Islamabad, Tilford, 14 September 2025: A delegation of lecturers from Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany had the honour of a mulaqat with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
The meeting commenced with a silent prayer. The Principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany, Shamshad Ahmad Qamar Sahib, reported that there are currently 85 students enrolled at the institution with a faculty of 17 staff members.
Following this, each lecturer had the opportunity to introduce himself, detailing the subjects he teaches, his pedagogical methods, his personal efforts in study and research and the results of his teaching. Throughout these introductions, Huzooraa enquired about various aspects of their work, asking one teacher if they regularly prayed for their students. To another who also serves as a field missionary, Huzooraa stressed that his primary missionary duties must not be hindered by his responsibilities at Jamia.
Huzooraa advised the Farsi teachers that students should attain a level of proficiency where they can read and understand the Persian poetic verses of the Promised Messiahas. The Arabic teacher was guided to keep students engaged through various assignments and conversational activities to improve their fluency. Huzooraa also emphasised the need for teachers to identify the specific interests of their students and to nurture their passion for particular subjects. He enquired from one lecturer whether he was able to dedicate six or more hours to his personal studies in addition to his teaching duties.
Huzooraa then imparted detailed and invaluable advice on a wide range of topics pertaining to the training of future missionaries.
The power of prayer for students
Huzooraa drew the teachers’ attention towards the profound importance of praying for their students. He calculated that if each of the 17 staff members were to offer two nawafil for the students, this would amount to 68 prostrations or sajdahs offered daily for the 85 students. Huzooraa remarked that with nearly one prostration per student, their condition could certainly improve, not just academically but, crucially, spiritually as well. He reminded them of the exemplary practice of past esteemed teachers of the Jamaat, such as Malik Saif-ur-Rahman Sahib or Mir Sahib, who, it is known, would offer two nawafil daily for their students. Huzooraa stated that this habit should be adopted by the current faculty and he instructed the Principal to regularly remind the staff of this responsibility in their meetings.
Adopting modern teaching methodologies
Huzooraa advised the lecturers on the need to adapt their teaching methods to the environment. He explained that students in the Western world are accustomed to different pedagogical styles than the traditional method of rote learning, sometimes found in Pakistan. He urged the teachers, especially those who were educated in the West, to innovate and devise new methods to ensure their students could better comprehend the material.
In-depth knowledge over superficial learning
Stressing the quality of knowledge, Huzooraa guided that students should gain a deep and thorough understanding of the subjects they are taught, even if the breadth of topics covered is less. They should at least achieve such a mastery of the subject that they can confidently and correctly answer any questions that arise. Some of the successful missionaries, he noted, possess not only religious knowledge but also a good general awareness, enabling them to discuss contemporary, secular and political issues in the light of Islamic teachings.
Broadening horizons with guest lecturers
Huzooraa enquired from the Principal whether the Jamia arranged joint lectures and if they invited external speakers. Upon learning that only Ahmadi guests had been invited thus far, Huzooraa advised that they should also invite experts who are not Ahmadis. He suggested inviting scientists, doctors, politicians and other professionals to deliver lectures in their respective fields to broaden the students’ minds and expand their intellectual horizons.
Guarding against materialism and cultivating gratitude
As a vital counterbalance to the previous point, Huzooraa cautioned that while students should broaden their worldly knowledge, this exposure must not lead them towards materialism. He warned that this tendency can sometimes develop even in missionaries after they enter the practical field. He instructed the teachers to remind their students of the immense blessings they enjoy, living in comfort and with many facilities at their disposal. They should be told about the sacrifices of missionaries, including Jamia lecturers, in poorer nations, who often face extreme financial hardship yet persevere in their work with contentment. Huzooraa stated that this sense of gratitude should manifest in a greater commitment to hard work, which cannot be fulfilled by merely teaching for a few hours or performing an odd duty at Jamia.
The imperative of personal study for teachers
Expanding on the theme of hard work, Huzooraa set a high standard for the teachers’ own academic pursuits. He stated that, in addition to the time spent preparing for lectures, every teacher should make it a habit to dedicate at least five to six hours daily to their personal study. They should utilise their free time, including during the holidays, for this purpose, recalling that in Rabwah, they were often engaged in various duties for auxiliary organisations. Huzooraa emphasised that fulfilling the demands of gratitude to Allah requires them to devote the maximum possible time to improving themselves and, consequently, the standards of their students – not only academically, but spiritually and morally as well. This, he said, is only possible if the teachers first improve their own condition.
Meeting the challenges of the future
Huzooraa urged Jamias to raise institutional standards and individuals to cultivate personal spiritual fervour, saying:
“The requisite standard is not yet being met. This I say to the Jamia here [in the UK], this I say to you and this I say to all other Jamias. You must, therefore, endeavour to reach that standard, for the challenges of the future are immense. You cannot compete with the world through traditional means. You will have to explore new paths; find those avenues through which you can bring about an improvement in your own condition and thereby improve the condition of your students. If you wish to spark a revolution in the world, you must first become deewanah, i.e., spiritually aflame with passion; only then will you be able to set others alight with that same passion.”
