On 6 March 2022 members of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya USA (MKA USA) had a chance to meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa through a virtual meeting.
After conveying his salaam, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa called Noor Muhammad Sahib to recite a portion from the Holy Quran after which Naveed Haq Sahib read the translation of the verses recited. Faraz Ahmad Zia Sahib was called up to read an Urdu poem written by the Promised Messiahas. Aman Khan Sahib presented the translation of the couplets.
Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya USA, Madeel Abdullah Sahib then reported there were 105 Khuddam present in the meeting aged between 15-25. He sought Huzoor’s permission for them to ask questions to which Huzooraa permitted.
The first question was by Mahid Kaisar Sahib from Chicago who said Khuddam in the USA were geographically spread out. He asked Huzooraa how MKA USA could help Khuddam attend salat in the mosque more regularly and join Jamaat events.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Where there are big pockets of Ahmadis, you should make your centre and mosque there. And if you already have the centre there where the majority of Ahmadis live, then at least they should be regular in coming to the mosque and offering their congregational prayers.
“Those who are living at quite distant places then the Jamaat and auxiliary organisations should organise their local majalis there – local centre there – so at least they can get together there for their Jamaat functions and also come for congregational prayer. But at least on Fridays all of them should come to one place.
“This is the only solution we can have at present. But those who have a transport facility – they have their own cars – then they should come. Not only in the United States but in Australia even there are quite a number of people living far from the local centre but they do come for congregational prayer at least once a day and they have to drive for half an hour or more for that. […]”
Huzooraa said MKA USA, Ansarullah and the Jamaat system should do proper tarbiyat of those who are living near the mosque within 15-20 minutes.
Regarding those who did not attend the mosque despite being close, Huzooraa said:
“There’s a lack of tarbiyat. If there is proper tarbiyat then at least you can see that the presence in the mosque is somehow better than before. […]
“If they have a genuine reason for not coming then at least they should have their own centre in their local areas. […] But this is the tarbiyat and the will and determination to come to the mosque and to the centre, and to participate in the Jamaat’s activities.
“If you don’t have any desire, then you cannot do anything. So, it all depends on your tarbiyat. Try to activate your tarbiyat department.”
Rizwan Mir Sahib from Chicago asked a question about holding onto one’s culture while being a good Ahmadi Muslim youth.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Islam is a universal religion. And then if Islam claims that it is a universal religion, then there should not be any question of culture there. People of different cultures will join Islam. If you convert the whole of the United States – or the majority of Americans – into Ahmadiyyat, then will they follow your Asian culture? No. They will only follow the teachings of Islam. And the teaching of Islam is that you should discharge your rights you owe to your Creator; towards Allah the Almighty.
“That is to worship Him as has been prescribed in the Holy Quran, or as has been told to us by the Holy Prophetsa or has been practised by the Holy Prophetsa. Secondly, to follow the commandments and injunctions of the Holy Quran.
“It is not a matter of culture. Don’t try to impose your culture on the people. This is why the new converts always feel uncomfortable when they come to your company, when they come to your meetings. You are trying to impose your Asian culture on them. No. Try to tell them what are the teachings of Islam […]
“You have your own traditions. There are quite a number of Asian traditions which are contrary to the teachings of Islam. That does not mean that Islam teaches those things. There are so many innovations which have been created in the teaching of Islam which has nothing to do with the teaching of Islam – that is the culture.
“If you are offering five daily prayers, if you are morally good, if you are obeying the commandments of the Holy Quran – there are 700 or more commandments given in the Holy Quran […] – if you are following that, that is enough.
“It is not necessary that you must follow your culture. Right? Otherwise, you cannot spread the message of Islam. You cannot do tabligh. Arabs have their own culture, Africans have their own culture, Americans have their own culture, Europeans have their own culture, Asians have their own culture. Even in Asia, there are quite a number of cultures, there are quite a number of religions. And even in Pakistani culture, our culture has been influenced by Hindu culture because during the olden times both of us were living together.
“So always see what is the true teaching of Islam.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa continued:
“Islamic culture is the culture – not Asian culture. And Islamic culture is nothing but the teaching – that is to practise whatever has been given in the Holy Quran. Apart from that, there is nothing.
“If you are offering five daily prayers, if you are reading the Holy Quran, if you are morally good, if you are following the commandments of the Holy Quran, if you are not corrupt, if you are giving due respect to your parents, to your elders, if you are honest to the nation, if you are working hard wherever you are working – if you are a student you are working hard to become a good student – then that is the culture and that is the teaching. Apart from that, nothing.
