On Sunday, 26 November 2023, the national amila of Trinidad and Tobago had the blessed opportunity to meet Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa in a virtual mulaqat.
At the outset of the mulaqat, Huzooraa conveyed his salaam and asked if those seated before him were in the amila. Upon which Huzooraa was told that they were the amila members and there were also a few observers. Hearing this, Huzooraa smiled and said, “You are quite a big amila – executive committee.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then started the meeting with a silent prayer.
During the mulaqat, members of the national amila had the opportunity to introduce the departments and tasks they were given and provided a brief background of what had been accomplished.
Hassan Hussein Sahib was the first to present his report, in which he said he was serving as Naib Amir, Secretary Wasaya, and Auditor. Hearing this, Huzooraa smiled and said, “So, you are holding all the portfolios.” Huzooraa asked him how old he was, to which he replied that he would turn 70 in the coming days. Huzooraa said, “Masha-Allah! And, despite that [age], you have the potential to work in all these departments.”
Hassan Hussein Sahib reported that there were 21 musis: nine men and 12 women. “Your women are more active and pious than the men.” Then, alluding to the amila members seated, Huzooraa asked how many amila members are musis and asked them to raise their hands. “Apart from these amila members, you only have three other members who are musis,” Huzooraa said.
Alluding to the amila members, Huzooraa said that they should all do wasiyyat. “If they do wasiyyat, it means 33% of your earning members will be musis […]” Huzooraa added.
Then Huzooraa explained, “You should start from your home […] Your executive committee, or the amila members, should at least be musis. Their level of sacrifice and the standard of sacrifice should be much higher than the ordinary Jamaat member.” With regards to auditing, Hassan Hussein Sahib said that the jamaats’ accounts are checked on a monthly basis.
Shirazudin Muhammad Sahib, General Secretary, was next to report. Alluding to his office, Huzooraa reminded him that it was a very important office.
Shirazudin Muhammad Sahib reported that there were seven branches in Trinidad, with a total of 1200 Ahmadis. He added that he attends all majlis-e-amila meetings, takes and prepares the minutes, and works with Amir Sahib on the assignments given. Huzooraa asked if the jamaats send the monthly reports, to which Hassan Hussein Sahib said that they go to Amir Sahib. Huzooraa then explained that when “the reports come to Amir Sahib; Amir Sahib should mark those reports for you to go through the reports and to give comments on them. And, if necessary, give the reports of different departments to your various secretaries for them to comment on.”
Huzooraa emphasised, “Organise your system properly.”
Aman Muhammad Sahib reported that he was both the Secretary for the Talim department and the Tarbiyat department.
He reported that he was holding online classes. Hearing this, Huzooraa said, “You are confusing your Talim department with the auxiliary organisation’s Talim department. There is a difference,” Huzooraa explained, “between the Talim department of the Jamaat and the auxiliary organisations. Here, in the Jamaat, the Talim department’s job is to keep the data of all the students going to school, university, […] guide them, give them proper guidance; make a committee – form a committee for their counselling and guidance so that the Jamaat’s students can have a better opportunity to select their subjects, [so that] they are properly guided. This is the work of the Talim [department].”
Huzooraa added, “As a Tarbiyat Secretary, you can oversee all the work of all the Secretaries for Tarbiyat in various jamaats and see to it that [if] they are working properly or not, [and see] what their tarbiyat plan is.” Alluding to the Talim secretaries, Huzooraa added that they should be from among the young ones who are aware of the situation of students.
Huzooraa then asked if the amila was an elected amila or made according to the Amir’s desire. Huzooraa was told that the amila was elected. Thus, addressing Amir Sahib, Huzooraa said, “You don’t read the rules and regulations of the Jamaat? If you do, he should have known the responsibility of Secretary Talim. He doesn’t know. This is your fault. What are you doing here? You are a missionary, you are Amir, and you should guide them properly. You are not just representing Khalifatul Masih as a silent figurehead.”
Alluding to Secretary Tarbiyat, Huzooraa asked what his plan was. Aman Muhammad Sahib reported that his plan is to make everyone more aware of Jalsa functions: Promised Messiah Day, Musleh-e-Maud Day, Khilafat Day, and Seertun Nabi. “Also,” Huzooraa said, “see to it that how can you make an effort to increase the religious knowledge and the spiritual level of the Jamaat members.”
