Islamabad, Tilford, UK, 31 December 2023: At approximately 10:30 am local time, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, arrived at the Masroor Hall, Islamabad, UK, for the concluding session of Jalsa Salana Qadian 2023.
After his arrival, Huzooraa invited Abdul Momin Tahir Sahib to recite a portion of the Holy Quran. He recited verses 191 to 196 of Surah Aal-e-‘Imran and then presented its Urdu translation. Following this, Murtaza Mannan Sahib was called to present an Urdu poem composed by the Promised Messiahas expressing the blessings and favours of Allah the Almighty.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa then came to the podium to deliver the concluding address of Jalsa Salana Qadian 2023. After reciting tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Today, the annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Qadian, India, is drawing to a close, and simultaneously, annual conventions are being held or are about to be held in various other countries. At this very moment, the closing sessions of annual conventions in different countries, such as Senegal, Togo, Guinea-Conakry, and Guinea-Bissau, are taking place, and their live transmissions are ongoing. There is a two-way transmission; we can see them and they can see us. All this fulfils the promise made by Allah to the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him, that:
“‘I shall make you famous with honour to the ends of the earth and shall exalt your name and shall put your love in the hearts of the people. We have made you Masih Ibn-e-Maryam [Messiah, son of Mary]. Tell them: I have come in the footsteps of Jesus.’ [Tadhkirah (English), p. 242]
“Thus, the arrangement of these conventions in countries around the world, the calling of the name of the Promised Messiahas with respect and honour, and the slogan of his name, all are manifestations of this divine promise, affirming that he is the Promised Messiah and the Awaited Mahdi, as per the promise of Allah and the prophecies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Today, this small settlement of Qadian, which was just an ordinary village or town over a hundred years ago, has transformed into a beautiful city. Indeed, it has gained worldwide renown, and this fame is due to the name of the Promised Messiahas and the promise made to him by Allah.
“Today, in this town, residents from dozens of countries across the world have gathered to participate in the Jalsa Salana. At present, representatives from approximately 42 countries are there. There are people from Russian-speaking countries, Arab nations, African countries, Indonesia and other islands, as well as from the continents of Europe, America, and Australia. Thus, this is the beautiful fulfilment of the promises made by Allah the Exalted.
“A man residing in a small place, difficult to access and devoid of resources, claimed that Allah the Almighty had promised him, ‘I shall make you famous with honour.’ And then this promise is being magnificently fulfilled, because Allah the Almighty is fulfilling the prophecy made to the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa about the arrival of his most ardent devotee in the fourteenth century to initiate a new era of the revival of the religion [of Islam].
“Thus, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him, is the Promised Messiah and Mahdi who has come for the revival of faith and the completion of the propagation of Islam, in accordance with the promises of Allah the Almighty. Therefore, Muslims should rejoice that the era of the second advent of Islam has arrived, a time to overcome weaknesses and to spread and preach Islam. However, the selfish interests of so-called scholars are inciting them to mislead the general Muslim populace from the right path. But a time will come when they will have to acknowledge the truth. This too is a promise of Allah the Almighty to the Promised Messiahas that ultimately, these people will believe.“At this moment, I will speak about the mission of the Promised Messiahas in relation to the divine support he received.” Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then presented various excerpts from the writing of the Promised Messiahas in this regard.
The Promised Messiahas said:
“The question naturally arises as to why the Promised Messiahas was to appear from among the Muslims. The answer is that Allah the Almighty has promised in the Holy Quran that the Holy Prophet’ssa Prophethood shall bear a close resemblance to the era of Mosesas, both with regard to its beginning and its end. The first of these similarities was with regard to the first era— the era of the Holy Prophetsa himself; and the other similarity was to appear in the Latter Days. The first similarity is that just as Mosesas was granted a final victory against Pharaoh and his hordes, so was the Holy Prophetsa granted a decisive victory against Abu Jahl—the Pharaoh of his age—and his hordes. God destroyed them all and established Islam in the Arabian peninsula, and with the help of God this prophecy came true:
“‘Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.’ (Surah al-Muzzammil, Ch.73:V.16)
“The similarity relating to the Latter Days is that God Almighty sent a Prophet in the last days of the Mosaic dispensation, who was against Jihad, had nothing to do with religious warfare, and preached forgiveness and mercy. And Jesusas had appeared at a time when the moral condition of Israelites had badly deteriorated and their character and conduct were thoroughly corrupted. They had also lost their kingdom and lived under the dominion of the Roman Empire. Jesusas had appeared at the turn of the fourteenth century after Mosesas, and since the chain of Israelite Prophets came to an end with him, he was as such the last link in the Israelite Prophethood. In the same manner, God has sent me in the spirit and character of Jesus son of Maryas, in these Latter Days of the dispensation of the Holy Prophetsa, and has held in abeyance the practice of Jihad just as it was prophesied that it would be suspended at the time of the Promised Messiah.” (Lecture Sialkot, pp. 15-17)
Huzooraa said that, at another place, the Promised Messiahas mentioned the prophecies of the Holy Quran that the Earth will give out its treasures and resources. Consequently, this prophecy is also being fulfilled in many ways.
