Islamabad, UK, 9 October 2021: At 3:36 pm, Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived at the Masroor Hall, Islamabad, UK for the concluding session of Jalsa Salana Germany 2021.
Through MTA International, a live feed was set up between Islamabad, UK and those attending Jalsa Salana in Mannheim, Germany. Ahmadis across the world also watched the final session live through MTA.
After arriving, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa invited Hafiz Tariq Ahmad Cheema Sahib to recite a portion from the Holy Quran, followed by its Urdu translation. Huzooraa then called Basil Aslam Sahib to recite the German translation of the verses recited. Next, Huzooraa called Murtaza Manan Sahib to read an Urdu poem of the Promised Messiahas. These gentlemen appeared on the screen via the live feed.
Huzooraa then took to the podium to deliver the concluding address Jalsa Salana Germany 2021.
A series of naray (slogans) were called in Masroor Hall, Islamabad. On hearing the slogans, Huzooraa remarked, “Is there no one in Germany dedicated to raise the naray?” Soon after, a few slogans from Germany were then called too.
After reciting tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Huzooraa said that due to restrictions from the government in the pandemic, Jamaat Germany – and other jamaats around the world – could not hold their Jalsas. However, now, by the grace of Allah, Jalsa Salana Germany 2021 was being held due to the easing of rules.
Though it was not a full-fledged Jalsa, some spiritual thirst was still being quenched because of it. Huzooraa said the central purpose of Jalsa Salana was to increase in spirituality and closeness to Allah the Almighty. If this purpose was not fulfilled, then there was no point in holding a Jalsa.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said he “expected” that all those attending Jalsa Salana Germany had fulfilled this purpose – these people, whether they attended in person or watched the proceedings online, had gathered for themselves “spiritual sustenance” for a year.
“Today, I will speak about taqwa [righteousness] too so that when you leave today, the importance of taqwa remains fresh in your minds”, Huzooraa said.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said that if one understood what taqwa was, their life in this world and the next would be for the better. We are fortunate to have the Promised Messiahas who explained the importance of taqwa in great depth.
In a poetic verse that was divinely revealed, the Promised Messiahas said that every good deed had its roots in taqwa. “We must grow this root within our hearts” so that the sweet fruit of taqwa was grown on every action of ours – otherwise our claims were empty. Huzooraa said our faith would be strengthened when our internal and external states became the same, when our deeds and actions were the same.
Therefore, when the roots of taqwa were strong, the roots of faith would also be strong – otherwise we could not face the attacks of Satan. These attacks would continue forever and only those people who were devoted to Allah the Almighty and followed the path of taqwa would be saved.
Currently, the attacks of Satan could be seen everywhere, Huzooraa said. Therefore, everyone needed to understand the reality of taqwa and realise how we are to stay protected from Satan and in turn protect our faith.
The Promised Messiahas told us that the reality of taqwa was to worship Allah the Almighty in the truest sense. The person who fulfilled the rights of Allah would receive blessings in every action.
Huzooraa said that in the current global situation, where attacks of Satan and the alluring force of the world were present all around, an Ahmadi should develop taqwa within themselves, and the best way to achieve this was to worship Allah.
The Promised Messiahas said that those who did not fulfil the rights of Allah were disbelievers and such a life was lived by animals. The Promised Messiahas said that in Surah al-Asr, Allah the Almighty explained the life of disbelievers and believers. The disbelievers acted like animals all day and did not worship Allah. Such people, in the sight of Allah, were given no significance.
Huzooraa said the Promised Messiahas explained that Allah the Almighty created mankind to worship Him; however, those who lived lives like animals – not caring for the worship of Allah – were then abandoned by Allah and His grace did not bless them.
Our very purpose is to be fully devote ourselves to Allah and to worship Him, Huzooraa emphasised.
The Promised Messiahas said that though this was the purpose of mankind, today, the world was headed in the wrong direction. A life away from work and family was not what Islam called for; rather, working and earning a livelihood was a fundamental responsibility. However, in worldly tasks too we should keep Allah the Almighty’s will and pleasure at the forefront. We should also fulfil the rights of Allah the Almighty during our day-to-day life – this is true taqwa.
“Allah the Almighty cares for the life of a righteous person and holds their life dear”, the Promised Messiahas said. And those who did not have taqwa, Allah cared for them not. Therefore, it was incumbent on all people to escape the shackles of Satan.
“Every one of us should understand the purpose of our lives”, Huzooraa said.
The luxuries of Europe and developed countries should not make us heedless about the purpose of our life. If this is the case, we have not fulfilled our bai‘at. We must fulfil the rights of Allah the Almighty and in turn rectify our life in this world and the next.
Huzooraa said that if the rights of Allah the Almighty and the purpose of life were understood, all other responsibilities on a Muslim would be understood too.
The Promised Messiahas said that there were great promises by Allah the Almighty for those who were righteous. Allah helped such people, and this help and succour was never received by those who did not show taqwa. Allah helped a righteous person in ways that would astound him.
The Promised Messiahas said that for happiness and comfort in this life, the path of taqwa must be traversed – also known as the path of the Holy Quran. The disbelievers may seem happy through their external state due to their wealth; however, their hearts were in great sorrow and engulfed in chains and fires. The Promised Messiahas said that people observed the jubilant faces and outwardly state of such people who were occupied in a worldly life without Allah; however, in reality, their internal state was in a very dark place.
Drawing on the writings of the Promised Messiahas, who wrote with reference to the Holy Quran, Huzooraa explained how the life of materialistic people – those who cared not for God and only chased the wealth and comforts of this world – were tied with internal chains of sorrow and despair. Such people were never content and always had jealousies and wants haunting their souls. Only believers had true contentment. Huzooraa said he personally knew such people who were in such a state.
