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

In his magnum opus, The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, the Promised Messiah^(as) has mentioned eight means of finding and recognising God Almighty and strengthening one’s faith in Him. The attainment of these means are also necessary to fulfil the purpose of man’s creation.

In reference to what I shall speak about today, I will mention one of these means in an excerpt of the Promised Messiah^(as) which he has explained is the fifth means [to attain the aforementioned]. He states:

“The fifth means of achieving the purpose of life appointed by God Almighty, is striving in His cause; that is to say, we should seek God by spending our wealth in His cause, and by employing all our faculties in furthering His cause, and by laying down our lives in His cause and by employing our reason in His cause; as it is said:

جَاہِدُوْا بِاَمْوَالِکُمْ وَاَنْفُسِکُمْ فِیْ سَبِیْلِ اللّٰہِ

وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنٰہُمْ یُنْفِقُوْنَ

وَالَّذِیْنَ جَاہَدُوْا فِیْنَا لَنَہْدِیَنَّہُمْ سُبُلَنَا

“Strive in His way with your wealth and your lives and with all your faculties”. (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.41),

“Whatever We have bestowed upon you of intelligence and knowledge and understanding and art, employ it in Our cause.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.4)

We surely guide along Our ways those who strive after Us.” (Surah al-Ankabut, Ch.29: V.70) (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 10, pp. 418-419)

Then, mentioning one of the ways in which one can attain the love of God Almighty, the Promised Messiah^(as) stated on one occasion:

“It is not possible for you to love wealth as well as to love Allah. You can love only one of the two. Fortunate is he who loves Allah. If any of you loves Him and spends his wealth in His cause, I am certain that his wealth will increase more than that of others, for wealth does not come by itself, rather it comes by Allah’s will. Whoever parts with some of his wealth for the sake of Allah, will surely get it back. But he who loves his wealth and does not serve in the way of Allah as he ought to, will surely lose his wealth.” (Majmua Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 497)

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“It should be so that every member, every individual of our Community pledges that they shall [regularly] offer a certain amount of Chanda. Whosoever makes this pledge for the sake of Allah the Exalted, Allah will in turn bless his wealth.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 6, p. 41)

The Promised Messiah^(as) has explained that at times, people are unaware or they are new to the Jamaat, or they are negligent; or even if they are not negligent, they sometimes are unmindful with regard to offering financial sacrifice. Therefore, it is our duty to teach them and advise them that if they have forged a true bond then they ought to make a sincere pledge to Allah the Almighty that they will certainly contribute towards Chanda.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, there are hundreds of thousands of such sincere members who, when they are reminded about the importance of Chanda, strive to increase in financial sacrifices in order to gain the love of Allah the Almighty. This is also the reason why I have been reminding the administration of the Jamaat for many years that they ought to include new converts in the system of financial sacrifices.

It has also been observed that the affluent people, both here and in other countries, pay Chanda on behalf of their poorer relatives; at times, the administration in Africa and similarly in other developing countries ask the more affluent members to pay on the behalf of their poorer relatives. Indeed, this is an act of virtue, however, those people should also participate themselves according to their capacities, even if they are poor.

The purpose of this is not to merely collect wealth, rather it is to offer sacrifices for the religion of God Almighty in order to acquire His love. Hence, wherever the administration of the Jamaat collects the Chanda in this manner, i.e. by encouraging people to pay Chanda on behalf of others and record the person’s name, it is incorrect. At times, such issues are also brought to my attention.

Nevertheless, I have generally observed in light of reports that are received that the accounts from the less affluent members are significantly more. They have a greater sense of realisation that they have to offer financial sacrifices. Furthermore, many a time, I present the accounts of their sacrifices in my sermons. One is astonished by the level of their sacrifice.

If a person is affluent and has a lot of wealth, it would not be an extraordinary achievement for them if they were to sacrifice some of their wealth. However, if a person faces difficult and straitened circumstances, yet makes financial sacrifices in the cause of the religion of God Almighty in order to acquire His love then this is the true spirit of sacrifice, which then becomes a means of gaining the nearness of Allah the Almighty. Such examples were also witnessed during the time of the Promised Messiah^(as).

Once, the Promised Messiah^(as) was in need of some funds in order to publish some books. A member of the Jamaat was informed of this need and was told to encourage the members of his local Jamaat to help raise funds. However, instead of urging the members, he personally contributed to fulfil the need, despite his straitened financial circumstances. Moreover, he gave the impression as if this fund was raised by the people of his local Jamaat. The Promised Messiah^(as) was also unaware of this personal sacrifice of his and it only came to light when the Promised Messiah^(as) expressed his gratitude to another member of the same local Jamaat by saying that their Jamaat had helped right at the hour of need. When it became apparent that this sacrifice was made by a single individual, the other members of the Jamaat were upset as to why they were not given the opportunity to render this service.

