Friday Sermon
7 August 2020
Blessings of Allah upon the Jamaat since 2019 to 2020
After reciting Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verses 9-10 of Surah al-Saff, after which he commenced with the Friday Sermon:
يُرِيْدُوْنَ لِيُطْفِئُوْا نُوْرَ اللّٰهِ بِاَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللّٰهُ مُتِمُّ نُوْرِهٖ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ۔ هُوَ الَّذِيْ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهٗ بِالْهُدٰى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهٖ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُوْنَ
The translation of these verses is as follows:
“They desire to extinguish the light of Allah with [the breath] of their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, even if the disbelievers hate [it]. He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, even if those who associate partners [with God] hate [it].” (Surah as-Saff, Ch.61:V.9-10)
Today is 7 August and according to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK’s calendar, it was to be the first day of its Jalsa Salana[Annual Convention]. However, Jalsa Salana could not be held this year due to the pandemic that is spread across the world.
May Allah the Almighty quickly bring the situation back to normal so that we may hold the Jalsa in its traditional manner as we used to do. And may we increase the mutual love and brotherhood by meeting each other and may we gather the means of improving our intellectual and spiritual conditions by listening to the proceedings of the Jalsa Salana, just like we did before.
Nonetheless, MTA has tried to fill the void to some extent. They have devised a programme to broadcast my addresses of the previous year that were delivered at the Jalsa Salanas of various countries. Likewise, some live programmes will also be broadcast.
It is hoped that, insha-Allah, they will help quench the thirst to acquire religious and intellectual knowledge of members of the Community. Hence, you should especially watch these programmes at home over the three days.
Moreover, with regard to the blessings of Allah the Almighty that He bestowed upon the Community over the past year, instead of broadcasting last year’s report, I shall present this year’s latest report on MTA, so that it becomes a means of increasing the faith of members of the Community.
Owing to the current circumstances that have been prevalent over the past six to seven months, some of the activities [of the Community], which require one to go outdoors for them to be carried out more effectively, were not possible. Nonetheless, the Community has still made progress by the grace of Allah the Almighty and many of the people have especially written to me that a significant change has occurred in regard to tarbiyat[moral training]and their connection to the Community. Many have written in this regard that their, as well as their children’s, attachment with the Community has improved.
In any case, as I mentioned, I will be presenting the report.
In previous years, due to the lack of time, I have not been able to present the full report, which I usually deliver on the second day of Jalsa. Since I have an opportunity this time, I decided to present a part of that report during the Friday Sermon as well and a part of the report will be broadcast live from a programme to be held in the hall here on Sunday evening. Although I may not be able to present the report in its entirety during today’s sermon, nor during the address being delivered at the event on the day after tomorrow, but some faith-inspiring incidents will certainly be narrated, insha-Allah.
Before presenting the various aspects of this report, I will present two extracts of the Promised Messiahas, which shed some light on the verses that I have just recited. Similarly, the clear and categorical proclamation of the Promised Messiahas becomes evidently clear that now, during the era of the revival of Islam, the propagation of Islam is most certainly associated with the Promised Messiahas. Despite all opposition, this Community of his will most certainly grow, flourish and spread, insha-Allah, for this is the promise of Allah the Almighty.
Furthermore, the report and the accounts that I will present testify to the fact that the claim of the Promised Messiahas was not merely a claim, but that the help and succour of Allah the Almighty is with the Promised Messiahas and his Community and there is no worldly power that can stop its progress.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“A period of approximately 20 years has passed since I received a revelation containing the following verse of the Holy Quran:
هُوَ الَّذِيْ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهٗ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهٖ
“‘He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over every other religion.’”
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“The meaning of this revelation that was explained to me is that I have been sent by God Almighty so that Islam prevails over all other religions through my hands. Here, it should be remembered that this is a magnificent prophecy of the Holy Quran, regarding which the scholars have agreed upon that this will be fulfilled through the Promised Messiah. Hence, none of the auliya and abdal [religious saints and righteous individuals] that have passed before me claimed that this prophecy was fulfilled through them, nor did they claim that this revelation of the aforementioned verse was revealed to them in their favour. However, when the time of my advent arrived, I received this revelation and I was told that I am the fulfilment of this verse and that the superiority of Islam over all other religions will be proven through me and during my time.” (Tiryaq-ul-Quloob, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 15, pp. 231-232 [footnote])
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“It is only Islam which is a living religion. It is always manifesting the season of spring wherein its trees grow and flourish and produce sweet and pleasant fruit. No other religion except for Islam possesses this quality. If this quality was to be taken away, it too would be devoid of life. However, this is not the case. Islam is a living religion. Allah the Almighty has presented its living proofs in every era. Hence, even during this era, He has established this Community through His grace so that it may bear witness to the fact that Islam is a living religion, so that [people’s] understanding and comprehension of God increases and so that such a certainty and conviction in His Being is developed that does away with sin and impurity and which spreads virtue and purity.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 9, pp. 154-155 [1984 Edition])
After these quotes of the Promised Messiahas, I will now present some aspects of the report.
This year, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, aside from Pakistan, 288 new jamaats [local chapters] were established around the world. In addition to these new jamaats, the Jamaat was also established in 1,000 new places, as a matter of fact, the exact number is 1,040 new places.
With regard to establishing the Jamaat in new areas, Sierra Leone is at the top of the list where 40 new jamaats were established. Following this is Congo Kinshasa where 31 jamaats were established. In third place is Ghana where 23 new jamaats were established and there are many other countries where 10 or 12, eight or nine, or even two or three jamaats were established, such as The Gambia, Liberia, Benin, Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Tanzania, Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, Togo, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cameroon, Turkey, Congo Brazzaville, Uganda and many other countries.
