Syed Mukarram Nazeer, Canada Correspondent
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada held its 46th Jalsa Salana at Hadiqa Ahmed, on the theme “All goodness lies in the Quran.”
2001 saw the last outdoor Jalsa Salana Canada on a Jamaat property. 2002 Jalsa was held at the International Centre – a multi-purpose convention centre in Mississauga, Ontario. As most facilities were already set up, only three days were needed for setup, and two for windup. For the following two decades, this was the routine. This changed in a big way for the 2024 Jalsa Salana. 100 acres were set aside for Jalsa at Hadiqa Ahmed. Parking, Langar Khana, jalsa gah, exhibitions, stalls, washrooms, office marquees, etc., were arranged on it. Until last year, the area set aside for Jalsa was used as agricultural land. This year, a lot of effort and money went into developing it for Jalsa Salana. This required approval from the city, region, and Ministry of Labour. This process spanned over two years. Official permission to hold the Jalsa was received in October 2023.
With an expected attendance of 20,000, a tent city was planned and executed. Sourcing tents and other products was challenging. Multiple suppliers were engaged to meet the need. Electrical and water systems had to be constructed from scratch. Work started in April with over 200 volunteers working regularly to prepare for the event. Marquee structures were erected first, followed by flooring and tents. HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and electrical teams laid electrical wiring across the site and prepared HVAC systems. Three kilometres of perimeter fencing secured the jalsa gah. It took over two months to complete all this. The Langar Khana was set up on-site to ensure fresh and hot meals for Jalsa attendees. Gas stoves were set up, water tankers hooked up for water supply, and storage trailers were brought onsite to provide supplies promptly. The city’s fire marshal inspected and approved the Langar Khana for operations. New this year was Jalsa Radio with live broadcasts starting two hours prior to the start of Jalsa and ending two hours after the end of Jalsa. It provided traffic reports, weather reports, announcements, as well as Jalsa proceedings. Listeners could call into the programme and share their experiences and feedback. A total of 7,000 parking spaces were arranged, with three main entrances for guests to enter the site.
A remarkable tabligh exhibition showcasing the teachings of Islam Ahmadiyya, welcomed non-Ahmadi guests. It featured various banners and displayed well-preserved copies of the Holy Quran, including a 1,000-year-old Quran and a 300-year-old Quran. Missionaries had engaging discussions with guests that covered a variety of topics. The Review of Religions hosted their “Great Blind Taste” experiment. Many non-believers maintain that as God can’t be experienced by any of our five senses, hence He does not exist. This experiment aimed to refute this allegation.
The Jalsa Salana Canada began on Friday with a recording of Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa Friday Sermon from the UK, followed by Jumuah and Asr prayers. The formal Jalsa proceedings commenced with a flag-hoisting ceremony. The opening session started with Principal Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada, Daud Hanif Sahib, presiding. The session began with a recitation from the Holy Quran and a poem. Missionary Imtiaz Sra Sahib, and Malik Kaleem Ahmed Sahib, Naib Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada, were the speakers.
The second session of Jalsa was led by Missionary-in-Charge Canada, Abdur Rashid Anwar Sahib. It began with a recitation from the Holy Quran and a poem, followed by speeches by Secretary Umur-e-Kharijiyya and the Missionary-in-Charge of Canada. A special question-and-answer session answered questions from members of Jamaat. Naib Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada Farhan Khokhar Sahib conducted the session, while a panel answered the questions.
The third session of Jalsa started with Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada Lal Khan Malik Sahib presiding. After recitation from the Holy Quran and a poem, various speeches were held, including by Naib Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada, Farhan Khokhar Sahib; Vice Principal Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada, Mukhtar Cheema Sahib; Professor Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada, Abdus Samee Khan Sahib; Missionary Hafiz Ataul Wahab Sahib; and Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada.
The concluding session of Jalsa was presided over by Naib Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada, Hadi Ali Chaudhary Sahib and began with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a poem and speeches by Secretary Talim Jamaat Canada, Dr Tauseef Khan Sahib; and Missionary Aizaz Ahmed Khan Sahib. Awards for Hifz-ul-Quran School Canada and for academic excellence were handed out afterwards. These were followed by a speech by Naib Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada, Hadi Ali Chaudhary Sahib. The closing remarks were delivered by Amir Sahib Canada. He announced the total Jalsa attendance to be 25,211. He also led the silent prayer.
In regards to the Jalsa report of Lajna Imaillah Canada, it was reported that all Lajna members were contacted via email and social media. They were made aware of the preparations needed for Jalsa. A series of flyers titled “Are you ready for Jalsa?” shared guidelines for Jalsa. Lajna side of Jalsa Salana Canada organisation was led by Sadr Lajna Imaillah Canada, Nadia Mahmood Sahiba. She was assisted by 12 nazimat-e-a’la and around 80 nazimat. This year for the first time, a proper bazaar was arranged, which had stalls by Lajna. Various exhibitions were also held. Lajna also arranged a human rights exhibition, advocating the true meaning of peace and justice. The second day of Jalsa is especially exciting for Lajna members. This year was no different. The session started with a recitation from the Holy Quran and a poem. The award distribution ceremony recognises students for their academic achievements. In addition to a speech by Sadr Lajna Imaillah Canada, various other speeches were also delivered, including by Abida Mansoor Malik Sahiba, Mansoora Rauf Sahiba, Dr Maryam Sheikh Sahiba, and Salmana Rajput Sahiba.