Huzooraa asked if there was no Secretary Talim-ul-Quran and Waqf-e-Arzi; to which Amir Sahib said that Aman Muhammad Sahib was the Secretary. Hearing this, Huzooraa said that he was holding three positions. “I don’t think you have a qeht-e-rijal there; lack of manpower, lack of potential. You have quite a good potential there. You should appoint different people for different posts,” Huzooraa explained.
Addressing the Amir, Huzooraa said, “Now you can see to it that, if needed, and just to efficiently carry out your work, you should appoint different people for different posts. And if the Jamaat has elected the same person for a different post, then you can ask the Centre: to get permission from me that: ‘Although the Jamaat has elected one person for a different post, we think that this person can be suitable for this purpose.’ And appoint someone else. If you have 1200 people in the Jamaat, then you should try to find more efficient people among the young ones so that you can train [them]. If the old people are not giving training to the young ones, then how will they take the responsibility?”
Safir Hussein Sahib, Secretary Finance, reported on various budgetary matters. Huzooraa asked if he was satisfied with the chanda of the members and what was being done to make it up to the mark. Safir Hussein Sahib replied that over the last few years, they had improved and were slowly moving up.
Huzooraa explained, “All the members, and especially those who have lucrative businesses, those who are well off, and those who are affluent people, should pay their chanda according to the prescribed rate. And they should know the importance of chanda, […] they should pay chanda to win the love of Allah the Almighty. That should be the main purpose of paying the chanda. Otherwise, I’m not afraid of getting money, and I’m not worried about how we shall run our affairs; Allah the Almighty will help us. But the thing is that we should put this important concept into the minds of the people – Ahmadis, those who are earning – that they should pay chanda to win the love of Allah and by giving sacrifice and paying chanda, Allah the Almighty will increase there income and also their spiritual level.”
Farhan Ogir said he was a member of the amila and Finance Committee, and reported that he was dealing with special projects of the Jamaat. Speaking to Secretary Waqf-e-Nau, Huzooraa asked him if he was a waqif-e-nau and also asked about his profession. The secretary replied in the affirmative and said he was an optometrist.
He reported that there were 14 waqifeen-e-nau [and waqifat-e-nau]: four of whom are over 18 years old, and the rest are children. Huzooraa asked if they had renewed their bond, to which the Secretary replied that he was not sure. Huzooraa said, “Why are you not sure? You are Secretary Waqf-e-Nau, you should know.”
Huzooraa went on to explain, “So, after having attained the age of 15 and above, children themselves should renew their bond; that they will continue [their waqf] or not.”
Alluding to the prescribed Waqf-e-Nau syllabus, Huzooraa asked, “Are you using that syllabus to train your children, to educate your waqifeen-e-nau?” And he asked how many classes were held every month. To this, Nasir Yaqub Sahib said that they were just initiating this. “So you are only trying to initiate: now that I have asked, this is why you are going to try to initiate it from now? For the last 40 years of this Waqf-e-Nau scheme, you didn’t do anything? What is the use of your being Secretary Waqf-e-Nau?”
Huzooraa then asked if he had pursued any of the Waqf-e-Nau members to join Jamia Ahmadiyya, to which Nasir Yaqub Sahib replied that he had not. Huzooraa asked him, “Have you ever consulted with them about their future plan?” Nasir Yaqub Sahib replied that he would plan to do this.
Mirza Ali Sahib, Secretary Tahrik-e-Jadid, reported that the majority of members are participating in the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme. Huzooraa, hearing this, said, “You should know the number. Try to work hard. Just holding the office is not important. The important thing is how you can improve your department.” Azad Shah Sahib, Sadr of Siparia Jamaat, reported that there were 75 members in Siparia, out of which 60% were active.
Riyad Din Sahib, Secretary Waqf-e-Jadid and Secretary for Jaidad, reported that all chanda paying members were participating in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. Hearing this, Huzooraa said, “All [members] should be the participants in this Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. Make a proper plan and include 100% of your members in the scheme of Waqf-e-Jadid.”
In light of his Jaidad duties, Riyad Din Sahib reported that they have seven mosques and four mission houses.
