Awwab Saad Hayat, Al Hakam
Objectives of Jalsa Salana
While establishing the institution of Jalsa Salana, the Promised Messiahas expressed its objectives and benefits as follows:
“This gathering will be devoted to the exposition of such truths and spiritual insights as are necessary for the promotion of faith, certainty and spiritual understanding, and there will be special prayers and attention for the participants. And to the best of our ability, we shall endeavour to supplicate at the threshold of the Most Merciful so that He may draw them towards Him, accept them and bring about a pious change in them. An additional benefit of these gatherings will be that each year new entrants to the Jamaat shall, by being present on the fixed dates, get to know their brethren who had joined earlier. These meetings will lead to the progressive strengthening of the bond of mutual love and affection. Prayers for absolution will be offered for brothers who will have passed away in the interim, and supplications shall be made at the threshold of the Glorious God that He may unite all these brothers in spirit and banish all estrangement, dryness and differences amongst them.
“This spiritual convention will have many other spiritual benefits which will become manifest from time to time.” (The Heavenly Decree, p. 74)
“One of the primary purposes of this gathering is to provide each sincere member with the opportunity to gain religious knowledge firsthand, broaden their understanding, and enhance their spiritual insight through the grace and guidance of Allah. Additionally, this jalsa allows all brothers to become acquainted and strengthens the bonds of brotherhood within the Community.” (Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, Vol. 1, p. 340)
Strengthening brotherhood
Thus, it is clear that our Jalsa Salana serves as an excellent opportunity for Ahmadis around the world to strengthen their mutual connections and benefit from each other’s spiritual and moral development. This gathering of the righteous, held under the supervision and guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, is an outstanding means of being in the company of the righteous, as instructed in the Holy Quran in the following words:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
“O ye who believe! fear Allah and be with the truthful.” (Surah at-Tawbah, Ch.9: V.119)
In this context, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated:
“The entire world operates through cooperation. Without cooperation, everything falls apart, and the best way to foster cooperation is through relationships, which are also formed during the Jalsa. One of the greatest benefits of Jalsa is the creation of these relationships, which lead to cooperation and progress. It opens the path for advancement throughout the year. Through Jalsa, we meet new people each year and establish relationships that provide assistance and convenience for the progress of the Community, which cannot be achieved even with great expenses otherwise.” (Friday Sermon, 3 December 1926, Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 10, pp. 287-288)
Indeed, in the mutual relations of believers, religion, religious knowledge, and faith matters are always of primary importance. Thus, Ahmadis attending the Jalsa Salana listen to the speeches of the Khalifa of the Time and scholars, benefiting from each other’s spirituality and righteousness, and there is an extraordinary opportunity for benefiting from the company of the pious (suhbat-e-salihin).
Guidance from Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa
On one occasion, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
“Keep in mind the purpose of Jalsa Salana as stated by the Promised Messiahas, which is the same as the purpose of bai‘at. After bai‘at, people often forget their original purpose due to worldly engagements. Therefore, Allah has deemed it necessary to offer reminders frequently because every believer benefits from them. Allah says, ‘And keep on exhorting, certainly, exhortation benefits the believers’ (Surah Adh-Dhariyat: Ch.51: V.56). Thus, indeed, reminders benefit believers. Hence, this Jalsa is also held to offer reminders, and jalsas are organised worldwide to remind people of their pledge to the Imamas of the Age, to remember their bai‘at. If any weaknesses have developed due to worldly engagements, then, by listening to these new admonitions, and academic and moral discourses, turn your attention to your religious conditions. Sit together and try to absorb each other’s virtues and eliminate evils. Always remember that during the Jalsa, the focus should not be on personal matters, but rather, all proceedings and programmes should be listened to attentively, and even thereafter, most of the time should be spent in prayers and remembrance of Allah [zikr]. Join with the mindset that we are renewing our pledge of bai‘at in this spiritual atmosphere for two or three days so that our faith becomes stronger and stronger, and we grow in piety.” (Friday Sermon, 18 May 2012, Al Fazl International, 8 June 2012, p. 5)
Spiritual influence and unity
Another perspective on Jalsa Salana can be understood from a narration that one day in Masjid Mubarak, Qadian, a scholar asked a question about the spiritual power of people to influence others.
