Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.

أَشْھَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ وَأَشْھَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُہٗ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ

أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ- بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ۔ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ۔ مٰلِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ۔ اِیَّا کَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ۔

اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْھِمْ غَیْرِالْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْھِمْ وَلَاالضَّآلِّیْنَ۔

لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّحَتّٰی تُنْفِقُوْا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوْنَ۔ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ شَیْ ئٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ بِہٖ عَلِیْمٌ (Al-Imran: 93)

You shall never attain righteousness until you spend of that which you love; and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it well.

The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), while explaining this, states:

"In this world, man loves wealth exceedingly. That is why it is written in the science of dream interpretation that if a person sees in a dream that he has removed his liver and given it to someone, it signifies wealth. This is why, for the attainment of true piety and faith, it is said: لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّحَتّٰی تُنْفِقُوْا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوْنَ — that you shall never attain true righteousness until you spend that which is most dear to you. For sympathy and good conduct towards the creatures of God requires, in large measure, the spending of wealth; and sympathy for one's fellow human beings and for God's creation is such a thing that it is the second component of faith, without which faith cannot be complete and firm. As long as a person does not practice selflessness, how can he benefit others? Selflessness is essential for the benefit and sympathy of others, and in this verse لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّحَتّٰی تُنْفِقُوْا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوْنَ, it is this very selflessness that has been taught and enjoined.

Thus, spending wealth in the way of Allah is also a standard and a touchstone of man's righteousness and piety. The standard and touchstone of selfless dedication in the life of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned a need, he presented all the household goods he possessed." (Malfuzat, Volume 2, page 95-96. Edition 1985, printed in England)

It is a favor of Allah upon us that He has granted us the opportunity to accept the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who reformed our beliefs and knowledge in accordance with the commandments of Allah and the teachings He has given, and also taught us the Quranic methods of spiritual progress and purification of the self. He drew our attention towards the rights of Allah and also towards the rights of His servants. He also instilled the spirit of sacrificing one's life, wealth, time, and children for the attainment of Allah's pleasure. He expected every member of his community to fully mould their lives in accordance with the teachings of Allah — only then could they truly be called Ahmadis. We must therefore strive to shape our lives in accordance with his expectation and desire. The passage I have just read is an explanation of the verse that I recited earlier. As I mentioned, in it Allah draws our attention towards the responsibilities that exist for our spiritual progress — the responsibilities of a believer — that is, among them, one responsibility, namely, financial sacrifice. Although this subject is broad, at this time, with reference to financial sacrifice, as the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has stated, the sacrifice of wealth is a great means of fulfilling the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants. In this regard, I will speak about the aspect of financial sacrifice in this verse. Financial sacrifice is needed both for the fulfillment of the rights of others and for the work of propagation of the faith. This is the essence of the passage of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and in the era of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), these works were to reach their culmination. Today, we Ahmadis are among those fortunate ones who are taking part in the completion of this work so that we may be among those who attain the pleasure of Allah. Today, the world is doing who knows what in its love of wealth, but the effect of the teaching and training of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) is such that the vast majority of Ahmadis spend from their cherished wealth for the attainment of Allah's pleasure and for the propagation of the religion brought by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) — in fact, some are such that if for any reason their ability to spend wealth is diminished, they become restless and weep. This condition of the hearts and the spirit of financial sacrifice — and sometimes even the spirit of sacrifice of life — is proof that Allah has sent the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in this age for the propagation of the religion brought by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and that Allah has now destined the progress of Islam to come through the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). That is why Allah Himself instills in the hearts of the believers the spirit of financial sacrifice for financial jihad, and similarly, all other kinds of sacrifice. At this time, I will relate a few incidents to show how, even in this age, Allah moves people's hearts to generate the spirit of sacrifice — and this is not confined to any particular class, country or people. Rather, in every corner of the world, in the heart of every person who is attributed to the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah creates this impulse, whether they are in the distant countries of Africa, or people living in Europe, or those living on islands.

The Amir of Burkina Faso wrote that the President of the Fada city local community says: “When Eid ul-Adha came this year, I did not even have enough money to cook food at home, so I could not even think of offering a sacrifice — that is, the sacrifice of a goat on Eid. He says that in those days the missionary was also giving lessons about Tahrik-e-Jadid — about financial sacrifice as well — and he drew attention towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. So he says: I gave two thousand francs for the sake of blessings, thinking that Allah will fulfil my needs. In any case, such a miracle occurred that the very next day his younger brother unexpectedly sent him a large sum of money from the Ivory Coast, which he had no hope of receiving, and with it the arrangement for the Eid sacrifice was also made, and the household expenses that were needed were also met.” He says seeing this within a few hours, my faith increased further.

Then the missionary of Burkina Faso writes that a member (khadim) from Didgou, Trawale Adam, purchased cotton seeds (cotton is cultivated there), thinking he would sell them and make a living. But it happened that no buyer was found. He became greatly worried about how the household would run if the seeds were not sold. In any case, one day he came to the missionary in a state of distress, and the missionary told him: spend in the way of Allah and Allah removes difficulties. Try this remedy as well. He says: Upon this urging, I gave a donation for Tahrik-e-Jadid and made a vow that if Allah blesses me and the matter is resolved soon, I will give ten thousand more. That member says: immediately after the receipt was issued, Allah arranged matters such that so many buyers came that the seeds were sold within a few days, and because the income was more than expected, he gave an additional ten thousand in donation.

