Record-Breaking Jalsa Salana 2024: A Historic Gathering of 43,500 in the UK

Unprecedented Attendance at Jalsa Salana UK 2024: A Celebration of Unity and Faith

LONDON, WEST-VLAANDEREN, UK, August 2, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Record Turnout to Jalsa Salana UK 2024: The Spirit of Oneness and worship.
The Jalsa Salana held in the United Kingdom (near London) on 26, 27 and 28 July 2024 has shown once again why it is a valued spiritual experience across the globe; the convention attracted 43500 people from all corners of the earth. Conducted over three days on an extensive 200-hectares land which is located in Alton, Hampshire, the annual congress this year received the largest turnout ever thus asserting the importance of the congress in AMAC. The occasion was followed by concluding speech by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad who is the spiritual head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

A Unique Spiritual Experience
Said to be initiated in 1891 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Jalsa Salana is basically an effort to build up the character of the people joining the convention. The event was well-attended with participants that exceeded 40 thousand people who could participate in prayer service, educational lectures, and discussions. At the very heart of the event was the calling of the Community, what was essentially preached was; love for all, attaining of peace and recognition of each other as brothers.Five key speeches were delivered at the event and challenged the audience with themes of social justice, Muslims and people of other faiths, self- transformation, and more. I particularly must mention the key-note address, delivered by His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the International Community of Ahmadis amongst others, launched an appeal that appealed to reason, empathy; urging different religious and cultural faiths to embrace one another with increased tolerance. Cognominal remarks were touching people’s hearts and many people began to actively work for creating a better world.

Emotional Send-off Ceremony and Virtual Art Exhibition and Cranking up of Media Publicity
Sunday saw an emotional send-off at the conclusion of Jalsa Salana. In the same manner, participants stood inspired with the feeling of faith and togetherness and exchanged their goodbyes in both sorrow and happiness. Personal address given by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad left a great and touching experience on the audience present. Besides the face-to-face activities, the society offered an interesting online display in the form of an exhibition called ‘Caliph in Europe 1924’ capturing the historic tour of the Caliph in Europe. The public gave the exhibition much attention and many of the images where widely tweeted in the social networks. The event also received a lot of attention in media, as live broadcasting and constant feed on multiple channels was provided, thus, amplifying the outcome of the project.

Something as a Testament to a Growing Community
Thus, Jalsa Salana UK remains the flagship occasion for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community across the world. Such an increasing interest and participation further signify the congress’s purpose of uniting people and building a culture of peace in a world that is filled with conflicts. This event cumulates thousands of participants of different status, who become brothers with a common aim. The event involves speeches, discussions and/or religious exercises, and other activities that remind the participants of the event basic tenets of love and compassion. Thus, participants are transformed to embrace faith in God and indeed be part of a global community. The show planning along with the services rendered on the day of the show, clearly portrays the hard work and organizational power of the particular group. From year to year, new events and projects are launched that contributes to the development of the final experience offered to participants. The Jalsa Salana is also used to show snapshots of participation of the community members in humanitarian assistance and social development. The Jalsa Salana is such an occasion that remains ever relevant in the face of a swiftly progressing globalized world, the world where people are divided in their diversity but still bonded by their belief and religion.

Muslim Community’s Dedicated Leaders
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is experiencing phenomenal growth and is on the rise for it influence across the globe. Political leadership and commitment are steering the community towards the goal and realizing significant progress. Its leaders are also noted to be humble and dedicated to the assimilation as well as the growth of the community. The manner in which they mobilize members as well as penetrate and engage other communities and other groups of people of faith is well acclaimed. These factors include the following: This explains why there is an unprecedented growth in this area. First of all, education is valued in the community, and its members are literate which makes them significant and active participants of the society. Also, their conduct in humanitarian activities and social responsibility projects have also seen them being esteemed worldwide. In particular, the active employment of the modern means of communication such as the Internet and mass media to spread their message has also given a great boost. The actions of the community have also lead to a lot of change through calling for non-violent interaction hence killing off prejudices held in various groups. Further, with the youth programs and the leadership training it is easier to guarantee capable leaders for the future. Therefore, the approach of simultaneous spiritual, social, and intellectual growth distinguishes the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as an active and effective subject in the modern world.

Initiatives and Community Engagement
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s leaders are involved in initiating various education, relief, and interfaith initiatives worldwide. These are initiatives which endorse and call for tolerance, cooperation and understanding between people. The community provides community educational workshops and seminars for children, youths and the adults on topics such as Science, Technology, Religious and other topics. For instance, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association in America always organizes coding boot camps and STEM workshops through the youth. In addition to developing practical skills these activities help young members to develop curiosity and learning as a lifetime activity. Another component of the community’s educational activities remains the dialogue between religions. Particularly, the Ahmadiyya hold many interfaith conferences and several peace symposiums through which leaders of different faiths come together and share their message of peace. Socials are established to be a stage for discussions and meetings with the intention of eliminating barriers and prejudices. Another activity of concern is in humanitarian cases of the society. In this regard, a lot is done by Humanity First, an international charitable organization of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Some of the activities of this entity include; humanitarian disaster management, provision of medical services, education to the needy in society among others. For instance, they have helped in disasters like earthquakes and floods to offer food, medical supplies, and shelters to the affected persons. Also, it operates hospitals and clinics as well, in low-income sections of the society providing treatment and/or service at minimal charges or as a charity.