Our muallim [local missionary] from Congo Kinshasa, Hameed Ahmad, says:
“When the Sunni Imam of the village of Lobi Tshaku, Uthman Sahib, heard our programme on Radio FM, in which we preached the true message of Islam, he came to our mosque and asked us numerous questions. Upon this, satisfactory answers to his questions were provided. Furthermore, he was also given the Swahili translation of the Holy Quran produced by the Jamaat as well as other literature of the Jamaat. After reading these books, he performed the Bai‘at [oath of initiation] by the grace of Allah and promised that he would return to his village and convey to them the message of the Jamaat. By the grace of Allah, as a result of his preaching, a new jamaat comprising of 20 sincere individuals has been established in this village.”
The amir [national president] of The Gambia writes:
“During the month of Ramadan, the muallim and the sadr [local president] of the jamaat in a particular region organised a programme for tabligh [the propagation of the true message of Islam]. As part of their tabligh, they went to a village. After the programme, an elder of the village said, ‘I am very glad that you came here because this work of tabligh of yours is in accordance with the tradition of the Holy Prophetsa. You are acting in accordance with this tradition. The Holy Prophetsa also migrated towards Medina for this very purpose.’ (People from Africa have their own unique way of presenting examples.) He further gave the example, ‘The Holy Prophetsa migrated from Mecca to Medina so that Islam could spread. Similarly, you have also left your homes and are propagating Islam everywhere. This is the tradition and the correct way to propagate Islam and we welcome you. Furthermore, the teachings that you presented of the Imam Mahdias are the true teachings of Islam. All of us believe and accept Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as the Imam Mahdi, who was prophesied by the Holy Prophetsa.’ By the grace of Allah the Almighty, two families, consisting a total of 19 individuals performed the Bai‘at and entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat.”
The amir of Liberia writes:
“Our missionary mentioned the importance of making financial sacrifices in relation to Tahrik-e-Jadid during his Friday sermon. Some non-Ahmadi Muslims also attend the mosque in order to offer their prayers. When the Ahmadis were writing their names [with their contributions], an individual came and gave 50 Liberian dollars and left without saying a word. We found out that he lived in the neighbouring village. And when he heard the sermon and heard the accounts of sacrifices and their importance, it had such an impact upon him that he also made a contribution towards Chanda.
“When our muallim came to know of this, he went to visit him and thanked him. While he was meeting him, other individuals from the village gathered around as well and when they heard their discussion, they were also greatly impressed, including the Imam of that area. The imam of the area said that they should come back in two or three days and he would gather two or three villages together and they should preach to them. Hence, our tabligh team went there on the appointed date. People from all three villages had gathered there and were informed about the beliefs of the Jamaat. They were informed in detail of the purpose of its establishment. He says that this was followed by questions and answers, which lasted for the entire day. When they were satisfied in every respect, the imams of all three villages, along with all the people, announced that they would join Ahmadiyyat. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, jamaats were established in all three villages.”
The missionary of the Jamaat in Liberia writes that he went to a village, Kulangor, on a Friday in order to do tabligh. He reached there approximately two hours before the Friday prayer. During their initial discussion, he found out that people do not offer the Friday prayer in their own mosque, but instead, it is offered in a mosque in a larger village nearby and only two or three individuals from this village attend the Friday prayer. The rest of the village, despite being Muslim, remains deprived of the blessings of the Friday prayer. When he asked for the reason, the people of the village told him that the senior imam told them that it is essential to slaughter three goats before starting the Friday prayer in the mosque. Once these had been slaughtered and the meat reached the imam, he would then appoint another imam to lead the Friday prayer.
The missionary tried his best to explain to them that this was incorrect and that there was no such condition in Islam. He told them of the blessings of the Friday prayer and said to them that he will lead the Friday prayer without having any goats slaughtered. Since they were from the village and they can be somewhat superstitious and do not have a lot of religious knowledge, they became very afraid and scared lest they were disobeying their maulvi [Muslim cleric] and thus committing a sin and incurring punishment because the maulvi had been warning them. Nevertheless, upon insisting them further, they eventually agreed.
The Friday prayer was offered and all of the people joined the prayer. Following the Friday prayer, a detailed introduction to the Jamaat was given and a question and answer session was also held. People were also fearful of the fact that they may be reprimanded by the chief Imam. And so, the missionary said to them that if anyone asked as to why they had offered the Friday prayer, then they should simply ask in return where it was written that goats must be slaughtered before offering the Friday prayer. When the maulvi came to know that the Friday prayer had already been offered, he went there himself to enquire what had happened and became enraged. The people of the village asked to be shown where it was mentioned that goats must be slaughtered before offering the Friday prayer and three goats at that. Afterwards, our local missionary taught a person from the village how to lead the Friday prayer. Now, the Friday prayer is offered there regularly and people have left that maulvi and have decided that the true Islam is that which has been taught to them by the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and not what the maulvis tell them. By the grace of Allah, most of them entered the fold of the Jamaat and a new jamaat was established here.
These people have introduced completely bizarre innovations in the name of religion and consequently lead the innocent astray.
A missionary from the Philippines writes that the area of Saluping is infamous for extremist Muslims and the Tablighi Jamaat are quite active there. The in-laws of one of our muallims also live there. When the muallim preached to his in-laws and received a positive response, a tabligh programme was organised there at a national level, whereby a team of three muallims and three da ‘iyan [those appointed with the task of tabligh] were sent to the area for a week. They were faced with opposition from the local Muslims, as is usually the case. However, despite this opposition, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, 23 people peformed the Bai‘at and entered the Jamaat.
