Published on Nov 28 2008 

Keynote Address delivered by Tommy Kallon, Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK at the Qaideen Forum held on 29th November 2008.

 

My Dear and Respected Brothers,

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

Let me start by saying one thing: Jazakumullah.

Just over a month ago when I stood before you on this podium on an evening charged with emotion and sobriety, as the newly appointed Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK, I was full of trepidation. In fact, I can safely say that in all my life my heart has never ever pounded with as much fear as it did that night when our revered Imam Sahib walked into the Majlis-e-Shura assembly with an envelope in his hands. Knowing what was at stake following the results of the election that were submitted to Huzur [atba] for his final decision, all I could do was pray even as Jesus Christ [as] prayed the night before his crucifixion: ‘My Lord, let this cup pass from me. Yet, not as I will but as You will.’ The rest, as you know, is now part of our glorious history. Although to an extent, I still am full of apprehension yet the overwhelming support I have received from you the Khuddam of this country; the unconditional loyalty and devotion you have shown; the countless messages of prayers you have sent me have given me tremendous courage and comfort to face the long journey ahead. From the innermost sanctuary of my heart, I thank you.

I realise that many of you sitting before me here today are still unaware of who I am. Permit me therefore to say a few words about my background. I am born and bred in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and by the grace of Allah, from a family among the earliest converts to Ahmadiyyat in Sierra Leone that have served it’s caused with credit. However, although I am of clearly African provenance, I am eternally grateful to Allah Almighty that I can also trace my heritage back to Qadian and to the illustrious companions of the Promised Messiah [as]. It is a distinction which, outside the members of my family, I doubt any other African holds.

My maternal great grandfather, Master Noor Illahi Janjua and his wife were not only companions of the Promised Messiah [as], both their parents were also among the blessed companions. It is their son, my maternal grandfather, the late Muhammad Ehsan Illahi Janjua of Chiniot, who, as a missionary to Sierra Leone in the 1940s was to marry there and father three children, of whom my mother is the eldest. I therefore have six members of my ancestry counted among the blessed companions of the Promised Messiah [as]. Their prayers have always stood by me, even if I did not have the blessing and privilege of meeting any of them.

When I arrived in the UK as a student almost two decades ago, even the most fanciful flights of my imagination could never have envisaged that I would one be Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK. If you would indulge me, I will narrate to you a story which, Insha’Allah, will demonstrate how far-fetched such a concept would have seemed to me at the time.

I don’t know where it came from but I have always had a great attachment to the mosque so that once I settled in London and found my way to the Fazl Mosque, by the grace of Allah, I became a regular worshipper there. I was always one of the very first to arrive at prayer time and was always in the first row, almost religiously, seated on the same spot, so much so that, as I was to find out later, I became known as “Tommy, the guy in the front row.”

But even though I was always at the mosque, I never really felt involved in the Jama’at. In fact, I felt left out. There was so much activity at the mosque given the blessed presence of the Khalifa of the time there yet there was nothing for me to do. I would observe many people breaking away to various meetings after prayers yet no one ever asked me to do anything. I did not desire any office; I just wanted to be included among the helpers of the Promised Messiah [as] and share in the blessings of serving his Jama’at and the fact that I was not given the opportunity at the time made me feel little left out. Despite this however, as Allah willed, I never suffered any resentment that might preclude me from attending the mosque as unfortunately has happened with some of our brothers of non-Asian, non-Pakistani backgrounds. I didn’t have any money to go out on “social” evenings so I kept coming back the mosque at times even walking all the way from Tooting where I lived at the time to Fazl Mosque because I had no money for the bus fare.

As impalpable as this may sound to you now with me standing in front of you as Sadr Majlis and having served the Jama’at in various capacities over the years, at the time I believed and genuinely believed that I was not or could not get involved in the Jama’at because I was unworthy of service to the Jama’at. Don’t get me wrong, I have never considered myself anything more or less than an Ahmadi Muslim and I definitely never felt intellectually inferior to anyone. Under very competitive circumstances, I had excelled throughout my schooling in Africa including becoming Head Boy at school, a position reserved for the student securing first position from the Lower Sixth form to Upper Six. I also knew that I was hard working. Back in Africa, with no future to aim for, I would study literally throughout the night on a candle light due to the lack of electricity battling both the heat and the mosquitoes.

