After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aba) recited verse 93 of Surah Aal-e-Imran and stated:

The translation of this verse is as follows, “You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it well.”

Elaborating on this verse, the Promised Messiah^(as) states at one place, “You cannot attain to righteousness which will grant you salvation unless you spend in the way of Allah out of that wealth and from those things that are dear to you.” (The Victory of Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 38)

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states, “You can certainly not attain true righteousness until you spend the wealth you hold dear out of sympathy for mankind.” (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 10, p. 358)

Allah the Almighty has emphasised financial sacrifices to such a degree that true piety, which pleases God Almighty – provided that it is performed with the intention of acquiring His pleasure – will only be considered true piety when one gives something that is dear to them for the sake of acquiring His pleasure and out of sympathy to mankind. Subsequently, this then becomes a means of salvation.

At one place, the Promised Messiah^(as) stated, “It is not deemed righteousness if one’s cow falls ill and when there is no chance of its survival, the owner says, ‘Let us sacrifice this in the way of God.’ The same is the case if a beggar approaches and is given old and stale bread that no one would eat at home. These things are of no use to that person anyway. The wealth that is dear to someone and is spent in the way of Allah and in order to attain His pleasure is the wealth that is accepted by Him.”

This is true righteousness and through it, one can determine one’s level of compassion for mankind. It demonstrates how much our hearts are moved for the sake of others, as well as the level of our passion and sentiments for serving religion. (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 8, p. 19)

Then, the Promised Messiah^(as) states on one occasion, “Man harbours great love for wealth. This is why it has been mentioned in the interpretation of dreams that if a person sees that he has extracted his liver and handed it over to someone, it symbolises wealth. For this very reason, God has said in relation to acquiring true righteousness and faith:

لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ

‘You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love.’ (3:93) The reason for this is that a large part of showing sympathy and kind treatment towards God’s creation necessitates the spending of one’s wealth. Moreover, sympathy towards mankind and God’s creation is another component of faith, without which one’s faith cannot be complete. Until a person sacrifices their own pleasures, how can they benefit others?

In order to benefit others and show them compassion, it is necessary to sacrifice one’s own desires. In this verse, [لَنۡ تَنَالُوا الۡبِرَّ حَتّٰی تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوۡنَ – ‘You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love’,] guidance has been given on this very concept of sacrificing one’s own desires. Hence, spending one’s wealth in the cause of Allah is a standard and benchmark of one’s prosperity and righteousness. The standard and benchmark of Abu Bakr^(ra) offering sacrifices in the cause of Allah were such that the Holy Prophet^(sa) [merely] mentioned a need and he presented himself with all of his belongings.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 2, pp. 95-96)

Thus, these are the standards of sacrifice and presenting the wealth that is dearest to a person, the greatest example of which – as mentioned by the Promised Messiah^(as) – was established by Hazrat Abu Siddiq^(ra). Subsequently, the companions also established these standards of sacrifice within their means, and according to their ranks.

Then, we see in the time of the Promised Messiah^(as) that, in order to further his mission, Hazrat Maulvi Hakim Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih I^(ra), set the highest example of sacrifice in the spread of the literature and the propagation of Islam. He wrote to the Promised Messiah^(as) – and this was mentioned by the Promised Messiah^(as) himself – “I am completely devoted to your cause. Whatever I possess is not mine, but belongs to you. My leader and guide, I say in truth that if all of my wealth is spent in the spreading of the faith, then I will have obtained my objective.” He then wrote, “…My bond with you is like that of Hazrat Umar^(ra) Faruq, and I am prepared to sacrifice everything in this path. Pray that my demise is like that of the truthful [Siddiq].” (The Victory of Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 36)

Likewise, there were many companions of the Promised Messiah^(as) who made sacrifices according to their means, and the sacrifices they made were such that the Promised Messiah^(as) stated that he was astounded to witness the degree of their sacrifices. Why did they make these sacrifices? It was in order to become the helpers of the Promised Messiah^(as) in his mission to spread Islam. It was because they desired to present sacrifices, whilst also extending sympathy for mankind, in order to be counted among the community of the True Servant of the Holy Prophet^(sa). They did so in order to fulfil their role in the completion of guidance, and the members of the community were inspired by this urge of sacrifice, so much so, that even after the Promised Messiah^(as), during every era of Khilafat, Allah the Almighty has continued to grant such people who offer these kinds of sacrifices, who put their own preferences aside and make every effort to increase in their contributions. Among them are new converts as well as those who have been Ahmadis for a long time. I shall present some examples of their sacrifices.