The amir of Senegal writes:
“A delegation of ours for the propagation of Islam visited a town in the region of Tambacounda. Upon arriving, they found that there were already two sects present, the Tijaniyyah and Mouridiyyah, between whom was a dispute. The local imam said to one of the members in our delegation, ‘Neither of the two sects is on the path of truth. We remain waiting as we have heard that a true imam is yet to come and thus, we will accept him.’
“Our team preached to them and also held question and answer sessions. They also had a book with them by Maulana Nazir Mubashar Sahib titled Al Qualus Sareeh fi Zuhooril Mahdi wal Masih as well as the Qa‘idah Yassarnal Quran [guidebook for the correct recitation of the Holy Quran]. The imam of the area bought both of these books, and after preaching, the delegation returned.
“After two days, the imam called and invited them back saying that they needed copies of the Holy Quran translated in the Mandinka language and asked for them to be sent. When our delegation went back, the imam said to them, ‘The religion we were waiting for is Ahmadiyyat, because I have read your literature and have read the Holy Quran in my own language.’ In this way, the entire village entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat and a new Jamaat was established. They were given the Yassarnal Quran and were also given copies of the Holy Quran so that they may be taught to recite the Holy Quran.”
The amir of Guatemala writes:
“There is a town 10 kilometres from the city of Coban, where, in the past year, Ahmadiyyat was introduced for the first time. Two visits were conducted during which the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat was conveyed and they were also invited to attend the Jalsa Salana of Guatemala. Three people from a family there attended the Jalsa Salana in Guatemala where they did Bai‘at and joined the Jamaat. Thus, a new jamaat was established there and this family is now propagating the message of Ahmadiyyat to other families.”
The amir of Senegal writes that in 10 areas within a region, a weekly hour-long radio programme is conducted by the local muallims and missionaries, which is followed by my sermon that is relayed for an hour. This is a vital source of tabligh; people call into these programmes and ask questions. By this means, the seed of Ahmadiyyat has been sown in 20 villages. Not only are people inclined towards Ahmadiyyat, but they themselves call them and invite them to their homes.
A missionary from Kababir writes:
“By the grace of Allah the Almighty, Ahmadis have been residing in a city in southern Palestine, however there had not been an official Jamaat there. By the grace of Allah, during this year, a Jamaat was officially established in Al-Khalil, which is the city of Prophet Abrahamas. Also, the graves of Prophet Abrahamas, Prophet Isaacas and Prophet Jacobas and their wives are situated here. This is an old, historic city. There are 27 Ahmadis who live in this city and in the nearby villages. One Ahmadi has also given a portion of his home to be used as a mosque and prayers are offered there.”
Establishment of new mosques and mosques acquired by the Jamaat.By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the total number [of new mosques and mosques acquired by the Jamaat] is 217, of which 124 are mosques that were built and 93 were existing buildings that were acquired. The countries included in this are the UK, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Benin, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Uganda, Mali, Congo Kinshasa, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea-Conakry, Togo, Chad, Zambia, Australia etc. God Almighty has granted us mosques in many countries of the world spread across four continents.
After a period of 31 years, a second mosque was built in Guatemala. The first mosque, called Baitul Awwal, was built in 1989. Thus, after 31 years, this second mosque was built in Coban, named Masjid Nur. The message of Ahmadiyyat reached this area in 2015. It is 328 kilometres away from our headquarters in Guatemala, of which 70 kilometres span a mountainous area and the road is not paved; it is narrow and very dangerous. The foundation for the mosque was laid in December 2019. After this, by the grace of Allah Almighty, the decree of God manifested in such a manner that construction of a road began; and now, by the grace of Allah Almighty, this distance of 70 kilometres has greatly improved and there is further development taking place on the road. This mosque has the capacity of 170 worshippers; a minaret has also been built, the height of which is eight and a half meters high. A two-storey mission house has also been built and there is a library and office on the ground floor and on the upper level, a residence has been built, along with a Jamaat kitchen, washrooms for men and women etc. It has all those facilities that are normally present in our mosques. Since it is situated on an elevated location, it can be seen from a distance.
This year, the Kristiansand Jamaat in Norway purchased a church building to convert as a mosque. In 2017, a building which had served as a company office had been purchased where prayers and various programmes were held. When the work of planning and creating blueprints for a mosque started and was presented before the council, the surrounding residents opposed the idea and this opposition was widely mentioned in newspapers. This process continued for about two years and opposition continued. Among the neighbours nearby, there was also a church and the people from the church also strongly opposed the idea of building a mosque. However, the decree of God prevailed in such a manner, that the organisers of the same church who opposed us could no longer bear the expenses of the church and they decided to sell it. When they informed the council that they wished to sell the church, the council advised them to contact the Jamaat as it was possible they might buy the church. Thus, they contacted our missionary, upon which a full assessment was done and they presented the report to me. Upon my approval, the church building was bought, which was to be converted as a mosque and this year, on 25 February, the keys to the church were handed over. This was the same church that opposed the building of a mosque in that area and now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the same church has been turned into a mosque, which has been named Masjid Maryam. The total cost of this mosque, including the council fees, is about 10 million Norwegian Krones.
The first mosque of the Jamaat in Malawi was built in Mwala, in the district of Mangochi. The amir of Tanzania writes that the people of the area were taken into confidence and consulted about the project and everyone was happy with the idea of a mosque to be constructed in their village. However some mischievous people raided the area and stole the construction equipment. Due to this, at the behest of the police, construction was halted for a few days.
