Friday Sermon
8 November 2019
Financial Sacrifice: New year of Tahrik-e-Jadid
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verse 273 of Surah al-Baqarah, chapter 2, and then stated:
The translation is as follows:
“It is not thy responsibility to make them follow the right path; but Allah guides whomsoever He pleases. And whatever of wealth you spend, it is for yourselves, while you spend not but to seek the favour of Allah. And whatever of wealth you spend, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged.”
As it is evident, Allah the Exalted has explained in this verse that to guide, bring someone to the right path, or to guide someone on the path that leads to the right direction or the correct destination depends on the grace and blessings of Allah the Exalted. Similarly, keeping someone steadfast on that path and guidance, eventually conveying that individual to the ultimate objective, while safeguarding them from going astray to enable them to achieve a good end also depend on the grace and blessings of Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted has taken the responsibility for this Himself. We may guide someone towards the path of righteousness, but it is not within our power to place them on that path and ensure they remain steadfast upon it. Thus, Allah the Exalted has taken this responsibility upon Himself.
An individual, who strives to move towards Allah the Exalted, who makes an effort to walk on that path and also supplicates for it, eventually reaches the ultimate goal, through the grace and blessings of Allah the Exalted. Thus, it is incumbent that, after treading on the path of guidance, we continue to make efforts to remain firm on it in accordance with the ways taught by Allah the Exalted. We should continue to pray to God the Almighty for His grace and blessings to remain steadfast on that guidance so that we attain a prosperous end and so that our weakness may never lead us astray from our path to Allah the Exalted.
Another aspect that Allah the Exalted has mentioned in this verse is that whatever you spend from the wealth you hold dear is to your own benefit. Allah the Exalted states:
وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ خَیْرٍفَلِاَنْفُسِکُمْ
“Whatever of wealth you spend, it is for yourselves.” [Surah al-Baqarah, Ch2: V.273]
Whatever is given in the way of Allah the Exalted, He does not withhold returns manifold. When a farmer plants seeds in a field, an ignorant person may say, “What has he done! He has wasted all the seeds.” However, a wise person knows that these seeds that have been thrown onto the field can yield thousands or even millions of crops, unless that that crop is destroyed by a natural disaster and does not therefore give any yield. Thus, the pure wealth that is spent in the cause of Allah the Exalted with virtuous intentions, can yield thousands of folds in return and indeed it does.
Ahmadis write their experiences to me in which they express how they made sacrifices in the cause of Allah the Exalted and how Allah the Exalted gave them back manifold. Some are also weaker in faith or may have just recently joined the Community. They experience the extent of the truthfulness of how Allah the Exalted rewards back manifold. Consequently, Allah the Exalted blesses them in order to strengthen their faith. However, the majority of people understand this verse of Allah the Exalted that
وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْنَ اِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْہِ اللہ
“… you spend not but to seek the favour of Allah.”
When they spend for religious needs, they do so in order to seek the favour of Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted has characterised true believers as this, that they spend in the cause of Allah the Exalted in order to seek His blessings. Furthermore, Allah the Exalted is certainly aware of the state of such people, who spend in order to acquire the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. Moreover, such people, who spend in order to acquire the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, are also able to witness the blessings of Allah the Exalted as to how He accepts their sacrifices and rewards them in return, and this further strengthens them in their faith.
Hence, Allah the Exalted states, “I do not remain indebted to anyone. If you spend out of your pure wealth to seek My favour and for the sake of My faith and upon My command, then I will also provide for you in return.” The condition is that the wealth should be pure. Hence, people living in the developed countries should be particularly mindful that they should earn a pure and wholesome livelihood. They should not deceive government institutions in order to earn more; where they earn income through employment, yet also receive benefits from the government through false statements, such people acquire unlawful money from the government, they do not pay taxes, which are the due right of the government and an obligation upon every citizen and they also deprive other people of their rights. Furthermore, they also become a hindrance regarding this very amount, which can be spent on other means for the progress of the country. Most significantly, they lie through these false statements. All of these matters are wrong and are sinful and will distance a person from acquiring pure wealth.
