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۔

One day, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) went out for a walk with his companions. During the journey, when the discussion turned to Allah the Almighty's blessings and support, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah the Almighty is supporting with such great abundance in manifesting the truth and supporting this Movement, yet still the eyes of these people do not open." He said: "Once an opponent wrote me a letter saying that people have spared no effort in opposing you, but there is one matter to which we have no answer—that despite all this opposition, you continue to succeed in every matter." (Malfuzat Volume 4, Pages 238-239, Edition 1985, Published England)

So these were Allah the Almighty's promises to him, the results of which were manifest at that time, and not only at that time but to this day opponents continue to exert their utmost efforts, yet this Movement continues to grow by the grace of Allah the Almighty. In whatever part of the world opponents have tried to suppress or eliminate Ahmadis, Allah the Almighty has not only raised the standards of sacrifices of Ahmadis in those countries but has also opened such paths for the progress of the Jama'at in other countries of the world that if we had tried to open them through our own efforts alone, we could never have succeeded. So there is no doubt that Ahmadiyyat is a plant planted by Allah's own hand which, according to Allah's promises, is destined to flourish, bloom, and grow. Insha'Allah.

At this time, I present some incidents of Allah the Almighty's blessings—how Allah bestows His grace in this era, how He opens people's hearts, and how the message of Ahmadiyyat reaches them.

Our missionary in Niger writes that during a preaching tour, we took an unpaved road and continued preaching while traveling along it. After three days, on the return journey via the same route, we were passing through a village called Gidan Idee when people stopped us and said that we had all been waiting for your return. Please come to the Imam Sahib right away. When we went to the Imam, he told us to give him Bai'at forms immediately. We all want to do Bai'at. He says: I explained to them not to rush into Bai'at. The Imam Sahib said that Allah the Almighty has satisfied our hearts. Therefore, we no longer have any doubt about the truthfulness of the Jama'at. How did Allah the Almighty satisfy them? He narrated the incident: When you had passed through here, after you left, the senior Imam of the Wahhabis from the city of Maradi came here with his entourage and kept saying that Ahmadis are disbelievers and you people allowed disbelievers to enter your mosque and permitted them to preach. Why did you do this? To this, the village Imam said to them: This is the very difference between you and the Ahmadis. Since you came here, you have spoken of nothing but "disbeliever," whereas when they—the Ahmadis—were here, they spoke of nothing but the Holy Quran and Hadith. If this is the disbelief of the Ahmadis, then we like this disbelief of theirs, and we want to become such disbelievers. Upon this, the senior Wahhabi cleric returned disappointed from there, and the villagers insisted to our Murabbi, our missionary, to leave the Bai'at forms with them, though they were not available at that time. Nevertheless, Bai'ats took place there, and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, a large Jama'at was established.

Then our missionary from Tabora, Tanzania writes that a large Jama'at was established here. This Jama'at is thirty-five kilometers from the city of Tabora. The establishment of the Jama'at at this place occurred through an Ahmadi friend, Sulaiman Juma Sahib. He used to go there to preach and would distribute pamphlets. Subsequently, some individuals did Bai'at. After that, the Muallim of the Jama'at repeatedly and continuously visited there for preaching, as a result of which some more individuals did Bai'at, and by the grace of Allah, the numbers there continue to grow. The members of the Jama'at are poor but are filled with the spirit of faith, and through self-reliance, appropriate to the village, they have also built a mud mosque there, and all of them are participating in the Chanda system. Similarly, the Amir Sahib of Mali writes that a senior Imam of the Tijaniyya sect, Adam Tangara Sahib, did Bai'at. While doing Bai'at, he mentioned that he had been listening to the Jama'at's cassettes and radio for a long time. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, we have many radio stations in Mali. And their coverage extends up to seventy to eighty miles. It is an FM radio station. By Allah's grace, it is quite widespread; preaching is done on a large scale. He says that his (Adam Sahib's) late father was a senior Imam of the Tijaniyya sect and had converted ninety-three polytheistic villages of that area to Islam. One night, Adam Sahib saw in a dream that his father was saying that Ahmadiyyat is the true path and that he (his son) should make great efforts to spread the message of Ahmadiyyat. After this, he met our Muallim. He went with the Muallim Sahib to a village for preaching. The people of that village were formerly polytheists and had become Muslim through his father. Thus, the Imam of that village, who is now eighty-seven years old, was a close friend of Adam Sahib's father. When they met him, he said that he had heard the Jama'at's preaching on the radio. Indeed, Ahmadiyyat is the true path. Furthermore, he advised Adam Tangara Sahib to make great efforts to spread this message. And this Imam said the same words that his father had said in the dream—meaning, through his father's friend, those same words were conveyed to him. That night, they preached, and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, three thousand four hundred Bai'ats took place there. Then they went to another village, Sagrala Daka, for preaching. When people gathered there, they preached to them. After some time, some people got up and left. Their thought was that there was no Ahmadi there, but what happened was that some people got up and went and brought some pictures of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and of mine from their homes, along with some pamphlets, and told them that when you began preaching, we realized that this is the same Jama'at that our late brother used to speak about. They said that one of their brothers, Gaousso Fofana Sahib, had gone to Ghana. He accepted Ahmadiyyat. Later, he settled in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city of Burkina Faso. When he came to visit us in 2010, he had these pictures and books with him. He fell ill here and passed away here. Today, Allah the Almighty has brought to us the Jama'at that our brother used to preach about. We, all the villagers, do Bai'at. That day, by the grace of Allah, about one thousand people joined the Jama'at.