When construction resumed, the people of the village were informed of the grave state of affairs, and that they should stand united for [the mosque’s] protection. They were informed so that such an incident would not take place again in future. They unanimously said that indeed, the mosque was nothing short of a blessing for their village and they affirmed that they would stand united in ensuring that this mosque was constructed without any negative event taking place. In this way, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, members of the Jamaat in the area also increased their tabligh contacts and made people aware of Ahmadiyyat’s teachings of peace and love, which are the true teachings of Islam. When the construction of the mosque was completed and the opening ceremony was held, approximately 450 people attended, which included chiefs from about 13 zones. The police inspector was also present along with imams from other mosques. On this occasion, guests from outside the Jamaat openly expressed that they had been misinformed that Ahmadis were not Muslims and that they had a different way of worship from other Muslims. However, having attended the event, they were now convinced that not only are Ahmadis Muslims, but they also enjoin other Muslims to live peacefully. Thus, as a result of various programmes, three villages from this area totalling more than a thousand people performed the Bai‘at and entered the fold of the Jamaat, which also included the chiefs of various zones.
Masjid Baitul Afiyat of Mexico is located in the capital Mexico City, where a building was initially purchased as a Salat centre. This is the first property purchased by the Mexico Jamaat. This is a three-storey building; the ground floor has been turned into a mosque, where there is a prayer hall for men and women, along with a library and Jamaat office and other rooms used for various classes. On the second floor is the residence of the missionary and the third floor will be used later as needed.
There are mosques under construction in Belize and various other places; insha-Allah these will also be completed soon. At this time, I am not mentioning those mosques that are under construction or are near completion.
The amir of Mali writes that the Diema jamaat is located three kilometres away from their headquarters in Bamako. Construction of a mosque began there four years ago and when it was in its final stages – the minaret and some finishing remained – the chief of the village sent a message saying that the construction should be stopped. Due to opposition, people relayed false information to the chief and the mayor of the village. Thus, construction was halted and efforts were made for three years to restart the construction.
Finally, after three years and repeatedly trying to convince the chief, permission was granted for the mosque. The chief commended the fact that for three years, they remained patient, despite the fact that they could have used their higher connections to build the mosque there. He gave the example of the Wahhabis who had also been stopped [from building a mosque], but they used their connections to have the mosque built. He said that the Ahmadis could have done this as well, but he greatly respected the manner in which they showed patience. The chief of the village and his deputies repeatedly sought forgiveness for granting permission so late and they said that they had unanimously agreed to see to it that the mosque was now completed so that Ahmadis could begin to offer prayers in it. Now, by the grace of Allah, prayers are regularly offered in this mosque.
The amir of Tanzania writes that by the grace of Allah, this year, they had the honour of building mosques in two jamaats in one of its regions. Prior to the construction of these mosques, Sunni clerics would come from a nearby village and sway the people away by claiming that the Ahmadiyya Community was small and did not have the capacity to build mosques. They also claimed that they had built two mosques previously in nearby villages so those were enough for them and they would not be able to construct any more. However, when the construction of the mosques began in that village, they [the clerics] were left amazed, saying that it seemed that the Ahmadis possessed some special powers to be able to build such beautiful mosques in such a short space of time. They even stated that they were not even able to put up a tent in which they could offer their prayers! Then the clerics began using other tactics. They began spreading fear among the people that they should avoid the Ahmadis as they intend to take control of the entire area and employ other means as well in addition to constructing mosques. However, the people did not pay any attention to them.
The missionary of Burkina Faso writes:
“Every single member of the Kari jamaat – where the mosque was being built – was participating with great zeal towards its construction and the people were being encouraged to take part in giving alms. Each and every person was taking part in this good deed in their own way. One day, two elderly Ahmadis came, having brought two chickens and some eggs. They said, ‘This is all we have, two chickens and these eggs, so accept them as our donation towards the mosque construction so that we also partake of this pious work.’ Hence, the muallim handed them their receipt [for their contribution].”
A century later, the poor people of Africa are upholding the tradition which was established by the poor people of Qadian 80, 90 or even 100 years ago from today. Thus, if one was to look at this rationally and had a virtuous disposition, they would realise themselves that this is nothing other than the truth whereby God Almighty Himself is instilling in the hearts of the people the ways in which they are to offer sacrifices.
Ahmad Sahib, a muallim of the Iringa region of Tanzania writes:
“In April 2020, I went with some Khuddam to a nearby village. Having attained permission from the local government, we held a tabligh lecture from 1pm to 6pm, after which we answered the questions of the audience. At the end of the programme, a 72-year old woman named Haleema Sahiba, who had come with a file in her hand, said, ‘I am a Muslim and have lived here for a very long time. I have never witnessed anybody come here to preach Islam.’ She then handed the file to the muallim and said, ‘These are the papers for the plot of land to my residence, this is the registration to it etc. When your Community is established here and you wish to build a mosque, my plot of land is available. I hand this property to you.’ The construction of the mosque has now begun there through the waqar-e-amal [voluntary work] of the local members, they have made the bricked structure, etc. and among those working on this is the son of that elderly woman.”
This is how God Almighty instils this passion in the hearts of the fortunate, who come forward to offer their help.
Zainab Sahiba of Kari, Burkina Faso says:
“After passing my BA exam, I was taking tests for two years to become a nurse, but I was not able to succeed in doing so. So my husband and I began saving money towards gaining entry to a private nursing school and in the meanwhile, I was still sitting for the tests, but with little hope of actually gaining admission. At the same time, there was a scheme to give donations towards the construction of the mosque in Kari, so we donated the amount of money we had saved towards our education and for some time, abandoned the thought of admission. Two weeks had not yet passed when I received a phone call from the health department that I had been directly selected and that all my educational finances would be covered by the government.”
This is how God Almighty enables people to increase in their faith.
