Waqf e Jadid & Importance of Building Mosques

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

January 12^th, 2007

In the Friday Sermon Huzur cited 275 verse of Surah Al Baqarah and announced the new Waqf e Jadid year.
Huzur gave a brief insight into the historical perspective of the Waqf e Jadid scheme. The scheme was started in 1957 by Hadhrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) only for the Ahmadis of Pakistan for two specific purposes. He made Hadhrat Khalifa tul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) a member of the scheme and specifically instructed him to focus on, firstly the moral training and Tabligh (propagation of Islam) among the rural Jama’ats of Pakistan. Secondly he instructed to concentrate on Tabligh to the Hindu community in the Sind province of Pakistan. On his initial assessment Hadhrat Khalifa tul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) discovered that religious awareness in the rural areas of Pakistan was in a dire state. The initiative to train and then send mu’allum (teachers/tutors) to the rural parts of Pakistan to counter this was started. This was an arduous task which was achieved by making huge sacrifices.

The Hindu community in the Sind province was destitute and was mistreated and exploited by the Muslim landowners. Seeing this, the Christian missions offered them financial help and thus influenced them towards Christianity. Waqf e Jadid carried out the huge task of bringing this Hindu community into Ahmadiyyat and continues to do to this day. In the early days a Jama’at was established in Thar and the adjoining areas and many among them became life devotees (Waqf e Zindagi). Huzur said he would notice their extraordinary sincerity when they came for Jalsa at Rabwah.

Speaking of the early mu’allums who went to the rural parts of Pakistan, Huzur said they would carry medicines with them for their own use as well as for people who they met. Nowadays there are mobile dispensaries and many doctors also visit. The Ahmadis of Pakistan have made enormous sacrifices for this scheme for their moral training and Tabligh and continue to do so. The task has greatly expanded now.

Huzur drew the attention of the Ahmadi landowners of Sind to extend kindness to the disadvantaged Hindu community or to those among them who have now become Muslims. Huzur said these people leave their homes and come out to the areas where there is a facility of water to earn a livelihood. Huzur said we have to win their hearts over with love and affection.

Since this scheme was made world-wide in 1985 by Hadhrat Khalifa tul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) Huzur gave this brief introduction aiming it at the younger people as well as those who have come into the Community recently. The Jama’at in Pakistan is now self-sufficient; however in 1985 this scheme was extended to the whole world so that with the help of everyone’s contributions, in particular of the Jama’ats in Western countries, Waqf e Jadid could be set in motion in India. Hadhrat Khalifa tul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) had expressed grave concern over some anti-Ahmadiyya movement within India at the time and decided to counter it by the implementation of Waqf e Jadid scheme.

Huzur said as we all know the Community is progressing at great speed. As a result of this our needs are increasing as well. With the grace of Allah people of the Community are also being blessed individually. Therefore, as ever, we need to be mindful of financial sacrifices so that we may help financially weak Jama’ats. The Jama’at in India as well as those in Africa make endeavours but they need the help of the Jama’ats of countries with strong economies. Referring to the Quranic verse recited at the beginning Huzur said Allah declares that the reward of those who give in His way is with Him alone and these people should never fear that giving would cause shortfall in their wealth. Else where the Qur’an states that their reward would be 700-fold or greater. Indeed the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that financial giving strengthens faith. It is the requisite of the love of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) for each Ahmadi to, as ever, come forward in financial giving and to train the new-converts into doing so.

Huzur said at the present time there is a huge number of people whose moral training has to be undertaken on an extensive scale and tremendous amount of funds are needed for this. The Community tries to utilise its funds in the most economically-sound manner. The majority of our Community is underprivileged therefore on each level the administration of the Community should be mindful that the funds are used to seek the pleasure of Allah and to help His creation. As long as we use this principle, our funds will be blessed.

A few in the Community who are affluent do not make corresponding monetary contributions and are believed to comment/opine that the Community is quite well-off. Whether the Community is well-off or not it certainly seems so to the critics and the opponents. Huzur said to collect funds to implement our plans there will always be schemes of financial giving. When the funds are being used to strengthen faith and when there is God’s assurance that its reward is with Him and people who give will have no fear, what better return could one want for one’s money? If ever, there is any failing in utilising the funds, the person who has given has already earned their reward with Allah. If any Ahmadi ever feels any doubt they should get rid of it.

