After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aa) recited verse 266 of Surah al-Baqarah, before commencing with the Friday Sermon:

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِیۡنَ یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ اَمۡوَالَہُمُ ابۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ اللّٰہِ وَتَثۡبِیۡتًا مِّنۡ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ کَمَثَلِ جَنَّۃٍۭ بِرَبۡوَۃٍ اَصَابَہَا وَابِلٌ فَاٰتَتۡ اُکُلَہَا ضِعۡفَیۡنِ ۚ فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ یُصِبۡہَا وَابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ ؕ وَاللّٰہُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ بَصِیۡرٌ

The translation of this verse is as follows:

“And the case of those who spend their wealth to seek the pleasure of Allah and to strengthen their souls is like the case of a garden on elevated ground. Heavy rain falls on it so that it brings forth its fruit twofold. And if heavy rain does not fall on it, then light rain suffices. And Allah sees what you do.”

In this verse, Allah the Almighty depicts the conditions of the believers who spend in His way in order to acquire the pleasure of Allah the Almighty; firstly these are the people who spend in the way of Allah the Almighty in accordance with His command and in order to acquire His pleasure and secondly, in order to strengthen their nation and mission.

In this age, the task of spreading the teachings of Islam and conveying its message has been entrusted to the Promised Messiah^(as) and it is also the duty of his followers to sacrifice their life, wealth and time in order to complete the mission of the Promised Messiah^(as). Prophets of every age and every nation encouraged their followers to offer financial sacrifices and the Promised Messiah^(as) has also stated that one should sacrifice a portion of one’s wealth for the sake of serving religion; it is through this that one can gauge the sincerity of one’s faith. Believers most certainly make financial sacrifices for the sake of their religion; however, the objective of their sacrifices is not to render a favour upon someone; rather, they merely desire that their Lord be pleased with them, and that they are granted steadfastness and that their faith and conviction are strengthened. Also, they desire for their nation to prosper, to strengthen the weak through their wealth as much as possible and to fulfil the purpose of having pledged allegiance to the Imam of this age, who is the true Servant of the Holy Prophet^(sa).

Hence, such people think beyond their personal interests. Their soul draws them towards making sacrifices and acquiring the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. As such, they attain the highest ranks in offering sacrifices, or they endeavour to attain these lofty ranks. Subsequently, Allah the Almighty also accepts the sacrifices of these individuals and blesses them with His grace.

Allah the Almighty knows the state of our hearts; He is aware of our intentions. As such, He does not look at whether a large or a small amount has been given; rather, Allah the Almighty rewards [the believers] according to one’s intentions. Therefore, Allah the Almighty states in this verse that the example of those who spend for the sake of Allah the Almighty is of two kinds. One is that of وَابِلٌ, that is heavy rainfall and the second is that of طَلٌّ, that is light rain, similar to a drizzle or dew. One who is more affluent spends abundantly in the cause of religion, or has the means to do so. But a poor person may have this yearning and the thought can cross their mind that “such and such wealthy person is giving large sums in financial sacrifices; and is gaining the pleasure and nearness of Allah the Almighty, or is striving to do so, or that they will eventually achieve this. But I only have a small amount of money so how can I achieve the same level as them?” Allah the Almighty says that just as a little rain or dew can be beneficial to fertile land, the small sacrifice of the one who is not wealthy is deemed to be like  طَلٌّ. Even a small sacrifice shall play a big role in bearing fruits. Allah the Almighty is the One Who will grant fruition to their sacrifices, He will bring forth the fruits for every deed. He knows everyone’s circumstances and intentions, which is why He may increase the fruits for one’s sacrifice two-fold or even more than this.

On one occasion, the Holy Prophet^(sa) stated, “Today, one dirham has surpassed even 100,000 dirhams.” The companions asked, “O Messenger^(sa) of Allah, how did this happen?” The Holy Prophet^(sa)replied, “One person possessed only two dirhams and donated one of them, whereas another person who possessed a large sum of wealth and properties, gave 100,000 dirhams as a sacrifice.” (Sunan Al-Nisai, Kitab al-Zakat, Baab Jahdil Al-Muqil, Hadith 2528)

The sacrifice of 100,000 dirhams was much smaller in proportion to his overall wealth.