By the grace of Allah, this year, 97 new mission houses have been established and Ghana is at the forefront in the list this year, followed by Indonesia, India, Sierra Leone, Congo Kinshasa, Congo-Brazzaville, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali. There are many other countries apart from these, such as Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Canada, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Macedonia, Malawi, Norway, Sao Tome, Tonga and Turkey.
The muallim of the Simiyu region of Tanzania writes:
“This year, the mosque and mission house were built in a jamaat which was established last year. In that time, a Christian priest asked, ‘Who is the house being built for?’ He was told that it was for the residence of the Community’s muallim. He was astonished at this and said, ‘For there were six churches in the village and most of the denominations resided in this village for a long time, yet not a single one of them has had the fortune of building a residence for their priests.’ He further said, ‘You people honour your religious leaders and act completely in accordance with your motto of “Love for all, hatred for none”, and others should also follow this example.’”
One of the outstanding qualities of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is waqar-e-amal [voluntary labour work]. According to reports received from 148 countries, this year, with regard to mosques and mission houses built and other works undertaken, such as in the African countries, a total of 41,111 sessions of waqar-e-amal were held in 114 countries, which saved a sum of 5,213,000 US dollars. Now if we look at the expenditure of a mosque built in Africa, due to the money saved from the waqar-e-amal carried out, God Almighty has enabled the Community to construct approximately ten further mosques. This is how God Almighty is also blessing our wealth.
Central representatives have been on tours in many countries around the world. There are quite lengthy details [of their accounts], so I shall leave them, but in any case, by the grace of Allah, there has been a very positive effect of these tours.
A lot of work is being carried out in Africa through the central Raqeem Press here in the UK. This year, the number of books printed in the Raqeem Press in Farnham was 360,240. Apart from that, Mawazna-e-Mazahib, Al-Nusrat, Waqf-e-Nau Maryam and Ismael magazines [are printed]. Furthermore, the press also produced pamphlets, leaflets and provides stationery for Jamaat offices.
The Holy Quran, which is in the Manzoor Script and is a similar script to that of the Yassarnal Quran, was also printed this year. Work was being done on this for the last six to seven years under the supervision of the Qadian Jamaat and Nazarat-e-Ishaat in Qadian played a huge role in this regard, whereby we could have our own font in the Khatt-e-Manzoor style. Alhamdolillah [all praise belongs to Allah] a very beautiful and attractive Quran was published with this script. The borders are colourful and the binding is very beautiful.
Based on the total number of copies that were received by UK and the rate at which they are selling, it is expected that we will publish the second edition very quickly. The outside cover, the writing inside, the paper and especially the binding is of very high quality. Just as I have mentioned, the script is in the style of script in Yassarnal Quran. This is known as the Khatt-e-Manzoor, which is an exclusive script of the Ahmadiyya Community, and is not found elsewhere and is very easy to read.
As I have said, a great effort was made towards this by the Nazarat-e-Ishaat of Qadian, India. Likewise, Mehmet Sahib of Turkey offered a lot of help to the Raqeem Press here in order to publish this. In future, insha-Allah, the Qurans with translation will be published with this script and font. Similarly, the Quran with the translation of Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali Sahibra is also being prepared with the Khatt-e-Manzoor script.
Insha-Allah, it shall be sent for print very soon. Likewise, the same style shall be applied to the word-by-word translation of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaq Sahibra, so this too is being prepared. The more obstacles that are placed in our path in publishing the Quran in Pakistan, the more avenues God Almighty opens for us.
Under the supervision of the Raqeem Press in the UK, there are eight functioning presses in African countries, namely in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Burkina Faso and Benin. Machinery and equipment have also been given to them. They have printed over 612,000 books. In addition to this, there are also magazines, newspapers, literature, leaflets etc. the printing of which numbers more than 9,485,000.
In The Gambia, at this moment, apart from other private projects, the government has given a large order of pamphlets containing some precautionary steps for raising awareness about Covid-19 etc. for the ministry of health. Seeing as the other presses were closed down, the government made contact with ours and asked to print these. Hence, they were supported in this matter.
Regarding the publishing work of Wakalat-e-Ishaat (printing/publishing), according to reports received from 93 countries, 407 different books, pamphlets and folders etc. in 42 different languages were published, the number of copies of which was 4,256,659. There is a long list of countries included in this.
Publishing of Jamaat magazines across various countries in the world at a local level: 94 newspapers and magazines consisting of educational topics and for moral training are now being published around the world in 29 different languages.
Report of Wakalat-e-Ishaat Tarseel [dispatch]: Tarseel[dispatch] is a different department from Wakalat-e-Ishaat. Over 190,000 books in 24 different languages were despatched from here [UK] to different countries around the world. In addition to this, 709 different books, folders and pamphlets consisting of different topics, numbering 6,387,000, were handed out in different countries for free and through them, the message was conveyed to millions of people.
Wakalat-e-Tasnif UK:This year the revision of the Italian translation of the Holy Quran was completed and the file has been sent for printing. Also, this year, the 11 volumes of the translation and commentary of Sahih Bukhari were translated in the UK. The English translation of the Promised Messiah’sas book, I‘jaz-e-Ahmadi was also published this year. The work on English translations of Itmam-ul-Hujjah and Jang-e-Muqaddas is also complete. Insha-Allah, these books will quickly be sent to print.
Aside from volume 10, all 22 other volumes of Ruhani Khazain are being published here and the 10th volume shall also be published here soon, insha-Allah. And I hope that all 23 volumes will be prepared here soon.