Comprenhensive approach
It also in its evident growth based on its constantly rising number of members and the contribution it has had to the rest of society. They are involved in local projects and humanitarian bodies clearly reflecting their determination in spiritual and social welfare. For example, members of the Ahmadiyya community frequently engage in national blood donations, tree planting, and cleaning the environment/neighbourhood mostly indicating their environmental conservation conscience. They take time to celebrate most of the national events which is a clear indication that they keenly promote unity and pride. Fundamentally it is normative for this community to celebrate some occasions like celebration of the country’s independence and other cultural events to exhibit their culture and pride. These events make the communal relationship stronger as well as help the members to develop national feeling. The strategy and activities of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is aimed at improvement and encompassing the areas of education, humanitarian aid, and interfaith dialogue. In this way, they keep preferably relying on community and furthering its positive development and maintaining the environment of tolerance and harmony.

An Unforgettable Jalsa Salana Experience
Andy Vermaut shares his thoughts on the event: "I will never forget the Jalsa Salana of 2024. I am very pleased that I was able to experience the Jalsa Salana again thanks to Ahmad Idrees and Sharif Ahmad. Jalsa Salana in Great Britain was another religious deepening gathering that I had once again looked forward to. This year it was again a great pleasure for me to be able to be here and participate. When I got there, I felt the enormous energy of the people at the entrance as they patiently waited for their place to enter. What immediately struck me were the beautiful waving flags of the different countries, which reminded me of the United Nations and the UN of the Ahmadiyya religious community. Besides the waving flags in the wind and the cheerful and friendly and positive faces all around made a strong impression on me."

A Memorable First Day
Andy Vermaut recalls: "To this day I can still remember the first day in detail. The atmosphere was friendly and made you feel like you were back home, even though you came from the other corner of the world. The morning started with the recitation of the Quran and then with speeches that stirred the people. There was one of the speakers who told a very moving story about brotherhood and unity, which made me feel touched. It emphasized the need for people to unite and stand for each other in faith. I liked that many personal stories were also discussed and now even more so I have the feeling that there would be more peace on earth if there were more Ahmadiyyas."

The International Bai'at Ceremony
Andy Vermaut reflects on the event: "One of the most important parts of the event was the international Bai'at ceremony. That looked like refueling the devotion in the company of thousands of people from all over the world, looking at that and seeing it is really very inspiring, especially the sense of solidarity of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, where I felt that the people be one everywhere and work together everywhere." Andy Vermaut comments: "Also the large exhibition I visited with the history of faith was again beautiful to see. From ancient remains to the fresh ideas of the young people, there was so much to see and learn that in three days you actually don't have enough time to see everything. I was also impressed by the architects and the people of Humanity First who have set up all kinds of development projects. That's great of all those people to do this and to note that there were also many young Ahmadi scientists and inventors present, but that all these people are also really modest. You have civil engineers who clean the toilets. It is incredible to see how everyone, so many thousands of people, take on a role as volunteers. Cheers for that."

Delicious Meals and Cultural Connection
Andy Vermaut remarks: "As always, the meals were something to look forward to and enjoy. It was a pleasure in itself to share a meal with so many guests from different cultures and to try the delicious Pakistani dishes. That connects people together. My respect in advance for all the volunteers who worked in the kitchen and ensured that everyone was fed. You saw that these people did this with pleasure and passion. Everything was super well taken care of and everything was super tasty. Andy Vermaut mentions: "I was also able to attend some meetings in the tent and I must say that the planning and material presented in the programs were very strong. The people were pure, it was also beautiful to see how everyone stopped at a certain point and held their hands in front of their heads. I have always participated in this because it was also a moment of reflection for me."

The People: A Highlight of the Event
Andy Vermaut highlights: "What really stood out for me during this Jalsa were all the people. The friendliness of the people, the warmth they showed, and their enthusiasm to help was something that left a very nice memory of the event. I felt enormously the unity and the feeling of belonging and actually being part of this big family. When I said goodbye, I had a wave of feelings, because I would have liked to stay a little longer. I am getting to know you and I am starting to know more people and I was also happy that the Caliph has already recognized me after some meetings we've had." Andy Vermaut states: "This event motivates me to continue my commitment to your community and to continue working for the human rights of the Ahmadiyyas. I feel privileged by the opportunities I was given to have such a wonderful time and learn so many new things, but at the same time also a little sad that it was all over. The calm and strength of the Caliph really resonated with me during our meeting. The man is a very strong personality, who also has a great interest in people, you feel that this is sincere. The annual meeting with the Caliph inspires me and provides me with an energy boost, so that I can continue to work hard for the Ahmadiyya community. "

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