Then from the Djema region of Mali, the Muallim writes that one day, an Ahmadi of our region, Abdul Salam Traore Sahib, went to a nearby village where the villagers present there said to him that it has not rained here for a long time. If your Jama'at is the true Jama'at, then pray for rain, and if it rains, we will understand that indeed your Jama'at is the true Jama'at and that God's help is with you. Upon this, Abdul Salam offered Nawafil prayers. He prayed fervently: O Allah! For the truthfulness of Your Mahdi, send rain here today itself. This Muallim is a local resident of Mali. He prayed that a sign of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) be shown. And he says that after this prayer, clouds began to gather there, and it rained so heavily that water collected everywhere. A short while later, people came to Abdul Salam Sahib and told him that we have come to know that the Ahmadiyya Jama'at is indeed the true and divine Jama'at, and thus the entire village joined the Jama'at by doing Bai'at.

See how Allah the Almighty shows signs for these people. It is not necessary that signs be shown everywhere, but because of the good nature of these people, Allah the Almighty wished to guide them. That is why those signs were also manifested.

A local missionary from Ghana, Yusuf Adusai Sahib, who has passed away, previously wrote about an incident. At a place called Lambuna, the local people asked one of our Da'i Ilallah, Abdullah Sahib, during preaching, to pray for rain. Upon this, he announced that because he was preaching to convey the message of Imam Mahdi, his prayer would be accepted and it would rain at night. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, that very night at one o'clock, there was torrential rain in that area, and seeing this sign of acceptance of prayer, a large number of people from that area were granted the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat.

Then, the Amir Sahib of Ivory Coast writes that a new convert, Fatima Sahiba, states that after accepting Ahmadiyyat, she has found true contentment and peace. Ahmadiyyat has introduced her to true Islam. Practicing Islam has become extremely easy. All innovations have been shed because the teaching of Ahmadiyyat is indeed the teaching of true Islam. It is free from all kinds of innovations, difficulties, and complications, and she said: I pledge to remain steadfast on Ahmadiyyat until my dying breath.

So true Islamic teachings should be adopted. Merely doing Bai'at verbally or being called an Ahmadi is nothing. Avoiding all kinds of innovations and applying the correct Islamic teachings to oneself—this is true Bai'at. The spirit with which new Ahmadis accept Ahmadiyyat—old Ahmadis too, although sometimes they become complacent—should create this spirit within themselves and maintain it. Otherwise, those who are newly coming may become your teachers tomorrow. A new convert from Ivory Coast, Toure Alwouly Sahib, writes that after doing Bai'at, he progressed in spirituality. Enthusiasm, eagerness, and delight began to come in prayers. His practical condition also improved, and practicing Ahmadiyyat, that is, true Islam, became easy. He says that besides this, through the theological discourse of Ahmadiyyat, his knowledge and understanding is also increasing. So when these people sitting in far-off places accept Ahmadiyyat, see how changes are being produced in them, practical changes are being produced. A connection with Allah the Almighty is being developed. And this is the very thing every Ahmadi should strive to attain.