During 2019-2020, according to reports received from 36 countries and eight Desks, 154 books and folders were prepared in 33 languages, among which are English, Spanish, Latvian, Luganda, Persian, German, Burmese, French, Hausa, Arabic, Swahili, Indonesian, Urdu, Chinese, Burundi [Kirundi], Mandinka, Macedonian, Tongan, Portuguese, Hebrew, Dutch, Croatian, Fula, Bemba, Lozi, Albanian, Russian, Bangla, Yoruba, Wolof, Nyanja, Thai, Norwegian etc.
Sergei Dimitri Sahib from Ukraine was not an Ahmadi when he came to attend the Jalsa last year, but during the International Bai‘at ceremony, he pledged allegiance. He is an excellent analyst and a scholar of religion. When he came here and met me, I told him that since he is highly educated, he ought to study The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam and give his remarks [about the book]. He states, “When I returned home, I began reading the book and completed the entire reading in one sitting.” He further states, “Having studied this book, I realised that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadianias was not only a religious leader, but also an incredible scholar of religion.” He says, “Throughout my life, I have reviewed countless books, but I have never felt as if I have learnt something new. However, after studying The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, my knowledge has increased greatly. I write my review on this book not only from an intellectual point of view, but I write it having experienced this book from the depths of my heart and soul.”
He further writes:
“The Promised Messiahas spoke in detail about the revival of Islam and the reformation of the Muslim Ummah. Undoubtedly, the revival of any faith is an important matter. In this regard, if we ponder over the Middle Ages, we learn that prior to the revival of Christianity in Europe, the condition of faith and conviction among the Christians was in a very dire state. Likewise, this too was the condition of the Muslims prior to the advent of the Promised Messiahas.”
He then says, “I especially liked the part in which [the Promised Messiahas] explained the part about man’s natural and moral states. It is vital for us to understand the true purpose of our existence and learn about God’s creation and grant it due respect. Similarly, we ought to understand morality and its true essence. We often forget that in this current age, the means which lead one away from truth have increased greatly. For this reason, it is vital that we show respect and value the creation of God.”
He further says that whilst reading this book, he recalled the words of my concluding address in which I stated that the Promised Messiahas spoke about the erroneous beliefs held by the Islamic world and also reformed members of his Jamaat. With reference to my address, he states that can still recall those words. He further states, “When everyone of us will ensure there is reform in their homes, in their surroundings and their country, they will then reach that standard whereby they can reform the spiritual condition of the world.” He then says, “Having explained the natural and moral states of man, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadianias has opened up a new chapter in the study of religions. In my view, the Promised Messiahas is the first person to use this terminology and explained them in an outstanding and spiritual manner.”
He then states, “In my capacity, as an expert in philosophy and religion, I was truly delighted when I studied this book. Thus, it is my advice that the Ahmadiyya Jamaat ought to publish this in great numbers and also ensure that it is translated into various languages so that more and more people can learn about religion, faith and true piety.”
A professor in Nepal was given the book World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace as a gift – which is a compilation of several lectures of mine. He said, “This book is exactly what is needed in this day and age.” He had highlighted several paragraphs and lines in the book. He further stated, “I wished to highlight these passages because there is a great need to promote them in the world today. It contains golden principles for the entire world.” The professor then said that he thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and will give copies of it to his friends to read as well.
Then another professor, Dr Govinda of Nepal, states regarding this book, “I have studied this book and for us non-Muslims, it is remarkable to see that despite the fact all the media outlets portray Muslims in a negative light, a Muslim leader is striving to establish peace in the entire world.”
He then said, “In the world there are 73 Muslim sects and they hold enmity against Israel on religious and political grounds. Given these conditions, for a Muslim leader to send a letter to their [i.e. Israel’s] Prime Minister urging him to strive for world peace is a courageous feat. Similarly, the Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Community sent a letter to the leader of Iran, which has impressed me greatly.” He then writes, “Reading the book World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace will greatly assist the non-Muslim world to understand the peaceful message of Islam. As compared to other sects of Islam, the Ahmadiyya Community presents teachings about world peace and the saying of the Ahmadiyya Community that world peace can only be established by following the commandments of the Holy Quran is a statement that cannot be refuted.”
Another person in Nepal saw this book at a book stall and with reference to the question “When does Islam permit war and under what circumstances?” he said, “This is a very pertinent question and I have been searching for its answer for a long time, but today, I have found the answer.”
Then, in Jharkhand, India, a person who was incredibly prejudiced against Islam came to our book stall. As soon as he came to the book stall, he began raising various allegations against Islam and the character of the Holy Prophetsa. He had read many books written by those against Islam and as a result of this, he was raising these allegations. When he was informed about the true teachings of Islam, he was greatly impressed and said, “Until today, I was not aware of the true teachings of Islam. I will now study the literature of the Jamaat.” Hence, this gentleman was given several books, especially World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace. The next day, this gentleman returned and said, “I have read parts of the book [World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace] and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has removed many of my reservations that I had in my mind.” Now this person is in constant contact [with the Jamaat].
Similarly, the missionary of Kiribati writes, “Here, the people believed that every Muslim is prepared to kill others, but now, many people know that this is false, to the extent that when this allegation was brought before the president of the country and questioned as to why he permitted the Muslims into entering the country and that they ought to be expelled immediately, the president replied, “I have read the Holy Quran and Islam is a peaceful religion. I will never expel them from here. By the grace of Allah, in the few meetings with the president, he was informed about the true teachings of Islam.” At present, it is only the Ahmadiyya Jamaat that is propagating the teachings of Islam in this country.
