After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aba) stated:

Today is the first Friday of 2019; first of all, I wish to congratulate Ahmadis around the world with regard to the new year. May God Almighty bless this year for us and may it bring countless successes.

However, we should also remember that mere customary greetings are of no avail, nor do they help one attain the pleasure of God Almighty. The true spirit of the New Year greeting is to make a pledge that, since God Almighty has shown us the light of another year and has enabled us to witness a new year, we will endeavour to remove our weaknesses and the shortcomings within us. We should promise to remove our errors of the previous year and also strive to bring about a greater change within us, for which we have pledged through our Bai‘at [pledge of allegiance] of the Promised Messiah^(as).

The Promised Messiah^(as) states on one occasion as to how an Ahmadi ought to act. He says, “Having pledged allegiance, one should be remain content with the fact that they have accepted the truth and that they will receive blessings due to this belief … After entering this Community, strive to become virtuous and righteous, safeguard against every evil ... spend each day and night in humility ... Speak in a soft tone; ensure istighfar [the seeking of forgiveness] becomes part of your habit; offer supplications during the daily prayers.” We can only offer supplications during prayers, when we do justice to our prayers and observe them diligently.

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states, “…mere belief does not benefit a person … God Almighty is not pleased with words alone. In the Holy Quran, God Almighty has prescribed righteous deeds along with faith.” The Promised Messiah^(as) then says, “An action is considered Saalih or righteous when it is free from all blemishes.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, pp. 274-275, UK. 1985)

Thus, if we strive to the best of our abilities to act upon this standard and guideline, then this year will certainly be prosperous for us and will be a source of many more blessings. However, if this is not the case, then, as I mentioned earlier, our New Year’s greetings will be nothing more than a custom.

Offering Tahajud [pre-dawn voluntary prayers] and then Fajr [obligatory prayer before dawn] in congregation at the beginning of the new year does not equate to an entire year’s worth of good deeds. Rather, true virtue is to maintain this effort throughout the year as far as possible.

May God Almighty enable us to act on this and may this year truly bring countless blessings in our personal lives as well as be a source of extraordinary progress for the Community.

After this, I will now turn to the next subject. As we all know, the year of Waqf-e-Jadid begins in January. The start of the new year for Waqf-e-Jadid is usually announced on the first or second Friday of January.

By the Grace of God Almighty, financial sacrifice is a distinctive feature of the Community of the Promised Messiah^(as). Why should this not be the case! In this era, the Promised Messiah^(as), in light of the commandments of the Holy Quran and sayings of the Holy Prophet^(sa), has enlightened us to the true understanding of this financial sacrifice. God Almighty has drawn our attention towards spending in the way of Allah in numerous places throughout the Holy Quran. This is not because God Almighty is in need of our wealth, rather, it is because it is beneficial for us and collectively, we can see the progress of the Community, which benefits the Community as a whole. God Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

فَاتَّقُوا اللہَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَ اسْمَعُوۡا وَ اَطِیۡعُوۡا وَ اَنۡفِقُوۡا خَیۡرًا  لِّاَنۡفُسِكُمْ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یُّوۡقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِہٖ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوۡنَ

That is, “So fear Allah as best you can, and listen, and obey, and spend in His cause; it will be good for yourselves. And whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul — it is such who shall be successful.” (Surah al-Taghabun: V.17)

In the following verse, He has stated,

اِنۡ تُقْرِضُوا اللہَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا یُّضٰعِفْہُ لَكُمْ وَ یَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ؕ وَ اللہُ شَكُوۡرٌ حَلِیۡمٌ

“If you lend to Allah a good loan, He will multiply it for you, and will forgive you; and Allah is Most Appreciating, Forbearing.” (Surah al-Taghabun: V.18)

Thus, for the one who spends in the way of God Almighty, He returns that wealth manifold. This financial sacrifice benefits people on an individual level, as well as enabling the progress of the Jamaat, which in turn serves as a means of the progress for its members.

Similarly, the Holy Prophet^(sa) has stated that one should abstain from miserliness, as it was miserliness that destroyed previous nations. (Sunan Abi Daud, Kitab Al-Zakat, Bab fi Al-Shuhh, Hadith 1698)

On another occasion, the Holy Prophet^(sa) stated to save oneself from Hell, even by giving half a date in charity (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Al-Zakat, Bab Ittaqun naara walaw bishiqqi tamratin…, Hadith 1417). Even making such small sacrifices in the cause of God Almighty and in order to acquire His pleasure, protects one from the fire. Hence, financial sacrifices are there to benefit us.

Drawing our attention towards financial sacrifices, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“It is not possible for you to love wealth and also love God Almighty. You can only have love for one.”

