22 June 2025, Islamabad, Tilford, UK: Members of the national amila of Majlis Ansarullah Norway, along with some other ansar, had the honour of a mulaqat with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
After his arrival, Huzooraa graciously greeted all the attendees and took his seat. Huzooraa first addressed the Sadr of Majlis Ansarullah Norway, who informed him that the delegation comprised the national amila members of Majlis Ansarullah Norway and some other ansar.
Huzooraa then led the attendees in silent prayer, after which the members of the delegation had the opportunity to introduce themselves one by one.
Guidance for amila members
Addressing the Naib Sadr for Saff-e-Dom, Huzooraa enquired about the number of ansar who regularly engaged in cycling and other forms of exercise.
Huzooraa instructed the Qaid Talim-ul-Quran and Waqf-e-Arzi that all the amila members and ansar present in the meeting should be encouraged to participate in waqf-e-arzi for a couple of weeks. Huzooraa advised them to move beyond mere words and take practical steps.
Huzooraa asked the Qaid Waqf-e-Jadid and, later, the Secretary Waqf-e-Jadid whether the contributions from ansar constituted one-third of their Jamaat’s total contributions to these schemes. When they replied that they did not have the exact figures, Huzooraa advised that they ought to be aware of such details.
Turning to the Jamaat’s Secretary Wasaya, Huzooraa enquired what percentage of the total regular chandah-paying members had joined the institution of al-Wasiyyat and how many new members he had successfully encouraged to join during his tenure. The secretary mentioned that some applications were currently being processed. Huzooraa instructed him to ensure that applications are always processed swiftly.
Huzooraa asked the Qaid Ithaar about the extent of their humanitarian aid efforts. He reported that they had provided assistance in Africa amounting to one hundred thousand Norwegian kroner.
Addressing the Tarbiyat and Tabligh departments, Huzooraa noted that they needed to be more active. He asked the Qaid Tarbiyat about the number of salat centres or mosques in Norway. The Qaid replied that there were three, to which Huzooraa remarked that this number was for Oslo alone. The Qaid clarified that he thought the question pertained only to Oslo. Huzooraa reminded him that he was the Qaid for all of Norway, not just its capital.
Huzooraa emphasised that the moral and spiritual training of members required significant attention. Huzooraa advised that if all ansar simply began to offer their daily prayers in congregation, the mosques would become vibrant and full. He instructed the Qaid to draw the attention of ansar towards this and towards the recitation of the Holy Quran. Huzooraa explained that through devotion to prayer and the Quran, all other moral qualities would naturally flourish.
Regarding tabligh, the Qaid Tabligh mentioned that they set up stalls for preaching. Huzooraa advised that merely setting up stalls is an old method and is not sufficient. He guided them to set aside outdated, conventional approaches and instead assess the mindset of the local populace to devise more effective means of preaching. Huzooraa counselled that they should explore and implement new methods to open up fresh avenues for conveying the message of Islam. He stated that they should not be bound by strategies that were devised fifty years ago. Although they are ansar, many are not of an advanced age and should work with the vigour of the youth, utilising the younger ansar from Saff-e-Dom. Huzooraa instructed them to create a new, dynamic tabligh plan to ensure the message reaches the greatest number of people. This should involve preaching, distributing literature, establishing personal contacts, holding seminars, organising gatherings and serving humanity in such an exemplary way that other Jamaat bodies look to them as a model. Huzooraa reminded them that ansar are experienced individuals and should use their experience to benefit the Jamaat. They were told not to remain passive but to formulate an innovative tabligh plan.
Following this, permission was granted for members to ask questions.
Faith and worldly success
The first questioner sought to understand how one could perceive and explain the difference in Allah the Exalted’s treatment of believers and non-believers in this world. He noted that both groups receive the fruits of their labour and face worldly trials and asked how this could be demonstrated to non-believers to help them foster faith in God.
Huzooraa explained that Allah the Exalted has clarified that a person who is worldly-minded has a weak spiritual eye and will not be inclined towards faith. Conversely, a religious person possesses greater spiritual insight and acquires more religious knowledge. The first step, Huzooraa said, is for a believer to elevate their own spiritual standard to a level where their connection with God becomes manifest. Merely declaring oneself a Muslim is insufficient. If the five daily prayers, which are a fundamental obligation, are neglected and if one does not adhere to truthfulness, then one cannot claim to be truly religious and faithful. This, unfortunately, is the condition of the majority of Muslims.
Huzooraa elaborated that righteous Muslims who are devout in their worship and obedient to God’s commandments are rewarded by Allah with worldly blessings as well as spiritual progress. The Companions of the Holy Prophetsa were prime examples of this; they were deeply religious and yet Allah also made them owners of great wealth. The Promised Messiahas aptly described them with the saying, “Hand at work, heart with the Beloved,” meaning their hands were engaged in worldly tasks while their hearts remained attached to God. In contrast, today, many people’s hearts are also attached to worldly matters and wealth. They miss prayers during work, or they work late and miss the Fajr prayer. With such a state of affairs, one cannot be considered truly devout. Such a person is religious in name only, for while they labour for worldly gain, they carry the label of being religious.