Then, in relation to pure wealth, there is the wealth which is acquired in an incorrect manner through other means. Earning wealth through livelihoods which Allah the Almighty has forbidden is also not considered pure wealth. Nevertheless, Allah the Almighty states that he does not merely accept the sacrifice of pure wealth that is made in order to seek His favour, but:
یُوَفَّ اِلَیْکُمْ
he repays it in full through various means. Allah the Almighty never wrongs anyone. It is man himself who commits various misdeeds and wrongs and harms by disobeying the commandments of Allah the Almighty. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, there are thousands, nay hundreds of thousands of Ahmadis, who have become the recipient of Allah the Almighty’s favours and have experienced this promise of God for themselves and have a true understanding of it.
I shall narrate a few accounts in this regard.
We have been witnessing and reading about these accounts of sacrifice since the time of the Promised Messiahas and are able to witness them even today. The sacrifices of Ahmadis, even in the most difficult of circumstances, in order to attain the pleasure of God Almighty are not simply stories of the past. In today’s sermon, I will announce the start of the new year of Tahrik-e-Jadid and will also relate some incidents in this regard.
A missionary from Sierra Leone writes that there is a new convert, Kumara Sahib, who lives in the region of Lunsar. When he was informed about Tahrik-e-Jadid and the blessings of Chanda [financial sacrifice], he paid his regular Chanda as well as his contribution towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. He was not very well-off and the little amount of money that was left over was enough for him to buy rice for the month. However, he also contributed this towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.
The missionary says that only a few days later, this individual came again and said, “I paid the Chanda for Tahrik-e-Jadid and the very next day, my company said that they had transferred me to another department where the salary was twofold, as well as other benefits.” Hence, Allah grants blessings to one who contributes towards Chanda.
He further says, “Allah the Almighty showed me a glimpse of the blessings which I heard were attached to Chanda.” He then said that from now on, he would pay the Chanda for Tahrik-e-Jadid along with regularmonthlyChanda.
The missionary in the region of Port Loko relates an incident. Observe how Allah the Almighty blesses those who offer sacrifices, despite their impoverished circumstances which then leads to further increasing their faith. He says that there is a village by the name of Sanda Mablonotor. An Ahmadi, Muhammad Sahib, lives there and he was unable to fulfil the promise he had pledged for Tahrik-e-Jadid. When the end of the year approached, he said that he did not have anything save a few cups of rice. (He had a little bit of rice, perhaps a kilogram or a kilogram and a half.) He sold the rice and completed his promise. He says that the following day, a distant relative of his sent him a sack of rice along with some money as a gift. He states that his faith increased greatly as a result of this because he had merely given a few cups of rice in the cause of Allah and in return, He provided him with a hundred kilograms as well as some money.
The missionary of Guinea Bissau narrates an account which again highlights the standard of sacrifice offered by those with straitened circumstances and how Allah the Almighty, in return, revives their faith.
When Diallo Sahib, who is a member of the Jamaat in Kabodo, was informed of the importance of the Chanda for Tahrik-e-Jadid, he immediately put his hand in his pocket and contributed an amount of one thousand CFA francs and said that that he was heading to the market with this money in order to buy some food items for his children. However, having paid the Chanda, he returned home. He did not have any money at home and since he was a fisherman, he took his fishing equipment and went fishing in order to provide some food for his children. He says that he threw his net in order to catch some fish and within an hour, Allah the Almighty filled his net with 73 kilograms of fish. Furthermore, the other fishermen, who were with him, also saw this and said that he was extremely fortunate to have caught such a large amount within an hour, as they are unable to catch such an amount in the entire night. He informed them that this was owing to the blessing of the Chanda of Tahrik-e-Jadid, which he had paid just an hour before wherein he had paid everything he had. Following this, he returned to the mission house as he had acquired a large sum of money and hence paid even more towards Chanda.
Although they are poor, but they display great generosity. When Allah the Almighty blesses them, they do not become miserly, but instead, they continue to make sacrifices so that Allah the Almighty may grant them more blessings.
