Personal connection is the key to progress: Members of Germany’s national amila receive guidance from Huzoor

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Personal contact is the key to progress: Members of Germany’s national amila receive guidance from Huzoor

Islamabad, Tilford, UK, 31 May 2025: The national amila of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany was blessed with a mulaqat with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa.

The meeting commenced with a silent prayer led by Huzooraa, after which the proceedings began.

Amir Sahib Germany, Abdullah Uwe Wagishauser, introduced the amila members, noting that both previous and new members were present, with the exception of one who was unable to attend due to illness. He mentioned that there was one new addition to the amila, the Secretary Nau Mubai‘een, who then introduced himself.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa instructed that the new Missionary-in-Charge should assume his responsibilities immediately upon his return to Germany.

Guidance for various departments

Throughout the meeting, Huzooraa addressed various secretaries, offering tailored advice and strategic direction for their respective departments.

Addressing the new Secretary Ishaat, Huzooraa acknowledged the good work done previously and encouraged him to advance it further. The secretary requested prayers. Huzooraa replied, “Yes, but the work is something you yourselves have to do.”

Huzooraa then spoke with the Secretary Tahrik-e-Jadid and said he knew how to perform his duties, but advised, “You need to learn more.”

Huzooraa then imparted a pivotal piece of advice for all office-bearers, stating:

“The real issue is what I said to the delegates and office-bearers at the Shura. You do get the work done, but you should not take personal credit for any task. Instead, you should consider it a grace of Allah the Exalted. Every night before sleeping, each office-bearer should reflect and assess whether the work they did, the work they intended to do and their thoughts were in accordance with the commandments of Allah the Exalted and for His pleasure, or merely for show. I also mentioned this in that [Shura address]. If you conduct this daily review, you will realise how much work we do to showcase our performance and how much we do to attain the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. The performance itself should also be for the sake of attaining God’s pleasure. This is a very important matter. I know that many office-bearers, for instance, do not fully act upon the tahrik for supplications that I had initiated.”

Huzooraa asked how many of them act on this guidance and stressed that this is something that must also be taught to those who work with them and under them in the local jamaats, as these are fundamental principles they must follow.

Huzooraa continued: “The rest, Tahrik-e-Jadid or Chanda Aam contributions will continue to come, Secretary Maal’s financial requirements shall continue to be met, Amir Sahib’s worries will also be alleviated; that is not an issue, these ups and downs are a part of life. However, the essential thing is that there should be loyalty and humility; these are the two fundamental things that everyone should remember.”

Speaking with the Secretary Talim, Huzooraa asked if he works according to the rules, to which he replied that they try to. Huzooraa enquired about his coordination and cooperation with the Amir Sahib and other departments, which the secretary affirmed.

In his remarks to the Secretary Nau Mubai‘een, a convert of Turkish descent, Huzooraa stressed that nurturing new members is no simple task. Converts, he observed, span diverse backgrounds: German, Arab, Bosnian, Pakistani, Afghan, Turkish and other European nationalities. A tailored programme must therefore address their individual habits while remaining firmly rooted in Jamaat traditions and Islamic teaching. Huzooraa instructed the Secretary to compile a complete register of all converts from the past few years, classifying them by motivation: those who embraced the Jamaat out of conviction, those who joined through marriage, those already familiar with religion and those requiring instruction from the very beginning. He emphasised that this demanding task calls for a carefully structured plan, prepared in consultation with the Amir, the Secretary Tarbiyat and the Missionary-in-Charge and then implemented methodically.

In a light-hearted moment while speaking to another amila member whose name included “Choudhary,” Huzooraa asked, “Are you more of a ‘choudhary’ (chief) or more of a ‘khadim’ (one who serves)?” The member replied, “More of a khadim.”

Addressing a missionary who is also serving as a national amila member, Huzooraa said:

“The work of a missionary, apart from the duties of his department, is to present his personal example. A murabbi or a muballigh, even if he becomes a secretary, is still a missionary. And people’s attention is drawn towards a missionary; therefore, you are not just a secretary. So, always keep this in mind and set an example for the people; your prayers, your nawafil, your supplications, your lifestyle, your morals, your conduct, your speech – all these things should be an example for the people.”

To the Secretary Maal (Expenditure), Huzooraa instructed, “It is your job to keep the expenses within the budget. Make an effort for this.”

Addressing the Secretary Maal (Income), Huzooraa provided detailed guidance:

“You should contact the relevant finance secretaries of the jamaats and also contact the members directly. Then, you should motivate those who are well-off but do not pay their chanda according to the prescribed rate and persuade them to pay correctly according to their income. The poor generally give, but even with them, you should try to ensure that people are not dishonest. If their circumstances do not permit and they need an exemption from payment or wish to pay at a lower rate, they should seek formal permission in writing. However, the task of tarbiyat regarding income is also essential. For this, seek help from missionaries and the secretaries of Tarbiyat and also from the respective jamaats. Then, prepare the budget. If the tarbiyat is done correctly, your work will become easier. Therefore, in addition to inspectors, you will need to form a team to draw attention to this matter. Seek help from missionaries as well, so that they too remind [people]; when they repeatedly draw attention to it, it has an effect. 