Huzooraa further explained that a worldly person who works hard is at least not deceiving anyone about their religious state; there is no hypocrisy in their actions. Consequently, Allah often rewards the worldly person’s efforts more abundantly. Many who profess the kalimah are not firm on truth, whereas some non-religious people possess good qualities, such as a habit of hard work. Allah, therefore, grants them the reward for their efforts.
Therefore, Huzooraa said, rather than asking how to differentiate, one should first seek out and present positive examples of devout individuals. If one is themselves religious and a recipient of God’s grace, they should share their own experiences of how, while remaining steadfast in their faith, they were also blessed with worldly provisions. Huzooraa gave the example of a devout person and a worldly person with similar businesses. The devout person, who fulfils their duties to God and His creation, will find that Allah puts barakah and blessings in their work and wealth. In contrast, the worldly person, no matter how much they earn, often remains entangled in worldly trials and their work and wealth lack such blessings. One can find many such examples within society to share with others. The fundamental principle is that when one professes a faith, one must also demonstrate it through action. Then, when one prays to Allah, He bestows His favours.
Huzooraa guided that the objective should not be to show the world how faith brings worldly rewards. The primary purpose is to show people how to attain faith and find God. This worldly life is temporary, lasting 80, 90 or 100 years. The permanent life is in the hereafter and it is for this that a believer strives. This should be our message to others. The Holy Quran warns that in the next life, those who were heedless will see the consequences and will beg for another chance to return to the world and obey God’s commands, but they will be told that their time has passed. (Surah al‑Mu’minun, Ch.23: V.100-101)
Huzooraa stated that our concept of life is entirely different. One should not try to conflate worldly gain with religion. This notion must be removed from our own minds and the minds of our children. Instead, we should explain to society that faith is what leads one to God. Many people have become irreligious and do not believe in God. They should be told that God truly exists and be shown the signs of His existence, backed by personal experiences. The message should be to turn to God and then they will see that they will attain both this world and the next. However, Huzooraa stressed, for this message to be effective, we must first improve our own spiritual conditions.
Interference by parents in marital life
The next question concerned the matter of parents offering advice on marital issues to their married children. The questioner noted that some children perceive such counsel as interference in their personal lives and sought Huzoor’saa guidance on the matter.
Huzooraa, smiling, remarked that in that case, parents should not interfere. He explained that the key lies in the children’s upbringing. If they have a sound Islamic upbringing and an understanding of their faith, they will know their own rights and the rights of their spouses, etc. Huzooraa mentioned that he had spoken on these rights – of the husband, wife and children – on numerous occasions in his sermons as well as addresses of the past several annual conventions.
He advised that children should be reminded that, as Ahmadi Muslims, they have received counselling to foster good family relations and should act upon it. If the children are following the tenets of their faith and the parents still make incorrect demands, such as insisting the daughter-in-law must live with them instead of in her own home, then such demands are wrong. Huzooraa stated that one should not interfere in a child’s affairs once they are mature. He prompted the parents to recall their own youth and how they, too, disliked interference from their own parents.
Huzooraa said that if a child’s upbringing from an early age is such that they are receptive to religious teachings, then marital counselling will also benefit them. Otherwise, interfering in their lives in adulthood will only worsen the situation and push them further away, both from their parents and from their faith.
Instead of interfering, parents should pray for their children. Huzooraa reiterated the guidance of the Promised Messiahas that prayer is the greatest weapon. (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 8, pp. 398-399) Parents should pray that Allah the Exalted grants their children a righteous upbringing and, crucially, they must present a good personal example. If parents set a righteous example in their own marital life, their children will have a positive model to follow. If not, the children will disregard their advice.
Thus, once children are mature and have received counselling, they should be left to live their own lives. Parents should focus on their own lives and continue to set a good example. Seeing the living example of their parents, the children will themselves understand how they ought to conduct their own lives.
Establishing maqbarah-e-musian
The final question was regarding the institution of Wasiyyat and Maqbarah-e-Musian (the cemetery for musis). The questioner quoted the Promised Messiahas from his booklet Al-Wasiyyat, where he stated that it is God’s will for the truly faithful to be buried in one place, so that future generations can visit their graves and refresh their faith. He asked that, since in most European countries, individuals are generally buried in the council area where they pass away, should the Jamaat strive to establish a Maqbarah-e-Musian in every country?
Huzooraa affirmed that this effort should certainly be made and it is being done wherever possible. He mentioned that such cemeteries exist in the UK and Germany. He instructed that the Jamaat in Norway should also endeavour to establish one.
Huzooraa explained that in places where it is not possible due to legal restrictions or other compelling circumstances, one is helpless. Allah knows the intentions and the prayers offered for the deceased by their loved ones will, by God’s grace, elevate their spiritual status regardless of their place of burial.
Nevertheless, Huzooraa concluded, the primary effort should always be to establish a Maqbarah-e-Musian wherever possible. He noted that this guidance can itself be inferred from the booklet Al-Wasiyyat.
The meeting concluded after Sadr Sahib requested a group photograph with Huzooraa, which was graciously granted. Following the photograph, Huzooraa took his leave.
(Summary prepared by Al Hakam)