Friday Sermon
8 January 2021
Spending in the way of Allah: Waqf-e-Jadid 2021
After reciting Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verse 246 of chapter 2, before proceeding with the sermon:
مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِیۡ یُقۡرِضُ اللّٰہَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا فَیُضٰعِفَہٗ لَہٗۤ اَضۡعَافًا کَثِیۡرَۃً ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَقۡبِضُ وَ یَبۡصُۜطُ ۪ وَ اِلَیۡہِ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ
“Who is it that will lend Allah a goodly loan that He may multiply it for him manifold? And Allah receives and enlarges, and to Him shall you be made to return.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.246)
This verse mentions giving Allah the Almighty a loan. This does not mean that, God-forbid, Allah the Almighty is in need of material wealth and therefore, in order to fulfil His needs, He is asking for a loan. One meaning of a “loan” is in the common use of the word, which we use for borrowing or lending money, or taking a loan. However, in regard to its lexical meaning, it also means a good or bad recompense.
Therefore, in this context, it will mean, “Who is it that will spend in the way of Allah, so that He shall grant an excellent reward?” Thus, when this word is used in reference to spending or giving in the way of Allah the Almighty, it means He will grant a most excellent reward to the one who spends in His way. This means that if one is spending in the way of Allah the Almighty, then Allah the Almighty will grant him an excellent reward in return for it.
Allah the Almighty has mentioned sacrifice and financial sacrifices in numerous instances in the Holy Quran. And to spend in the way of Allah the Almighty’s religion or for the service of mankind has been deemed by Allah the Almighty as if one is spending for His sake. And whatever one spends for the sake of Allah the Almighty never goes to waste; rather, it is a loan which Allah the Almighty returns manifold.
Therefore, no one should think that Allah the Almighty is in need of a loan. In fact, Allah the Almighty is the Lord of all the worlds and grants everything its provisions; He is in need of no one.
When Allah the Almighty uses the word “loan” in relation to Himself, it means that one should spend in His way and in return, He will grant His countless bounties. Thus, [He asks], “Who is it that will give Him a goodly loan?” By asking this question, Allah the Almighty has encouraged [the believers] as to who will spend in His way and become the recipient of His countless rewards and continue to go on receiving them.
Moreover, later in the verse, Allah the Almighty Himself has explained this by stating that He does not ask of this loan in order to keep it for Himself or for His own use; rather, it is so that He may grant manifold in return. In other words, He proclaims that He is taking this wealth as a loan, so by spending in the way of His religion and for the service of mankind, He will grant manifold in return.
Furthermore, by referring to this as qarza-e-hasana, i.e. a goodly loan, means that this will only be considered as spending in the way of Allah when one does so willingly and with complete contentment of the heart. Only then will it be considered as a goodly loan for which Allah the Almighty will return in manifold.
In one of his gatherings, the Promised Messiahas has spoken in relation to this. He states:
“When Allah the Almighty asks for a loan, this does not mean that, God-forbid, He is need of it. To entertain such a doubt is kufr [i.e. to disbelieve]. In fact, what it actually means is that He will return it manifold. This is a method that Allah adopts through which He bestows His blessings.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 268)
Then, on another occasion, the Promised Messiahas states:
“In the same manner, a foolish person has alleged that
مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِيۡ يُقۡرِضُ اللّٰهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا
“i.e. ‘Who is it that will lend Allah a loan’, demonstrates that, God-forbid, Allah is pressed by need. The ignorant person fails to understand, how does this prove a need on the part of God?”
The Promised Messiahas states that people who utter such words are extremely foolish.
The Promised Messiahas continues:
“However, this ignorant person has falsely asserted that this implies a need or poverty on the part of God.” When Allah the Almighty speaks about a goodly loan, how can one infer that that He is in need? “Here, the word ‘loan’ means: who will give Allah the Exalted their good deeds, so that He may grant them a manifold reward?” The whole purpose of a loan is that one pledges for the loan to be paid back. “The connotation that God is in need is added from himself.”
In other words, those who level this allegation add this word from themselves that God is in need or poor. Nowhere has God Almighty mentioned that they should give Him [their wealth] so that He may spend it on Himself because He is hungry and in need. Indeed, what Allah the Almighty has stated is that when His servants are hungry and in need and one spends for their sake, then it is as if one has spent it in the way of Allah.
“Here the word ‘loan’ means: who will give Allah the Exalted their good deeds, so that He may grant them a manifold reward?”
If one performs even a single deed for the sake of Allah the Almighty, He will return its reward manifold. This is not just concerning wealth and money. The Promised Messiahas states:
“Man’s servitude to God possesses a relationship with divine providence in a manner that behoves the greatness of God. When a person reflects over this relationship, the concept becomes clear. For God Almighty nurtures everyone without their performing any good deed, or prayer and supplication, and without distinction between disbeliever and believer.”