Amir Sahib of Congo writes:
“A mualim from the Jamaat in the Bandundu region encouraged members of the Jamaat to participate in Tahrik-e-Jadid.” I had instructed all Jamaats to try and increase participation and this message was conveyed to everyone. “At the time, the people of the village did not have any funds to make monetary contributions as they were relatively poor. The locals of this Jamaat were from a small village. They cut wood from the jungle and made coal from it and packed it in sacks. Since they had no customers in their village they set off on a journey on the river.” There are many rivers in the Congo, hence people travel through the river. “They completed the difficult journey and took everything to a new city and sold it all. The amount they collected from selling the wood was 96,000 francs and they decided as a Jamaat to contribute the entire amount towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.”
Hence, Allah the Almighty has granted the Promised Messiahas such exceptional followers, regarding whom he had stated in his lifetime, “I am astonished at how much sacrifices these people make.” (Zameema Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 11, p. 313 [footnote])
In the early years, when Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra initiated the scheme of Tahrik-e-Jadid, he shared examples of how the poor members of the Jamaat offered sacrifices. For example, if someone only had eggs, they would present it and if some had some small amount of money, they would sacrifice that. Even today, we observe how people spend in the way of Allah for His sake and to attain His pleasure.
A missionary from Guinea Bissau writes:
“There is a 50-year-old Ahmadi lady who resides in a very remote area called Cabucare. She is quite poor and has no source of income. Some time ago, the members in that area were encouraged to participate in Tahrik-e-Jadid. She made a pledge saying, ‘I do not have anything except for a small chicken. I will raise it, then sell it and contribute whatever is received from it towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.’ After some time, there was an epidemic among the chickens in that area, and her chicken also fell ill. Her relatives advised her to slaughter her chicken before it died. However, she refused to do this and prayed, ‘O Allah! I have nothing in my possession other than this chicken. I implore Your help. Please save it.’ She said that when she woke up the next day, the chicken had fully recovered. She kept it for another 20 days and then gave it to the mualim as part of her contribution.”
People claim that they cannot witness any signs [in support of the Promised Messiahas]. If one’s relation with Allah Almighty is true and one’s intention is sincere, then God Almighty will show them signs. It is these small signs that become a source of increasing people in their faith.
Another example of God Almighty’s favour is as follows: A mualim from the Mara region in Tanzania, writes:
“There is a faithful young Ahmadi youth whose name is Rashid Hussain Sahib and he owns a small food store. He fulfilled his entire contribution for Tahrik-e-Jadid according to his promise. At the end of the year, the mualim encouraged everyone to contribute to Tahrik-e-Jadid more if they could. Rashid Hussain Sahib was exempt from this as he was already struggling financially at the time and was not hopeful that the items leftover in his store would sell soon. In any case, he states that he only had 3,000 shillings with him at the time which he donated. The same evening, he returned to the mualim and told him, ‘Something extraordinary has occurred today. I had nothing other than the amount which I donated, and I was not hopeful regarding the sale of the remaining items in my store. I was anxious that people would not purchase these items. However, Allah the Almighty blessed me because of offering Chanda and helped me in an extraordinary manner. In the afternoon, a customer came and purchased all the items which I thought were difficult to sell. I collected 23,000 shillings in that single transaction. All of this was due to the blessings of offering Chanda and Allah the Almighty blessed my income.’”
Ajana Sahib, a new convert from a city called Bangui, Central Africa, mentions an incident in which one can witness how Allah the Almighty bestows His favours to strengthen people’s faith. He states:
“I had accepted Ahmadiyyat eight months earlier and there was a tremendous change in me during this time. I would listen to Friday Sermons and watched MTA regularly. One day, I heard the following words in the Friday Sermon: ‘Those who spend in the way of Allah are not poor, and Allah blesses their wealth’. The missionary was also encouraging members to participate in Tahrik-e-Jadid in those days. I only had 500 francs, which is a very small amount, but nevertheless, I offered this as Chanda. Thereafter, however, I became worried as to what I would eat at night. I later recalled the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih [may Allah be his Helper] that Allah returns [the sacrifice] manifold. I had already donated 500 francs.”
At the time, he was a new convert and was still in the early stages of his faith and had not acquired full conviction in his faith. However, his intentions were pure and he further states:
“I remained in the mission house for another 3-4 hours with the hope of how God Almighty would show His sign. During this time, a relative telephoned me and said, ‘I have some diamonds that I would like to sell in your city, but I do not know anyone there. I would like for you to assist me in this regard.’”
