On Sunday, 31 January 2021, waqifaat-e-nau Lajna and Nasirat from Bangladesh had the opportunity to meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa in a virtual class.
The sitting started with a recitation of the Holy Quran followed by the Bangla translation, an Urdu poem written by the Promised Messiahas, a narration of the Holy Prophetsa and an excerpt of the Promised Messiahas.
Secretary waqifaat-e-nau reported to Huzooraa that 134 waqifaat-e-nau were present in the meeting, 75 of whom were above 15 years of age.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then gave the waqifaat-e-nau the opportunity to ask any questions they had. Most questions were asked in Bengali and translated for Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa.
A notable aspect was Huzooraa, as always, would confirm with the questioner if they had understood and were content with the answers, before moving onto the next questioner.
The first question was by Asifa Hossain Sahiba who asked Huzooraa what the highest spiritual rank women could reach was, as they could not be prophets. In response, Huzooraa said:
“… They can be siddiq, shaheed, salihaat – this is written in the Quran. They can attain other spiritual ranks.
“There is a hadith in which a female companion [of the Holy Prophetsa] said, ‘Men can attain martyrdom, participate in wars and offer lots of other sacrifices, so what is our [women’s] rank who remain at home?’ To this, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Look, the supervision you women keep of your homes, bring up your children in the right manner, take care of the next generation and protect your homes, gives you the same reward as that of men.’ So, apart from a prophet … [women] can reach all the other ranks; qanitat, salihat etc.
“Apart from this, if women are doing good deeds, then by protecting their homes, they can attain a better spiritual rank. After all, a prophet has a mother … The Holy Prophetsa said that Heaven is under the feet of mothers. So, the rank of women is such that if they carry out the correct upbringing [of children], they enable people to enter Heaven; what is greater than this?
“[The Holy Prophetsa] did not say that Heaven is under the feet of fathers; he said it is under the feet of mothers; the rank of a woman is very high. This is why the rank of a woman is extremely high and this rank is such that no one can compete with it – provided the woman is properly established on faith, takes care of her next generation and protects the home.”
A very young waqifa-e-nau, Rubina Sharif, asked Huzooraa what the first step one should take is for being a good Waqf-e-Nau girl. Huzooraa responded by saying:
“The first thing is that when you reach the age of seven, you should start offering the five daily prayers and try to learn how to read the Holy Quran and then do tilawat daily. And then, always be humble and obey the instructions of your parents, so your parents are happy and they are always happy when you do good deeds. Don’t think they are giving you some wrong instructions; whatever instruction they give you, whenever they ask you to do anything, it is for the good of yourself. So, if you do all these things, you will be a good Waqf-e-Nau girl.
“And always remember that you are a waqifa-e-nau, you have to behave well and always be polite and kind to your fellow girls and fellow students. Show your example so that any person who sees you always says, ‘These girls are very good girls, well behaved girls’. Then, you can tell them, ‘It is because I am waqifa-e-nau and I have to be well-behaved and good in all my deeds.’”
The young girl also asked Huzooraa for prayers for her and her family, to which Huzooraa replied, “May Allah the Almighty bless you all. Which class are you in?”
The waqifa-e-nau replied by saying she was in class three and was studying in an English medium school.
Amatul Shafi Saeed Sahiba asked about the nature of taqdir (decree) and what it meant. Explaining the concept, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Taqdir is that Allah the Almighty has decreed something for you. However, some people are lazy; they do not work, nor exert any effort and when they don’t receive anything, they say, ‘This was the taqdir [decree] of Allah.’ That is why Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said in a couplet:
تدبیر كے جالوں میں مت پھنس
كر قبضہ جا كے مقدر پر
[Don’t get entangled in the way of planning; go and conquer what has been decreed]
“It has been decreed for Ahmadis that they achieve successes … Increase your ambitions and then work hard to achieve them; when you work hard, then Allah the Almighty will bless it. Allah the Almighty has ordained for some things that if someone shows laziness in them, then their taqdir will be that they will not achieve anything from it … Allah the Almighty gives success and fulfils goals if one works hard and prays too.
“There are some decrees that do not alter, for example the decree of death. There will come a time when every human dies – it is a decree for mankind and Allah the Almighty has decreed that they will stay on the earth and then leave at some point. But if someone shows negligence and does not follow the law of nature that Allah the Almighty has made for good health, then they will die early – this decree wasn’t created by Allah; rather, the person, due to their incompetence, imposed it on themself.
“Like the example I gave before, Allah the Almighty has decreed Ahmadiyyat will spread, but if someone is impatient and quits halfway, saying, ‘Look, so many years have passed and we have not witnessed the success of Ahmadiyyat and we are being persecuted’ and then leaves, then such a person’s end will not be good – this decree, of a bad end, he created himself …
“… Allah’s decree is that man works hard and ‘I will give him the reward’ – this is Allah’s promise. And then with hard work, if he prays too, then Allah the Almighty gives the reward, merit and success to his work.”
Another waqifa-e-nau, Bushra Rahman Sahiba, asked about the Islamic view of extra-terrestrial life.