The person who offered this contribution was Munshi Zafar Ahmad Sahib^(ra), who sold the jewellery of his wife on that occasion and provided this amount. Thus, his wife also partook in this sacrifice as well. Munshi Arore Sahib^(ra) was a friend of Munshi Zafar Sahib^(ra) and was a member of the same Jamaat. When Munshi Arore Sahib^(ra) learnt about this sacrifice through the Promised Messiah^(as), he remained upset with Munshi Zafar Sahib^(ra) for several months as to why he did not inform him and instead personally provided the funds. (Ashab-e-Ahmad, Vol. 4, pp. 97-98)

Thus, Allah the Almighty blessed the Promised Messiah^(as) with such individuals, who were ready to make every sacrifice in order to acquire the love of God. This is the example, which the Companions^(ra) of the Holy Prophet^(sa) established and which the followers of the Promised Messiah^(as) have adopted in this era. This is not limited to that time alone, in fact this practise still continues today. We observe how people make financial sacrifices for various initiatives, and they do so by placing themselves in difficulties. We also witness that how Allah the Almighty, Who does not remain indebted to anyone, blesses them in return.

I will now mention and present some incidents and examples before you. As the New Year for Waqf-e-Jadid will be announced today, these incidents will generally be in relation to Waqf-e-Jadid.

A local missionary in the Gambia, Kebba Jallow Sahib, narrates an incident, which highlights the treatment of Allah the Almighty towards His servants and to those who offer sacrifices. He says that a new Ahmadi, Abdullie Jawo Sahib, who belonged to a local village, would grow corn and ground nut but for the last few years, the harvest was not very fruitful. This year, he sold the seeds for the ground nut and completed his Chanda for Waqf-e-Jadid, which was approximately 700 dalasi, so that Allah the Exalted would bless his farming and crops. He says that as a result of this financial sacrifice, Allah the Almighty blessed his crops to such an extent that he profited three times as much as the previous year. Hence, after harvesting his crops, he contributed one thousand dalasi towards Waqf-e-Jadid.

Then, there is a member, Uthman Sahib, who lives in a village in the north of the Gambia. He says that in the previous year, he had promised to contribute a bucket of corn towards Waqf-e-Jadid. (An affluent person, who has hundreds of thousands of pounds may contribute one thousand dollars, or one thousand pounds or even five thousand pounds, but this is not a significant sacrifice for such a person. In the eyes of those who dwell in cities and Europe may not consider a bucket of corn to be a significant sacrifice, but for them these means of provisions and farming are a great sacrifice on their part.) He promised to contribute one bucket of corn, which one may be able to acquire here for five or six pounds. He says that even though the harvest was very little in the previous year and only twelve sacks were harvested and the expenditures of the home were being borne with great difficulty, he still managed to fulfil his promise. He says that as a result of this sacrifice, he harvested 30 sacks of corn this year and he harvested another 15 sacks from another crop. Hence, even a small amount given with sincerity is accepted by Allah the Almighty in such a manner that He returns it manifold and this subsequently becomes a means for them to gain the nearness of Allah the Almighty and to strengthen their faith in Him.

There is another example in which one can witness the favours of Allah Almighty. A Muallim in Cameroon says:

“When Ahmado Sahib, a new convert from a village called Digoee, was informed about the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme, he offered to give two buckets of corn.” People are always ready to offer every form of sacrifice. “Ahmado Sahib informed me that his farm was not producing enough yield and he was unable to maintain it due to a lack of funds. The government was willing to provide support, but he would have to first deposit funds to the government and only then would the government invest. Ahmado Sahib states, ‘I did not have enough money to make deposit payment. My name was on the list, but I was not going to receive any [support] as I was unable to deposit the initial amount.’” The mualim said to him, “You should start offering Tahajud [pre-dawn voluntary] prayers and pray to Allah the Almighty to grant His blessings.” The mualim then said, “A few days ago he visited me and said, ‘God Almighty has accepted our prayers. I did not have to deposit any payment to the relevant department of the Government, yet they provided me with a water pump machine for the farm along with 500,000 CFA Francs for planting seeds.’ Thus he began working very hard on his farm, and he thought that because of this, his farm will produce a good harvest. He stated, ‘God Almighty accepted my meagre sacrifice and in return, He bestowed His favours upon me.’ As a result, he doubled his donation for Waqf-e-Jadid.”

