Ahtesham Najeeb Chaudhry, Nazim-e-A‘la Ijtema
Members of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya USA gathered for the first time at Baagh-e-Ahmad in Elmer, New Jersey, for the 55th National Ijtema on 10-12 October 2025. This year’s event marked a historic milestone; for the first time, the majlis was able to hold the ijtema on our very own land. The focus of the ijtema and the subsequent programming were around the theme of the year given to the Majlis by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, which was “Worship of Allah”.
Raja Burhan Ahmad Sahib, Professor at Jamia Ahmadiyya UK, attended the ijtema as the Markaz representative. A total of five sessions were held with him.
The ijtema officially began after the Jumuah prayer with the flag hoisting and opening ceremony presided over by the Markaz representative, who read out the special message of Huzooraa. Following the opening session and for the remainder of the ijtema, khuddam and atfal independently held their programmes, as separate arrangements were made for both auxiliaries.
Various academic and sports competitions were held. The MKA Hub is a staple feature of the ijtema. This year, the outdoor stage was elevated and several engaging talks and panel discussions were organised. They included sessions on “Surviving the Outdoors”, “Excellence in Academic Research”, “When Allah Came to My Aid”, “Architecting a Righteous Life with the Right Partner”, “Sign Language of Salat”, “From Likes to Light – Reclaiming Your Soul in a Digital World”, “Mu‘akhaat: The Ultimate Brotherhood Model”, “My Week with Huzooraa”, “Wasiyyat: Our Covenant of Eternal Loyalty” and “Jihad in the Digital Age”. On Saturday evening, a Kabaddi exhibition match and an Urdu “Mushaira” were held, which were well appreciated and attended, especially by our new immigrant brothers.
On Friday evening, an address and question and answer session was held with the Markaz representative. On Saturday evening, an address was delivered by Sadr MKA USA, Abdullah Dibba Sahib, on the theme of the year. This address was followed by a special talk-show-style discussion with Dr Waseem Syed Sahib, National Secretary Tabligh, highlighting the importance of service to faith through faith-inspiring incidents. On Saturday afternoon, atfal had a session with the Markaz representative.The ijtema concluded with the closing session presided over by the Markaz representative. The Ijtema Report was read out by Nazim-e-A‘la and a special video report was played, highlighting the ijtema activities. After the award ceremony, the Markaz representative addressed the attendees and emphasised the importance of attachment and obedience to Khilafat. The ijtema 2025 was attended by 1,957 participants, with 51 of the 52 majalis and all 10 regions being represented.