Friday Sermon
9 November 2018
Financial Sacrifice: Tahrik-e-Jadid 2018
After reciting the Tashahhud, Ta’awwuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited several verses of Surah al-Baqarah:
مَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ يُنْفِقُوْنَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنْبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِيْ كُلِّ سُنْبُلَةٍ مِّئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللّٰهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ۔
الَّذِيْنَ يُنْفِقُوْنَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتْبِعُوْنَ مَا أَنْفَقُوْا مَنًّا وَلَا أَذًى لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُوْنَ۔
وَمَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاةِ اللّٰهِ وَتَثْبِيْتًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ فَآَتَتْ أُكُلَهَا ضِعْفَيْنِ فَإِنْ لَّمْ يُصِبْهَا وَابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ وَاللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ بَصِيْرٌ
الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَاللّٰهُ يَعِدُكُمْ مَغْفِرَةً مِنْهُ وَفَضْلًا وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ۔
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَاءُ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْنَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللّٰهِ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُّوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُوْنَ۔
الَّذِيْنَ يُنْفِقُوْنَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَّعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُوْنَ۔
The verses that I have just recited are verses of Surah al-Baqarah in which the subject of financial sacrifice has been mentioned. God Almighty has almost continuously mentioned the subject of financial sacrifice in these verses. The translation of these verses are as follows:
“The similitude of those who spend their wealth for the cause of Allah is like the similitude of a grain of corn which grows seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies it further for whomsoever He pleases; and Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.” (Surah al-Baqarah: V.62)
In the next verse, God Almighty states:
“Those who spend their wealth for the cause of Allah, then follow not up what they have spent with taunt or injury, for them is their reward with their Lord, and they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Surah al-Baqarah: V.263)
God Almighty then states:
“And the case of those who spend their wealth to seek the pleasure of Allah and to strengthen their souls is like the case of a garden on elevated ground. Heavy rain falls on it so that it brings forth its fruit twofold. And if heavy rain does not fall on it, then light rain suffices. And Allah sees what you do.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 266)
In the next verse, He says:
“Satan threatens you with poverty and enjoins upon you what is foul, whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty. And Allah is Bountiful, All- Knowing.” (Surah al-Baqarah: V.269)
Then, God Almighty states:
“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.” (Surah al-Baqarah: V.273)
God Almighty then states:
“Those who spend their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, have their reward with their Lord; on them shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Surah al-Baqarah: V.275)
The Promised Messiahas, on the subject of financial sacrifice, said on one occasion:
“It is by the injunction of God Almighty that I repeatedly emphasise spending in the way of God Almighty. Islam is falling prey to other opposing religions and they desire to completely eliminate all trace of Islam. When this is the current state of Islam, then should we not make an effort for its progress? It is for this reason that God Almighty has established this Community. Thus, to strive for its progress is in accordance with the injunction and the desire of God Almighty.”
Then the Promised Messiahas says:
“These promises are from God Almighty, that if one spends in the way of God Almighty then in return He shall grant one manifold in blessings. God Almighty will reward such a person abundantly in this very world and after their demise they will also experience the reward in the Hereafter in terms of an abundance of comforts.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, pp. 393-394, UK, 1985)
God Almighty has granted the Promised Messiahas a Community of sincere people, who heard his call and obeyed it and also offered their sacrifices. Hence, regarding these sacrifices, the Promised Messiahas states:
“A large section of our Community consists of poor people. However, although this is a Community of the poor, thanks to God Almighty, I see that they have sincerity and sympathy. They understand the needs of Islam and do not shy away from spending for its cause according to their means.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, p. 25, UK, 1985)
God Almighty did not only enable the members of the Jamaat during the time of the Promised Messiahas to excel in terms of their sacrifices, sincerity and loyalty, rather, according to His promise, God Almighty has continuously granted, and is granting even today to this Jamaat, which was established approximately one hundred and thirty years ago, such sincere individuals, who have always and continue to render sacrifices for the sake of their religion according to their capacities, and at times even beyond that. Furthermore, they are also fulfilling the standards and are partaking of the promises, which God Almighty has outlined in the Holy Quran. By the grace of God Almighty, these standards can only be observed among this Jamaat of God Almighty, which was established through the Promised Messiahas and I shall narrate some examples of this current era. These incidents are related to people spread across various countries of the world, who are ever ready to sacrifice their wealth, thus, fulfilling their pledge of giving precedence to their faith over the world.
