Image taken by Lajna Ima’illah UK
Address by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V (aba) at the National Lajna & Nasirat UK Ijtema 2026
After reciting Tashahhud, Ta`awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) said:
‘I hope and pray that your attendance in the Ijtema proves of true benefit, and a means of drawing all of you closer to Allah and increasing your faith. Today, I wish to address you about the responsibilities and characteristics of a true believer.
A basic principle of Islam is that every individual is accountable to Allah the Almighty for their actions. If a person acts righteously, it shall lead to Allah’s rewards. Whereas if a person transgresses or engages in wrongdoing, they shall incur His displeasure and punishment. As Ahmadi Muslims, we have all taken the Bai`at of the Promised Messiah (as), and so have pledged to abide by all of Allah’s commands. In terms of fulfilling one’s pledges, Allah says:
وَاَوۡفُوۡا بِالۡعَھۡدِ ۚ اِنَّ الۡعَھۡدَ کَانَ مَسۡـُٔوۡلًا [i]
And fulfil the covenant; for the covenant shall be questioned about.
Here, Allah categorically states that every person will be held accountable for the pledges they have undertaken. Consequently, with a sense of deep anguish and urgency, we must strive to fulfil the conditions of Bai’at. At both the UK and Germany Jalsas, I spoke at some length about this topic and explained what the conditions of Bai’at demand of us. All Ahmadis must keep this at the forefront of their minds, and no one should harbour the misconception that acting upon the conditions of Bai`at is a duty reserved solely for men; rather, it is equally incumbent upon Ahmadi women. If an Ahmadi fails to do so, they fail to discharge the rights of being an Ahmadi.
The paramount objective of the advent of the Promised Messiah (as) was to draw humanity closer to Allah the Almighty. So having taken his Bai’at, we must strive to inculcate every quality and virtue that serves as a means of attaining Allah’s nearness and pleasure. It is human nature to be absorbed by the immediate concerns of today. However, we should always remember that after departing this world, our ultimate return is to Allah. Certainly, this conviction is a fundamental principle of our faith.
All of us will stand before Allah and be held directly accountable for our actions. Do not presume that Allah will be satisfied merely because we have accepted the Promised Messiah (as), in accordance with His commands and the prophecies of the Holy Prophet (sa). Nor should born Ahmadis rely on the fact that they have followed in the footsteps of their elders by maintaining their belief in the Promised Messiah (as); rather, belief and faith are only of value and praiseworthy when accompanied by sincere and righteous deeds.
A faith that is devoid of practice remains hollow and cannot lead to salvation. As a result, our Bai’at demands that we seek to bring about a profound moral and spiritual transformation within ourselves. In today’s world, we are surrounded by superficial temptations that continuously seek to drive people away from God and towards sinful acts. As such, remaining on the right path and upholding Allah’s commands is a perpetual challenge for all of us. Moreover, beyond personal self-reformation, Ahmadis must raise their children in a way that they come to recognise and understand the value of acting upon Allah’s commands.
I mentioned that every person is responsible for their actions. In this regard, Allah the Almighty says:
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَۃٌ وِّزۡرَ اُخۡرٰی [ii]
And no burdened soul can bear the burden of another.
Christians may claim that Prophet Jesus (as) died for their sins; however, Islam firmly rejects this notion; rather, our religion teaches us that every person reaps what they sow. Those who are good and pious shall be rewarded by God, while those who act unjustly or cruelly will be held accountable for their wrongdoing. Moreover, on the Day of Judgment, each person will stand alone before Allah. Neither one’s parents, nor one’s spouse, nor one’s siblings will be able to bear their burden. Only your good deeds will accompany you and come to your aid on that day. Therefore, never permit the corrupting forces of the world or the latest trends to overpower you or take you away from your faith.
At all times, you must follow what Allah has taught. First and foremost, every Ahmadi must fulfil the rights of Allah’s worship. Every Ahmadi must offer their five daily prayers with great sincerity and devotion. Salat is the ultimate instrument for purifying a person’s soul and protecting a person from all that Allah dislikes or prohibits. It both guards us in this life and is the means of our salvation in the next.
