The Review of Religions is pleased to present the official transcript of the address by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, at the International Waqf-e-Nau Refresher Course for National Secretaries on 7th December 2019 at the Masroor Hall, Islamabad, Tilford, UK.
After reciting Tashhahud, Ta’awwuz and Bismillah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) said:
‘With the Grace of Allah, the first ‘International Waqf-e-Nau Refresher Course for National Secretaries’ is taking place this weekend.
I am confident that the participants will each have benefitted from the mutual exchange of experiences and also from the presentations made by the central Waqf-e-Nau team, in which they will have presented guidance to the delegates in accordance with the instructions I have given to the Waqf-e-Nau department in recent years.
Anyway, today, I wish to take this opportunity to highlight certain important points regarding the spirit in which you should try to conduct your duties as Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries in your respective countries.
First of all, I wish to remind you of the great importance and significance of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme itself. Waqf-e-Nau is the blessed scheme that was founded according to the Will of Allah by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) for the sake of facilitating the future prosperity and worldwide growth of the Jama’at.
The purpose of this scheme was to prepare as many Waqifeen, or life devotees, raised from birth, with the objective of fulfilling the needs of the Jama’at in different fields, such as Tabligh and Tarbiyyat as well as in education and healthcare.
With the Grace of Allah, ever since the Waqf-e-Nau scheme was launched, tens of thousands of Ahmadi parents have dedicated the lives of their unborn children for the cause of Islam with the utmost sincerity. In particular, the spirit of sacrifice displayed by countless Ahmadi mothers has been exceptional.
As the National Secretary for Waqf-e-Nau in your respective countries, a heavy burden of responsibility has been placed upon you, wherein it is now your duty to cater for the moral, spiritual and educational training of those children who have been born into this scheme.
You must guide them at every stage of their development, as they are the people who are set to play a key and integral role in fulfilling the noble mission of the Promised Messiah (as) in the coming years.
This is the objective of a Waqf-e-Nau.
Since the launch of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme, we have opened Jamias in several new countries.In this way, a significant number of missionaries, many of whom are Waqf-e-Nau, are being trained for the sake of propagating the true teachings of Islam and ensuring the moral training of the members of the Jama’at.
Certainly, if our Jama’at had the resources, we would also open a teacher training institution as well as a medical college or teaching hospital; however, at this stage, we are unable to undertake such projects.
Anyway, at least, with the pure Grace of Allah, we have been able to establish the various new Jamia institutes through which our immediate need for missionaries is being fulfilled to some extent.
Nonetheless, there remains a pressing need in other fields. In particular, we need Waqf-e-Nau to pursue medicine and teaching to satisfy the requirements of our Jama’at hospitals and schools.
Hence, each of you, in your respective countries, should encourage the Waqifeen-e-Nau to pursue those fields, which are of most benefit to the Jama’at.
Moving on, you must all recognise the crucial importance of seeking the Help of Allah the Almighty at every juncture. If you are bereft of His Grace and mercy then all of your efforts will be in vain.
Thus, before anything else, each Waqf-e-Nau Secretary, whether at a local, regional or national level, must ponder upon their own spiritual and moral standards.
They should honestly assess whether they are themselves upholding and reaching the standards required for them to fulfil their duty to train the members of the Waqf-e-Nau.
Are they, who are responsible for the moral development of the Waqf-e-Nau, constantly seeking to improve their own spiritual state?
Are they offering the five daily prayers as prescribed by Allah the Almighty and by the Holy Prophet (sa)?
Are they regular in offering voluntary Nawafil prayers?
Are they bowing down with total humility in prostration seeking the Help of Allah for the fulfilment of their duties?
As I said, without prayer nothing can be achieved, whilst conversely, there is no limit to what can be accomplished through the blessings of prayer.
Indeed, the very foundation of any success in our Jama’at is sincere prayer and the worship of Allah the Almighty.
Accordingly, if you combine heartfelt prayer with hard work and an earnest desire to fulfil your responsibilities the results will be excellent.
It will lead to vast numbers of Waqifeen-e-Nau excelling in their moral, spiritual and educational development and they will go on to provide great service to the Jama’at.
Consequently, if you desire that the members of the Waqf-e-Nau are those who scale the highest peaks of morality and spirituality, it is necessary that you yourselves, as Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries, develop a close and intimate relationship with God Almighty and exemplify the highest moral standards and conduct at all times.
Each Waqf-e-Nau Secretary, whether at a local or national level, should recognise the fact that they have been elected to a position of great trust.
The other members of the Jama’at have considered them to have the requisite skills and moral character to train and guide those young people whose parents have pledged their lives for the service of Islam.