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“Fortunate is the one who loves God. If one of you loves God and spends in His cause, I am certain that their wealth will be blessed more than that of others. The reason for this is that wealth is not acquired by itself, rather, it is acquired through the will of God. Thus, the one who leaves aside a portion of their wealth for the sake of God, will certainly have it returned to them. However, the one who loves wealth and does not render their service in the cause of God as required, they will certainly lose that wealth.” In other words that wealth will go to waste.

The Promised Messiah^(as) states further, “Do not believe that wealth is acquired through your own endeavours. On the contrary, it comes from God the Exalted. Do not believe that you are conferring a favour upon God Almighty and His Chosen One by spending a portion of your wealth or by rendering another form of service. Rather, it is His favour upon you that you were able to serve in this manner.”

The Promised Messiah^(as) states: “…let it be known that this matter has been decreed from heaven, and whatever services you offer will be to your own benefit.” (Majmu’a Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, pp. 497-498)

By the grace of God Almighty, those who have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiah^(as) have understood the spirit of sacrifices and services in an excellent manner and they pay attention towards making great sacrifices. This is not only limited to those who accepted Ahmadiyyat a long time ago, but in fact, those who have pledged allegiance also understand the spirit and truth of these financial sacrifices after entering into the Community. There are some who live in extremely impoverished circumstances, however, they do not desire to be left behind by anyone in terms of their financial sacrifices. They offer sacrifices similar to those made by the companions of the Promised Messiah^(as) in his time. There are such examples to be found even today.

In relation to those companions, the Promised Messiah^(as) stated at that time “I am astonished at the love and sincerity of my Jamaat, since there are individuals among them with little means of income.” The Promised Messiah^(as) then goes on to give an example by stating “Such as Mian Jamaluddin, Khairuddin and Imamuddin Kashmiri.” The Promised Messiah^(as) states “…they live near my village. These three brothers, who perhaps earn only three or four annas [currency] daily, yet they earnestly contribute towards the monthly Chanda [financial contribution].” (Zameema az Risala Anjaam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 11, p. 313, footnote)

It is a result of the sacrifices offered by these elders for the propagation of faith that today that their progenies are living in ease and lives of comfort.

As I mentioned earlier, we see this very spirit in some places, as a matter of fact, we witness this in many places today. We are able to observe this amongst impoverished people, living far away, who were born or became Ahmadis a hundred years after the time of the Promised Messiah^(as) and never even met the Khalifa of the time in person. Yet, their love for religion, obedience to Khilafat, their oath of devotion and pledge of initiation to the Promised Messiah^(as) and their passion for offering sacrifices for the sake of religion, have reached such levels that one is left astounded. If we merely look at this aspect, it serves as evidence of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^(as). Besides God Almighty, no one can instil this passion within the hearts of the people.

I will present some of the incidents in relation to the sacrifices of some individuals and God Almighty’s treatment towards them.

An Ahmadi in Ghana, Frimpong Sahib says, “A few years ago, I had to pay a fee of five thousand pounds for my studies. Although I was working at the time, but my income was not sufficient. Even if I had saved my salary over twelve months, I would not have been able to accumulate this amount. Nevertheless, I received a loan of three thousand pounds from the bank and forty percent of my salary was taken to pay off the loan every month. Regardless of this, I paid my Chanda based on my full income.” He did not worry that forty percent of it was deducted.

He says, “One day, I went to the mission house in Kumasi.” This is a city in Ghana. “There, the circuit missionary reminded me of my promise for Waqf-e-Jadid. At the time, I put my hands in my pocket and found the amount needed to pay for my promise. However, I thought that if I donate this amount for Chanda, then I will not have enough money to pay for the journey to work in the next few days.” He says, “Nonetheless, I contributed this amount towards Chanda there and then. I was on my way home from the mission house, when I received a message on my phone that an amount had been transferred to my bank account, which was five times greater than the amount I had contributed towards the Chanda.”

This was just as the Promised Messiah^(as) had stated, that God Almighty returns it and increases it manifold.

He further says, “Initially, I thought that this amount may have mistakenly been transferred by the bank, which they would withdraw later, as my salary had already been transferred to my account. However, when I went to work the following day, I found out that I received this amount from the government, which was an outstanding payment from the previous months. Upon this, I expressed my gratitude to God Almighty that despite my worries, He enabled me to contribute towards Chanda. Since that day, I pay great attention towards my promises and towards contributing to the Chanda.” This gentleman is from Africa and lives far away.

