“Strive to Develop an Unbreakable Spiritual Bond with the Khalifa of the Time” – Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Addresses Muslim Youth Event (Waqf-E-Nau Ijtema) in London
“Always hold fast to the truth and never permit yourself to engage in falsehood” – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
On 30 April 2023, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad addressed the concluding session of the UK National Waqf-e-Nau Ijtema, an annual gathering held for male members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK who have pledged their lives for the peaceful service of Islam.
The event took place at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London and was attended by more than 1700 men and boys, including more than 1,500 members of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme.
During an inspirational address, His Holiness outlined several attributes that are related with adopting piety and said that Waqf-e-Nau members should excel in them in order to truly fulfil their pledge of giving precedence to their faith over all else.
His Holiness reminded the Waqf-e-Nau that seeking the nearness of Allah the Almighty should be “the ultimate objective” for every life devotee.
Speaking about the pledge Waqf-e-Nau make of devoting their life, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“In general terms, if you make a promise or pledge to any person, you must try your level best to fulfil it. Otherwise, you will be guilty of deceit and betray the other person’s trust. As Waqifeen-e-Nau, the pledge you have made is on a different level entirely, as it is not made with any person but directly with Allah the Almighty. You have each promised to spend your lives in His service and be ready for every sacrifice and hardship for His sake.”
His Holiness went on to outline the spirit of sacrifice required to successfully fulfil and honour the demands of the pledge of Waqf-e-Nau.
His Holiness gave example of how the Holy Quran has praised Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) in chapter 53, verse 38 for fulfilling his pledge he made to be loyal to God, whereby Allah the Almighty states:
“And of Abraham who fulfilled the commandments.”
Referring to the verse, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said that Allah the Almighty has testified to the supreme obedience and sincere loyalty of Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) because he not only made a pledge but also fulfilled it. As I have said, your pledge is of the utmost seriousness and magnitude. In essence, you have affirmed before God that you will be ready for every possible sacrifice and hardship for His sake and will, until your dying breath, seek to serve your faith.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued and said:
“I firmly believe that if every member of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme, with purity of heart, lives up to this pledge then together you can bring forth a great spiritual revolution in the world and liberate society from the chains of moral decay in which it has become shackled. However, for this, you will need the Help and Love of Allah the Almighty and to attain that you must give precedence to Him over everything else.”
His Holiness said the path to fulfilling this pledge is not easy and requires the Waqf-e-Nau to overcome spiritual challenges.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) states that when Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his son for the sake of Allah the Almighty, then Allah stopped him and He testified to his faithfulness and sincerity. Thus, every life devotee, including all Waqifeen-e-Nau, must be ready to endure whatever hardship and adversity comes their way for the sake of Allah the Almighty. If every Waqf-e-Nau and life devotee achieves this, they can consider that they have successfully fulfilled their pledge of Waqf.”
His Holiness said that the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) made incredible sacrifices and relinquished all material pursuits and worldly opportunities for the sake of their faith.
His Holiness spoke about the importance of observing the five daily prayers in the best way in order to attain the love of Allah and narrated that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once said to a companion to repeat his prayers when he observed that the companion had done them quite quickly. The companion did the prayers again and was told to repeat them until the companion asked for instructions on how he should do the prayers so that they are in line with the expectations of Allah the Almighty.
Narrating the response of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“He explained that during Namaz, a person should praise Allah the Almighty, express his love for Him and recite Surah Fatiha, Durood Sharif and all the other necessary prayers, while pondering over their meanings. Moreover, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained that a Muslim should prostate in Sajdah with complete humility. Hence, you should offer every Namaz with due care as prescribed by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), rather than quickly going through the motions.”
After emphasising that the Holy Quran should also be regularly recited by Waqf-e-Nau, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“It is the obligation of those who have devoted their lives to demonstrate the highest possible moral standards and to seek to adopt every type of virtue. In your daily lives, you should observe the best of morals and etiquettes when you are with your family, friends, fellow students and in all of your dealings. Always hold fast to the truth and never permit yourself to engage in falsehood. Speak to others respectfully and kindly.”
Another moral challenge that His Holiness outlined which Ahmadi Muslims were advised to overcome, was avoiding all forms of indecency.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Do not be under the misconception that ‘modesty’ is something only for women and girls to practice. Rather, it is essential for boys and men as well. In this society, indecency and vulgarity is visible almost everywhere. So, when you are out in public, you should lower your gaze, rather than looking curiously in every direction and towards those indecent things that are contrary to your faith.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“Similarly, avoid all immoral and obscene content on social media, television or elsewhere. Exposure to such content is extremely harmful. It can easily corrupt one’s mind and adversely affect your behaviour. Many studies and media reports have proven that exposure to pornography or similar vulgar material is hugely damaging – both at an individual level and for the wider society. For example, studies have shown that viewing such content leads to disturbing attitudes amongst boys and men towards women and girls and often to violence.”
His Holiness said that Islam and the Holy Prophet (peace ad blessings be upon him) are constantly being attacked by false allegations and so Waqf-e-Nau should “be at the forefront” to show people the true and beautiful teachings of Islam.
“To enlighten the world of the matchless teachings of the Holy Quran and to inform mankind about the unparalleled status of the Holy Prophet(sa) is the paramount duty for every Ahmadi Muslim and especially Waqf-e-Nau. To be successful in outreach work, it is vital that you gain religious knowledge and you must also sincerely pray that Allah blesses your efforts, and those of other Ahmadi Muslims engaged in spreading the message of Islam.”
His Holiness went on to speak of the strong relationship that ought to be developed between the Waqf-e-Nau and Khilafat.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“It is also imperative that the Waqifeen-e-Nau strive to develop an unbreakable spiritual bond with the Khalifa of the Time and display the highest standards of loyalty and obedience to the institution of Khilafat. If you are sincere with Khilafat, it will not only benefit you personally and be a means of gaining the rewards of Allah, it will ensure that the unity within our Jamaat will grow ever stronger.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also emphasised the importance excelling in secular education and said:
“Apart from religious studies, Waqifeen-e-Nau must also strive to excel in their secular education. Always seek to increase your knowledge and do not waste time on trivial things. Consider how you can benefit humanity and advance human understanding…Those Waqifeen-e-Nau studying or working externally, particularly in research, should endeavour to climb to the pinnacle of their respective fields of learning. If you excel in acquiring worldly and religious knowledge, you will have the intellectual armoury to propagate the message and teachings of Allah the Almighty and defend Islam from those who seek to defame it. Furthermore, you will, Insha’Allah, gain the ability to bring people towards the worship of the One God and under the banner of he who was the most honoured of all mankind – the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).”
Concluding his address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad prayed and said:
“May you be counted amongst the most faithful soldiers of the spiritual army of the Promised Messiah(as) whose mission is not to conquer lands or territories but rather to win the hearts of mankind and to bring the people of all nations, races and beliefs towards Allah the Almighty. May all of you, as Waqifeen-e-Nau, come to play an outstanding role in conveying the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat to every corner of the world.”