Misbah Anmol Tariq, Jamaica Correspondent
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Jamaica held its annual refresher course, on 22 January 2023. The event was aimed at educating the new converts to Islam Ahmadiyyat on the basic beliefs and practices of Islam. As the majority of our members have converted in recent years, this event plays an integral role in the moral training of the Jamaat members. For the last two years, we were not able to hold the event due to Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, being able to conduct this crucial event this year was a great blessing from Allah the Almighty.
Guests started to arrive at the Mahdi Mosque by 10am, where arrangements were made to serve breakfast to the guests. These guests travelled from various towns across Jamaica, including Clark’s Town, German Town, Falmouth, Kingston, Spanish Town and Old Harbour.
The event started at 11 am with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by an Arabic qasidah written by the Promised Messiahas.
The first presentation of the refresher course was delivered by Tariq Azeem Sahib, president and missionary-in-charge, on the topic of “Basics of Islam”. In his presentation, he spoke about the five pillars of Islam, six articles of faith, belief in One God and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, the Promised Messiah and Khilafat.
Following this presentation, the local mu‘allim Ghulam Ahmad Sahib delivered a presentation on the topic of “Importance of Salat”. In his presentation, he shared several verses from the Holy Quran and various sayings of the Holy Prophetsa to expound upon the importance of salat. He also shared some basic information regarding salat, including the timings of prayers, the number of rak‘aat [units], and times of the day when salat is forbidden.
This was followed by a presentation on the “Ten Conditions of Bai‘at” by Ahmad Forson Sahib.
In between the presentations, Tariq Azeem Sahib shared insight on various subjects related to the Islamic code of life. This included a brief note on each of the following subjects: marriages in Islam, an ideal husband, abstinence from alcohol and other intoxicants and the concept of hijab and modesty in Islam.
To make the event more engaging and beneficial for the members, there was an interactive workshop on salat. On the men’s side, the two missionaries educated the members on the correct form or posture for salat; they also pointed out some of the common mistakes people make and how one can avoid them. Similarly, on the Lajna side, Samina Rai Sahiba, with help from other volunteers, carried out the same workshop.
By the grace of Almighty Allah, the event was a great success, as members gave positive feedback in regard to the event. In total, 45 members attended the event.