Nur Khair Sahib, a missionary from Indonesia, states:

“There is a couple who live a very simple life; however, they offer donations regularly. They separate the appropriate donation amount from their earnings and store it away in a box, and they present their donation to the missionary who visits their area.” They live in a far-off island. “Once, no missionary was able to visit their area for more than a year. Despite this, they continued to regularly set aside an amount for their Chanda donations. After a year, when one of the missionaries visited them, they offered a large amount of contribution, which they had set aside in that box. They said to the missionary, ‘We have attained great profit this time and as a result, our belief in the blessings of offering financial sacrifices has strengthened further. We too have now witnessed this. Once, someone deceived us in giving money. We wanted to find out what caused this, and after some reflection, we understood the reason for that loss was that we had not offered our Chanda as we should have.’ Thereafter, they started to set money aside in that box for donation. They took care of this matter with immense caution and ensured that the donation amount was correctly calculated from their income. They stated, ‘We are not truly content until our donation amount has been put aside.’” This is another example of how Allah the Almighty uses different ways of reforming certain individuals through their losses. As a result, this strengthens them in their faith.

Bashiruddin Sahib, a missionary from Indonesia, writes:

“A member contributed 500,000 Indonesian rupees towards Waqf-e-Jadid.” The value of the Indonesian currency is very low, however for them it is a significant contribution. “After a few days, someone sold their land to him, which he purchased for 15 million Indonesian rupees. However, just a few weeks later, someone else purchased this land from him for 50 million Indonesian rupees.” He bought the land for 15 million rupees and after a few weeks, someone bought this land from him for 50 million rupees. He further writes, “It is his belief that for him to earn a profit of 35 million Indonesian rupees in a short span of a few weeks was only due to the blessings of contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid donation.” A worldly person may consider this to be a result of their business acumen and would say that this was owing to his intelligence that he managed this transaction and gained a profit of 35 million [rupees]. However, those who wish to attain the love and affection of Allah the Almighty, those who offer sacrifices for His sake, it is only they who will think that since they donated Chanda for the sake of God Almighty, He returned it manifold.”

There is another faith-inspiring incident from Indonesia. Masoom Sahib, who is a missionary there, writes:

“An Ahmadi migrated to the island of Solah Beesi for employment. In the beginning, he faced challenging circumstances to the extent that he did not even have a place to live. So he had to be accommodated in the mission house. Later on, he began a small business of selling fish. He worked very hard and even though his earning were very low, he did not hesitate in offering financial sacrifices. After some time had passed, his circumstances changed for the better. Currently, his contributions to the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme is the highest in his area, and he is also a Moosi. According to him, all of this is as a result of his financial sacrifices.”

Abdur Rahman Sahib from the Gambia states that he was facing a lot of difficulty in paying for his child’s school fees. So he informed the central missionary about this. The missionary advised him to offer financial sacrifice and Allah the Almighty would shower His blessings upon him. Thus, he donated 250 dalasi towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. He states that only one week had passed that he found a job with the salary of 5,000 dalasi. Now he can pay his child’s school fees and, various other day to day needs are also being met. Now he informs others regarding the blessings and favours of Allah the Almighty and how Allah the Almighty granted him through the blessings of offering Chanda. Just as this incident has strengthened his faith, it also blessed his income.

Observe how a poor person offers sacrifice and puts his trust in Allah the Almighty and how Allah the Almighty honours that faith. A missionary of Guinea-Bissau shared an incident. He states:

“A member, Monteiro Camara Sahib, was reminded about his pledge to donate towards Waqf-e-Jadid. He responded by saying, ‘I currently have 4,000 CFA Franc to eat today.’ This is a very insignificant amount and they have large families to feed as well. He had kept the 4,000 CFA Franc aside for their food. Nonetheless, he said that he would try to arrange something.  After some time, he donated the same amount he had kept for the food towards his Chanda and left to borrowed some money.” He states, “The very next day his daughter visited him from the city and brought with her two sacks of rice, one canister of oil as well as some money and other items. This convinced him that Allah the Almighty blessed his act of donating the money he had kept for food in such a manner that the very next day, he received countless other food items.” These people are such that they will remain hungry but continue to offer sacrifices.