A missionary from Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, which is a French-speaking country, writes: “Zodi Sahib, a Khadim [youth] who is a new convert, was very stressed due to a mental illness and was taking sleeping pills. He was suffering from depression and his condition had worsened significantly. One day he came to our mission house and enquired about how much payment he should make for Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid donations. Our missionary informed him that one can make as much donation as they can afford. Zodi Sahib asked him what was an acceptable standard of payment towards this Chanda? The missionary informed him of the amount and he happily made the payment and left. After a few days he returned to the mission house and said: ‘I was unwell, however, as a result of giving Chanda, I feel much better now. I have stopped taking sleeping pills and feel a sense of contentment in my heart.’”

Thus, he became inclined towards God Almighty, offered monetary sacrifice, his attention was turned towards the worship of God Almighty and in return God blessed him. Whereas before, his condition was such that he was contemplating taking his own life.

A member of the Jamaat from the UK writes, “A short while ago, I was reminded over the phone to donate towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and was informed of the total amount I had paid last year. So I pledged to pay a greater amount than the previous year. At the time I had no money. I began praying for God Almighty to make arrangements for this amount from Himself.”

He states: “After two weeks, I received a letter from the Department of Tax stating that I had overpaid my tax during the previous year and they were returning that amount back to me. I am an accountant myself and am aware of the details relating to my taxes. However, God Almighty, arranged for this amount in a miraculous manner, because according to my estimation, I had paid the correct amount in tax.”

He states: “After a few months, Sadr Sahib [local president] called me again to remind me about Waqf-e-Jadid donations. He informed me of the total amount I had paid the previous year. So I pledged an amount greater than the previous year. Coincidently, on this occasion again I did not have any money with me. I thought to myself that previously God Almighty had arranged the amount from my tax returns, however, currently there seems to be no other means for me to pay.” (He then says that he began to pray for this.) “A week later when I was going through my papers, I saw a bill with an offer attached to it. I called the relevant company and they sent me a prepaid card with more money in it than I had pledged for Waqf-e-Jadid. This is how Allah Almighty arranged for my Waqf-e-Jadid Chanda.”

Such incidents are not only to be witnessed in Africa, rather, they are witnessed everywhere by anyone who desires to offer financial sacrifices wholeheartedly.

Basharat Ali Sahib, a missionary from Burkina Faso, states: “Kone Adama sahib, a new convert from Boromo region, was encouraged to participate in Waqf-e-Jadid. He began contributing towards this with the money he would originally give to the Maulvi [muslim cleric] of the village every year. He was a [non-Ahmadi] Muslim and would give that amount to the Maulvis. However, after performed the Bai‘at, he began donating that same amount towards Chanda. When his father found out about this, he was furious. Consequently, his father gave a portion of the land to him and severed all ties with him.

“Kone Adama Sahib says that that year, he planted his crops and by the grace of God Almighty they grew successfully. In certain areas it had rained heavily and as a result of this, some crops were damaged. However, the crops in the part of his land where it had rained were not affected, whereas his father’s crops and other relatives’ crops were destroyed due to heavy rain. He then helped his father to plant his crops again, and even shared a portion of his own unaffected crops from his land. Previously he was a Muslim and later became an Ahmadi Muslim. His father commented on this and said: ‘Certainly, God Almighty has blessed you due through your financial contribution towards the Jamaat.’ His father accepted this fact and also said: ‘Your Community is on the right path. You should always stay attached to it. I cannot abandon our maulvi due to some constraints.’” Some people are restricted due to ancient customs and tradition. “This year he has donated twice the amount as compared to last year.”

Some opponents tried to turn some Jamaat members away from Ahmadiyyat in a village of the Kiang district in The Gambia. They claimed that they were successful in ensuring all Ahmadis abandoned the Jamaat. Jalu Sahib, who belongs to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, told the Mualim: “This opposition served as a catalyst because prior to the hostility, I was not an active Ahmadi. However, now I am not only participating in the Waqf-e-Jadid and other schemes, rather I have also signed up for the blessed scheme of Al-Wasiyyat.” The opponents were trying to eradicate the Jamaat, however their opposition caused some Ahmadis to increase in their faith even more than before.

Akobi Sahib, a member of the Jamaat from Guinea Conakry says that the missionary in-charge there presented my sermon from last year regarding Waqf-e-Jadid, wherein various incidents of financial sacrifices were presented. He says, “This sermon deeply impacted me. The next day I was preparing to travel for a business trip to Sierra Leone and realised I had only three hundred dollars for the trip and was still in need of more. Despite this, I took a hundred dollars out of the three hundred and wrapped it up in an envelope, intending to donate it to Waqf-e-Jadid. Shortly afterwards, I became occupied in some other matters and forgot to give the envelope. Hardly two hours had passed that an individual came into my office and handed me a bag saying a friend of mine had sent it for me. As I opened the bag, I found three hundred dollars with a written note, saying ‘You are going for travel, so I am sending this to you for your travel expenses.’ I instantly recalled that I had not even sent the money for donation yet and God Almighty returned to me several fold the amount I had donated.” He further says, “My heart was filled with the praise of God for how He had enabled us to be a part of this beloved community of the Promised Messiah^(as).”

