Former Sadran- Qamar A Shams

What was you first Jama’at related office, and what

lesson did you learn from it?

In 1967 I was accepted at TI College, and in 1968 I was

appointed Saiq of the Fazl-e-Umar Hospital area. I went

on to serve MKA in various capacities including as Muthamim

Amoorai Talaba under than International Sadr Syed

Mahmood Ahmad Sahib, who is now Ameer Jama'at

Australia. The situation in Rabwah is unique because you

are assimilated into the Nizam at a very early age and you

have the sermons of Khalifatul Masih and the example of

high ranking officials of the Jama'at, so in many cases the

early lessons you learn are from observing others.

Who is the most influential person in your life?

Khalifatul Masih is the most inspiring person in everyone’s

life. However, I will specifically mention Hazrat Khalifatul

Masih III (rh). I attended almost all of his lectures which he

gave to Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya in Rabwah on

occasions of Ijtema. He always encouraged students to go

abroad and go for higher education and he set a goal that

our next generation should be of a high class, technically

and professionally. They should attend conferences where

they can present their research papers. He had set a goal

that Jama'at should produce 100 members like Dr. Abdus

Salam Sahib. That goal is as relevant today as it was 20

or 30 years ago.

Which childhood experience made you realize the

importance of serving the Jama'at?

I grew up in Lobra, about 60 miles from Multan. We would

get frequent visits from Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad who

was then Sadr MKA. We would take the Taleem exams

and send them back to Rabwah. This helped us maintain

a link with the center. Then at local events we would be

assigned duties. We would be required to clean the

mosque every Friday. Then when I moved to Rabwah, I

saw some of the more senior members of the Jama'at and

that was a good environment .

What was the most rewarding aspect of being Sadr?

To hold an office of the Jama’at is in itself a blessed and a

unique opportunity. Setting targets at the beginning of the

year and having them fulfilled is certainly rewarding.

However, having the opportunity to interact with Khuddam

all over the country and then helping them establish Majalis

in various parts of the country was a big achievement.

What was your first thought after you became sadr?

My first thought was to figure out a way to establish here

in the US what I had learnt in Rabwah. I began to work

with people who were familiar with the Nizam and tried to

establish Qaideen throughout the country. Interestingly

enough, I was the first MKA Sadr in the United States. In

this capacity, I reported directly to Hazoor rather than the

International Sadr in Rabwah. At this time I wrote to

Hazoor asking him to allow us to call our National Amila

members Muhtamimeen rather than Nazimeen. Hazoor

agreed and thereafter the National Amila members were

given the title of Muhatmim. During my time our focus was

to increase attendance at the Ijtema, but the budget was

always an issue. However, through the hard work of

several dedicated members, attendance at the National

Ijtema increased steadily.

Do you think others outside the U.S fully appreciate

the challenges facing Khuddam in America?

The situation is different in other countries, so they may not

fully appreciate the nuances of MKA activities here in the

US. In England, for example, even though they are a small

Jama'at, people render their services to the Jama'at because

they want to work for Khalifatul Masih. In Canada

and Germany, to the best of my knowledge, people don’t

have the same hectic schedule we have here. Members

in the U.S. have to put in long hours to make a decent

earning. Even students have to earn money to help with

their student life. There are too many responsibilities put

on the shoulders of members here, so the challenge of

getting Khuddam to commit to the Jama'at is much greater.

What are some of the challenges facing MKA today?

Not having worked directly with Khuddam for a while, I may

not have an accurate picture. However, the lack of education

among our members is a concern that should be

addressed properly. Here in America we face many challenges,

but there are also many opportunities that are open

to Khuddam. Not only can they open their own businesses

or fulfill their academic goals, but they can also apply for

federal funding for their projects. In addition to serving the

Jama'at at times like the Jalsa Salana, Khuddam need to

excel in education so that they can interact with the upper

echelon of academia. This is the only way we can engage

in Tabligh with such people. With education, not only can

we have better Tabligh efforts, but we can also empower

ourselves to lead better lives in this country.

How is the life of Ansarullah different from MKA?

After my Sadarat, I worked as secretary MTA. During this

time I traveled and tried to setup MTA labs or facilities. I

was eventually relieved from that post, but alhumdholillah,

I got an opportunity that was rare. I received a large grant

from NASA to set up my own lab. I was able to hire a few

young men and work on research papers. Alhumdolillah,

I have published more than 15 research papers and have

had the opportunity to present them at large conferences.

Eventually, I’ll have more people working with me and then

I’ll find more time to dedicate to Ansarullah.

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