Respected Chairman, Your Worshipful Lord Mayor of Bradford, Honourable Members of Parliament, Charity Representatives, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen!

 

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu! Peace be unto you with the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings!

 

I take this opportunity, first and foremost, to extend a warm and personal welcome to you all in my capacity as President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (UK).

 

It is indeed with enormous pleasure that I stand before you at the successful conclusion of, what is, one of our youth association’s flagship events. Though a lot of human endeavour and countless extra-curricular man-hours were invested in the organisation of this event, ultimately it is Divine Providence that has brought us to this juncture. In humble prostration of gratitude at His threshold, therefore, we proclaim the glory of Allah, we celebrate His praise, we affirm His Unity, we invoke His blessings on His Noble Prophet.

 

Today’s event has been the culmination of months of planning and co-ordination by national and regional teams within our Youth Association. I would like to congratulate Mr Yousaf Aftab, the Regional President and the members of the host region, the North East Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, for delivering this event to such a high standard. They have been ably guided and assisted by my deputy, the Event Manager, Mr Fahim Anwer and the members of his organising team who have been on hand to offer advice and direction at every stage.

 

Our efforts, be they of the hundreds of volunteers you have seen on hand today or the hundreds of our members who have made great efforts in raising donations and sponsorships over the last few weeks, have all been to fulfil a simple objective – to serve the cause of humanity by helping those in need. Since its inception in 1985, this annual event which has now raised in excess of £1 million for worthy causes has evolved from a small affair to one where it is regarded as a major part of the youth association’s annual programme and as one of the key dates on its annual calendar. 

 

I should add that this event has a very close affinity with the City of Bradford where, as part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s centenary celebrations 20 years ago in 1989, our Youth Association, under the then presidency our current National Ameer and Chairman of this Concluding Ceremony, Mr Rafiq Ahmad Hayat, held a cycle marathon in which members of the youth association cycled more than 200 miles, from Bradford to London, for a number of charities. 

 

In any initiative or programme there comes a watershed, a time when something takes place which transforms the nature of an event. I reflect upon this marathon in 1989, where walking became cycling and the speed of the foot was replaced by the power of the pedal, as a watershed for this event as it saw a dramatic increase in the level of funds which were raised from it. So, Ameer Sahib, your legacy and high standards have provided us with a springboard for the high professionalism, dedicated enthusiasm and charitable commitment we see before us today.  

 

The Charity Challenge took a new dimension when, as part of the development of the youth association’s members, it was decided that regions within the association should host the event. The first such event was, in fact, held here by the North East region and this proved so successful that ever since regions have taken an increasing role in the organisation of the event. Indeed, on a personal note, I myself, in my tenure as Regional President of one of the London Regions, 10 years ago in 1999, had the honour of hosting this event and organising a Marathon Walk through London’s Richmond Park.

 

The Charity Challenge is but one aspect of a programme of humanitarian activities which the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association undertakes on a regular basis headed by its own national department. Whether it is distributing chocolates and flowers to hospitals around Eid and the Christmas season, arranging blood donation sessions, offering support at events organised by other charities in the UK or assisting international charities in providing relief to war-torn and disaster-impacted regions of the world, the Khidmat-e-Khalq or “Service to Humanity” department has been tireless in its support of charitable and other worthwhile causes.

 

Although, we have been humbled over the years to have our charitable achievements recognised by external bodies – most notably by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, for our work with Save the Children and Leukaemia Research by whom we were awarded an Outstanding Contribution Award in 2005 – our members undertake these activities purely and simply for the sake of humanity because it is a part of our faith. In Islam, service to humanity is regarded as a moral prerogative, a spiritual privilege and, above all, a religious duty. 

 

Most of those who took part in today’s event did not do so with the desire to win a competitive race but rather with a sense of serving humanity and helping society, the ill, the frail, the disabled, the homeless, the destitute, the poor, the marginalised. To put it simply, to help those in need irrespective of race, creed, colour or religion. This spirit emanates from our faith and from our desire to win the pleasure of Allah for it is indeed the Holy Qur’an which declares:

 

“They feed, for the love of Him, the poor, the orphan and the prisoner, saying, ‘we feed you for Allah’s pleasure only. We desire no thanks nor praise from you.’” (Chapter 76: Verses 9-10)

 

The Holy Qur’an is replete with such verses which enjoin service to humanity upon Muslims and at the same time warn that their conduct should not be actuated by considerations of reciprocity, recompense or reputation. It is only fitting, therefore, that this year’s event should be concluded on the site of this magnificent Al Mahdi Mosque – a symbol of peace and a fitting backdrop to remind the participants of their duty to serve others for the sake of God.

 

May I now avail myself of this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our guests who have spared your precious time to be with us here today. 

 

I thank the Lord Mayor of Bradford for not only taking time out of a busy schedule to join us for this event but also for his continued support of the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association in the region. 

 

We acknowledge the presence here of Godfrey Bloom MEP, a long time friend and supporter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and thank him for being with us here again today.

 

In planning the route and preparing for the event we drew invaluable assistance from the local council and the police for which we are extremely grateful. 

 

I should also thank the many local businesses who have been co-operative and generous in their support and corporate sponsorships, most notably Sovereign Health Care who made a handsome donation to the event. They are represented here today, amongst others, by their Chief Executive, Mr David Lewis.

 

We are grateful to Sunrise Radio, Pulse Radio and Real Radio for being with us here today and especially for the coverage the Charity Challenge has received through their respective media.

 

I express our gratitude and appreciation to the many members of the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bradford led by Dr Abdul Bary Malik and Dr Muhammad Iqbal for their advice and support which have been instrumental in making this event a success.

 

We are deeply grateful to our Respected National Ameer, firstly, for all the support, encouragement and wise counsel we received leading up to this event and also for having spared his most precious time in spite of multifarious engagements to travel up here and grace this occasion with his august presence.

 

To our charity representatives who have been able to join and help us today, I express our gratitude. Many of you have been longstanding friends and supporters of our youth association. Save the Children and Great Ormond Street Hospital were supported back in 1989 for the cycle marathon that was mentioned earlier and I am incredibly pleased to note that 20 years on we continue to support both causes and many more.

 

In a world beset with many economic challenges, it is very easy to become self-centred and to worry about one’s own immediate needs only. Yet you the charity organisations remain committed to helping others cast off the chains of poverty and to break the bonds of misery. These qualities of selflessness, kindness and compassion for others are qualities we share and for which we continue in our humble endeavours to support you.

 

We, the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, recite a pledge which acts as the driver of our actions and intentions. Contained within the words is the pledge to sacrifice our time for the sake of our faith, country and nation. We are indeed fortunate that we are given the opportunity to fulfil this pledge through the Charity Challenge for our faith, as a central tenet, advocates tolerance for others and the need to serve the cause of humanity. 

 

Let me conclude, therefore, by expressing my personal gratitude and appreciation to the hundreds of members of my association from across all regions in the UK whose sacrifices of time – be it for fundraising or for organising this event – have made this it an overwhelming success. For your enterprise, industry and devotion to duty, I thank you from the innermost sanctuary of my heart.

 

It is my hope and prayer that such noble endeavours by us and like-minded people would usher in a glorious new era in which humankind would learn to use the fruits of our universality for the promotion of sympathy, empathy and philanthropy. May Allah so ordain!

 

Respected Chairman, Ladies, Gentlemen! Thanks for having me. Wassalamu Alaikum.