In particular, the National Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries should pay heed to the fact that their approval was given directly by Khalifatul Masih, upon the recommendation of the local Jama’at.
They should recognise that Khalifa-e-Waqt has granted their approval with the hope and expectation that they will serve with humility and dedication and will display the highest moral values at all times and faithfully strive to inculcate such values within the Waqf-e-Nau in their country.
Hence, the trust placed in you can only be discharged if you are practicing true Islamic values in all aspects of your existence.
Never underestimate or take lightly the responsibility placed on your shoulders.
In terms of your practical efforts, you have been given the task to guide the Waqf-e-Nau, both in terms of their religious upbringing and also their secular education and career choices.
So, you should develop stimulating programmes, which will facilitate their continued mo ral, spiritual and educational development.
Most crucially, you must teach and train the Waqifeen from a young age what their Waqf requires and what it means.
You must impress upon them the fact that ‘Waqf-e-Nau’ is not a title, but it is a duty and obligation.
It is a sacred bond and a solemn pledge.
It is a lifelong commitment and sacrifice made for the sake of their faith, wherein all material matters or worldly positions are of no value in comparison to the fulfilment of the pledge of being a Waqf-e-Nau.
Only if you are successful in instilling these values from childhood will the members of Waqf-e-Nau understand the true value of Waqf and of the pledge made by their parents, which they renew upon reaching an age of maturity.
They will realise that, as a member of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme, they are, in reality, ‘Waqf-e-Zindaghi’ and that ‘Waqf’ represents a great ‘sacrifice’ of one’s own being for a greater good and without it, their pledge will be rendered hollow and meaningless.
Again, I reiterate that it is of the utmost importance that you set a personal example.
Where you instruct the Waqf-e-Nau to be ready for every sacrifice for the sake of their faith, you must practice what you preach.
Thus, all of you should be making real sacrifices for the sake of your faith.
Alongside your professional and personal lives, you must sacrifice regular time for the sake of the Jama’at and never permit your worldly endeavours to cause you to neglect your religious responsibilities.
You must be regular in offering the five daily prayers on time.
Furthermore, you should wake during the night to offer the Tahajjad prayer, beseeching the help of Allah and seeking His forgiveness for your shortcomings.
You must open your heart and pray for all the Waqifeen-e-Nau and the continued success of this blessed scheme.
Only if you work with this spirit can you begin to fulfil the true objectives of being the Waqf-e-Nau Secretary.
In this regard, pay attention to the following profound and precious words of the Promised Messiah (as). The Promised Messiah (as) said:
“Even when a person is engaged in his worldly work they must maintain the fear of God and ensure that their faith always remains their priority.”
If our Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries and office bearers understand this fundamental point, I have no doubt that a magnificent spiritual army of Waqf-e-Nau from all parts of the world will be raised and readied for the service of the Jama’at.
Multitudes of Waqifeen will march forward to present themselves to the Jama’at with a resolute determination to serve the grand mission of the Promised Messiah (as).
They will submit themselves for the service of Islam and for the sake of establishing the Unity and Oneness of God Almighty across the world.
To ensure this, as Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries, you must instil within the Waqifeen-e-Nau a spirit of complete fidelity to their Waqf, to the Jama’at and to the institution of Khilafat.
In addition, it is of the utmost importance that Waqf-e-Nau children are exposed to the highest morals and the manifestation of such loyalty both within their home environment and in Jama’at circles.
So, you should also guide the parents of Waqf-e-Nau children to remain faithful and attached to the Jama’at in all circumstances and above all, to remain sincere to Allah the Almighty.
Further, you should reflect upon your own standards of devotion to Allah the Almighty and strengthen your bond with Him forevermore.
As I said, if you are successful in this mission, we will see a distinguished spiritual army raised, not to fight wars or to engage in combat, but to advance the cause of peace, harmony and goodwill in the world.
As Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries, you should listen again to the Friday Sermon I delivered in Canada in October 2016 about the characteristics of a true Waqf-e-Nau.
The sermon has been published with the title of “the Essence of a Waqf-e-Nau” and has also been given to you here, and so ensure you read it carefully and note down those characteristics and qualities that will set apart a Waqf-e-Nau and make them special.
Indeed, before looking at others, see if you are yourselves living up to the demands of being special.
Alhamdulillah, the numbers of Waqifeen-e-Nau are ever-increasing. As I have said, a legion of missionaries is being established through the various Jamia institutes. However, we do not only need missionaries.
Each year, new projects and schemes are being launched by the Jama’at, which require a variety of professional skills, and so you must make the Waqf-e-Nau understand the importance of attaining such training or qualifications that will benefit the Jama’at.
