On 15 August 2021 the national amila of Majlis Ansarullah the Netherlands met with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa in a virtual mulaqat.
The meeting started with silent prayer led by Huzooraa.
Addressing Zia-ul-Qamar Siddique Sahib, Naib Sadr Saf-e-Daum, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked how many Ansar members were in saf-e-daum and how many owned bicycles. Naib sadr saf-e-daum replied by saying there were 179 Ansar and 150 of them owned bikes.
Huzooraa instructed, “Ask the others to get bicycles too.” He then asked whether 150 of the Ansar actually rode their bicycles, or they just stored them at home. To this, the naib sadr saf-e-daum said that about 70 Ansar regularly used them.
Advising the naib sadr saf-e-daum, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said to make plans himself and not to depend on instructions from Sadr Majlis Ansarullah. Huzooraa said that apart from cycling, other forms of exercise and various programmes should be taking place too.
Nazeer Ahmad Awan Sahib, Qaid Amumi was next to speak. Addressing him, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said “Your duty is one of utmost importance.” Huzooraa asked how many majalis there were in the Netherlands and the total number of Ansar. To this, the qaid amumi said there were 14 majalis and a total of 288 Ansar. Huzooraa asked if all the majalis were sending regular monthly reports, to which the qaid amumi said they were.
Qaid maal was next to speak to Huzooraa. Advising him, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa urged working from the grassroots when preparing the annual budget and said to pay special attention to those who were financially affluent.
Speaking to Ataul Hayye Sahib, Qaid Tajnid and Qaid Ta‘lim, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that the Netherlands Jamaat should be 100% sure of the tajnid numbers as it was such a small country. Huzooraa said every Jamaat member who comes to the country should be accounted for.
Regarding ta‘lim, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said every national amila member should read the prescribed book set for all Ansar members to read. The qaideen, zu‘ama and nazimeen should be asked too if they have read the book and then the rest of the Ansar in the majlis. Huzooraa stressed that it was imperative that office-bearers acted on instructions first and then encouraged others to follow.
“If your amilas at different levels become active, then 60% of your work will already be achieved […]”
Addressing Amir Sahib the Netherlands – who is a special member of the Ansarullah amila in the Netherlands – Huzooraa asked him to take a seat and said:
“Your duty is just to pray for Ansarullah that they work. Allah bless you […] May Allah the Almighty give you sound health and bless you.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa next spoke to Zubair Akmal Sahib, Qaid Tabligh, and asked about tabligh activities. Huzooraa said:
“Make big and ambitious plans.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said a team effort of all the Jamaat in the Netherlands – Khuddam, Lajna and Ansar – could be implemented to spread the message of Islam. Huzooraa said:
“Some tasks can be performed and fulfilled collectively.”
On spreading the true message of Islam, Huzooraa said:
“Keep a certain target in mind, that you are to get rid of all the doubts raised against Islam. You say that the people of the Netherlands are good people and do not raise many allegations, apart from one part of society. So you should take benefit from this and convey to them the true message.”
Regarding tabligh events and peace conferences that are held in the Netherlands by Ansarullah, Huzooraa said:
“Their publicity should be in newspapers and on social media etc. so that people can find out that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is a community that conveys the true message of Islam.”
Speaking with Qaid Isha‘at, Imran Aziz Sahib, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said the Ansar magazine should be published at least quarterly and educated Ansar should write for the magazine in whatever language they pleased. Huzooraa asked about the efforts on social media by the Ansar and said detailed data should be available for the results of tabligh efforts online.
Speaking to Qaid Isar, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said Ansarullah the Netherlands should carry out relief projects in Africa too.
“Can you not make a whole model village in 80,000 euros?”
To this, Sadr Ansarullah the Netherlands, Mirza Fakhar Ahmad Sahib responded by saying, “Huzoor, we will definitely try to, insha-Allah.”
While addressing Abdul Wasay Mubashar Sahib, Muavin Sadr, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa asked his age, to which he said he was reaching 70. To this, Huzooraa remarked, “70? Then you are young! I do not consider myself as old.”
Sultan Ahmad Dar Sahib, who is qaid ta‘lim-ul-Quran, was instructed by Huzooraa to ask amila members to offer themselves for waqf-e-arzi for teaching the Holy Quran to others. Huzooraa said classes could be carried out online too and said those who did not know how to read the Holy Quran should be paired with a nasir who did, so they could be taught.