Today’s sermon i.e., the first Friday Sermon of January, is usually regarding the announcement for the New Year of Waqf-e-Jadid. In 1957, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^(ra) initiated this scheme for the tarbiyat [moral training] and tabligh [propagating the faith] in rural areas. Initially, the scheme was limited to Pakistan alone, but in the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^(rh), it was expanded to cover the entire world. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^(rh) instructed that, out of this scheme, the money collected from the developed countries ought to be spent in [countries across] Africa and other developing countries around the world for the purpose of tabligh and tarbiyat, and this has been the general principle even up until now. The money collected from this scheme is spent in Africa and other poorer countries.

By the grace of Allah, the members of the Jamaat strive to their utmost in order to be a part of this scheme. But it is not the case that Ahmadis residing in Africa or other developing or developed nations are not striving to become a part of this scheme. Based upon their income and circumstances, their sacrifices are worthy of praise, but as it were, the extra expenditures are fulfilled from the alms collected in more developed countries.

Those making sacrifices all around the world are well aware of the Hadith-e-Qudsi [saying of the Holy Prophet^(sa) as revealed to him by God Almighty] in which the Holy Prophet^(sa) stated, “Allah the Almighty says, ‘O son of Adam, leave your treasure with Me and rest reassured. Fear not it being burnt by fire, nor of it being lost at sea, or even of it being stolen by a thief. I shall give back in full the treasure which is left with Me on the day when you will be most in need of it.’” (Kanz al-‘Ummal, Vol. 6, Hadith 16021, p. 352, Mu’assisah al-Risalah, Beirut, 1985)

Furthermore, the sacrifice made in the way of Allah the Almighty not only benefits one in this world, but also in the life after death. Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

وَمَا تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِنۡ خَیۡرٍ یُّوَفَّ اِلَیۡکُمۡ وَاَنۡتُمۡ لَا تُظۡلَمُوۡنَ

 ‘And whatever of wealth you spend, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged.’ (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:273)

Therefore, when Allah the Almighty makes a promise, He fulfils it. He demonstrates examples of it in this world so that one may have firm conviction that Allah the Almighty will also make them inherit the rewards in the hereafter. It is not like the case of worldly establishments, whereby one invests an amount of money in a business, and either makes a temporary loss or gain, where the profit is only limited to this world, and there is no guarantee of any gain in the future life. In fact, there are some businesses in the world that profit a person for a certain time, but then the owners seize all of the wealth, leaving those poor people who invested in it to lose all their money, as is prevalent nowadays, where billions of dollars of those who invested in Bitcoin or cryptocurrency have been lost because those who ran these businesses usurped all the wealth and everything was lost. Anyhow, in my opinion, businesses such as Bitcoin etc. are all forms of gambling.

In any case, there are extraordinary examples of how Allah the Almighty rewards those who make sacrifices in His cause. As I mentioned, I shall present some examples, where those who have made sacrifices are not only benefitting in a worldly sense, but their faith is also strengthened.

There is an example from the Bomi County of Liberia. The local mu‘allim there says, “I went to a community of new converts in Fomba to collect donations towards Waqf-e-Jadid. After meeting the local imam, a large-scale programme was held, in which the majority of the village participated. Members were told about the importance and blessings of Waqf-e-Jadid. After the programme, we also went to the individual houses for collections. At the time, a khadim [youth] went home, but he had nothing in his house. His mother asked to be excused, as there was no money available to donate, and that they would donate at some point in the future. We therefore returned, but a short while later that same Khadim came running and said, ‘Here are 250 Liberian dollars that my father gave me for my school fees. I donate this so that my house does not remain deprived of the blessings of this scheme.’ A few days later, that same Khadim came to our centre and said, ‘Two days after you left, I received a message that a relative of mine had sent 2,500 Liberian dollars towards my school fees. Therefore, with this money, I was able to pay my school fees and also buy other things I needed. As a result of my sacrifice, Allah the Almighty has given me tenfold in return.’”

This is how Allah the Almighty bestows faith and conviction in the hearts, and the One Who grants in this life will also fulfil His promise of rewarding in the hereafter where these sacrifices are being recorded.

Then, there is an example from Guinea-Conakry; the missionary from a Jamaat in one of their regions, called Mansaya, says that during Ashara Waqf-e-Jadid, he was individually approaching members of the Community at the mosque and encouraging them to take part in this scheme by explaining to them the importance and blessings associated with it. At that time the imam of the village mosque, Abu Bakr Kumara, who had only recently become an Ahmadi, said that he would be the first to offer a donation as he should set an example for others. (It was not that he enjoined others to participate in this scheme while not participating himself, rather, he said that we should be the first to take part in the scheme.) Hence, he took out 10,000 Guinean francs he had in his pocket and offered them as his financial contribution. Later, he came to meet the missionary and told him that just a short while after offering that financial contribution, one of his friends sent him 1.5 million francs as a gift. He said that he believed that Allah the Almighty granted this to him as a result of his financial sacrifice. He then said that he would offer financial contributions now with more regularity. This is the manner in which Allah the Almighty treats new converts; if they spend in His way, He promises a reward in this life and God-willing, the promises regarding the hereafter will also be fulfilled.