“If you are an Ahmadi and if you are following the guidance given to you by the Khalifa of the time and you are fully obedient to him, you are honouring the condition of bai‘at, you are honouring and respecting the status of bai‘at, then you are a good Ahmadi Muslim. And that is your tradition, that is your culture, that is your teaching.”
Khaliq Ahmad Tahir Sahib from Los Angeles asked how Ahmadis could respond to certain doctors, scientists and researchers who say homoeopathic and herbal medicines only leave a placebo effect, having no real impact on the prevention or treatment of an illness. He also asked Huzooraa about the research being done on homoeopathic medicine.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“This is the propaganda of modern-day doctors or researchers who give more emphasis on allopathic medicine; that homoeopathy just leaves a psychological effect, it has nothing to do with the treatment. In olden days these native and herbal medicines were being used for curing the patients and there were quite good and promising results of those treatments.”
Expressing his own experience and belief in homoeopathic medicines, Huzooraa said:
“In homeopathic, I have seen on myself – I’m just indifferent with regards to the medicine, I did not believe that it has a miraculous effect on me, or it can leave any miraculous effect on me – I just take it as a medicine and my ailment is cured.
“It is wrong to say that there’s no research. Even in France and Germany homeopathy is passing through research and still, there are quite a number of doctors and researchers in homeopathy in France and Germany who are doing research on it. And even in India, they are evolving new medicines, introducing new medicines, and it works.
“We don’t know which medicine is good for us. You see, if you believe the Healer is Allah the Almighty, then Allah can heal with any of the medicines. And we don’t know which of them is good.”
Huzooraa then narrated an incident of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra who took homeopathic medicine, then native herbal medicine and then took some allopathic medicine for an ailment. Someone sitting by asked Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra why he took three different medicines and how he would know which one would have the effect. To this Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra said:
“I don’t trust in any one of them, I only trust in Allah the Almighty and I know He’s the Healer and I only know that I don’t know, I am not the person who has the knowledge of the unseen.
“Allah the Almighty knows better and I don’t know which of the medicines can work on me, so this is why I have taken them all. If Allah the Almighty has given the quality of healing in homeopathic then it will work, if He has given it to allopathic then it will work, if Allah the Almighty has given the quality of healing in native medicine then it will work.
“It is not a matter of our faith that homeopathic is the only medicine which works. But the matter of faith is that we should believe in Allah the Almighty and we should believe that He is the Healer.”
Huzooraa continued:
“Keep in mind that we do not believe in any of the medicine: We believe, and have a firm belief in it, that Allah is the Healer – Shafi. This is why I always ask Ahmadi doctors whenever they are writing any prescription for their patients they should write:
ھو الشّافى
“That ‘Allah is the Healer’, not they or not their medicine.
“And then pray to Allah the Almighty that ‘Allah make this medicine for the patient as a healer and cure.’”
Azeem Shams Sahib from Silicon Valley asked Huzooraa about Khuddam who used recreational and illegal drugs.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said that these youth knew full well they were taking illegal drugs and were throwing themselves into a ditch. Huzooraa said one could only show the right path to someone who was blind, “but the person who already knows, how can you guide him?”
“Our tarbiyat department should work hard and do the proper tarbiyat of their Khuddam, Atfal, Lajna and even elderly people that ‘these are the bad things, these are the things which are prohibited in Islam even and we should not do it.’
Huzooraa said it was not only Islam that prohibited such things, rather the law of the land did so too. Those taking such drugs should be told about their harmful consequences but, in the end, “our work is just to remind them, apart from that we cannot do anything else”, Huzooraa said.
Fahad Amir Sahib from Las Vegas asked how Ahmadi Muslim youth could convince their friends who didn’t believe in religion about the importance of religion in one’s life.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said that if these non-religious students saw good and reputable traits in practising Ahmadi Muslim students – like being honest, working hard, having good morals, cooperating with others – they would ask the Ahmadis why they had such different traits to other students. In turn, Ahmadis could tell them it was because of their religion. Huzooraa said Ahmadi students could respond to such questions by saying:
“[It is] because I am an Ahmadi Muslim and we believe in religion. We believe that whenever we do some good things Allah the Almighty will reward us either here or in the Hereafter. And because we believe in the life after death, this is why to please Allah the Almighty and get the reward in the life after death, we do good things. And even we do good things to create peace, and harmony and love in the society. We discharge the duties towards Allah the Almighty to please him.