Hence, the first account is from Cameroon. The muallim [local Imam] there writes, “We went to one of the Jamaats in Marta, in the West Region, for the purpose of Tahrik-e-Jadid. The chief of the area, Saham Usman Sahib, gathered the people of the village together and said that the muallim of the Jamaat had come for the collection of Tahrik-e-Jadid. And so, everyone should participate in this financial sacrifice. The chief then said that the reason for this was that two years ago, he would either pray alone in the mosque or at times, with another two or three individuals. However, since the Ahmadiyya Jamaat had been established in the village and ever since they had accepted Ahmadiyyat, their mosque had started to fill with worshippers, so much so that at times, due to the insufficient space in the mosque, people had to pray outside. He said that these prominent transformations were merely a result of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat being established there. Therefore, they should contribute in every appeal of the Jamaat.”
This transformation which is being brought about within them through Ahmadiyyat, in terms of excelling in worship and financial sacrifices, is an astonishing transformation. Furthermore, this should also draw the attention of those who are born Ahmadis, or Ahmadiyyat has been in their families for generations, and they pay little attention towards worship and financial sacrifices, despite enjoying a good standard of living.
Then, a muallim in Cameroon, Abu Bakr, relates that he went to the Jamaat in Madibu, situated in the extreme northern region of Cameroon, for the collection of Chanda [donations] for Tahrik-e-Jadid. He went door to door in order to encourage new converts to contribute towards this financial sacrifice. Upon this, an Ahmadi by the name of Usman Sahib said that the previous time he came to draw attention towards this financial sacrifice, he had made the intention to contribute ten thousand CFA francs as well as some corn. A few days later, his son told him that he wished to go for an interview for a job in the customs department. However, he was in need of a great sum of money for this. (Similar to some other third-world countries, they also have to give something to the officials in order to receive employment.) Hence, he said to his son that he was a poor man and could not arrange for such a huge amount. He said he had ten thousand CFA francs but he promised to contribute that towards Tahrik-e–Jadid. Therefore, he should go and give the interview for the job and God Almighty will help him. Usman Sahib relates that he contributed this amount towards the Chanda instead. A few days later, his son called him from the city saying that he was successful in the interview and that he would very soon be employed. God Almighty inspired the hearts of the officials in such a manner that those, who gave huge amounts, were not employed, However, God Almighty made arrangements for his son to be employed as a result of his prayers, pure intentions and sacrifice.
Then, Amir Sahib of The Gambia writes that a programme was organised in relation to Tahrik-e-Jadid in a village of the Niani district, during the course of which they were told that the Khalifa of the time had said that all new converts should participate in this scheme. Hence, everyone present contributed Chanda towards this. A lady by the name Kowajawae Sahiba said that during the meeting, she contributed twenty dalasi towards Chanda. At that time, she only had twenty dalasi, which she had in fact saved for times of difficulty. She relates that when she reached home, a guest of hers gifted her five hundred dalasi. Hence, the following morning, she returned to the mosque and contributed another fifty dalasi towards her Chanda and said that she received the amount solely due to the blessings of Chanda. God Almighty’s promise of repaying one who makes sacrifices also becomes a means of increasing their faith and conviction. Although she did not offer this sacrifice with the intention of immediately receiving something in return from God Almighty, but God Almighty rewarded her immediately.
Next, the missionary in the region of Bohico in Benin writes that the finance secretary of the city earned his living through a three-wheeled motorcycle, or perhaps it was a rickshaw. One day, his motorcycle was stolen, and once something is stolen in Africa, it is usually impossible to find it again. When his friends used to visit him and express their sympathy for the loss, he would say (one should observe his level of trust in God), “I have complete faith in God Almighty. The reason for this is that I am a poor man and I feed my children and pay my Chanda on time by earning through this motorcycle. Perhaps someone else is in greater need than I am. Therefore, God Almighty has temporarily made arrangements for him so that he may fulfil his needs and then return it to me.” Upon hearing this, people assumed he was so traumatised by this theft, that it had affected him mentally. Nevertheless, in order to comply with the law of the land, he filed a report with the police as well and went home as normal. He says that two weeks had passed when his neighbour, who also rode a motorcycle taxi or rickshaw, called Baniu Sahib and said that he had spotted his motorcycle rickshaw. However, its colour had been modified. Upon this, the police were informed. The police then told both owners to come to the police station with the original documents of the motorcycle. Following an investigation, the documents of the other individual turned out to be counterfeit. Upon this, the police told the other individual to repair the motorcycle within two days, to return to its original colour and give it back to the owner within two days. And so, the motorcycle was returned to him. He took the motorcycle, immediately went to the mission house and narrated the entire incident. He also said that he still had to complete his contribution towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and therefore, he would now leave in search for work. He said that he would contribute the entire profit of the week towards his Chanda, as the motorcycle was returned to him as a result of the blessings of Chanda. Hence, he earned twelve thousand CFA francs during the week and contributed it towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.