Then the Missionary In-charge of Guinea Conakry writes that a friend, Sylla Sahib, came to the mission house with the intention of seeking help from Jama'at Ahmadiyya for the construction of a mosque in his village. He says: I introduced him to the Jama'at. I told him about the advent of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). After a very long session, he was so happy that he began saying: You have opened my eyes. And he said: My desire is that you come to my village so that this message reaches all the people. Thus, as per the plan, they went to his village. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the entire village and five nearby villages joined Ahmadiyyat by doing Bai'at. This friend, Sylla Sahib, says that since I have done Bai'at of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), a spiritual transformation has occurred in me that I never felt before. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he has dedicated two of his children, of whom one child will go to Jamia Ahmadiyya Sierra Leone this year and the other next year. He says: I have found the spiritual peace that I had been searching for for years.

The missionary of the Tinnangou region of Benin says that quite some time ago, when a mosque was being constructed here, a Christian priest passed by. Seeing the beautiful mosque being constructed, he praised it and asked whose mosque this was. The Muallim Ishaq Sahib present there said that an Ahmadi mosque is being built and we are all Ahmadis. The Christian priest said: I have lived in the city of Savalou for a long time. I have had the opportunity to hear the preaching of Ahmadis there, and these are truthful people. You people have chosen the right religion, and now follow it in the best manner. Upon this, our Muallim asked: If in your view they are truthful, then why don't you join them? To this, the priest said: Ahmadiyyat, that is, Islam, is certainly the true religion. You remain in this religion, and I am where I am due to compulsions. But the reality is that you people are correct.

But there are also some who have no fear of the world, no compulsions, and then Allah the Almighty opens their hearts too.

A Christian priest from Congo accepted Ahmadiyyat, and a notable transformation occurred in him. He began saying: I have worked as a priest for many years and have given religious instruction to people, but the contentment of heart and the feeling of attaining nearness to Allah the Almighty that I have experienced in Ahmadiyyat I had never experienced before. Now Ahmadiyyat is my everything.

A friend from Algeria writes about his family's entry into Ahmadiyyat: His mother saw in a dream that a Sheikh has come to their house and is giving good Islamic teachings to her children, which has had a very good effect on their home, and great devotion has developed in their home for this person. His mother writes that one day her daughter was watching TV and was changing different channels when suddenly she stopped at MTA. She says that at that time my picture was being shown on MTA there, and seeing that picture, she jumped with joy and began saying that this is the same person I saw in my dream. After this, they began watching MTA regularly, through which they learned that Imam Mahdi, whose era was awaited, had already come. Thus, they did Bai'at in November 2013 and joined the Jama'at. After Bai'at, she writes that all the sorrows and worries I had have turned into happiness because of entering Ahmadiyyat. The fear I had regarding the upbringing of my children due to the corrupt society has been removed through the Jama'at environment and Jama'at training. So it is very important to bring children into the Jama'at environment. The new converts are benefiting from this. We too, the old ones, every Ahmadi should remember that if we keep children in the Jama'at environment, proper training can take place, and when you show your good examples, training can take place. What she says—that my worries were removed and turned into happiness—is because she practically tried to bring about a change in herself.

Then our missionary from Congo writes that Ahmad Toutou Sahib, a local resident of the city of Kinzauete in the province of Bakongo, saw a dream in which he found that his place of prayer, meaning his Qibla, was in a different direction. The other people were praying towards the old Qibla, but he and some other people had changed their Qibla. He did not understand this dream. After that, he says that last year, somehow Jama'at pamphlets reached here, and one of them traveled 260 kilometers to the provincial headquarters of the Jama'at for further inquiry. After investigation, when he came there, at his request, a Muallim was sent there. When our Muallim Sahib arrived there and gave the message of true Islam, the villagers accepted it—not only did that person accept it, but some of his relatives also did—and he told the rest of the people that I had already told you about this dream; this is an indication towards Ahmadiyyat, that is, true Islam. Thus, seventeen more people did Bai'at. And after that, further preaching camps were also held there. Medical camps were also held. A medical student there accepted the Jama'at that very day and offered his plot for the mosque, and Alhamdulillah, the Jama'at there continues to grow and more Bai'ats are taking place. Regarding the mention of changing the Qibla here—the Qibla of every Muslim is the same. What is for non-Ahmadis is the same for Ahmadis. The meaning of this is that one should not merely face the outward Qibla but it is necessary to change the Qibla of the hearts and develop attention towards the pure worship of Allah the Almighty. So we should always remember this point: merely facing the Qibla does not constitute worship; rather, the heart should incline towards it, that I am facing this Qibla because I have to worship Allah the Almighty with complete sincerity and strive to understand the reality of the One God.

