Jalsa Salana Germany 2019 Concludes With a Faith Inspiring Address
More than 42,000 people from 102 countries attend three-day religious convention in Karlsruhe
The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad concluded the 44th Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Germany on 7thJuly 2019 with an inspirational address.
During the address, His Holiness spoke of the noble and exemplary life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and how the true face of Islam can only be shown to the world by emulating his shining moral qualities.
His Holiness began by explaining why widespread misconceptions about Islam and its teachings existed.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Reservations and fears regarding Muslims in the non-Muslim, Western, or developed world are prevalent due to a lack of knowledge regarding true Islamic teachings. The idea that Islam is a religion of extremism is further imbedded in their minds due to the extremist actions of some Muslims who carry out terrorism and take the law into their own hands, all falsely in the name of Islam.”
His Holiness said that the responsibility of bettering the image of Islam in the world lay primarily on the shoulders of Ahmadi Muslims.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Today, in this age, the duty of spreading the peaceful teachings of Islam in the world and the task of removing any negative impressions regarding them, has been given by Allah the Almighty to the Community of the true servant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), who is the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“It is therefore essential for every Ahmadi Muslim to endeavour in this regard. People around the world listen to media reports about Islam and consider them to be factual and entirely accurate. Added to this is the fact that much of the general population has no interest in issues of religion. Thus, in these circumstances, a great and continuous effort is needed to tell the world about the beautiful teachings of Islam. This is a great challenge of our time.”
His Holiness expounded on the fact that many people who do not have a true understanding of Islam incorrectly assume that the actions of some Muslims around the world are inspired by the teachings of Islam or by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) himself.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Many non-Muslims think that the wrongful actions of Muslims are due to their teachings or because of the practice of the founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). In order to remove this misconception and to make the world aware of the beautiful teachings of Islam, all Ahmadi Muslims, through their words and actions, will have to play their part to tell the world what the true teachings of Islam are and what the practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) really was.”
His Holiness presented various instances from the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and explained that by emulating his perfect example, Ahmadi Muslims can show the world the beautiful reality of Islam.
His Holiness referred to chapter 26 verses 219 and 220of the Holy Quran where God Almighty speaks about the incomparable standard of worship of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Commenting upon these verses, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad stated:
“The standard of the worship and prostrations of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was such that on account of his restlessness, God Almighty cast His loving glance upon him and specifically made mention of this worship and anxiousness. But who was this restlessness for? That desperation and those supplications were for his people, for humanity, they were for those people who had strayed away from Allah the Almighty, so that they may recognise the purpose of their lives.”
His Holiness explained that this desperation for people to come closer to God and to save themselves from God’s displeasure showed just how much love the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) had for humanity.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Where we come to know the lofty standard of the worship of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we can also come to realise the anguish, compassion and the state of his pure heart yearning to save humanity from ruin. So can one who holds such compassion for humanity in his heart ever act with injustice? Absolutely not.”
His Holiness exhorted the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to take heed from this noble example and use it to themselves grow nearer to God.
His Holiness also spoke about the absolute faith in God of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and narrated the fact that during the final illness of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) there was some gold coins in his house. Preferring to rely entirely upon God’s grace and mercy, he gave even those last few coins in charity.
However, His Holiness said the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not stop others from leaving behind wealth for their family and even commanded that no more than one third of one’s wealth should be given in charity as the family relations also have rights upon an individual.
His Holiness said the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) always emphasised the need to earn a living but warned against being driven by the pursuit of worldly objectives above and beyond the foremost objective of attaining the nearness of God.
Narrating a prayer of the Founder of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him), His Holiness told the gathering that despite his immense spiritual status, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was so humble that he would continuously look for ways to increase himself in gratitude to God.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also narrated an inspiring incident from the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with regards to thankfulness.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“On one occasion, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was eating a date on a piece of flat bread, and was saying ‘this date is the stew of this bread’, and was showing gratitude for it. Often would be the case that he would eat flat bread simply with vinegar or water, and yet would still always remain thankful to God.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad explained that in keeping with the attribute of gratitude, all Ahmadi Muslims should engage their skills and faculties for the betterment of the nations that have welcomed them, just as the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) showed gratitude to the people under the rule of Negus, the ruler of Abyssinia, for giving refuge to Muslims who escaped to Abyssinia fleeing the persecution they faced in Mecca.
His Holiness also narrated the unparalleled example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in looking after the rights of others, even those who were waging a war against him.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also spoke about how the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would partake in household chores, showing an exemplary character both outside in public, as well as in private with his family.
Towards the end of his address, His Holiness reminded the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that in order to present the true image of Islam, they must each strive to mould their lives according to the life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“If we take any aspect of the moral qualities of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) it is visibly perfect and exemplary, and this is the very example that God Almighty has instructed us to adopt. So if we wish to show the true face of Islam and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to the world, then we must show that face through our words and actions, keeping in mind every aspect of his example. Only then can we fulfil the rights and responsibilities of our allegiance to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).”
Concluding, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad prayed:
“May Allah the Almighty enable us to fulfil the responsibilities of being in the community of this perfect prophet, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and enable us to be those who dispel all darkness by presenting his beautiful and brilliant face to the world. May God enable us to do so. Ameen.”
The Jalsa Salana concluded with a silent prayer led by His Holiness.
Earlier in the day, Ahmadi Muslims attending the event in Karlsruhe took part in an emotional pledge of allegiance (Bai’at) at the hand of the Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). During the ceremony, a number of people took the pledge for the very first time.
At the same time, Ahmadi Muslims around the world also took part by viewing the proceedings live on MTA International.
His Holiness announced that over 42,700 people attended this year’s Jalsa Salana Germany.
Prior to returning to Frankfurt, His Holiness held a two separate meetings with men and women who had recently accepted Ahmadiyyat in Karlsruhe.