Friday Sermon
12 August 2022
Jalsa Salana UK 2022: Blessings, gratitude and review
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
All praise is due to Allah, Who enabled us to hold Jalsa Salana UK last week [on 5-7 August 2022]. We witnessed innumerable favours of Allah the Almighty during the three days. Even this year, we thought that due to the widespread pandemic, we should hold the Jalsa on a smaller scale, similar to last year. However, during the last month leading up to the Jalsa, it was decided that all Ahmadis residing in the UK should be permitted to attend the Jalsa. Upon making this decision, the organisers were initially worried. Nonetheless, they began making preparations, and as I have stated, we witnessed the blessings of Allah the Almighty shower down upon us.
The Jalsa is a highly anticipated event and there is anticipation for it all year long. The organisers have to make a lot of preparations, but when the event starts, the three days pass by in the blink of an eye. This year as well, people had some reservations with respect to different aspects. Some also wrote to me and expressed their concerns. They were praying a lot and I was also praying as were the members of the Jamaat. Nonetheless, Allah the Almighty turned all such reservations and fears into peace. One such reason for these concerns was the spread of the Covid pandemic. Although this might have impacted some of the participants, in general, Allah the Almighty bestowed His immense blessings. Nevertheless, at present, I would like to say a few words in relation to the Jalsa. In the Friday sermon following the Jalsa, I usually express my gratitude to the workers, relate the sentiments of the participants and also mention the blessings of Allah the Almighty with regard to the Jalsa.
First of all, I would like to thank all the workers, who have worked selflessly from the preparation of the Jalsa until its windup and are still engaged in its windup in some shape or form. During the Jalsa, the male and female workers of various departments generally worked according to their capacities and they discharged their duties well, for which every participant should be grateful. These are the very Islamic morals that you should be grateful to whoever benefits you in any form or is helpful to you. Furthermore, being grateful to people enables a person to be grateful to Allah the Almighty as well. Children, adults, women and girls, all tried their utmost to do justice to their responsibilities.
Some shortcomings and weaknesses came to light. However, such shortcomings can occur in such large arrangements. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of the organisers to remove these weaknesses and shortcomings. For instance, some complaints have been received regarding the Lajna’s department of serving food and regarding some other aspects well. I am forwarding the letters I have received in this regard to the organisers so that they can look into this as they come and also make a note of these shortcomings in their red book. Every department should try and implement these and improve their organisation the following year. Nevertheless, in general, the volunteers worked very hard and discharged their duties well. Children also did justice to their duties and I express my gratitude to all of them.
MTA also provided really good coverage of the Jalsa. This time, they even prepared the entire studio by themselves and thereby saved several thousands of pounds. This year, many developed and developing countries were united during the Jalsa through which those sitting here could also see their brothers in other countries. There was unity, which we witnessed through the camera lens of MTA. This is a great blessing of Allah the Almighty and for this, the workers of MTA deserve our gratitude as they showed the unity of the Jamaat through MTA to the entire world and silenced the opponents.
Nevertheless, I will now present the impressions of some non-Ahmadis as well as Ahmadis. I will mention the blessings of Allah the Almighty and how He conveyed the message of Islam to the world through the Jalsa.
Abu Bakr Sini Sahib of Niger is a non-Ahmadi scholar. He is also the imam of a mosque in the city of Niamey. He says:
“What impressed me the most is the people’s relationship of love and affection with their Khalifa of the time and how they were demonstrating their absolute obedience to every instruction of the Khalifa. There was absolute silence during the speeches.” He further says, “It seemed as if God Almighty Himself had instilled this love in their hearts as this was absolutely free of pretence.”
Then there is another non-Ahmadi, Ishaq Sahib of Burkina Faso, who says:
“The Jalsa today was incredible, and there is nothing like it. It is no less than a miracle for so many people to gather in one place and the Jalsa is truly unique in its example of where everyone follows one Imam. Whether one wishes to believe it or not, today it is Ahmadiyyat which is the true Islam, and the day is not far when people will recognise this truth and enter its fold.”
These are the impressions of non-Ahmadis, who are Muslims and whom Allah the Almighty is guiding towards us.
There is a non-Ahmadi Syrian in French Guyana who witnessed the Jalsa for the first time. There were arrangements in the mosque for the Arab-speaking people to watch via MTA al-Arabiyyah. He says:
“This is the first time I am hearing the message of the community and it is also the first time I have listened to an address of your Khalifa. I am very impressed that there is such an organisation among the Muslims which is propagating the true message of Islam to the world and which is operating all around the world under the oath to one Khalifa. I shall most certainly read more about your community and carry out further research.”
