Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 180
K h i 1 a f a t C e n t e n a r y. _ _ '· _. Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya USA's Love and Obedience to Khilafat ---------------- Naem R. Mohamed & Rehan Mahmood Chaudhry "I solemnly pledge, that I shall always be ready to sacrifice my life, wealth, time, and honor, for the sake of my faith, country, and nation. Likewise, I shall be ready, to offer any sacrifice, for guarding the Institution of Khilafat- e-Ahmadiyya. Moreover, I shall deem it esse ntial, to abide by any Ma'roof decision, made by Khalifatul Masih, Inshallah. " In essence, the pledge of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya USA explains our close, personal relationship with Khilafat in its simplest form; it is because of this close relationship, that Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya USA has progressed since its inception. A Beginning Blessed by Khilafat To see the relationship Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadi yya USA has with Khilafat today, one must first look back at how this relationship was built, with love and devotion. Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih rr ra always maintained a special concern for the yo uth of the Jama' at. It was this concern that led him , as early as 1902, to start a literary organization for the yo uth called Tashee z- ul- Azan. Nearly two decades later, 10 zealous young men approached Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih rr r• seeking permission to form a youth organization; Huzur readily agreed. This group first met at the house of Sheikh Mahmoob Alam onjanuary 31, 1938. The members resolved to do their utmost to defend the institution of Khilafat and the J ama'at in general against any attacks made on it. Just 4 days later on February 4, 1938, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih rr ra nam ed this organization Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. Huzur , while establishing this newborn organization, defined the aims of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya by stating, "My idea of establishing this body is that the knowledge which has b een acquired by us and is safely locked up in our hearts must continue to be passed on to the next generation after, and thereafter it must become a continuous cycle so that the world at large ma y benefit. " During the initial years, the organization differed from what it is today in the sense that it was restricted. It was restricted in two ways; first in membership, and second in terms of the kind of duties undertaken by it. It was limited in terms of membership because it was primarily viewed by Khalifatul Masih rr r• as an organization for the exclusive training of those yo ung men who needed it. This meant that those youths who were sufficiently experienced in discharging responsibilities pertaining to the J ama'at were positively discouraged to become part of this organization. During the first Ijtema, held on December 25, 1938, in Qadian, India, rather than having academic and athletic competitions, there was only one item, which was an address by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih ff •. In this address, Huzurr• established the great responsibility held by the Khuddam and the yo uth of the movement , saying:, "The success of a nation is dependent on its y outh. If the y outh of a nation beco me true custodians of its traditions then that nation can survive for centuries upon centuries. However, if the generations of the future are negligent then a nation can never achieve success and even the progress it makes can be transformed into failure" (Tahrik Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, Vol. 1, p. 46-47). OnJul y 26, 1940, Huzur ra announced that within the next 15 days it was compu l so ry for every young man between the ages of 15-40 to register himself as a member of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. As a consequence of these instructions, branches of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya were not only formed in all parts of India , but in all parts of the world. At the outset, Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya was primarily a literary organization. Its programs therefore, included such things as the study of the Holy Qur'an, Ahadith, Islamic history, Islamic jurisprudence and knowledge about Islam and Ahmadi yyat. It is only later that the