Allah the Almighty is providing for everyone, irrespective of them being a disbeliever or a believer. The Promised Messiahas states:
“By the grace of His providence (rububiyyat) and graciousness (rahmaniyyat) He bestows his favour on all. How, then, can He allow anyone’s good deeds to go to waste?”
When Allah the Almighty is providing and nurturing everyone without any effort on their part, then how is it possible that if one performs a righteous deed, Allah the Almighty will let it go to waste and not reward it?
“The greatness of God Almighty is such that He states:
مَنۡ يَّعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرًا يَّرَهٗ
“Meaning, ‘Whoso does an atom’s weight of good shall be rewarded and whoso does an atom’s weight of evil will also be punished’. This is the actual purport of the word ‘loan’, which is derived from the verse just quoted. This verse expounds the actual meaning of the word ‘loan’. Since the actual purport of the word ‘loan’ is derived in context, God Almighty first states:
مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِيۡ يُقۡرِضُ اللّٰهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا
“[Who is it that will lend Allah a goodly loan]. Then, in commentary of this verse, Allah the Almighty states the following:
مَنۡ يَّعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرًا يَّرَهٗ
[Then whoso does an atom’s weight of good will see it].” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 222-223 [English Edition])
Thus, to offer financial sacrifices for the propagation of Allah the Almighty’s religion and for the service of mankind is indeed a great deed, which Allah the Almighty never allows to go unrewarded. Allah the Almighty has mentioned this in another instance in the Holy Quran as well.
Who can understand the true essence of financial sacrifices better than members of the Jamaat? Every Ahmadi has personal experience of this that not only do financial sacrifices, which are made for the sake of Allah the Almighty and to attain His pleasure, grant contentment of the heart, but even from a worldly standpoint, thousands of people have also experienced how Allah the Almighty has miraculously retuned their wealth which they had spent to seek His pleasure.
There are many Ahmadis who make financial sacrifices simply for the sake of offering a sacrifice and their only desire is to please Allah the Almighty. They do not even think about attaining any worldly wealth in return. However, Allah the Almighty, Who has declared that He shall return it in an excellent manner, indeed does so.
There are some people who, despite facing straitened circumstances, offer sacrifices and have faith that Allah the Almighty will in some way or another fulfil their needs Himself. And Allah the Almighty indeed does so, which even leaves them astonished as to how God Almighty provided for them. However, the condition is that one ought to offer the sacrifice with a pious intention and in order to seek the pleasure of God Almighty and to also fulfil His commandments and perform righteous deeds. It should not be the case that one simply donates money and then assumes that they have offered a great sacrifice. In fact, it is also important to fulfil the other commandments and perform other righteous deeds along with it. It should not be done like a mere business transaction, with the intention that if it is given in the way of Allah the Almighty, they will make a profit from it.
In any case, I shall now present various accounts of those who became the recipients of the blessings of Allah the Almighty in accordance with His promise. Many of the accounts are such that people have offered sacrifices for the sake of Allah the Almighty with utmost sincerity and not only did Allah the Almighty miraculously return it, but increased it manifold.
There are many who made sacrifices and were not even sure as to how they would be able to even provide food for themselves and their children, but within minutes, Allah the Almighty provided far greater means for their provisions and to alleviate their hunger. They received far greater in return than what they originally had and this became a means of further strengthening their faith.
Thus, these are the people who attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty and we find countless examples of them today amongst members of the Ahmadiyya Community.
The president and missionary-in-charge of Guinea Conakry has written an account. He states that he read out my sermon on Waqf-e-Jadid from the previous year in his mosque, in which I had mentioned the importance of financial sacrifice and I also presented various extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiahas.
In one of those extracts, the Promised Messiahas mentioned that among the five means to attain the nearness of Allah the Almighty was striving in His cause through the sacrifice of one’s wealth. Furthermore, the Promised Messiahas stated that one could not have love for worldly wealth and God Almighty at the same time; love for both cannot exist at the same time in one’s heart.
Similarly, he also read out various faith-inspiring accounts of financial sacrifice, which I had narrated. He states:
“After the Friday prayers, a poor and very devout Ahmadi, Muossa Kaba Sahib, took out however much money he had in his pocket and with great sincerity, presented it for Waqf-e-Jadid, even though he had already paid his chanda. Upon enquiring the amount he had donated, he replied, ‘I have simply given whatever I had in my pocket and you can count it yourself. I have offered this in order to attain the love of Allah the Almighty and therefore did not count it.’
“When it was counted, it amounted to 85,000 [Guinean] francs. We advised him that since he had taken out all of the money from his pocket to donate, he should take some money back as he would need some to cover his travel cost as well. Upon this, he replied, ‘Did you not hear that the Promised Messiahas stated that one’s heart cannot harbour two loves. Therefore, allow me today to instil the love of Allah alone and place my reliance upon Him.’ And thereafter, he joyfully walked home.”