Another non-Ahmadi Muslim from French Guyana attended to listen to the proceedings. He says:
“This was my first time listening to the Jalsa Salana UK proceedings and I am very impressed. Your Jamaat is an international community. I am originally from Guinea-Conakry. During the Jalsa, I saw how many people were participating in the Jalsa via the live stream, but I couldn’t see Guinea-Conakry. I had only just thought of this when all of a sudden the video of the community in Guinea-Conakry showed up on the screen and I was delighted to see that you also have a community there.” He then says, “The rights of women which your Khalifa mentioned really made me proud to be a Muslim.”
There was a guest from Liberia who was a non-Muslim, Bob M Dolo Sahib. He works as a manager in the electricity sector and is a very well-educated person. He says:
“I was very impressed by the address of the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Community. Prior to this, I thought that Islam didn’t give any rights to women, but after listening to this address today, I learnt that the rights of women in Islam have been mentioned with great detail, and which are not found in any other religion. I had heard previously about how organised the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is, but today I was able to witness with my own eyes how the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is united at the hand of one leader and is actively trying to spread peace in the world.”
Katebule Sahib of Zambia, who is a pastor, says:
“I listened to the concluding address of your Khalifa on the final day of Jalsa Salana and I was very moved by it. The address of your Khalifa was astonishing. I was completely unaware of the manner in which Islam grants rights to women. I was under the impression that Islam deprives women of their rights and provides them with no freedom at all. I believed that Islam confines women to their homes, but after listening to the address today my view has changed completely. I am not ashamed at all to say that Christianity has not afforded women the rights which Islam has given to them.” This is a Christian pastor who is saying this.
He then says, “The rights which Islam has given to women haven’t even been granted to them by Christianity. We needlessly wrong our women and deem them our servants. Your Khalifa is absolutely right when he stated that men are able to acquire their rights in some way or another through means of their strength. Today I have learnt that Islam does not impart extremist teachings; rather, the teachings of Islam are very beautiful.”
Then there is a person from Ivory Coast who is being preached to. He says:
“I have been learning about the community through various means, but the Jalsa Salana has presented it in a very unique manner.” This was his first time watching Jalsa live on television and he was very impressed by the organisation of the Jalsa. He then says, “To have such a large number of people participate in the programme in such an organised and structured manner proves that the training of the Khalifa has had a profound impact on them.”
He says, “I was not aware as to how people used to pledge their allegiance at the hands of the Holy Prophetsa, but witnessing the people pledge their allegiance at the hands of the Khalifa today had a deep effect on my heart and I cannot describe my state.” He says, “I will now regularly listen to the sermons of your Khalifa.”
The immigration department representative of Congo Kinshasa came and watched the Jalsa. The people there listened to my address. He said that this address made him think as to why he hadn’t yet become an Ahmadi Muslim and before leaving, he promised to continue visiting the mission house in future and to do further research about the community.
Hence, moral training is also provided to the people via MTA.
There were also arrangements to watch the Jalsa UK proceedings in the Maroua mission house. Maroua is a community in Cameroon. Among those who came to watch the Jalsa was a woman named Ummul from a nearby village. She benefited from watching the programme on all three days. After the Jalsa Salana came to a conclusion she said to all the people present there:
“We are so fortunate to have MTA here. It is not merely a TV channel; rather, it is a school and university through which one can learn something every day. We have learnt so much in these three days, and we all have the cable for MTA at home” – they have MTA available there via cable – “so we should all benefit from it.”
She gave this advice and regularly encouraged that people watch MTA and children should also watch it so that they can all increase their Islamic knowledge. [She also encouraged that] the sermons of the Khalifa should most certainly be listened to in order to increase one’s faith.
There is another account from Congo-Kinshasa. The Ilebo Jamaat of the community invited an imam of Hanbali Muslims to watch the Jalsa proceedings. Upon the completion of Jalsa, he said:
“In my opinion, the manner in which the Ahmadiyya Community has presented the true teachings of Islam – given to us by the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa – is the distinguishing feature of this community. I wish, by some means, I could become part of this community at this instant. May Allah enable me to do so.” May Allah the Almighty enable him to do this.
There is an Albanian Muslim girl by the name of Vilma who is being preached to. She said:
“The Jalsa Salana UK was an incredible convention of which the number of attendees was extraordinary. I have not yet joined the Jamaat, but this Jalsa has motivated me to give serious thought to the importance and truthfulness of this community. And upon listening to the address of the Khalifa of the time, I found myself agreeing with his words. The way in which he presented the different topics increased my faith. My desire is that I can attend conventions like this in-person in the future.”