The true test of a believer’s character and faith occurs when no one is watching. It is not difficult to offer your prayer or maintain good conduct whilst at the mosque or in the company of other Ahmadis who share your beliefs and upbringing. Your challenge is to ensure that you remain firm in your faith at those times when you think that no one is watching you, or when you are in the company of people who do not share your religious values. Never forget that Allah is watching your every act. A true believer remains ever-fearful of displeasing Allah, irrespective of whether they are on their own or in public. Thus, you should hold the fear of Allah deep within your hearts. Remember our fear of Allah the Almighty should be born out of our love for Him and our appreciation of the limitless blessings He has bestowed upon us.
One of His blessings is our children. Allah the Almighty requires a mother to fulfil the rights of her children. She must love and care for them and fulfil their physical and emotional needs. She should ensure that her children are properly looked after. In terms of their character, a mother must try to instil high moral values in her children. Above all, children must feel that their home is a sanctuary of security and love so that they may grow into well adjusted, confident individuals who contribute positively to society and are free from any inferiority complex.
Always remember that the Holy Prophet (sa) declared that a woman is the guardian and protector of her home. Regrettably, some Ahmadi mothers are failing to prioritise the well-being of their children as required. Consequently, they feel neglected. Such children end up seeking companionship outside of the home, or increasingly online, and are extremely vulnerable to bad company, which invariably affects their behaviour and moral standards. Thus, Ahmadi women should always remember that Allah has placed upon them the primary responsibility of ensuring the moral, spiritual, and physical upbringing of their children.
To the older girls present who, Insha’Allah, will reach an age of marriage in the coming years, I wish to say that you should also recognise your responsibilities. Islam teaches that you must guard your honour and modesty in order to be counted among those who are truly obedient to Allah the Almighty. Whether at home or outside, always seek to act according to the teachings of Islam. Increasingly, as you get older, there will be times when you are not with your parents, elders or in the company of other Ahmadis. On such occasions, always remember that Allah is with you and that He is Knower of the unseen. Thus, always observe Islamic standards of modesty in your attire. Maintain dignity in your interaction. Pursue higher education and seek to fulfil your true potential. All the while, ensure that you shield yourselves from the immoral corruption of modern society.
As I said before, Allah will question us regarding our covenant and this should consume every believer’s heart with a sense of trepidation. Having taken the Bai`at of the Promised Messiah (as), we have all pledged to adopt Taqwa. So, having made this pledge, we must sincerely strive to fulfil it. In this world, people focus so much time and energy on earning money or elevating their worldly status, they forget that none of their worldly possessions, wealth or status will be of any value to them in the next life. Only our righteous deeds and our acts of kindness will stand with us when we present ourselves before Allah. Of course, no matter how much a person tries to do good, shortcomings naturally remain. Thus, alongside striving towards righteous deeds, we must continuously offer Istighfar and seek the forgiveness of Allah for our weaknesses.
True Istighfar is a means of drawing closer to Allah and purifying a person’s spiritual state. It inclines a person towards goodness, humility, and towards fulfilling the rights of Allah and His creation. However, true repentance cannot be achieved through mere lip service. Instead, it requires a person to earnestly strive towards moral reformation. A person who sincerely repents remains ever-mindful of their past mistakes, and strives to abstain from all things, no matter how small, that may incur the displeasure of Allah. In fact, they develop a deep aversion to everything that the Qur’an prohibits or that Allah dislikes. Thus, you should recite and study the Holy Qur’an every day so that you understand what Allah desires from you.
Another excellent method of seeking goodness and mercy is to offer charity – sadaqah – and assist people who are in need or suffering in any way. Treat people with kindness and ensure that your words and actions cause no distress or harm to others. In terms of your close relations, you must strive to strengthen the ties of kinship by treating your relatives with love, generosity and compassion. It is a source of deep regret and sorrow for me to observe that disputes between in-laws and spouses are becoming increasingly prevalent within our Jama`at. In most cases, the fault lies – to varying degrees – on both sides. The root cause of these family breakdowns is that the threshold of patience and tolerance between a husband and wife appears to be diminishing by the day.