This is how God Almighty continues to increase the faith of people. These people are beginning to understand what the Promised Messiah^(as) has explained to us regarding the fact that wealth comes from God Almighty alone.

A missionary from the Bohicon Region of Benin writes, “In the Bohicon region, a local president of the Abomey branch, Ahouangan Jacques Sahib says that he was struggling to pay off a large sum of debt that he had previously taken. Meanwhile, the local Mualim paid a visit and drew our attention to the fact that the financial year for Waqf-e-Jadid was coming to a close, so anyone who had not yet fulfilled their pledge should do so.” The local president states, “At the time, I did not have much money, and further, the thought of paying Waqf-e-Jadid also began worrying me. Therefore, I took out the five hundred francs I had in my pocket at the time and donated it to the Chanda. I then made my way back home and began praying and wondering how I would possibly pay off the debt.”

He says, “The very next day I was offered temporary employment and the total salary for the job was slightly more than the remaining debt. I agreed to the job and was able to complete it within a few days. Hence, my entire debt was paid off, leaving me with enough surplus money to arrange for provisions at home.” He says, “I now realised all this was purely due to the blessings of the Chanda.” These people do not believe such incidents to be mere coincidences, rather they believe that it is God Almighty Who is arranging this for them.

A missionary from the Sikasso Region of Mali states that a new convert by the name of Abu Bakr said that ever since accepting Ahmadiyyat, he has personally felt the wonderful blessings of paying Chanda. He says, “Every year in the monsoon season, one of my sons would become severely ill and I would have to spend large amounts of money on his treatment. Furthermore, this would be a cause of stress and I would have to take time off work. Yet, ever since I have started contributing to the various Chandas, my son no longer gets sick. There is not even a shadow of a doubt that this is a result of the blessings of spending in the way of God Almighty.”

A missionary from the San-Pedro region of Ivory Coast writes that several people from the village of Kamp Elephant were blessed with the acceptance of Ahmadiyyat. In November 2018, he was able to go on a tour of the village. He stayed there overnight and conducted a preaching session that lasted long into the night in which a good number of non-Ahmadis had also joined. After this, Fajr prayer was offered at the house of an Ahmadi member where many Ahmadi members joined and listened to the dars [sermon] that was delivered after Fajr. After this, the members were told that the following month was the last financial month for the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme; all Ahmadi members should strive to take part in this scheme. Having heard this, the people returned to their homes.”

The missionary says, “Looking at the impoverished condition of the village, I thought that perhaps only 5000 CFA francs would be collected, which would be a substantial amount given the circumstances.”

He then says, “However, before I was about to return, to my utter amazement, a member came to me and said in an apologetic manner that due to the poor yield from the crop and generally difficult circumstances, they were only able to contribute seventeen thousand CFA franc. Moreover, they requested for prayers that may Allah bless their business and crops so that they may be able to contribute larger amounts in God’s way.”

The Jamaat’s Finance Secretary of India, Iqbal Sahib, writes, “Members of the Kamoradi branch were encouraged to make contributions towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme, to which a young man stood up and gave the entire pledged amount he had pledged for Chanda. Shortly after, on the same day, he received a large sum of money for which he had been waiting for almost eight years. In fact, so many years had elapsed that he had given up hope that the amount would ever be given to him. Not only did he receive this amount, but he was offered a full-time job, despite his previous job only being temporary. Upon this he became very happy and would say this is solely the result of having spent in the way of Allah. He also said that from now on, he would contribute equivalent to 15 days income each month to Chanda Waqf-e-Jadid.”

A missionary from Romania, which is in Eastern Europe, writes of a local Ahmadi named Faheem Sahib who works as a tailor in Romania and contributes regularly to the Chandas with complete sincerity and happiness. There has never been a need to remind him of contributing to any Chanda as he always pays it on time. Moreover, he would employ an incredible amount of civility in presenting the amount by placing it in a simple bag or white envelope upon which he would neatly write the words ‘financial sacrifice’.”