Then, a local missionary from Cameroon writes, “A young boy accompanied me to various villages in order to collect donations for Tahrik-e-Jadid. He was unemployed and so he was only able to offer 1000 CFA himself for Tahrik-e-Jadid. He asked me to pray for him to find a job so that he could offer more.” The local missionary responded, “Alright, I will pray for you, and you should also pray for your job.” A short while later, Allah the Almighty heard his prayer. One month later, a branch of the UNO hired him as a driver. As a result, he offered 10,000 CFA for Waqf-e-Jadid saying, “Allah the Almighty increased my income as a result of me making a sacrifice while I was facing difficulty.”

Amir Sahib of Tanzania writes that a woman from the Jamaat said that one day, she was going to the market to purchase some things for the home. Along the way, she came across the local missionary, who told her about Waqf-e-Jadid and drew her attention toward making contributions. She said, “I told him that at this time, I have 2000 shillings. I am going to the market to purchase some things”. She then offered 1000 shillings and used the remaining 1000 to purchase what she needed. She says, “While I was there, a lady called out to me; she had borrowed 5000 shillings from me some time ago. So much time had elapsed since then that I had no expectations of getting it back. That woman called out to me and gave me 5000 shillings, saying that she was repaying the loan that was due.” She then returned to the local missionary and said that Allah the Almighty bestowed this upon her due to the blessings of offering financial contributions, hence, she gave another 1000 shillings.

A local missionary from Liberia says, “I visited the home of a member of the Ganta Jamaat named Aisha Sahiba and encouraged her to take part in the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. She said that she did not have anything at the moment, but said that I should wait and that she would try to make some arrangements so that I did not leave her home empty-handed. (She was concerned that he should not leave empty-handed). She quickly went and took a loan from someone and offered 100 Liberian dollars as financial contribution.” The local missionary says, “I was still in her home when she received a message on her phone alerting her that someone had transferred some money online into her account. She said that she had only just offered a financial contribution of 100 Liberian dollars, and Allah the Almighty rewarded her for it right away.”

Then, a missionary from Guinea-Conakry writes, “There is a member of the Community by the name of Saeedouba Sahib who was unemployed and had applied for a job at various mining companies, however, there did not seem to be much hope. During the Ashara Waqf-e-Jadid, when he encouraged him towards making financial contributions, he said, “I am unemployed and cannot give much.” In any case, he put his hand in his pocket, took out 5000 francs and offered it as financial contribution, saying that this was all he had. He says that five days after offering this contribution, he received a job offer from a mining company to which he had not even applied, and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, this job paid a monthly salary of 500,000 francs. He says, “The insignificant sacrifice which I made in the way of Allah the Almighty, He returned to me manifold in accordance with His promise.”

Then, a missionary from Nigeria also writes that there is an Ahmadi in Kano State by the name of Nasir Sahib. He says, “I was worried on account of not having a job for three years. It occurred to me that I should start making financial contributions once again according to whatever I am able to give.” He had stopped making contributions since he did not have a job. But he decided that he would start making contributions out of whatever he had. He told the Missionary that since June of last year, he started offering monetary contributions. He then told the missionary, “Not even three months had elapsed when a person contacted me saying that they had a vacancy for a marketing position in their company and so the company hired me. This was the first contract of its kind handed out by the company.” He says, “I am convinced that finding a job or work after so long is due to the blessings of financial contributions.”

Then, a missionary from Central Africa [Republic] writes about a new convert named Jibril Sahib, who says, “When I joined the Community last year, a change began developing in my moral and spiritual state.” It is also worth noting that not only did he join the Community, but he must certainly have prayed and worked hard to change his condition, and it was through the grace of Allah the Almighty that he began noticing a spiritual and moral change within himself. Then, he says, “One day, when the missionary made an appeal for Waqf-e-Jadid as the year was coming to an end, saying they ought to make contributions, no matter how small they may be.” He says, “I made a financial contribution at that moment and since then, until today, my work has been extremely blessed. God bestowed His special favour and now my work always keeps me occupied. Previously, several days would pass without any customers, now they come in daily. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, I make such a good income now, the likes of which I could never have imagined.”

