On 2 January 2022, the national amila and qaideen of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria met Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa in a virtual mulaqat.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa started the meeting by leading everyone in silent prayer. Huzooraa then spoke to every member present and asked them about their duties in Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria while also giving them valuable guidance on how to work better and improve.
Speaking with Abdul Jabar Ayelaagbe Sahib, Naib Sadr (South West), Huzooraa asked what regions were part of the South West area and how many Khuddam there were. Abdul Jabar Sahib listed the regions, after which Huzooraa remarked that it was “quite a big region”. Jabar Sahib reported there were over 4,000 khuddam in his own region, while in the whole of the South West region of Nigeria, there were over 6,000 khuddam. To this, Huzooraa said:
“But I think your tajnid is not up to the mark. You should have more khuddam than this number because I know quite a few new converts are coming to join Ahmadiyyat and there should have been much more than this. […] Try to expedite this job now.”
Olagunju Abbas Sahib, Naib Sadr (Northern Region) reported next. Huzooraa said, “Abuja, the headquarters [of the Jamaat], is also in your region?”, to which Abbas Sahib confirmed it was. Huzooraa said the majalis in the Northern Region were “quite scattered” and asked for the total population of khuddam and the number of majalis in the region. Abbas Sahib reported there were close to 1,000 Khuddam and six majalis. Huzooraa asked if there was a majlis in every city, to which Abbas Sahib replied there was not.
The Motamid, Fashina Idris Sahib was next to report. While talking to him, Huzooraa smiled and said, “You are the actual person who should be asked these questions. What is the total number of your majalis?” Fashina Sahib said there were 348 Khuddam majalis in Nigeria. Huzooraa asked how many of these were active and said that “active” meant those who “have been sending their reports regularly every month.” Fashina Sahib said 107 were active in every respect and that for the rest of the majalis, work was being done to activate them further. The majalis that sent six to seven reports a year were considered as “inactive” Fashina Sahib said. Huzooraa asked if comprehensive comments were given to the Khuddam reports, to which Fashina Sahib said they were. Fashina Sahib said that the inactive regions were slowly improving and they would be raised to a good level in no time “with your [Huzoor’s] prayers”. With a smile, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“It should be your prayer and your hard work. When you have your hard work and prayer, then my prayers will work. If you are not working hard and you are not praying for them, then my prayers will not work.”
Fashina Sahib said they would, insha-Allah, work on this.
Huzooraa also commented on the heavy traffic of Lagos – where Fashina Sahib lived – and that it was probably about an hour’s drive to the Jamaat’s headquarters in Ojokoro “because traffic is too much. You start in the morning and you are stuck on the way and by Zuhr time, you reach Ojokoro”. Fashina Sahib laughed and said, “You are quite right […] Yes sir, that is Lagos for you.”
Ahmed Bello Sahib, Mohtamim Maal (Finance) reported and answered various questions asked by Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa about budget matters etc. Talking about the standards of financial sacrifice between those who earned well – like doctors and lawyers etc. – and the poor, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said:
“They [who earn well] are not very few. Those who have good jobs, lucrative jobs, do not come forward to pay their chanda. Only poor people are the people who sacrifice.”
Advising on how to collect chanda effectively from all members with regularity, Huzooraa said:
“You have to work hard on it. You see, at the grass-root level, you must ask your qaideen and respective nazim maal that they should work hard and make a proper budget. They should go door-to-door to each and every khadim and prepare their budgets at the grass-root level.
“You say, ‘We had 100,000 bai‘ats, 60,000 bai‘ats, 50,000 bai‘ats’ – where are they? If they are having bai‘ats, they should be included in your financial system, or if they are new converts, even after three years, they should be included in it. You have to work hard.”
Agbaje Abdul Hakeem, Mohtamim Umumi (General Affairs) reported next. Huzooraa asked about their departmental plans for the year. Abdul Hakeem Sahib said they were training khuddam and also standardising the uniform for umumi [security] duties. Huzooraa asked if they provided umumi duties to the Jamaat’s mosques on Fridays for Jumuah prayer. Abdul Hakeem Sahib said they did and that they secured all the Jamaat’s mosques through umumi duties where they stood guard during Friday prayers. The Jamaat’s mosques in Nigeria totalled more than 1,000, he reported, and they were provided with security through Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya.
