Islamabad, Tilford, 4 October 2025: A delegation comprising the local presidents [sadrat] of Lajna Imaillah from the NRW Mitte Region of Germany had the honour of a mulaqat with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
The meeting commenced as Huzooraa graced the hall with his presence and extended his salaam. The regional sadr introduced the delegation, after which each local sadr had the opportunity to introduce herself and her responsibilities within her respective jamaat. When one of the attendees introduced herself as a former sadr, Huzooraa enquired why the current sadr had been unable to attend. It was explained that the current sadr had only recently been elected and had also faced some visa-related issues.
Following the introductions, the presidents were graciously granted permission to ask questions for their guidance.
Fulfilling one’s responsibilities as an office-bearer
The first question was a general request for guidance on how the presidents could best fulfil their duties throughout the year.
Huzooraa advised them that their primary resource is the constitution of Lajna Imaillah, which clearly details all their responsibilities. He encouraged them to consult past files and records to maintain continuity in their work.
The first and most important step, Huzooraa stated, is self-reformation. A sadr must first strengthen her own relationship with Allah the Almighty, elevate the standard of her prayers and worship and increase her own religious knowledge by studying the Holy Quran and the literature of the Jamaat. Huzooraa stressed that this knowledge must be for the purpose of implementation, not merely for reading.
Thereafter, she should interact with the members of her Lajna with love and kindness, gently explaining their duties. If a member is weak in observing purdah or has a weak connection with the Jamaat’s system, she should be drawn closer with affection and wisdom. Huzooraa guided that all work should be done with love and compassion and that every office-bearer in the amila or the executive committee must be active. Holding an office should not be a reason for mere happiness, but should be seen as a divine favour, which demands greater effort and work as a sign of gratitude.
The dangers and benefits of Artificial Intelligence
A president expressed concern over the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its negative consequences, such as the misuse of a person’s identity, voice, or image and sought guidance on this matter.
Huzooraa began by stating that he has been speaking on this very topic for a long time. He instructed the office-bearers to raise awareness among the members of Lajna and nasirat (particularly those aged 11-15) about the dangers and benefits of AI. To effectively convince the youth, who might otherwise feel their elders are out of touch, Huzooraa advised them to research and present quotations from secular experts in the technical field, who are themselves warning about the harms of AI.
The sadrat should, Huzooraa guided, send short, regular messages to all Lajna and Nasirat members. These messages, consisting of four or five lines from the Holy Quran, Hadith, the writings of the Promised Messiahas, or the khulafa, should focus on how to avoid the negative aspects of social media and AI. While there are benefits to be derived from AI, the members must be guided on how to use it constructively. For this, they should seek help from technical experts within the Jamaat to hold classes every month or two to discuss the latest developments, advantages and risks.
Guidance on choosing a field for a PhD
A sadr asked which academic fields would be best for Lajna members who wish to pursue a PhD.
Huzooraa explained that a person must logically pursue a PhD in the same field as their Master’s or undergraduate degree. One who has a Master’s in geography, for example, cannot do a PhD in biochemistry. The choice of field should be based on the student’s own interest, as the fundamental goal is to increase knowledge, which is possible in any domain.
Huzooraa then engaged directly with the questioner, who had a Master’s in Sociology. He advised her that she should pursue her PhD in her own field, perhaps choosing a research topic that tackles contemporary social issues such as family problems, commercial disputes, or ethnic conflicts. Crucially, she should explore her topic in the light of the teachings of the Holy Quran and Hadith, showing how Islam provides solutions to these modern challenges. Huzooraa recommended that she consult the extensive literature on such topics found in the lectures and writings of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.
A wife’s role in encouraging her husband
A president raised the issue that when the Tarbiyat department asks Lajna to help encourage better mosque attendance among men, some husbands dismiss their wives’ reminders, saying, “It is not your job.”
Huzooraa responded by referring to his own recent addresses to Lajna Imaillah in Germany and the UK, in which he had explicitly stated that it is indeed the duty of women to aid in the moral training of their husbands. He instructed the sadr to find the references from these speeches and show them to the men. Huzooraa asked rhetorically where it is written that a woman cannot enjoin a good deed. He presented the examples of the Holy Prophetsa, who said to learn matters of faith from Hazrat Aishara and the hadith, which states that a husband and wife who wake each other for prayers receive the mercy of Allah. Huzooraa stated that such excuses from men are often a way to hide their own laziness.