Then, the regional missionary writes that whilst touring the region of Shinyanga, he had a meeting with its chairman. He seemed to be a very wise and reasonable person; however, he was an atheist. The missionary informed him about belief in God and the need of religion. During the course of the conversation, he stated that he held a very respectable office amongst his society members; he had two wives at home, children, was a living a good life even without believing in God; therefore, what need was there for him to believe in God or in any faith? Upon this, the missionary presented Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’sra arguments in relation to the existence of God. (There are two books of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra which excellently cover this subject and every Ahmadi ought to read them.) After hearing these arguments, he said that he wanted to accept Islam Ahmadiyyat. The missionary told him that just moments before, he was rejecting the need of religion and now, he wanted to accept Islam Ahmadiyyat. Upon this, he said, “After listening to what you have said, my heart has become content. If this is how religion presents the concept of God then surely we must follow it.” Thereafter, the conditions of Bai‘at were read out to him and he accepted Ahmadiyyat along with his eight children. All praise is due to Allah, for he now regularly attends the Friday prayers and is attached to the Nizam-e-Jamaat.
Then, under the project of distributing leaflets [of the Jamaat], a total of 9.357 million leaflets were distributed in 111 countries and through this, 22,700,000 people received the message of Islam. Among these countries, Germany is at the top and has distributed 2.5 million leaflets; then the UK, with 1.3 million leaflets distributed; then Australia, with 800,000 leaflets; then Holland, with 400,000 leaflets; then France and Canada, with 300, 000 each and similarly, there are many other countries where hundreds of thousands of leaflets were distributed.
Amongst the countries of Africa, Tanzania distributed the most leaflets, having distributed around 200,000 leaflets and Benin had similar figures, then Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Congo Kinshasa etc.
Also, more than 446,000 leaflets were distributed in India.
The muallim of Mara Region in Tanzania writes that after reading the leaflets of the Jamaat, three young men contacted the Jamaat via telephone and expressed their interest in learning more about the Jamaat. After learning about Ahmadiyyat for some time, they did the Bai‘at along with their families and then began to preach to others in their local village. One of them is also the chairmen of his village and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the message of Ahmadiyyat is being conveyed to every house in the village. Up till now, 82 people have taken the Bai‘at in that village. Whilst they were preaching, they also had to face opposition as well.
One day, a maulvi from the Ansar Al-Sunnah Jamaat came and began to loudly hurl verbal abuse against the Jamaat in front of everyone. The locals quietened him down, advising him that such conduct did not behove a religious leader and he was invited to intellectually discuss and ponder over the beliefs of the Jamaat. When he had no answer to the arguments they presented, he again retorted to using foul language. However, having been inspired by the peaceful teachings of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and deeply affected by the incident, elderly gentleman offered his land to the Jamaat for them to offer their Friday prayers and their congregational prayers. As a result, many non-Ahmadi children are now also attending their tarbiyati [moral training] classes. Thus, his opposition itself became a means of our tabligh.
The president of a jamaat in France writes that whilst distributing leaflets in a Sunday market in the city centre of Toulouse, an elderly lady approached them in a very cheerful manner. Whilst supporting a smile on her face, she stated that she had read the leaflets they had given her about love for one’s country and the Islamic veil [purdah] and she was very impressed. She also stated there was a great need for such a teaching in this day and age. She also enquired how much money they had received in doing this and when she was told that they were purely doing this for the sake of Allah the Almighty, she was even further impressed.
Exhibitions, bookstalls and book fairs: Many exhibitions were set up displaying the Holy Quran and other Jamaat literature. According to the reports, more than 343,000 received the message of Islam through 7,540 exhibitions. This year, 1,580 copies of the Holy Quran in various languages were gifted to external guests. In addition to this, more than 764,000 people received the message of Islam through more than 5,000 bookstalls and book fairs.
The missionary of Latvia writes that an elderly gentleman came to visit their bookstall. He came inside and next to my picture, there were various Islamic teachings that were being displayed on a [digital] scroll screen; some of the sentences being displayed were also my quotes. Each time the different text would appear, he would point towards each one and in Russian, would say that it was excellent and absolutely accurate. Similarly, two other ladies came as well and took some books that had been translated, including The Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran and commended them for their work.
In December 2019, the department of Noor-ul-Islam India took part in a book fair in India. A very prominent Hindu scholar, Achariya Sahib, who holds extensive knowledge about religions and also runs his own school, also visited the event. After just a few minutes of visiting their stall, he raised an allegation against the Holy Quran and said that the Holy Quran commands one to kill everyone who is not a Muslim or a follower of Islam. He was told that the Holy Quran was in front of him and he should point exactly where this was mentioned in the Holy Quran. He replied that he had read the entire Quran and this commandment was mentioned somewhere but he could not remember at the time exactly where it was written. And so, they explained to him the teachings of the Holy Quran, the teachings of Islam in relation to non-Muslims and the noble example of the Holy Prophetsa.
After a few minutes of listening to them, he asked if he could sit inside the stall and learn more about Islam and the Holy Quran. For the next two hours he was provided with detailed answers to all his questions and allegations. Upon this, he openly expressed that up till now he had never received such satisfactory answers. He stated that he met countless Ulema [scholars] in order to learn about Islam, but instead of having compassion for Islam and the Holy Quran, their answers would further increase his hatred for Islam. He states that he was filled with so much hatred as a result that he and his friends decided to open a television channel against Islam. Subsequently, they began working on this and even started recording some programmes as well. However, he said that now, they had completely changed his viewpoint and he was very impressed. Upon leaving, he promised that from now on, he would never utter anything against Islam and the Holy Quran, nor would he air those programmes about Islam and the Quran which he had previously recorded, rather Islam and its teachings would be presented.
Thus, by portraying the true image of Islam, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is even convincing the opponents about the beautiful teachings of Islam and enabling them to understand the true status and character of the Holy Prophetsa. However, these so-called scholars, who perceive themselves to be the guardians of faith, are in fact instilling hatred for Islam and the Holy Quran in people and yet they oppose us.