He further says, “I took him to a diamond merchant where they buy and sell diamonds. After selling the diamonds, my relative” – or perhaps it was his friend – “gave me 27,000 francs as a present. In addition to this, the person who bought the diamonds also gave me 10,000 francs as a gift.” He states, “It was that day I realised that I had donated 500 francs, but Allah the Almighty blessed me with 37,000 francs in return within a space of a few hours. This incident strengthened me in my faith.”
A lady from the UK writes in regard to the treatment afforded to her by God Almighty, which in turn further increased her in her faith:
“I had already paid my contribution for Tahrik-e-Jadid, however I received a message from our local president that they required more funds in order to achieve their target. At the time, I thought that I could not possibly contribute anymore because whatever money I had left was to be spent somewhere else. Nevertheless, I eventually decided to donate whatever money I had towards the Chanda [of Tahrik-e-Jadid]. The next day, I checked my bank account and noticed that I had unexpectedly been paid money into my account from my work, and it was four times the amount I had contributed towards the Chanda.”
Such examples are not only found in Africa, but here in Europe as well; such examples are witnessed of how God Almighty blesses those who offer sacrifices with pure intentions.
Amir Sahib Burkina Faso writes:
“There is a gentleman in Kolo, Sawado Sahib, who contributes 100 CFA francs every month towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. Once, someone gifted him three goats and he donated one of them towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and kept the other two for himself. God Almighty blessed the goats so much that he now owns many animals and instead of 100 CFA francs, he now gives 1000 CFA francs towards Tahrik-e-Jadid every month.”
Another example of offering sacrifice with such sincerity and devotion is from Benin. The missionary of the Lokossa region writes:
“A flood had swept through most of the areas in the Lokossa region and all the roads leading into the area had been blocked as a result. Some of the Jamaats were contactable via phone, but since the area is situated along the border, therefore it was difficult to get through to most of the Jamaats. The local missionary suggested that they could request the police to use their motorboat and thereby reach their members in the affected areas and enquire about their wellbeing. We spoke to the police and they agreed on the condition that we fill the boat with petrol. Thus, we reached there and met the local president.
“Upon meeting him, he began to cry. We knew that he had suffered a great loss owing to the floods; his land had been destroyed and even one of his rooms of his house had collapsed, therefore I consoled him that God Almighty would grant His blessings and he would be able to recover the loss. Upon this he said, ‘I am not crying over my loss, in fact prior to the flooding, I had collected my Chanda and was waiting for the mualim so that I could give it to him. However, due to the flooding, all of the roads were blocked and I was greatly concerned. I prayed to God Almighty to bring about some means as there was no way to reach the Markaz [local headquarters] and there were only a few days left. Thus, when you came to visit us and enquire about us” – they did not go to collect the Chanda, rather to enquire about their wellbeing – “I was overcome with emotion as to how quickly God Almighty accepted my prayer and I was able to fulfil this obligation of mine.’”
He was not concerned in the least about his personal loss, rather he was concerned about fulfilling his pledge he had made for the sake of Allah the Almighty and to offer his sacrifice in order to acquire the nearness of God Almighty. Hence, he wished to offer his contribution on time.
Ibrahim Sahib, the Inspector for Tahrik-e-Jadid collection in Karnataka, India, writes (this is another example of the treatment afforded by God Almighty):
“A Khadim from the city of Gulbarga was employed by a company in Bangalore on a salary of 20,000 rupees per month. According to the rate prescribed by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra which constitutes as an exemplary sacrifice, he was also encouraged to offer 50% of one month’s salary towards Tahrik-e-Jadid [Khutubat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 28, p.173, Friday Sermon, 9 May 1947]. Despite the difficulty in his personal circumstances at home, he pledged to contribute 10,000 rupees. His relatives advised him against promising half of his month’s income as he would find it difficult to pay since he had only recently been employed. However, he said that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has stated that until one does not endeavour their utmost, the angels of God Almighty do not grant power and strength [Khutubat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 32, p.136, Friday Sermon, 7 September 1951], hence he insisted that he would pay this amount. Only a few days had passed that he received a job offer from another company and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, his current monthly salary is approximately 127,000 rupees. He said that this was all owing to the blessings of Chanda.”