Increasingly, instead of overlooking trivial flaws, husbands and wives fixate upon them, and as a result, minor issues escalate into major conflicts and ultimately lead to the breakdown of families. Such cases are not limited only to those who have been recently married. In fact, there has been an increasing number of cases in which couples are choosing to divorce after many years or even decades of marriage. As I said, more often than not, the fault lies on both sides. Men frequently fail to discharge the rights of women, and women often fail to discharge the rights of men. Ultimately, it is children who are the innocent parties who suffer the most when marriages break down. Thus, those Ahmadi couples who fail to make every effort to safeguard the unity of their homes do not just hurt themselves, but are guilty of inflicting immense emotional harm upon their children.
There are some genuine cases where the problems are so deeply rooted, or where grave injustices have occurred, that separation or divorce becomes the only viable option. However, in many cases, husbands and wives are choosing to separate simply due to a lack of patience and maturity that is rooted in a lack of piety. Instead of permitting their egos to overwhelm them, both a husband and a wife ought to bow down before Allah in a state of absolute humility, seeking His forgiveness and help whenever domestic problems arise. I have mentioned already the importance of Istighfar. In this regard, a common question I am asked is, ‘how do we know if Allah has accepted our repentance?’ In response, I have always said that if a person has completely abandoned their past mistakes or weaknesses and is now striving to do good deeds with the fear of Allah ingrained in their heart, it means that their repentance was sincere and has been accepted.
Thus, each day you should analyse yourselves. Assess to what extent you were able to perform good deeds that day. Ask yourselves, to what extent were you able to save yourselves from the immoralities and voices of the world, and to stay on the right path? A believer may claim to have true faith, but the real test is whether their actions correspond to their words.
Fundamental to remaining on the right path is truthfulness and rejecting all forms of falsehood. Indeed, Allah Almighty has equated falsehood with shirk; Allah the Almighty says.
یٰۤاَیُّھَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُوۡنُوۡا قَوّٰمِیۡنَ بِالۡقِسۡطِ شُھَدَآءَ لِلّٰہِ وَلَوۡ عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِکُمۡ اَوِ الۡوَالِدَیۡنِ وَالۡاَقۡرَبِیۡنَ [iii]
O ye who believe! be strict in observing justice, and be witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or against parents and kindred.
This verse makes it clear that those who have accepted Islam for the sake of Allah must hold fast to the truth in all circumstances. It states that a person must be ready to testify against themselves, their parents and their loved ones in the pursuit of truth and justice. We proudly present this magnificent principle to the world at our peace symposiums and other events. Moreover, we claim that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community exemplifies these teachings of absolute truth and justice. However, amongst individual Ahmadis, there are weaknesses in this regard.
If a person’s actions are not in harmony with their words, they are guilty of deception. It may be that they are able to deceive others, and they may even deceive themselves, but they can never deceive Allah. In terms of speaking the truth, it is not easy to act upon the highest standard of truth required by the Qur’an: that a person should be ready to give testimony against himself or his loved ones. Many people lie or conceal the truth in order to preserve their self-interests. Yet Allah says that if your faith is strong and you desire peace, you must set aside your personal interests and act with absolute integrity.
Today’s world has become consumed by violent conflicts and reckless wars that threaten the future of humanity. This is all due to the suppression of truth and a constant wave of lies and misinformation that are being spread in order to serve vested interests. If honesty and justice were to prevail on all sides, many of the conflicts taking place would quickly dissipate and peace and reconciliation would occur.