There is an Afghan lady in French Guyana who came to listen to the concluding address with her children. She said:
“We knew a little bit about your community before; however, listening to your Khalifa’s address at the UK Jalsa brought about a wonderful feeling. We felt such comfort to hear how Islam, our faith, takes great consideration to afford women their due rights.” She continues, “Perhaps I was feeling this more because, in Afghanistan, where the Taliban seeks to establish Islam, women have no status, whereas, in reality, Islam fully guarantees women their rights.”
There was a non-Muslim guest from Liberia, Amos Wonseah Sahib, who is a CID commander in the police force and a well-educated man. He attended the Jalsa upon invitation. He said that he was greatly impacted by my address on the second day [of Jalsa]. He was invited to attend on the second day. On the third day, he came to attend of his own accord, and after listening to the [concluding] address, he expressed:
“I had very negative thoughts about Islam, some of which were due to the misdemeanour of some Muslims. However, after witnessing the proceedings of the Jalsa, I have found Islam to be a peaceful religion, and that the Ahmadiyya Community is engaged in the service of humankind in every respect. After today, my thoughts about Islam have changed and all my reservations have been removed.” He also said, “If the Ahmadiyya Community came to this area earlier, many people would have accepted Islam because of the community.”
There were arrangements made by the Jamaat in French Guyana to gather and listen to the Jalsa proceedings. It is a small jamaat of the community and a small number of people had gathered. Two Christians from Haiti who are being preached to came there to listen to the concluding address. They said, “We were astonished at the topic your Khalifa chose to speak about”, that is, women’s rights, “because it is the same topic we have been discussing amongst one another for the past two days, wondering what Islam says about the rights of women. We were not aware that Islam gives such a complete and comprehensive teaching regarding the rights of women. If we had not heard your Khalifa’s speech today, then perhaps we would never have learned about these beautiful and complete teachings. In today’s day and age, a lot is said about the rights of women; however, only Islam truly explains the responsibilities of both men and women.” These days, they are reading [the book] Life of Muhammad and have also requested more literature.
There is also a report from Mauritius, where members gathered to listen to the [Jalsa] proceedings. A member of parliament, Tania Diolle Sahiba, also attended. She is also the Parliamentary Private Secretary. She said, “What an amazing scene! I had a wonderful experience witnessing the events of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and their culture. It has greatly impacted me how you are holding such a large religious event in a city like London.” She further says, “It is also true that in light of the economic and social climate prevalent today, religion has become of great importance. To have this large gathering where people have come together to evaluate themselves all for a spiritual purpose is a great feat. This is especially true because we are all passing through a time when the world faces many crises. In my opinion, such gatherings greatly help society to tread in the right direction and to preserve high values. This was a wonderful experience for me. I have learnt many things here. At the same time, these experiences have also drawn my attention to pay heed.”
New converts [to Islam Ahmadiyyat] have also shared their experiences. Hawwa Sahiba, a new convert from Burkina Faso, says:
“The clear and unequivocal words of the Khalifa of the time are telling us that after understanding that Ahmadiyyat is the true Islam, we have not taken the pledge of allegiance simply to bring others to Ahmadiyyat, but also to learn how we must become exemplary Ahmadis in society; we must make our words one with our actions, strengthen our faith and progress in our belief.”
Some claim today that the people of Africa are uneducated. This is a woman who said that we must bring about a change within ourselves such that our words become one with our actions. This is something every Ahmadi needs to think about, whether they are educated, consider themselves to be educated, or live in Europe or developed nations, they must ponder over how they can make their words one with their actions.
There is a convert from Indonesia who says:
“The Jalsa Salana UK is an extraordinary event.” She further says, “I am a new convert, and this is an opportunity for me to increase my spirituality as part of this divine community. I have seen people come in crowds to participate in this blessed Jalsa. Although I have only witnessed this Jalsa on television, my heart and mind were present at the Jalsa in the UK. This Jalsa has increased my faith in this divine community, and I will continue to better myself in the future.”
There is also a report from Congo-Brazzaville, stating that after listening to my address during the ladies’ session, the Lajna there had pledged to prepare themselves and their children to offer any sacrifice for propagating Islam Ahmadiyyat. A new convert from amongst them also said, “We have spent three days in a spiritual atmosphere, but we desire that every day should be like this so that we can continue to enjoy this spiritual environment.”
A new convert from Indonesia, Erry Himawan Sahib, says:
“I am a new convert. After viewing the Jalsa Salana UK on live stream, I have but one word to say: Amazing. I am astonished to see that there is only one Muslim organisation worldwide whose branches are spread all across the world. Alongside this, they also have a TV channel that is broadcast 24/7. I used to ask myself whether there was an Islamic organisation similar to that of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and the Adventist SDA Church. These are all Christian organisations that have hundreds of thousands of followers working across hundreds of countries. However, I have found my answer; the Ahmadiyya Community is the one Islamic community that is spread all across the world, and I am very happy to be a member of this organisation. Only this organisation suits my character and personality. By becoming an Ahmadi, I can become a useful person and advance in my physical and spiritual progress.”