Then the Missionary In-charge of Guinea Conakry writes that two hundred kilometers from Conakry, the capital, there is a very large village called Sou Bouyade. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, this year, as a result of continuous contact, the entire village and additional villages have also become Ahmadi. He says: Keeping such a large number in view, we thought that a regular Jama'at should be established here. When we arrived there for the establishment of the Jama'at system, the members of the Jama'at were already waiting for us, including the Imam of the central mosque there, who had already joined the Jama'at by doing Bai'at. When we told them that now we want to establish a regular Jama'at here, the village chief said: Our property and belongings and everything is at your disposal, and this large mosque is yours—in fact, the entire village is yours. And he said: We are so happy that by accepting Ahmadiyyat and true Islam, we have found in our lives this blessing which is extremely precious, and now our eyes have been opened and we have seen the face of true Islam.

The Amir Sahib of Congo also writes that in a remote area, Lubutu, the message of the Jama'at reached through a pamphlet. These people contacted the Jama'at headquarters through the email address given on the pamphlet. Thus, local missionary Mustafa Mahmoud Sahib was sent to them. He stayed there for three months and gave the message of the Jama'at. He met with senior officials. He gave them the message of the Jama'at. Question and answer sessions were held with Sunni Muslims and Christians for several days. He says: Alhamdulillah, by the grace of Allah, a Jama'at has been established there and more than sixty individuals have entered Ahmadiyyat. Some people of this Jama'at have advanced so much in sincerity that one member of the Jama'at came for the Jalsa in June 2014 and joined after traveling six hundred kilometers by boat.

Now, those living here in Europe, in developed countries, have no idea how difficult a journey of six hundred kilometers is. They would say it can be covered in six hours. Where there are no roads, no transportation, it is extremely difficult—and not only that, but here in Congo, due to the abundance of rivers, there are no roads in many places. One has to travel by boat. So, three hundred kilometers of the journey he undertook by boat, and for the remaining three hundred kilometers, which was overland, he did not have the fare. He met a friend of his. He borrowed a bicycle from him and made this extremely difficult journey on a broken bicycle, the thought of which would shake those living in Europe. Perhaps you people cannot even imagine it. The missionary says that if one sees the condition of that bicycle, it is difficult to believe how he made such a long journey on a broken bicycle. This is solely Allah the Almighty's grace, which is advancing the faith of the new converts to this extent.