Amir Sahib France has written an incident which is another example of how God Almighty increases people in their faith. He states:

“An Arab member who lives in France said, ‘I heard His Holiness’ sermon from last year in which he narrated incidents of those who offered financial sacrifices (just as I am narrating incidents today as well). That sermon had a profound effect on me.’ He is 46 years old. He stated, ‘I was facing extreme financial difficulties. I had never gone through such tough financial circumstances previously. I was compelled to take a loan from my bank and they were now constantly asking me for repayment. I had been warned that my bank account would be closed if the payment was not returned and I would receive a fine as well.’ He states, ‘During these days there was a general meeting in our area. Prior to attending the meeting, my friend forcibly handed me 20 euros, and I kept this amount in my pocket as I had nothing else. I thought that this amount could be used for the next few days. I then left to attend the meeting. When the finance secretary mentioned about financial sacrifices, I offered those 20 euros towards Chanda. A few days later, I received a phone call from my bank. Since I was used to hearing bad news and the circumstances had worsened, I assumed that this call would be about some bad news and the bank might have taken severe action against me. On the contrary, the bank informed me that the relevant department had advised them not to close my account, and the 600 euros that I owed should in fact be deposited in my account as credit.’ He states, ‘This astonished me a lot because usually the banks are very strict about such matters. After a few days, I received a large amount of money from my work insurance which had been pending for some time. All of this transpired after I heard the sermon on Waqf-e-Jadid and donated a meagre amount of money towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. Before, I used to wonder if the miraculous incidents that we usually hear about other people could ever happen to me. However, Allah the Almighty has shown me an example of the blessings of Chanda. I now have firm faith that such miracles do take place.’”

Qaisar Sahib, missionary from Haiti, writes about a faith-inspiring incident that shows the treatment of Allah Almighty and how it strengthens one’s faith.

The accounts I am narrating are from different places around the world. Some are from Africa, and others are from America, Europe; some are from the Northern hemisphere and some are in the Southern hemisphere. Although these people have no direct link with one another, however their accounts are very similar.

“A few days ago, Ibrahim Sahib, a new convert from the Port-au-Prince, was going home from his office when he dropped a file along the way. There was some sensitive paperwork, documents and an amount of 13,000 gourde in this file.” Gourde is the currency of Haiti. “He returned along the same path to recover his file but found nothing. He made a promise to himself that he would make sure to donate the 1,000 gourdes which he had pledged towards Waqf-e-Jadid regardless of whether or not he had the funds and would even borrow money if he had to. Hence, he borrowed money from someone and donated it towards his pledge for Waqf-e-Jadid. Ibrahim states, ‘The same day that I offered my Chanda I received a phone call from an unknown person who informed me that my file was in his possession and I should pick it up. I went to meet this person immediately, and he handed me the file and sid, “I had to go through your file to locate your contact information. So please check to ensure that your documents and the money are all intact.” I checked and found everything was there.’ He further states, ‘I thanked Allah the Almighty for this and was convinced that this was merely the blessings of offering the Chanda in that I found my very important documents and the money even when it seemed completely impossible to find.’”

The missionary in-charge of Guinea Conakry writes that an Ahmadi friend by the name of Abu Bakr Sahib from a village in the Kindia region was encouraged to make a donation towards Waqf-e-Jadid. Initially he was reluctant to do so but then he fulfilled his promise. A short while after making this contribution he told our local missionary that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was most certainly a divine community. He states:

“I work for the government and some time ago I broke my leg in an accident, and owing to the insufficient medical facilities at the time, they were unable to administer proper treatment. As a result, one of my legs is shorter than the other and this left me in a state of unrelenting pain. But after saving money for some time, a doctor told me that my leg could be treated if I have an operation. Hence, I had saved up some money at the time in order to have the operation on my leg, but when the missionary encouraged me to make financial sacrifices, I thought to myself that I would not donate this time and instead save the money for the operation. However, God Almighty granted me the resolution [to donate] and it came to mind that I should place my trust in God Almighty and donate the entire amount.” He further states, “Not even two days had passed that I received a letter from my office that the government would take on the full costs of the operation and I may have the treatment wherever I desired.” He says that this only happened due to the blessings of giving charity. This is no mere coincidence, this is how God Almighty treats those who place their trust in Him so as to strengthen their faith, and it also serves as a proof to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^(as).

Mamoon Rasheed Sahib, Waqf-e-Jadid Secretary in Qadian, writes:

“Due to some personal issues, Sulaija Sahib was in arrears in his Waqf-e-Jadid payments. His brother encouraged him to make the donation as soon as possible as the year was coming to an end. However, he did not have enough money in his account to make the full payment, there was only enough to make 30% of the payment. He became very anxious as to how he could make the full payment. In the end, he donated whatever amount he had in his account. He says that within a few moments, an amount of money was received in his account in a most miraculous manner from God Almighty which was sufficient enough to pay the arrears in full. Thus, he donated the amount that he had promised there and then. He says that his habit was always to pay the full amount he promised prior to the end of the year, but this year, due to his ill-health and that of his children, he had some arrears and was very concerned as a result. Yet, God Almighty made arrangements for him in a miraculous manner and he says that it was also a means of strengthening his faith.”