“Everyone should know how to read the Holy Quran – without this, there is no benefit. Also try that everyone reads the Holy Quran every day and they should also try to read its translation. You should pursue them, as you pursue them with other things. The way you urge others to give chanda, you do not urge for reading the Holy Quran”.
Addressing the various zu‘ama, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa instructed them to work diligently at the grassroots and said that the Ansar would become active following the efforts of the zu‘ama.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then gave the national amila members the opportunity to ask any questions they had.
The first question was about how to remedy those national amila members and amila members at other levels who get disheartened and demotivated because of the attitude of other Ansar members.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“If they [amila members] are working for those members, then feeling discouraged and disheartened is understandable. However, if they are working for Allah the Almighty, then feeling demotivated and disheartened is not permissible.
“Ansar are not children, are they? Masha-Allah, they enter Ansarullah at the age of 40. Some elderly people demotivate others – the person who crosses the age of 65, sometimes criticise others. Or it can be that some younger Ansar do this too. However, generally it comes from the elderly.
“Nevertheless, you must keep in mind, and tell others too, that ‘we are to work for Allah the Almighty alone’. And when you are to work for Allah the Almighty, then you should not care about the criticism of others. […]
“When the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, called his relatives [to a dinner] to preach to them, after he got the station of prophethood, they all just ate the food and ran off […] So did the Holy Prophetsa accept defeat? After some time, he invited them back and this time, preached to them his message again and then served them food. However, those stubborn people acted the same as before – they ate and then ran off. But did they cause [the Holy Prophetsa] to be disheartened and dismayed?
“So, we should all be resilient and mentally strong. Whether the criticism is from our own, or from others, we should not care. We should keep in mind that we are working for Allah the Almighty. When we are working for Allah the Almighty, then we should not care about the praise or criticisms of others. Allah the Almighty is to give the reward. When Allah the Almighty is to give the reward of our works, then ask Him. Why ask of any kind of reward from people?”
The next question was from qaid ta‘lim who said Ansar – including the amila members – did not respond well to the ta‘lim exams they were sent. He asked Huzooraa what his department could do.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said:
“First, start with the amila – if they are not responding, request Sadr Sahib to remove such members from the amila. There is only one remedy […] If the amila members are not responding themselves, they should remember that we have not given them positions of leadership for the sake of it […] If you all are working at 100% and create perfection amongst yourselves, and the members know – the Ansar know – that their office-bearers work with dedication and zeal and implement the instructions from the Jamaat themselves too whenever they issue instructions, then they will cooperate and not criticise either.
“When they start to feel that amila members do not work themselves and they begin lose trust [and start thinking] that the amila members are not working – ‘they tell us to fill the exam, yet do not fill it themselves’ – then what else should the Ansar do aside from criticise?
“For this reason, those members who do not cooperate with any programme that you prescribe for a nasir, if an amila member – at any level – does not cooperate, then Sadr Sahib should write to me that this person should be removed. And they should be told that they have such and such weaknesses, which is why they are being removed. This is so that they realise too that they should not be office-bearers for the sake of having an office; rather, it is to serve.
“When this happens, then the question of qaid amumi [about motivation and courage] will be addressed too and people will cooperate because an atmosphere of trust will be created”.
Huzooraa said 60% of the work could be completed if the amila members cooperated.
The last question was from qaid tabligh, who asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa how to encourage the 40 dai‘een ilallah they have in Majlis Ansarullah,to achieve the bai‘at targets.
Huzooraaresponded by saying:
“Tell the dai‘een ilallah, ‘You offered yourself to preach, so now it is compulsory for you to fulfil your promise.’ Ask them yourself, hold a meeting every month with the dai‘een ilallah and then ask them in the first meeting about the targets they wish to set.
“They should have the target of converting at least one person each – 40 people should set a target of converting 40. Then, hold meetings every month and review their progress and ask them what they did. Those who had the opportunity to do good work should share how they were successful. Those who were not successful should share their reasons too. Then you should discuss these matters amongst yourselves and see how to devise new strategies and tackle the problems.”
Huzooraa said the main aim should be to constantly remind them, otherwise people become relaxed and sit back.
With this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih conveyed his salaam and the meeting came to an end.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)