This is also an astonishing example of the trust and faith in God Almighty.
Shahab Sahib, the secretary for Tahrik-e-Jadid collection in India writes that a lady named Sophia Begum from Chinta Gunta sent a message to us through her brother stating, “When I was very young, I attended gatherings and listened to different speeches delivered by scholars. Many women presented their jewelry when Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra established the foundations for Tahrik-e-Jadid and urged the members to offer financial sacrifice. Whenever I would listen to this faith inspiring incident, I felt the strong desire that if only I had some jewelry, I would offer it in the same manner towards Tahrik-e-Jadid, but this was not possible as I was poor. However, after my mother’s demise I have inherited around 24 grams of gold and I present this to you because I am uncertain if this jewelry will remain in my possession.” He says he and the locals both tried to convince her that since she was going to get married soon, therefore this jewelry would be needed for that. However, she remained adamant and paid the full amount of 24 grams of gold towards Tahrik-e-Jadid.
I mentioned this during last week’s Friday Sermon delivered in the USA and I often remind everyone about this that the poor are offering financial sacrifices, however those who are affluent and well-off should also examine their condition and see if their level of sacrifice is in accordance with the standards set by God Almighty; such standards to which He then grants His acceptance.
The secretary inspector for Tahrik-e-Jadid collection in Karnataka, India, writes: “One of the members had a promise of 2,500 rupees towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. When this person was requested to make the payment as there was just a few days remaining until the end of the fiscal year for Tahrik-e-Jadid, he said, ‘My work has completely stopped for the past three months due to rain and there is no hope for any income at this point.’ I said to him that he should make the intention for it and pray to God Almighty. After saying this I left for another place. In the evening when I returned after my other visits, the same person came to the mission house and offered his full Chanda payment. I enquired as to how this happened so quickly and he stated, ‘This is the blessing of having the intention for offering Chanda and also having the Grace of Allah Almighty, moreover I also prayed. A person owed me some money from some time ago and I had been reminding him for several months but he was not paying up. However, today he visited my home and returned all my money.’”
Musa Sahib, a muallim from Tanzania writes: “There is a very sincere Ahmadi friend in Darusalam Jamaat and he is currently serving in the Jamaat office there as well. Every year, his goal is to make the payment of his promise and his family’s for Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid before Ramadan, but this year he was not able to do so because of personal circumstances. He was very concerned because of this. In any case, he prayed that God Almighty may Himself create some means for him. He decided that he could use the money that he would receive as an Eid gift from the Jamaat on the occasion of Eid. (This is granted to all employees of the Jamaat). So he decided that he would use this amount to make his Chanda payment instead of fulfilling his needs for Eid, but upon further calculations he realised that even if he made his Chanda payment from the usual Eid gift, there would still remain some outstanding amount from his promise. So he prayed again to God Almighty and beseeched Him to provide the means for him to pay the entire amount that he had pledged. Hence, he says that the amount received this time as an Eid gift was more than what was usually granted and he fulfilled all his pledges and made the payment.”
Rizwi Sahib, a missionary in Moscow, writes: “Vadam Sahib, a new convert, belongs to a very remote and rural town of Buryatiya. He had the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat in 2017. This year he visited Moscow for a week in order to meet with the Ahmadi brothers here and to gain educational benefit and moral training. He is from a poor household and sometimes he endures severe conditions due to financial constraints. One evening during his stay in Moscow, after offering Isha prayer, he was informed in great detail about the Jamaat’s financial system and the blessings of taking part in it and he was encouraged to offer Chanda [donation]. Considering his limited resources and poverty, it was expected that even if he made a contribution of 50 Ruble, that would be great sacrifice on his part. The next day in the morning after offering Fajr prayer, he made a payment of 2,000 Ruble towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid. He asked them to accept this Chanda from him and then continued to express remorse for not offering a contribution before as he had accepted Ahmadiyyat more than a year ago.” The missionary writes: “Considering his situation, this was a great sacrifice.”