“When you talk to them in this way then those who are interested will ask you more about religion. Those who are not interested will just leave you and even it’s quite possible they laugh at you, or they make you sometimes a laughing stock. But never mind. Don’t have any inferiority complex that they are mocking at you.
“This is how you, yourself have to create an atmosphere around you with which people themselves ask you ‘what is religion’”.
“Be confident in it!”
Zaryab Farooq Sahib from Bay Point, California asked about those Ahmadis who, on social media, have not shown the best examples concerning obedience to Khilafat. Regarding such Ahmadis, Huzooraa said:
“There are some Ahmadis – yes, there are some few Ahmadis on social media [who do this]. The thing is that they are indifferent about religion. If you do some detailed research you will see that most of them do not offer five daily prayers even; not even Friday prayers. They do not discharge their duties they owe to Allah the Almighty. So those who are not discharging their duties towards Allah, how can they be obedient to the Khilafat?
“And there are some, few among them even who offer their prayers. But their understanding is not good with regard to religion and obedience.
“You always say in your pledge of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, even [in] the conditions of bai‘at, that you will obey the decisions of the Khalifa of the time; the ‘ma‘ruf’ decision – and they say it means the Khalifa of the time can also take the decisions which are not ma‘ruf. But they are wrong in this.
Do they have any list of ma‘ruf and not ma‘ruf – that ‘this is right, and this is wrong’?
“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I has said that this word has been used for the Holy Prophetsa in the Holy Quran, that I will obey the Holy Prophetsa in his ma‘ruf decisions. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I said that ‘Have they made any list of ma‘ruf and not ma‘ruf decisions of the Holy Prophetsa? Which of his decision was right and which was wrong? So, he said the meaning is that whatever Allah has commanded they will follow.
“Just last Friday’s sermon I mentioned that Hazrat Abu Bakrra said in his first sermon that ‘Whenever you see that I’m deviating from the Quranic injunctions, the commandments, and the sunnah, then guide me and don’t obey me. But apart from that you don’t have the right.’
“That means the Khalifa of the time always guides you according to the teachings of the Holy Quran – commandments given in the Holy Quran – and the sunnah. And once he gives the directives or guidance to you according to the Quran and the sunnah then you don’t have any excuse to say ‘we disobey’.
“Either you prove that ‘your commandment, your order, your guidance’ is against the teaching of the Holy Quran and the practice of the Holy Prophetsa – that is sunnah – or obey it.
“If you prove that it is not in the Holy Quran and has never been practised by the Holy Prophetsa then you will have to give the proof of it and for that you will write to the Khalifa of the time instead of just talking and giving loose comments on social media.
“So, this is the right way.”
Huzooraa continued:
“Even I remember in my first or second sermon I said that ‘Whenever you see something wrong in me, you ask me. And try to correct me. If I think that whatever I said was right, then I will give you the proof that I was right. If you are right, then I will correct myself. But you don’t have the right to talk here and there.’ That was my first or second sermon after Khilafat. So even I have said this thing.
“Ma‘ruf means anything which is according to the Quran.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then referred to a hadith that once a group of Companions was sent for an expedition and on the way, the commander told the Companions to jump into a fire that they were passing. Some of the Companions rejected this instruction but there were some who said ‘we should jump’ as there was the commandment of obeying the leader. The commander saw they were getting serious so he told them he was just joking.
When the group came back to the Holy Prophetsa they informed him of the incident. The Holy Prophetsa said those who were ready to jump into the fire were wrong as this would be suicide and it was against the Holy Quran. He said this decision of the commander was not ma‘ruf, it was wrong and those who refused to do it took the right decision.
Huzooraa said:
“Any decision which is against the teaching of the Quran and sunnah is not ma‘ruf and you have the right to disobey it. But the decision which is according to the Quran and sunnah, you have to obey it.”
But one could not publicly start commenting on decisions of the Khalifa, rather they should write directly to the Khalifa of the time, Huzooraa said.
In such a case the person should give their proof over why they thought a decision was wrong. The Khalifa of the time would either give his proof of why it was right or if the person was correct, he would take the decision back. Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said:
“But you have no right to spread and mislead the people on social media.”
Atir Bhatti from Los Angeles asked what Ahmadi youth could do to stay away from the negativity they faced in school or college.
Huzooraa first advised, “You have to make good friends.”
He then said that Ahmadi youth should be “good-natured” and should follow the commandments of Allah. In schools or colleges, they should actively try to offer their prayers to Allah either in their break time or ask their teachers to go for a few minutes to offer these prayers when the time arrived.