Arif Sahib, a missionary from Togo, writes that there is a person named Abagagi Sahib from the Kara Region who says, “I was facing some financial difficulty while the last month of Waqf-e-Jadid was upon us. I was worried about how I would fulfil my pledge. Then, it occurred to me that there is a small goat at home that I was keeping for some other purpose, but I could sell it and use the money to offer financial contributions.” That was the only thing he had at home, and he decided to sell it in order to offer contributions. He says, “I had intended to do so and one day, the missionary came to collect financial contributions. That same day, someone who had taken a loan from me, which I had no hope of its return, came at the same time in order to return the money.” He says, “I gave all of that money towards Waqf-e-Jadid. In this manner, Allah the Almighty procured means to help me from the unseen.” He had made a virtuous intention and before he could even act upon it, Allah the Almighty took care of the matter. He intended to sacrifice out of that which he loved, and Allah the Almighty rewarded him before he could even make the sacrifice, because Allah knows the conditions of the hearts.

Sajid Iqbal Sahib from the Marshall Islands says that there is a woman living there named Loreen. She says, “Allah the Almighty has bestowed great blessings upon me and my family due to financial sacrifices. Before, we did not partake in financial sacrifices because we did not have certainty about the degree to which Allah the Almighty blesses financial sacrifices, and we were also facing financial difficulty at the time. We would not have enough money for food and drink, and we would be worried when it came to fulfilling household expenditures. However, when we heard sermons at the mosque about the blessings associated with financial sacrifices, we thought that we should also take part.” She says, “Hence, we started making sacrifices and offering financial contributions. Now, Allah the Almighty has blessed us so much that we are able to tend to our household expenses and there are no difficulties with providing food and drink. It often happens that we receive money from various places that we could not have even imagined. No matter how much we give, Allah the Almighty continues to increase it manifold.” This is the manner in which Allah the Almighty treats new converts in order to strengthen their faith.

The secretary of Waqf-e-Jadid from India says, “I went to Melapalayam, Tamil Nadu Jamaat to complete the Waqf-e-Jadid budget and collect contributions, and while there, I met a sincere Ahmadi who pledged allegiance in 2014 and entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat.” The new convert says – although he is not a new convert anymore – in any case, that Ahmadi says, “I pledged 4000 rupees for Waqf-e-Jadid when I did bai‘at because that’s all I could afford. Every year since then, I have increased the amount as much as I have been able to and it is due to this that Allah the Almighty has continued to grant me special success in my business. Then, after some time, the rest of my family also did bai‘at.” He says, “By the grace of Allah the Almighty, now my contribution to Waqf-e-Jadid is 500,000 rupees.” Last year, during the month of Ramadan, he fulfilled his pledge of 500,000 rupees. He says, “Despite the lockdown, due to the blessings resulting from my financial contributions, I did not endure any loss in my business, rather, it continued to grow. Now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, my business has expanded beyond India into Thailand.” He says, “This is all due to the blessings of making financial contributions.” These are the blessings of Allah the Almighty. He did not just invest in a business as a gamble, rather, he put up money and worked hard, established a business, spent in the way of Allah the Almighty and then Allah the Almighty increased it manifold.

Then, there is another example from India. The missionary in-charge writes, “Nazim Maal and Secretary of Waqf-e-Jadid in Malappuram, Kerala, was on a tour for the end of the fiscal year. He also came to our region, where he received a phone call from a sincere Ahmadi resident – Rahman Sahib, who is a businessman – he said, ‘Come to my company. I have opened a new branch in my company where I wish to have prayers offered.’ When we went there, without us even asking anything, he presented us with a cheque for 1 million rupees. Furthermore, he also provided his larger vehicle for our tour, equipped with petrol. [The Nazim Maal] said that a small car would suffice, but Rahman Sahib said, ‘No! A representative of Markaz [Headquarters of the Community] should travel in a reliable vehicle comfortably.’ Rahman Sahib further said, ‘I had gathered this amount for registering a property, but owing to your arrival, I have given it toward the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme and have postponed the date for the registry into the future.’ After a few days, Rahman Sahib said that he obtained a large sum of money without any effort, which was more than enough for his needs. The sum greatly exceeded 1 million [rupees].”

A woman from Mauritius by the name of Ms Shabrez Sahiba writes, “I decided to sacrifice the money I received from my parents as a birthday present. 500 rupees would go towards Waqf-e-Jadid and 500 toward Tahrik-e-Jadid. I had stored that sum in an envelope. I was unwell at the time and my paternal uncle and cousin came to see me. They both gave me envelopes, each containing 5000 [rupees]. I was astonished to see that Allah the Almighty had rewarded me 10 times more than what I had given.”

