Important advice for Waqfe Nau children
(Gist of the Khutba given by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV
(may Allah have mercy upon him) on 10-2-1989)
To present one’s child to Allah is an extremely important event and is no ordinary thing. Sacrifices are a form of gifts and it is necessary to adore them. Human life is adorned through Taqwa – righteousness. So, before these children have grown to an age that they are to be ‘given’ to the Jama’at, their parents have a great responsibility.
At various times in the past, the devotees that have been presented to the Jama’at, had such a good training and even if they did not devote themselves, they still had the spirit of devotion imbibed in them. The children of the Companions of the Promised Messiah or the children of the next generation were brought up in a good social climate and by the Grace of Allah, they were adorned with good qualities. That group of devotees, by the Grace of Allah, was successful in all respects and in all walks of life. Then there was the next period when parents started devoting their children. In this period, we have seen various kinds of devotees. Many of them were such that parents thought when they give them to the Jama’at to look after, the Jama’at will educate and train them. During this period they did not keep an eye on them, so when they came to the Jamia College they were such raw material that it was an extremely difficult task to cleanse them, thus to model them in the spirit of devotion was difficult and at times it became impossible as they brought with them some bad habits.
It appears that though the parents offered them for devotion, they unfortunately, either gave no attention to their moral upbringing or they thought of Waqfe – devotion, so late that there was no time for their Tarbiyyat – moral training. With the new group of children that are to be devoted, by the Grace of Allah, we have much time to prepare them and if we become negligent of their training and education, then we will become criminals in the sight of Allah and no way can it be said that such things happen by chance.
(Some guidelines given by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V
(may Allah strengthen him with His mighty hand)
at the 1st National Waqfe Nau Ijtema on 17th & 18th May 2003)
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V attended the first UK National Waqfe Nau Ijtema which was held at Bait ul Futuh on the weekend of Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May 2003. Huzoor graced the Ijtema on Saturday evening and addressed the children from which a few points are mentioned below:
- The children should be taught from the first day that they are Waqf and that their life is no longer their own.
- This exemplary sense of sacrifice by the parents that their children should be dedicated for the sake of the faith rather than for worldly gain is only found in Jama’at Ahmadiyya.
- The Waqfe Nau should prepare themselves for their Waqf.
- The foundation of this work is the Tarbiyyat which should be started from day one.
- The children should be informed that they are Waqf for the sake of their faith and that their personal wishes no longer matter, but that they should do as the Jama’at requests.
- Parents should tell the children that they are Waqf which means sacrifice.
- If from an early age, the Waqfe Nau is not able to sacrifice for their brother and sister then they will not be able to sacrifice for mankind.
- The children should have total love for truth and hatred for falsehood.
- Games should be played which have no lies in them. Huzoor commented that sometimes a game where the parent has both fists closed and asks the child to guess as to which hand contains a coin; when in actual fact neither hand contains anything. Huzoor emphasised that the children’s mannerism should have no stubbornness within them, rather there should be a cheerfulness in their mannerism. This will lead to the personality of the Waqfe Nau being of an approachable nature. By being approachable, others will be attracted and will come forward and then the true message of Ahmadiyyat can be relayed.
- Waqfe Nau children should not fight with other children, rather, if they see something bad, they should move away.
- Children should develop a sense of sportsmanship and always be ready to forgive even if the other party is at fault.