Huzooraa also said that the Promised Messiahas had further highlighted that the books’ spread and publication would increase. The nations will meet other nations and correspondences will advance. Television and other technological advancements are examples of this fulfilment.
The Promised Messiahas mentioned:
“One nation will meet another and build far-reaching relationships and trade alliances, and friendly relationships between distant countries will be fostered. And when people are brought together. This refers to the relations between various nations and countries. It means that, owing to the opening up of new routes, the availability of mailing services and the telegraph, mutual communication between people will increase. One nation will meet another and build far-reaching relationships and trade alliances, and friendly relationships between distant countries will be fostered.
“And when savages will be brought together with people. That is to say, savage nations will turn towards the civilized world and will develop humane values and decency. The lowly classes will be dignified with worldly ranks and prestige, and with the spread of material sciences and arts, there will remain no distinction between the nobles and the common people. Rather, the commoners will prevail and they will hold the keys to wealth; and control of the governments will be in their hands. The substance of this verse is similar to a hadith, too.
“And when the rivers will be split. Meaning that, canals will sprawl the land and agriculture will boom.
“And when the mountains will be blown away, and in them tracks will be built for people travelling on foot or as passengers, or for trains to move about. In addition, signs of general darkness were described and it was said:
“When the Sun is wrapped up. Meaning that, the world will be engulfed in extreme darkness, ignorance, and sinfulness.
“And when the stars will be obscured; meaning that, when religious scholars will lose the light of sincerity.
“And when the stars will fall; meaning that, when divine scholars will pass away. For, it is impossible that people should continue to inhabit the earth while stars fall. Remember that the Gospel, too, contains a similar prophecy that the Promised Messiahas will descend at a time when stars will have fallen, and the Sun and the Moon will lose their light. To take these prophecies literally is against reason. No wise person would ever suggest that when the sun literally loses its light and the stars fall to the earth—and yet the earth is still populated with people as usual—that in this state of affairs, the Promised Messiahas should come. Then it was said:
“When the heavens will be torn apart. Similarly, it is also stated:
“The Gospels, too, in the same way foretold the advent of the Promised Messiahas. But these verses do not mean that the heavens will be literally torn apart and its capacities will weaken. On the contrary, what is meant is that just as something torn becomes useless, so will the heavens become unproductive. Divine grace will no longer descend from the heavens and the world will be filled with darkness and ignorance. Then, at another place it was said:
“And when the Messengers will be brought at the appointed time. This, in fact, is an indication of the advent of the Promised Messiahas and the purpose is to state that he shall descend at the precise time of need. It must be remembered that in the Word of God, the term Rusul [Messengers] is also used for a single [Messenger] as well as for non-Messengers. I have explained repeatedly that many of the Quranic verses encompass multiple meanings. It is established from the ahadith that the Holy Quran has both apparent and hidden meanings. Therefore, if Messengers are to gather on the Day of Judgement as witnesses, we accept and testify to that meaning. But at this place, after describing the woeful signs of the Latter Days, when it is added at the end that the Messengers will be brought at the appointed time, the context is indicating that after darkness reaches its height, God will send a Messenger of His so that judgement may be rendered for various nations.” (Testimony of the Holy Quran, pp. 32-37)
Huzooraa stated that, the Promised Messiahas had also mentioned the ahadith which highlight these prophecies of the Holy Quran. The prophecy of she-camel being abandoned is mentioned in the Hadith and the Holy Quran. Huzooraa explained that the establishment of a train line between Mecca and Medina shows the fulfilment of this prophecy.
