Dated: 3 June 2024
"You are Amongst the Spiritual Foot-Soldiers of Khilafat" - Jamia Ahmadiyya UK, Germany and Canada Convocations Take Place in Joint Ceremony
82 graduates receive their Shahid degrees from Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is pleased to announce that on 1 June 2024, the Convocation Ceremony for Jamia Ahmadiyya UK, Canada and Germany took place in a combined event at the UK college premises in Haslemere, Surrey.
The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad presided over the ceremony and delivered the keynote address.
This year 20 graduates from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and 14 from Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany were presented with their 'Shahid Degree' certificates by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and were thus enrolled as official Missionaries and Imams of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
In addition, this year in a joint convocation ceremony, 48 missionaries who had graduated during the past 5 years from Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada, who were unable to receive their degrees earlier due to the Covid-19 pandemic, also received their certificates.
Following the presentation, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered a faith-inspiring address, in which His Holiness emphasised that missionaries must lead by example in all respects, including on social media and must seek to uphold the unity of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
At the outset, His Holiness reminded the missionaries of why they enrolled in Jamia Ahmadiyya.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"You entered Jamia with the firm intention and pledge to fulfil the mission which was assigned to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in this era. That mission was to convey the message of Islam to every corner of the world and to direct the moral and spiritual standards of the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to the pathway on which they can fulfil the conditions of their pledge of allegiance to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). This can only happen when you are fulfilling the conditions of the pledge yourself."
His Holiness went on to quote the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) who outlined three distinctive features that the missionaries of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community must adopt to distinguish them from others.
His Holiness said the most important of them all is to bring about a positive reformation within their own morals and spirituality so that they can lead by example and have a positive impact on others.
The second aspect the missionaries must adopt is to have a high level of knowledge and understanding of their religious teachings so that they can answer every allegation or question regarding their faith. The third aspect, His Holiness said, is to have courage of one's convictions and to speak fearlessly.
Speaking about the importance of self-reformation in order to lead by example, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"In order for you to adopt a pious reformation within yourselves, it is of vital importance that you create a strong link with Allah the Almighty. Every missionary must have a special bond and relationship with God Almighty. If this does not happen, you can never true attain success in your life."
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued and said:
"You must raise your standards of worship and pay special attention towards the pre-dawn Tahajjud prayer. Once your standard of worship becomes elevated, only then will you be able to have a special relationship with Allah. You must also elevate the standards of your morals so that you are an example for others. Also develop a high threshold of tolerance and forbearance."
His Holiness said that missionaries should be able to take criticism and ensure that they are soft-spoken because a word spoken with kindness can often "soften the hearts of others".
Speaking of modern-day challenges, His Holiness said that the missionaries should keep themselves safe from the negative influences of social media and the internet. Only then can missionaries advise others about the ills of social media, otherwise, His Holiness said, the missionaries would be guilty of displaying double standards.
Reiterating the need to self-evaluate, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Conduct a daily self-analysis of yourselves. Rather than searching for weaknesses in other people, first examine yourselves to see that as missionaries, what weaknesses you have and what moral strengths you still need to adopt. Evaluate yourselves to see what level of a relationship you ought to have with Allah the Almighty and the standards that you must reach in your spirituality and knowledge... If you do so, you will rid yourselves of the habit of criticising others and instead you will adopt a sympathetic approach to their reformation. Once you seek the reformation of others through sympathy, you will naturally be praying for them and so your efforts in trying to bring about a positive change will be blessed."
His Holiness said that when missionaries wish to reform someone, they should consistently pray for them because "prayer is our greatest weapon, without which we cannot bring about a change."
His Holiness also stressed the importance of studying and said that many questions missionaries face will be answered if they carefully study the Holy Quran and the books of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).
Another aspect His Holiness spoke about during the address was to have a strong bond of loyalty with Khilafat.
(Above: Class of 2023 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya UK receiving certificates from His Holiness)
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"You must have a relationship with Khilafat based on the spirit of loyalty. You are amongst the spiritual foot-soldiers of Khilafat. Missionaries say they wish to become the 'Sultan-e-Naseer' (devoted helpers) of Khilafat. You cannot become the Sultan-e-Naseer of Khilafat without adopting a spirit of loyalty and lofty standards of obedience. Everyone should self-analyse to see if their standard of loyalty is such that they will not harbour any lament in their hearts. Is the level of obedience such that even if they receive instructions that are against their wishes, they will obey that instruction without any complaint?"
