“Pay great care towards establishing a living relationship with Allah the Almighty” – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is pleased to announce that on 4 May 2025, the Convocation Ceremony for Jamia Ahmadiyya UK, Canada, Germany and Ghana 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 18 graduates from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK, 14 from Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada and 16 from Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany were presented with their ‘Shahid Degree’ certificates by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and were thus enrolled as official Missionaries of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

In addition, 24 recent graduates of Jamia Ahmadiyya International in Ghana were also honoured to join virtually from Ghana.

Following the presentation of the certificates, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered a faith-inspiring address, in which His Holiness emphasised the importance of the continued pursuit of knowledge and seeking to fulfil the pledge of sacrifice for the peaceful spread of Islam.

Beginning his address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“It is the desire of your parents, the Jamia administration, and it is the desire of the Khalifa of the time—that those who graduate from Jamia Ahmadiyya should be individuals who exert all their effort in order to play an excellent role in spreading Islam and in the moral and spiritual development of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Every graduate must, therefore, reflect and ask themselves: Are you truly prepared to serve the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community? Have you immersed yourself with the knowledge and understanding needed to spread the message of Islam to the world or at least striving to do so? And do you firmly intend to continue doing so in the future? Are you making efforts to gain a true understanding of the Holy Quran, Hadith, and the writings of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in the field of moral training, and do you pledge to continue making such efforts in the future?”

His Holiness went on to explain that the seven years in Jamia provide only a basic foundation, and that without ongoing study, that knowledge may fade, weakening one’s ability to convey the message of Islam effectively.

Reminding the Missionaries about the heavy responsibility that now is placed upon their shoulders, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“Make a pledge that from today onwards, with the receipt of this degree, your responsibilities have increased. you are no longer preparing for just two annual exams – every moment of your lives is now a test, and you must prepare for it continuously.”

Highlighting that the Missionaries must seek to emulate the examples of the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“On this joyous occasion, pledge that as you step into the life of a Missionary, you shall strive to bring about a transformation within yourselves. Your priorities will not be worldly desires, but the pursuit of spiritual and intellectual progress. When this becomes your focus, you will be among those who are truly striving to fulfil the mission of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).”

During the address, His Holiness drew the attention of the missionaries that they should have in-depth knowledge about the rules and regulations of the administrative running of the various departments within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which will help them in their task of bringing about a moral and spiritual reformation within the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Highlighting the lofty spiritual standards the missionaries of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community should seek to attain, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“A missionary should reflect on whether he offers at least one hour of the voluntary Tahajjud prayer daily, praying for his personal objectives, for the progress of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and for the responsibilities entrusted to him. He must also assess the state of his five daily obligatory prayers, ensuring they are offered in congregation, unless there is a valid reason. Beyond the obligatory prayers, he should evaluate the quality and regularity of his Sunnah prayers—which ought to be offered with care and devotion, without rushing them moments before the commencements of the congregational prayer. A missionary must lead by example; when others witness his practice, they will be inspired to follow suit.”

His Holiness went on to mention that regardless of being appointed to an office or being posted in the field, a missionary should “pay great care towards establishing a living relationship with Allah the Almighty.”

Speaking about the moral standards expected of the missionaries, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“You must possess far greater patience and tolerance than others. If you respond with irritation, anger, or inappropriate tone to people’s objections – or show frustration towards those who speak or ask questions – you may become a source of stumbling for them. You have not become missionaries to cause others to falter; you have become missionaries to bring comfort and peace to people and to guide them. Therefore, understand this well: showing love, compassion, and respectful conduct must be a defining quality of a missionary.”

Reflecting upon the comforts afforded to the missionaries in the present times, His Holiness drew attention towards the hardships many faced before them.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has more resources, and within those means, great care is taken of missionaries and life devotees. This was not always the case. I have lived in Ghana, where at times the allowance for a life devotee barely lasted the month—sometimes not even for fifteen or twenty days. Yet, I saw many life devotees who remained content and never complained. They understood the importance of Waqf (life devotion) and had set the right example for their families, which is why their spouses and children never made unreasonable demands. When such demands are absent at home, restlessness and discontent do not arise.”

Reflecting on past sacrifices, His Holiness shared the example of a missionary who served in extremely difficult conditions—at times surviving on just bread soaked in water. Compared to those days, His Holiness said that today’s missionaries are blessed with far greater comfort and facilities.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad stated:

“Reflect and understand how we should express gratitude for the countless blessings and favours of Allah. Allah will not let you starve. I have seen it myself – we lived in difficult conditions at times, but Allah always made arrangements. Never did it happen that we went to bed hungry. Many missionaries have made great sacrifices.”

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:

“Whether you have just graduated or are studying, or you are those who have already been posted in the field, you must self-reflect and remind yourselves that you must carry out your Waqf in a way that is purely for seeking the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. We must not let any worldly desires dominate us, regardless of where we are posted. We must continuously prepare ourselves for every sacrifice in the service of the faith.”

As he concluded the address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“Always prepare yourself for sacrifice. This is the pledge that truly brings joy. This joy is not achieved by merely obtaining a certificate today, because it is the intentions and pledges of such people that bring about (spiritual and moral) revolutions in the world [who make the pledge of making every sacrifice]. You have joined the spiritual army of the life devotees of the Community of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in order to establish the spiritual Kingdom of the One God across the entire world and to raise the flag of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in every corner of the world. Therefore, if you have made this pledge, it requires practical efforts. And when these efforts are made, they will make you the inheritor of God’s blessings, and what more could one ask for when they are blessed with the grace of Allah? May Allah grant you and all of us the ability to be those who receive Allah’s blessings.

The event concluded with a silent prayer, led by His Holiness.