Abdul Mahmood Sahib of India, who is the secretary for Waqf-e-Jadid, relates the incident of a member living in a village of Birbhum in the Bengal. His incident is such that he had a wholesale grocery shop which was running well, by the grace of Allah. As he would open the store he would begin every day by placing 100 rupees in a box, which he would give towards charity according to his promise. He says that one day, very few customers came to buy from his shop and he was unable meet his expenditure. Nevertheless, the following day the thought did not even cross his mind that he shall not place 100 rupees in the box. So as he opened his shop the next day, rather than placing 100 rupees in the box, he placed 300 rupees and thought to himself, “Why not enter into a transaction with God Almighty today.” Subsequently, God Almighty blessed him that on the same day, eight customers came to the shop. It was a large-scale business and it took up a lot of time as he would have had to lift the sacks etc. He says that he became so busy that he had no choice but to send one of the customers back, telling him to return the following day, all the while he continued to supply the goods to the other customers till the late night. By the grace of Allah, he made a good profit that day, and added that when God Almighty is pleased with someone, He grants them so much that they are unable to even handle it with both hands.

Abdul Aziz Sahib, the missionary of the Oio region in Guinea Bissau says that when a frail elderly woman, Mascuta Sahiba, was encouraged to contribute towards Waqf-e-Jadid, she replied:

“I had saved up enough money for my promise but at night, as I was going to my brother’s house, the money had fallen and was lost along the way. I am still searching for the money and will give it as soon I find it.” Thereafter, she continued to search for the money but was unable to find it anywhere. Therefore, she borrowed money from her daughter and paid the amount towards Waqf-e-Jadid. After doing so, she went again in an attempt to find the bag she dropped. She says, “I only went forward a few metres and all of a sudden found the money which was sealed in a plastic bag in the middle of the road.” She was extremely happy as a result of this and the following day she returned and completed her promise. Thereafter, she informed others that this was merely due to the blessings of contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid that God Almighty returned the money she had lost.

Ahmad Bilal Sahib, a missionary from the Sikasso region of Mali, writes that Ahmad Jala Sahib, a new convert, came to the mission-house and said that he used to contribute in giving charity regularly, but due to some financial restraints, he was unable to do so this time. One day, he saw in a dream that he was walking with a group of people along a wide path and this path divided ahead into many different paths. In fact, the paths ahead were all extremely difficult to traverse through. In that moment, he prayed and a mount came down from the sky which carried them into the sky and when they had crossed over the difficult path, it brought them back down to the wide path again. He says that he then saw a pious person who told him that this mount only came to take him due to the fact that he gave charity. He further says that one faces difficulties from time to time, but God Almighty grants ease in the time of hardship for an Ahmadi who regularly gives charity in the way of Allah. Thus, this convert made his contribution to charity and made the resolution that no matter what happens in future, he shall never be negligent in giving charity. Thus, can this be called a coincidence?

Amir Sahib Tanzania writes:

“I went to a Jamaat in the Arusha region to encourage the people to donate towards charity. Fatimah Sahiba, a poor member who makes a living by selling bananas and other fruits donated two days’ worth of earnings towards Waqf-e-Jadid and encouraged her family to also be regular in their payments to the scheme. Likewise, there was an elderly lady of the Jamaat who was also encouraged to make donations, so the following morning at 8am, she came herself to the mission-house and donated 5,000 shillings to Waqf-e-Jadid.” These people are those regarding whom the Promised Messiah^(as) has stated that one is left astonished after witnessing the extent to which they make sacrifices, and that if they are ever encouraged to do so, they are ever-willing to offer their sacrifices. (Zamima Risala Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 11, p. 313 [footnote])

Amir Sahib Tanzania has written about another incident, saying, “For the last few years, the state of the country’s economy has been extremely constricted, yet despite this, Ahmadis are making financial sacrifices with utmost sincerity.”

Waziri Sahib is a member from a city in Arusha, who makes a living by selling newspapers. When he was encouraged to contribute to Waqf-e-Jadid, he gave within his means and said that in future, he would save the money from not buying a cup of tea every day and instead, give that in charity.” Thus, this is how this poor person saved money by giving up his daily cup of tea and to give that money instead to charity. This is the true understanding of attaining nearness to God Almighty.