Huzooraa highlighted that all the Ahmadis sitting together and listening at the same time across the globe shows the fulfilment of God’s promises. The opponents of the Promised Messiahas should ponder over this fact and understand.
The Promised Messiahas said:
“I care not the least about the various objections my people raise against me, and it would be utter infidelity on my part if I should abandon the path of truth for fear of them. They should think for themselves that God has endowed a man with intellectual insight from Himself, has shown him the way, has blessed him with His converse and discourse, and has manifested thousands of Signs to prove his truthfulness; how could he possibly turn his face away from that Sun of Truth, considering the dissenting opinion of an adversary to be something of any importance? Moreover, I am not perturbed by the fact that my opponents, both internal and external, are wholly dedicated to slandering me; for this, too, proves a miraculous Sign in my favour. The reason being that if I possess within me every kind of evil and I am, as they allege, a defaulter, a liar, an antichrist, an impostor, a deceiver and corrupt; if I have created a schism between the people; if I am a mischief monger, a transgressor and immoral; if I have imputed falsehood to God for almost thirty years, and used abusive language against good and righteous people; if in my soul there is nothing else but mischief, evil, malefaction, and selfishness; if I have set up a business for simply deceiving the world; if, according to them, God forbid, I do not even believe in God; if there is no evil that is not to be found in me and I possess all the sins of the world, and my soul is replete with every kind of wrongdoing; if I have usurped the wealth of many and abused many (who were as pure as angels); and if I have surpassed all in every evil and fraud; then what is the mystery behind this that—albeit I was the one who was evil, wicked, perfidious, and a liar—whenever a so-called ‘saintly’ person arose to confront me, he himself was destroyed; whosoever initiated a mubahalah [prayer duel] against me, he himself was ruined; whosoever cursed me, himself fell prey to his own curse; and whosoever filed a case against me in court, was himself defeated? You will witness the proofs of these occurrences, by way of illustration, in this very book. It should have thus happened at the time of such confrontations that I myself should have perished or been struck by lightning. Moreover, there would have been no need for anyone to stand up against me, for God Himself is the enemy of a criminal. Hence—for God’s sake!—think why the contrary has occurred. Why did the ‘pious’ perish when opposing me, and why did God save me in every single confrontation? Does this not prove to be a miracle in my favour? Therefore, I am grateful that even the evils which are [falsely] ascribed to me prove my own miraculous Sign.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, pp. 2-3)
In another place, the Promised Messiahas mentioned:
“The membership of my Jamaat increased to more than 300,000 and hundreds of thousands of rupees poured in and many Christians and Hindus became Muslims through my preaching. Is this not, then, a Sign? Has this prophecy not been fulfilled? To allege that Sa‘dullah’s son is now engaged to ‘Abdur-Rahim’s daughter and will soon be married and that children will be born, is wishful thinking and is just idle talk which is worth a laugh. And the answer to this also is that the promises of God can never remain unfulfilled. This point should be made after marriage takes place and a child is born too. As of now, integrity demands that they should ponder seriously how this prophecy which Allah the Exalted manifested through me has been fulfilled in the same manner as the prophecy: ‘It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless,’ made by the Holy Quran, was fulfilled. As I have already stated, twelve years ago, God revealed to me about him that:
“‘It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless.’
“And the door to the birth of children for Sa‘dullah was closed after this revelation. And Allah the Exalted, smiting his face with his own curses, granted me three sons after this revelation, and caused tens of millions of people to hold me in great esteem. The financial victories I was bestowed, both in cash and in kind, and the variety of gifts that I received, were so many that if put together they would fill up a number of rooms. Sa‘dullah desired that I should be abandoned and left alone with no one to keep me company. Hence, Allah the Exalted frustrated him in his design and caused many hundreds of thousands of people to become associated with me. He desired that people should not help me, but Allah the Exalted made him witness in his own lifetime how an entire world had turned to me to be of assistance to me. And Allah the Exalted helped me financially in such a manner as none else had been helped for hundreds of years. He had desired that I should remain deprived of every honour, but God caused thousands belonging to every echelon of society to submit to me with their heads bowed. He desired that I should die in his very lifetime and that my children too should die, but Allah the Exalted caused him to die in my lifetime and in the period from the day of this revelation He bestowed upon me three more sons. Thus, he died a death of frustration and disgrace. This, indeed, was what I had prophesied and it was fulfilled by the grace of Allah the Exalted.” (Ibid., p. 551-552)
Huzooraa then mentioned that countless signs are still being fulfilled and that many people are being guided to Ahmadiyyat. The Ahmadis are being spiritually uplifted by the fulfilment of these signs.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then gave examples of a few incidents that showed God’s blessings and succour to Ahmadis.