Similarly, there is another place in Burkina Faso, another region. A friend there, Laji, had taken the pledge of allegiance only the previous year. When he came to know that I generally urge that new initiates should be included in at least some appeal so that the spirit of financial sacrifice is instilled in them — and not to look at how much the donation grows or how much money comes — the point is simply to build the habit that every Ahmadi should take part in financial sacrifice, and new initiates should be especially drawn towards this. In any case, when he was urged that he may give even one penny or one franc, this new initiate also paid attention. The practice there is that the rural villagers who farm and cultivate give their produce instead of money, and to do so, they ask the community to give them sacks or some containers so they can fill them with produce and bring it. So the missionary, or whoever was managing the community's affairs, gave him two empty sacks. The thought came to him: I have only now become an Ahmadi; my whole life, I was a Muslim, but the call to donate was never put before me, and I never gave a donation. Now, he says, the Khalifa of the time has said that one must certainly participate in donations, so let me see what benefit there is in this. In any case, he gave produce worth twenty-two thousand francs, and after that, when the harvest came, he came and reported that this year my harvest has doubled compared to last year. Accordingly, the following year, he took sacks to give double the produce.

The Amir of Liberia narrates that the missionary there went on a tour of Cape Town County. On the way, he passed a community called Nagbina and left a message that he would come at the time of Maghrib prayer. But the next community, Vilor, is quite a large and active community with people who give donations. There was an unusual delay there. He also thought that the Nagbina community is generally a weak community, weak in terms of sacrifice, too. So, although he had told them he would arrive at Maghrib, the community he had gone to was large, and he got busy there, so it got late, and Isha prayer time came. When he arrived at Isha time, he says: For the first time in this community too, it was observed that 170 members were sitting waiting, saying, " We have been sitting here. You said the Khalifa of the time has said everyone should participate, so we are sitting here to give our Tahrik-e-Jadid donation. This is the spirit of the community members. People think they are non-donors or weak, but when an appeal is made in the right manner — when they are informed and made to understand the importance of financial sacrifice, what work is done — when this becomes clear to people, they are ready to sacrifice at all times. So if there is weakness, it is in the system. By the grace of Allah, there is no weakness in the faith of the people.

Then, the Amir of Liberia also writes that a new community was formed this year in the village of Blavor. This village has no road — not even a dirt track — only a footpath, and even on that, there are makeshift bridges made of tree trunks across streams in various places, and one has to walk across those logs. He says: Our local teacher went there on a tour. It was a new community. He explained to them what financial sacrifice is and introduced them to Tahrik-e-Jadid, saying he would come again the following week. The people there said: Very well, we are a very remote community, we live in the jungle, and we are poor people, but the path is such that you need not trouble yourself to come again. We have understood the importance of donation and financial sacrifice, so whatever we have, take it from us now, rather than coming back and having to bear the difficulties and hardships of this path again. So see how Allah is also placing this in the hearts of these distant people among whom Ahmadiyyat has just arrived, and who have not yet fully grasped the teachings and their importance — yet despite this, from the very first day they are advancing in sacrifice.

Then the Amir of Benin writes that a well-known Ahmadi in Porto-Novo, Mashhudi Sahib, made a sacrifice of more than one thousand pounds. Now in African countries, such a large sacrifice is a very great thing. When the missionary told him that he was making such a large sacrifice, and that there is also Waqf-e-Jadid donation and other donations, he said: There may well be, but I will not reduce from this. Allah will create more means for them. This is the spirit that is being generated in these people.

In any case, the missionary also did the right thing by informing him, because the purpose is not to collect money. The purpose is to generate the spirit which is a spirit of sacrifice — the spirit of financial sacrifice — so that through it there may also be purification of the self.

In recent days, a Khatm-e-Nabuwwat conference was being held in Rabwah. It is held every year; it is held here too. First, a maulvi gave a passionate speech claiming that major powers and governments fund the Ahmadiyya community, which is why it is progressing. But a little while later, Allah Himself caused the words to come from his own tongue, and in his fervour he also said: " Look, the Ahmadiyya community is progressing because even their poor make financial sacrifices, and it is their donations through which they are preaching Islam throughout the world, and they have gone far ahead of us. In any case, we neither need nor accept the help of any government. It is the sincerity and the spirit of sacrifice of the community members through which Allah bestows His blessings.

Then our missionary from the Savé region of Benin writes that a training session was held for a newly converted community, Peulh, where the historical background of Tahrik-e-Jadid was presented, and attention was drawn towards financial sacrifice. At the end of the session, members presented their donations. One member asked: I do not have money, but I have the desire to donate. The local missionary guided him, saying: Offer whatever you have according to your means. Upon this, that member left. He was very poor. He came back from home with two hen's eggs, saying: This is what I have right now. It was explained to him and the community that this is a very great sacrifice according to his means, and no sacrifice is small in the sight of Allah. The intention must be sincere. These things happening in the distant countries of Africa also draw attention to the time of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), when, during appeals, poor women would similarly bring hens and eggs, and this is because the passion for the propagation of Islam is present in these people.