These are such incidents that when one witnesses them, one’s heart becomes filled with gratitude to Allah the Almighty for granting such loyal people to the Community of the Promised Messiahas – the missionary has also written this.
People listen to the sermons and say that they have indeed listened to it, but to listen to the sermon with so much attention whereby he recalled that the Promised Messiahas had stated that one cannot harbour two loves in their heart, and subsequently he was not willing to keep the money he had in his pocket, lest it was counted as harbouring love for it and instead, he immediately acted upon the instructions.
People often say that they do not understand [certain matters]. This is an example of where one listened with full attention and then acted upon what they heard.
How extraordinary are these sacrifices! This is in line with the conditions of bai‘at that one should always strive to fulfil the oath they have made with Allah the Almighty and they will not harbour any grievances or complaints. Furthermore, it pleases them when they have the opportunity to offer sacrifices and they become ready to present these sacrifices with complete sincerity. Our opponents say that they will wipe the name of Ahmadiyyat from the Earth. Who has the strength to wipe out such sincere and loving members? Allah the Almighty nurtures such people and the enemies are destroyed without a trace.
Dieneba Sahiba, a member of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya France, pledged allegiance a short while ago and faces opposition from her family. She says:
“I have always tried to take part in all the financial initiatives, whether it is Waqf-e-Jadid, Tahrik-e-Jadid or mosque funds. I have witnessed the blessings of financial sacrifices with my own eyes.” She further says, “My situation with respect to paying my Waqf-e-Jadid chanda was such that I had been in search for employment for a long time, but had not managed to secure a job. The day I paid my chanda for Waqf-e-Jadid, 10 minutes after I had paid the amount, I received a phone call saying that I had been offered a job at a very large firm. Attaining a job after paying towards these chandas, in particular straight after paying Waqf-e-Jadid, for me is certainly a sign from Allah the Almighty.”
A missionary from Kazakhstan writes that the wife of Jaslaan Sahib, a local muallim, pledged allegiance a few years ago. This year, on her birthday, she gave 7,000 tenges (the local currency) split between Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid.
She says, “One week after I paid this amount, I unexpectedly received 70,000 tenges.” Having made a sacrifice in the way of Allah the Almighty, she was returned with 10-fold the amount.
Some people ask why this does not happen with them or why they do not have such experiences? They ought to recite istighfar [seeking forgiveness from Allah] and asses what is in their hearts and whether they offered their sacrifice solely for the sake of Allah. If this was the case, then such people could never have any grievances. In fact, they should rejoice that Allah the Almighty granted them an opportunity to offer sacrifice.
Allah the Almighty has promised to bestow [in return], and how He shall bestow is up to him; if He does not bestow it today, then He will tomorrow. Nonetheless, whoever’s intention is [not solely for the sake of Allah], they will harbour grievances. Such people are miserly and even consider prayers to be a burden.
A member from Moscow, Abdur Rahim Sahib, says:
“With regard to my job, I have always been unfortunate. Wherever I obtained a job, my income would be so low that it would be difficult for me and my family to survive. On one occasion, I did not even receive one month’s salary. But then Allah the Almighty blessed me in a way that my salary began to increase. I realised that perhaps this was a sign from Allah the Almighty that I should pay my chanda regularly. Therefore, I began to pay all the chandas regularly.
“Due to paying this regularly, Allah the Almighty blessed me greatly in that I received an offer for a job that I had been awaiting for two years.
“By the grace of Allah, I have had the opportunity to pay Waqf-e-Jadid as well. I have especially understood from all this that Allah goes on increasing the wealth of the one who pays chanda regularly and also ensures they consistently receive an income. I am very grateful that Allah the Almighty has granted me the opportunity to regularly contribute towards the chandas of the Jamaat.”
Iftikhar Sahib, a missionary serving in the Waterloo region of Sierra Leone, says:
“I visited various jamaats in order to inform them about Waqf-e-Jadid and to inform them that there had been a shortcoming on the part [of the office-bearers] with regard to explaining to them about the importance of giving chanda.”
During the announcement of Tahrik-e-Jadid, I mentioned that Sierra Leone had a lot of potential and with a bit of effort, they could increase their chanda. Thus, he took this message to various jamaats and stated that Khalifatul Masih had sent a message that the jamaat of Sierra Leone was very big and had been established for a long time, and also that the members of the Jamaat are always ready to offer sacrifices. If there is a shortcoming, then it is on the part of office-bearers.
He further says:
“Upon hearing this message, the members were greatly moved and inspired. Not only did they pay the Waqf-e-Jadid, they also gave more towards the other chandas. There is a place named Newton” in Sierra Leone. “After contacting 18 households there, 1.3 million leones were collected in just one day. Two students from Ahmadi schools gave 300,000 leones towards Waqf-e-Jadid and gave a further 200,000 later on. One girl from Newton, Muslima Fofanah, gave 50,000 leones and said to request Khalifatul Masih for prayers for her.”