An Ahmadi from Guinea-Bissau had a discourse with a person expressing that the Promised Messiahas is the Mahdi and the Messiah. The person did not accept. Eventually, the Ahmadi said, “Whoever is in the wrong, God’s wrath be upon him.” Consequently, it so happened that the said person was met with an accident, and seeing this sign, another person who had listened to this conversation accepted Ahmadiyyat.
In Tanzania, an Ahamdi new convert who was a farmer was struck with lightning during a thunderstorm. He could not stand up and implored God to save him as a sign of the truthfulness of Ahmadiyat. Consequently, a person came out of nowhere, picked him up and he was saved by Allah the Almighty.
Huzooraa expressed that only the pure of heart can understand such signs and benefit from them.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa further mentioned many other incidents that manifest that God Almighty continues to show signs of the truthfulness of Ahmadiyyat and the Promised Messiahas.
A person left his Christian faith and converted to Ahmadiyyat when he saw in a dream the faces of the Promised Messiahas and the present Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa.
Huzooraa mentioned an incident of another person who studied the books of the Promised Messiahas and then, when he saw the Promised Messiahas in his dream encouraging him to do bai‘at, he converted to Ahmadiyyat.
A woman from Tanzania saw the Promised Messiahas in her dream and when it was confirmed by an Ahmadi missionary that he was Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, she converted to Ahmadiyyat.
In Kyrgyzstan, a Muslim lady observed that his brother was progressing in the Islamic faith and he had an Ahmadi friend. She saw that Ahmadi friend in her dream who was welcoming her to Ahmadiyyat. Consequently, she accepted Ahmadiyyat.
Huzooraa went on to mention many other incidents that highlighted how God guided many people to Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa further said that the aforementioned incidents of Allah Almighty’s help are surely a testimony to the fact that the Promised Messiahas is the same Messiah and Mahdi who was prophesied by the Holy Prophetsa. Every Muslim should pray and beseech God to guide them to the right path.
Huzooraa stated that the Promised Messiahas had said that everything is possible before the King of the Heavens and the Earth. God Almighty promised that people would come from distant lands. This glad tiding was given at a time when nobody used to come. If a noble believer ponders over this fact, they can understand that only God is fulfilling it. The Promised Messiahas further said that this is a huge sign of God Almighty. This is indeed the blessings of God and no one else can do all this.
Huzooraa then drew the attention of the Ahmadis to strive to fulfil the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiahas and said:
“Today, all of you who are participating in the Jalsa in Qadian, and all those who are attending the Jalsa in their respective countries, are affirming that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him, is indeed the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, who came in accordance with the prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. With him has always been, and will always be, the support of Allah the Almighty, insha-Allah. Every Ahmadi should also pledge to tirelessly strive to fulfil the purpose of the mission of Hazrat Messiah, peace be upon him. Continually assess your external and internal states and strive to improve them.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa requested all to pray, especially for the people of Palestine, for the Muslims in general, for the Ahamdis of Pakistan, for those imprisoned because of their faith and for the end of injustice in the world. Moreover, Huzooraa emphasised praying for the people of the world to accept the Promised Messiahas and that they may understand the purpose of his advent.
In the end, Huzooraa announced that about 15 thousand attendees were present in the Jalsa of Qadian, India, and 42 countries were represented there.
Huzooraa prayed for the New Year to be a blessed year in every way and said:
“May Allah bestow His mercy on the Muslim Ummah. May Allah grant progress to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat as well.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then led everyone in silent prayer. Huzooraa then permitted taranay (choral poems) to be recited.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa then conveyed his salaam and departed at 12:13 local time. Consequently, the Jalsa Salana Qadian 2023 came to a successful end.