Then there is a report from Mali. An old Ahmadi, Abu Bakr Jara, had for some reason stopped giving donations and gradually stopped attending community programs as well. He was counseled considerably, but to no avail. After a long period, he came one day to the mission and paid his donation, and reported that the previous night he had seen in a dream that he was drowning in very deep water and no one was coming to his aid. At that moment, he saw a boat in which the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was aboard. His Holiness took his hand and seated him in the boat alongside himself, and said: Never be negligent in giving donations hereafter. After this dream, he made a firm promise to the community that he would never again be negligent in giving donations, nor would he be neglectful in community activities.

So, where this is proof of the importance of donation, it is also proof of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) — that in a distant country, and in a remote area of that country, a person accepts Ahmadiyyat, then falls back, and is then guided again through a dream.

A Da'i ilAllah from a zone in the Cotonou region of Benin, Shafiu Sahib, narrates that when he went to collect Fitrana, he reached a home in his area. When the head of the household was asked for Fitrana, he said: all I have in my entire home is fifteen hundred francs CFA, and in a day or two, my wife is due to deliver — a child is about to be born — and I need four thousand five hundred francs CFA for that. And today my landlord also came to collect three thousand five hundred francs CFA in rent and left unhappy that I could not pay him, so I have nothing to give. In any case, Shafiu Sahib, who is the local Secretary, explained to him — although in such a situation one should not tell someone to donate, yet he explained to him according to his circumstances — that even in such a situation, if you give in the way of Allah, it bears fruit. In fact, in such situations, our missionaries there should help such people. But in any case, what follows from this incident shows how Allah also helps those who join the community of the Promised Messiah and how He honors their words. When the Secretary told him that Allah will help and sacrifice in the way of Allah bears abundant fruit, he gave one thousand francs CFA as Fitrana and the remaining five hundred in Tahrik-e-Jadid. Not even three days had passed when the same man happily reported that on that day when you came and collected the donation from him, a man came and gave him ten thousand francs CFA, saying: " This money has been sent by such-and-such person who had once borrowed twelve thousand francs from me, and despite repeated requests had not returned the debt. But without any request, after the donation was given, Allah placed it in the heart of that borrower, and he returned the money. He says: the landlord's rent was also paid, my wife's delivery took place safely, and Allah also blessed me with a child.

An Ahmadi friend from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Isa Sahib, narrates that he accepted Ahmadiyyat in the nineties. Before that, he belonged to the Christian faith, but after accepting Ahmadiyyat, he made considerable progress in faith. Now, by the grace of Allah, he is Musi and a person who makes financial sacrifices. He always pays his own and his family's donations beyond the pledged amount. He is far ahead of older Ahmadis in carrying out community teachings. By the grace of Allah, he is the Regional President of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He says: Ever since I began sacrificing in the way of Allah, I have seen many blessings of Allah descend upon me — countless blessings. For example, he says: I previously had one house, but now by the grace of Allah I own three houses. My children are also receiving education at the best institutions.

Similarly, the missionary of the Alada region says: once on a tour of the Soyo community, a seven-year-old girl, Rashida, or Rashida and see how Allah places it in the hearts of children too, came with tomatoes, chilies, and oranges and said she had brought these for the Tahrik-e-Jadid donation. The President of that area said she donates every month, and if her mother does not give her money for the donation, she cries. When the teacher came to collect the donation, she had gone to school. Today, upon seeing us, she went home, and when she could not find money, she brought these few things from her garden as a donation. This is the spirit of sacrifice that Allah is generating even in children.

The President of a community, Okene, Nigeria, says: I was affected by financial difficulties for some time, which caused considerable worry. Then one day, the thought came to me that I had not paid my donation for three months. It is possible that this financial difficulty is because of that. So I paid four thousand naira in donations after three months. By Allah's will, that very month I sold a piece of land on which my gracious Lord granted me a profit of eight hundred thousand naira. At that time, not only was my faith further strengthened, but I also came to understand that Allah is true to His promises. If you sacrifice in His way, He will certainly return it to you many times over. He has now also acquired a very large plot in the city area for the community for a mosque and mission house in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State.

An Ahmadi from Tanzania, Marunda Sahib, writes: " My education is at the Matric level. I had been unemployed for a long time. I got a job as a security guard at a gas company. A salary of fifty-six thousand shillings was fixed. I made a vow to Allah at that very moment that I would pay my donations on my salary at the prescribed rate, and no matter what difficulties I faced, I would not be negligent in giving donations. Accordingly, this member fulfilled his vow. He says: today, by the grace of Allah, due to this financial sacrifice, I hold the position of Senior Field Gas Operator at that gas company, and I receive a salary of one and a half million shillings. My academic qualification is only an ordinary Matric. According to company rules, I am not even eligible for this post. But by the sheer grace of Allah, these are the blessings of giving financial sacrifice at the prescribed rate — that I hold this position, and today I still pay my donations at the prescribed rate. So these people are progressing in sincerity and faithfulness, and they are among those who understand the meaning of وَاَنْفِقُوْا خَیْرًا لِّاَنْفُسِکُمْ (Al-Taghabun: 17) — spend in His way, for it is better for your own souls. These people understand this secret, and Allah then rewards them too.