Bugobayoos Dorin Sahib from Kazakhstan says:
“The Jalsa has had a unique impact on my heart. I watched the proceedings of the Jalsa Salana with my wife in a spiritual atmosphere. I cannot express in words the profound impact the addresses of the Khalifa of the time have had on my heart. Similarly, the speeches of other speakers were also very good. Ahmadis from all over the world were able to watch the Jalsa proceedings via MTA. May Allah the Almighty grant all the volunteers and organisers His choicest reward.” He also requested prayers for himself, that may Allah the Almighty keep these spiritual sentiments and feelings strong until next year’s Jalsa and forever.
When a new convert from Zambia heard my address, he was unable to control his emotions and he began to cry. The person sitting next to him wanted to ask as to why he was crying but he was unable to reply and so he went outside the hall for a few minutes. After wiping his tears, he returned and upon enquiry, he said, “I am seeing the Khalifa for the first time in my life and listening to his voice and for this reason, I could not hold back my tears.” He further says, “I am now 80 years old and I have spent my entire life living amongst wolves”, i.e. among cruel people. “Now, after entering the fold of Ahmadiyyat I have learnt that the real teaching of Islam is to spread love as opposed to spreading hate.” Then, one day, after the dars [sermon] following the Fajr prayer, he stood up and addressed the congregation and said, “Ensuring this mosque is full of worshipers is not only the duty of the missionary, but this responsibility falls on all of us. All of us ought to propagate the message.”
Esaw Gebre Sahib is a new convert from Australia who although had done the bai‘at [initiation]; however, he would become swayed by the allegations levelled by non-Ahmadis, especially the allegation that the Jalsa is an innovation. He took part in the international bai‘at in the Bait al-Masroor Mosque and said:
“All my doubts and reservations have now been removed because I can see clearly that the Jalsa was organised purely for the sake of Allah. This occasion was a chance for me to rejuvenate my faith. During the bai‘at, having joined the Khalifa in the prayer [following the bai‘at], I am convinced that my prayers will be accepted.” Watching the Jalsa proceedings is a means for people’s faith to become strengthened.
Mikias Gebre Sahib, who is a new convert from Australia writes:
“The international bai‘at was a truly remarkable experience for me. I have never experienced such a spiritual state as I did at the time. It was such a spiritual atmosphere that it filled me with the satisfaction of the heart and spiritual pleasure.”
Yusuf Labisa Sahib, a new convert from Lesotho says:
“This is my first Jalsa and I have seen the Khalifa for the first time. The way in which he mentioned the evils and ills of society and the way in which he highlighted their reform through the lofty teachings of Islam is something that I have never heard before, nor did I learn it from Christianity. When I was researching Ahmadiyyat and when I saw the picture of the Khalifa for the first time, during that time, Allah the Almighty told me in a dream that this is the true religion. In actual fact, my turning to Ahmadiyyat and accepting the true Islam is only because of the guidance from Allah the Almighty, which was bestowed to me after seeing the Khalifa of the time. Having witnessed the Jalsa for the first time, and seeing the faith-inspiring event of the bai‘at ceremony and being a part of it, I feel a change within me as if I have been given a new life.”
Pellumb Beja Sahib, who is a history teacher in Germany, did bai‘at 3-4 years ago. He says:
“We joined the Jalsa virtually, but it was as if I was physically present there. The atmosphere of the Jalsa and the address of the Khalifa had such an extraordinary impact that it felt as if I was physically part of the Jalsa. The international Jalsa is living proof that the Jamaat is united. All Ahmadis around the world are united at the hand of one Khalifa and all the Ahmadis desire to understand their own responsibilities.”
He further says:
“Everyone is eager to listen to the guidance from the Khalifa and strive to act upon them.” He then says, “In the concluding address, he imparted clear guidance in very simple words and they were something that every member of society could easily understand. This address reminds us clearly of our responsibilities, especially in the Albanian society that we live in, where women face many issues with regards to their rights.”
Then, Guidan Roumji Sahiba, from a region of Niger says:
“Having listened to the address in the Ladies Jalsa Gah, I have learnt about the true rights of women and the responsibilities of women. And when the Khalifa mentioned how Hazrat Amma Janra would look after the children and the way she would ensure their exemplary moral training, from that moment I vowed that I would also pay particular attention to the moral training of my children so that they become exemplary servants of their faith.” Just observe how Allah the Almighty brings about changes in people.
