Advice from Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad

Importance of General Knowledge

”Waqfeen Children should have vast knowledge. Generally, religious scholars have this shortcoming in common.

They have extensive and in-depth knowledge of religion, but about the other spheres of knowledge outside the sphere

of religion they are totally ignorant. This lack of knowledge has seriously harmed Islam. Of all the reasons that lead to

decline of a religion this is the most important. Jama’at-e-Ahmadiyya should learn from this. We should encourage

and popularize religious learning founded on broad-based knowledge. That is, first of all the foundation should be a

broad knowledge of secular subjects to which should then be grafted religious learning so that it grows into a very

beautiful, blessed, and holy tree. From this point of view, these children should be encouraged to increase their general

knowledge right from childhood. If the parents would pay attention to this matter their (children’s) knowledge will

increase automatically. So the parents should pay attention to it and subscribe to magazines and newspapers for their

children. They should instill in them the habit of reading such books as would increase their knowledge; and when

they go to school parents should choose for them subjects that would introduce them to science. These children

should have some knowledge of all the diverse subjects of arts such as economics, philosophy, psychology, mathematics,

and commerce, etc. Make them used to reading. One does not have much choice in the schools. A child can

take five, six, or seven subjects, some even take ten, but they cannot go beyond this. Therefore, it is essential that

these children should get into the habit of reading other than their prescribed syllabi.

Role of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya vis-a-vis Waqfeen

”In addition, from childhood, the Waqfeen should also be made tough and die-hard and obedient to the discipline and

order of the Jama’at. It is very important to affiliate them with Atfallul-Ahmadiyya, Nasiratul-Ahmadiyya, and Khuddamul-

Ahmadiyya. The responsibility of Ansar comes later. If you [parents] could take good care of them up to the age of

fifteen and as Khuddam, then rarely would the Ansar have any need to train them. When a bullet is fired with a gun that

has a long barrel, it goes straight for a long distance. If the‘ the barrel of Tarbiyyat’ [training by parents] would extend to

the age of Khuddam, then the child will remain on the right path till his death, except for what Allah wills. It is very essential

to teach children to respect the administrative set up of the Jama’at. Do not say any thing about the set up of

the Jama’at in your homes that sounds derogatory or complain about an official of the Jama’at. Never complain about a

Jama’at official in front of your children even if your complaint is valid. It will harm your children. You can protect your

faith in spite of complaining but [the faith of] your children will be seriously damaged. Because in such a case, usually,

the person involved suffers less injury, but the one who is watching near by receives deeper wounds. The children of

those people, who criticize the Jama’at executive thoughtlessly, are, more or less, definitely harmed and some are lost

forever...”