So I knew I possessed some intelligence and was capable of hard work but I sincerely believed at the time that, this being the Jama’at of the Promised Messiah [as], perhaps it required more than intelligence and hard work to serve the Jama’at. I thought maybe you had to attain a certain level of spirituality or acquire a certain amount of religious knowledge which I did not have. So as I have done ever since I graduated from boyhood to maturity and realised that we are on earth for a specific purpose, I turned to Allah in deep heartfelt supplication. I recall vividly even today moments when I was all alone inside Fazl Mosque, everyone else gone home or to various meetings and I would be in my corner, in deep anguish crying and imploring to Allah Almighty to make me worthy of serving His beloved Jama’at. These were not just a one off prayers. They were offered over a period of time and at the time it, if I did not possess a firm faith in the efficacy of prayers, I might have been led to believe that my prayers were returned unanswered.

All I ever wanted at the time, indeed all I ever hoped for was to be attached to some department of the Jama’at making photocopies or making tea even. Nothing would have seemed more remote to me in those days than that I would one day be Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK. Even if an angel had tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘What are you crying for? You will one day serve as Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK’, I probably would not have believed him but for the grace of Allah.

This brings me to the first point I would like to make this evening. From all this one thing is apparent and that is there are Khuddam and Atfal out there who are not yet involved in the Jama’at probably because they have not yet realised their potential or because they know not what they have to offer. You as Qaideen, Regional Qaideen and members of Majlis-e-Amila have to seek out and hand pick these individuals and entrust them with responsibility so that they begin to harness their talents. Who knows there might be another Sadr Majlis out there in the making who as yet does not even consider himself worthy of any service to the Jama’at.

To consider oneself unworthy seems to be common to all those chosen by Allah for high office. I am no exception. I did not anticipate this office, I did not aspire to it, I did not want it. Despite being out of the Khuddam administration for some eight years, somehow Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, directed your minds towards my election, and Hadhrat Ameerul Mumineen [atba] affirmed it as Allah’s Will by his approval. That is not all. In his first letter to me as Sadr Majlis, our beloved Huzur had this to say:

“I take pleasure in knowing that the reign of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK is in your capable hands and it is my sincere prayer that you may, under Divine guidance, render commendable service to Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK and the Jamaat. May your noble aspirations become a reality with true clarity. Ameen”

The enormous confidence Huzur has reposed in me is as humbling as it is reassuring. And this brings me unto another message I have for you tonight. Unworthy though I may be yet as long as I enjoy the confidence of Huzur, I will lead this Majlis the only way I know how. As enjoined by the Holy Qur’an, ‘And consult them in matters of importance but when thou art determined, then put thy trust in Allah’, I will consult widely and consult extensively but make no mistake about this, the final decision will rest with me. That decision will neither be influenced by friendship nor by affectation; that decision will neither be based on passion nor on prejudice. I am deeply conscious of the fact that, in this role, I report to and I am accountable directly to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih and that I will be ultimately held accountable by Allah Almighty. I am duty bound to discharge this trust with absolute justice.

The subject of accountability is one I have repeated abundantly in my brief tenure as Sadr Majlis and it is one you will hear continually from me. And if you allow me to digress briefly I will remind you of a fateful yet inspiring incident from early Islam that might better expound on the subject of accountability.

This happened at the time when Hadhrat Umar [ra] was fatally stabbed by a malcontent and he lay on what was his deathbed. He was restless and in deep agony. But it was not as a result of the burning wound in his side. It was the realisation that in the next moment he would be standing in front of his Lord to give an account of the manner in which he discharged the great trust placed in his hands. He turned from side to side as he repeated continually:

“My Lord, I ask for no reward, only be pleased not to call me to account for my shortcomings.”

This mental anguish showed by a leader of Hadhrat Umar’s [ra] stature should remind us all of the lofty standards laid down by Islam for those called to office. His tireless energy, his selflessness, sympathy, scrupulous discharge of duty, his strong sense of even-handed justice and his zeal in the service of Islam are universally recognised and marvelled at even today as they were fourteen hundred years ago. Yet on his deathbed Hadhrat Umar [ra] was not conscious of what he had done, only what he may have failed to do. May this serve as a reminder to us all as office-bearers!

As the senior members of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, we must maintain the highest standards for only then will we be in a position to hold the other office bearers we work with accountable. A Qaid who does not pray five times daily is in no position to demand that of his Khuddam; a Qaid does not frequent the mosque or mission house is in no position to demand that of his Khuddam; a Qaid who does not respond in total submission and obedience to the call of his Regional Qaid is in no position to demand that other his Khuddam; a Qaid who does not attend meetings on time is in no position to demand that of his Khuddam. We must be leaders in every aspect; we must set the example in every way; we must set a precedent in everything we do. Essentially, therefore, we must lead and lead by example and by precept!