The inspector for Tahrik-e-Jadid in Kerala, India, writes:
“One of our very sincere Ahmadi members makes an outstanding contribution towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. He owns a furniture business and during the tour of Wakil-ul-Mal, he showed him his factories but informed him that recently, he had been experiencing some difficult circumstances in his business and even requested him to especially pray whilst in the factory. Despite this, he promised to give 1.5 million rupees, however during the course of the year, he was only able to pay 200,000 rupees. There was little time left and he was extremely concerned and anxious as to how this amount would be paid.” He also wrote to me as well that there were only a few days left and sought prayers that God Almighty may enable him to fulfil his pledge. “He states that only a few hours had passed when he received a large amount of money in his account, as a result of which he was not only able to fulfil his pledge, but also contributed more than his pledge and through this money, he was also able to fulfil his needs in relation to his business.”
The mualim of Natitingou region in Benin writes:
“A member from the Katampoti Jamaat was requested [for Tahrik-e-Jadid Chanda] and he immediately contributed 3,000 CFA francs.” The mualim says, “I was quite astounded at this and enquired how he gave such a large amount because previously, despite urging him, he would never give more than 500 CFA francs. He replied, ‘I was very negligent in my contribution towards Chanda, however I noticed this would consequently lead to an increase in my worries and stresses and the produce from my land was also poor. Hence, the last time I gave Chanda, I did so with the intention that I would experience for myself the blessings of Chanda. Thus, I personally witnessed that God Almighty indeed grants help from such unknown means and fulfils one’s needs and He also blessed my yield. So now that I have experienced this for myself, therefore before you even asked, I had increased my Chanda six-fold.”
The president of the Vaughan Jamaat in Canada narrates an account of a young member. He states:
“In October, we were working to collect the pledges people had made for Tahrik-e-Jadid. He advised the children at home as well and they gave more than the amount they had pledged out of their pocket money. One of his daughters who had just completed her course in engineering had some money which she contributed towards the Chanda. Prior to this, she gave many job interviews but was unsuccessful. The very next day, after giving her Chanda, she had an interview and came back from it extremely happy. She said that there was a hidden power that was supporting her throughout the interview. The company which interviewed her had interviewed many other candidates as well and said that they would announce their selection at the end of the year. She said that the interview went well but would only find out about the outcome at the end of the year. However, only two days after having given the interview, she received a call that she had been selected and she would begin work in February 2020. The next day, she received another call to say that the other candidates who were selected would begin work in February, but she could start from November of this year.”
This incident strengthened this young girl’s faith and she witnessed the blessings of God Almighty.
In every country, God Almighty is revealing incidents where He grants blessings to those who offer sacrifices.
The missionary in Moscow writes:
“One of the members, Zair Sahib – who is from the city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan and for a long time has been travelling to Moscow for work – comes to Moscow for work and after earning some money, he then returns to Uzbekistan. His wife was initially hesitant to perform the Bai‘at, but upon further research and seeking prayers, she had the opportunity to do the Bai‘at. A short while ago, they were both informed about contributing towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid and he told me that these days, he was driving a taxi in Uzbekistan and his wife worked as a seamstress.
“They both have a rule that they divide their total income into three parts. One is for their children, the other is for their household requirements and the third is sacrificed in the way of Allah the Almighty. In this way, they both live peacefully and contently and their family life is filled with prosperity. Zair Sahib stated that since they started to contribute towards Chanda, God Almighty had granted them His special blessings and also blessed their income so much that they had never experienced it previously.”
The missionary-in-charge of Russia writes:
“Ruslan Sahib works as a chef in Moscow. He recently took out a large loan to build a house and for a while was working double shifts in order to pay off the loan. One day he called me and said that he would like to immediately pay his Chanda. Upon enquiring the reason, he said, ‘A substantial amount of my wages from my previous employment was withheld by my employer.’” He also wrote for prayers as well, “‘and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, this sum of money was returned to me. Following this I had an intense desire to pay my Chanda as quickly as possible.’ Thereafter, he sent a large amount according to his circumstances to the missionary.”