Addressing the Jama’at in India Huzur said that although they are provided with funds there is room for improvement in their moral training and Tabligh programmes. They need to approach this with renewed vigour and fervour. Some consideration seems to have been made as there is an increase of 4000 in the participants in Waqf e Jadid this year and there is also an increase in the per capita contribution. However, further attention needs to be paid as India only meets 3% of their own needs whereas 97% is provided by other countries. Huzur said he was giving out these facts and figures so that the Jama’at in India may further focus.
Huzur said as the world-wide Waqf e Jadid contributions are barely meeting the needs of India, the needs of Africa have to be met in other ways. The wealthy Jama’ats should be mindful that support needs to be provided to the Jama’ats in India and Africa. Often excuses are presented that attention or focus of giving has been made on other projects. Huzur said the situation in Pakistan is such that the worse the condition of the Jama’at gets the greater is their spirit of giving. They seem to rebound from difficult situations to huge giving. In other countries where the Community is undergoing aggravation the level of giving also increases. Other countries should not sit and wait for trouble before they increase in sacrifices.

Ciitng individual assessments of Waqf e Jadid contributions of countries Huzur started with Canada and said most of them are from Pakistan with roots in India and India had a great right on them. Huzur said their per capita contribution needs improving. €15 is per capita for the German Jama’at and although their number of contributors is sound the per capita contribution is not enough. The per capita contribution for USA Jama’at is $137 and there is room for improvement. In UK the per capita contribution is £34, which Huzur said comes to £2.75 per month. A perspective on this would be that the chips people buy to treat their children cost more than this. Among the UK regions the percentage of participation is best in Scotland followed by Southwest, whereas the South region has the least participation percentage. Again among the UK Jama’at, the London Mosque area came first as far as per capita contribution goes followed by Worcester Park.

Huzur said of course one is not supposed to over-burden oneself and has to look after the needs of the family. However family expenses should not be unrestrained and should not be fuelled by brazen commercialism. Children should be coached in giving, to give out of their pocket money, so that in future it becomes their key preference.

Huzur said he had worked out that if families living in the West, who frequently treated their children to burgers and such like, rather then eat out, if twice a month, they saved the money instead to give it to Waqf e Jadid, there could be a 20% to 30% increase in the contribution.

Huzur said he would like to announce that the Jama’ats in the West should entrust the Waqf e Jadid scheme to their children. It will not be a burden. They should be trained to save on small levels and thus the needs of India as well as Africa will be met.
Giving the specific facts and figures of the Waqf e Jadid year 2006 Huzur said the overall donations received stand at £ 2,225,000 with Pakistan in the first place, followed by USA and then UK.

Huzur said despite the fall in the global exchange rate Pakistan has managed to hold onto its 1st position. The exchange of the USA $ has fallen as well but the spirit of sacrifice of the poor has won. Huzur said to the Pakistan Jama’at to ever keep this spirit of giving alive.

Huzur said Ahmadis should never be weary of giving and should not tire after making a specific contribution to a specific scheme and the thought to suffice on one decent contribution to a particular project should never even enter one’s thoughts. The wealth that will be of any avail in the Hereafter will be that which is spent in Allah’s cause.

Huzur said today there is a lot of focus on building mosques worldwide. Attention to any other project or scheme should not deter from the aim to build mosques. In UK there is a plan to make five mosques a year, this task should be carried out concurrently with others. Mosques are a tremendous source of moral training.

Recounting his recent European trip Huzur said its main purpose was to lay the foundation stone of the Berlin Mosque. Huzur briefly explained the local opposition met in Berlin to the building of the mosque and how on the day the foundation stone was laid Allah facilitated another local group to prevent the opposing group from their protestations. As in his last Friday Sermon Huzur reiterated that it was strong desire of Hadhrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) to have a mosque built in Berlin and it is surprising to note the extensive planning he had for the mosque. Despite the current price of land extremely high we have been able to get a land plot in access of one acre for the mosque. For now, the mosque will have capacity for five hundred worshippers and InshaAllah it has potential for extension later.

As with the initial funds raised for the Berlin mosque many decades ago this time it is also Lajna (Germany) who is raising the money to build the mosque. Huzur prayed that may Allah enable them to fulfill their promise. This mosque is named ‘Khadija Mosque’ after that pure lady who was the first to accept faith in the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and who sacrificed all her wealth in his way.

Huzur prayed that may those ladies who have set great standards in financial giving also set standard of taqwa and may they also make the mosque flourish and in spreading the Unity of God to the corners of the world may they fulfill the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).

May Allah bring that day soon when we witness the world gather under the banner of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and be inclined to the One God.