Then one of our missionaries writes from Lungi that in the Lungi region, last year, preaching was done to the people of a village. As a result, those individuals wanted to accept Jama'at Ahmadiyya, but a non-Jama'at Imam who had studied in Saudi Arabia and had great fame in the area went to the people and spoke against the Jama'at, due to which the people of that village refused to do Bai'at. He says that when they were invited to the Annual Convention of Sierra Leone, this Imam was also invited to attend the Jalsa. This Imam Sahib attended the Annual Convention. He kept watching the proceedings of the Jalsa. On the second night of the Jalsa, he came to the missionary with some people from his area and said in the presence of everyone: I swear by God that Jama'at Ahmadiyya is true, and now I will never oppose the Jama'at; rather, I will tell those who want to do Bai'at to go ahead and do Bai'at. So there are also some such clean-natured, good-natured scholars. It is not only those who corrupt people's faith. Our Hafiz Muhammad Sahib is from Italy. After watching the programs broadcast live on MTA from Kababir, he said: I have done Bai'at in my heart for six months now. God is my witness, but I have not yet been able to fill out and send the form. I live all alone. There is no limit to my happiness that I have recognized the truth. I myself am a sign for the truthfulness of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him). It is as follows: In 2008, for the first time, I suddenly watched MTA, in which a discussion on abrogation (Nasikh Mansukh) was going on. At that time, I knew nothing about you people or about Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him). I liked the program and continued watching. After that, I watched the program Al-Hiwar Al-Mubashir on the topic of the reality of Jinn. Through this program, I acknowledged the truthfulness of this Jama'at, and then this continued. He says: After that, six months ago in 2013, watching the program on the deliverance of the Messiah from death on the cross and his natural death, I was so satisfied that I could not remain without doing Bai'at, and now through this program, I announce my Bai'at. Then Abdul Hakim Sahib from Algeria says: In the nineties, I joined the Civil Defense Squad because religious groups in the country were spreading terrorism in the name of Islam and were killing people and looting their property. (This is the state of all terrorist organizations working in the name of Islam.) He says: And our job was to protect people's property from such people. We were miles away from Islam, but I used to pray that Allah the Almighty deliver us from this state. What amazed me most was how a Muslim could even think of killing another Muslim—and that too in the name of Jihad and Islam? When Imam Mahdi comes, will he also order such killings? Despite all their differences and fatwas of disbelief, how will Muslims unite at his hand? He says: An old friend of mine, Abbas Sahib, who had become Ahmadi by then but I did not know, met me once and talked about various matters. He presented such an interpretation of the Holy Quran that I had never heard before and which was perfectly in accordance with reason. My heart was satisfied hearing it. He told me that a century ago, Allah the Almighty raised Imam Mahdi in India and sent him with the weapon of the pen and knowledge and understanding, through which he dealt crushing defeats to great priests, and now his Jama'at is proceeding on the same path. Hearing this, I felt that Allah the Almighty had accepted my prayers. So I filled out the Bai'at form at that very time and joined this beloved Jama'at. He says: A few days later, I saw in a dream that I was walking at night in a dark field. Then an elder appears who takes my hand and starts walking. We reach the seashore where there is a boat, near which another person is standing who seems to be waiting for us. The three of us board it. I think in my heart: Who are these people? Then the elder who had brought me said: I am the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and this is Imam Mahdi and the Promised Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him). After this, this boat travels and reaches a ship, and both of them tell me: Board this ship and join its passengers; they are your true family members. Then how the words of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) also affect hearts. (I present an incident of this.)

Abdul Aziz Sahib from Morocco says: I am a teacher of history and geography, and although Allah the Almighty has blessed me with many favors—I have progressed, I also have a house—but I remained caught in the errors of the self and kept sinking into sins until Allah the Almighty granted me the opportunity to do Bai'at. When I began studying the books of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), I realized that these are the salve for my wounds and the cure for my soul, and I developed concern for the purification of my self, and the urge awakened to write to Huzoor-e-Anwar for the purpose that Allah the Almighty may inscribe me among the truthful ones.

Then, in exchange for the martyrdoms that occur in the Jama'at, how Allah the Almighty grants support and help. Regarding this, our President of the Jama'at from Japan writes that when Khalil Ahmad Sahib was martyred in Sheikhupura, when I mentioned him in the sermon, a Japanese friend who had been in contact with the Jama'at for six months in the sense that we used to preach to him, called and said: I want to become Ahmadi. So I invited him to the mosque and the Bai'at proceedings took place, and after hearing the mention of the martyrdom, he did Bai'at. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he is included in the system of financial sacrifice. The District Amir of Yadgir writes that a young man from the city of Yadgir, Manju Nath, who belonged to the Hindu religion, was pursuing a B.Sc. degree. Along with him, one of our Khuddam was also studying. One day, he needed a notebook for writing notes, so he took the notebook of our Khadim, on which was written "Long Live Humanity" and "Love for All, Hatred for None." Reading this had a great effect on his heart—that in this era where there is so much unrest, there can be no sweeter message than this. This slogan left a very sweet effect on his heart, and for further information, he asked our Khadim about Ahmadiyyat. Jama'at literature was provided to him. After deep study, he came to know that Jama'at Ahmadiyya is an organized and true Jama'at that is making the utmost effort for the establishment of peace and service to humanity. After learning quite a lot about the Jama'at, his heart was satisfied, and he did Bai'at in March 2014.