It is, no doubt, a very tall order. In a fallen and decrepit society, you have to incite your Khuddam to climb moral and spiritual heights. In a depraved and morally debased society, you have to enliven their spiritual faculties so that they are determined to carry out a spiritual revolution both inside themselves and in the world around them. It is, as I said, a very tall order. Yet this must be the aim and objective of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. Situated at the seat of Khilafat, in close proximity with the Khalifa of the time, Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK has to be more than just events and reports. There is an urgent need to shift to higher standards of morality, to inculcate Islamic values and practices in all spheres of life and activity. Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya is the mirror through which we can ascertain our future. Its spirituality must and will, therefore, remain our central focus under my Sadarat.

All I desire is to present to our beloved Huzur a Majlis that is truly devoted to the worship of the one true God; a Majlis that is foremost in our service to Khilafat; a Majlis that upholds the moral and the spiritual above the material and the physical.

At this point I would like to remind you of an incident which happened towards the close of the life of the Holy Prophet [saw]. At the time of the Fajr prayers, he raised the curtain from his quarters adjacent to the mosque and observed his companions assembled for worship. A companion who saw the Holy Prophet [saw] at this opportune time has beautifully captured his observation. There was a full moon in the skies at the time. He looked face of the Holy Prophet [saw] and looked at the moon. Again he looked at the face of the Holy Prophet [saw] and again looked at the moon. ‘By Allah’, he reported, ‘the face of the Holy Prophet [saw] shone brighter than the moon.’

My dear and respected brothers, for all the criticism levelled against our beloved Prophet [saw] all he ever cared about was the establishment of the Unity of His Beloved Allah on earth. The Holy Prophet [saw] was beaming at this moment because he had fulfilled the purpose of his mission. He was leaving behind a community dedicated to the worship of the One True God. This was his last moment of joy in this earthly life. If we profess to love the Holy Prophet [saw], let us strive to establish the institution of Salaat among our respective Majalis. Perchance the glad tiding will be conveyed to the soul of the Holy Prophet [saw] that there remains one community on the surface on the earth truly devoted to the worship of His Lord.

Prayer is the key to our success. It is lifeblood of a believer. And for the comfort of your hearts, for the easing of your burdens, for the removal of your anxieties, I continue to supplicate my Lord. By way of reciprocation, I humbly solicit your continued prayers for the discharge of this enormous trust placed on my humble shoulders. That is not all. I wish to solicit once again your absolute support and full co-operation so that together we can make this Majlis an even better Majlis than we found it.

Let us rise above the other issues, red tape and bureaucracy that unfortunately plague us at times.  By living out what our name “Khuddamul Ahmadiyya”, that is, the “Servants of Ahmadiyya” implies, let us become the pride of the Jama’at. We should, by each becoming ambassadors of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK, strive to make it the pride of the Jama’at. We should work with our Ansar elders, we should support our Lajna sisters, we should serve our central Jama’at and we should, without question, respond to the call of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih. I do not subscribe to any notion which maintains that all these are mutually exclusive. On the contrary, by fulfilling all of these would we truly become worthy of being called Khuddamul Ahmadiyya – the Servants of Ahmadiyya.

Every complaint against Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya detracts from our achievements. Every issue I have to investigate diverts our attention from the job at hand. You must liberate and protect me from these shackles so I can focus on the wider agenda of the spiritual reformation of our youth.

Let us, as true Ahmadi Muslims, begin in earnest supplication to Allah Almighty for His succour and guidance. Even though Huzur had given me a huge vote of confidence, still I wrote to him asking him to teach me supplication that I might incorporate into my daily prayers to help me carry this enormous burden and responsibility. Huzur was gracious enough to recommend a very short yet comprehensive prayer from the Holy Qur’an. This was, of course, directed at me yet I believe and believe on reasonable grounds that you all will benefit if you avail of yourselves of it. It is from Chapter 26, Surah Al Shu’ara, Verse 84:

Rabbi hablee hukman wa al hiqnee bi saaliheen

[My Lord, bestow wisdom on me and join me with the righteous]

As I have said to those close to me, the hardest challenge I found being Sadr Majlis is the constant decision-making required on diverse matters presented for guidance, recommendation and approval which call for wisdom, sagacity and a good sense of judgement. I was pleased therefore when the prayer suggested by our beloved Huzur implores Allah for wisdom.

Ever since my appointment to this exalted office, three questions have dominated my mind:

 1.    What is the Divine purpose of my appointment?

2.    If I was destined to become Sadr Majlis, why did Allah effectively take me out of the Khuddam administration into the Jama’at Majlis-e-Amila for eight years?

3.    What have I done to deserve this enormous honour bestowed upon me?

 The first two questions, I guess, I will find out in due course or as Allah wills. But let me give you the final message I have chosen to send you off home with this evening with my humble attempt to answer the question as to why Allah has conferred this honour upon me.