Such are the standards of sacrifice and these are the people about whom the Promised Messiahas has stated: “It is astonishing to see their sincerity and loyalty.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 10, p. 334, UK, 1985)
Another missionary from Moscow writes: “There is a member of Moscow Jamaat who has been working in various forms of employment in the city. Speaking about his current employment, he said: ‘During my interview, the owners informed me that there are no pay rises here and even in the future will remain on this amount. Therefore, if I was happy with this offer, then I should accept it, otherwise I should decline.’ He said, ‘I accepted the offer and after some time had elapsed, an appeal was made to members of the Jamaat to offer contributions towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid and I began to participate in it regularly. After some time had passed, the administration of this department called me in and without any apparent reason, they increased my salary by 5,000 Ruble. Then after some time had passed, they called me in again and increased my salary by a further 2,000 Ruble.’ He went on and said: ‘At that time, I was convinced that this had to be the result of offering financial sacrifice in the way of God Almighty and there was no other worldly reason for this to happen. When one tries to explain this to a non-Ahmadi, they do not understand this fully, but the one who has accepted the Imam Mahdias can truly comprehend how by the grace of Allah the Almighty, He, without any worldly means, blesses those people who offer financial sacrifices.’”
The missionary of the Alada region in Benin writes, “In the Fanji community, within the region, whereby the grace of God Almighty a mosque has been built, the local president, a blacksmith, was urged to participate wholeheartedly in contributing towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. Thus, he made a promise to increase his contribution, but said that due to not having any work at the time, he was short of money. Thereafter, the Jamaat local president phoned saying he wished to donate 10,000 CFA Francs and to give him a receipt. Having made that promise, God Almighty blessed him immensely. He said, ‘After having made my promise, God Almighty blessed me and I found a job, and so now I have come to give 10,000 CFA Francs in Chanda [donation].’ After making that contribution, he phoned again after 15 days saying God Almighty had blessed him immensely, so much so that he didn’t know if he would even be able to complete the amount of work he had received. He received a very good order for a job and this was merely as a result of giving in the way of God Almighty.”
Here, God Almighty granted manifold more, as is His promise, and did so immediately.
A missionary of the Segou region in Mali writes that one day a blind woman sent her Chanda [donation] and along with it was a message that in future, she would send her Chanda to the mission house on a monthly basis. When enquired as to the reason for this (at times, God Almighty Himself draws the attention of some people to make sacrifices, so that He may grant them further blessings), she replied, “Two days ago I saw a dream in which I was sleeping and the Promised Messiahas woke me up to urge me to contribute Chanda. Therefore, in the dream I got up and went to the mission house, where I made a contribution of 5,000 CFA Francs and after that, I woke up.”
Mubarak Munir Sahib, a missionary in Burkina Faso writes that Al-Haj Ibrahim, a sincere Ahmadi, who belongs to the Jamaat in Pegou, has two children who had been sick for quite some time and had had them treated. However, there was no improvement in their health. One day, a muallim of ours appealed to him to make a financial sacrifice and he made a contribution according to his means. He also prayed, “O Allah, accept my sacrifices and grant my children a swift recovery.” He says that a few days later, by the grace of God Almighty his children’s health improved significantly. One child recovered completely whilst the other saw a considerable improvement in his health. Thus, he was convinced that God Almighty blessed them, having accepted his sacrifice.
The Wasiyyat secretary of the city of Bobo, in Burkina Faso says that he contributed towards the Wasiyyat scheme every month but at times there would be delays in his payments towards the Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid. Once, when he had listened to my sermon, he thought to himself, “Why don’t I make a full payment of my donations before the end of the year?” Therefore, having made the contribution, he saw a dream one night that a man dressed in white was handing him a key. He did not understand the dream at the time, but a few days later he received a message from his brother that he should make preparations to go and perform the Hajj and that he would cover all the costs. In this way, as a result of his financial sacrifice, God Almighty granted him the opportunity to perform the Hajj.
The Tahrik-e-Jadid secretary in Germany writes that a member from the Borken Jamaat increased his contribution to the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme by 900 Euros. This member says, “The day after I made the promise, I went to my workplace and the owner said that he had increased my income by 100 Euros. When I calculated between February and October, it added up in total to approximately 900 Euros. He says that I was certain that God Almighty would take care of me, but I did think that God Almighty would provide for me in less than 24 hours.”