“Sometimes, the thought arises in some people’s minds that missionaries are drawing attention to this because they are paid employees of the Jamaat. Eradicate this notion from people’s minds. This is the responsibility of the Missionary-in-Charge and the Secretary Tarbiyat as well; this also needs attention. 

“What people give, they should give for the sake of Allah the Exalted and for the purification of their wealth. I mentioned this yesterday as well. Instil these things in people and create the true spirit of financial sacrifice in them; then they will continue to make sacrifices despite inflation. There is inflation here [in the West], but the situation is not like in Pakistan or Africa, yet people there still give and make sacrifices. Here, the conditions are much better in comparison.” 

Huzooraa directed that any exemption be kept to a bare minimum; members ought not be permitted to discharge merely a quarter or half of their due contribution, let alone be excused altogether. Priority, he emphasised, must first be given to recovering outstanding arrears, while simultaneously devising and implementing a forward-looking plan to ensure systematic collection thereafter.

Addressing another secretary, Huzooraa advised:

“Your issues are often presented. Presenting problems is not the main task; the real task is how to solve them. You sometimes start thinking about other issues. […] You should work according to the responsibilities assigned to you within your rules.”

Speaking with the Secretary Tabligh, Huzooraa asked, “Are the Tabligh reports you send accurate, or do you compile them while sitting at home?” The secretary responded that they try to avoid any exaggeration and that before a bai‘at, they arrange a meeting for the new convert with a missionary to ensure their conviction and the report is sent to Huzooraa accordingly. Huzooraa emphasised the need to avoid ambiguity.

Upon this, Amir Sahib clarified, “Now, I personally check every bai‘at report and now every applicant writes the letter in their own language so that we understand their personal motives better.” Regarding the bai‘at target, the secretary stated that their consolidated target, based on the targets from individual jamaats, is 700. 

In response, Huzooraa advised the formation, or revitalisation, of an active Tabligh Committee, with the Missionary-in-Charge and all the others playing their respective roles in it too. The task, he reminded them, demands a coordinated team effort rather than the labour of a single individual.

Addressing the newly appointed Missionary-in-Charge, Huzooraa said:

“Plan your new assignment afresh. See what tasks are to be assigned to the missionaries and how you will get the work of Tabligh from them, how you will get the work of Tarbiyat from them and how you will get them to assist in other departments. And in meetings, what targets are to be assigned to them and for the targets given, you should take a regular monthly report from them on what they have accomplished, whether they have worked according to their target or not. Then, where there are shortcomings, [see as to] why they are there. Share the good work of efficient and diligent missionaries with each other in your meetings, so that others can benefit from what they did that others did not. Instil confidence in the missionaries themselves and also make them realise their responsibility.”

To the Secretary Amoor-e-Ammah, Huzooraa instructed:

“Establish a department within your own that also deals with reconciliation. When a matter goes to Qaza, you cannot interfere there, but before it goes to Qaza, you can try to bring about reconciliation. […] Just as the Missionary-in-Charge and missionaries or the Tarbiyat Department can make efforts, similarly, the Amoor-e-Ammah Department can also try to reconcile matters that come to its attention.”

Huzooraa urged the Secretary Tarbiyat to revitalise the department so thoroughly that it becomes the helper of other departments such as Amoor-e-Aamma, Maal and the other offices. He should regularly meet the local secretaries. 

Huzooraa also emphasised the importance of personal contact with individual members of the Jamaat. He said that if they could speak directly to even half the members of the Jamaat individually and personally, many problems would fade and the efforts must not only be limited to office work.

He told the Secretary to visit Jamaats that send good reports and check whether life on the ground matches what is written. Where complaints arise, the Secretary should decide whether they are genuine or merely habitual grumbling. 

Huzooraa also reminded the Missionary-in-Charge to make similar checks about missionary reports by visiting jamaats.

Huzooraa enquired from the Secretary Waqf-e-Arzi & Talim-ul-Quran whether they would achieve their target this year and said:

“Go to the people, train them, draw the attention of the relevant secretaries and also make individual contact with members. When attention is drawn from the Centre, it has an impact. When you draw their attention, they will say that the secretary from the Centre has written to them personally. Therefore, involve the various auxiliary organisations: Ansarullah, Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Lajna. […] And it’s not that one or two days are dedicated, but waqf-e-arzi should be for at least ten days, although the initial condition was for two weeks.”

Advising the Secretary Wasaya, Huzooraa instructed to tell musis that they should pay their dues according to their income. “Either do not do wasiyyat or pay accordingly; there is no compromise in wasiyyat.”

Advising the Secretary Ziafat, Huzooraa remarked that he should have stayed at Baitul Futuh during his visit, so that, “you would have been told of their Ziafat-related shortcomings and you too would have become aware of them, giving you an opportunity to rectify your own. And some issues would have been pointed out to us as well, providing an opportunity for improvement here.”