Huzooraa said:
“Yes, there is extra-terrestrial life; there certainly is. The Promised Messiahas has also written that it is possible there is life on other planets, but we still have not met them. This is also proved from some verses of the Holy Quran, that life exists on other planets. And when we meet them, then we will need to give them the message of Islam and deal well with them. So, it is very possible there is life on other planets, but we have not communicated with them yet.”
A young waqifa-e-nau said that her non-Ahmadi Muslim neighbours invite them to chaliswan rituals following someone’s death. She asked if we, as Ahmadi Muslims, could attend such events.
Huzooraa answered by saying:
“These rituals should be avoided. If you are to go just to express your condolences, then do so … but one should not attend such rituals. You can go before or after these rituals – even if you need to go on that day to offer condolences in order to keep good relations, you can, but it is not necessary to attend that ritual to eat … innovations spread from this and one should show some courage on such occasions. Pay your sympathies, condolences and visit them, even on normal days, but avoid going there to eat.
“These rituals were neither practiced by the Holy Prophetsa, nor his Companionsra; people started these innovations later. The Promised Messiahas came to end the innovations that had been created. That is why we should also try to avoid [such things] as much as we can.”
Another young waqifa-e-nau, Sabiha Jamal, asked Huzooraa if he had seen any dream about Khilafat, prior to attending the Khilafat election.
With a smile, Huzooraa said:
“No, I did not see any dream; neither before, nor after. Yes, people saw them who voted for me; they had seen dreams, or Allah had impressed on some people’s hearts, or for others, Allah the Almighty put it in their hearts at that occasion. But I saw no dream, nor could I have ever thought of reaching this rank.”
Bareera Nusrat Sahiba asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa what the best way to show gratitude to Allah was.
Huzooraa responded by saying:
“The best way to show gratitude to Allah the Almighty is that when you read alhamdulilah, always keep in mind all the blessings Allah has bestowed on you. And if you ever face some difficulties, develop a habit of enduring them because Allah the Almighty has bestowed lots of other blessings. Always remember those blessings. If one ever has to endure some difficulties, then they should always keep in mind that Allah the Almighty has given lots of blessings too.”
Huzooraa then narrated a story of a king who gave some fruit to a courtier. The courtier ate the fruit and praised it highly, even though it was extremely bitter. Seeing this praise, the king tasted the fruit himself and after tasting it, asked how the courtier could praise such a bitter taste! In response, the courtier said to the king, “You have bestowed so much upon me and graced me that if you have given me something bitter today without knowing, then I do not deem it right to show ingratitude thereby overlooking everything you have given to me.” The courtier said, “My gratitude is that even if I have received something bitter today, I should it eat without complaining.”
Commenting on this story, Huzooraa said:
“This should be the spirit of one’s gratitude. When one shows gratitude in this way, recalls the blessings of Allah the Almighty and endures small difficulties and prays to Allah that ‘O Allah, you have given me lots of favours, grant me favours and mercy now too and remove my pain’. But one should not complain that ‘O Allah what trouble have you put me in …’”
“… And whatever you receive, accept it in the best manner. That is why it has been mentioned in a hadith that in worldly affairs, you should always look at those who have less than you.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa explained in further detail the hadith of the Holy Prophetsa that urges one to look at the less fortunate and less privileged and to remain content with what Allah has given.
Huzooraa said:
“Gratitude is that you recognise that Allah the Almighty has given you a better condition than those who are poorer than you. There are lots of people in the world who do not get food – some who get food once a day while others who do not even get food once a day. There are lots of people like this even in Europe who – despite an abundance of wealth, money and food here – still die of hunger. There are also lots of people in Bangladesh who sleep at night without having eaten.
“One should show gratitude while eating, that Allah the Almighty has given food to us. In the same way, in worldly affairs, one should look at those who have less and then praise and thank Allah.
“However, regarding religious affairs, the Holy Prophetsa said to look at those who are higher than you. Look at those who are better than you in their faith, their relationship with Allah and performing good deeds and then try to become like them, or better.”
“So, in religious affairs, look at those who are above you and in worldly affairs, look at those who have less than you – then you will develop the habit of true gratitude.”
Next, Nusrat Jahan Rafa Sahiba asked Huzooraa what one should do if they have performed istikhara prayers and decided accordingly about a matter, but those around them oppose that decision and quarrel.
Huzooraa said:
“If you have done istikhara and are content and after prayer, your heart is content that the action should be taken after this, then even if others raise objections, let them; there is no need to worry. Yes, one should continue to pray to Allah the Almighty even after [istikhara] …”
The next question was asked by Amatul Shafi Sahiba. She wanted to know how to engage with those who, as children, experienced harassment from fanatic religious clerics and as a result, distanced themselves from religion.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa gave the following reply:
“You can tell them that ‘whatever the maulvis or fanatics have told you is wrong. The Islamic teaching is a peaceful teaching and Allah is Ever Merciful and very kind to people. This is why the Holy Prophetsa says that you should not behave harshly towards your children’ … You should bring them close to you … [and say] ‘This is not the Islamic teaching; Islam is a very kind religion, Allah is Ever Merciful and if you pray to Allah, He forgives you …’
“… The Holy Prophetsa said they [children] should be kindly treated; even the Promised Messiahas has said that if a person does not treat their children in a kind manner, he thinks he is standing in the position of God. So, the person who thinks himself to be God, is wrong.