He also wrote a letter to me, and the missionary is making reference to that same letter. In this letter he had written, “By the grace of God, I pay my financial contributions. Ever since I started paying these contributions, I have observed that by offering them for the pleasure of Allah, the number of my customers increase as well. God Almighty blesses my income greatly. On the one hand, I empty my pockets to spend in the way of Allah, and on the other, God returns that amount back to me manifold, because after I make my contribution, my customers increase.” Despite living in European Countries and spending their lives in the midst of materialism, God Almighty – having guided them to Ahmadiyyat – continues to bless them and strengthens their faith.

The [finance] inspector of Jamaat India, Saleem Sahib, writes, “A private school teacher from Jaipur was encouraged to contribute to the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme and requested that considering his income, his pledge should be 5,000 Rupees. He responded by saying, ‘I am a school teacher in an ordinary private school; how will I be able to contribute such a large amount?’ In any case, he was told that God would enable him to fulfil it. Next year, when Saleem Sahib again went to visit him, he found him seated on the principal’s chair at the same school. The man [who was now principal] explained ‘Allah has blessed me so much due to financial contributions that I have purchased this entire school.’ In light of this, the principal was encouraged to further increase his pledge that year so that God may enable him to purchase even more schools. The principal revealed that there were talks underway for purchasing another school. The previous owner had just called and told him to come and take the keys.”

The finance secretary further writes, “Now, that individual owns four separate schools. He used to live in a small house with a tin roof which resembles more of a shelter than a home. By Allah’s grace, he now owns a three-storey house, of which one floor is dedicated for the Friday prayers.” This grace is only due to having spent in the way of Allah, and through this, it is also increasing his faith.

Amir Sahib of Liberia writes, “In December, our tabligh team arrived at a village called Sookar Town, which is not too far off from the city of Monrovia, but is completely bereft of modern facilities. It is also very difficult to reach there and in order to reach there, one has to take three Monkey Bridges (makeshift bridges temporarily made using sticks and ropes). After prayers, we began preaching. We conveyed the message of the Promised Messiah^(as) to them and informed them about the purpose and objectives of the Ahmadiyya Community. At this, one elderly member of the village, Usman Kumara, stood up and related a dream of his, saying, ‘Some days ago, I saw that the heavens burst open and there is commotion all around. In the midst of all this chaos, a car comprising people of white complexion stops, and the people inside invite me to come with them, as they would grant me safety. This is where the dream ended. After this, I began contemplating on the sort of dream this was and what it could mean? It is upon your arrival that I have come to understand its true meaning. I have reached old age, but this is the first time in my life that I have seen non-Africans (people with white complexion) coming to preach Islam here.’”

As a result, all those present decided to join the Jamaat and did the Bai‘at. It was also the end of the Waqf-e-Jadid year, so they were encouraged to make financial sacrifices. After their initiation when they were requested, they also paid their Waqf-e-Jadid, through which their faith and sincerity are ever-increasing.

The National President of Lajna Imaillah Canada [the Women’s Auxiliary in Canada] writes that during a meeting, one woman said that her 12-year old daughter had won an $80 prize from her school. She originally wanted to buy something with it, but after having been encouraged by the Waqf-e-Jadid Secretary, she decided to donate the entire amount in Waqf-e-Jadid. The National President relates that God also blessed her in return the following day when she obtained first position in the Abdus Salam Science Fair and received a $300 reward. In this way, God Almighty reinforced her faith and belief.

Nowadays a game called Fortnite is being played regularly amongst the youth in which their money is going to waste. Parents as well as the auxiliary organisations such as Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya in particular must protect them from getting involved in it because one step leads to another and they will eventually get hold of bank cards and spend the money on it.

In fact, a few days ago an article was published in which a survey was quoted showing that there are certain groups which get in contact with the youth and having incited them into using bank cards, they gain access to the bank accounts of their parents. Only some time later do the parents realise that money is missing from their bank account. This is as a result of this game which is becoming a drug-like addiction amongst the youth, where not only is their time being wasted and dangerous thoughts are creeping into their minds, but on top of that some of their parents have even suffered a great deal. Hence, one must avoid this and instead instil the habit of spending in the way of Allah among children, which He draws our attention to, especially to schemes such as Waqf-e-Jadid.

The finance secretary from India writes, “A refresher course was held in the Karnataka province which I attended along with the Naib Nazim Mal [assistant finance secretary] and Waqf-e-Jadid secretary. There, the Naib Nazim Mal mentioned in the house of a local Muallim that there were severe rains in Kerala causing terrible destruction, and for this reason there had been difficulty in receiving the donations for Waqf-e-Jadid in that area.” As he was leaving the house, the Naib Nazim Mal gifted 100 rupees to each of the children of the Muallim. He says, “Later on I returned to that Jamaat on tour and the children of the Muallim donated the 100 rupees towards Waqf-e-Jadid which was gifted to them saying that due to the flood, the situation in Kerala was not so good, therefore they desired that they accept the Chanda from them.” Despite their young age, they had understood the significance of giving Chanda.

