Friday Sermon delivered at Masjid Mubarak, Islamabad, Tilford, UK
After reciting Tashahhud, Ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba) recited the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:
‘Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it well.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 3:93.)
His Holiness(aba) said that the spending of wealth in the way of Allah is an act of great virtue. Seeing as man has a great attachment to wealth, God has deemed those who spend out of that which they love, i.e. their wealth, attain the pleasure and nearness of Allah because the true sacrifice is spending out of that which one loves.
His Holiness(aba) said that the Promised Messiah(as) has explained that one should not be so attached to their wealth that they do not spend out their wealth for the sake of Allah. There was a time when the sacrifice required was of one’s life. Those people in early Islam also had wives and children, and everyone loved their life, yet they eagerly took any opportunity to present the sacrifice of their own lives. The Promised Messiah(as) further explained that one cannot attain righteousness by spending out of useless things that one does not care for. How can one become successful if they are not willing to bear difficulty? The companions of the Holy Prophet(sa) did not attain their rank of Allah being pleased with them by avoiding difficulty. The pleasure of God cannot be attained until one does not bear temporary hardships. Blessed are those who are unfazed by the bearing of hardships for the sake of God.
His Holiness(aba) further quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that the manner in which one spends their wealth in the way of Allah is a marker of the level of their righteousness. In fact, the higher ranks of righteousness cannot be attained without spending out of that which they love. Hazrat Abu Bakr(ra) was among the most righteous; the same Abu Bakr(ra) who sacrificed all that he owned in his home for the sake of Allah the Almighty.
His Holiness(aba) said that today, the Ahmadiyya Community has truly understood the essence behind financial sacrifice, and it a sign of the impact of the Promised Messiah(as) that we continue to witness examples of financial sacrifices to this day. The Holy Prophet(sa) had enjoined the offering of financial sacrifices to his companions. For example, the Holy Prophet(sa) said that there are only two kinds of people who should be envied in this world. One who Allah the Almighty has bestowed wealth and they spend it in His way, and secondly, one whom Allah has granted understanding, knowledge and wisdom, which he uses to judge people’s matters and teach them. This had such an impact on the companions, that there were those who went to work in the markets only so that they may earn some amount that they could offer it in the way of Allah. These very same companions would go on to become very wealthy.
His Holiness(aba) said that the Holy Prophet(sa) advised that one should not be miserly when it comes to spending in the way of Allah; otherwise, Allah the Almighty will also restrain His hand in His bestowal of favours. One should spend openly in the way of Allah, and Allah will continue to give in return to such a person. On another occasion, the Holy Prophet(sa) said that every morning, two angels descend; one prays that Allah the Almighty grants more to the one who spends in the way of Allah and creates more people who follow in their footsteps. The second angel prays for Allah to bring ruin to the miserly.
His Holiness(aba) said that the history of Ahmadiyyat is filled with examples of people understanding the meaning and essence of financial sacrifice. For example, once someone said that he had a small amount of money which he required for his business. His circumstances were very tight, and he wasn’t sure if he’d even be able to run his business. His father advised him to offer the amount he had as financial contributions, which he did. As a result, he received such a large order that he received much more money than he had before which he used to start his business that then became extremely successful. Hence, Allah the Almighty continues to show signs to those in the Community of the Promised Messiah(as) to serve as a means of increasing their faith.
His Holiness(aba) said that once, the Holy Prophet(sa) said that God told him that one should store their wealth with God, for with Him, it has no threat of being set on fire, drowning in water, or being stolen. In fact, God says that he will return that wealth to a person when they need it the most, i.e. in the hereafter. In other words, one will be rewarded for such sacrifices. Hence, the Promised Messiah(as) said that miserliness and faith cannot coexist within the same heart.
His Holiness(aba) further quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that a glance at the history of the world shows that no movement or community existed without the need for financial sacrifice. The communities of the Holy Prophet(sa), Jesus(as), and Moses(as) all required financial sacrifices. And so this is necessary even today in the community of the Promised Messiah(as).
His Holiness(aba) said that the First Caliph(ra) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community set a brilliant example in this regard. In fact, the Promised Messiah(as) said that if he had allowed him to do so, then Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nooruddin(ra) would have sacrificed everything he owned. In a letter to the Promised Messiah(as), he expressed that everything he owned belonged to the Promised Messiah(as) and the service of his mission.
His Holiness(aba) said that when the Second Caliph(ra) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community initiated the scheme of Waqf-e-Jadid, many people, including the poor, offered whatever financial sacrifices they could, no matter how small they were. Some would even offer the eggs laid by their chickens because that is all they had. There is the example of Dr Khalifa Rashiduddin, who, upon hearing the claim of the Promised Messiah(as) said that this claim had to be true. The Promised Messiah(as) wrote about his financial sacrifices saying that he had made so many financial contributions that if he so wished, he would not have to make any financial sacrifices again, though he continued making financial sacrifices throughout his life. There were times when he would give his entire paycheck for the sake of the Promised Messiah(as). People would say that he should keep something for his own needs as well. However, his response would be that how could he keep anything for himself when the Promised Messiah(as) had expressed the need for financial contributions. He made so many financial sacrifices that the Promised Messiah(as) felt the need to tell him that he did not have to continue making financial sacrifices.