Shahab-ud-Din Sahib, Inspector of Tahrik-e-Jadid India, writes: a member who is a frontline Mujahid from Jadcherla — his real estate business was affected. He had been very worried for several months and had been calling to request prayers for the payment of donations. He had also written to me. One night, this Inspector, Shahab Sahib, says: I received a call from him. He was greatly worried about his financial situation. He told him: " Trust in Allah, offer two voluntary rak'ats, and go to sleep. He says: a little later, he called again and said: please stay awake for a while; I am coming to meet you. When he arrived, he had a large sum of money in his hand. He said: when I was offering that prayer, a person with a large business called me — someone who owed me a very large sum of money, which I had no hope of receiving — and he called me saying: come immediately and take your money. He says: Because my intention was to give the donation, Allah arranged it immediately.

Similarly, Bashir-ud-Din Sahib, Deputy Wakil-ul-Mal of Qadian, says: a sincere member of the community registered his pledge with an increase of two and a half times and left for his office. Shortly after he left, he called the Secretary Tahrik-e-Jadid and said: Just as I stepped out of the mosque after registering my pledge, I received news of further profit in my business. I believe this additional profit is certainly by the special grace of Allah and the blessing of Tahrik-e-Jadid. So please double my pledge. He had already increased it by two and a half times; now he doubled that too, and by the grace of Allah, paid in full.

Similarly, the missionary of Kerala, India, writes: a sincere and selfless member of a community paid his Tahrik-e-Jadid donation last year with double the increase, and by the grace of Allah, this year also paid with an extraordinary increase. He said that seven years ago, he had started his work with thirty thousand rupees in capital and only three workers, whereas now, by the grace of Allah, I have eight rubber wood furniture factories in India, Dubai, and Indonesia, in which more than five hundred craftsmen work. This progress that you see is solely due to the blessing of paying donations at the prescribed rate. He says: Whenever I pay my donation, Allah grants me far more than that by evening, and there is no question of ever having experienced financial hardship.

There in Rabwah, the Deputy Wakil-ul-Mal, my dear Talha Ahmad, says: I went on a tour to Karachi and urged a member living in Clifton to give Tahrik-e-Jadid. He said: Increase it yourself. Tell me how much I should increase. I said: I do not have your financial details in front of me. I only have the target for the circuit, that this much should be reached. Increase it as you see fit according to your income. And I told him the incident that when the Wakil-ul-Mal Sahib went on a tour of Sindh, and similarly said this to a person, who had also said: If I said give five hundred thousand, would you give five hundred thousand? In any case, that young man said, since the example of that person brought the figure of five hundred thousand from your lips, I give five hundred thousand rupees in Tahrik-e-Jadid. And he was expecting a child to be born. He then came afterward and also paid one hundred thousand rupees on behalf of the expected child.

Similarly, regarding how our women also make sacrifices, the Amir of Lahore writes: a lady presented her gold earrings for Tahrik-e-Jadid. Due to financial hardship, all her jewelry had already been sold, and her sister had lovingly made these earrings for her and had taken a promise from her that she would not sell them for any household need. But she said after giving them in donation for Tahrik-e-Jadid: I have not sold them for my own need; I have given them in the way of Allah, and Allah fulfills all needs. May Allah bless their wealth and may their sacrifice be accepted. The administration should also take care of people in such circumstances — those whose situation is like this should not be pressed so hard. Sometimes, the Financial Secretaries or Tahrik-e-Jadid Secretaries also pursue people. They should collect from them, keeping their circumstances in view. The National Secretary of Tahrik-e-Jadid, Germany, has written about a member who was in debt. He made a special pledge for Tahrik-e-Jadid, and Allah increased his income to such an extent that the debt was paid off, and he was also granted the opportunity to buy a new house, which appeared impossible for him. He says: I have been living in Germany for thirty-five years and never had such income. Allah not only freed me from debt, but in two and a half months, my income also increased by forty thousand euros. Income was granted; profit was granted.

The Secretary of Tahrik-e-Jadid writes about a lady who says: I present something very humbly for Tahrik-e-Jadid, and my request is that my name should not be told to anyone, what I have given. (Her name will not be disclosed, but her sacrifice exists regardless.) She says: I only seek the pleasure of Allah. And she presented a great deal of jewelry and cash. And she asked: Please pray that the righteous wishes I have for my son, Allah may fulfill them. May Allah fulfill her wishes.