He further says:
“Five students informed me that from the income they received for their labour work, they gave 50,000 leones towards Waqf-e-Jadid.”
Thus, these are people who respond to the call of the Khalifa. They have never met me, nor seen me in person, but their hearts are filled with love and respect for Khilafat and are ready to offer every sacrifice for Allah the Almighty.
Observe another incident of their love from another member of the Newton Jamaat. He further says:
“I went to the house of S Bah and informed him about giving chanda. I read out the passage in which it was mentioned [by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih] that the people of Sierra Leone are ready to offer sacrifices. His wife became extremely emotional and said, ‘What Khalifatul Masih has said is absolutely true.’ She then said, ‘The only issue is that today, I have nothing with me at home to give.’”
The missionary further narrates:
“I was still sitting there when all of a sudden, she received some money that she was not expecting. Immediately, she handed all the amount to the secretary mal [finance]”, who was present as well “and said to give her the receipt for the chanda. When I counted the money, it amounted to 200,000 leones, all of which she gave as part of chanda. She was very pleased and content after giving this amount.”
There was no complaint in that they had come at the exact time she had received the money or that she was in need of it and they had taken it instead.
“I said to her to keep some amount at home for food and provisions, etc. But she replied that she would not keep any of it. Whatever she had received she gave as chanda and had no worry at all.”
But Allah the Almighty is never indebted to anyone. He further narrates that a short while later, she received a substantial amount of money from somewhere else, which was sufficient for her provisions etc.
A missionary from Kyrgyzstan writes:
“A devout Kyrgyz Ahmadi, Kubat Sahib resides in Bishkek [capital of Kyrgyzstan]. He informed me that he had promised to give 1,000 soms for Waqf-e-Jadid.” Som is the currency of Kyrgyzstan.
“One month before the financial year [for Waqf-e-Jadid] was about to end, the president of our jamaat delivered a sermon shedding light on the importance Waqf-e-Jadid chanda. In the sermon, he read out incidents from a previous sermon of Khalifatul Masih. Following this, Kubat Sahib states:
“‘Up until then, I had only given 200 soms, but on the same day, I gave the remaining amount from my promise of 1,000 soms which I had not been able to give up until then. I have a sister who is unwell. The government gives her 4,000 soms each month. On the same day, after the Friday prayers, when I put the card in the ATM machine to get my sisters pension, there were 10,000 soms in her account. One week earlier, my mother had written to the authorities stating that it was difficult to manage within the allowance they gave and so they ought to increase it. I thought that this amount was from the authorities. But today, on 29 December, I received a phone call from the authorities in which they said that according to their promise, they would increase the allowance to 5,000 soms.’
“In addition to this, he received an additional 5,000 soms. He says that he offered chanda from this amount as they had spent money previously or perhaps they took it out from this amount. He says that the he instantly received the blessings from giving chanda in that he was unable to locate where the extra money came from. Since it came into their account, the bank said that the money was theirs as they had nothing to do with that money.”
Thus, these sacrifices become a source of increasing one’s faith.
Amir Sahib of Tanzania writes that when Khair Rashidi Sahib of the Zanzibar Jamaat stated:
“I was reminded about contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid at the end of the year. When I was reminded about contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid, I did not have a job, nor did I have any money to pay towards it. But I requested the missionary to include my name on the list of those who had paid their promises and said that Allah the Almighty would Himself provide the means for me to pay it.” He further narrates, “Only two days had passed from this incident that I managed to get a job as a driver. From my first income, I was able to pay Waqf-e-Jadid for myself as well as for my children. Thus, my intention of paying chanda ensured that I secured a job.” He also says that this became a means of further strengthening his faith.
Amir Sahib Tanzania writes:
“Taha Sahib from the Iringa region mentioned that this year, he witnessed extraordinary blessings in relation to Waqf-e-Jadid. He mentioned that his promise was 600,000 shillings. However, owing to his financial difficulties, in November, he wrote to Khalifatul Masih saying that the overall financial and business circumstances of the country were dire. Therefore, he requested prayers for Allah the Almighty to grant him an opportunity to pay his Waqf-e-Jadid promise.”
People do not write to me only for their personal reasons, in fact they also write expressing their concern over not being able to pay their chanda and request prayers in this regard. Some incidents will be mentioned later in which people offered prayers and Tahajud prayers so they could be granted the opportunity to pay their chanda, as opposed to fulfilling their personal needs.
“Taha Sahib stated, ‘As soon as I had written the letter, I felt content that Allah would provide the means to pay it, insha-Allah, and only 24 hours had passed since I wrote the letter that a person came to see me about a business proposal and consultation regarding it, upon the recommendation of someone.
“Upon meeting him, I realised that 15 years ago, we were class fellows. We spoke regarding the work and later, through him, I managed to get a contract worth 6 million shillings.’ He then states, ‘Allah the Almighty returned the amount 10-fold that I had given [in chanda]. In exchange for 600,000, He gave me six million in return. From the money I received as an advance, the first thing I did was to pay my Waqf-e-Jadid promise.’”