The Sadr (president) of Georgia Jamaat writes, “There is a member by the name of Muhammad Abu Hammad Sahib, who is originally from Palestine and is studying medicine in Georgia. He had taken the bai‘at (pledged allegiance) three years ago. The Jamaat held a seminar during the Ashara [ten days dedicated to a particular effort for] Waqf-e-Jadid highlighting how to spend in the way of Allah. The student said, ‘At this time, I only have about 300 dollars, and I have decided to contribute half of that toward Waqf-e-Jadid because I remembered the following verse of the Holy Quran:

قَدْ اَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَکّٰىہَا

That is, ‘He indeed truly prospers who purifies it.’ (Surah ash-Shams, 91:10)

By the end of the month, after my day-to-day expenses, I was left with just two dollars in my bank account. At the end of December, a relative of mine was coming to Georgia from Palestine. I was worried about how I would be able to host him, however, by the sheer grace of Allah the Almighty, on the same day that my guest arrived, I also received a transfer of 1000 dollars into my bank account from somewhere.’ He continued to say, ‘I always show gratitude to Allah the Almighty for that and consider it a blessing of almsgiving.’” It is a matter of perspective; a worldly person has a certain perspective, but a faithful person always thinks that the grace of Allah the Almighty they received was a result of spending for His cause.

A mu‘allim from Kenya writes, “There is a new convert in my local Jamaat by the name of Khadijah Sahiba. She is a teacher at a nursery school. At the start of the year, she pledged 500 shillings for the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme, and made her payment.” He continues, “I went to the school to give her the receipt, however, she came to my home and told my wife that she would like to give an additional 500 shillings. She said, ‘My total contributions should be 1000 shillings. I am doing this with the intention that Allah the Almighty will increase His blessings.’ When I came home and my wife informed me of this, I wrote out another receipt. I went to give her the receipt and she said to me, ‘I have a son who is studying in college, and I had submitted a request for a grant that would go towards his education. My request was not being accepted, however, just today I received a call from the college, saying that a sum of 30,000 shillings had been transferred to the school account by the government for his expenses.’” He says, “This incident has had a great impact on me.”

Amir Sahib of Indonesia writes, “There is a member by the name of Abdur Rahim from a small Jamaat. He says, ‘I make contributions toward the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme every year. The years 2020 and 2021 were very difficult for me because I could not find employment. Some time ago, I resigned from my employment to try and start a business, however, I was not successful. My savings gradually depleted. The year for Waqf-e-Jadid was coming to an end and I had made a pledge to contribute. I could not see a way to fulfil my pledge. It was difficult to find employment, especially because I was approaching the age of 51 and it is hard to find employment at this age. I would pray for this in Tahajjud prayer [pre-dawn voluntary prayer] every day.’” He would also write letters to me regularly, saying that he needed to contribute to the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme and requesting prayers that he may have the honour to do so. He continues, “In one way or another, Allah the Almighty enabled me to fulfil my pledge for Waqf-e-Jadid before the end of the year. I was somehow able to make my contributions.” He continues, “A few days after making my contributions, I received a phone call from a previous employer who asked me to come in for an interview. I thanked Allah that I found a job. I was very surprised because the person who called me was not my direct supervisor. My friend was also astonished at the fact that I was made this offer, especially because I had resigned from there seven years earlier.” He says, “It is a favour of Allah upon me that even at this age, I have found a source of income.”

There is a city in Senegal called Tambacounda. A missionary from there writes, “During my tour, whilst I was encouraging people to give alms and relating incidents that you [i.e. His Holiness] had mentioned in a previous sermon, I met an Ahmadi by the name of Usman Sahib. He said that prior to taking the bai‘at, his financial situation was very dire, and after taking the bai‘at, all his relatives began to oppose him. They made four attempts to burn down his house, and every time, a different portion of his house would be set ablaze. However, he says that ever since he started participating in almsgiving under the system of the Jamaat, his circumstances have changed.” He continues to say, “Owing to the blessings of almsgiving, he has now built his own secure house. Previously, his house was made of straw and would easily catch fire; however, now it is a solid structure. His children are also getting a good education in the city. Every year, just as in other branches of almsgiving, he makes a commendable increase in his contributions toward Waqf-e-Jadid. He says, ‘All those who opposed me have either passed away, or, if they are alive, are in a deplorable state.’”

Amir Sahib of Tanzania writes, “There is an incident of a farmer. He grows tomatoes and waters his crops by renting machines and pumps to lift water from the lake. He said, ‘This year, rain was scarce. The crops deteriorated. As they watered their crops, the neighbouring farmers would laugh at me upon seeing the state of my crops.’” Nonetheless, he says, “When the mu‘allim reminded me to give alms, I offered the 1000 shillings I had in my possession. The mu‘allim gave me my receipt. The next day, there was an amila meeting, and I told the mu‘allim that the deal I made had come to fruition, as the first rain of the season had showered on my crops and the water [reserves] were full. Allah the Almighty has rewarded me in this manner.”