Amir Sahib Tanzania also writes:

“There is a very sincere young man of a Jamaat in the Mara region. Normally he would make the full payment towards Waqf-e-Jadid prior to the end of the Waqf-e-Jadid year, but due to the economic situation, this year he was in arrears of 15,000 shillings. He only had a small amount of money,” and the shilling itself is not a strong currency, “so he calculated that if he also donates this amount at the end of the month, he would not have enough for his expenditures. Despite this, he placed his trust in God Almighty and donated that sum of money. The very next day, he received a phone call from his work that his three months’ worth of bills to be paid were cleared. Furthermore, he also received a significant pay at the beginning of the year. He firmly believes that owing to the blessings of giving alms, a few days later he received six times the amount he had given.” How things had changed where at first, he was unable to even pay his bills, to the point where God Almighty then granted him six times more money than before.

A missionary of the Kaya region of Burkina Faso writes:

“There is an Ahmadi by the name Abdu Sahib who says that he would contribute to charity, but was not regular in doing so. The previous year he decided to make full efforts to participate in all the initiatives. He said that ever since he became regular in giving in charity, by the grace of Allah, all his affairs; his wealth, cattle, crops and everything else were all filled with blessings. Furthermore, the difficulties he was facing and which left him concerned slowly began to resolve themselves. It was only a month ago that his wife was pregnant and he did not have enough funds to pay for the hospital costs. However, when the time came for the delivery, God Almighty granted support from the unseen where the whole matter was resolved, his daughter was born and his wife was recovering well. He says that he witnessed all this with his own eyes and understood that it was out of the sheer blessings of giving charity.”

The missionary of Russia writes that Badayan Adwarad Sahib, an Armenian living in Russia, was able to accept Ahmadiyyat after a lot of research and deliberation. As he accepted Ahmadiyyat, he was informed about the system of financial sacrifice within the Community. Thereafter he became regular in contributing monthly to Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid. He travels extensively for his job, within the country and also to other countries, but despite all his travelling, he was regular in making his donations. He has an ordinary job; he does not travel owing to the fact that he was a very wealthy person. Adwarad Sahib states that he had to travel to Armenia for work in January 2020. From there he was supposed to travel to Kazan for some important work, however, he did not have enough money to travel. He was very anxious and was praying constantly. He says that on 30 December, a company deposited money into his account, an amount that he was expecting the following February [i.e. February 2020]. He stated that there were other people who were also expecting this payment, however, he was the only one who received his payment in December [as opposed to February 2020]. He was convinced that this was only due to the blessings of paying Chanda, otherwise it was inconceivable that from among so many people, only he received his amount on 30 December. He further writes that only an Ahmadi Muslim can experience this love and kind treatment from God Almighty. God Almighty strengthens the faith of others in this manner.

Waqar Sahib, a missionary serving in the San Pedro region of the Ivory Coast writes:

“In 2014, a small Jamaat consisting of 20 members was established in a village called Fatakoro. Jara Sahib, who was originally from Burkina Faso, was an active member of that Jamaat, but it had been one year that he had returned to Burkina Faso. He was anxious because other members of the Jamaat were not as active, and they required moral training. Nonetheless, they made contact with his son, Isa Jara, who was married and worked as a farmer. He was encouraged to attend the National Ijtema and was told about the blessings and importance of giving Chanda, the importance of remaining attached to the Jamaat as well as remaining engaged in prayers.” He then says, “Isa Sahib came to see me in December before the National Jalsa Salana [Annual Convention] and handed 10,000 francs for Chanda. I was surprised by this because compared to his circumstances, this was a large amount and therefore asked him why he gave such an amount? Upon this he said, ‘Since I started paying Chanda, God Almighty has blessed me greatly. My farm produces more yield as compared to others. A short while ago, I saw a saintly gentleman in a dream who had a glowing countenance and was calling others towards the right path.’ He then further said, ‘This was the Promised Messiah^(as) who was calling the world towards guidance. All praise is due to Allah the Almighty, for He granted me the opportunity to join the Ahmadiyya community.’ He then stated that he now regularly gives Chanda.”

The secretary for Waqf-e-Jadid in India mentioned an incident relating to a twelve-year-old girl. He stated that she was regular in giving Chanda for Waqf-e-Jadid each year. She would collect the money in her wallet. She is unable to speak nor able to hear, yet whenever she saw others giving Chanda, she also wished to give Chanda and would save money for it.

Similarly, the missionary in Liberia writes:

“There is a Jamaat in the Cape Mount County. After the Maghrib and Isha prayers, I urged the members to participate in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. Hence, as is their practice, the members came one by one to give their Chanda and also for their family members. During this time, two young boys, Suleman and Abdullah Kamara, stood up and left the mosque. After a short while, both boys returned with 20 Liberian dollars each, which they paid towards their Chanda. Since usually the parents pay the Chanda on behalf of the children, I was curious to know how they managed to pay the chanda themselves. The two children said that since they learnt that it was the directive of the Khalifa for children to participate in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme, they decided to save money so they could pay Chanda themselves.” These children reside in a distant land and perhaps have never even seen the Khalifa. It is only God Almighty Who can instil this level of loyalty and connection in their hearts. May Allah the Almighty increase them in their loyalty and sincerity.