Jumah Sahib, a new convert from Zanzibar, works in a grocery market. He writes, “When we were reminded about contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid, in those days, the demand for supplies stopped.” He worked in loading and unloading vehicles. “My financial situation was very straitened. I prayed a few days of Tahajud.”
As I mentioned earlier, he is a poor labourer, but he is not praying for his personal needs or to be given enough money to buy provisions for food.
He further states, “A few days in my Tahajud prayers, I supplicated especially to be able to pay my chanda.”
When he woke for Tahajud prayers, he only supplicated for Allah the Almighty not to allow him to remain behind in offering financial sacrifice. Thus, just three days before the end of the Waqf-e-Jadid year, his work resumed and he earned 300,000 shillings, through which he mentioned that he was able to pay his own chanda as well as on behalf of his children. He was not concerned about receiving money for his own personal needs; rather, he says that he was able to pay his chanda and that of his children.
He further states, “Since I performed the bai‘at, Allah the Almighty has blessed my wealth abundantly as a result of my contribution towards chanda.”
These people are such that they are only concerned about making contributions towards chanda. And as I mentioned, they are praying fervently and supplicating especially for this during the Tahajud prayer for Allah the Almighty to enables them to pay their chanda.
A worldly person may listen to these words and think that such people are foolish. However, these very people who are perceived as being “foolish” in the sight of the worldly people are the ones whom Allah the Almighty loves and whose needs He fulfils Himself. There are many such extraordinary incidents mentioned in these reports.
Amir Sahib of The Gambia writes:
“A shop owner in a village in the North Bank region, Ibrahim Sahib, was a very successful businessman and people would entrust him with their belongings etc. He was a non-Ahmadi at that time. All of a sudden, he became bankrupt due to various reasons and spent the items people had entrusted him with to save his business. When he feared that he would not be able to return the entrusted items, he returned to his home country of Guinea Conakry.” He fled the country “and stayed in Guinea Conakry for three years. Following this, he decided that he should return” – he had a pure heart and decided to return and face the circumstances – “and somehow repay his debts to the people. Hence, he called the chief and the district chief of the village and pleaded with them to be given an opportunity to return.
“He requested for them not to arrest him and that he would try to repay all his debts. Hence, the chief permitted him to return on the condition that he would work diligently and return the wealth of the people. If he were unable to do so, he would be sent to prison.”
Amir Sahib further writes:
“Only four months had passed since he had returned when he received the message of the Promised Messiahas. He heard the message and accepted Ahmadiyyat and started contributing towards chanda regularly. He also started partaking in the financial initiatives of the Jamaat. He would contribute a portion out of whatever he earned.
“By the grace of Allah the Almighty and as a result of paying chanda, his work was blessed to such an extent that not only did he repay his entire debt within two years, which amounted to 200,000 dalasis, but he built his house and also re-established his shop. His business is now flourishing even greater than before and he personally says that all of this is a result of the blessings of chanda.”
A Lajna member from the jamaat in Australia says:
“When we moved into a new house, our financial circumstances were not good. The rent for the house was also very high. I did not have enough money to even buy the necessary items and on the other hand, the financial year [of Waqf-e-Jadid] was also coming to an end. I placed my trust in Allah and paid the chanda. I prayed, ‘O Allah! Do not make me dependent on someone else and provide me with the necessities Yourself!’”
This is a woman living in a materialistic country and not in an impoverished country. She further says, “The same evening, my husband returned home and gave me some money and said, ‘I received this today as a bonus from my supervisor. From among all the employees, only I received it.’” She says, “This was twice the amount of my chanda. This is such a blessing and favour of Allah the Almighty, which left me in complete astonishment and I gained certainty of the fact that Allah the Almighty never forsakes a person, who makes sacrifices in His cause.”
Qamar-ud-Din Sahib from India, who serves as an inspector [for Waqf-e-Jadid], writes:
“At the end of the financial year [for Waqf-e-Jadid], along with the Nazim of Waqf-e-Jadid, I visited the jamaat in Calicut. During this trip, we visited the house of an Ahmadi, Hanif Sahib as well. He performed bai‘at eight years ago and had a modest job with which he made a living. When we reached his home, his 10-year-old son, Mudlaj Ali, brought his money box and whilst making his contribution towards Waqf-e-Jadid, he said that he had collected this chanda for Waqf-e-Jadid over the entire year. When the money box was opened, it contained a large amount. The nazim asked the child, ‘Children usually save money in order to buy something they like. Why are you contributing it towards Waqf-e-Jadid?’ Upon this, the child replied – the gist of which is – that Allah the Almighty, the Holy Prophetsa and the honourable Khulafa have instructed to spend in the way of God and thus, he was contributing this towards the chanda of Waqf-e-Jadid.”