An Additional Secretary Jaidad for the 100-Mosques Project gave an update, stating they now have over 85 properties, including 60 purpose-built mosques. Huzooraa raised the issue of complaints from some jamaats who have raised funds but are still awaiting the construction of a mosque. Amir Sahib clarified that they always fulfil their promises, but delays can occur when jamaats propose projects that are excessively costly. Huzooraa then asked for an update on the mosque project in Heidelberg, which the relevant secretary provided.

While reviewing international affairs with the Secretary Umoor-e-Kharijiyyah, Huzooraa reflected on Germany’s evolving stance towards Israel’s actions in Palestine.

Huzooraa noted that, two days earlier, the German Chancellor had acknowledged that the country’s history makes open criticism of Israel difficult, yet had nevertheless urged Israel to curb its current military actions. 

The Secretary Umoor-e-Kharijiyyah reported that the Jamaat raises the matter in every political meeting and across social media, but most governments continue to export arms to Israel. Huzooraa observed that Spain has already suspended such exports and urged Germany to adopt a similar stance, emphasising that historic guilt should not prevent present-day Germans from condemning injustice.

The Secretary Umoor-e-Kharijiyyah informed Huzooraa:

“Among all Muslim organisations [of Germany], only Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is the one that has spoken first on the issue [of Palestine] and has spoken most clearly and explicitly. And just a few days ago, a Member of Parliament acknowledged and accepted that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya was the first to raise its voice on this matter.”

Huzooraa then spoke with the Missionary-in-Charge again, instructing him that he would have to, together with Amir Sahib, devise a policy on how and where to utilise the upcoming missionaries. Huzooraa mentioned that someone had recently raised criticism at a Jamaat gathering about trained missionaries being placed in office roles. Huzooraa said this should have been addressed by explaining that this is not a new scheme. He said that even at the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, he had stated that we should have such missionaries who, after being educated and trained in Jamia, are appointed in offices instead of recruiting clerks, so that they have religious knowledge and also work with the spirit of a life-devotee. So, this is an old scheme of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. So, this is not something new.

During his discussion with the Secretary Rishta Nata, Huzooraa observed that some members claim Islam permits marriage with the People of the Book, yet asked how one could marry those who, though they claim to be among the People of the Book, subscribe to the Trinity and thus commit shirk. He directed that this theological distinction be taught systematically through Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Ansarullah, Lajna Imaillah, the Tarbiyat Department and the missionaries.

Turning to practical duties, Huzooraa reminded the department that it must counsel families, assist them and actively propose suitable matches for both boys and girls. He called for well-structured gatherings in which prospective families may meet under supervision, receive guidance and settle arrangements within an organised scheme.

The Secretary reported that two initiatives are already in place: a general “Meet and Greet” programme and individually arranged introductions. The team visits local jamaats, invites interested families for private consultations and suggests appropriate matches.

Huzooraa instructed that the department work closely with Lajna Imaillah to understand the concerns and expectations of prospective brides. If a woman seeks direct advice, the Secretary may meet her, but never alone; a second person must always be present. He further emphasised strict confidentiality: personal details are not to be disclosed and the same discretion must be observed by Amoor-e-Ammah, the missionaries and all other office-bearers to safeguard the trust of Jamaat members.

General questions

Huzooraa then invited anyone to ask any questions. A secretary asked if the Jamaat could write on behalf of members who are shy to write directly to Huzooraa to request permission to pay a lower rate of chanda. Huzooraa granted permission and added:

“In my opinion, the majority of people are generally more hesitant to say something in front of their office-bearers than in front of me. But in any case, there are still such people who are closer to you, so it is fine, you may ask and inform me.”

Amir Sahib Germany highlighted the challenge of engaging young, well-educated Ahmadis and bringing them closer to the Jamaat, stating it is a difficult struggle for which they need guidance. Huzooraa replied:

“These are the challenging issues. You have to face them. Try to involve all the auxiliary organisations; Lajna, Ansar, Khuddam and your Tarbiyat Department as well as your missionaries, the murabbis. They should all work together and make a concerted and consolidated effort. This way, you can bring them close to the Jamaat. Some of them have some grievances against their local office-bearers. Some have only their worldly desires, some have their problems and issues because of their family matters. So, you will have to [find] out what the cause of it is and then do accordingly. Every person needs a different treatment. You cannot give paracetamol to a typhoid patient or a simple [antibiotic] to a cancer patient. Every person needs a different treatment and you will have to find out what kind of treatment a person needs. This way, you can rectify all the problems.”

In response to Amir Sahib’s request for special prayers for the amila to become excellent examples, Huzooraa said:

“You should also pray for yourselves. […] I have been asking all the time that every amila member should pray two nawafil for their departments. […] And if you are determined, you will do it. If you realise its importance, obviously you will do it.”

Another secretary asked if they could give donations to non-Ahmadis for the construction of their mosques. Huzooraa advised, “Why? If you are not going to pray behind them and if they are speaking against you, why should you? If they do not believe in the Imamas of the Age, then why should we offer our money for their mosque instead of our own? Anyway, it is not a sin, but it is better to avoid it.”

The meeting concluded with a group photograph with Huzooraa.

(Summary prepared by Al Hakam)

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