Ayesha Sbahat, Ishaat Department, Lajna Imaillah UK
Many members of Lajna Imaillah UK dedicated countless hours of their time to serve the guests of the Promised Messiahas at the Jalsa Salana UK 2024, the largest Muslim convention in the UK.
Accommodation
The accommodation team took on the responsibility of providing sleeping arrangements for guests and duty-holders who resided at the Jalsa site. The guests began entering the area on Wednesday morning, with numbers increasing on Thursday due to the inauguration proceedings. As a result, the team had to utilise their overflow marquee, with Friday bringing in over 2,000 women and children staying on site, all by 10:30 am.
Buggy Transfer
Considering how large it is, the challenge of travel often arises. The Buggy Transfer team allowed for a mode of transport around the site, especially for those who are elderly, disabled and mothers with children who were able to travel great distances at ease.
Discipline Bairoon
The Discipline Bairoon team worked on-site, around 20 minutes before each session started, to ensure that everyone was aware of the upcoming session and made their way to the various marquees to tune in. Alongside this, they also circulated the marquees and kindly told people to observe silence.
First Aid
The First Aid marquee was filled with doctors who were ready to give their immediate assistance to those in need. The team consisted of experienced Ahmadi doctors who are trained for emergencies.
Homoeopathic treatment
As well as allopathi, Lajna Imaillah also offered homoeopathi medicines at the Jalsa Salana. Before members even passed through security at the main entrance, the homoeopathy team was ready to hand out flu and Covid-19 prevention medicines to every guest.
Hygiene store
The hygiene store remained to be one of the most essential facilities available on the Jalsa site. Not only did the team provide cleaning supplies to all relevant departments, but they also made sure that all guests and duty holders present at the programme were welcomed with a clean and hygienic environment. The team consisted of 14 members on-site and worked in shifts from 8 am to 10:30 pm.
Hygiene
The Hygiene Team worked efficiently to create a clean bathroom environment. They worked hard to fill water into the taps for the sink, refill tissues in each cubicle and make queues.
Inspection Office
The Lajna Imaillah Inspection Office was responsible for ensuring that all departments ran smoothly and were free from hazards etc. When presented with a complication, the team was required to report it to the relevant offices and authorities, and also write regular inspection reports where necessary. The team consisted of 22 members.
Khidmat-e-Khalq
One important feature of the Khidmat-e-Khalq marquee was accommodating the elderly and disabled. As they passed through security, duty holders awaited their arrival and allocated them into buggies that transport them to their destination, such as the Main Lajna Marquee, where they could listen to the sessions. Additionally, they also assisted people in need, such as by providing information, guiding guests around the Jalsa site, or helping mothers with their pushchairs.
Pushchair marquee
One key feature that was unique to the Lajna side of the Jalsa site was the addition of young children. Many mothers made great efforts to attend the Jalsa Salana proceedings with their children, as young as newborns. In order to accommodate this, Lajna Imaillah has always made sure to make available a pushchair marquee to all those in need. This year, the team trialled a new system, which proved successful. Mothers and caregivers bring their pushchairs to the marquee, where the team would then register them using a colour-coded sticker routine. Moreover, the team also assisted mothers and caregivers in carrying any luggage from the marquee to their desired destination once they had registered it.
Rishta Nata
The Rishta Nata team was set up to support parents. The team opened their doors at lunchtime to all mothers who wished to get involved. Mothers of daughters would carry a pink slip profile of their daughters, while mothers of sons would carry blue slip profiles. The mothers were then invited to exchange profiles with other mothers, with the aim of being paired with ham-kufw people.
Site Office
Whilst the large majority of work conducted by the Site Office occurs before and after the Jalsa Salana proceedings, their team of five could still be found extremely busy in coordinating the placing of gazebos, checking for site issues, and controlling and placing up signage around the premises. Without their efforts, locating marquees and other important stations on the premises would prove almost impossible.
Site Safety
Lajna members in orange hi-vis vests walking around the Jalsa site with a checklist in hand were the Site Safety Team, who walked around the Jalsa site to scan for any health and safety issues and ensure that they were fixed as soon as possible, if any.
Day 2 and Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa address to Lajna
The 2024 ladies’ jalsa gah programme began at 10 am with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a poem and the first speech on “The Holy Quran: Our Guiding Light” by Dr Maleeha Mansur Sahiba. The second speech was given by Shermeen Butt Sahiba in Urdu, titled “Contemporary Age and Challenges Faced by Mothers in Upbringing of Children.” Preceding these two thought-provoking speeches was a poem. Continuing on from this, the third speech was delivered by Asma Rana Sahiba on “How my Spiritual Journey Started with Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam.”
By the grace of Almighty Allah, every year at Jalsa Salana UK, Lajna Imaillah is blessed with a gracious visit from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. The excitement began to arise following the completion of Day One of the Jalsa. From the security teams welcoming beloved Huzooraa into the Lajna jalsa gah, to the recitation from the Holy Quran and even all the way through to the production and recording of the proceedings, it is members of Lajna Imaillah who take it upon themselves to truly make this day their own and look after their beloved Imamaa.
At around 12 pm, beloved Huzooraa blessed the Lajna jalsa gah with his presence. As soon as he entered the main Lajna marquee, the atmosphere had immediately shifted. It was as though, without even seeing Huzooraa yet, the women had known that he had arrived. Suddenly, the air was filled with the loud voices of women chanting slogans of takbir as he entered the marquee. As Huzooraa made his way to the stage, there was a moment of stillness as all eyes and hearts fell towards the main stage. The large marquee had pin-drop silence. From Australia to Singapore, many people had travelled from all over the world and many of them were seeing their Khalifaaa for the first time. It came as no surprise then, that eyes had begun to well up at seeing Huzooraa. It is safe to say that everybody’s hearts were brimming with faithfulness and love from the minute Huzooraa stepped into the Lajna jalsa gah.