Thus, Allah the Almighty grants rewards for one’s intentions and rewards the actions according to the circumstances in which they are carried out. He has reassured the poor that they should not consider their small amount in contribution to have no value, in fact, these small sacrifices not only serve to strengthen their faith, they are also the means to strengthening the Community as well. Thus, only those sacrifices which are offered with this spirit will draw the blessings of Allah. Allah the Almighty sees all our actions and therefore, we should always keep the objective in mind that no matter what we do, it should be for the sake of attaining Allah’s pleasure. If this mind-set is adopted, one will become the true recipient of the blessings of Allah the Almighty. During the time of the Promised Messiah^(as) the majority of his followers were poor, yet they excelled so much in their sacrifices that on one occasion, the Promised Messiah^(as) praised them stating:

“I can see that there are many people who have difficulty even clothing themselves fully i.e. they hardly have a cloak or lower garment to cover themselves and they possess no property, yet as a result one is left astonished and amazed by their boundless sincerity, devotion, love and loyalty, which continues to manifest itself time and time again, or which is evident on their faces. They are so firm in their conviction, so sincere and loyal in their truthfulness and steadfastness that if the people chasing after wealth and worldly pleasures would come to know of this delight, they would be prepared to give up everything in exchange for it.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 10, pp. 306-307)

At another instance, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“I see that there is great progress in the sincerity and love in this Community. At times, I am amazed and astonished when witnessing the community member’s sincerity, love and passion for their faith, to the extent that even the opponents are left astounded.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 10, p. 334)

Therefore, this loyalty and devotion and extraordinary passion for one’s faith is such that can be witnessed today amongst the members of the Promised Messiah’s^(as) Jamaat. In fact, this sincerity and devotion is even seen in new converts, despite the little training they have received. One is astounded by the progress they make in spite of the short period of time. The level of love for the Ardent Devotee of the Holy Prophet^(sa)and the standard of loyalty and sincerity to Khilafat are such that the Promised Messiah^(as) stated that even the opponents are left astonished as to what it is that brings about such changes in them.

This, indeed, is the special grace of Allah the Almighty that He bestows to such people who exhibit their good nature and are dutiful to Him. Such people demonstrate their pure character, good nature, willingness to duly fulfil their pledge of allegiance and their obedience to Khilafat through their words and their actions.

Today, while the world is engulfed by material desires, these people are sacrificing their material wealth in order to surpass one another in the pursuit of attaining the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. This is because they have understood that one way to attain the pleasure of Allah is by spending in His cause.

Today, no one can claim that the community established by the Promised Messiah^(as) in fulfilment of divine promises, is weakening. This community was established to spread, thrive and flourish, and no enemy attack can harm it in the slightest.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, this Jamaat is flourishing. I am speaking about financial sacrifices, and in this regard, I will mention incidents about how people demonstrate their conviction in faith by sacrificing their wealth, and how Allah the Almighty further strengthens their faith.

Sierra Leone is a country in Africa. Regarding a resident living in a far-off region in that area, the local missionary writes:

“We went on a tour towards the end of the month. While we were there, I reminded a member of the community about contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid”. There were people present in the mosque and they were being reminded about Waqf-e-Jadid. “Thereupon, Sheikh Uthman, who is the designated Imam there, presented the amount they had collected and said, ‘We were unable to fulfil the actual amount we had pledged. We arduously desire to meet our target and fulfil our pledge; however, we do not see any way to do so at the moment.’”

They asked the muallim [local missionary] to lead them in a silent prayer.

The local missionary further says:

“I led them in a prayer and everyone concluded the prayer by reciting ‘amin’ aloud after me. I then went to my motorcycle and made my way back to the mission house.”

He says:

“I had not yet reached the mission house when I received a phone call from the same imam, who said that he was coming to meet me at the mission house. I was astonished because I had just departed from there and soon after, I received this phone call.

“When the local imam came to me, he said, ‘The prayer we offered was fulfilled. Shortly after [the prayer], a relative of mine visited me and reached into his pocket, handing me 100,000 leones. He asked me to pray for him regarding some matter. Upon witnessing this, I immediately began to proclaim aloud “Allah is the Greatest”. The man visiting me was very shocked and wondered as to what had come over me. I told him that we had fallen short in the funds pledged to the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. We had just concluded our prayer in this regard when Allah the Almighty sent you with this amount.’ Imam Sheikh Uthman came and presented the complete amount of 100,000 leones towards Waqf-e-Jadid.”