This is the moral upbringing of Ahmadi children. How can the opponents of Ahmadiyyat harm the Jamaat, whose children are brought up with such training? The opponents can try their level best; however, God Almighty has established this Jamaat in order to spread His religion across the world and as such, He Personally supports it and renders His help on every occasion. Furthermore, He creates a love for the Jamaat and a zeal to fulfil its purpose from generation to generation.
Amir Sahib Tanzania writes that the mu‘allim of the Manguchi Jamaat in the neighbouring country of Malawi writes, “A friend, Ibrahim Sahib, who sells meat, promised to contribute 5,800 Malawian kwachas towards the chanda of Waqf-e-Jadid this year. He made smaller contributions throughout the year. By December, a portion [of his promise] was still outstanding; however, due to the circumstances of the country, his business had come to a halt. As such, he took a loan and fulfilled his promise. In order to continue his business, he purchased a goat after a week so that he could sell its meat. Only a few days had passed that he was blessed to such an extent that his entire debt was paid off.”
Hence, those poorer individuals, who pay chanda whilst placing their trust in God and with a spirit of sacrifice, Allah the Almighty blesses them in return.
The conditions of the country remain the same, but even then, God Almighty brought about a change in his circumstances.
The mu‘allim of the Mwala Jama’at in Malawi says that Matenba Sahiba, a widow in our jamaat, gives her chanda every year according to her capacity. This year, she promised a certain amount and she fulfilled her promise during the year before the other women. The night after fulfilling her promise, she was told in a dream, “Today, God Almighty will aid you in your works.” The following day, she went to the mu‘allim and gave further donations towards Waqf-e-Jadid. She said, “Due to the blessings of giving chanda, God Almighty greatly increases the yield of my crops and this time, God Almighty Himself told me that He would help me.” Observe just how God Almighty, at times, brings about the means to increase their faith right away.
The missionary of Albania writes:
“With regard to new converts, there is Mari Glen Beja Sahib who pledged his allegiance three years ago. He is also the tabligh [outreach] secretary and a very active khadim. One day, he brought a box which was full of money. He explained that whatever he continued to save over the month, he would keep it in this box in his car, with the intention of giving it in chanda for the Community. So the first time he brought the box full of money, he donated one part of it on behalf of his four-month old son, Bjorn Beja, towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid and the rest from himself towards Tahrik-e-Jadid, Waqf-e-Jadid and the obligatory chanda. Thereafter, he would continue to bring his box full of money every month and even in the final month of Waqf-e-Jadid in December, he made a great financial sacrifice according to his capacity.”
Hence, upon accepting Ahmadiyyat, one is instilled with a passion for making sacrifices, for they have witnessed the manifestations of the blessings of God Almighty.
The sadr of the Cheam Jamaat in the UK says:
“We were still far behind in reaching our target, so I would wake up and supplicate in the Tahajud prayers in relation to this matter. One day, my wife told me that if I went to a certain person or a certain family, they would surely make further donations. Hence, I contacted them and the family said that they did not wish for their name to be disclosed and they then donated £1,000 and a further £1,000 on behalf of both of their children. On top of that, they said that if we were in need of any more, then I should let them know.”
The Waqf-e-Jadid Secretary of Lajna in Islamabad, UK says:
“After my graduation from university, I was busy with the upbringing of my children. Now they are 5 and 8 years old and our chanda were all given from my husband’s income and I would only be receiving child benefits in my account. I would think to myself that however much I spent in the way of Allah, I could not consider it to be true financial sacrifice. Hence, in September this year, I set up a standing order from my personal account to give chanda towards Wasiyat, Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid. Apart from that, I also began giving chanda from my grandmother and uncle. I set the monthly instalments to an amount that truly was at times a financial sacrifice in light of my income.
“This month, I gave a request to gain further experience as a teacher at my children’s school, but there was no hope of succeeding in being able to do so. The very next day after the first donation in chanda was made from my account, I received a call from the school to come for an interview. After the second payment was made from my account, instead of appointing me as an assistant teacher, the school gave me another important role, through which my income increased 10-fold. I was convinced from this that it was all a result of making financial sacrifices in the way of Allah.”
Farhad Sahib, a missionary in Germany says:
“A khadim from our local jamaat in Wiesbaden told me that he had already given what he promised towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and in addition, he donated a further amount which he had planned to donate towards Waqf-e-Jadid. This month, he received a letter from the tax department which stated that he had to pay 800 euros, yet despite this, he said that he was determined to still make the donation towards Waqf-e-Jadid and would take a loan to pay off the tax. A few weeks later, he received another letter from the tax department in which they wrote that they had reviewed his paperwork and that he did not have to pay anything; in fact, they would repay him 4,400 euros. A few days later, he said that he had a car accident in which someone damaged his car, and consequently he received 4,700 euros.”
In this way, after showing a little resolve to make an extra donation in chanda, God Almighty brought about the means to enable him to do so. One may deem this a mere coincidence, but a believer recognises that this is all a result of the special favours of God Almighty.