So Ahmadis should not have mere slogans but their practical conditions should also be such because these also become a means of preaching. I have said this many times before as well. Therefore, just telling about our teachings will not have an effect, but when people actually see actions as well, then attention will be developed. Therefore, this is a very great responsibility that falls upon every Ahmadi.

Mahmoud Sahib from Egypt writes: By God! By God! You people are on the truth, and would that the entire world begin to follow your way. Alhamdulillah, our father did Bai'at. Then my brother, then my mother, then I, then my cousin, and my father's cousin have also done Bai'at. Then the missionary from Bosnia writes that as a result of the sermons I gave last year on practical reformation, especially attendance at the Fajr prayer has unexpectedly increased, even though there is considerable cold in this country due to snowfall. Some new Ahmadis come from great distances, traveling forty miles. And some come traveling ten kilometers, and because their homes are in mountainous areas, the route is also very difficult. But they themselves come for prayers and also bring friends along. What changes are produced by joining Ahmadiyyat? One is the attention towards prayers—not even caring about the severity of the weather, populating the mosques.

Secondly, I will give another example. An Ahmadi friend from Macedonia says that his wife's name is Riza. She attended the Annual Convention Germany. Before that, she did not observe Purdah. So he writes to me that I am very grateful to you that when she heard the address to Lajna, she started wearing the hijab and now regularly observes Purdah and is steadfast on Ahmadiyyat. And by the grace of Allah the Almighty, she is also progressing in faith. So such newly arriving women who had retreated from the teachings of Islam—when they accept Ahmadiyyat, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, they strive to adopt the correct Islamic teachings. Therefore, our girls, young girls, and women should also pay attention to this—that they should adhere to the Islamic symbols. The things Allah the Almighty has commanded must be done, and Purdah is also one of the important commands among them.

Anyway, these are just a few of the countless incidents that I often see in my reports—how Allah the Almighty is showing His signs, how He is guiding people through dreams, how the opposition of opponents is also turning the hearts of good-natured people towards the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), how even Christian priests are acknowledging the truth of Islam, how people are progressing in knowledge and understanding by accepting the Promised Messiah, how attention towards improving their practical conditions is developing. So are all these things the result of any human effort? No, rather these things certainly indicate Allah the Almighty's support and help in favor of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). They are proof of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). According to the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Imam who came in the latter days—by proving his truthfulness, they are proving the supremacy of the religion brought by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). By indicating the guidance of those who seek Allah the Almighty's true religion, even today they are creating an understanding and comprehension of Allah the Almighty's existence. People say: Where is God, and does God even exist? Those who are good people, of good nature, show that God exists. But it is regrettable for those people who, despite claiming to be Muslims, do not believe in the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who are refusing to accept the truth by following the words of their so-called scholars. A Christian, an irreligious person, a Hindu comes to the realization that these signs are proof of the truth of Islam and of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) being the final Prophet, but being Muslims, instead of making God their guide, instead of asking Him the path of guidance, the majority asks for the path from those scholars about whom the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself had said that these people are the root of the tribulations and disorder of this era. So, upon hearing the incidents of new converts, where we should pray for the progress of our and their faiths, we should also pray for the Muslim Ummah that Allah the Almighty give them sense and that by accepting the Imam of the age, they may become those who improve their worldly and spiritual lives. At this time, the condition of the Muslim world is pitiable. Leaders are oppressing the masses. The masses, due to not getting justice and guidance, are fighting against the leaders. Every self-interested person has become a leader and is sitting with his own group. Different sects are engaged in efforts to cut each other's throats. Previously, if Shia-Sunni disturbances occurred, governments would try to control and establish peace. Now governments themselves have become involved in sectarian warfare. The conditions of Iraq, Syria, and Libya have been going from bad to worse over the past years; now the conditions of Saudi Arabia and Yemen are also deteriorating. Saudi Arabia has jumped into war under the pretext of helping Yemen, and these conditions are also going from bad to worse, and now it is unknown where this will end. There is a very great danger of this war expanding. The tyrannical powers, in the way they want to weaken Muslims, are succeeding in it. Previously, there used to be direct attacks; now instead of direct attacks, these powers are achieving their objective by making them fight among themselves, and the Muslim world does not understand what they are doing. They do not think about what the reasons for this are. What results will come from this? They do not even think why there is so much tribulation and disorder among the followers of Allah the Almighty's final Prophet. Why, after reaching the peak of progress, almost all Muslim countries are falling into the depths of decline. There is only one way to escape this decline and to once again walk on the path of progress, and that is what Allah the Almighty has told: accept this Promised Messiah who is to unite the latter ones with the former ones. Instead of sectarianism, become one Ummah and gather at the hand of the Promised Messiah and Promised Mahdi. May Allah the Almighty grant us this ability. We should pray for this. May Allah the Almighty also grant us the ability to pray and also accept them.