This is a very large amount for them. According to our [currency], if it is converted, it only amounts £6.50. However, this was a great sacrifice for them which draws the blessings of Allah the Almighty. This was the level of his sincerity; despite his own needs, instead of keeping the amount for himself, he came to offer the entire amount. These are the instances when a single dirham surpasses 100,000 dirhams. Most certainly, Allah the Almighty would have bestowed His love upon them. Observe, that these high standards of sacrifice are not only found in one place, nor seen only amongst men, but also amongst women as well.

A missionary from the country of Chad writes – even here, by the grace of Allah, there are very sincere individuals within the Jamaat –  the majority of the Jamaat in Chad are new converts. A woman by the name of Umm Hani pledged 70,000 francs towards Waqf-e-Jadid, but was not able to arrange the funds to pay it. She had a camel which she decided to sell for 170,000 francs. She fulfilled her pledge to Waqf-e-Jadid with that amount but did not keep the remaining amount for herself. Instead, she contributed the remaining amount under various other schemes.

There is another account from Togo. There is an Ahmadi there by the name of Ibrahim. He shepherds the livestock of others to make a living such as goats etc. and excels in giving alms from his earnings. He pledged to contribute a certain amount but could not fulfil his pledge. There is a river nearby from which sand is transported. He decided to labour during the night by loading and delivering two truckloads of sand, and whatever he earned from this was contributed toward Waqf-e-Jadid. Why did he go to such lengths? And after all this effort, why did he not keep some of his earnings for himself? It was only because he understood how he must attain the pleasure of Allah.

These incidents are not only confined to men, women or elders, but children who are stepping into adulthood all have the same understanding. Belize is a country located in Central America. It is thousands of miles away from here, and no Khalifa has visited there. The members of the Jamaat are all new Ahmadis, but they have the same mindset and goal; whether it is the mentality of the people of Africa or America, or people living on [far off] Islands or Asia, they all have the same line of thinking; this is the revolution brought by the Promised Messiah^(as).

The incident is about a boy who is 14 years old. He contributed under the scheme of Tahrik-e-Jadid and I mentioned about his contribution during the sermon for Tahrik-e-Jadid. Upon this, many people congratulated him and someone from Canada also sent him 200 dollars as a reward for his sacrifice.

Just ponder over the thinking of this youth, who is just a youth of 14 years. If it were someone living here, they would have immediately bought games with the money. That boy said, “I wanted to make my social security card, and I required 30 dollars for this. For this reason, I kept 30 dollars, but I want to give the remaining 170 dollars in alms just as before.”

He belongs to a poor household. He was advised to keep that amount for his own expenses, and it was even insisted upon. However, he was adamant and offered that amount in alms. This is what is meant by giving precedence to your faith over worldly matters. May Allah the Almighty ensure the means for this boy’s way of thinking to remain like this and may Allah the Almighty safeguard him from the worldly environment around him.

Then, there is an incident from Jamaica of a khadim named Yasin. He was unemployed for a long time. He would make ends meet by selling small things in the streets, such as sweets and chocolates etc. Even in this dire state, he was still concerned about how he would offer financial sacrifices. He was worried that he had made a pledge for Waqf-e-Jadid but the year was coming to an end and he had nothing to offer. Eventually, one evening at the very end of December, he came to the missionary and said, “I earned 400 Jamaican dollars today, and of that, I am taking out 25% and contributing 100 dollars towards the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme.”

Ponder over an extraordinary example of sincerity, loyalty and the desire to attain the pleasure and love of Allah the Almighty of an Ahmadi living in a poor country. People claim that these people are uneducated and poor; however, they possess a greater understanding of faith than those who are educated and are also more open-hearted.

The missionary in-charge of Guinea Conakry says that he delivered a sermon in the last ashra [period of 10 days] of the financial year for Waqf-e-Jadid on the importance of Waqf-e-Jadid and its blessings. He mentioned the various extracts from the sermons I had given in the past and also drew the attention of the Jamaat about financial sacrifice. He states that upon the conclusion of the sermon, a poor but extremely sincere Ahmadi, Musa Sahib took out the money from his pocket which was approximately 218,500 Guinea francs and presented it for Waqf-e-Jadid. When he was asked that he had given a very large sum of money and that he also had given quite a significant amount the previous year as well, he replied, “The words of Khalifatul Masih have become deeply ingrained in my heart which are that one cannot instil love for two things in their heart. Either one loves God or wealth, hence whenever I find the opportunity I wish to practically demonstrate this as well.”