The Promised Messiahas said that wealth and extravagant clothes and food were never a means of happiness; rather, true happiness was from taqwa. A person who had taqwa could truly enjoy the blessings of this world too.
A person who chased after worldly luxuries would call all of this insane and would question it. However, if that person was asked to give a true testimony of their heart, they would admit they were stuck in a cycle of more wants and constant desires. A righteous person was free from such shackles.
Huzooraa said that at times, through one’s words, taqwa was lost when a person showed off their good deeds by expressing them to the world so that they were known and praised. In the same vein, lying and falsehood destroys taqwa. For example, in certain circumstances a person is forgiven for eating the flesh of swine in times of necessity. However, if one gives an edict saying that the flesh of swine was permissible and halal, this takes them far away from Islam. Therefore, our words have strong effects on our taqwa.
Huzooraa said we must also see how much love we had for others and what rights we were giving them – it is from this that the paths of taqwa could be seen with more clarity.
We must see how much “love we have amongst us? How much effort are we exerting to save ourselves from arrogance? How much are we adopting the paths to humility? What efforts are we putting into fulfilling our oaths? What efforts are we giving towards upholding the truth […] What are our efforts for our children and generations so that taqwa continues within them” and they live their lives according to the commandments of Allah the Almighty too?
We must introspect and see whether we are following all the commandments of Allah. “Our every deed and action should put us on the rights path”, Huzooraa said. From the environments of our households, to our relationships within the wider society, we should establish high standards of taqwa.
Huzooraa spoke on suspicion and its ill effects; those who want to spread discord start lies and spread suspicion; those who are hasty to believe everything instantly and fall into error. Jealousy was another ill to steer clear of too and believers should never try to harm each other due to jealousy, Huzooraa said.
To become true ibad-ur-Rahman – worshippers of the Gracious God – it was essential such a person fulfilled the rights of humanity too, Huzooraa said. Muslims are brothers to each other and the Holy Prophetsa said that Muslims were brothers; they did no look down on each other, were not cruel to each other and did not disgrace each other either. The Holy Prophetsa pointed to his chest and said that taqwa “is here”. Therefore, the lesson was that the heart should be filled with taqwa and a person who understood this would never sin, nor let any spiritual malady enter their heart.
If our hearts do not respect others, then they are devoid of taqwa. It did not matter if someone carries out endless worship, if they look down on another Muslim, all their worship is of no use. The Holy Prophetsa said that the blood, honour and wealth of one Muslim was forbidden for another Muslim. However, today, we see that Muslims are dishonouring these protections, all the while claiming to be “true Muslims”.
“We must live our lives by assessing every single step we take”, Huzooraa said. Otherwise, Allah the Almighty does not care for us. We must check our hearts and see what they are filled with. If our hearts are not completely pure, and we do not fulfil the rights of others, then we have strayed from taqwa and as a result, the peace of society will be destroyed.
Those who truly follow Allah the Almighty do not show arrogance either. Being boastful and thinking one as superior to others is a grave spiritual illness. Allah the Almighty has said that the most respectful amongst humanity were those who possessed the most righteousness. Therefore, all other “superiorities” do not matter when Allah the Almighty’s requirement for respect and honour is totally different.
Arrogance and being boastful makes no sense as a person is a mere spec in the universe.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa spoke about the recent floods in Germany and said how the floods showed that all power belonged to Allah the Almighty and no one could rest on their wealth or status.
Wearing good and clean clothes is not arrogance; rather, arrogance is to “reject the truth” and believe others to be lower than you, and to treat them in an ill manner. This is arrogance. The Promised Messiahas said that those who did not listen to others with attention and care also exhibited arrogance. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that a true believer reaches the pinnacles of humility.
Allah the Almighty pays great attention in explaining to us that we ought to fulfil the rights of others.
Towards the end of the address, Huzooraa said he wanted to remind everyone of the oaths they had taken and fulfilling them. The Holy Quran pays great emphasis on fulfilling oaths and a righteous person always does so. In a hadith, the Holy Prophetsa said that those who did not fulfil their oaths were hypocrites. Every single oath needed to be fulfilled, from our daily lives to our bai‘at, Huzooraa said.
Those who did not fulfil their bai‘at were not fulfilling their oath and in turn were moving away from the path of taqwa. The oath of bai‘at is no ordinary oath; it is an oath to sell ourselves. If we fulfil this oath, very quickly, a change shall come within the world.
Huzooraa said that those who did not fulfil their bai‘at properly even begin to speak against the decisions of the Khalifa of the time, if their own views were not supported. Huzooraa said that after his address in the Lajna on the rights of women during Jalsa Salana UK 2021, some Ahmadi families began to question the validity of what Huzooraa had said, even though everything was supported by the Holy Quran, ahadith and writings of the Promised Messiahas. Therefore fulfilling the oath of bai‘at is of utmost importance.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, in the end, quoted the Promised Messiahas in which he urged members of the Jamaat to create a great transformation within themselves and to adopt taqwa through “a death” of the soul that Allah the Almighty required.
Following this, Huzooraa led everyone in a silent prayer.
Huzooraa then announced the attendance and stated that the total Jalsa attendance on day one was 4,442, and 4,927 on day two.
After announcing the attendance figures, Huzooraa said that the attendance reports of Jalsa Salana Germany were generally more accurate.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then gave permission for taranay (choral poems) to be recited from the Lajna side and the men’s side of Jalsa Salana Germany.
At the end, Huzooraa conveyed his salaam and Jalsa Salana Germany 2021 came to a successful end.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)