(Above: Class of 2023 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany receiving certificates from His Holiness)
Emphasising the important role of prayers in achieving this level of obedience and loyalty, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Towards this end, you must pray. Pray that Allah the Almighty enables you to excel in loyalty and obedience."
(Above: Class of 2019 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates from His Holiness)
As the address concluded, His Holiness again emphasised the appropriate use of social media and said that where it is important to utilise social media for outreach work, missionaries should desist from becoming embroiled in pointless debates that have no benefit.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Do not become involved in pointless debates. Make good use of social media. Wherever you see that a point is being made merely for the sake of argument and people have made it an issue of their ego, then leave that argument and tell those people arguing that, 'I am leaving the argument because the point is being debated for no real benefit, rather, it is having a negative impact on people.' This way, others will also be inclined to avoid such debates. It is important to make appropriate use of social media and to avoid that which is vain."
(Above: Class of 2020 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:
"Always bear in mind the wider interest of the Community. If a debate is ensuing which offers no benefit to the Community or humanity at large and if it does not help in outreach work and is of no use in the moral training of the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community then there is no need to pursue it. Of course, if there is an academic debate that needs to be had, then make an appropriate limited circle of people and express your academic opinion within that, rather than spreading the debate by involving the general public."
(Above: Class of 2021 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
Reminding the missionaries about the importance of strength through unity, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Always bear in mind that unity is the sign of the success of the Community and missionaries should be at the forefront of setting their own example in this regard. They should always express their unity in such a way that it is as though they are part of one and the same body. This will have a positive impact on others too."
(Above: Class of 2022 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
As His Holiness concluded his address, he emphasised that missionaries must be resourceful and find new avenues to fulfil their mission, regardless of having limited resources.
(Above: Class of 2023 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
Concluding his address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"You will be truly successful if you serve with loyalty, hard-work and prayers. This is the secret to success. May Allah enable you to do so. Ameen."
The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad presided over the ceremony and delivered the keynote address.
This year 20 graduates from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and 14 from Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany were presented with their 'Shahid Degree' certificates by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and were thus enrolled as official Missionaries and Imams of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
In addition, this year in a joint convocation ceremony, 48 missionaries who had graduated during the past 5 years from Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada, who were unable to receive their degrees earlier due to the Covid-19 pandemic, also received their certificates.
Following the presentation, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered a faith-inspiring address, in which His Holiness emphasised that missionaries must lead by example in all respects, including on social media and must seek to uphold the unity of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
At the outset, His Holiness reminded the missionaries of why they enrolled in Jamia Ahmadiyya.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"You entered Jamia with the firm intention and pledge to fulfil the mission which was assigned to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in this era. That mission was to convey the message of Islam to every corner of the world and to direct the moral and spiritual standards of the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to the pathway on which they can fulfil the conditions of their pledge of allegiance to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). This can only happen when you are fulfilling the conditions of the pledge yourself."
His Holiness went on to quote the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) who outlined three distinctive features that the missionaries of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community must adopt to distinguish them from others.
His Holiness said the most important of them all is to bring about a positive reformation within their own morals and spirituality so that they can lead by example and have a positive impact on others.
The second aspect the missionaries must adopt is to have a high level of knowledge and understanding of their religious teachings so that they can answer every allegation or question regarding their faith. The third aspect, His Holiness said, is to have courage of one's convictions and to speak fearlessly.
Speaking about the importance of self-reformation in order to lead by example, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"In order for you to adopt a pious reformation within yourselves, it is of vital importance that you create a strong link with Allah the Almighty. Every missionary must have a special bond and relationship with God Almighty. If this does not happen, you can never true attain success in your life."
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued and said:
"You must raise your standards of worship and pay special attention towards the pre-dawn Tahajjud prayer. Once your standard of worship becomes elevated, only then will you be able to have a special relationship with Allah. You must also elevate the standards of your morals so that you are an example for others. Also develop a high threshold of tolerance and forbearance."