He then said, “My faith is not of the same level as Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^(ra) whereby I present all my possessions at home in the way of Allah the Almighty; however, what I can do is present all the money I have in my pocket in the way of Allah the Almighty. I request for prayers that may Allah the Almighty grant me the level of faith that Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra) possessed.”

He further stated, “Another major reason for this is that ever since I have started to partake in financial sacrifices, Allah the Almighty has abundantly granted me the riches of faith. My faith has started to increase and I have experienced an extraordinary change take place within me.”

This is such a level of thinking and understanding which even many educated people do not possess.

There is another incident from Guinea Conakry of how Allah the Almighty grants the means for one to excel in their faith. A sincere and affluent Ahmadi member, Al-Hassan Sahib says that he put his money for chanda in an envelope and placed it on his table. He runs a business and owing to his various engagements, he was unable to send it to the mission house. Upon realising that he had not paid it yet, he gave the money to his driver to take it to the mission house in order to pay his chanda and he himself went out to attend to some work of his. During that time, while he was away, a fire broke out in his neighbouring office and it completely burnt to ashes. He began to receive phone calls about the fire in their office and quickly returned. However, a thought crossed his mind at the time that how this could even be possible because he would offer sacrifices in the way of Allah the Almighty.

Observe how Allah the Almighty fulfilled this trust of his in that despite the wall of his office being adjacent to the office on fire, his office was completely saved and a large amount of the company’s money was also present in the office. In fact, two offices that were joined to his burned down, but his office remained protected.

He says that the thought immediately came to his mind that this was indeed owing to the blessings of chanda. They possess a lot of knowledge as well; it is not as if they do not have knowledge [of faith]. He then stated that his attention was also drawn towards the revelation of the Promised Messiah^(as), “Fire is our servant and indeed, the servant of our servants.” Nevertheless, he states that in this way Allah the Almighty protected a humble servant of the Promised Messiah^(as) from any loss.

Amir Sahib Gambia relates an incident that a muallim of one of their jamaat’s region mentioned to him that when one of their members, Sambou Bah Sahib heard my sermon last year on Waqf-e-Jadid wherein the announcement for the new Waqf-e-Jadid year was made and also the various accounts were related, he paid 500 dalasi. He states that Allah the Almighty blessed him and this year his land yielded twice as much crop. And so, even though he had made a promise of 500 dalasi, he paid 1,000 dalasi. He further states that he previously paid 10 bundles of pearl millet [type of cereal used to make flour] in Zakat on the wealth he generated from his farming business, but this year his earning increased so much, that he paid Zakat on 50 bundles. Similarly, he gave perhaps two sacks of peanuts towards Zakat. Regarding this Ahmadi member, who is regular in his chanda and whose crops improved, even the non-Ahmadis acknowledged that there must be something about Ahmadiyyat because whenever the members spent in the way of Allah the Almighty, their crops increased.

These examples are not just limited to the African countries, or the local Ahmadis and new converts living in underdeveloped countries. In fact, they can even be witnessed amongst the local people of developed countries who have been granted the opportunity to accept faith.

A missionary from Germany writes that the members of Rüdesheim Jamaat were reminded about paying chanda and to increase their promises in order to fulfil whatever was left [from their overall target]. The wife of that jamaat’s president is German, who is a very sincere Ahmadi. When the announcement was made to increase their chandaso that their jamaat could be included amongst the list of those who have made an outstanding contribution, this new convert from Germany presented 19,000 euros. She is not a new convert as such because she has been Ahmadi for quite some time. Nevertheless, she presented 19,000 euros and said that she had kept this money in order to purchase a car, but her heart was overcome with such passion so that their jamaat’s name would be presented before the Khalifa of the time, hence she made that contribution and also so that she could be amongst those who attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.

Another account from Germany is that of a student who promised to pay 500 euros. His parents asked him how he would be able to pay 500 euros, but he said that he would manage somehow. Allah the Almighty immediately provided him with the answer to this. Within a week, he received a call from his university informing him that they selected 40 students who would be given a bursary from the university. They then requested for his account details so they could transfer his bursary of 1,000 euros. He stated that in this way Allah the Almighty gave him twofold in return.

