Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 155
Appendix 2: Waqf-e-Nau 155 teaching these children loyalty to the Waqf from an early age. Explaining the concept of loyalty to the Jama ’ at and Waqf , Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV (rh) said, “ The truly loyal look after the interests of the Jama ’ at, and its well-being is their foremost concern. It is impossible that anyone who loves the Jama ’ at for God ’ s sake, would ever let the Jama ’ at split up into fragments or tolerate things that would damage the faith of other people. He would subject himself to all kinds of suffering and would not make it the means of hurting other souls. And this would be the proof of his faithfulness. It is extremely important to train Waqifin along these lines. ” 7) He also said, “ There is a very deep relationship between Waqf-e- Zindagi and loyalty. When a Waqf-e-Zindagi does not adhere to his Waqf to the last breath of his life and withdraws, whether the Jama ’ at punishes him or not, it leaves a scar of unfaithfulness on his soul. It is a big scar. Your decision to present your child for Waqf is a very big decision. As a result of this decision either these children will become great saints or they will not be able to attain even the ordinary status of piety and it is also possible that they might be seriously harmed. The greater the height, the greater is the risk of falling down. Therefore, train them with great caution and give them lessons in loyalty, and do so repeatedly. Explain to the Waqifin children that Waqf is a solemn matter; that it is a vow that you made with Allah. You (parents) were highly sincere in making this vow but if the children cannot keep it, they have permission to withdraw. As these children approach maturity, another time will come when the Jama ’ at will ask them whether they want to keep their Waqf or not. True Waqf is the one to which a person faithfully adheres till his last breath and pulls himself forward on this path in spite of all his wounds, and never turns back. Prepare your future generations for this kind of Waqf. ”