The same Tahrik-e-Jadid Secretary from Germany states that the asylum case of one of the members had embroiled him in difficulties. He was advised to make a financial sacrifice and to contribute to the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme. “A few days later, I met him and he told me, ‘You drew my attention to contributing to the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme and I promised to pay 100 Euros, but at that moment in time I only had 20 Euros. So I gave the 20 Euros there and then and went home. When I reached home I received a phone call from the place I used to work in, saying that I was owed some money, so I should go and collect that. I was under the impression that it would be three or four hundred euros, hence I went and collected the money and without counting it, placed it in my pocket. The first thing I did was pay the remaining 80 euros towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and took out some money for some other necessary things. Thereafter, some money was left over. When I later counted it, I realised that I had received 1000 Euros. I had promised 100 Euros and God Almighty in return bestowed me with ten times more. I used to only hear about such incidents thinking does God Almighty really treat His servants in this way, but now I have experienced it for myself.’”
A missionary in Ivory Coast writes that he went to a place to collect Tahrik-e-Jadid, where there was a community of new converts. Only a year ago they took the Bai‘at and became a part of the Nizam (Jamaat system). He delivered a speech to these people with regard to the importance of Tahrik-e-Jadid and its purpose. He further explained that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said that all members should participate and partake of this blessing. The following day, after the morning-prayer, some members of the community began giving Chanda [donations] according to their own capacity and the Imam of the mosque participated in this noble endeavour, also paying on behalf of his family towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. Later on, his 6 year-old son brought 100 CFA francs from his father saying that that was his contribution.” He further says, “We were delighted by the extent of this young child’s desire to make financial sacrifices.”
May Allah the Almighty accept the sacrifices of these new converts and bestow upon them the good of this world and the next.
The Promised Messiahas mentioned in one place that once, a Maulvi made an appeal in a mosque to make financial sacrifices, and his wife was also sat there. She was very much moved having heard this and when she reached home she took out her jewellery with the intention of donating it towards the mosque. The MaulvI said that this was only for the people, not for her, therefore she didn’t need to make a sacrifice. (Malfuzat, Vol. 6, pp. 264-265, UK, 1985)
On the other hand, where the community of the Promised Messiahas is being established, we find the Imam of the mosque himself, and even his children, enthusiastically participating.
There is another account from Indonesia. A woman there named Sofia Sahiba writes, “I converted from Christianity and joined the community having taken the Bai‘at in 2014. After doing so, I was met with opposition from my family, verbal abuse was hurled at me and I was disgraced. My family members did not deem me a part of the family, yet I received a lot of love and attention from the community. I also married an Ahmadi. Sometime later my husband had a car accident and broke his bones in his right arm and leg.” She says, “At the time, I was also four months pregnant and the new financial year for Tahrik-e-Jadid was about to begin. I asked my husband what our promise was. He replied with great conviction, ‘Write down 500,000 Indonesian rupees (the value of the Indonesian Rupee is very low. Nevertheless, for those living there this was very valuable) because next year I will most surely find a job.’” She says, “I was very surprised because at the time he was walking with crutches, so how could he find a job? Nonetheless, I had our promise written down according to what he said. Time flew by quickly and before we knew it, the year was coming to an end. I was very worried as my husband was still jobless, and was concerned about how we would fulfil our promise? In this state of distress, I prayed and God Almighty manifested His power where my husband was given a very good job in a private company and we paid the whole amount that we had promised.”
Staying in Indonesia, Wardi Sahiba writes: “Last Ramadan, our family went through a difficult time. My father-in-law fell ill and spent one month receiving treatment in hospital. His health deteriorated to the extent that he was transferred to the ICU unit and chances for his survival were very low.” She then recalled a sermon of mine and said, “At that moment we remembered a sermon regarding the blessings of giving towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. All my family members made a decision to pay the entire Tahrik-e-Jadid amount that we had promised in that same month of Ramadan.” They then paid the entire amount in that same month and also wrote to me for prayers. She then writes: “Through the grace of God Almighty, the result of the prayers and [financial] sacrifice was that my father-in-law’s health began to improve, to the extent that after a few days the doctors discharged him and granted him permission to go home. When we arrived home and the neighbours saw that he was restored to full health, they were astonished and enquired as to how a person who was in such critical condition – to the extent that death seemed imminent – managed to survive?”