Another example is from the UK of a member from Balham. The president of their local jamaat says that they were falling a little short in their target for Waqf-e-Jadid. He made an extra contribution; however, they were still a little short. He says that initially, he received a letter from the council wherein they were demanding a substantial sum of money in relation to a service charge. He says that he was thinking about its payment when he received a message regarding Waqf-e-Jadid and so he first paid towards Waqf-e-Jadid. The very next day, he again received a letter from the council issuing an apology as they had sent the letter demanding for money in error. In fact, when they adjusted his account, they realised that they owed him money instead. He says that Allah the Almighty granted him tenfold in return for the amount he had paid towards Waqf-e-Jadid. Thus, at times Allah the Almighty returns the wealth in order to strengthen people’s faith.

There is another incident from India of how Allah the Almighty immediately rewards people. Upon the conclusion of Waqf-e-Jadid’s financial year, the inspector [for Waqf-e-Jadid] visited the Yaadgir Jamaat in order to remind people [of Waqf-e-Jadid]. He went to a khadim and spoke to him about paying his chanda for Waqf-e-Jadid. The khadim stated:

“At this moment I only have 1,500 rupees in my pocket, which I had kept as I had to give it to someone and it was very important that I paid them. However, now that you have mentioned about the Waqf-e-Jadid chanda, I am thinking as to what I should do. If I gave you this amount in chanda, how would I pay him. Neither can I immediately make any arrangements for more money.”

However, he stated that he would pay his chanda and paid the 1,500 rupees and left. He says that the next day, he went to visit him at his shop along with the Waqf-e-Jadid secretary and the Khadim took money out of his pockets forming a pile of money in front of him. He said that after paying the chanda, when he returned home, he received money from various places and that he now had several thousand rupees. He said people owed him money but until then they had not been able to repay him. Thus, Allah the Almighty bestowed His blessings.

Then there is an incident of those who are affluent; they may not be considered affluent in the eyes of the world, but within the Jamaat, they are.

A member from Keralai gave one million rupees in chanda. His wife has converted to Ahmadiyyat from Christianity and passionately partakes in worship and prayers and is very sincere. Both husband and wife are also musis. [The Jamaat officials] relate that they went to their house and the wife wrote a cheque for 500,000 rupees. The inspector stated that her husband had already paid one million rupees and yet she was giving more.

Upon this, she stated:

“Whatever rewards we have received are owing to the blessings of chanda. Thus, my heart desires to continue giving chanda. It is owing to its blessings that our business is succeeding and we will never hold back from paying chanda.”

The missionary from Mali writes that they held programmes on radio in the village of Kai and explained the importance of financial sacrifice and Waqf-e-Jadid and also its objectives.  After this, they visited various jamaats and the members offered contributions according to their means. A new convert stated that when he heard about paying the chanda, he did not have any cash at the time which he could present in the way of Allah. He decided he would indeed present at least something to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and not allow himself to fall behind others. He says that he went into the jungle and gathered many dry and old pieces of wood and then prepared some coal from them and brought it back to his village. When a delegation of the Jamaat visited them, he presented 20 sacks of coal as his chanda. Whatever this poor member could do within his means, he did. This was equivalent to 50,000 francs and he stated that he was now happy at the fact that he too was able to take part in the financial contribution.

A member from Poland writes that the missionary made an appeal for the chanda of Waqf-e-Jadid at the end of the year. At the time, he only had 100 złoty (the Polish currency). The Jalsa Salana Qadian was also being held on that day, on the 26^th [of December], and he had to listen to my address, but his mobile phone package was running out, so [he thought] how would he listen to the address? He says that he really wanted to listen to the address and so he purchased a mobile package for 20 złoty, and then gave 28 złoty in chanda each for himself, his son and his wife. They decided that they would not purchase anything in the coming days, and would suffice with whatever was already in their home. At the same time, they longed that if only they had more money, they could have made a larger contribution. He says that they prayed and Allah the Almighty bestowed His blessings.

He says, “I was returning home from work on 28 December when a friend came to me and said that he owed me 12 złoty, but would always forget about it and then he gave the amount to me.”

He says, “When I arrived home, I checked my account, I do not know how, but I found there to be 1,290 złoty from various sources.” He says, “The factory I had been working in for three years never increased my salary, but because of the blessings from contributing to Waqf-e-Jadid, this amount was received in my account and thus, I received 1,300 złoty.” He says, “Then I offered 300 złoty more in chanda. Then he says, “Another blessing of Allah was that in the year, my son’s employer would raise the salary of his employees’ once a year in either October or November. This year, his pay had already been increased in October, but on 31 December, he received another pay raise.” He says that this greatly increased their level of faith.