The polished graduate: A jewel for the Jamaat
Huzooraa guided that students must be taught about the proper dress code, protocol and a sense of responsibility. These fundamental traits must be instilled within the walls of Jamia. A student, upon graduating, should emerge like a perfectly cut and polished diamond, so well-rounded that no one – neither the Amir, the Missionary-in-Charge, nor the general members of the Jamaat – has any cause for complaint. A missionary who has spent seven years in Jamia should be so capable that he can work effectively wherever he is posted. Huzooraa reminded the lecturers that the profound responsibility of shaping these young men into beneficial assets for the Jamaat rests upon their shoulders.
A teacher’s lifestyle
Huzooraa further advised the lecturers to regularly self-assess the hours they spend in personal study outside of lecture preparation. As learned individuals who have spent seven years in study, they should be like ‘bookworms’. He outlined a daily routine for them: waking for Tahajjud prayer, exercising for 30-45 minutes after the Fajr prayer, resting for a short while if needed and then commencing their academic work. He explained that this disciplined lifestyle, especially during the long winter nights, would strengthen them both mentally and physically. The true challenge for a Jamia teacher, Huzooraa reminded them, is not merely to teach a few classes, but to produce graduates who are spiritually, academically and morally excellent in every respect.
Tailoring training and instilling lifelong learning
Huzooraa noted that not all students have the same aptitudes; some may be inclined towards writing and research, while others are gifted speakers. He advised the teachers to assign them tasks according to their natural talents. The ultimate goal, he said, is to produce the future ‘cream’ of the Community. A teacher’s duty does not end with delivering a lecture on a particular subject; they must instil in their students the critical habit of lifelong learning. He also stressed the importance of building the students’ confidence so they can speak to anyone, be it a world leader or a politician, with conviction about their faith and be able to point out their errors. Every lecture, regardless of the subject, presents opportunities to impart practical moral advice to the students. This, however, is only possible if the teachers are themselves striving to live by these principles.
Developing resources and proactive training
During the mulaqat, one teacher mentioned he was preparing organised notes on the commentary of the Holy Quran, which had been shared with local Jamaats. Hearing this, Huzooraa instructed the Missionary-in-Charge to engage his missionaries in similar work. He guided him to prepare literature, perhaps in the form of a pocketbook, that compiles references and answers to the common allegations raised by non-Ahmadi Muslims. He also stressed the need to ensure that missionaries are actively reading and benefiting from these resources and to update them with responses to new variations of old objections.
The vital link between action and prayer
Addressing a teacher who also serves as a qazi or judge in the Jamaat’s system of arbitration, Huzooraa noted that sometimes members are not satisfied with judicial decisions. He asked if the teacher had read all the guidance of the khulafa on this matter, especially that of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. The teacher replied that he had read selected portions. Huzooraa instructed him to read all of it, questioning what could be so important as to prevent him from doing so.
Huzooraa stated that people often think they are tired, but a self-assessment would show they are not working even 14 hours a day. He outlined that six hours for sleep and a few hours for family and meals are sufficient, leaving around 13 hours for work. He urged them to instil this work ethic in their students, citing that researchers in other nations often study for 11 to 14 hours a day. This habit can only be cultivated in students if the teachers practise it themselves.
When the same teacher requested prayers, Huzooraa reminded him that prayer must be accompanied by action. He gave the example of some people who ask him for du‘a but only offer three daily prayers themselves. Huzooraa remarked that if their own prayers are lacking, his prayers for them will have little effect. He reminded him of the saying of the Holy Prophetsa to his Companions: “Help my prayers with your own prayers.”
On the situation in Pakistan
In response to a question about when the situation for Ahmadis in Pakistan would improve, Huzooraa explained that everything in the world reaches a peak and then enters a period of decline. He noted that while the situation is difficult, it has not reached the level of what Palestinians are facing. The opposition will also reach its peak and then, insha-Allah, begin to fall. The key, Huzooraa stressed, is for Pakistani Ahmadis to elevate the standard of their prayers. Huzooraa recited a poetic couplet by Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begum Sahibara, which stresses the importance of holding fast to the weapon of du‘a and prayers:
مایوس و غمزدہ کوئی اس کے سوا نہیں
قبضے میں جس کے قبضۂِ سیفِ خدا نہیں
“None is more hopeless and grief-stricken than he, who does not hold the handle of the sword of God in his hand.”
Conclusion
The mulaqat concluded as the Principal, on behalf of all the Jamia staff, expressed his profound gratitude to Huzooraa and requested prayers that they may act upon his invaluable guidance. Huzooraa graciously gifted a pen to each of the lecturers and the delegation had the honour of a group photograph with their beloved Imam.
(Summary prepared by Al Hakam)