Jalsa Salana Qadian 2021 Concludes with Faith Inspiring Address
“Not even the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left the entire world shaken, has managed to rid hearts of bitterness or purged nations of their pride” – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
On 26th December 2021, The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad concluded the Annual Conventions (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Qadian and Guinea Bissau with an inspirational address.
His Holiness presided the concluding session virtually from the Masroor Hall in Islamabad, Tilford. More than 2100 people gathered at the Jalsa site, with a total attendance in excess of 6000 Ahmadi Muslims across Qadian.
Attendance was restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, those who could not participate, both in Qadian and elsewhere, were able to watch the faith inspiring concluding address of His Holiness live on MTA International.
During the address, His Holiness spoke in great detail about the immense importance of establishing peace in society and comprehensively outlined a number of Islamic principles essential for doing so.
His Holiness began his address by stating that it is by following the principles and teachings laid down by Islam that meaningful peace can be established in the world.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The teachings of Islam are the only set of teachings that can establish a beautiful and harmonious society, due to the fact that they are still in their original and pristine form. This is that teaching, which if acted upon properly in the true sense, draws one closer to Allah the Almighty and then, as a result of that closeness – along with the desire and effort to attain the pleasure of God – guides a true Muslim towards fulfilling the rights of others in such a way that it is beyond compare. It is the fulfilment of these rights which is the guarantor of peace and harmony in society.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“Nowadays there is much debate regarding peace and security and about how long-lasting peace can truly be established. The potential for disorder, unrest and warfare at both the local and international level is ever increasing. Indeed, not even the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left the entire world shaken, has managed to rid hearts of bitterness or purged nations of their pride and arrogance over one another. No one is paying heed to this warning of Allah the Almighty and should this same attitude continue to be displayed by people and nations, the ramifications will be incredibly perilous…”
His Holiness went on to speak about how Islam completely condemns the mocking of other religions and their founders and that in instructing its followers to believe in all other prophets, Islam has safeguarded inter-religious freedom and respect as well.
Throughout his address Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad repeatedly admonished the Muslims of the world to align their actions with the teachings of Islam and said that only by doing so, and by accepting the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) real peace and prosperity can be achieved.
In this regard, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“It is a great shame that the Muslim governments of the modern day are failing to understand this, and that a negative perception of Islam is being established that it is, God forbid, an extremist and violent religion…”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“If even now the actions of Muslims fall in line with the teachings of Islam, then the attention of the world will positively turn to Islam, and Muslims will also come to see that by truly turning to Allah the Almighty and abandoning all worldly idols, not only will global peace be established, but the status, respect and honour of Muslims will also be increased manifold. But this can only be the case if and when they accept the true servant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Imam of the Age [The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)], who has been sent by Allah the Almighty for the establishment of peace and harmony in the world.”
One key teaching mentioned by His Holiness as being crucial to the establishment of peace on both an individual and a societal level is that of forgiveness and never exceeding the punishment for a wrong unduly.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“If someone does something bad, then the retribution taken from him for that deed should remain proportionate to the wrong committed. But remember that administering retribution is not so that one may harbour grudges or maintain hostilities, nor should it be for the sake of taking vengeance. Rather, the objective should always be reformation and bringing about a positive change. Always focus on how reformation can be achieved in any such circumstance. Is it through punishment, Retribution, or forgiveness? Allah the Almighty states that if reformation comes about by forgiving someone, then forgive them and the reward of forgiving them is then with Allah the Almighty.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor also expounded on the well-known tradition (Hadith) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), ‘Aid both the oppressor and the oppressed’.
His Holiness said that whilst aiding the oppressed was easy to understand, helping the oppressor requires one to restrain the oppressor from committing injustice and that any form of punishment they face after the transgression must be proportionate, and carried out with the aim of reformation.
His Holiness also explained that the role of an arbiter when dealing between two parties must be performed with balance and justice, favouring neither side unduly, lest the roles of the oppressed and oppressor become reversed.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Whoever decides between two parties, and establishes peace tends to lean in favour of one party over the other. If we look at the United Nations it can be clearly seen that there is bias and injustice (in its policies). Either it shows such overwhelming favour to the victim that there comes a time when the oppressed becomes the oppressor, or it sides with the oppressor to such an extent that life becomes impossible for the oppressed…”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“Lasting peace can only be established when a balanced approach is adopted by the people of influence at every level. Where they listen to the issues and perspective of both sides, then mediate and remove grudges…”
Highlighting how thinking ill of others can lead to further sin, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“When one thinks ill of others, he also endeavours to find fault in them as well. The moment an ill thought appears in one’s heart, one immediately begins trying to find flaws in them as well. One who acts according to the teachings of Allah the Almighty thinks well of others, as opposed to ill, and one who only thinks well of others can never set out in search for other people’s flaws…”
His Holiness went on to quote the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), regarding the nature of some sins which are not always obvious and apparent to those that commit them.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Certain sins are so subtle and obscure that an individual may be engaged with them and yet they remain completely oblivious. So much so that they grow old whilst committing them and yet stay completely unaware that they are in fact sinning.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also spoke about how certain nations economically take advantage of and usurp the rights of others.