A young lady from Germany writes:
“I was two months pregnant” – she has given birth now and the child is two years old – “and at the time, I prayed intensely and pledged to pay 100 euros towards Tahrik-e-Jadid every month. As a result, Allah the Almighty enabled me to pass through the remaining seven months without any issues and removed all complications. Allah the Almighty granted me with a son and even now, I am honouring my pledge of contributing every month towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.”
Even in this part of the world, which is heavily immersed in materialism and people are moving away from God, God Almighty is bestowing His blessings upon the Ahmadis whereby not only does He grant proof of His existence, but also established the reality and truthfulness of the Jamaat.
A missionary in Latvia writes:
“One member, Wahiduf Sahib – who is Latvian but originally from Bukhara – Uzbekistan, had the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat a few years ago. By the grace of Allah, he is increasing in his loyalty and sincerity. After witnessing his kind treatment, his wife also performed the Bai‘atlast year.” He continues by saying, “He informed me about paying Chanda over the phone. Wahiduf Sahib said, ‘I work for six months in Uzbekistan and for the other six months I work in Russia. This year, I bought a flat in Bukhara, for which I had to sell my car.’ He further says, ‘When I went to Russia for work, I thought to myself that I ought to enter into a deal with God Almighty. Hence, I began giving Chanda with the intention that God Almighty would grant blessings through the Chanda and enable me to buy a car. Having given Chanda, God Almighty bestowed so much blessings in my work that aside from my household needs, I had enough money left over to buy a car. Thus, when I returned to Bukhara, I bought a car, which was better than the one I previously owned and had to sell in order to purchase a flat.’ He then says, ‘This was only due to the blessings of giving Chanda, otherwise it was impossible for me to save enough money.’” The missionary then says that since he had performed the Bai‘at recently, it greatly increased him in his faith.
A missionary in Guinea Bissau writes:
“There is a member of the community who, despite being an Ahmadi by birth and advising him on several occasions, never participated in Tahrik-e-Jadid. He started a business in making blocks and at the time had made blocks out of 40 bags of cement. At night, it rained and damaged the blocks he had made and he incurred a complete loss.” He then says, “I slept in a state of great distress and saw in a dream that my late father came to me and said, ‘Have you offered all of your Chandas? After saying this, he left.’”
Idrees Sahib then says, “As soon as I woke up, I went straight to the mission house and said to the missionary that since he advised about giving Tahrik-e-Jadid, I would like to pay towards this scheme, but I only had 2,000 francs with me.” After giving the Chanda, God Almighty enabled him to recover the loss he suffered, and he secured a contract worth 800,000 francs. Through this, he managed to pay off his debts and also entered into the Al-Wasiyyat scheme; all this increased him in his faith.
A member from Mayotte Island, Ali Muhammad Sahib did not always have employment. He says:
“Ever since I have given my Tahrik-e-Jadid Chanda, I have had no problem in finding work. As soon as I finish from one employment, I find work immediately and I have been in employment ever since I have paid my Chanda.” This is a new Jamaat that has been established for only a few years, but it is a Jamaat that is increasing in their loyalty and sincerity.
Amir [national president] Sahib of Indonesia writes:
“Waryono Sahib, an Ahmadi member of Pagentan Jamaat lives alone as his wife has passed away.” It is astounding to see the means that they adopt in order to pay their Chanda. These members are very loyal and sincere. Amir Sahib says, “Waryono Sahib was a poor man and a farmer by profession. His children are all married and his wife has passed away. On many occasions, he would go with the missionary for tabligh [preaching the message] and tarbiyat [moral training] endeavours. He has a small plot of land and farmers generally earn an income after a few months – perhaps three or four months later – however, he was regular in his Chanda and would pay every month. On one occasion, the missionary asked: “Your crops give yield after three or four months, yet you are regular in paying your Chanda.” Waryono Sahib replied, “I have devised a method in order to pay Chanda regularly in that I have separated a small portion of my land on which I have planted banana trees. The technique I have used is that after a certain time of planting the first tree, I plant the next one, then after a while, I plant the next tree. In this way, the banana trees give yield all year round, as a result of which I sell the produce every month and give all the earnings towards Chanda.”