His Holiness said that missionaries should be able to take criticism and ensure that they are soft-spoken because a word spoken with kindness can often "soften the hearts of others".
Speaking of modern-day challenges, His Holiness said that the missionaries should keep themselves safe from the negative influences of social media and the internet. Only then can missionaries advise others about the ills of social media, otherwise, His Holiness said, the missionaries would be guilty of displaying double standards.
Reiterating the need to self-evaluate, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Conduct a daily self-analysis of yourselves. Rather than searching for weaknesses in other people, first examine yourselves to see that as missionaries, what weaknesses you have and what moral strengths you still need to adopt. Evaluate yourselves to see what level of a relationship you ought to have with Allah the Almighty and the standards that you must reach in your spirituality and knowledge... If you do so, you will rid yourselves of the habit of criticising others and instead you will adopt a sympathetic approach to their reformation. Once you seek the reformation of others through sympathy, you will naturally be praying for them and so your efforts in trying to bring about a positive change will be blessed."
His Holiness said that when missionaries wish to reform someone, they should consistently pray for them because "prayer is our greatest weapon, without which we cannot bring about a change."
His Holiness also stressed the importance of studying and said that many questions missionaries face will be answered if they carefully study the Holy Quran and the books of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).
Another aspect His Holiness spoke about during the address was to have a strong bond of loyalty with Khilafat.
(Above: Class of 2023 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya UK receiving certificates from His Holiness)
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"You must have a relationship with Khilafat based on the spirit of loyalty. You are amongst the spiritual foot-soldiers of Khilafat. Missionaries say they wish to become the 'Sultan-e-Naseer' (devoted helpers) of Khilafat. You cannot become the Sultan-e-Naseer of Khilafat without adopting a spirit of loyalty and lofty standards of obedience. Everyone should self-analyse to see if their standard of loyalty is such that they will not harbour any lament in their hearts. Is the level of obedience such that even if they receive instructions that are against their wishes, they will obey that instruction without any complaint?"
(Above: Class of 2023 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany receiving certificates from His Holiness)
Emphasising the important role of prayers in achieving this level of obedience and loyalty, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Towards this end, you must pray. Pray that Allah the Almighty enables you to excel in loyalty and obedience."
(Above: Class of 2019 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates from His Holiness)
As the address concluded, His Holiness again emphasised the appropriate use of social media and said that where it is important to utilise social media for outreach work, missionaries should desist from becoming embroiled in pointless debates that have no benefit.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Do not become involved in pointless debates. Make good use of social media. Wherever you see that a point is being made merely for the sake of argument and people have made it an issue of their ego, then leave that argument and tell those people arguing that, 'I am leaving the argument because the point is being debated for no real benefit, rather, it is having a negative impact on people.' This way, others will also be inclined to avoid such debates. It is important to make appropriate use of social media and to avoid that which is vain."
(Above: Class of 2020 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:
"Always bear in mind the wider interest of the Community. If a debate is ensuing which offers no benefit to the Community or humanity at large and if it does not help in outreach work and is of no use in the moral training of the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community then there is no need to pursue it. Of course, if there is an academic debate that needs to be had, then make an appropriate limited circle of people and express your academic opinion within that, rather than spreading the debate by involving the general public."
(Above: Class of 2021 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
Reminding the missionaries about the importance of strength through unity, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"Always bear in mind that unity is the sign of the success of the Community and missionaries should be at the forefront of setting their own example in this regard. They should always express their unity in such a way that it is as though they are part of one and the same body. This will have a positive impact on others too."
(Above: Class of 2022 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
As His Holiness concluded his address, he emphasised that missionaries must be resourceful and find new avenues to fulfil their mission, regardless of having limited resources.
(Above: Class of 2023 Graduates (Shahideen) of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada receiving certificates)
Concluding his address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"You will be truly successful if you serve with loyalty, hard-work and prayers. This is the secret to success. May Allah enable you to do so. Ameen."
END RELEASE
For further details please contact:
Incharge Press & Media, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at India,
Qadian-143516, Distt, Gurdaspur, Punjab,India,
Mobile: +91-9988757988, Email: [email protected],
Tel: +91-1872-500311, Fax: +91-1872-500178
Noorul Islam Toll Free Number: 1800-103-2131