A missionary from Sierra Leone writes, “There is a teacher, Alextamu Sahib, who is a researcher in Sierra Leone. He says that there were arrears in his Wasiyyat and other financial schemes of the Jamaat due to the governmental issues of the previous year, owing to which there was a delay in the paying of salaries. For some time, life became very difficult. Nonetheless, he arranged for some money and paid his Wasiyyat and other alms, even during this trying time. He said, ‘After giving alms, I was first elected to be part of a group that was undertaking a research project on rice in Guinea Conakry. Following that, I also received a large, furnished house. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to arrange for a TV and MTA before the 2022 Jalsa Salana UK. Most of all, by the grace of God Almighty, I also attained a scholarship for a PhD at Japan’s Kagoshima University. I had applied and my institution also gave a recommendation, and as a result, I was selected.’” He further says, “I have been in Japan since last year. By the grace of Allah, I am in contact with the Jamaat here as well. Not only that, but by God’s grace, my institution has allotted a house for my family and a stipend in Sierra Leone.” He says, “Nonetheless, this has greatly strengthened my faith; Allah the Almighty has granted me this favour due to the blessings of almsgiving.”

It is observed that not only Ahmadis, who have been in the community for a long time, but there are also many examples of how new converts distanced them from the love of worldly wealth for the sake of Allah the Almighty.  The missionary of the Moyamba region of Sierra Leone writes, “In reference to the Friday Sermon, the people were encouraged to contribute towards Waqf-e-Jadid through the story of a companion who took an axe into the woods, cut and sold lumber and offered his earnings to the Holy Prophet^(sa). There are Ahmadis who come to offer Friday prayers from a nearby village known as Dodo. Amongst them, a sincere Ahmadi by the name of Qasim came on a sweltering afternoon and contributed a large sum towards Waqf-e-Jadid, saying that it was his total earnings. He was told to keep some money for his monthly expenses, but he responded very passionately, saying, ‘The day you narrated the story of that companion, I made a solemn vow to bring that story into practice. Thus, you must accept the full amount. Allah the Almighty will reward me Himself.’”

Amir Sahib of Tanzania writes, “The mu‘allim of the Shinyanga region informed me of an area known as Simbachai where the Community has been newly established. Up until December, 39 people had entered the fold of the Community.” This Jamaat was only established last month. The mu‘allim says, “In December I was touring the local jamaats assigned to me. I also visited this newly established jamaat. Most of the people who entered the Community from this area previously had no religion. They were not acquainted with religion at all, and so there was a focused effort to teach them [the method of] prayer and the Qur’an. After offering Zuhr prayer, a class was held for moral training, during which I [the mu‘allim] taught the method of prayer and other matters of Islamic jurisprudence. An elderly man saw a receipt book in the mu‘allim’s bag and inquired about it. The mu‘allim explained that as the year for Waqf-e-Jadid was in its final month, they were collecting the pledges that were made, after which a report would be sent to the headquarters so that their report could be seen by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aa).

All Ahmadis who take part in this scheme are given a receipt. Upon this, another Ahmadi asked, ‘When will you take our Chanda?’” The mu‘allim says, “I told them that I had thought that because they were going through difficult times and they were new converts, perhaps they needed more moral training, hence, that you would be included in the scheme from the following year. Upon this, all the new converts asked, ‘Will our names not be presented to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aa)? This cannot happen.’ Upon this, all those present gave everything they had. When we were about to leave, they said, ‘mu‘allim Sahib! Before you leave, note down our promises for next year as well.’ Subsequently, they pledged their amounts for Waqf-e-Jadid for the following year as well.” In this way, Allah the Almighty is increasing the faith of the new converts as well.

Amir Sahib Gambia writes, “Jallow Sahib is an Ahmadi member who resides in the Dutabulu Jamaat of the North Bank [region]. Jallow Sahib’s father is not an Ahmadi and is a chief of his village. He is extremely ill and frail, and for this reason, his son, who is an Ahmadi, oversees the matters relating to the village. He mentioned that one day an Islamic NGO visited their village and according to him, they would assist the Muslims of the village with 15,000 Dalasis [local currency].” He further says, “They called me and said, ‘We have heard a lot about you, that you are a very noble and decent man. We wish to assist you and your father with 30,000 dalasis, but the only issue is that you are an Ahmadi. If you leave the Jamaat you will receive this amount.’” Upon this, Jallow Sahib replied to the NGO, “I do not need any money, because the Jamaat has taught us that Allah the Almighty is sufficient for His people. Besides, each year I donate more than 15,000 dalasis in alms.” Upon hearing this, they were astounded and said, “Why do you give such a large amount to the Jamaat, you yourself are poor?” To this, the Ahmadi replied, “Were you to discover the amount of joy and blessings I have experienced from Allah the Almighty, you yourself would join the community of the Imam Mahdi^(as).” This is the condition of the faith that Allah the Almighty is instilling in the hearts of those Ahmadis living in distant lands; after professing belief in the Ardent Devotee of the Holy Prophet^(sa), their faith goes from strength to strength.