Talabi Ahmad Sahib, Mohtamim Sehat-e-Jismani (Physical Health) was next to report. Huzooraa asked him what exercise he did, to which he replied he played football regularly. Huzooraa asked how many khuddam played football, if they had teams and whether they had facilities to play in Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya. Talabi Sahib said there were many khuddam who played football, especially during ijtemas. Khuddam also played regularly in regional teams. To this, Huzooraa said “Masha-Allah”.
Abbas Agbaje, Mohtamim Umur-e-Tulaba (Student Affairs) reported next. Huzooraa asked if he worked or whether he was a student – Abbas Sahib said he was a sustainability specialist and studied environmental management. Huzooraa asked how many khuddam students there were in Nigeria, to which he said there were 696 students, of which about 302 were studying in various academic institutions, approximately 69 were Jamia Ahmadiyya students and about 305 were in secondary schools. Huzooraa asked how many university students there were, to which Abbas Sahib said they were still acquiring the exact number as many were transitioning into university.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked Abbas Sahib how many Ahmadi students were studying sustainability management. Abbas Sahib said the course was not yet popular in Nigeria so there were not many. Huzooraa smiled and said, “You are the only person who can be singled out in this subject in Nigeria. It means you are quite a competent person.”
Abbas Sahib thanked Huzooraa and said he did his master’s degree in the UK. Huzooraa asked what university he went to. Abbas Sahib said he studied at the University of Greenwich in Kent, UK. Hearing this, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa remarked, “The Kent area is called paradise of the UK.” Abbas Sahib agreed and said the area was very beautiful.
Oladiti Taofeek Sahib, Mohtamim Talim (Education) presented his report. While advising on what books of the Promised Messiahsa the amila members and khuddam should study first, Huzooraa said the well-educated amila members should read The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam and Noah’s Ark, and all other khuddam should read Noah’s Ark.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked Folorunsho Abdul Kabir Sahib, Mohtamim Nau Mubai‘een (New Converts) how many new converts MKA Nigeria had, to which Folorunsho Sahib said there were 262. Huzooraa enquired about the plans in place for the education of new converts. Folorunsho Sahib reported they encouraged the new converts to read Invitation to Ahmadiyyat and Conditions of Bai‘at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi – they were also planning to hold an ijtema for them in 2022.
Huzooraa asked about the religious backgrounds of the converts – whether they came from Muslim backgrounds or Christianity etc. Folorunsho Sahib said most of the converts were either from Muslim or Christian backgrounds.
Ismail Lawal, Mohtamim Isha‘at (Publications) was next to report. Huzooraa asked if there were any regular publications by MKA Nigeria. Ismail Sahib said they published a monthly magazine and the khuddam who wanted a print edition could purchase it through subscription, otherwise the magazine was uploaded to the MKA Nigeria website for all khuddam to read for free. There was another magazine printed by MKA Nigeria annually, Ismail Sahib reported. Hearing this, Huzooraa said “Masha-Allah”.
Abdus Samad Lawal Sahib, Mohtamim Taribiyat (Moral Training) was next to report. Huzooraa asked for the tarbiyat plan and asked Abdus Samad Sahib what he did as a profession. Abdus Samad Sahib said he was a missionary. To this, Huzooraa conversed in Urdu and asked if he had studied from Jamia Ahmadiyya International in Ghana, which Abdus Samad Sahib confirmed. Huzooraa said:
“Being a missionary, you should have a very comprehensive plan for tarbiyat.”
Addressing Abdus Samad Sahib, Huzooraa also said:
“You [missionaries] should come and stay with me for two months.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked how many khuddam were regular in the five daily prayers. Abdus Samad Sahib half of the khuddam were regular. Advising on how to get khuddam to offer their five daily prayers and other religious duties, Huzooraa said:
“Make them realise that five daily prayers is an obligatory thing and every Ahmadi Muslim should offer the five daily prayers – if not in congregation, then at least at home, or wherever he may be. Secondly, they should do tilawat [recitation of the Holy Quran] every day – a small portion of even one ruku or two rukus, or some verses. And apart from that, you should give them some passages from the books of the Promised Messiah[as] which are good for their spiritual uplift and betterment. The tarbiyat department should help them in this regard.
“If you have a [Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya] website, every day you can put a new passage from the book of the Promised Messiahas which is good for their training and spiritual betterment. You should post every day a news passage […] you should also check how many of them are reading it.”
Huzooraa said they should keep track of the visits on their khuddam website and the numbers who were reading the content.