“By seeing this your fellow students would know that you are a person of different nature. If your morals are good, you always behave well, your language is always good, [you] are not doing any immoral things, not thinking ill of others, never try to harm any other, do not fight or quarrel, [you] are always busy with your school studies or whatever the extra-curriculum activities planned or given to you by the school, then they would know that these students are different. And those students who are of good nature, they themselves will come to you and try to make you friends. This is the only way.
“And if you come across any person whom you know, who has been your friend and now has changed and is not morally good, then leave him. This is the only way you can save yourself from the negativity of your daily life in the school.
“And try to increase your religious knowledge as well because sometimes they will argue with you, they will ask so many questions. And then when they ask some questions from you, you should be able to answer them with regards to your religion.”
Fiaz Ahmad Sahib from Seattle asked if apart from the brain, the soul also made decisions and if so how could this be explained.
Huzooraa said:
“Every person has a soul in him or her. If you are a pious natured person, then your soul will always give order to your brain to do good things. If you are not, because you have been influenced by the environment and atmosphere surrounding around you, then your brain may take some decisions which are not good. So, it is the soul which guides you.
“This is why the Holy Prophetsa has said that every child is born with a good, pious nature but their surroundings – their parents – make them a Christian, or Jew, or Atheist or Muslim. That is affecting their soul.
“The link between the soul, body and brain has been discussed in detail, has been elaborated in detail, by the Promised Messiahas in his book The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam. I think the second question he raised can answer your question. You are a grown-up, educated person you should read The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam and there you would find the answer.”
Huzooraa said the answer needed a detailed response that would take more time. He, therefore, asked Fiaz to read The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam and if he did not understand it he could write to Huzooraa for clarification.
The next question was by Uthman Momen Sahib from Silicon Valley. Huzooraa asked Usman Sahib what he was studying to which he said computer science. With a smile, Huzooraa lovingly said:
“Mash-Allah, Silicon Valley people are always computer scientists. They try to just make money…”
Uthman Sahib said that some parents did not bring Atfal and Khuddam to the mosque. As a result, it was difficult to develop relationships with those Atfal and Khuddam later on and keep them attached to the Jamaat. He asked Huzooraa how to address the issue.
Huzooraa said:
“If they have become detached from the Jamaat because of their parents then there should be combined and a consolidated effort by the main Jamaat system, Ansarullah and Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya to do the tarbiyat of those parents or elders. Or they should try to remove the grievances those parents have.”
Huzooraa said that once parents’ grievances are removed and they don’t have objections against the office-bearers they will come to the mosque and in turn, the children will be reformed too. Huzooraa noted that parents are normally detached from the Jamaat because of their personal grievances of the office-bearers.
“If office-bearers are good, they [parents] will also change. This is the duty of office-bearers that they should remove the doubts and grievances they [parents] have in their minds. Once they are reformed, then the children will also be reformed.
“But at the same time, Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya should make a plan that they should have personal attachment or make a personal friendship with those Atfal and Khuddam. So, do not only ask them to come to the mosque, or come to some of your meetings and Ijtemas, but if you have any playground and you are gathering there to play football or any other game, you can ask them ‘You can come there to play with us’.
“Once they start coming to you, they will attach to you to some extent and with the passage of time, they will also improve their relation with the Jamaat and with you.
“All your Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya office-bearers and Atfal [office-bearers] should also form a team so that those people who are not very much attached to the Jamaat, they should try to make them friends, make personal contact with them and in this way, they will come closer to you.
“But before that, a consolidated effort should be made by the whole system of the Jamaat – the mainstream Jamaat and auxiliary organisations – to remove the grievances and doubts of their parents. And Lajna as well.”
If parents reform themselves and get rid of the grievances, the children will also attach themselves to the Jamaat.
“Otherwise it’s quite possible that you might be successful in attaching the children but after some time their parents ask them, ‘No you are not allowed to go to the mosque’, if they are children of the age of 15 or below. If they are above that, they can have their own decision.
“[…] we have to reform the whole family. And for that, we have to make some concerted effort.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then addressed Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya USA, Madeel Abdullah Sahib and said the time was over, an hour had passed and added:
“I think quite a number of questions have been answered. I don’t know whether they have satisfied your Khuddam or not, my answers, but at least I have tried my best to satisfy them.”
Talking about the USA Khuddam present in the meeting, Huzooraa very lovingly prayed:
“I can see very pious faces, those who are sitting here, they are good-natured Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Masha-Allah. Allah the Almighty strengthen them in their faith and make them the good asset for the Jamaat and for their nation as well.”
Huzooraa conveyed his salaam to all the Khuddam and the meeting ended.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)