Amir Sahib Indonesia writes:
“A new convert from Pasir Pangaraian Jamaat recently pledged allegiance to the Jamaat and despite severe opposition from his wife, he remained steadfast. When the new year for Tahrik-e-Jadid began, the missionary went to him in order for him to partake in this monetary sacrifice. The new convert pledged to give 500,000 Indonesian rupees.” Although the value of the Indonesian rupee is significantly less, nevertheless this was a large amount. “This was a substantial amount for him; he was an honorary teacher and had a low income. The missionary asked him again whether he would be able to pay it as he had pledged such a large amount, in case he was put into difficulty owing to it. He replied with great conviction, ‘This is my pledge.’ Thus, in Ramadan, he was asked to pay his promised amount and he paid it in full. One day, one of his relatives gave him an envelope containing money as a gift. Without opening the envelope, he immediately went to the Sadr Jamaat [president of the local chapter] and gave him the envelope, saying that whatever amount was enclosed, he would like to offer towards his Tahrik-e-Jadid promise. When the Sadr Jamaat opened the envelope, he found that there was exactly 500,000 Indonesian rupees, which was the full amount of his promise.
Children learning the importance of sincerity and sacrifice is another transformation witnessed among the followers of the Promised Messiahas, which he instilled within us. A missionary from Ghana writes:
“A short while ago, I delivered a sermon to a Jamaat regarding financial sacrifice, especially Tahrik-e-Jadid. I emphasised the fact that we ought to encourage children to partake and give Chanda with their own hands to inculcate a habit of making financial sacrifices. On the following week, after the Friday prayers, a Tifl aged approximately nine or ten years old brought some money for me and presented it for Tahrik-e-Jadid. Upon enquiry, he told me that he had asked his parents for money to give towards Tahrik-e-Jadid Chanda, however due to some reasons, he was not given the money or his parents did not have the money. He said, “I took a job working at a shop and I am giving what I earn for Chanda.”
Then there is another incident from Sierra Leone; a local mualim, Basheero Sahib, writes:
“I advised members of the Serabu Jamaat about giving Tahrik-e-Jadid chanda. This time, a child who was approximately nine or ten years old came carrying a pile of firewood on his head.” He said to the mualim, “Buy the firewood from me and whatever amount is received for it, put that towards my Chanda for Tahrik-e-Jadid.” The mualim bought the firewood from him and gave him a receipt. Later he even returned the firewood to him saying that his Chanda had been received.
May Allah the Almighty greatly bless the wealth of all these people and increase them in their faith. This sort of sacrifice in which one has to work or go to the jungle to collect wood and then sell it, is a concept which the children here are unable to relate to, as the conditions here are better.
Undoubtedly there are excellent examples of sacrifice here as well; there are some children who gave their entire pocket money or that they were saving money to buy something, but instead they gave away that amount.
Nonetheless, we find examples of sincerity and loyalty everywhere, each sacrificing according to their own situations. May Allah the Almighty continue to increase them in their sincerity and loyalty.
I will now mention some details of the sacrifice God Almighty enabled the followers of the Promised Messiahas to present and the manner in which they have offered these sacrifices shows that it would not have been possible without the support and succour of God Almighty. Only Allah the Almighty has the power to change one’s heart and instil this spirit within a person, young and old, irrespective of where Ahmadis reside in the world. Anyone who possesses intellect would understand that this alone is proof of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas. Nonetheless, as mentioned earlier, I will now present some details.
By the grace of Allah, on 31 October, the 85th year of Tahrik-e-Jadid came to a close and the 86th year has begun. In this [previous] year, £13.6 million was offered in way of the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme and by the grace of Allah, this amount is an increase of £802,000 from the previous year.
This year, the currency of Pakistan has devalued significantly owing to the political and economic problems. They are in a difficult situation; may God Almighty have mercy on them. You all ought to pray for Pakistan; may Allah the Almighty bless the Ahmadis in Pakistan. Subsequently, they were unable to retain their usual position and thus, overall, Germany stood first, Pakistan stood second, UK was third.
Previously I would remove Pakistan from the list as they always took first position and would mention details about the countries aside from Pakistan, therefore, despite the fact that Paksitan was second, I will now mention details about the first ten countries. Outside of Pakistan, Germany was first, after Pakistan the UK was second, then USA, Canada, India, then a country in the Middle East, Indonesia, Australia, Ghana, then another country belonging to the Middle East.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, despite the dire [economic] situation in Pakistan – in fact, the economic situation of the entire world has worsened – the collection in terms of local currency has increased.