Ameer Sahib of Congo Kinshasa writes, “During the Friday sermon, the members were reminded about contributing towards Waqf-e-Jadid Chanda. On the same day, Nooruddeen Sahib, who works in the police force rang our mu‘allim and said, ‘I have been saving an amount in case of an emergency, however, after hearing Murabbi Sahib encouraging people to contribute to Waqf-e-Jadid I would like to contribute to that.’ He contributed 210,000 [Congolese] Francs, which for him was an extraordinary amount.” This is an example of those who love to offer sacrifices in the way of Allah.

The missionary in Macedonia writes, “Most of the Ahmadis here are poor, but despite this, they still offer financial sacrifices. One member, Faisal Sahib – who pledged allegiance in 1995 in Germany – travelled to various countries before settling back in Macedonia. Initially, he had little contact with the Jamaat, but later he became more attached. Last Eid Al-Adha, he stayed in the mission house for two to three days. During his stay, he was informed about the financial system of the Jama’at; aside from obligatory chanda, he was informed about Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid.” He further writes. “10 or 12 days later, I went into town to meet him. Before leaving, he gave me 10,000 [Macedonian] denars as Chanda, which is not a large amount and equates approximately to 63 euros. This member is unemployed and has not been working for a long time. I said to him that he was well aware of his own circumstances and so I advised him to keep some amount of money for himself and save it for his family, because what he gave was a very large amount in Macedonian denars. However, he insisted and happily gave the entire amount from himself and his family towards Waqf-e-Jadid, saying that Allah the Almighty would provide for him.”

Thus, these are the people who are truly offering sacrifices, who give in the way of Allah the Almighty out of the wealth that they are in need of. The Promised Messiah^(as) says, “It is not possible for you to love wealth and Allah. You can have love for only one.” He further says, “Fortunate is the one who loves Allah alone. If anyone from among you loves Allah and sacrifices their wealth for the sake of Allah, I firmly believe that their wealth will be blessed far more than the wealth of others, because wealth is not received by a person of his own accord, rather it goes to a person with the Will of God. Thus, the one who leaves some portion of their wealth for the sake of God will certainly receive blessings thereof.” (Majmu’ah Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 323, Nazarat Nashr-o-Ishaat, Qadian, 2019)

Thus, every Ahmadi who has offered sacrifices is a witness to the truthfulness of this extract, that whatever the Promised Messiah^(as) said was the truth. May Allah the Almighty enable those who spent in the way of God to increase in their level of sacrifice and may those people who are better off financially, but whose level of sacrifice is not as good, enable them to understand this saying of the Promised Messiah^(as), where he states: “I tell you again and again, Allah is not dependent on any of your services, but it is a great blessing upon you that He has granted you an opportunity to spend in His way.” (Majmu’ah Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, p. 324, Nazarat Nashr-o-Ishaat, Qadian, 2019)

Those who are miserly ought to ponder over this. May Allah the Almighty enable the Umara of the Jamaat to understand this matter as well.

After this, I will mention the details and figures for the collection of Waqf-e-Jadid last year. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the 65^th year of Waqf-e-Jadid concluded on 31 December and the new year commenced on 1 January [2023]. The total sacrifice offered by the Jamaat was more than £12.2 million – £12,215,000. Despite the fact that the economic situation of the world has not improved, this is an increase of £928,000 from last year, alhamdulillah.

Out of all the jamaats across the world, the U.K. stood 1^st again in terms of the overall collection, Canada is in 2^nd place, followed by Germany who have moved down to 3^rd place, USA is 4^th, India is 5^th, Australia is 6^th, 7^th place was a Jama’at in the Middle East, Indonesia is 8^th, 9^th place was another Jamaat in the Middle East and Belgium stood 10^th.

In terms of contribution per capita, USA is 1^st, Switzerland is 2^nd, the UK is 3^rd, Australia is 4^th and Canada is 5^th.

In terms of overall contribution amongst the African countries, 1^st is Ghana, 2^nd is Mauritius, 3^rd is Nigeria, Burkina Faso is 4^th, Tanzania is 5^th, Liberia is 6^th, the Gambia is 7^th, Uganda is 8^th, Sierra Leone is 9^th and Benin is 10^th.