After Friday prayer, I will lead two funeral prayers. One funeral is present, which is of respected Intisar Ahmad Ayaz Sahib, son of respected Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad Ayaz Sahib, who passed away on March 28, 2015, at the age of fifty in Boston, America. اِنّا لِلّٰہِ وِاِنّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن. Dr. Iftikhar Ayaz Sahib writes that Intisar was born in Tanzania. He was the grandson of Maulana Abul Ata Sahib Jalandhari, Khalid Ahmadiyyat, and the great-grandson of Mukhtar Ahmad Ayaz Sahib. He was righteous, a reciter of the Holy Quran, and one who offered Tahajjud. He did B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from London University and later did a Master's in Information Technology. He fully obeyed the Jama'at system and the system of Khilafat. He was also appointed the first Sadr of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya of Tuvalu. In London, he first served as Secretary in the Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya department and then also served as Qa'id of the Majlis. For quite some time, he was also the Secretary Mal of his local Jama'at. He was also an enthusiastic Da'i Ilallah. Bai'ats also took place through him. He was very regular in the payment of Chanda, and for the past three years, he had been residing in America for further expertise in his field. He became severely ill there and the doctors gave up. His lungs were affected, or perhaps his liver was affected. In any case, he was a good, exemplary son, brother, husband, and father. He also cared about the upbringing of his son. Among his survivors, besides his parents and sisters, are his wife, Razia Sultana Sahiba, and his nine-year-old son, Afnan Ayaz. He was also the nephew of Ata-ul-Mujeeb Rashid Sahib. May Allah the Almighty forgive him, elevate his ranks, and grant patience and peace to the bereaved.

The second funeral is in absentia, which is of Wasim Ahmad, a student of Jamia Ahmadiyya Qadian, who passed away on March 25, 2014, by drowning in the River Beas. اِنّا لِلّٰہِ وِاِنّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن. After continuous effort and search for four days, the body of the deceased was found lying face down about two kilometers away from the place of drowning. There was no mark of any kind on the body of the deceased, nor was the body swollen, nor was there any kind of odor. After post-mortem and legal proceedings, the body was brought to Qadian by ambulance, and two days ago his funeral prayer was offered there before Zuhr prayer, and burial took place in the Bahishti Maqbarah. The deceased was born on August 23, 1995. He belonged to the state of Telangana. He was a born Ahmadi. His grandfather, Desi Bashu Mian Sahib, was granted the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat during the Khilafat of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II through Hazrat Seth Hasan Ahmad Sahib, a Companion of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Wasim Ahmad came to Jamia Qadian in 2013 for education by dedicating himself, and by the grace of Allah, he was among the good students and intelligent children. He was extremely good-natured and had the passion for serving the faith. When he went back home during the seasonal holidays, he started keeping company with non-Ahmadi children. His father had passed away; his mother became very worried that they might lead him astray. Upon this, Wasim Ahmad said to his mother: Now I have come back after studying for a year in Qadian. I am now preaching the Jama'at to these non-Ahmadi friends. Because they are my age, they are also listening. You pray that Allah the Almighty grants them the ability to accept Ahmadiyyat. The other students say that whenever we went to wake him for Tahajjud, he would already be offering Tahajjud. He always spoke with a smile. The deceased has left behind his mother, respected Amat-ul-Hafiz Sahiba, who is quite elderly and often ill, and two elder brothers, one of whom is a Waqf-e-Zindagi and is working as a Muallim. And he has two sisters. May Allah the Almighty elevate the ranks of the deceased and grant patience and courage to his mother and the rest of the bereaved.