Thus, whether an Ahmadi is young or old, a new convert or Ahmadi birth, they understand full well that in order to attain the love of God Almighty, one must spend in His way. For some people, God Almighty Himself shows them the path, as I have mentioned in some of the accounts. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet^(sa), the people who sacrifice in the way of God Almighty are those who are deemed worthy of envy.

I will now present the report for the sacrifices offered as part of the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme for the previous year and also announce the beginning of the new year for the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the 62^nd year of Waqf-e-Jadid came to an end on 31 December [2019] and the new year for Waqf-e-Jadid commenced from 1 January [2020].

During the course of the year, members of the Jamaat were able to make a total sacrifice of £9.643 million, which is an increase of £500,000 from the previous year.

In terms of the overall contribution, the UK stood first; further details are as follows: United Kingdom stood first, followed by Pakistan, Germany, USA, Canada, India, Australia, Indonesia and two Jamaats in the Middle East. Amir Sahib [UK] said that the UK would increase in their Waqf-e-Jadid, and it seems that he has fulfilled his word.

The first ten of the large Jamaats who have significantly increased their collection in their local currency from the previous year are as follows: Indonesia is first, then Germany, then USA, then there are other Jamaats, but in any case, these are the first three from among the large Jamaats.

India has also achieved a notable increase, as did Canada, UK, the Middle East Jamaats, Pakistan and Australia, but the increase in local currency for India was more than these other countries. Therefore, India is in fifth position.

In terms of the total contribution of countries in Africa, the positions are as follows: Ghana is first, Nigeria is second, Burkina Faso is third, Tanzania is fourth, Benin is fifth, The Gambia is sixth, Kenya is seventh, Mali is eighth, Sierra Leone is ninth and Congo-Kinshasa is tenth.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the total number of members that participated in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme was 1.821 million, which is an increase of 89,000 participants. The countries that have made a notable effort in relation to increasing the number of participants are Cameroon, who stood first, then Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Indonesia and there are other Jamaats as well.

In terms of total collection, the ten large Jamaats of the UK are: Islamabad** is first, Aldershot is second, Worcester park is third, then Birmingham South, Masjid Fazl, Putney, Gillingham, New Malden, Birmingham West and Hounslow North. The first five regions are Baitul Futuh Region, who stood first, then Masjid Fazl Region, Midlands Region, Islamabad Region and Baitul Ehsan Region.

The first ten Jamaats for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Aldershot is first, then Roehampton, Putney, Islamabad, Mitcham Park, Cheam, Leamington spa, Worcester Park, Raynes park and Surbiton.

The positions of the Jamaats in Pakistan for the collection from adults are as follows: Lahore is first, Rabwah is second and Karachi is third. The currency of Pakistan has devalued significantly and owing to this they have fallen in the rankings. If the value of the currency of Pakistan was the same as it was last year, they would have stood first again, therefore considering this the UK have not performed extraordinarily.

The positions of the districts of Pakistan for the collection from adults are as follows: Islamabad, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mirpur Khas and Peshawar.

The first ten Jamaats in terms of collection are as follows: Islamabad, Township Lahore, Defence Lahore, Darul Zikr Lahore, Gulshan Iqbal Karachi, Samana Bagh Lahore, Rawalpindi, Azizabad Karachi, Gulsham Jami Karachi and Delhi Gate Lahore. Although they are faced with all sorts of difficulties, yet by the grace of Allah, people there are excelling in their sacrifices.

The three large Jamaats in Pakistan for the collection of Daftar Atfal are as follows: Lahore is first, Karachi is second and Rabwah is third and the positions of the districts are as follows: Sialkot is first, Gujranwala is second, then Sargodha, Hyderabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sheikhupura, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Okara and Peshawar.

In terms of total contribution, the first five local Jamaats – Amaraat – of Germany are as follows: Hamburg stood first, then Frankfurt stood second, Dietzenbach third, Gross-Gerau fourth and Wiesbaden fifth. The positions of first ten Jamaats for the collection from adults are as follows: Neuss, Rödermark, Nieda, Mahdi-Abad, Flörsheim, Friedburg, Bensheim, Langen, Koblenz, Hanau and Pinneberg

The first five regions for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Hessen Sud Ost, Hessen Mitte, Towinz, Piessen South, Rhein Falls – the German [Jamaat] can correct the names accordingly.

