the jamaats within the Daftar Atfal, it is as follows: Durham West ranks first, followed by Hadiqa Ahmad, Bradford East, Montreal West, Milton East, Hamilton, Hamilton Mountain, Innisfil, Milton West, and Windsor.
The top five local regions in Germany are as follows: In first place is Hamburg, followed by Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Groß-Gerau and Riedstadt.
For the top ten jamaats (those mentioned before were imaraat): Rodgau, Nidda, Rödermark, Flörsheim, Neuwied, Koblenz, Weingarten, Pinneberg, Berlin and Neuss.
The top five regions for Daftar Atfal [in Germany]: In first place is Wiesbaden, followed by Hamburg, Hessen South East, Westfalen and Dietzenbach.
In the top ten jamaats of the USA: In first place is Maryland, followed by Los Angeles, North Virginia, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, South Virginia, and Houston.
The top ten jamaats for Daftar Atfal: In first place in Seattle, followed by Philadelphia, North Virginia, Georgia, Carolina, Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Oshkosh, Detroit and Maryland.
By the grace of Allah, the Pakistan Jamaat has also excelled in offering sacrifices. In first place is Lahore, Rabwah is second and Karachi is third.
The positions of the districts with respect to collection from adults are as follows: Islamabad stood first, Sialkot is second, and [then come] Faisalabad, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Umerkot, Multan, Hyderabad, and Mirpur Khas.
The top ten jamaats are as follows: Islamabad was first, followed by Township Lahore, Darul Zikr Lahore, Azizabad Karachi, Allama Iqbal Town Lahore, Samanabad Lahore, Baitul Fazl Faisalabad, Multan Town, Delhi Gate Lahore and Gujranwala town.
The top three Jamaats for Atfal are as follows: Lahore is first, Rabwah is second and Karachi is third. The district positions of Daftar Atfal are as follows: Islamabad is first, followed by Sialkot, Narowal, Umerkot, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Mirpur Khas, Gujrat, Hyderabad and Sheikhupura. There were also some other Majalis who made extraordinary efforts.
The top ten provinces in India are as follows: first place is Kerala, followed by Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
For the top ten jamaats [in India] in terms of collections, first place is Coimbatore, Qadian is 2nd, then Hyderabad, Calicut, Manjari, Bangalore, Melayapalayam, Calcutta, Kerrang and Karulai.
The top jamaats in Australia are Castle Hill, Melbourne Langwarrin, Marsden Park, Melbourne Clyde, Logan East, Melbourne Berwick, Penrith, Perth and Adelaide West.
Among adults, the jamaat standings in Australia are as follows: Melbourne Langwarrin, Marsden Park, Logan East, Melbourne Berwick, Melbourne Clyde, Penrith, Perth, Adelaide West and Blacktown.
The standings among Atfal are as follows: Melbourne Langwarrin, Perth, Plumpton, Adelaide South, Melbourne Clyde, Penrith, Melbourne West, Marsden Park, Brisbane Central and Melbourne Berwick. May Allah the Almighty abundantly bless the wealth and progeny of all those who contributed.
Also pray that the coming year, 2025, proves to be a year of blessings for the Jamaat. May Allah the Almighty protect the Jamaat from every evil. Extremist groups and their accomplices in Pakistan become enraged and violent from time to time. Owing to their opposition to the Jamaat and, in some cases, with the protection of the government, they perpetrate all forms of cruelties. Cemeteries are not safe, nor are people’s homes. May Allah the Almighty ensure the means of seizing these oppressors swiftly and may He keep Ahmadis in His protection. They have set their sights on Rabwah; may Allah keep it secure.
A short while ago, I reminded everyone to focus their attention towards Durood Sharif [invoking salutations on the Holy Prophet] and other prayers. Ahmadis in Pakistan should particularly recite them as well as every Ahmadi in the world.
Pray also for the Ahmadis in Bangladesh; may Allah the Almighty protect them from the evil of extremists. A new government has also come into power in Syria; may Allah protect Ahmadis from every form of mischief and ensure their safety. Similarly, there are other countries: there are countries in Africa; may Allah the Almighty keep Ahamdis in His protection.
It is the duty of every Ahmadi to pray fervently for this and for their own countries. Pakistanis residing abroad should pray for Pakistan. Pray for the world in general and the situation regarding the war. May Allah the Almighty protect every innocent and oppressed person from its detrimental consequences.
These people celebrate the new year with great zeal, with fireworks and sparklers, but every person only looks to their own happiness. They do not have sympathy for the pain of others. Powerful nations continue to perpetrate acts of cruelty on weaker people and weaker nations. In this new year, may Allah the Almighty destroy all the schemes of these powerful nations and may we see the Oneness of God established throughout the world. May Allah the Almighty enable us to achieve this.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 24 January 2025, pp. 1-8. Translated by The Review of Religions.)