During the book fair in Agra, a local reporter from the Agar Baharat newspaper came to the stall of the Jamaat. During the conversation, he could not help to express his concern for the deteriorating state of the Ummah. Upon this, he was informed about the various works and projects of the Jamaat for the service of Islam. He was extremely impressed by this and promised to help in any way possible. Subsequently, through his contacts, he helped to publish our message to three other news outlets as a result of which hundreds of thousands of people received the message of Ahmadiyyat.
During the book fair in Assam, Aftab Ahmad Chaudhry, who has a Phd and is also a Hafiz-e-Quran [committed the entire Quran to memory] was introduced to the Jamaat. A detailed conversation took place and he was told about the death of Jesusas and the beliefs of the Jamaat. He was presented with arguments about the death of Jesusas from the Holy Qur’an and said that despite the fact that he had memorised the entire Qur’an, however he had never reflected upon this till now and that they had now granted him with a totally new insight. He said that he regularly wrote articles in newspapers as well and that now he would publish all these verses with their references in the newspapers even if the entire Muslim population of Assam opposed him.
During the peace symposium in Switzerland, a priest, Mishal Fishar, who is also the head of a welfare organisation was given an award by the Jamaat. Upon receiving the award, he said that he was extremely grateful to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat for giving him this award. He also stated that he was shocked that a Muslim community was awarding a Christian organisation for its welfare efforts. Therefore, this award was a testimony to the fact that the Ahmadiyya Community did not just speak about peace but was establishing peace through its practice. He stated that a tree is recognised by its fruits and the peace symposium in itself was that fruit.
The missionary in-charge of Zambia writes that people from different walks of life were present at their peace symposium, including police officers, a judge of the local court, priests from various churches and various other representatives. Also, schoolteachers, local media, members of parliament and the muallim of a local non-Ahmadi mosque were in attendance as well. During the event, a church pastor expressed his sentiments and said that they were thinking of organising a similar event for some time, however the Ahmadiyya Jamaat had taken lead in this by holding the event.
During the peace symposium in Chandigarh, Ubaidullah Sahib, who is originally from Afghanistan was introduced to the Jamaat. He was told about the Promised Messiahas and that he had claimed to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi whose advent had been foretold by the Holy Prophetsa. After being informed about this, he was then told to reflect and ponder that was this not the time for the advent of the Messiah and Mahdi. Upon this, his face turned red and he began shaking and at the same time he would continuously go on asking that was it true that the Promised Messiah’s advent had taken place. Thereafter, they read out the writings of the Promised Messiahas in praise of the Holy Prophet’ssa lofty status and he became extremely emotional and kissed the forehead of the Ahmadi member and said that “indeed, this is the true teaching of Islam which is being propagated across the world through your community.”
The national president of Finland writes that they held a peace symposium and the ambassador and a diplomat from the foreign ministry, who also served as the ambassador of Finland in Pakistan, was in attendance. He stated that he was extremely delighted to have participated in such an organised gathering. He stated, “I have served as the head of Finland’s embassy in Pakistan from 1995 to 1998 and have many fond memories from that time. Many of my friends and the friends my family members are from among the prominent and well-known members of the Ahmadiyya Community. The Ahmadis have played an extraordinary role in the success of the country in terms of its educational, intellectual and economic progress. When Britain ruled over the subcontinent, many of its well-known citizens and military officers were from the Ahmadiyya Community.”
He further said, “I also served as an ambassador in Italy and saw the World Academy of Sciences in Trieste, formerly known as the Third World Academy of Sciences, which was founded by the renowned Pakistani scientist, Abdus Salam and he was the first scientist from any Muslim country to have received a Nobel prize.”
He further said, “When news spread of him receiving this Nobel prize, he received a lot of praise from Pakistan’s national newspapers, radio and television. However, when they learnt that he was an Ahmadi, they very quickly stopped praising and mentioning him publicly.”
He then said, “When he passed away in 1996 and he was buried in Rabwah, in the Punjab province of Pakistan, it was an extremely shameful act that they removed the word ‘Muslim’ from his gravestone.” He then mentioned about all the persecution [against Ahmadis].
Today, they may well be changing the books of history and erasing the true history from the minds of its youth [in Pakistan], but irrespective of whether we say anything, the educated people of the world know the services rendered by the Ahmadis for Pakistan and how the Ahmadis are being treated there. Those who initially were against the creation of Pakistan, are the ones who are now trying to lay claim as its pioneers.
In any case, every Ahmadi of Pakistan was, is and will continue to be a loyal citizen of the country, insha-Allah.
And insha-Allah, it is our hope that one day, this opposition will be blown away. The support of Allah the Almighty is with us and insha-Allah will continue to be with us in the future as well. The amount of effort they are employing in our opposition, by now, according to them, the Jamaat should have finished, but Allah the Almighty has protected us.
In any case, these accounts from the report are just one part of it and as I have mentioned earlier that this report is usually presented on the second day of Jalsa. However, since the Jalsa is not taking place this year as mentioned therefore I decided to present this report in two parts. A programme has been planned that insha-Allah, on Sunday at 4pm, I will present the remaining part of the report before a small gathering in the form of a Jalsa in our hall here. And from here, the rest of the world will be able to view this through MTA and I will mention those blessings which Allah the Almighty has bestowed on the Jamaat in the past year.
However, even from this report, I have had to take out many accounts and details, but insha-Allah will present the remaining report on Sunday.
(Original Urdu script published in Al Fazl International, 28 August 2020, pp. 5-11. Translated by The Review of Religions.)