Referring particularly to the treatment of African nations in this regard, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“You can see in the day today, where there is a great increase in materialism, that there is a huge effort to fraudulently devour the wealth of others. In fact, this injustice is also taking place on the international stage as well. Affluent nations are wrongfully consuming the wealth of poorer nations by various schemes and ploys.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“Now certain African nations are raising their voice in protest that after giving them independence, the powerful countries of the world are unjustly seizing their wealth under the guise that they are spending it on the development and security of the countries from where the wealth is being usurped. They extract millions of dollars’ worth of wealth a year and do not spend it on those countries from where the wealth is taken. The result is that a hatred for the more developed countries is building in the poorer nations, the outcome of which could be extremely destructive and dangerous.”
Along with the taking of such large amounts of wealth from poorer nations, which leaves them economically crippled, many developed countries also exploit the citizens of these poorer nations for cheap labour whilst making billions off their backs.
Giving a stark warning to the world in this regard, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The poor are exploited for their cheap labour to produce goods. The wages are so low that they barely provide for two meals a day to a family. However, the rich are making billions of dollars’ worth of profit from this cheap labour. This is the very thing that is giving birth to restlessness and there will come a time when as a result, the poor will erupt forth like lava. This is because the modern modes of communication have created awareness within people and a realisation, and news from one place of the world travels rapidly to other parts. This has increased the desire of material goods in the poorer nations. When a poor person sees that he is being mistreated in this way, it increases his restlessness and peace is shattered. This is why Islam instructs, that for the sake of removing such discontent from society, take care of the rights of others in all your dealings. This is the means of lasting peace.”
Calling on Ahmadi Muslims to display the highest possible examples of morality and goodness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“In the modern day, we would struggle to find perhaps any examples (of abiding by these teachings of Islam) in the Muslim world and so it is incumbent upon Ahmadi Muslims, who have accepted the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), to establish such personal examples that resemble those displayed by the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“No one should be able to point a finger of accusation towards us that ‘you claim to be different because you have accepted the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), but what difference have you brought about?’ In fact, the difference in us should be clear and self-apparent, only then can we say that we have accepted the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and are counted among his community…”
During his address, His Holiness also shone a guiding light on striking a balance between the emotions of all-encompassing anger and unbridled love, explaining that both must be avoided if peace is to be obtained.
His Holiness explained that in Chapter 2 verse 144 of The Holy Quran Allah the Almighty has called the Muslim people ‘Ummatan Wasatan’ i.e. the ‘Exalted People’ and people of moderation, meaning that Muslims should endeavour to always be balanced in their approach to life.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“One should also keep the following principle in mind when it comes to anger and love. One should neither become so engrossed in anger that forgiveness no longer remains an option, nor should one become so engulfed by love that they endure loss without limit. In love, a person is also prone to not fulfil the requirements of absolute justice. Therefore, according to this principle, there should be a limit for anger, as well as a limit for love.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad emphasised that the fulfilment of the rights of others should not be limited to one’s own kith and kin, rather until and unless one fulfils the rights of all people in the world, true peace cannot be established.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“You should see all of humanity as your children; there should be a passion for serving one another. When this becomes the case, how beautiful, peaceful and harmonious a society it will be. If only the Muslims of the world came to understand this!”
Concluding, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“May Allah the Almighty enable us to establish our noble personal examples for the world to see and learn from through our every action, after having accepted the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and by acting upon the teachings of Islam.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further prayed:
“May we act upon all that I have discussed pertaining to peace, as well as all other Islamic teachings. May we also make the rest of the world aware of them so that the world which is advancing towards a pit of ruin as a result of its selfish materialistic greed, may come to the realisation that true peace can only be established by acting in accordance with God’s commands.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued and said:
“No other worldly community can offer any support in the effective and longstanding formation of peace. So, it is therefore a great responsibility upon every Ahmadi Muslim to do so. May Allah the Almighty enable us to act accordingly.”