Fazle Umar
Tehrike Jadeed (the New Scheme) Out of evil came a great deal of good. In his three Friday addresses on 23 and 30 November and 7 December 1934, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] set forth a scheme before the Community with regard to which he had already alerted it, which made nineteen demands from the members of the Movement. Initially the operation of the scheme was limited to three years, but before the expiry of the period it was made permanent. He named the scheme Tehrike Jadeed (The New Scheme). To finance the scheme he appealed to the Community to provide Rs 27,500 for the expenses of the first year. The Community made a splendid response to his appeal and in addition to all other contributions provided Rs 107,000 for Tehrike Jadeed which was nearly four times the amount for which he had appealed. His nineteen demands, which were subsequently raised to twenty-four, were aimed mainly at rousing the spirit of sacrifice in the Community, stimulating their moral and spiritual qualities and broadening the base of the Movement by carrying its message far and wide. For instance, he urged the adoption of a simple, and in some respects even an austere, mode of life in the matter of food, dress, housing, furnishings, etc. He forbade attendance at cinemas, theatres, circuses and places of amusement generally. He urged the cultivation of the habit of manual labour. He made an appeal for a certain number of dedicated workers. He urged the unemployed to occupy themselves in some kind of work or to work without the usual requirements, or in return for a meagre salary, for the Movement. He invited pensioners and people who had retired from service to volunteer for work for the Movement. He urged everyone to occupy themselves most of the time with earnest supplications to God seeking His help and guidance and the bounty of steadfastness in His cause. He explained the purpose of each of these demands. He predicted:
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