The Missionary-in-Charge from Switzerland writes: Betim Redzepi is one of our Macedonian-origin Swiss members. He took the pledge of allegiance last year in October. With only five days remaining until the end of the Tahrik-e-Jadid year, upon entering the community, he paid an extraordinary amount of one thousand Swiss francs in Tahrik-e-Jadid without any pledge, and also registered a pledge of one thousand for the following year. Then, during the year, when he came to know of the importance of financial sacrifice, he doubled his pledge and also registered a pledge of two thousand francs in Waqf-e-Jadid alongside Tahrik-e-Jadid. The company where he works offered him a course that is very expensive. This company generally only offers the course to employees who have experience and are over 35 years of age, and many people wish to do this course but do not get the opportunity. He says: I am twenty-three years old and had not even thought about this course, but the company itself offered to enroll me in it. This is surely the fruit of the blessing of financial sacrifice that Allah has granted me.

So Allah also confirms His existence to the newly arrived in Europe in this way.

Similarly, there is a Macedonian-Swiss Ahmadi, Bekim Sahib. He says: the owner of the company where I work is a very miserly and narrow-hearted person. It is very difficult for him to give money to anyone. He gives workers very little salary, and workers often keep demanding salary increases, and he either ignores those demands or evades them. He says: once this owner called me to his office and said he wanted to increase my salary. I was surprised and asked: You have a very rigid attitude in this matter. Then why have you thought on your own to increase my salary? The owner said: I do not know, but this thought came to me very strongly, and it has been some time since I have increased your salary, so I should increase it. He says: without any apparent reason, my salary was increased. I believe this is solely and entirely the result of financial sacrifice.

Here, Naseer-ud-Din Sahib is the Regional Amir of London. He writes about an incident of a friend: an Ahmadi member said he prayed to Allah a great deal in connection with Tahrik-e-Jadid donation, asking for His help. Allah placed this thought in his heart: instead of going to the office by train, travel by bus. In this way, I will get free travel and will also save considerably. Although traveling by bus takes half an hour more, I immediately started acting accordingly. In this way, a saving of two pounds per day began, and throughout the year, he kept doing this, and a total saving of four hundred pounds was made, which was paid as a donation for Tahrik-e-Jadid. So people think in this way, too. Also, here in London, a member's home was burgled, and all the household's belongings were stolen. But one thousand pounds, which he had set aside for Tahrik-e-Jadid donation, remained safe. He came and paid it, saying: Because this was the donation amount, which was saved from being stolen, I am therefore presenting it. So caution against thieves is also necessary, as nowadays the police are specifically warning Asians not to keep jewelry and such things at home. But some people take excessive precautions — they put locks on homes, windows, ventilators, and doors, and then hide the keys too. Because of this, when they themselves need to go out, I have heard that some wives and children then find themselves in difficulty about how to get out. So such extreme caution is not necessary either. By all means, be cautious, but in a reasonable manner.

Similarly, the Missionary-in-Charge of Australia writes: In recent days, there was the Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Ijtima. There, I drew the attention of Khuddam and Atfal towards Tahrik-e-Jadid. Atfal were also given vouchers as prizes. Three Atfal are worth mentioning: Arsalan, Atif, and Kamran. They received prizes of 89-dollar vouchers. He says: after the appeal, these Atfal immediately added eleven dollars from their pocket money to make a hundred dollars and paid it right away in Tahrik-e-Jadid.

So these are a few incidents I have related from among many, and it is not only the older Ahmadis who are making sacrifices; new converts too, and children, and women — as I mentioned — in Africa too and in Europe too, are making sacrifices in an astonishing manner, and seeing the spirit of their sacrifice, one is filled with wonder.

A missionary wrote to me that some people say: when there is the general fund (chanda aam), then what is the need for Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid donations? The missionary himself also wrote that those who raise this objection are generally weak even in paying the general fund, are very rarely present in the mosque, and are among those who do not give donations. So the answer to that is already contained within that. These are the kind of people who raise such objections. But it should be remembered that the general fund is certainly the first priority and every earning person should pay it. After that, according to one's means, one should give Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid or other appeal donations. But for new initiates to develop the habit, for children to develop the habit, and for non-earning men and women to participate in this general financial sacrifice — these appeals exist, because the general fund is not obligatory for them. But it should also be clear that the work of propagation of Islam is expanding by the grace of Allah and continues to expand. For this, we will have to pay attention to financial sacrifices as well, and we should. These one or two objectors sometimes also try to poison the minds of others in a community. For their information, I will only say this much: at present, by the grace of Allah, MTA has covered all the countries of the world, and MTA broadcasts are being transmitted through ten satellites. Just the cost of these satellites alone — apart from MTA's other expenses such as studios, staff, and equipment — is so great that when it is explained to outsiders that our satellites are running in this way, running without any advertising, running on financial sacrifices, it is a source of wonder for them that this can be. Although some communities and individuals also donate specifically for MTA, that income is completely negligible compared to the expenses, and the needs are then met from other funds. Similarly, we are now also building studios for MTA in various countries. Furthermore, this year, just the mosques, schools, and hospitals that were constructed — or whose expenses were borne centrally, not locally, the local expenses are separate — those central expenses alone are approximately equal to the entire amount of this year's Tahrik-e-Jadid fund. The general fund and Waqf-e-Jadid are separate. There are only the construction expenses and countless other expenses. In any case, I have drawn only a rough outline. If anyone has an objection in their heart, let them have it. We know that by the grace of Allah, expenses are incurred under a grand system, and every effort is made to save as much money as possible and to spend it correctly. Communities should also exercise further caution so that we can save more and more and further expand the work of Allah. We can derive maximum benefit with minimum expenditure. As I mentioned, it is Allah Himself who places in the hearts of believers the urge to sacrifice. I gave a few examples. Our own effort does not even amount to a fraction of that. Allah gives this urging because He knows what the religious needs are, and He Himself prepares people, as I gave the example that a person sitting in a distant country of Africa was himself drawn to attention by the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Allah includes us in the reward, and one act of righteousness opens the paths to further acts of righteousness.