Atif Zahid Sahib, who is a missionary from Adelaide [Australia] writes:
“The time difference between Adelaide and London is 8.5 hours. All the programmes of Jalsa were to be broadcast late at night [according to Adelaide time]. There was a worry that people would not turn up and attendance would be poor. However, people demonstrated extraordinary levels of sincerity and despite Friday being a working day, people came to the mosque to listen to the sermon and people were present during the international bai‘at. People stayed up till 3 am to listen to the concluding address. The love everyone had was clearly visible, and we are also grateful to MTA.”
Gulyan I Makina Sahiba of Kazakhstan writes:
“With the blessings of God, the Jalsa came to a conclusion successfully. The addresses of the Khalifa and also the speeches by other speakers on an array of topics were very interesting and beneficial. These speeches have left a lasting impression on me. I also learnt of new ways to propagate the message of Islam. I am sure the other listeners also got the answers to their questions. Through this [Jalsa], Allah the Almighty enabled me to reaffirm my pledge of allegiance. May Allah the Almighty open the hearts and eyes of the people and may they have the opportunity to accept the true guidance.”
Shema Qasim Sahiba from Yemen says:
“We watched the Jalsa proceedings. It seemed as if we were in Paradise, and that it was as if the sun of Islam, as it were, has shone over us once again, and our hearts and souls were given a new lease of life. The spirit of true faith, love, unity and morals was breathed into us. Although physically we may have been far apart, our hearts were right beside you. We were all present under the same roof, and nobody aside from an Ahmadi can feel these sentiments. Despite the fact that there is torrential rain in our country at the moment, during the three days of Jalsa the weather was perfectly fine. By the grace of Allah, we were able to watch all the Jalsa proceedings. O Allah! Bless Khilafat until eternity, for without it we have no existence nor any purpose to life.”
Then another Arab lady, Dua Sahiba from Kababir, says:
“I tried to take notes of your addresses. I am very grateful for the attention you drew to women’s rights in the concluding address. I am a follower of that religion which safeguards my rights and sentiments. I feel proud relaying all these points to my non-Muslim friends. Then you informed us about the rights of men from a woman’s perspective, from which I can assess whether or not I have fulfilled the rights due to my father, brothers or my husband. During the bai‘at ceremony, it felt as if we were with the Khalifa and as if there was no country or ocean separating us. I was so happy that it was nigh that my heart would burst because of all the emotions.”
Amtul Shafi Sahiba has written from Jordan:
“I heard your address on the opening day of Jalsa and upon realising our immense responsibilities, my entire body began to tremble. During the programme on the second day, I witnessed the love Ahmadis from the village of Waganda had for the Promised Messiahas and the Khalifa. Even though this village was extremely impoverished and its residents are deprived of some of the basic necessities of life, hearing the words of one of its chiefs brought tears to my eyes. He said that he loved Allah, His Messengersa and the Promised Messiahas. Although these words he uttered were very simple they had a profound impact upon my heart.”
Marwah Abdullah Sahiba from Egypt writes:
“Amir-ul-Mu’minin [Leader of the Faithful], your addresses and the speeches of the various speakers have enriched our hearts with the wealth of spirituality. During this time, I began to spiritually fly in the heavens and was anxious to meet my Lord. It is my heartfelt desire to attain the stage which you mentioned whereby the soul is at peace. My heart desires that I become so immersed in the love of God and in my ardent desire to meet Him that I become completely unaware of what is happening around me. Though my physical body would be visible to the people, my soul would be floating in the heavenly abode of God and His Messenger’ssa love.”
The Arabs have a particular quality of being able to articulate their words in order to express their sincerity and loyalty. May Allah the Almighty enable her to progress in her faith and belief.
Nazlan Azgan Sahib from Malaysia is a new Ahmadi. He is very humble and lives a very simple life and his financial situation is not very good. He did not have enough money to view the Jalsa on the internet. So he picked some mangoes from the tree opposite his house and sold them. He then purchased data for internet from the money he acquired from the mangos and then watched the proceedings of the Jalsa.
Asini Balde Sahib, who is a non-Ahmadi from Guinea Bissau watched the Jalsa proceedings. He said:
“Until this day, I have never seen such a programme where people listen to their leader with such great love and respect. Also, the scenes from the international bai‘at were extremely beautiful.”
He had only seen the scenes from the international bai‘at where the entire Jamaat was united at one hand. [He further states,] “After witnessing these scenes I am convinced that the Ahmadiyya Jama’at shows utmost obedience to its Khalifa and this is the secret to its success. The Ahmadiyya Jamaat is indeed a true Jama’at and you are all on the right path.”