In this regard, if the importance of the pledge of Waqf-e-Nau and the true status of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme is ingrained in the minds of the Waqifeen-e-Nau from childhood, they will come to recognise that whatever training or qualifications they attain are for the sake of the Jama’at and not for their personal gain.
They will step up to fulfil the many needs of our Jama’at.
They will come forward to alleviate the shortfall of teachers at our schools. They will come forward to fulfil the shortages of doctors in our hospitals in Africa, Pakistan and India.
For example, we are currently working on a hospital project in Indonesia and so we will need Ahmadi doctors and medical professionals to serve there.
It will be preferable for the doctors to be from Indonesia or from nearby countries so that the local medical licences required for practice can be obtained easily.
Similarly, if Waqf-e-Nau doctors from the United States, Canada or Latin America present themselves for service it will help us to grow and improve our hospital in Guatemala.
We also need Waqf-e-Nau doctors from Africa, Europe and Pakistan and other parts of the world so we can increase our efforts to serve mankind.
In this regard, you should each make a detailed plan of action for your respective countries.
It is also very important that the National Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries stay in constant touch with the Waqf-e-Nau secretaries at a local level.
For example, the United States and Canada are both vast countries and so you must guide the local Jama’at Waqf-e-Nau Secretaries and ensure they are active at all times.
Make sure they understand the scale and significance of their duties.
Each local Waqf-e-Nau Secretary must play their role in developing our spiritual army by ensuring each member of Waqf-e-Nau in their region comprehends the true significance of their pledge.
Certainly, each office bearer or secretary can only be successful when they themselves follow the command of Allah and His Prophet (sa) that they must fulfil their pledges and covenants with the fear of Allah in their hearts.
Furthermore, there are members of Waqf-e-Nau who have interest and aptitude in certain fields that are not immediately required by the Jama’at. Even so, it is imperative that we do not disregard them or let their service go to waste.
Accordingly, those Waqifeen-e-Nau who are not called into the immediate service of the Jama’at, whether they are lawyers, researchers, engineers or otherwise, should realise and understand that their faith must remain their priority at all times.
It should not be that that they focus on their careers at the expense of offering their obligatory prayers or that they fail to recite and ponder upon the Holy Quran each day.
They must not fall into the trap of thinking they no longer need to increase their religious knowledge or give time for Jama’at duties or Tabligh due to the demands of their professions.
With the Grace of Allah, Professor Dr Abdus Salam Sahib reached the pinnacle in the field of science yet he never forgot his duties to Allah the Almighty.
He was always regular in offering his five daily prayers and rising early for Tahajjad. He carefully studied the Holy Quran and extrapolated various points of wisdom, which guided him in his daily life and his work.
He was also well-versed in the writings of the Promised Messiah (as). Thus, anyone who says that they do not have time to fulfil their religious duties due to their professional work is just making excuses to cover their own laziness.
I also wish to reiterate another instruction I have given recently regarding the Waqf-e-Nau.
As it not possible for the Jama’at to take into full-time service every single member of Waqf-e-Nau, those who have the appropriate educational background and ability may enter public service, for example by joining the civil service.
Whilst such Waqifeen must continue to develop their relationship with Allah and fulfil their religious duties, at the same time, they will be serving their nation and the wider society.
Alhamdulillah, Allah the Almighty has blessed us so much that in some countries the numbers of Waqf-e-Nau are now such that, alongside fulfilling the needs of the Jama’at, we can also turn our attention towards fulfilling the needs of the country.
In this way, our Jama’at can bring forth a great positive change in the world, Insha’Allah.
Certainly, if all the Waqifeen-e-Nau, whether they are serving full-time for the Jama’at or working outside fulfil their pledge, they can bring about a spiritual and moral revolution in the world.
A revolution in which the Oneness of God Almighty is established.
A revolution in which the people of the world come to recognise the enlightened teachings of Islam.
A revolution in which people are drawn towards religion, rather than turning away from it as we are seeing in the modern day.
A revolution in terms of ensuring the peace and security of the world.
A revolution in terms of fostering an atmosphere of love and reconciliation amongst the people of all communities, races and beliefs.
May Allah the Almighty enable all of you to understand your duties and responsibilities and help you in your efforts to ensure that the Waqifeen-e-Nau grow to become assets for the Jama’at, who fulfil the sacred pledge made before their birth by their parents and which they later renewed themselves.
May every member of Waqf-e-Nau and those responsible for their training play an eminent part in fulfilling the mission of the Promised Messiah (as) and may Allah the Almighty enable all of you to fulfil your duties in this regard – Ameen.’
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