Throughout my adult life, I have always held unto prayers but not just for myself. I have always considered myself duty bound to pray for others, especially when requested but many times even before requested. In my very special prayers, and by that, of course, I mean Tahajjud prayers, I have always devoted much more time praying for others and leaving very little time to make all the supplications I would want to make for myself. Of course, the Holy Prophet [saw] and his family, companions and all his true followers through the ages up to and including the Promised Messiah [as] and his family, companions and true followers and especially our beloved Huzur have always been foremost in my prayers but in addition – the martyrs, the persecuted, missionaries, devotees, office-bearers, the unwell, unmarried, unemployed, barren, divorced, widowed, orphaned, bereaved, the students, new converts, asylum seekers, the aggrieved and, in general, all sections of the Jama’at have featured consistently in my prayers.

In particular, for my friends and family, near and far, I have spent a considerable amount of time in humble prostration before Allah Almighty on their behalf even without their knowledge. I pray even for those who I know for whatever reason might not be too favourably disposed towards me.

For my friends and colleagues outside of the Jama’at who care little for the limits prescribed by God or who even do not acknowledge His existence, I have abundantly besought Allah’s mercy. For my friends and relatives who have passed away I repeatedly besought Allah’s forgiveness. In general, I have made it my habit to seek Allah’s grace and mercy for myself by praying for others.

This is the reason why I believe I have been conferred this honour. I was moved to the conclusion because now I am in a position where almost daily I receive messages from different parts of the UK and the world full of prayers for me.

Beyond this, I really do not know what else I have done to deserve this immense honour of being your Sadr. In the formula of Hadhrat Abu Bakr [ra], I say ‘I have indeed been appointed over you, even though I am not the best among you.’

But if I have been appointed, as I believe, due to this selflessness and large-heartedness, due to this care and concern for the welfare of others, due to the abundance of prayers offered for others over and above myself, I want you all to cultivate the habit of praying for others and to spread the munificence of praying for each other. If I have to come up with a philosophy, a slogan that I would want to capture the essence of my tenure of office, it would be “Sympathy and empathy through prayers”. Genuine sympathy and empathy for others, especially your Khuddam, should always lead you to pray for them and this way you are assured by the Holy Prophet [saw] that you will always be accompanied by the supplication of the angels because the angels engage themselves in praying for those who pray for others.

It is my belief that earnest prayers are the best gift for anyone; that sincere prayers are the best reward. How can we ever repay our parents for nurturing us through childhood and infancy but for our fervent prayers for them? How can we ever repay the Holy Prophet [saw] for all he did for our eternal life apart from continually invoking blessings on him through the Durood prayer? That we are taught by Allah to invoke blessings on the Holy Prophet [saw] to show our appreciation for his selflessness, for carrying our burdens, for his grieving over our welfare, for his pining over our success, for inviting his own physical death to save us from spiritual death, for abasing himself so that we should stand high, for standing in prayer for us till his feet got swollen, for praying for us till his prayer mat became wet with tears, for weeping for our sake till his breast heaved like a boiling pot, for drawing unto us the mercy of Allah, for causing us to be wrapped up in the mantle of Allah’s grace and the garment of His compassion, for striving to find for us ways by which we may please God and means by which we can achieve communion and union with Him – that for doing all this for our sake we are taught, nay we are commanded by Allah Almighty, to continually invoke blessings on the Holy Prophet [saw] affirms my view that sincere, earnest and fervent prayers are the best gift and reward.

My dear and respected brothers, there is so much more I would like to say yet after what has been a long day, I must bring this address to a close. All the due diligence is done and all the plans are made; the presentations have taken place today and so have the deliberations. Now is time for implementation. Now is time for action as it were. Go back to your respective Majalis and begin the work in earnest. You may not know me but let me assure you that I have an absolute commitment to excellence. I am in possession of very high standards and I make no apology for the fact that I do not compromise those high standards. When you do get to know me I hope you will find me simple, open and accessible; I do love a good laugh and I do love football but I am very driven, very business-minded and very results-orientated and I would demand you all the high standards I demand of myself.

With those words, I thank you for your attendance and for your attention. I sincerely hope you have profited from the agenda today and have enjoyed every moment of it but if for any reason whatsoever you might have suffered any inconveniences, on behalf of the organising committee and on my own personal behalf, I crave your indulgence and understanding.

Allah bless you all and make you all instrumental in the establishment of His Unity. May you ever rejoice in the love of the Holy Prophet [saw] and may you be counted among the helpers of the Promised Messiah [as]. Ameen.

Thanks for having me.

Wassalamu Alaikum.

(Silent Prayer)

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