In terms of a person’s family life, if a husband and wife speak truthfully and acknowledge their mistakes instead of letting their pride overwhelm them, their arguments or conflicts will quickly come to an end and their homes shall become true havens of peace. Unfortunately, instead of settling their differences at home with the spirit of truth and humility, the number of domestic disputes presented before the Qadha board is rising, and it is often observed that both parties are willing to distort the facts to gain an advantage or sympathy for their case. Our religion teaches us that truth is the foundation of justice and the means of attaining the favours of Allah, the Almighty.
As I said, the number of divorce cases is increasing and this is a real cause of concern and grief. In most cases, the root cause appears to be a lack of patience and tolerance on one or both sides. If one party commits a small mistake, instead of ignoring it or gently addressing it, the other party responds in a hostile and disproportionate way. This, in turn, ignites a bitter cycle of escalating anger and resentment. I pray that all of you should seek to protect your homes and establish strong family bonds of unity in order to safeguard your children and future generations.
Recognise that mutual trust is fundamental to a successful marriage. No human is perfect. Cover each other’s faults as far as possible, and actively appreciate one another’s good qualities. This will create lasting peace and harmony in your home. Another cause of concern is that there have been some cases where soon after marriage, the husband resorts to falsehood and claims he only married his wife due to family pressure. As a result, the life of the newly married Ahmadi girl is shattered through no fault of her own. Certainly, I and the Nizam-e-Jama`at have profound sympathy for such young women who are subjected to such deceit and injustice. At the same time, before accepting any marriage proposal, the parents and the girl herself must focus on sincere prayer. No human possesses knowledge of the unseen, and so, it is necessary that every girl and her family seriously pray and seek Allah’s guidance before making any commitment. I pray that Allah enables the young men and women in our Jama`at to always act with absolute justice, truth and sincerity.
Similarly, a lack of integrity is also causing other problems within families. For example, sometimes complications arise regarding the haq mehr. It has been observed that excessive amounts are agreed upon, however, the intentions of both sides are insincere. The bride’s family views a high dowry as a means of control, while the groom signs the form, but has little intention of paying it. In this regard, both sides are wrong. Islam established the rights of both a husband and a wife with perfect balance, and so, both sides should carefully consider and settle these things in advance and with complete openness and honesty, so that a strong foundation of truth is laid down from the start.
Another important thing is that the Holy Qur’an mentions:
وَاِذَا مَرُّوۡا بِاللَّغۡوِ مَرُّوۡا کِرَامًا [iv]
And when they pass by anything vain, they pass on with dignity.
In this verse Allah says that a defining characteristic of a believer is that when encountering anything vulgar or indecent, they pass by with dignity and refuse to engage with it. As I have warned on many occasions, social media, the internet, television and other forms of media are all replete with indecent and toxic content that can easily subvert people from the path of righteousness and drive them towards sinful behaviour.
All Ahmadis must protect themselves from these corrosive influences. In particular, Ahmadi women have a duty to ensure their homes are free from these malign influences as they harbour the primary duty of guiding and nurturing the next generation. If a mother remains free from moral vices, she will naturally be in a stronger and better position to safeguard her husband and children from such things. Otherwise, the vile and profane content that exists online and in the media has the potential to corrupt not just the lives of individual families, but the social and moral fabric of entire societies.
You may think that the nations where such vices are prevalent appear very highly advanced and prosperous. Yet if their moral decay is not halted, it will eventually lead to their ruin. In fact, it is already becoming apparent that the speed of progress of some of these nations has slowed markedly, and they are facing increasing difficulties. Just as we must save ourselves from destruction, we must also strive to save these nations. We cannot force any person or nation to adopt our values. All we can control is our own conduct. We must therefore act righteously, strive to do good works, and save ourselves from all forms of indecency and vice, and be positive examples for others.