As we know, the year of Tahrik-e-Jadid begins in November. I will now announce the report of the past year and the start of the new year. This was the 80th year of Tahrik-e-Jadid, which concluded on 31st October 2014. According to the reports, the community made a financial sacrifice of eight million four hundred and seventy thousand eight hundred pounds this year. Alhamdulillah. This collection is six hundred and one thousand and some hundreds more than the previous year. And Pakistan, despite its circumstances, is again in first place this year. The people of Pakistan have advanced in financial sacrifices as well as in the sacrifice of lives. May Allah arrange their circumstances such that He soon creates ease and grants them peace, and may conditions there also develop such that the paths of community preaching open up further. Apart from Pakistan, among the ten communities abroad, Germany is in first place. The United Kingdom is in second place — last year, the UK was in third place; it has now come to second. America is in third place. Canada is in fourth. India is in fifth. Australia is in sixth. Indonesia in seventh. Australia has also moved up one place, and Indonesia has gone back.

Apart from these, there are two communities in the Middle East. Then there are Switzerland, Ghana, and Nigeria. Among the first ten communities, in terms of increase in collections by local currency, Ghana is in first place — they have increased by approximately fifty percent in local currency. Australia is in second place — forty-four percent. Then some Middle East communities — seventeen percent. Switzerland has approximately fifteen percent. Pakistan has fourteen percent. The UK has approximately thirteen and three-quarters percent. Indonesia. Then India and Germany are equal. Canada is last among these ten communities.

In terms of per capita payment, America is in first place, Switzerland is in second, and Australia is in third.

For the past few years — two or three years — I have been drawing attention that the number of participants in Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid should increase. Do not look at whether the money increases or not — the money increases on its own. The number of sincere participants should increase. So by the grace of Allah, the total number this year has reached one million two hundred and eleven thousand seven hundred, and in the past four years, approximately six hundred thousand new members have been added. And in this too, some communities are doing good work, among them Kababir is in first place. Then Benin. Niger. The Gambia. Senegal. Cameroon. Guinea Conakry.

In terms of total collection in Africa, Ghana is in first place. Then Nigeria. Then Mauritius. Burkina Faso. Tanzania. Benin. The Gambia. Kenya. Sierra Leone. Uganda.

First register accounts: by the grace of Allah, there are five thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven members. According to the office records, one hundred and five are alive by the grace of Allah. The remaining five thousand eight hundred and twenty-two accounts of the deceased are being maintained by their heirs or other sincere community members. In terms of sacrifice, among the three major city communities in Pakistan, Lahore is first, Rabwah second, and Karachi is third.

Among the districts of Pakistan, ten districts: Sialkot is the number one. Faisalabad. Then Sargodha. Gujranwala. Umerkot. Gujrat. Badin. Narowal. Toba Tek Singh. Kasur and Nankana Sahib.

The first ten communities of Germany: Riedermarch. Neuss. Floersheim. Mahdiabad. Dreieich. Wurzburg. Nieda. Bruchsal. Markberg. Neuwied. Among local buildings: Hamburg. Frankfurt. Gross-Gerau. Darmstadt. Wiesbaden. Mannheim. Offenbach. Dietzenbach. Moerfelden. Walldorf. Riedstadt.

In terms of collection, the first ten communities of the United Kingdom: Masjid Fazl. Worcester Park. New Malden. West Hill. Mosque West. Birmingham Central. Cheam. Raynes Park. Gillingham. Baitul Futuh is in tenth place. Those from smaller communities say: You should mention ours too. So Leamington Spa is number one. Then Bournemouth. Wolverhampton. Spain Valley and Coventry.

In terms of total collection, the five regions of the United Kingdom are: London. Midlands. North East. South. And Middlesex. In terms of total collection, the first five communities of America are Silicon Valley. Los Angeles East. Detroit. Seattle. Harrisburg. Among the local Amarat of Canada, number one is Calgary. Peace Village. Vaughan and Vancouver. And the five notable communities in terms of collection: Edmonton. Ottawa. Durham. Saskatoon. South Milton. Georgetown and Lloydminster. The first ten provinces of India: Kerala is number one. Tamil Nadu. Karnataka. Andhra Pradesh. Jammu and Kashmir. Orissa. Bengal. Punjab. Delhi and Lakshadweep. First ten communities: number one, Karulai. Number two Calicut. Then Hyderabad. Then Qadian. Cannanore Town. Peengadi. Sulur. Kolkata. Chennai. Bangalore.