There is a jamaat in the Shinyanga Region of Tanzania, where new converts are steadily becoming part of the financial system. The local missionary writes:

“A person named Ramadan Sahib accepted Ahmadiyyat last year. He pledged as much as he could for Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid and before the end of the year, he paid double of what he had pledged. Similarly, on another occasion, he donated a plot of land to the Jamaat on behalf of his family. This was quite astonishing for the others in his village; in fact, some even mockingly said that in his haste, he would deplete all of his wealth by spending it for the sake of his faith. However, he explained to the local missionary that it was only after entering the fold of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat that he truly understood the significance and essence of financial sacrifice.”

He says:

“Ever since he starting making sacrifices in the way of Allah, he has experienced blessings in his work, in spite of what people said. In fact, over the course of the year, he was able to purchase more plots of land and to build two more houses. All of this is due to presenting sacrifices in the way of Allah and giving a plot of land to the Jamaat.”

Then, there is an incident from Sierra Leone, showing how new converts are excelling in their faith and sincerity. Jibril Sahib, a missionary from the Port Loko region, says, “A new convert was informed about Waqf-e-Jadid (a new community has been established there with new converts). At the same time, an elderly blind woman being helped by a child came to me and said, ‘I have not made any pledge, but I wish to give 2,000 leones for Waqf-e-Jadid.’”

The local missionary said, “Why did you go through the trouble of coming yourself? You should have informed me and I would have come to you.” Just listen to the response given by this elderly poor lady who was seemingly unlettered; she said, “Firstly, I have come to offer only a small amount, how could I have called you to my home for such an amount. I wished to reap the maximum reward, which is why I have walked here myself.”

A missionary from the San-Pédro region in Ivory Coast says:

“There is a member of the Jamaat named Koli Bali Sahib. He called me during Ramadan to inquire regarding the chanda of Waqf-e-Jadid and said ‘is it necessary for one to increase their donation during the month of Ramadan?’ I replied saying that according to the practice of the Holy Prophet^(sa), as well as the Promised Messiah^(as), they would spend more in the way of Allah during the month of Ramadan. I explained the importance of this and also explained more about Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid and how the funds are spent for the sake of spreading Islam. I explained that these are not obligatory, but one should spend as much as they can in the various financial schemes during the month of Ramadan. Although this person already offered 20,000 francs in financial contributions every month, he pledged that not only in Ramadan, but aside from the obligatory chanda, he would offer an additional amount of 30,000 francs every month for Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid. He also vowed that by the end of this year, he would try to increase this amount even further for Waqf-e-Jadid.” He says, “By the grace of Allah, since Ramadan till now, he makes sure to offer his obligatory chanda at the beginning of each month.”

I have mentioned the spread of Islam and spoken regarding expenditures, and so at this point, I would like to mention that over the course of the past year, Allah the Almighty has enabled the Jamaat to build 187 mosques, and there are 105 more mosques which are currently under construction in Africa. Similarly, 144 mission houses were established, most of which are in Africa, while 45 mission houses are currently under construction. Aside from this, where it is not possible to immediately build mission houses, jamaats lease properties; 731 mission houses and missionary houses are being leased in Africa, while 632 mission houses have been leased in other Asian countries.

I would also like to mention that generally, most of the funds collected under Waqf-e-Jadid are spent in countries of Africa. As for the building of mosques, this is not an easy task, as we face opposition from opponents everywhere. However, the Jamaat is undertaking all of these tasks for the sake of Allah the Almighty, and Allah the Almighty has promised the success of this Community, which is why He continuously provides His support.

I will mention an incident from Congo-Kinshasa. A missionary writes:

“It has been two years since the Jamaat was established in the Bandundo region here. A mosque is currently being built. Sunni Muslims in that area left no stone unturned in causing difficulties for Ahmadis and lodging complaints against us to government offices. When none of their efforts were proving successful, they started issuing death threats. In any case, the opponents could not find any success, and the construction of the mosque continued.

“An Ahmadi who is overseeing the construction said that during the construction, one day, a Christian professor from the local university came and assisted in the mosque’s construction. In fact, he even accompanied Ahmadis who were bringing sand from far off places and would pull the carts or wheelbarrows etc.”

On the one hand, the opponents were making their schemes, while on the other hand, Allah the Almighty continues the work through means of other people. In this way people who have a pure nature also come [to help the Jamaat].