A member of Lajna from a UK Jamaat states, “I had the honour of accepting Ahmadiyyat in 2010. Having taken the oath of allegiance, I was thrown out of my home and at the time, I had no one to go to. I was extremely embarrassed every time I was unable to give Chanda (even though it is not necessary for converts to contribute in their first year)”. She further says, “I was concerned with regard to this and made a vow that the moment I found a job, I would give Chanda from the day I did the Bai‘at. A few months later, I secured a job and began giving Chanda. By the grace of Allah and through the blessings of giving Chanda, I received a pay-rise three times in my first year. Thereafter, the ties with my family, which had previously been severed were also restored and our bond became even stronger. I also married and by the grace of Allah I now have everything I need.”

The local Muallim from the Cape Mount County of Liberia says, “The Ngbina Jamaat were reminded with regard to donating towards Waqf-e-Jadid, and a few days later a sincere Ahmadi woman named Musu Kamara Sahiba told me, ‘When you spoke about the blessings of financial sacrifice whilst encouraging us to contribute to Waqf-e-Jadid, others were making their donations whilst I had nothing and was therefore unable to contribute at all. But last night I had a dream where I saw you coming once more and I donated 100 Liberian dollars in Chanda. I was left astonished when I woke up in the morning as I did not have the money to make such a contribution. But it was only by the grace of Allah that a few moments earlier someone came and gave me 500 Liberian dollars from my son (from the woman’s son). Thus, I donated 100 Liberian dollars in fulfilment of the dream.”

There are many such incidents of women giving Chanda, in fact they are often a means of reform for their husbands by drawing their attention towards giving Chanda and often they have greater understanding of its importance.

Abu Bakr Sahib of Guinea Conakry, who is also the Sadr of a Jamaat and works in the agricultural department, writes, “After I accepted Ahmadiyyat, the missionaries and Muallims would regularly draw our attention to giving Chanda. However, I would only give a small amount whereas my wife was very strict in this matter and would give Chanda on a regular basis. She would always encourage me to also make regular contributions, but I would put it off by saying only when we had more money would I start giving Chanda regularly. Her answer would be that the only way we would have more money is when we first gave the due rights to Allah Almighty. In this way, my wife made me start giving Chanda, and when I started paying Chanda at the prescribed rate, I witnessed God Almighty’s blessings rain down upon us. The crops of those who were better educated than me and who had degrees in agriculture did not bear the same fruit as the ones God Almighty had begun granting this humble self of little understanding. Now I only bring back home the harvest once I have taken it all into account, given it in Chanda to the local missionary and brought back the receipt.”

The regional missionary of Ivory Coast writes, “Zablu Sahib, a member of the Jamaat had the honour of accepting Ahmadiyyat through his dreams. After taking the oath of allegiance, he regularly listens to the Friday sermons and is very passionate in calling people to God. He buys literature of the Jamaat from his own pocket and hands it to non-Ahmadi contacts. Zablu Sahib had a great position working in a hotel, but he is without work at the moment and his wife is supporting him by paying the expenses of the family. A few days ago he spoke to me over the phone saying that he was sending 30,000 CFA francs for the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. I responded by asking how this was possible when he was not in the best of circumstances. I said this as I was aware of his situation and so that he should contribute a little less. I told him this amount was too much for him and on top of that, the Annual Jalsa is also upcoming. He answered saying, ‘I told my wife that we should give 20,000 CFA francs in Chanda but my wife insisted we give 30,000.’ By the grace of God Almighty they were also able to attend the Jalsa.” There are so many women like her around the world who have their husbands make sacrifices.

The Sadr of the Australia Jamaat states, “A sincere friend had already made his contribution towards Waqf-e-Jadid on 20 December. The members of the amila were once again especially encouraged to pay the remainder [of their promises] and they were contacted in this regard. Subsequently, he donated a large sum of money. The following evening, I received a phone call from him where he very emotionally told me that not even a day had passed that God Almighty had returned the Chanda he had given for Waqf-e-Jadid. He said that he had been running a food takeaway shop for the last three years, but in that time not a single day had passed where so many customers had come, as had done so after he gave Chanda on this occasion.”

Similarly, there is an account from Indonesia – one is left astounded at such accounts in which people show such determination in their faith. There is a convert from Indonesia who took the Bai‘at in 2016. After doing so he began facing intense opposition from his family and neighbours, to the point where one day, members of his family beat him relentlessly, forcing him to forsake the Jamaat and forbidding him to meet the local missionary. Thereafter he would only meet the missionary in secret.