Above all, we must establish a close bond with Allah the Almighty. Only then can we fulfil our objective of establishing peace in the world and sharing the excellences of Islam through tabligh. Otherwise, many in the world mistakenly view Islam as an oppressive or man-made faith. It is therefore our profound duty to demonstrate that Islam is a divine religion, designed to establish universal peace and to liberate humanity from all forms of conflict and disorder. Unquestionably, Ahmadi women have a monumental role to play in this noble mission. Accordingly, I wish to reiterate that you must all learn the true teachings of Islam and ponder over the signs of the Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty states:
وَالَّذِیۡنَ اِذَا ذُکِّرُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِ رَبِّھِمۡ لَمۡ یَخِرُّوۡا عَلَیۡھَا صُمًّا وَّعُمۡیَانًا [v]
And those who, when they are reminded of the Signs of their Lord, fall not down there at deaf and blind.
Here Allah the Almighty says that the hallmark of a true believer is that when reminded of the signs of Allah, of their Lord, they do not turn a deaf ear or a blind eye. Instead, they listen attentively, increase in faith and act upon Allah’s commands with even greater conviction. As an Ahmadi, whenever or wherever you hear or learn good things, you must seek to incorporate them into your daily lives and elevate your own moral standards and those of your homes and communities. So, whilst you are here, strive to act on the commands of Allah that believers are not spiritually deaf or blind – you are not spiritually deaf and blind; rather, they reflect on the signs of Allah and act upon them.
Otherwise, if your attendance at an Ijtema or Jalsa does not bring you closer to Allah and does not bring about a positive change, then your presence is reduced to a meaningless ritual. Always remember that we have not accepted Ahmadiyyat to gain any worldly benefit. To the contrary, in Pakistan and certain other countries, Ahmadis have long endured grave cruelties and persecution for the sake of their faith. They have long stood resolutely in the face of such adversity because of their complete conviction in the truth of the Promised Messiah (as).
Here in the West, you are all living in relative peace and with religious freedom; though the way things seem to be developing, it is possible that life for Muslims may become more difficult here as well in the future. Nonetheless, at this time it is Ahmadis in other parts of the world who are tolerating extreme cruelties only because of their belief in the Promised Messiah (as). Insha’Allah, a day will come when Allah will grant them ease after their hardship, and He will never let any sacrifice for His sake be in vain.
At the end, I wish to remind you of the expectations the Promised Messiah (as) had from the members of his Jama`at. On one occasion he said:
‘O ye people who consider yourselves members of my community, you will be counted as such in heaven when you truly tread upon the path of righteousness.’[vi]
Regarding our pledge, the Promised Messiah (as) said:
‘Now, you who have entered into the covenant of Bai’at should understand that you have pledged to give precedence to faith over the world. Remember that this covenant of yours is with Allah.’
He said:
‘As far as possible, you must remain firm in this covenant…You should abstain from every evil and even the slightest semblance of sin. Our Jama`at must demonstrate itself to be a model of purity. Mere words and empty boasts achieve nothing unless a person proves them through their acts.’ [vii]
So, you must continue to reflect upon your spiritual and moral state.
Ask yourselves to what extent you are fulfilling the rights of the Bai’at of the Promised Messiah (as) and fulfilling his teachings. To what extent are you fulfilling the rights of the worship of Allah? To what extent are you acting upon the commands of the Holy Qur’an and the instructions of the Holy Prophet (sa)? To what extent are you loyal to the institution of Khilafat and the Jama`at? To what extent are your deeds based in piety, and to what extent are you treating others with love, empathy and compassion? To what extent are you fulfilling your duty to raise your children in the best possible way, and ensuring their moral and spiritual development? If your standards are falling short in any way, you must not take it lightly, but must always seek to improve so that you may become the recipients of the love and grace of Allah Almighty.
With these words, I pray that may Allah enable all of you to scale the highest spiritual heights and to live your lives as devoted and faithful servants of Allah the Almighty. May Allah continue to bless Lajna Ima’illah in all respects – Ameen.’
(Originally published in The Review of Religions)
[i] The Holy Qur’an, 17:35
[ii] The Holy Qur’an, 6:165
[iii] The Holy Qur’an, 4:136
[iv] The Holy Qur’an, 25:73
[v] The Holy Qur’an, 25:74
[vi] Kishti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 19, p. 15
[vii] Malfuzat, Vol. 5, pp. 153-154, Ed. 2022
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