“In this way … they are spoiling and destroying the future of their generation. We should try to be kind to children so that they understand what the true teaching of Islam is.
“It needs some time and it’s a long process, but try to bring them closer to yourself.”
Amatul Noor Sahi Sahiba asked Huzooraa about how one could protect themselves from surfing sites like Facebook etc. after their online classes had ended.
In response, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“This comes down to willpower and determination. Why do people go to other websites to waste time after classes? Yes, if it is a good website, which increases knowledge, there is no harm in visiting such sites … but if it is a waste of time, then it is wrong … It is about willpower; if one wants to, they can do good works. No one is forcefully telling you to do something … you are all mature … bring yourself to do good works and abstain from bad deeds.
“Allah the Almighty has said this too; to abstain from vain things. It is the responsibility of a believer to protect oneself from such things and pass by … It is the same with unsuitable websites; one should protect themselves from them.”
A young waqifa-e-nau, Naila Solaiman, asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa how he would study as a student, what his aspirations were and asked what Huzoor’s instruction were for them.
With a warm smile, Huzooraa said:
“I was not a good student, but the instruction for you is that you become a good student. In current times, you cannot survive without an education. You are Waqf-e-Nau; you have done waqf since childhood, therefore you should try to become a good asset for the Jamaat.
“By studying and gaining knowledge, you should try to improve your life as much as you can so you are able to carry out the correct tarbiyat and protection of the future generations.”
“I had different aims … then in the end, because I had an interest in agriculture, I attained a degree in it. And after that, I did waqf too – Allah the Almighty gave me the opportunity to. Yes, in childhood, I did have the desire to do waqf and when I grew up, I did waqf … After this, Allah the Almighty took me to this position too.”
“For all of you, the instruction is that because you have done waqf, you should work as hard as you can and study and reach a high level in studies. And even if you do not pursue a job, [your] education will help the next generation.”
Another waqifa-e-nau Lajna member, Dr Humda Yasmin Sahiba, said to Huzooraa that her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter was rather mischevous and naughty, something she enjoyed, but sometimes her patience is tested with her child. She wanted guidance on how to handle the situation.
Huzooraa said:
“It’s a good thing, let her be naughty – [children] who are naughty are intelligent … Whether you enjoy it or not, you must not show anger … [When your patience is tested] Tell her that you are tired and to let you rest for some time and that you will talk and play later. Children are intelligent, they do understand … do her tarbiyat but do not show anger, do not tell her off and do not say anything negative to her.”
Dr Humda Sahiba confirmed she would act on Huzoor’s advice and asked if there was any prayer she could recite. Huzooraa advised to recite durood sharif.
A young waqifa-e-nau, Sadia Mahboob Sahiba, asked Huzooraa when he would visit Bangladesh. With a smile, Huzooraa said that he would visit when the conditions permitted and that currently, the clerics of Bangladesh had created adverse conditions. Huzooraa said, “Pray that the condition improves quickly for me to visit Bangladesh and I can meet you in Bangladesh.”
Amatun Noor Ruhi Sahiba asked Huzooraa who else supported and helped him, apart from Allah, during his Khilafat.
With a smile, Huzooraa immediately said:
“There is no one else; it is only Allah the Almighty. Only Allah helps me and no one else has the strength to help me.”
Another waqifa-e-nau asked Huzooraa if it was permissible to say “Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji‘un” (Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return) when a non-Muslim dies.
Huzooraa said:
“Yes, it means that we are from Allah and everybody has to go to Allah.”
Huzooraa explained that we could say this Quranicverse even if that person was from the wrong religion as their affair was now with Allah. “When we say ‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji‘un’, it means that was a loss for that person’s family, but at the same time, we are also thankful that Allah the Almighty has saved us from the wrong religion and we are blessed that Allah has made us accept the true religion.
“There is no harm in saying ‘Inna lillah’… that is just a prayer, for yourself as well …”
Upon this, the time had ended, and the questions also ended.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa ended the meeting by giving the following prayer to all the waqifeen-e-nau:
“May Allah the Almighty protect you and keep you safe and as waqifaat-e-nau, may you all come to fulfil the true purpose and objectives of the dedication of your lives for the sake of your faith and be those who protect and nurture the future generation in the best way.
“May a pious Ahmadi Muslim generation be born and raised through you and may they become those who carry forth the propagation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and spread its message in Bangladesh.
“I also pray that may you soon be relieved from the evil clutches of the fanatical religious clerics in your country and may Allah the Almighty always be your Helper and Protector.”
May Allah fulfil all of Huzoor’s prayers in favour of Waqf-e-Nau Bangladesh and each and every one of us. Amin.