The missionary told him, “You will find that one must make sacrifices after joining the Community.” Nevertheless, he replied by saying, “I will continue to make sacrifices, even if the persecution increases.” He was also taught about the importance of Chanda and financial sacrifice. After a month of taking the Bai‘at, this person began giving Chanda. He had not as of yet secured a job, but he kept aside a portion of the little income he would earn from odd jobs here and there, to pay in Chanda. He would keep out of sight of the people and secretly visit the mission house at night. Prior to going to the mission house he would visit a few different villages so that no one could see him going directly to the mission house. In this way he would keep regular contact with the mission house, and this is how he would come to give his Chanda.

Then there is another incident which demonstrates just how God Almighty on occasions inspires even those who are not Ahmadi. A missionary from the Mali Jamaat writes, “Huzoor’s sermon on Waqf-e-Jadid last year was playing on Radio Ahmadiyya Keeta. During that time the chief of a village, situated 45 kilometres from the town, rang and invited us to preach in his village. When we went to preach in the village, the chief said in an emotional tone ‘The Khalifa was narrating faith-inspiring incidents from all over the world. Listening to those incidents had an extraordinary impact on the people of our village.’” There were Ahmadi Radio stations there and they were listening to them. “‘Our villagers were regretful that they had not taken part of this blessed scheme. That is why we called you here.’ There was a tabligh programme held and on the same day, by the grace of Allah, fifty people accepted Ahmadiyyat. The people of the village immediately gave one bag of maize and 1,000 franc in the blessed scheme of Waqf-e-Jadid.”God Almighty is not only spreading the message of the Promised Messiah^(as) in extraordinary ways, but He is also providing helpers [for this cause].

A missionary in Benin writes: “The Jamaat in Lokossa was encouraged to take part in the Waqf-e-Jadid Scheme. Our regional Jalsa [convention] was only a few days away, hence they were encouraged to participate in that also. Ghaffaar Sahib, who is the Sadr Jamaat [local president], came to me and asked that he had gathered some money for him to be able to participate in the Jalsa, however, since giving Chanda is also important, what should he do? I advised him to participate in the Jalsa and God Almighty will bestow His grace, also that he could pay the Chanda at a later date. After a few days he met me during the Jalsa and said for me to accept his Chanda. I asked the mal secretary [finance secretary] to give him a receipt. At this, the finance secretary informed me that Ghaffaar Sahib has given the same amount in Chanda as he had saved for attending the Jalsa. He travelled 15 kilometres on foot along with his family in order to attend the Jalsa.”

These are the people who God Almighty has granted to the Promised Messiah^(as). They listen to the words of God Almighty, His Messenger^(sa) and the Promised Messiah^(as), then in order to purify themselves they are prepared to offer every sacrifice. In reality, these are the very people who fulfil the right of their Bai‘at. If those who are devoid of understanding and have a covering over their eyes ponder over the sincerity and loyalty these people have and the sacrifices they offer, are these not evident signs of God Almighty’s support for the Promised Messiah^(as)? If their judgement was not impaired, they would be able to see that this alone is proof of the fact that the Promised Messiah^(as) was sent by God Almighty.

The Promised Messiah^(as) was sent to this world to further expound upon the teachings of the Holy Prophet^(sa). If the Muslims understand this and if only they would understand this truth, then through the grace of God, Islam would spread rapidly throughout the world, God-willing. Then we will see the reverse of what we are witnessing today in which Muslims and the name of Islam are ridiculed, God-willing. Nevertheless, our responsibility is to reform ourselves and to prostrate before God Almighty, focus our attention on propagating the message of Islam, offer sacrifices and highlight the truth of Islam to the world.

I shall now present some facts and figures [for Waqf-e-Jadid]. By the grace of God Almighty, the 61^st year of the Waqf-e-Jadid concluded on 31 December 2018.

The members of the Jamaat were able to make a total sacrifice of £9.134 million. There was an increase of £271,000 from last year’s total collection. Pakistan has continued to maintain its top position, however apart from them, the first ten positions of the countries is as follows:

1. UK

Germany held first position for Tahrik-e-Jadid and Amir Sahib [UK] said that Insha-Allah they would come first in Waqf-e-Jadid and by the grace of God Almighty they have come top by a great margin. May God Almighty bless the members of the Jamaat and their wealth, and enable to them to excel in the future as well.

2. Germany
3. USA
4. Canada

I should mention to USA here that there is a very small margin of difference between them and Canada. If they do not make any extra effort then having once held the first position, they dropped to third position, but in future they could perhaps fall even further behind.