This year, there has been a 61,000 increase in the number of participants. The total number of participants is 1,506,000. Out of those countries who strived to increase their number of participants, Uganda was 1^st, followed by Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, then Niger, Congo Kinshasa and then Bangladesh. These countries made notable increases in this regard.

In terms of the overall collection, the top ten large jamaats from the UK are: Farnham is 1^st, Worcester Park is 2^nd, Walsall is 3^rd, Islamabad is 4^th, Gillingham is 5^th, South Cheam is 6^th, Aldershot South is 7^th, Bradford is 8^th, Cheam is 9^th and Ewell is 10^th.

The regions are: Baitul Futuh stood 1st, Islamabad was 2^nd, Fazl Mosque is 3^rd, Midlands is 4^th and Baitul Ehsan is 5^th.

The top ten jamaats with regard to daftar Atfal are Aldershot South is 1^st, followed by Islamabad, then Walsall, then Farnham, then Roehampton Vale, Aldershot North, followed by Mitcham Park, Bordon, South Cheam and Baitul Futuh.

The top five smaller jamaats in terms of the overall collection is: Spen Valley, Keighley, North Wales, Northampton and Swansea.

The Amarats of Canada are as follows: Vaughan is 1^st, followed by Vancouver, then Calgary, Peace Village, Toronto and then Brampton-West.

The top ten large jamaats in Canada – the ones mentioned before were Amarats, the jamaats are as follows: Milton West is first, Hadeeqah Ahmad is 2^nd, Milton East is 3^rd, Winnipeg is 4^th, Saskatoon Bait al-Rahmat is 5^th, Durham West is 6^th, Ottawa West 7^th, Innisfil is 8^th, Regina is 9^th, Abbotsford 10^th.

From the Atfal [collection]: Vaughan is 1^st, followed by Peace Village, then Toronto West, Calgary and Brampton East.

The top five jamaats in Daftar Atfal are – the ones mentioned previously were amarats: Airdrie, Saint Catharines, Hadeeqah Ahmad, Innisfil and Bradford East.

The top five Amarats of Germany are: Hamburg is 1^st, Frankfurt is 2^nd, Wiesbaden is 3^rd followed by Gross-Gerau and Riedstadt.

The top ten jamaats are: Rödermark, Rödgaue, Mainz, Bait Al-Rasheed, Neuss, Flörsheim, Nidda, Mahdi-Abad, Friedberg and Koblenz

In terms of collection from Atfal, the top five regions are Hessen Mitte, Hessen Southwest, Hamburg, Taunus, and Wiesbaden.

The top ten jamaats of the USA are: Maryland, North Virginia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Oshkosh, Rochester and then Phoenix.

The top ten jamaats for Atfal are: South Virginia, North Virginia, Maryland, Seattle, Orlando, Austin, Silicon Valley, Oshkosh, Portland and Zion.

The top three jamaats in Pakistan are – despite Pakistan’s dire economic situation, by the grace of Allah they increased their collections significantly in the local currency. Compared to the Pound [Sterling], the value of their currency has completely diminished. But despite this, they contributed a significant amount. The first Jamaat was: Lahore, followed by Rabwah and then Karachi was 3^rd. In terms of districts Islamabad was 1^st, followed by Sialkot, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Umerkot, Multan, Mirpur Khas and Dera Ghazi Khan.

In terms of the overall collection, the top ten jamaats are: Islamabad Town, Defence Lahore, Township Lahore, Darul Zikr Lahore, Model Town Lahore, Allamah Iqbal Town Lahore, Rawalpindi Town, Azizabad Karachi, Samanabad Lahore and Mughalpura Lahore.

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

The position of districts for daftar Atfal: Islamabad is first, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Umerkot, Mirpur Khas, Narowal, Nankana Sahib, Jhelum and then Quetta.

The small jamaats that made extraordinary progress are – they are not only small jamaats but include large towns as well: Gujranwala city, Gulshan-e-Jami Karachi, Sadr Karachi, Rawalpindi Cantt, Bait al-Fazl Faisalabad, Kareem Nagar Faisalabad, Sialkot Town, Peshawar, Sargodha, Okara.

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

The top ten jamaats are: Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Qadian, Keralai, Pathapiriyam, Bangalore, Melapalayam, Calcutta, Calicut, and Kerang.

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

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

The collection from Atfal are: Melbourne Langwarrin, Logan East, Penrith, Perth, Castle Hill, Melbourne Clyde, Adelaide South, Melbourne Berwick, Mount Druitt and Melbourne West.

May Allah the Almighty greatly bless the wealth and progeny of all those who participated in this scheme.