First ten communities of Australia: Blacktown. Melbourne. Adelaide. Marsden Park. Canberra. Mount Druitt. Brisbane. Tasmania. Perth and Darwin.

May Allah accept the financial sacrifices of all of them. May He grant boundless blessings in their wealth and lives, and may He also grant the community's administration the opportunity to spend these funds in the correct manner.

After the prayers, I will also lead an absent funeral prayer for our local teacher and missionary, the respected Al-Haj Yusuf Edoosie Sahib of Ghana, who passed away at approximately a quarter to twelve on the night of 2nd November in Kumasi. اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ. On the morning of 2nd November, at the invitation of the Bolgatanga community, he went to Bolga — which is quite a distance from Kumasi, approximately five or six hundred kilometers — with the purpose of providing guidance for the construction of their regional mosque. He then visited a mosque under construction for new converts in the Tamale region. He was to spend the night in Tamale, but he insisted on returning to Kumasi, where he lives. Before entering the city, he had the need to urinate. He was in discomfort, but his weakness had increased. The driver helped him with great difficulty to get out of the car. In any case, after that, he said he had a stomachache and to drive quickly. He reached his home. Upon arriving home, instead of going inside his room, he asked for a pillow right there in the veranda and lay down, complaining again of stomach pain. His family immediately took him to the hospital. He was conscious at the time. He said to the doctor: Put me to sleep. But when the examination began, he was already in the throes of death, and during that time he passed away, upon which the doctor said to the children: I did not know your father before, but seeing his death, I can say that he was a great man.

He was born on 15th December 1942 in a Christian home in Kumasi, and from childhood had an extraordinary inclination towards religion. He says: once, while living with his uncle in the Western Region and receiving his education there, the thought came to him: if I were to acquire all the splendors and wealth of the world, what benefit would it be to me if Allah were not pleased with me. In any case, since his uncle had a cinema business, he was also developing the habit of watching films and such things, and he felt great aversion to this and left.

Then he went to a Roman Catholic church and prayed: O Allah! If my living is to be a cause of Your displeasure, then take my life at the time when You are pleased with me. Allah also accepted this prayer in such a manner. He was then granted the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat. It seems Allah accepted his prayer right then and there. He says: when he came out after the prayer, a friend met him outside and said: Joseph! (his first name was Joseph.) I happened to hear the preaching of a community that I liked, and now I am going to the Mission House to join this community. He said to Yusuf Edoosie Sahib: If you would like to come with me, let us go. He said: " Yes. So both of them came to the Kumasi Mission House, where they met the missionary of the Movement. Without asking which of the two had come to take the pledge of allegiance, the missionary read the conditions of bai'at to both of them. Then, after that, he asked: Who has come to take the pledge? Upon hearing this, Yusuf Edoosie Sahib immediately said without hesitation that both of us wish to take the pledge. So he joined Ahmadiyyat. He was sixteen years old at the time. After this, he had to face opposition from his parents — particularly his father's opposition — but he remained firm on his pledge and did not retreat from the truth. In fact, later, after becoming a teacher and even before that, he preached so much to his father that he also accepted Ahmadiyyat.

At the age of twenty, he completed his education from Jamia'tul Mubashshirin, Ghana. After that, he married Amina Edoosie. After accepting Ahmadiyyat, he continued to ascend spiritual stations. At the age of forty, he became seriously ill, and the doctors unanimously advised him to have his leg amputated, saying there was no other solution. In fact, some doctors said it was an incurable disease, and he could not live much longer. He says, the doctors would become weary of treating him, so many times he would administer the pain injection himself. He would look at the affected leg and say: OH my leg! I am a servant of Allah and a servant of the Promised Messiah. I have to go to various places to preach, and you cannot become an obstacle in this path. I have personally seen him myself — he had an extraordinary passion for preaching.

Then Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) sent him to America for treatment and wrote a letter to the doctor saying: You are fortunate to be part of Yusuf's treatment. Do not think that Yusuf has come to you; rather, consider that I myself have come to you, because Yusuf is very dear to me, so take care of him as much as you could take care of me.