5. India
6. Australia
7. Indonesia
8. A country from the Middle East
9. Ghana
10. A country from the Middle East

In terms of contribution per person, the positions are as follows:

1. USA
2. Switzerland
3. Australia

In terms of the total contribution of countries in Africa, the positions are as follows:

1. Ghana
2. Mauritius
3. Nigeria
4. Tanzania
5. Burkina Faso
6. Benin

By the grace of God Almighty, 1,732,000 people took part in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme this year. There is an increase of 123,000. The countries which have made a notable effort in relation to increasing the number of participants are Niger, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, The Gambia, Congo Kinshasa, Tanzania, Liberia and Senegal.

The collection of the Chanda for the adults and children is recorded separately, particularly in Pakistan and more recently in Canada. In terms of collection from the adults, the first three positions of the Jamaats in Pakistan are:

1. Lahore
2. Rabwah
3. Karachi

The positions for the districts of Pakistan are as follows:

1. Sialkot
2. Islamabad
3. Faisalabad
4. Rawalpindi
5. Sargodha
6. Gujranwala
7. Multan
8. Hyderabad
9. Mirpur Khas
10. Dera Ghazi Khan

The positions of the large Jamaats for the collection from Atfal are as follows:

1. Lahore
2. Karachi
3. Rabwah

The positions of the districts are as follows:

1. Islamabad
2. Sialkot
3. Rawalpindi
4. Sargodha
5. Gujranwala
6. Hyderabad
7. Dera Ghazi Khan
8. Sheikhupura
9. Umerkot
10. Nankana Sahib

The first ten positions in terms of collections for the large Jamaats in UK are as follows:

1. Worcester Park
2. Masjid Fazl
3. Birmingham South
4. Gillingham
5. Birmingham West
6. Islamabad
7. Hayes
8. Bradford North
9. New Malden
10. Glasgow

The positions of the regions are as follows:

1. London B
2. London A
3. Midlands
4. North East
5. Middlesex

The UK has also submitted a report for the collection from the Atfal and their positions are as follows:

1. Bradford South
2. Surbiton
3. Glasgow
4. Roehampton Vale
5. Islamabad
6. Roehampton
7. Mitcham Park
8. Battersea
9. Malden Manor
10. Mosque West

The first five local Jamaats of Germany are:

1. Hamburg
2. Frankfurt
3. Wiesbaden
4. Moerfelden Walldorf
5. Dietzenbach

The positions of the first ten Jamaats in USA for their total contribution are as follows:

1. Silicon Valley
2. Seattle
3. Detroit
4. Silver Spring
5. Central Virginia
6. Boston
7. Dallas
8. Laurel
9. Georgia Carolina
10. York

The positions of the Jamaats in Canada for their total contribution is as follows:

1. Vaughan
2. Calgary
3. Peace Village
4. Brampton
5. Vancouver

The position of the large Jamaats in Canada are as follows:

1. Durham
2. Windsor
3. Bradford
4. Edmonton West
5. Saskatoon North
6. Saskatoon South
7. Montreal West
8. Milton West
9. Hamilton West
10. Abbotsford

The top five positions for the collection from Atfal is as follows:

1. Durham
2. Milton West
3. Bradford
4. Hamilton South
5. Saskatoon

The positions for the provinces in India are as follows:

1. Kerala
2. Jammu Kashmir
3. Karnataka
4. Telangana
5. Tamil Nadu
6. Odisha
7. West Bengal
8. Punjab
9. Delhi
10. Uttar Pradesh

The positions for the districts in India are as follows:

1. Hyderabad
2. Qadian
3. Pathapiriyam
4. Calicut
5. Kolkata
6. Bangalore
7. Chennai
8. Karauli
9. Rishi Nagar
10. Delhi

The positions of the first ten Jamaats in Australia in terms of collections are as follows:

1. Castle Hill
2. Melbourne Long Warren
3. Penrith
4. Melbourne Berwick
5. Marsden Park
6. Brisbane
7. Adelaide South
8. Brisbane Logan
9. Canberra

• Plumpton

The positions from the Atfal collection are as follows:

1. Adelaide South
2. Brisbane Logan
3. Melbourne Long Warren
4. Melbourne, Berwick
5. Brisbane South
6. Marsden Park
7. Mount Druitt
8. Castle Hill
9. Melbourne East

Since these names have been written in Urdu, therefore there is a possibility that some may have been mispronounced but those local Jamaats will nonetheless have been informed.

May God Almighty bless all those who have taken part and bless their wealth and enable them to offer exemplary sacrifices in the future as well.