Here in the UK, the president of Birmingham Central Jamaat writes: “With hours to go before the closing deadline for Tahrik-e-Jadid, we were still £1,500 short of reaching our target. I approached various members of the Jamaat. One member, who had already given £2,400 said he would pay the remaining £1,500. Since he was out of the country, he paid the amount online.” He further writes: “The day after he had paid the £1,500, he received £6,000 from the tax department.” God Almighty instantly returned to him four times the amount he had paid.
With regard to the kinds of sacrifices offered by those who are impoverished and the astonishing manner in which God Almighty treats them, a muallim from Burundi writes: “Last year we visited a newly established Jamaat in Gahanga. We informed a new convert, Masudi Sahib, about the importance of giving Chanda [donations] and encouraged him to contribute. Masudi Sahib said that he did not have anything to give at the time, however, at home he had a fruit tree and the money that he would receive from the fruit, he would give that as his Chanda.” Even today, one can find examples of the kinds of sacrifices offered by people of the past. He further writes: “Within a day or two, he sold all the fruit of his tree for 1000 Burundi Francs and gave the entire amount as Chanda.” He later said that having sold his fruit, the money he gave as Chanda brought many blessings in that the next time the tree gave fruit, the harvest was many times the amount of the previous time and the fruit sold for approximately 40,000 to 45,000 Brundi francs.
A muallim from Congo Brazzaville writes: “A member of the community, Muaveel Sahib’s son, was ill for a certain period of time. During his illness, we went to Muaveel Sahib for Chanda. He paid the promise and also requested prayers for his son to be cured of the ailment through the blessings of Chanda. The same gentlemen said that a few days later, his son was restored to full health and it amazed him how God Almighty accepts prayers as well as their humble sacrifices.”
The Lajna Tahrik-e-Jadid Secretary of Canada writes: “A female member [of the Jamaat] mentioned that her husband had promised to give $1,000 [Canadian] dollars in Tahrik-e-Jadid, however, he had been unemployed for a while and as a result of this was unable to pay the amount. When there was a week left for the [Tahrik-e-Jadid] year to end, the secretary Mal [Jamaat local finance secretary] visited their home to collect the money. The husband said to her that he did not have anything to give, so what could they do now? The lady replied by saying that they could not let the secretary return emptyhanded. She had some savings, and from this they gave the $1,000 dollars as promised.” She then said: “Due to the blessings of Chanda, her husband found a job in that same week with a pay of $7,000 per month.”
A missionary in the Ivory Coast writes: “There was a tifl [a child] in the city San-Pedro who was 14 years old. The boy’s father says that he asked him to perform an errand for the house on a Sunday, to which his son replied that he was secretary Mal [finance secretary] in the Atfal Amila and he collected Chanda [donations] from people, however he had been unable to pay his own Chanda. Since he had to attend school on the other days, on that day he intended to go and work on a farm, and through this labour he would be able to earn some money and pay his Chanda. His father said that he would pay the money on his behalf, however the son replied that the missionary had said that children should pay the Chanda from their pocket money. Since he was unable to give any Chanda from his pocket money, he was adamant that he would earn some money through work to pay the Chanda. He completed his work and gave the money he earnt as part of Chanda.”
Thus is the thinking of children, living in distant places and of those who have recently joined the community – this is something only God Almighty can instil in a person.
The Tahrik-e-Jadid secretary of Germany writes: “A lady from Kiel Jamaat narrated: ‘My mother was from Kalsian Bhattian in Pakistan. She was a school teacher and would always regularly offer financial sacrifices. During Eid celebrations when most of the children would be given new clothes, often my mother would aim to give all of her Tahrik-e-Jadid promise within the month of Ramadan, so that she could be included in the list for prayers. Often she would take a loan to pay her promise, then would work towards paying that off. When the scheme for the construction of Basharat Mosque in Spain was launched, she sacrificed her earrings – which was the only gold she owned – and was scolded by her in-laws for doing so.” The lady further says: “At that time, I was immature and I thought that by putting yourself through hardship and then offering financial sacrifice was not correct. This idea and perception of mine was imbedded in my mind. Last year when the Tahrik-e-Jadid scheme was announced, I thought to myself that I would not act like my mother and present everything she owned. Therefore, I only promised to give 30 or 35 euros and in my estimation thought that this was a wise decision.” She further writes: “It was God’s design that soon after this, I developed two tumours in my neck. Owing to this I became petrified and the doctors also suggested to have an operation. At that time, I did not like [new] clothes nor any forms of jewellery.” During one of the days she heard a sermon of mine in which I addressed women and advised them about offering financial sacrifices. She says: “Hearing the words of the Khalifa, I gave all my jewellery for Tahrik-e-Jadid. I had an estimation of the price of the jewellery and gave that amount. After this I visited the Doctors again and they informed me that the tumour were benign.” She then writes: “God Almighty cured my ailment and removed my fears. I understood the fact that God Almighty had punished me due to my arrogant behaviour. Hence, now I do not harbour any such ill thoughts. There were certain restrictions imposed in paying Chanda on my husband for working in a restaurant. I prayed to God Almighty that if he granted my husband a better job, I would give 500 euros in Tahrik-e-Jadid. Thus, God Almighty miraculously granted my husband a better job.” Now both husband and wife offer their Chandas.