Sadr Lajna of Canada says:
“One Lajna member said that three years prior, her husband was busy with his education so she had to work and also shoulder the various other responsibilities. This tiring routine left her exhausted and she would remain unwell for long periods of time. Subsequently, when the time came to make promises towards Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid, she pledged twice the amount of her monthly income.
“A short while later, she lost her job and was in very straitened circumstances. All her spending would be done using a credit card and at the end of the year, when the time came to make her donations, she was left with no choice but to place her trust in God Almighty and make her donations using the credit card.
“God Almighty manifested a wondrous sign of His power whereby in those very same days, she was informed by her bank that she had credit protection insurance and that since she had lost her job, she was entitled to apply for it. In this manner, all her expenditures were covered and on top of that, she found a new job, which was much better than the previous one. Her financial situation had improved, she voluntarily increased her promises towards voluntary chanda and at the same time, her husband completed his education and received a good job. Hence, she left her job and was able to manage from her husband’s income.”
A missionary from Indonesia writes that Ameen Sahib and his family always desired to make all their donations towards Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid during the month of Ramadan. This year, his income was low and it seemed impossible to fulfil the donation he had promised. The missionary then writes:
“I myself witnessed him every day during the month of Ramadan, where despite fasting he would travel 4 kilometres along with his family to his candlenut field so that through this, he could fulfil the amount he promised. Thus, during the month of Ramadan, he fulfilled his promise of 200,000 and it would have been impossible for him to collect such a large amount without the painstaking effort he made.” The missionary then writes that he asked him, “What drives you to make such hard efforts every day whilst fasting?” Thereupon, he answered, “My family and I merely wish to attain the pleasure of God Almighty by acting upon the instructions of the Khalifa of the time.”
Then, there is Nianpa Sahib from a jamaat in the Kaya Regions, Burkina Faso, who converted to Ahmadiyyat over 10 years ago; however, he was not regular in offering financial contributions. His household was often riddled with illness and poverty. Some time ago, he began paying special attention towards regularly offering financial contributions, especially to Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid. Due to this, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, not only did his financial situation begin to improve, but Allah the Almighty also granted him cure of his illnesses and this year, he gave even more for Waqf-e-Jadid.
Those who once used to avoid giving him work, themselves came to him and offered him contracts for work. Idrees Sahib says that it is solely due to the grace of Allah the Almighty that through Waqf-e-Jadid, He created means for his income to increase.
Hence, these are the ways is which Allah returns a loan manifold. There are many such incidents out of which I have presented only a few.
May Allah the Almighty always continue to treat members of the Jamaat in this manner; may the members of the Jamaat continue to offer such sacrifices with sincerity and loyalty and may Allah the Almighty continue to manifest His grace.
Now, along with announcing the new year of Waqf-e-Jadid, I will also present some details of the previous year’s collection.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the 63rd year [of Waqf-e-Jadid] came to an end on 31 December 2020 and the 64th year commenced on 1 January [2021].
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, during the previous year, the Jamaat was able to present a sacrifice of £10.53 million, which is £887,000 more than the previous year’s total collection. Alhamdulillah!
This cannot be the result of any human effort; rather, it is purely owing to the grace of Allah the Almighty. This year, again, the UK Jamaat stands in first position amongst all the jamaats of the world for its overall contribution. By the grace of Allah, they have made a significant increase.
Lajna Imaillah UK have worked extremely hard by the grace of Allah. In view of the significant increase in their total collection, it seems that the men have also put in a great deal of effort just like the Lajna.
Germany is in second place and even though they have also made a significant increase in their total collection, UK is still ahead of them by some margin.
Due to the fall in the value of its currency, Pakistan has fallen quite behind amongst the jamaats, but still occupied the third position. Nevertheless, based on their local currency, they have made progress and its members are offering sacrifices; the Ahmadis in Pakistan are offering sacrifices of their lives as well as their wealth and are having to endure constant mental torture as well. May Allah the Almighty provide ease for them.
Canada is in fourth position, then the USA, India, Australia, a country from the Middle East, Indonesia and then Ghana.
From among the African countries, Ghana is now also competing with the larger countries and is in the top 10. According to contribution per capita, the USA is first, followed by Switzerland and then the UK. In terms of overall contribution amongst the African countries, Ghana is first, Mauritius is second, then Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Kenya, Mali and Benin.
The total number of participants [for Waqf-e-Jadid] was 1,452,000.
In terms of overall collection, the top 10 large jamaats from the UK are Farnham, Islamabad, Worcester Park, Putney, Birmingham South, Gillingham, South Cheam, Masjid Fazl, Birmingham West and New Malden.
The top five regions [of the UK] in terms of overall collection are Baitul Futuh, then Masjid Fazl, Islamabad, Midlands and Baitul Ehsan
The top 10 jamaats [of the UK] with regard to Daftar Atfal are Farnham in first position, Islamabad in second, Roehampton Vale, Baitul Futuh, Mitcham Park, Glasgow, Cheam, Guilford, Worcester Park and Birmingham South.