Children’s excessive phone use in family settings
A question was asked on how to stop children from constantly using their phones during family time.
Huzooraa advised that parents must first teach their children the Islamic etiquette of a gathering. Islam teaches that one should not even whisper in a group, as it can create suspicion; therefore, using a phone in someone’s company is a breach of this etiquette. Phones should be put away during family gatherings.
At the same time, Huzooraa placed a responsibility on the parents to make their conversations engaging for their children. If parents only discuss matters irrelevant to a teenager, the child will naturally turn to their phone out of boredom. Parents should discuss current affairs, academic topics, or other subjects of interest to their children. When the conversation is interesting, the child will participate. Therefore, parents must first assess their own role in the matter.
Guidance for women in long-term separations
A president sought guidance for women of various countries who have been living separately from their husbands for many years and are unable to decide whether to reconcile or formally separate.
Huzooraa stated that women in such situations must make a swift and decisive choice. He explained that to be left in a state of limbo, or kal-mu‘allaqah – like one left ‘hanging’ – is a wrongful act that is strictly condemned and disliked by Allah the Almighty.
Huzooraa guided that a woman should not only focus on the potential impact of a formal separation on her children but must also critically consider whether the ongoing negative effect of the current, uncertain state of limbo is, in fact, more damaging to their upbringing.
He noted that if a separate living is based on mutual understanding, the matter is different.
However, Huzooraa then addressed the specific scenario where a husband wishes to marry a second time (in a context where this is legally permitted): in such a case, he guided, the wife has clear options. She can either ask him to grant her a divorce before he remarries, or she can agree to remain with him (in jurisdictions where permitted) on the condition that he provides her with separate living arrangements. This, Huzooraa explained, would create clarity for the children, who would understand that their father maintains two households. In this arrangement, it is incumbent upon the husband to continue fulfilling all her rights and the rights of the children he has with her.
Alternatively, if the husband has not remarried but has simply abandoned his wife, is engaged in wrongdoing and is failing to fulfil her rights and the wife is only enduring this situation out of fear of what society will say, then it is far better for her to act. Huzooraa advised that in such circumstances, she should pray sincerely for guidance and then make a firm decision to seek a formal separation by obtaining a khul‘.
Huzooraa reassured that if the husband is at fault, the Jamaat’s arbitration system or Dar-ul-Qadha will typically rule in the woman’s favour and ensure that all of her due rights are granted to her. Ultimately, Huzooraa stated, it is better to make a decision based on prayer and one’s conscience rather than out of fear of societal pressure, as this will lead to a better and healthier upbringing for the children.
On the ‘purdah is a personal matter’ argument
Guidance was sought regarding members who, when reminded about observing purdah or the Islamic veil, reply that it is their “personal matter.”
Huzooraa explained that this argument is invalid where the commandments of one’s faith begin. The Holy Quran gives clear and detailed instructions regarding modesty and purdah. The khulafa, following the Quran and the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa, have consistently drawn attention to this injunction. Therefore, it is not merely a personal choice but a collective matter that contributes to the moral fabric of the Jamaat. As long as one identifies as an Ahmadi, it is the duty of office-bearers to gently remind them and it is their own duty to strive to follow the Quranic teachings. Huzooraa advised the sadr to explain this to the members with love, using direct quotations from the Quran and Jamaat literature to show the clarity of the command.
Similarities in the narratives of the wives of Prophet Abrahamas and Prophet Zechariahas
The final questioner asked about the similarities in the Quranic accounts of the wives of Prophet Abrahamas and Prophet Zechariahas, both of whom were barren and elderly when they were given the glad tidings of a son.
Huzooraa affirmed that the incidents are indeed similar and both demonstrate the power of Allah. He added that the narrative of Prophet Zechariahas and his son, Prophet Yahyaas, is also contextually linked in the Quran to the story of Prophet Jesusas. Huzooraa advised the questioner, who could read Urdu, to study the detailed commentary on these specific verses in Tafsir-e-Kabir to gain a deeper understanding.
The mulaqat concluded with each of the attendees being graciously gifted a pen by Huzooraa.
(Summary prepared by Al Hakam)