There is an incident from Cameroon. In Biodes Senge, which is a neighbourhood of Douala city in which Muslims are in the majority. The Jamaat was established here two years earlier. Construction for the mosque had started when the Jamaat received a letter from the area administrator stating that the construction for the mosque should be stopped. The Jamaat stopped the work. Upon enquiry, it was discovered that a Muslim organisation had written letters to the Governor and all relevant authorities stating that the Jamaat was a terrorist organisation and had no association with Islam; therefore, the Jamaat should not be able to build a mosque. This is the same propaganda used by Muslim countries and their clerics go to various places and spread this propaganda.

Nonetheless, they responded in writing and also offered fervent supplications. They also reached out to the relevant authorities etc. They further wrote:

“After a month, the administrator called us to his office as well as the leaders of various Muslim organisations, the chief Imam and others. The administrator began reading a report; with regards to the construction that had been stopped owing to the complaint by the other Muslims, he said, ‘Although we stopped you from the construction, we asked for reports from various regions of Cameroon. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is an international community, which is active in more than 200 countries. They have been carrying out activities in Cameroon for 15 years and constructed mosques in various places.’ Nonetheless, with regard to how Ahmadis are serving the faith as well as the humanitarian efforts of the Jamaat, he said, ‘They are constructing bore holes for clean water pumps in various places. They are looking after orphans; they are helping students with their studies. Furthermore, they speak out against terrorist organisations.’ He further said, ‘The Jamaat preaches the message of peace and tolerance and also that [at present], jihad is with the pen and not with the sword.’ He mentioned all of this to those present and further said, ‘Muslim dignitaries, including kings as well as others attend their conventions. Therefore, there is no reason to stop the mosque construction. They can construct a mosque here as well.’”

They further write:

“When he finished his report, all the Muslim leaders of that area that were present all stood up. They said, ‘They are non-Muslims, and we consider them to be as such. And since you made the report without consulting us, we do not accept it.’” Nonetheless, the administrator became enraged and said that he knew how to do his job, and that they should leave. They fell silent and the Jamaat was told to continue the construction.

The positive impact of the Jamaat’s services are such that it compels every rational person to praise the Jamaat. When one works to attain the pleasure of Allah, Allah the Almighty then sends an army of helpers and He Himself removes the obstacles placed by the opponents.

I will narrate an incident of how Allah the Almighty multiplies his grace; there is an incident from the Upper West region in Ghana. It is reported that due to tabligh endeavours, they received more than 60 bai‘ats. In the village, the mosque of the Jamaat was made of mudbricks. Upon seeing our success, the non-Ahmadi Muslims constructed a sturdy and beautiful mosque opposite the Jamaat mosque. Through this, they tried to lure the new converts to themselves. As a result, a few new converts of weaker faith left and joined them. Later, the Jamaat managed to build a large, beautiful mosque. Now, by the grace of Allah, aside from our own members, non-Ahmadis have started coming in large numbers. Our mosque is full of worshippers and their mosque is empty, or very few people go there. Classes are held every day for the education and moral training of the new converts, through which the Jamaat is making progress on a daily basis.

There are many accounts which demonstrate the blessings of Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty is indeed true in His promises and He is fulfilling the promises He has vouchsafed to the Promised Messiah^(as)and grants His support through the unseen and, insha-Allah, He shall continue to fulfil these promises. Allah the Almighty grants us the opportunity to spend in His way in order to attain His pleasure and to become the recipient of His blessings. May Allah the Almighty grant us the opportunity to draw the blessings of Allah the Almighty.

As per tradition, I shall now present a brief report for Waqf-e-Jadid for the year 2021 and the new year for [Waqf-e-Jadid] has started from January 2022. The report for the previous year is as follows:

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the previous year was the 64^th year and in this year, the Jamaat made a total sacrifice of £11,277,000 towards Waqf-e-Jadid, which is an increase of £742,000 from the previous year. In light of the current economic conditions of the world, this is a great blessing of Allah the Almighty.

This year, again, the UK Jamaat stands in first position in terms of total contribution. Since the currency of Pakistan has devalued significantly, therefore their position has gone down, but despite this, they are offering immense sacrifices according to their capacity. In any case, in terms of the positions, the UK is first, followed by Germany – by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the UK has made a significant level of sacrifice and there is quite a big gap between the UK and Germany – at three is Canada, then USA, India, Australia, Indonesia, a jamaat from the Middle East, Ghana and then Belgium.