In any case, four operations were recommended, which were to be performed by Dr. Hamid-ur-Rahman Sahib. After the third operation, Yusuf Sahib said he did not want to have the operation. Then the doctor wrote to Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IV that he did not want to have the operation. He said: If he does not want it, then so be it. But before this, Yusuf Sahib had already written a letter to Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IV saying he had seen a dream. On that basis, Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IV also said: " If he does not want it, do not have it done, but I tell you that by the grace of Allah, he will be cured. And so Allah granted him healing. Yusuf Sahib says: I was in my room when, in a vision, I saw that a verse was being written on the wall of the room and behind it a voice in an unknown tone was reciting that verse: اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ قَالُوْا رَبُّنَا اللّٰہُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوْا (Ha Mim As-Sajda: 31). After the recitation, an unknown man entered the room and, sitting beside him and passing his hand over his leg, said: Yusuf, do not worry. This illness is about to end, and you will recover soon. He says: he had been afflicted with the illness for nine years, but after that, such a miracle occurred that until the end — until now — he never showed any signs of it again. In fact, Missionary Kauser Sahib says that he met him in Qadian in 2005 — because he had seen his condition in America — and he jumped to show him: look, my leg is perfectly fine. No effect whatsoever. He had received a sign from Allah that he would pass away at the age of sixty-three. So when he was approaching sixty-three, he informed his children and recited this verse of the Holy Quran: اَمۡ کُنۡتُمۡ شُہَدَآءَ اِذۡ حَضَرَ یَعۡقُوۡبَ الۡمَوۡتُ ۙ اِذۡ قَالَ لِبَنِیۡہِ مَا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِیۡ (Al-Baqara: 134). He says: I gathered my children and asked them: after me, which God will you worship? Just as Jacob had asked, I now ask all of you: which Lord will you worship? The children replied that they would worship Allah. He said: My life is before you. I have dedicated my entire life to the community. Now the time of my death is drawing near, and my true heir will be the one who is most righteous. A few days after this, he told his brother, Al-Haj Sharif Sahib, that on the very day he turned sixty-three, the Angel of Death had truly come, but he asked for some respite, and the angel said: Very well, some respite will be given. He further said, although the angel did not specify exactly, he felt that respite would be given until around the age of seventy. When Maulana Wahab Adam Sahib, the Missionary-in-Charge, became ill and Wahab Adam Sahib passed away, he said: Now my turn is about to come. The sincerely devoted members of Ghana are departing. May Allah grant the community members even more devotion than they have. He had attended the Jalsa this year as well. He was somewhat unwell, too. I had him seen by doctors here for treatment, and his urgency was that he felt he should return. In any case, the doctors also said that the treatment could take place there as well. Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IV once, during a speech at a Jalsa here in the UK, called him to the stage, placed his hand on his shoulder and said: Yusuf, I know you do not like your good deeds to be mentioned before everyone, but your deeds have made themselves manifest on their own, and I want to tell the community that you are a very righteous and pious man. Throughout that time, upon hearing these words, he was weeping continuously. When I went on tour for the first time in 2004, he was also, by the grace of Allah, greatly foremost in financial sacrifice. As far as I can recall, he had invented a medicine which was very well marketed and brought him considerable profit. With that, he had many mosques constructed. He must have had approximately forty to forty-five mosques built in Ghana, and some of them are fine mosques — large, spacious mosques. Similarly, there is also a preaching center. At that time, he showed me: this is also a preaching center, and this too he had built. At that time I told him: also give others the opportunity to serve; you are taking everything upon yourself. He said very humbly: As long as Allah grants me the means, I will keep trying. Very simple, large-hearted, sincere, pious, endowed with spiritual visions, one who offered Tahajjud prayers, gentle-natured, of the highest sincerity. He loved Khilafat immensely. He was also frugal with food. One day, a lot of food was wasted at home. When he saw it, he wept during prayers. When asked why, he said: Allah gave us sustenance, and we have wasted it. Now, what answer shall we give to Allah? One of his sons, Hafiz Ismail Ahmad Edoosie, is studying in the seven-year Shahid course at Jamia Ahmadiyya International. He says, " When I returned home after completing the memorization of the Quran, he would show extraordinary respect for me. He says: once something happened on my part that displeased him, and Yusuf Sahib, addressing his son, said: out of respect for the Quran that is in your memory, I cannot scold you, but you should also, out of respect for that Quran, refrain from such actions. He says that if he had scolded me, it would not have had as great an effect on me as those words left on me. He says: My father and mother raised me to become a missionary, and whenever I would go to take money, they would give a little and tell me, ' You are to become a missionary, and every missionary should be content with little and avoid extravagance. He would draw my attention to the finest of matters. Once, I was performing ablution with him. He performed his ablution before me and said: Hafiz Sahib! You are to become a missionary, and missionaries have many responsibilities and little time, so develop the habit of doing more in less time. So he was an example for missionaries, too. As I said, he used to preach without limit. He had an immense love, devotion, and passion for preaching. He had boundless simplicity. I have already mentioned that Allah granted him great abundance as well, and from it he spent on the community. He had mosques built, and this last journey, too, as has been described, was undertaken for the construction of a mosque. He also had a deep love for the Holy Quran. He was also granted the opportunity to translate the Holy Quran into Twi, a regional language of Ghana. In financial sacrifice, he was certainly in the front rank. The son of Wahab Adam Sahib has written, and in any case, he was an extraordinary man, one who had an extraordinary pain for the Movement, and who possessed the spirit and passion for service. His survivors include his wife, three sons, and five daughters. By the grace of Allah, all have a strong connection with the community and Khilafat — a connection of the utmost sincerity and loyalty. One of his daughters, Fatiha Sahiba, is the Head Teacher of Talim-ul-Islam International School, Accra. The youngest son, as I mentioned, is in the third year at Jamia International. May Allah elevate the station of the deceased and may He continue to increase his children in sincerity and faithfulness. After the prayers, as I have said, his funeral prayer in absentia will be offered.