Surayya Gomez Sahiba from Mexico says:
“I had the opportunity to listen to the various addresses of Jalsa Salana UK. I found the concluding address to be the most interesting in which the rights of women were mentioned and how to improve the atmosphere within our homes. I will try to implement these Islamic teachings in my life. Apart from this, I became extremely emotional on the occasion of the bai‘at ceremony and those feelings cannot be put into words, but I was experiencing great joy and peace.”
A new Ahmadi from Guinea Bissau brought her non-Ahmadi friend, Zaib-ul-Nisa to watch the Jalsa. She says:
“She watched all the programmes of the three days of Jalsa and particularly heard your addresses. On the last day, she announced (i.e. the non-Ahmadi lady), ‘I had many reservations about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat but upon hearing the addresses of your Khalifa, all of my reservations have been removed and I announce that I enter the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and I will also dedicate my son to serve the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.’”
Kamba Kita Sahiba lives in a village in Guinea Bissau and watched the proceedings of Jalsa UK. When she heard about the international bai‘at, she enquired more details about it from the local muallim. The local muallim told her about the ten conditions of the bai‘at. Following this, she took part in the bai‘at ceremony and repeated all the words of the bai‘at and also heard the concluding address. In the end, she said:
“I accepted Ahmadiyyat as soon as the international bai‘at took place; however, after this address, I wish to announce that if there is anyone who can today save the Muslim ummah then it is Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and today I announce that I enter the fold of Ahmadiyyat and I will also advise my children to accept Ahmadiyyat as well because Ahmadiyyat is the true Islam.”
The missionary serving in Congo Brazzaville writes that various jamaats had the opportunity to collectively watch all the proceedings of the Jalsa live on MTA Africa and the addresses had an impact on many people. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, due to listening to the proceedings of the Jalsa and the addresses, 23 people had the opportunity to do bai‘at during these days.
Mboura Ben Jeli Sahib from Congo Brazzaville who is a Christian was invited to watch the Jalsa. He watched the proceedings of the Jalsa for two days and said:
“For the last two days, I have been listening about the rights owed to Allah and His creation, righteousness and seeking forgiveness which have become deeply rooted in my heart. I am experiencing a change in myself. In our church, apart from mentioning how to ward off magic spells or to get rid of evil spirits, we are not told anything. I have decided to enter your Jamaat because I experienced a spiritual tranquillity here.” And so, he did the bai‘at and entered the community.
A new Muslim convert from Burkina Faso, Gnisse Bessa Sahib says:
“This was my first time seeing Khalifatul Masih live. I have only recently joined Islam and this thought would always enter my mind that the world certainly has to become united under one leader. When I saw the members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, I could see the unity and that is why I started to offer my prayers in the Ahmadiyya mosque. Today, I took part in the Jalsa Salana UK and the international bai‘at ceremony where all the Ahmadis had joined through MTA. After witnessing this all, I felt at peace and the idea that everyone needs to unite under one hand which I would always ponder over was something that I was able to witness before my very eyes and found the answer to this question. Thus, I announce that I accept Ahmadiyyat and I will also tell my family members to follow the Khalifa.”
The president of the jamaat in Sri Lanka writes about the acceptance of Ahmadiyyat. He writes:
“Arrangements were made in the local jamaats to collectively watch the Jalsa proceedings. Despite the difficult circumstances the country is passing through and extreme difficulty in transportation, 50 people, including Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis, attended the jamaat centre in Colombo and watched the Jalsa and the international bai‘at ceremony. On this occasion, two people did the bai‘at and entered the Jamaat. Similarly, members collectively watched the Jalsa via live streaming in Negombo, Pasyala, and Polonnaruwa and all the programmes were translated into the Tamil language. As a result of these programmes, four people had the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat.
The report from Albania is that they were playing the proceedings live on YouTube in the Albanian language and it was being viewed by Albanians in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Germany, etc. Albert Sahib, who is a Muslim and currently under tabligh, took part in the concluding session of the Jalsa Salana UK for the first time. Upon the conclusion of the Jalsa, he said:
“The address of Khalifatul Masih was filled with Quranic verses, accounts from the life of the Holy Prophetsa and rational arguments, but at the same time, it was delivered in very simple words. The allegations which people raise with regards to the rights of women were all answered in this address.”
A short while after leaving from there, he called and continued to express his sentiments with regard to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and the Jalsa. He said:
“The Ahmadiyya Jamaat is the true Islam.” When the 10 conditions of bai‘at were mentioned, he referred to a book of the Jamaat in the Albanian language which mentioned the 10 conditions of bai‘at and he said that he had read them and was now ready to enter the Jamaat and thus, he entered the Jamaat.