The Promised Messiahas explained that in congregational prayer, the Holy Prophetsa instructed standing shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot, without leaving any gap, so that Satan cannot enter. This demonstrates that a person’s physical and spiritual attention penetrates another person. In a congregation, as there are differences in physical strength, there are also differences in spiritual and internal states. When believers stand together like a wall, their physical and spiritual influences spread among them. When the first row is filled with strength and spiritual attraction, its effect will pass to the second row, and then the effect of these two rows will reach the third, and so on. (Tazkira-tul-Mahdi, Part 2, p. 277)
Lessons from the Promised Messiahas
Apart from this, we see the gathering of Jamaat members at Jalsa Salana as an excellent means of being in the company of the righteous, as the Promised Messiahas states:
“It is established by the Quran and Hadith that every attribute of a believer becomes a source of blessing. The places they occupy confer blessings upon others. Their remnants serve as a cure. There is a narration where a sinner is presented before Allah. Allah will enquire if they have performed any virtuous acts. They will deny having done so. Then, Allah will ask if they ever encountered a certain believer. They will admit to having met them by chance on a path. Allah will then forgive them. On another occasion, it is related that Allah will question the angels about where His remembrance [zikr] is taking place. They will report that it was in a gathering of believers, devoid of any worldly discussions, engaged continuously in the remembrance of Allah. Among them was a worldly individual. Allah will declare that He has forgiven this worldly person due to their association with the believers. انھم قوم لا یشقی جلیسھم “They are such people that even their companions are never forsaken.” Moreover, it is related in other narrations that where a believer leads the prayer, those following him are forgiven before they lift their heads from prostration.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 31)
It is true that a person is influenced by the people they associate with, and despite not wanting to, they start adopting the behaviours of those people. Therefore, one should strive to build friendships with God’s pious servants. Similarly, the Promised Messiahas states about the benefits of associating with the righteous:
“Anyone who frequents a tavern, regardless of their restraint and assertions of abstaining from drink, will inevitably succumb one day. Hence, one should never underestimate the profound influence of companionship. When a person keeps the company of the righteous, even if initially in dissent, such company will invariably leave its mark. Eventually, they will abandon their opposition.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, pp. 505-506)
Our Jalsa Salana
We observe that various jamaats and auxiliary organisations conduct monthly meetings, which serve as opportunities to associate with the righteous. In addition, there are the jalsas that were initially established 133 years ago by divine decree in Qadian, and today, these conventions are held with great splendour in nearly all countries where the Jamaat is established. These events are assemblies of the righteous and we should endeavour to do our utmost to make them so.
On 2 December 2005, during his tour of Mauritius, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, delivered a Friday sermon at their Jalsa Salana, where he recited Surah at-Tawbah, verse 119, and referred to the Jamaat’s annual conventions as a means to engage with the righteous. In his sermon, he elaborated:
“This verse I have recited advises us to embrace piety and be in the company of the righteous. After the Holy Prophetsa, his most devoted follower, the Promised Messiahas, is the foremost among the truthful and righteous. Now that you have connected with this truthful being, strive to strengthen your bond [with him]. Work towards developing the Community, that the Promised Messiahas desired to establish.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 3, p. 704)
Our Jalsa Salana is characterised by supplications, zik-e-ilahi, recitation of Durood Sharif, and regular observance of congregational salat, faith-inspiring duroos, and speeches. At the Jalsa Salana in the UK, there is a distinctive downpour of spiritual insights and knowledge. These gatherings provide a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in a spiritual environment, renew one’s faith, and fortify the bonds of brotherhood within the Jamaat.