His Holiness(aba) said that materialism is rampant now in the world more than ever before. Yet in the midst of this, there are still those who make sacrifices and spend in the way of Allah. People living in distant places where Ahmadiyyat was only recently introduced display extraordinary examples of financial sacrifices, which reflect the same spirit exhibited by the early Muslims and Ahmadis.
His Holiness(aba) said that a woman from the Marshall Islands serves in the Community’s kitchen, where food is prepared twice a day. Whenever she receives her paycheck, the first thing she does is offer financial contributions on behalf of herself and her five grandchildren. She makes the most contributions for Waqf-e-Jadid on the island, yet upon visiting her home, one sees the simplicity and poverty that she and others like her who still offer financial sacrifices live in.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Kazakhstan, there is a man who said that there was a time when he didn’t have money to eat and would have to take out loans just to eat. Yet, even at that time, he would still offer financial sacrifices, something that he says he does to this day. His experience has been that whenever he offers financial sacrifices, God returns wealth to him in even greater amounts. His wife would ask him where the money has come from, to which he would respond that this is all from the blessings of Allah.
His Holiness(aba) said that a man in the Gambia, upon receiving his paycheck, divided his money into two parts; one for personal use and the other for financial contributions. It so happened that he lost the portion he had set aside for personal use. He still had the other portion which he had set aside for financial contributions, but despite having needs to fulfil, he did not use that money for himself and offered it as financial contribution. It so happened that sometime later, he was able to find the money he had lost and fulfil his needs. Such is the sincerity of people today.
His Holiness(aba) said that there is a man in Tanzania who said that upon learning of the blessings of financial sacrifices, he always ensures to set aside a portion of his pay to offer as financial contributions. Once, upon an appeal for financial contributions, he decided to offer money which he had allotted for his business. When he informed the person that he was going to be buying from that he no longer had the money to obtain the goods from him, the seller said that there was no need to worry because half the amount had already been paid and the remainder could be paid later. That man says that to this day, he has no idea how or from where half of that amount was paid.
(These are just a few examples of the various incidents presented by His Holiness(aba).)
His Holiness(aba) said that just like any divine community, the Ahmadiyya Community requires funds for the running of operations, such as mosques and mission houses. In Africa, though people are not wealthy, there are many mission houses and mosques that require funds to be operational. Currently in Africa, there are 7,953 mosques that have been built while 306 are under construction, and there are 1,860 mission houses. There are 400 central missionaries and more than 2,000 local missionaries. Then there are the South American countries and the Islands, which require help from the central headquarters to fulfil their financial needs, running expenditures and literature costs, etc. All of these needs are fulfilled through the Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid schemes.
There are so many needs, yet somehow, God keeps providing the means to fulfil them. If the amounts collected in Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid which come to the central headquarters were combined, it would amount to £30-31 million. The annual grant being given to about 106 countries in the world alone is equal to this amount. Then there are the various Jamias (Ahmadiyya institutes of languages and theology) for which grants are required. Then there is MTA (Muslim Television Ahmadiyya) which requires millions of pounds. There are also the expenditures of the central headquarters. Allah the Almighty provides the means for all of these expenditures to be fulfilled in ways that one is not able to comprehend. Even when it may seem that the expenses are too high and cannot be fulfilled, God Almighty provides the means for them to be fulfilled.
His Holiness(aba) said that he would present some statistics from the previous year of Waqf-e-Jadid. By the grace of Allah, the 66th year of Waqf-e-Jadid came to an end on 31 December. The Community presented more than £14.6 million in sacrifices, an increase of £736,000 from last year, despite difficult financial conditions in the world. The ranking of countries in terms of collection is as follows:
The prominent countries in Africa in terms of donations are as follows:
His Holiness(aba) said that this year, the total number of participants was 1,551,000 people.
The countries which made a significant increase in their participants compared to last year despite the current difficult circumstances are:
His Holiness(aba) also mentioned the regional and local Jama’ats from various countries which made significant sacrifices towards Waqf-e-Jadid this year.
His Holiness(aba) prayed that may Allah bless the wealth and lives of all those who made financial sacrifices. May 2025 be filled with blessings for the Ahmadiyya Community. May Allah protect the Community from every evil. The extremist factions in Pakistan continue to rise up against the Ahmadiyya Community, making it unsafe for Ahmadis; may Allah the Almighty swiftly procure the means for the perpetrators of these injustices to be taken to task and may He protect the Ahmadis. These people also have their sights set on Rabwah, may Allah keep it safe.
His Holiness(aba) said that he had previously drawn attention to the reciting of various prayers; the Ahmadis in Pakistan should pay special attention to reciting those prayers, as should all Ahmadis around the world.
His Holiness(aba) also appealed for prayers for the Ahmadis in Bangladesh to be kept safe from the evils of extremists there. There is a new regime in Syria; may Allah protect all Ahmadis there as well. There are other countries as well; may Allah protect all Ahmadis everywhere.
His Holiness(aba) urged prayers for the general state of the world and the wars that have broken out; may Allah protect every innocent person from the negative impacts of these things.
His Holiness(aba) said that people celebrate the New Year with fireworks and the like; people are concerned only with their own happiness and do not pay attention to the pain of others. Powerful nations continue to inflict injustices upon the poorer and downtrodden countries of the world. His Holiness(aba) prayed that this year, may Allah ruin the plots of all such powerful nations. May we witness the unity of God being established in the world and may Allah enable us to do so.
Summary prepared by The Review of Religions.
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