The session began with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a poem and an announcement of the Academic Awards. This prestigious session celebrates the academic excellence and achievements of Lajna members, ranging from as young as GCSE students through to postgraduates. The session brings to light the encouraging and welcoming nature of Islam regarding the education of women. The awards were read to beloved Huzooraa on stage by the Secretary Umur-e-Talibat, who relayed the names and qualifications of the awardees across four categories: GCSE, A-Level, Degrees, and UK Jamaat Candidates who completed their education outside of the UK. All details were displayed on large screens scattered across the marquee for all to see.
Then Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa addressed the session. In his address, Huzooraa emphasised the importance of a believer excelling in their prayers and modesty, as commanded by Islam, and reforming their character in order to raise the next generation of Ahmadi Muslims. Beloved Huzooraa mentioned prominent challenges that can lead children astray – such as the internet, social media and a lack of modesty. He advised girls to safeguard their chastity and their honour and to be mindful of their hijab. Huzooraa ended with the reminder that we, as Ahmadi Muslims, have accepted the Imamas of the Age and have pledged to follow the teachings of Islam – therefore, all believers must make changes in themselves and, then, in their children.
This address acted as a reminder for women to understand that, while worldly matters do hold a certain importance in their lives and should be accomplished, their relationship with Allah the Almighty and how they will be answerable to Him on the Day of Judgement is and should be their foremost priority. Despite the fact that children will be the dearest to mothers in this life, Huzooraa reminded women that they are a gift from Allah the Almighty and that one must, ultimately, love Al-Wahhab, the Giver, over the gift.
Huzooraa concluded the proceedings with a silent prayer, followed by taranas recited by nasirat and Lajna members. This included representations from Aisha Academy, Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya, and Urdu, English, French, Spanish, Twi, Yoruba, Bangla, and Arabic taranas.
It must be noted that throughout the duration of the proceedings, translations of all the sessions were available in a variety of different languages, catered to the diversity of the event, via translation earpiece units. Additionally, various other countries were also able to virtually attend the Jalsa Salana through the means of MTA, a blessing of its own that was periodically displayed on the big screens. The jamaats that were shown included the likes of Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cote D’Ivoire, Croatia, Finland, France, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Portugal, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, The Gambia, the Philippines, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
A glimpse into miscellaneous departments
Now, let us shed light upon another handful of valuable departments that help efficiently run and manage the Lajna side of the Jalsa Salana.
The Audio-Video Department makes available the translation units.
The bookstall remains a hotspot on the Jalsa site. The bookstall marquee introduced a variety of new publications this year. The marquee remained open during lunch breaks and had a non-stop flow of guests, with over 600 guests visiting the marquee daily.
There were also a number of private tents available to hire for all guests at the cost of a fee.
Lajna Imaillah’s Trade and Industry Department held a Tuck Shop at this year’s Jalsa as well.
The Humanity First stall offered hoodies, sweatshirts, tumblers, flasks, pens, honey, bags for children and more, with all funds going towards those socially disadvantaged individuals and families in the poorer communities of the world. This year, Humanity First had eight new projects, including Gaza, to spread awareness of various disasters in the world, as well as of those who are in need.
The Cleanliness Team at Jalsa included a team of hard-working individuals who ensured that the Ladies Jalsa site was a clean and comfortable space for all guests.
The Workers’ Marquee was a place where all duty-holders were free to come along and eat food during their breaks.
Like previous years, various institutions had organised an exhibition at the Jalsa, which Huzooraa drew attention to in his opening address of the Jalsa.
This year, the bazaar was organised as usual at the Lajna’s side, with Lajna setting up various stalls and shops in it.
The Lajna Imaillah MTA Team, whilst having a marquee of their own, could be found working all across the Lajna premises filming and shining a light upon different elements of the Jalsa. The team of seven focused on the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) marquee, amongst other additions, for which they had been filming and creating content.
The Security Department is the foundation for ensuring that the Jalsa site is a safe place for all. The Security Team was seen walking around the site to scan for any danger.
Having an ID is crucial at Jalsa, as individuals are unable to enter the Jalsa site without one. Additionally, AIMS ID cards were essential to be presented to enter the main Lajna marquee.
At the nau-mubai’at marquee, all new Ahmadi sisters were warmly welcomed, supported and valued. The marquee was always staffed with friendly and approachable sisters who were ready to assist with any queries.
Many initiatives were taken to make the Jalsa environmentally friendly, as this too is a requirement of Islam.
The Ziafat Department offered food for the guests of the Promised Messiahas throughout the Jalsa.
As Jalsa UK had attendees from all over the world, the Translation Unit played a necessary role in ensuring that all guests were able to listen to the speeches. In the Lajna proceedings, every speech in Urdu was translated into English and Arabic, as well as every speech in English being translated into Arabic and Urdu. However, MTA also offered translations in Urdu, English, French, German, Bengali and Arabic for the entire Jalsa proceedings.
Like every year, a SEND marquee was also put up on the Jalsa site to make the Jalsa experience as smooth as possible for those mothers who are bringing along their SEND children and for SEND individuals themselves.
The Reporting Department was a new addition to the Lajna Imaillah compilation of departments. This department carried the responsibility of collecting and writing a report that overlooked all departments and Lajna proceedings and efforts taking place on-site. The department was split into two teams: the English reporting team, which wrote for Al Hakam, as well as Urdu reporting which produced a report for Al Fazl. The team filmed various fillers of the decorations around the accommodations and mosques that overlaid the voices of the interviewees. These videos were created for Al Hakam’s social media presence.