The positions of the first three countries in terms of this is that a country in the Middle East stood first, India second – this is in terms of the percentage increase in their currency – then Canada, Germany, UK, Ghana, Pakistan, Indonesia, USA and Australia.
In terms of contribution per person, the first three countries are as follows: Switzerland is first, followed by the USA, Singapore, the UK is fourth, Sweden is fifth and then the remaining positions.
In terms of overall contribution, the outstanding Jamaats from Africa are: Ghana is first, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Gambia, Benin.
A lot of attention in previous years has been drawn towards increasing the number of participants than the amount that is required to be collected; the Jamaats were given targets of how many members that ought to participate. By the grace of Allah, the number of participants this year is over 1,827,000, and 112,000 people participated in the scheme for the first time.
From the countries of Africa that had significant increase in members who contributed are: Niger, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Guinea Conakry.
Among the large Jamaats, in terms of increasing their total contributors are: Bangladesh, Canada, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Germany, UK, USA and Australia.
According to the central records, by the grace of God Almighty, the accounts of those belonging to Daftar Awwal are a total of 5,927. 36 of those are still alive and pay the Chanda themselves, and as for those that have passed away, their heirs and sincere members of the Jamaat are continuing them.
Germany stood first; the first ten Jamaats [from within Germany] are: Rödermark, Neuss, Pinneberg, Mahdi-Abad, Nieda, Osnarbruck, Kiel, Flörsheim, Weingarten and Köln.
The first ten local Jamaats in Germany are: Hamburg, Frankfurt, Gross-Gerau, Mörfelden, Dietzenbach, Wiesbaden, Riedstadt, Darmstadt, Mannheim and Russelheim.
In Pakistan, with respect to total contribution to the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme, the standings are: Lahore is first, Rabwah second, third is Karachi. The ten districts with the most contribution is: Islamabad is first, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Qasur, Toba Tek Singh and Mirpur Azad Kashmir.
The outstanding Jamaats in terms of their total contribution are: Defence Lahore, Amarat Township Lahore, Amarat Cantt Rawalpindi, Amarat City of Rawalpindi, Multan, Amarat Azizabad Karachi, Amarat Delhi Gate Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and Bahawalnagar.
The five small Jamaats of Pakistan are: Wah Cantt, Sabundasti, Khokhar Gharbi, Chak Nau Paniyara and Chawinda.
The first five regions in the UK are: Baitul Futuh Region, Masjid Fazl, Midlands, Baitul Ehsan and Islamabad.
In terms of overall contribution, the ten large Jamaats of the UK are: Masjid Fazl, Worcester Park, Islamabad, Aldershot, Putney, New Malden, Gillingham, Birmingham West, Glasgow and Scunthorpe.
In terms of smaller Jamaats: Swansea is first, Spen Valley, Keighley, North Wales and Northampton.
In terms of total contribution among the USA Jamaats: Silver Spring, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Central Virginia, Detroit, Chicago, Oshkosh, Houston, Georgia, and South Virginia.
The total contribution from local amarats in Canada is as follows: Vaughn is first, Calgary, Peace Village, Vancouver, Mississauga and Saskatoon.
The five small Jamaats are: Edmonton West is first, Durham, Bradford, Hamilton and Ottawa West.
The ten Jamaats in India for their total contribution are: Karulai, Qadian, Pathapiriyam, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Pengari, Bangalore, Calicut, Calcutta and Yad Gir.
The ten provinces of India are: Kerala, Carnatic, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Jammu Kashmir, Odissa, Punjab, Bengal, Delhi and Utter Pradesh.
The economic and political situation of Kashmir is very dire, but the Jamaats there have sacrificed a lot.
The first ten Jamaats in Australia for total contribution are as follows: Castle Hill, Melbourne Berwick, Melbourne Long Warren, ACT Canberra, Marsden Park, Adelaide South, Penrith, Mount Druitt, Parramatta, Adelaide West
May Allah the Almighty greatly bless the wealth and progeny of all those who offered sacrifice.
(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International. Translated by The Review of Religions)