The Lajna Secretary for Tahrik-e-Jadid in Lahore writes,
“A lady from Wapda Town was suffering a serious breathing problem for the last year and a half. During the tour of the representatives from the headquarters, she increased her promise for Tahrik-e-Jadid by 50,000 rupees. God Almighty blessed her health immensely and her previous condition in which the ailment would continuously reappear despite seeking cure for it now completely changed and since the end of the Tahrik-e-Jadid year, she has completely recovered.”
Amir Sahib of The Gambia writes,
“A member from the Gira village regularly paid Chanda [donations] towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. Recently, there was an outbreak of a disease among the cattle of his village and the animals began dying. Nearly everyone’s animals had died. However, not a single animal from the cattle of Samya Sahib died. The fellow villagers all enquired from him as to why not a single animal died from among his cattle. He told them that every year he sells one of his animals from among his cattle and pays that amount towards his Chanda for Tahrik-e-Jadid and due to its blessings, God Almighty has protected his animals from the epidemic. Upon this, seven other villagers who were Ahmadi also paid their Tahrik-e-Jadid Chanda and the health of their animals began to improve, even though the veterinary doctor had said that no animal would survive the epidemic. After a few days, when the veterinary doctor came again and examined the animals, he asked what method of cure they used to improve the health of their animals. An elderly lady of the village brought a receipt of her Chanda donation and said that this was their method for the cure. Hearing this, the doctor was quite surprised and said that he would now research into Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and so he was given quite a lot of literature of the Jamaat.”
One can witness how the faith and sincerity of the people living in far-off lands is progressing. It is this very sincerity and their complete trust in God Almighty and His promises that in turn leaves others with no other choice but to ponder over the truthfulness of Islam. May God Almighty continue to strengthen their faith and belief and always grant them His love and affection.
After relating the accounts of the blessings of God Almighty, as it is customary to announce the new year of the Tahrik-e-Jadid in November, and with this I will also present some figures from the previous year.
This year, the 85th year of Tahrik-e-Jadid is starting, or rather has started from 1 November. The report of the blessings in the income from the 84th year is as follows:
According to the income reports, God Almighty has enabled the sincere members of the Jamaat to contribute over £12.79 million. By the grace of God Almighty, there is an increase of £212,000 from the previous year – and God Almighty has enabled this despite the difficult circumstance being experienced around the world and the fact that the currency of many countries in the world has devalued.
In terms of the total contributing, Pakistan is always at the top, but after them it is:
1. Germany
2. UK
3. USA
4. Canada
5. India
6. Australia
7. A Jamaat from the Middle East
8. Indonesia
9. Ghana
10. A Jamaat from Middle East
In terms of the contribution per person, the positions are as follows:
1. Switzerland
2. USA
3. UK
4. Australia
5. Singapore
6. Sweden
7. Belgium
8. Germany
9. Canada
10. Finland
The outstanding Jamaats from among Africa for their total contribution are:
1. Ghana
2. Nigeria
3. The Gambia
4. Tanzania
Much attention is being drawn towards increasing the number of people participating in Tahrik-e-Jadid, and by the grace of God Almighty, this year 1,717,000 members participated, an increase of 117,000. The majority of the increase in members from the African countries who have made a notable effort are as follows:
1. Niger
2. The Gambia
3. Benin
4. Burkina Faso
5. Ghana
6. Nigeria
7. Cameroon
8. Congo-Kinshasa
9. Liberia
10. Mauritius
11. Ivory Coast
Among the large Jamaats, in terms of increasing their total contributors, the positions are as follows:
1. Indonesia
2. Germany
3. India
4. Pakistan
5. Canada
6. USA
7. Norway
8. Malaysia
By the grace of God Almighty, all of the accounts of those belonging to Daftar Awwal are still in operation which total to 5,927.