The positions of the first ten Jamaats in the USA for their total contribution are as follows: Maryland, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Houston, Central Virginia, Seattle, Detroit, South Virginia, Chicago and North Virginia.

The positions of the Amarats in Canada for their total contribution is as follows: Vaughan, Calgary, Peace Village, Vancouver, Mississauga.

The position of the large Jamaats [in Canada] are as follows: Durham, Bradford, Edmonton West, Milton West, Hamilton Mountain, Ottowa East, Ottowa West, Airdrie, Winnipeg and Abbotsford.

The five notable Amarat for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Vaughan (they have written it as Vogan in their report, whereas I believe it is actually Vaughan), Calgary, Peace Village, Western, Brampton West.

The five notable Jamaats for Daftar Atfal are as follows: Durham, Bradford, Milton West, Airdire and Hamilton Mountain.

The positions for the provinces in India are as follows: Kerala is first, Jammu Kashmir stood second – despite the difficult circumstances, they attained second position – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The positions of the Jamaats in terms of contribution are as follows: Pathapiriyam, Qadian, Hyderabad, Calicut, Bangalore, Kyobator, Kolkata, Karulai, Kerang and Pengadi.

The overall positions of the first ten Jamaats in Australia are as follows: Melbourne Long [Warren], Castle Hill, Melbourne Berwick, Marsden Park, Adelaide South, MT Druitt, Penrith, Black Town, Canberra and Perth.

The position of the Jamaats in Australia for the collection from Atfal are as follows: Melbourne Long Warren, Adelaide South, Melbourne Berwick, MT Druitt, Penrith, Logan East, Perth, Marsden Park, Castle Hill and Logan West.

The position of the Jamaats in Australia for the collection from adults are as follows: Castle Hill, Melbourne Long Warren, Marsden Park, Melbourne Berwick, MT Druitt, Black Town, Adelaide South, Penrith, Canberra and Perth. Even in Australia these days, the [bush] fires have caused a lot of destruction, may Allah Almighty have mercy on them and may the people there recognise their creator. Despite all this, the Ahmadis there are offering great sacrifices. May God Almighty greatly bless the wealth and progeny of all those around the world who offered sacrifices.

As mentioned earlier, the economic conditions of Pakistan are worsening as a result of which their currency has devalued significantly. Hence they have fallen behind in the rankings [for Waqf-e-Jadid]. Despite all of this, they have not allowed their sacrifices to diminish. Similarly, the political situation in Pakistan is also unstable and this has a bearing on the economic conditions. Furthermore, in that region, the tensions are heightening between India and Pakistan.

According to the news reports, the internal state of affairs within India is also grave. In the context of the overall situation in the world, it is as if the world itself is calling out for its own destruction.

The Middle East is also falling into further disarray.

There is a growing possibility of war erupting between the USA, Iran and Israel. There is no unity among the Muslim countries. Thus, we ought to pray profusely to save the world from catastrophe and for mankind to turn towards God Almighty. May God Almighty shower His blessings and grant them wisdom and understanding.

As we enter the New Year, we congratulate one another, however clouds of darkness continue to gather ahead. Thus, in order to make this year a blessed one, we should pray to God Almighty, that may He halt governments, who only want to prove their superiority over others and consequently lead the world towards destruction. In contrast, however, we should pray that may He enable the governments to instead dispense justice and peace in the world.

May these governments not annihilate mankind having succumbed to their egos and in pursuit of their vested interests. May God Almighty grant them wisdom. May the Muslim countries wave the flag of the Holy Prophet^(sa) aloft throughout the world and spread the Unity of God by attaching themselves to his Ardent Devotee, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, as opposed to exceeding all bounds in opposing the Promised Messiah^(as) as they have done so.

May God Almighty grant us the ability to do more justice to believing in the Imam of the Age and may we thereby wave the flag of the Unity of God in the world. May we bring others under the flag of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and may we exhaust all our efforts and faculties in achieving this. If we fail to adopt this approach and mentality and to pray in this manner when entering the New Year, then congratulating one another on the New Year would be superficial and serve no purpose.

Thus, true New Year greetings place a great responsibility upon every Ahmadi, be they men, women or children, and they ought to be mindful of this. We must utilise all of our strengths, faculties and capabilities and strive to our utmost to achieve this. Through our prayers, we must form a special relationship with God Almighty and only then can we receive the blessings of this year. May God Almighty enable us to do so.

** Please note: In the following sermon of 10 January 2019, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aa) highlighted a correction in the position of the Jamaats in the UK. Huzoor mentioned that, in fact, Aldershot Jamaat attained first position and Islamabad Jamaat was second.