Abdul Noor Sahib, a missionary at Valencia and serving as the National Secretary for Tabligh, said he was originally from Haiti. He reported that in the last three years, there have been 5-7 new converts in his region alone. Huzooraa explained, “Ask all your Secretaries of Tabligh that they should work hard, make a proper tabligh plan, and get more bai‘ats.” Upon this, Abdul Noor Sahib said, Insha-Allah. Hearing this, Huzooraa smiled and said, “Now, insha-Allah should be Masha-Allah […] Allah helps those who work hard.”
Bashir Qwow, a missionary in Tobago, was next to report. Hearing his name, Huzooraa recognised that he was Ghanaian and asked when he came to Trinidad. He reported that he came in August after the UK Jalsa. Huzooraa asked if he was well-settled in Trinidad, to which he replied in the affirmative and said that Amir Sahib is helping with their work in Tobago. Huzooraa smiled and said, “Then you are a very lucky person; if he is helping you.”
Huzooraa asked how many Ahmadis were in the Tobago region, to which Bashir Qwow reported that there were no Ahmadis there before and added that since they had arrived, they had converted 8 people.
“No Ahmadi in Tobago? What has Amir Sahib been doing in the last 40 years, there?” Huzooraa asked. Huzooraa then addressed Amir Sahib and asked how long he had been there, to which Amir Sahib replied that he had been there for 35 years. “And during these 35 years, you couldn’t have even a single bai‘at.” Amir Sahib reported that they had some bai‘ats; however, they migrated to other countries.
Then, turning to the missionary, Huzooraa asked about the bai‘ats in the last three months, to which he replied that they had achieved eight bai‘ats. Hearing this, Huzooraa said, “Masha-Allah!”
Abdul Kaleem Sahib, a missionary serving in Tobago, reported that there were three missionaries in Tobago. Huzooraa asked why there were three, to which Amir Sahib said that they intended to send them to the Islands; however, he added that accommodation was the issue and that only one would remain behind in Tobago. Huzooraa said, “These missionaries should even [be happy to] live in a thatched house. I, myself, have lived in a thatched house; they can live – accommodation is not a problem.”
Huzooraa went on to say, “Whenever you make a plan, try to expedite it.”
Huzooraa then addressed Amir Sahib in Urdu and firmly admonished him to work diligently to achieve a transformative impact in Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaking with Naveed Ishaq Sahib, a Ghanaian missionary serving in Tobago, Huzooraa said, “There are only 65,000 people living in Tobago, so you should try to convert the whole habitation to Ahmadiyyat […] There are three missionaries there; you should bring about a revolution there.”
Huzooraa asked Yahya Yaqub Sahib, serving as Ziafat Secretary, if he had served breakfast to the amila members, to which he replied in the affirmative.
Asof Hussein Sahib, serving as Secretary of Media and Audio-Visual, reported that they made and sent a few programmes to MTA. Huzooraa said to him, “You should produce at least one programme every month – either a documentary or something like that. And, if it is up to the mark, it can be shown on MTA.”
Muhammad Yaqub Sahib said that he did not hold any office but he was attending the meeting after requesting Huzooraa. Huzooraa smiled and added, “You don’t hold any office, but you attend the meeting just to know the shortcomings of your amila members.” Then, the members of the Jamaat who were seated and observing had the opportunity to greet and converse with Huzooraa.
Speaking with one observer, Huzooraa asked if he had any children, to which he replied that he had one son, aged nine months. Huzooraa said, “Give him good training so that he becomes a good, staunch and strong Ahmadi.”
In the end, Huzooraa said, “I enjoyed the meeting with you. Although I think you might have some questions to ask, now the time is over, and whatever I wanted to say I have already said during my discussion with the office bearers. So, you should all follow the rules and regulations prescribed in your rules and regulations book and run your departments according to the instructions given in the book of rules and regulations. And try to become more active than before. And there should be some significant change in your efforts and in your work. Even Secretary Waqf-e-Nau is a young person and he doesn’t know about his duties. And, if he knows, he is not discharging it very well. So, it is the duty of the Amir Sahib to oversee all of these departments and check to it that all departments are being run properly by their secretaries and by the respective secretaries of the various jamaats as well. Allah the Almighty help you; Allah bless you. Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.”
Thereupon, the mulaqat came to an end.
(Prepared by Al Hakam)