In terms of contribution per capita, the USA is first, then Switzerland and then UK.

In terms of overall contribution amongst the African countries, first is Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Gambia, Uganda, and Benin is tenth.

By the grace of Allah, the total number of participants was 1,445,000.

In terms of overall collection, the top ten large jamaats from the UK are: Islamabad, Farnham, Worcester Park, South Cheam, Aldershot, Birmingham South, Walsall, Gillingham, Guildford, Ewell.

The top five regions in terms of overall collection are Baitul Futuh standing at first, Islamabad at second, followed by the Fazl Mosque, Baitul Ehsan, then Midlands.

The top ten jamaats with regard to daftar Atfal are Islamabad (first), Aldershot (second), then Farnham, Roehampton, Guildford, Ewell, Mitcham Park, Baitul Futuh, Walsall and Birmingham West.

The top five local amarat in terms of overall collection: Hamburg is first, followed by Frankfurt, Gross-Gerau, Wiesbaden and Dietzenbach.

The top ten jamaats [of Germany] in terms of collection: Rödermark is first, Rodgau, Neuss, Rüdesheim, Mahdi-Abad, Friedberg, Hanau, Flörsheim, Frankenthal, Koblenz and Nidda.

In terms of collection from daftar Atfal, the top five regions are Hamburg, Southwest Hessen, Taunus, Hessen Mitte, Rheinland-Pfalz.

In terms of overall collection, the amarats in Canada: Vaughan is first, then Calgary, Peace Village, Vancouver, Brampton West.

The top 10 large jamaats of Canada: Hadeeqah Ahmad is first, Milton West, Bradford, Durham, Milton East, Regina, Ottawa West, Winnipeg, Hamilton Mountain, Abbotsford.

The top five amarats for daftar Atfal: Vaughan is first, followed by Peace Village, Calgary, Toronto West, Brampton West.

The top five jamaats for daftar Atfal: Hadeeqah Ahmad is first, Bradford, Durham, London, Milton West.

In terms of overall collection, the top ten jamaats of the USA are: Maryland, Los Angeles, Detroit, Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Phoenix, Syracuse, Las Vegas and Fitchburg.

The top ten jamaats in terms of daftar Atfal are Maryland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Orlando, Austin, Silicon Valley, Phoenix, Fitchburg, Las Vegas, Zion.

In terms of collection of Waqf-e-Jadid from adults, the top three jamaatsof Pakistan are: Lahore is first, Rabwah, Karachi.

The position for the districts: Islamabad is first, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Multan, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Dera Ghazi Khan.

In terms of overall collection, the top ten jamaats are: Islamabad city, Defence Lahore, Township Lahore, Clifton Karachi, Darul Zikr Lahore, Model Town Lahore, Gulshan Abad Karachi, Samanabad Lahore, Azizabad Karachi, Allama Iqbal Town Lahore.

The three large jamaats for daftar Atfal: Lahore is first, Karachi is second, Rabwah is third.

The position of districts for daftar Atfal: Islamabad is first, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Narowal.

The jamaats that made extraordinary progress are: Drigh Road Karachi, Noorpura Lahore, Gujranwala city, Bait Al-Fazl Faisalabad, Peshawar city, Delhi Gate Lahore, Kotli Azad Kashmir, Nankana Sahib.

The top 10 provinces from India are Kerala, Jammu Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, Delhi and Maharashtra.

The top ten jamaats in terms of collection are: Hyderabad, Qadian, Kerala, Pathapiriyam Coimbatore, Bangalore, Calcutta, Calicut, Rishi Nagar and Malayappalayam.

The top ten jamaats from Australia are: Melbourne Langwarrin, Castle Hill, Marsden Park, Adelaide South, Melbourne Berwick, Perth, Penrith, Adelaide West, Logan East.

The jamaats in Australia in terms of contribution from adults are: Melbourne Langwarrin, Castle Hill, Marsden Park, Adelaide South, Melbourne Berwick, Perth, Penrith, Adelaide West, Blacktown and Canberra.

The Australian jamaats in terms of collection from Atfal are: Melbourne, Langwarrin, Adelaide South, Melbourne Berwick, Logan East, Perth, Castle Hill, Melbourne East, Mount Druitt, Penrith and Brisbane central.

These are the positions. May Allah the Almighty greatly bless the wealth and progeny of all those who have offered sacrifices.

Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International, 28 January 2022, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.