The local muallim from Congo Brazzaville writes:
“The husband of Biyoko Stevie had already accepted Ahmadiyyat and it was his desire that his wife may also accept Islam. He was preaching to her as well as praying; however, his wife was not willing to leave the church. She was invited to watch the proceedings of the Jalsa Salana. She watched all three days of the Jalsa proceedings. On the final day of the Jalsa, she said, ‘For the last three days, I have been comparing what my priest and your Khalifa say. I have come to the conclusion that the words of the Khalifa carry great significance and every word he says enters the heart, whereas we listen to our priest every day but never have we felt that his words have impacted our hearts.’” And so, she did the bai‘at and entered the Jamaat.
These were just a few accounts I have narrated. As you would have seen during the Jalsa proceedings that notable personalities also sent their messages. A total of 126 messages were received from various politicians and leaders from all around the world. Out of these messages, 101 were video messages and 25 were written messages and these included messages from ministers and MPs as well. Apart from the UK, messages were received from the USA, Canada, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Liberia, New Zealand, Spain and Holland. Arrangements to watch via live streaming were made in 53 countries, that all participated in the Jalsa UK, including Europe, Africa and Asia. There were 80 different locations amongst these 53 countries where people gathered to watch the Jalsa.
In relation to the Press and Media coverage, invitations were not sent out due to Covid-19; however, two media outlets made a special request to attend and they were granted permission. The Press section felt that it would be a huge challenge to inform the world of the Jalsa Salana; however, Allah the Almighty provided the arrangements Himself and two media outlets came, including the BBC and one other channel. Apart from this, BBC, ITV, Metro, LBC, BBC Radio Surrey, BBC South Today, BBC news website, etc. all gave coverage and other media outlets also gave coverage based on these reports. Also, eight regional media outlets also provided coverage. Apart from this, 28 websites published news reports or articles about the Jalsa. These websites have a reach of more than 20 million users. As for print media, there were 14 articles printed in newspapers regarding the Jalsa and the readership of these newspapers is 1.2 million. The Jalsa Salana was covered on various TV channels spanning 32 programmes. The viewership of these TV channels is more than 12 million. Jalsa Salana UK was mentioned in 33 radio station programmes; the audience of these radio stations is more than one million. Through social media, various media outlets, journalists and public figures posted messages about the Jalsa which has a reach of more than 12 million people.
The Press and Media department made videos which they posted on social media, reaching more than 234,000 people. With all of this combined, the Jalsa coverage reached more than 57.5 million people. Since journalists could not attend, the Press and Media department collaborated with the UK Jamaat’s tabligh [outreach] department and sent food from the langar to 32 journalists which were positively received and greatly appreciated. A journalist from BBC South, Edward Sault, said:
“I had a great time at the Jalsa, the hospitality was excellent and I enjoyed listening to the various speeches. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
Another journalist, Tevy Nitha, said, “I was astonished by your community’s open-heartedness.”
A journalist named Natasha Devon said:
“In reality, all religions are similar. Good people use religion to unite one another and to help the poor, whereas evil people use religion for evil purposes. Jalsa Salana is certainly an example of the good people.”
In terms of coverage by MTA, a total of 1,885 posts, pictures and videos were posted to social media, which reached four million people. 213,000 people “liked” these posts and left comments. 1,236 videos were uploaded to social media which were watched by 231,000 people. If the total time spent watching these videos is calculated, it comes to 470,000 hours.
The MTA website was visited by 24,000 people 90,000 times. MTA Africa reports that the live Jalsa Salana proceedings were broadcast on 20 different channels. Some of these were state channels while others were public channels. There were also some private channels which are watched throughout the country. These channels include Gambia National TV, Sierra Leone National TV, Liberia National TV and many other private channels. The international bai‘at was also broadcast on these channels. My addresses were shown on 20 TV channels which reached 35 million people.
Aside from the live coverage of Jalsa, various news items about the Jalsa were prepared and sent throughout Africa, and 15 channels played news stories regarding the Jalsa on all three days, which reached 15 million people.
There was also a lot of coverage done by The Review of Religions. Their coverage was done through social media and YouTube. There were 40 articles written related to Jalsa, 12 videos were made and more than 110 posts were made [on social media]. This coverage of Jalsa reached 300,000 people.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the Jalsa was granted great success by Allah the Almighty. As I mentioned, I have only presented a few examples of the various incidents and sentiments which have been received. May Allah the Almighty increase every Ahmadi’s belief and conviction and rather than being temporary, may the impacts of Jalsa be everlasting.
After the Friday prayer, I will lead the funeral prayers of some members and will mention them.
The first mention is of respected Nusrat Qudrat Sultana Sahiba, wife of respected Qudratullah Adnan Sahib of Canada. She recently passed away at the age of 55.
إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُونَ
[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]
She was regular in offering prayers, she would regularly offer tahajjud and was a very virtuous, sincere and pious person. While she was in the hospital, there was not a single doctor to whom she did not propagate [the message of Islam]. There was an Arab Muslim doctor who used to visit Nusrat Sahiba to listen to her reciting the Holy Quran, and she would recite Surah Ya Sin for her. She would bring up Khilafat in every conversation; she was extremely loyal to Khilafat. Many of her relatives are not Ahmadi and are Sunnis, and she preached to all of them as well, saying that they should pledge allegiance to the Imam of the time. She is survived by her husband and three children. One of her sons is Raziullah Noman, a student of Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada; he has a brother and a sister.
Her husband says, “My wife spent her life like a life-devotee. She spent all of her energy and strove for the upbringing of our children. She had a great deal of love and a bond with Khilafat.” As I mentioned, she had a special passion for tabligh and she instilled this same passion within her children as well, hence, all of her children have a passion for propagation and I have observed that this is no ordinary passion but is quite extraordinary. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, these children were raised in a special manner and they have a special inclination toward studies. Allah the Almighty has granted them these special capabilities and many people convert as a result of their efforts. As I mentioned, one of her sons, Raziullah Noman is in Jamia and is doing excellent work. May Allah the Almighty enable him, and all of her children to always selflessly serve the faith in the future as well and to be the inheritors of their mother’s prayers.
Her son, Jariullah Adnan says:
“Our mother was a pious, virtuous, righteous and exemplary Ahmadi lady. She had a special connection with Allah the Almighty. She was always concerned with the upbringing of her children and she would always turn to Allah the Almighty. She took great care of orphans. She had a firm belief in God since her childhood. She had cancer, and when she was diagnosed, she was content with the will of God. In fact, she would tell us that we needed to be strong and that our faith in Allah the Almighty should strengthen. She would say to her doctors that life and death are no great matter, in fact, what really matters is that a person should live their life in a way that everyone is pleased with them and the person themselves is content with their conduct.” May Allah the Almighty elevate her station.
The next funeral is of respected Chaudhary Latif Ahmad Jhumat Sahib who also recently passed away at the age of 79.
إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُونَ
[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]
He was a musi, by the grace of Allah the Almighty. Ahmadiyyat was established in his family through his grandfather, Hazrat Chaudhary Muhammad Din Wasil Baqi Nawees Sahibra, whose name is recorded in the list of 313 companions in the book Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khaza’in, volume 11, page 325 at number 3, where the name Mian Muhammad Din of district Gujrat, is written. Chaudhary Latif Jhumat obtained his MSc in mathematics in 1966 from Punjab Lahore University. He then became a part of the department of education. From 1966 to 1968, he served in Talimul Islam High School Rabwah as a teacher. Similarly, from 1968 to 1994, for about 26 years, he worked in the education department of Sierra Leone. He served as a teacher and principal in an excellent manner. He was a life devotee; after returning from Africa, he served for about five years as Naib Wakilul Maal Thani and then he served for seven years as Naib Wakilul Maal Thalith. As I mentioned, he served as a teacher at the Ahmadiyya school in Sierra Leone. He formally dedicated his life in 1971. On 1 January 2007, he was appointed as Wakilul Maal Thalith. Hence, his total period of service spanned more than half a century.
His wife, Rasheeda Latif Sahiba says:
“My husband was in Sierra Leone and I went there after we got married. Upon my arrival, he advised that it would be difficult for a life-devotee to buy Asian foods there and so a life-devotee and his wife should eat the local food, and so I should learn to cook the local foods. This afforded us great ease in the future. He was very simple and caring.” Those who worked with him have also mentioned the kindness with which he treated them. Everyone has praised him. May Allah the Almighty grant him forgiveness and mercy and elevate his station. May He grant patience to his family; he has one son and one daughter. One of his children passed away in childhood. May He enable his children to carry on his virtues.
The third mention is of Mushtaq Ahmad Alam Sahib, son of the late respected Muhammad Alam of Meera Bharka, Mirpur Azad Kashmir. He passed away on 19 July 2022 at the age of 60.
إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُونَ
[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was a musi. He is survived by his wife, six sons and two daughters. Three of his sons and a son-in-law have committed the Holy Quran to memory. Three of his sons are missionaries, one of whom is Hafiz Musawwar Ahmad Muzzammil who is serving in Senegal in West Africa. The second son is Hafiz Akhlaq Ahmad and the third son is Abdul Khaliq Sahib who is specialising in archaeology. His son in Senegal could not be present for the funeral. May Allah the Almighty grant him patience and fortitude and grant mercy and forgiveness to the deceased.
As I mentioned, I will offer their funeral prayer in absentia after the [Friday] prayer.
(Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 2 September 2022, pp. 5-12. Translated by The Review of Religions.)