From among the smaller jamaats [of the UK], the top 10 in terms of overall collection are Leamington Spa, Spen Valley, Bournemouth, Burton-Upon-Trent, Peterborough, Coventry, Edinburgh, Keighley and Swansea.
The top five local amaraat [in terms of overall collection] in Germany are Hamburg in first position, then Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Gross-Gerau and Dietzenbach.
In terms of collection of Waqf-e-Jadid from adults, the top 10 jamaats from Germany are Rödermark, Neuss, Nieda, Mahdi-Abad, Mainz, Koblenz, Hanau, Langen, Flörsheim, Bensheim and Pinneberg.
In terms of collection from Daftar Atfal, the top five regions [of Germany] are Hessen Sud-Ost, Hessen Mitte, Rheinland-Pfalz, Westfalen and Taunus.
The top three jamaats of Pakistan [in terms of collection] are Lahore, Rabwah and Karachi.
In terms of collection from adults, the positions of the districts [of Pakistan] are Islamabad in first position, Rawalpindi is second, third is Sargodha then Gujrat, Gujranwala, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Mirpur Khas and Dera Ghazi Khan.
In terms of overall collection, the top 10 jamaats [of Pakistan] are Defence Lahore, Islamabad City, Township Lahore, Clifton Karachi, Darul Zikr Lahore, Gulshan Iqbal Abad Karachi, Samana Bagh Lahore, Azizabad Karachi, Rawalpindi City and Allama Iqbal Town Lahore.
In terms of [collection from] Daftar Atfal, the three large jamaats from Pakistan are Lahore, Karachi and Rabwah.
The position of districts [of Pakistan] for Daftar Atfal are Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Umerkot, Narowal and Bahawalnagar.
The positions of amaraat in Canada are Vaughan in first position, then Peace Village, Vancouver, Brampton West and Toronto West.
The positions of the 10 large jamaats in Canada are Bradford, Durham, Milton East, Edmonton West, Windsor, Milton West, Regina, Ottawa West, Airdrie and Abbotsford.
The top amaraat in terms of [collection from] Atfal [of Canada] are Vaughan in first position, then Toronto West, Peace Village, Calgary and Brampton West.
In terms of the jamaats for Atfal [in Canada], the positions are Bradford in first, then Durham, Milton West, London and Hamilton Mountain.
In terms of overall collection, the top jamaats in the USA are Maryland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Oshkosh, Syracuse, Rochester and Minnesota.
The top 10 jamaats in terms of Daftar Atfal [of the USA] are: Maryland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Orlando, Silicon Valley, Austin, Oshkosh, Minnesota, Las Vegas and Fitchburg.
The top 10 provinces from India are Kerala in first position, then Tamil Nadu, Jammu Kashmir, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The positions of the jamaats [in India] are Coimbatore, Qadian, Pathappiriyam, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Bangalore, Calicut, Kannur Town, Rishi Nagar and Kerang.
The top 10 jamaats from Australia are Melbourne Langwarrin, Castle Hill, Marsden Park, Melbourne Berwick, Adelaide South, Mount Druitt, Penrith, Perth, Logan East and Black Town
The Australia jamaats in terms of collection from adults are Melbourne Langwarrin, Castle Hill, Marsden Park, Melbourne Berwick, Penrith, Mount Druitt, Black Town, Adelaide South, Perth and Canberra.
The [top] Australian jamaats in terms of collection from Atfal are, Melbourne Langwarrin, Adelaide, Melbourne Berwick, Mount Druitt, Logan East, Penrith, Castle Hill, Melbourne East, Perth and Adelaide West.
May Allah the Almighty bestow abounding blessings in the wealth and progeny of all those who have presented sacrifices. May He enable them to increase in spirituality and to be those who fulfil the rights owed to God and the rights owed to His creation.
These days, as I have been making an appeal for prayers, I again urge you to pray for the Ahmadis of Pakistan, that Allah the Almighty may remove their hardships and worries; may He keep them away from the grasp of the opponents.
As for those opponents who cannot be reformed, may Allah the Almighty create the means for them to be seized. May He also create means for the swift release of those who have been imprisoned in His way, which also includes the prisoners in Algeria.
There is also a great deal of opposition in Algeria; pray for them as well, that Allah the Almighty may create ease for them.
Pay special attention to supplications and offering voluntary prayers and giving alms. The general condition of Pakistan is one which lacks peace; pray for them as well, that may Allah establish peace and bring a swift end to their ploys to kill one another, extremism, discord and unrest. May He grant their leaders and government the sense to become those who truly serve the people and act with justice.
Similarly, pray for the general state of the world which continues to deteriorate at a rapid rate. May Allah the Almighty have mercy on all of humanity.
(Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International on 29 January 2021, pp. 5- 10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)