According to the reports of the districts in Pakistan, the financial sacrifices from the three large districts of Pakistan, the positions are as follows:
1. Lahore
2. Rabwah
3. Karachi
Although Rabwah is not a district but a city, however it is counted among the districts. The total contribution from among the districts of Pakistan is:
1. Sialkot
2. Sargodha
3. Gujrat
4. Gujranwala
5. Umerkot
6. Hyderabad
7. Narowal
8. Mirpur Khas
9. Toba Tek Singh
10. Mirpur Azad Kashmir
The outstanding Jamaat in terms of their total contribution are:
1. Islamabad Amarat
2. Defence Lahore Amarat
3. Township Lahore Amarat
4. Azizabad Karachi
5. Peshawar Amarat
6. Gulshan Iqabal Karachi Amarat
7. Karim Nagar Faisalabad
8. Quetta
9. Nawabshah
10. Bahawlpur
11. Okarra
The first ten Jamaats in Germany are:
1. Neuss
2. Rödermark
3. Pinneberg
4. Mehdi-Abad
5. Kiel
6. Flörsheim
7. Koblenz
8. Weingarten
9. Koeln
10. Limburg
In terms of the regions of Germany, the first ten are as follows:
1. Hamburg
2. Frankfurt
3. Moerfelden
4. Gross-Gerau
5. Dietzenbach
6. Wiesbaden
7. Mannheim
8. Riedstadt
9. Offenbach
10. Darmstadt
The first five regions of Great Britain, in terms of total contribution, are:
1. London B
2. London A
3. Midlands
4. North East
5. South
The first ten large Jamaats of Great Britain, in terms of total contribution, are:
1. Fazl Mosque
2. Worcester Park
3. Birmingham South
4. New Malden
5. Bradford North
6. Islamabad
7. Birmingham West
8. Glasgow
9. Gillingham
10. Scunthorpe
In terms of contribution from the smaller Jamaats in Great Britain, it is the following five Jamaats:
1. Spen Valley
2. Swansea
3. North Wales
4. Southfields
5. Edinburgh
The first five regions in terms of contribution are:
1. South West
2. Midlands
3. Islamabad
4. North East
5. Scotland
In terms of total contribution among the USA Jamaats is as follows:
1. Oshkosh
2. Silicon Valley
3. Seattle
4. Detroit
5. Silver Spring
6. York
7. Central Virginia
8. Georgia/Atlanta
9. Los Angeles East
10. Central Jersey
11. Laurel
In terms of total contribution from among the regions in Canada:
1. Brampton
2. Vaughan
3. Peace Village
4. Calgary
5. Vancouver
6. Western
7. Mississauga
The five most notable Jamaats in Canada for their total contribution are:
1. Edmonton West
2. Durham
3. Hamilton South
4. Bradford
5. Saskatoon North
The ten large Jama’at in India for their total contribution are:
1. Qadian, Punjab
2. Hyderabad, Telangana
3. Pathapiriyam, Kerala
4. Chennai, Tamil Nadu
5. Calicut, Kerala
6. Bangalore, Carnatic
7. Calcutta, Bengal
8. Pengari, Kerala
9. Noor Town, Kerala
10. Yad Gir, Carnatic
In terms of the provinces of India, it is as follows:
1. Kerala
2. Carnatic
3. Tamil Nadu
4. Telangana
5. Jammu Kashmir
6. Odissa
7. Punjab
8. Bengal
9. Dehli
10. Maharashtra
The first ten Jama’ats in Australia for total contribution are as follows:
1. Castle Hill
2. Melbourne, Berwick
3. Canberra
4. Penrith
5. Melbourne Long Warren
6. Marsden Park
7. Adelaide South
8. Brisbane, Logan
9. Brisbane
10. Plumpton
The following is the position of Jama’ats in terms of contribution per person:
1. Tasmania
2. Canberra
3. Castle Hill,
4. Darwin,
5. Marsden Park,
6. Melbourne, Berwick
7. Sydney City,
8. Perth,
9. Cambelltown
10. Parramatta
May God Almighty immensely bless all those who have offered financial sacrifices and also their wealth.
Also, generally people assume that I share the accounts from my tours, however, Insha-Allah, I will mention that in the next sermon.
(Translated by the Review of Religions)