Speaking with Joda Abbas Sahib, Mohtamim Tajnid (Census), Huzooraa asked what the tajnid was of MKA Nigeria – Joda Sahib said it was estimated to be 19,000; however, they had only recorded 5,000. Huzooraa asked why the remaining 14,000 were not recorded or accounted for and said that the number should actually be more than 19,000. Huzooraa said:
“[…] it should be more than that. In my view, your tajnid should not be less than 100,000. If the figures of your jamaat are correct, if the number of bai‘ats you receive every year is correct, then the Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya number should not be less than 100,000. [It should be] even more than that. So, you have to work on it.
“If you think the figure given by the jamaat is not correct, then you can talk through Sadr Sahib to Amir Sahib, or the respective person who is on this duty in the Jamaat – the respective secretary – so that they can coordinate with you; and with Lajna, with Ansar, and every auxiliary organisation because you are the people who can better train these new converts. If they are included in your tajnid and involved in all the activities, all the programmes made by you, they can easily, and in a better way, [be] involved in Jamaat activities.
“Try to find out where you are lacking, and if you have to take some special measures in this regard, you will have to take [it]. You can give your suggestion to the jamaat as to how you can improve your tajnid so that secretary nau mubai‘een and mohtamim nau mubai‘een and other secretaries in different [auxiliary] organisations can have a coordinated and concerted effort.”
While talking to Abdul Kabir Muhammad Sahib, Mohtamim Tarbiyat Rishta Nata (Moral Traning in Marital Issues), Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa instructed there should be a list of all the khuddam who needed to get married so that proposals could be made.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked Alaka Abdur Roqeeb Sahib, Naib Mohtamim Talim how many classes were held every week by MKA Nigeria. Alaka Sahib said three classes, across all regions, were held every week. Huzooraa remarked, “Masha-Allah”.
Shittu Abdur Roqeeb Sahib, Muavin Sadr said he was assigned with the “Stop the Crime” campaign focused on the youth. Huzooraa asked how they went about the campaign. Abdur Roqeeb Sahib said they picked a month, chose a prevalent crime in society – for example fraud and cyber-crime – and then educated members on how to save themselves from those crimes. Huzooraa asked if they saw good results and whether the government of Nigeria appreciated their efforts. Abdur Roqeeb Sahib said they saw promising results and reported their findings to the minister for youth in Nigeria. The Nigerian government appreciated their efforts, he said.
Huzooraa asked Alli Abdul Azeez Sahib, Naib Mohtamim Sehat-e-Jismani (Physical Health) what sports he took part in and if his health was good. Alli Sahib said he was healthy and cycled sometimes and played some football too.
Huzooraa asked the same question to Waliyyullah Oni Sahib, Naib Mohtamim Sehat-e-Jismani (Physical Health), to which Waliyyullah Sahib said he did Taekwondo. Huzooraa asked if he was training Khuddam in Taekwondo. Waliyyullah Sahib said he did train Khuddam and nationwide about 729 Khuddam in Nigeria were trained in taekwondo. Hearing this, with a smile, Huzooraa remarked:
“Really? Masha-Allah. So now you can fight against extremists.” Everyone present thoroughly enjoyed the comment.
Huzooraa asked Abdeoye Abdul Hadi Sahib, Naib Mohtamim Atfal (North) how many atfal there were in his area and if they were active. Abdul Hadi Sahib said there were about 700 atfal in the north, most of whom were active, but not 100% of them. To this, Huzooraa smiled and said, “So make them active, perfect.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked Mustapha Abdul Qudus Sahib, Naib Mohtamim Atfal (South West) how many atfal were present in the whole of Nigeria and if they were active members. Mustapha Sahib said there were more than 6,000 atfal and most were active. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Try to involve each and every tifl in your programmes.”
Huzooraa asked Abdul Kareem Hussein Sahib, Naib Mohtamim Isha‘at for Audio and Video if his department was taking part in organising the virtual mulaqat, to which he confirmed that they were.
At this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa had spoken to all the amila members and qaideen present and then turned to Akinyemi Roqib Sahib, Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria and said:
“Sadr Sahib, now time is over. I have already given you more than one hour, so I think that is enough. I just wanted to acquaint myself with your amila members and that has been done. So that is all.
“I hope Allah the Almighty helps you to work hard for the betterment of the Jamaat and Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and every mohtamim, every office-bearer realises their duty and make it realise that they are working – or they should work – for getting Allah’s pleasure. Allah the Almighty help you.”
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)