Jalsa Salana
Jalsa Salana ( Urdu جلسہ سالانہ Jalsah Salanah ) refers to the annual spiritual meeting of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community . It is usually an event lasting several days (3 days in Germany) in honor of Allah and the Prophet Mohammed and serves the purpose of spiritual edification.
Aim and purpose
The founder of the Ahmadiyya movement Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on the purpose and aim of the assembly he initiated:
“The aim and purpose of Jalsa is that the members of our Jamaat make such a change in themselves that their hearts turn completely to the hereafter. They should develop a fear of God within themselves and become models of virtue, reverence for God and compassion for others. They should show mutual love and brotherhood for one another. They should be meek, humble and truthful and ready to spread the faith. "
“The primary purpose of this gathering is to enable all sincere individuals to personally experience religious benefits; May they expand their knowledge and, because of their being blessed and given by Allah the Exalted, may their knowledge [of Allah] advance. Secondary benefits include that this congregation meeting will promote mutual acquaintance among all the brothers and will strengthen fraternal bonds in that fellowship. "
The head of the Ahmadiyya, Mirza Masrur Ahmad , understands the purpose of the event as follows:
"Ahmadis organize jalsas in all countries for the pleasure of God and gather once a year for a few days to make spiritual changes in themselves and to gain approval from Allah."
program
The Jalsa Salana begins on Friday with the flag-raising ceremony. The national emir (president) hoists the flag of the respective country and the caliphate ul-Massih , if present, the flag of the Ahmadiyya.
Immediately afterwards the Friday address ( Khutba ) of the respective Khalifat ul-Massih follows . Until Sunday there is a program with various speeches on spiritual and moral topics, which are given by the caliph, but also by the national emir, officials, imams (scholars of Islam) etc. Non-Ahmadi guests also often give speeches. The television station of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, mta , records most of the speeches and broadcasts them live if the Khalifat ul-Massih is present, otherwise individually in the following days.
The most important part of the festival is the five times communal prayer ( salāt ). The ceremony of the "International Baiat" (vow of allegiance to the caliph) is usually only held at the international Jalsa Salana (currently Jalsa Salana UK ). The caliph thus accepts the baiat of new Ahmadis. The Jalsa Salana is made possible exclusively through donations from the Ahmadis, all guests are entertained free of charge, according to Islamic tradition.
Since all speeches are simultaneously translated into over 10 languages, most visitors can easily find out about the Ahmadiyya. Various tents for women, youth, education, mosque construction, press and books offer further opportunities to get into conversation.
The Jalsa Salana takes place annually in all countries in which the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is represented by a community. In Pakistan , however, it was banned by the government in 1984 because the Ahmadiyya was classified as a non-Islamic community. Due to the presence of the caliph, strict security measures are in place. The background to this is an assassination attempt on the Caliphate ul-Massih II in 1954 and, last but not least, the increased terrorist threat against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in recent years. Only members and registered or invited guests have access to the event site. The site has a separate area for women only, which is separated by privacy screens and which are usually not entered by men. When women switch to the men's area, they wear a headscarf or a dupatta .
Jalsa Salana 2008 was marked by the centenary celebrations of Khilafat , Jalsa Salana 2010 by the terrorist attacks on two mosques in Lahore on May 28, 2010, in which 98 people were killed and over 125 injured.
Venues
India / Pakistan
The Jalsa Salana was initiated by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , the founder of the Ahmadiyya, and took place for the first time in Qadian ( India ) on December 27, 1891 , with 75 people participating. At the last Jalsa Salana he visited in 1907, 2,000 people attended.
Since the Pakistani parliament declared the Ahmadis to be non-Muslims by law, the organization of Jalsa in Rabwah ( Pakistan ) has been banned by the authorities under pressure from the mullahs . The last Jalsa Salana, held in Rabwah in 1983, attended 200,000 people.
However, the Jalsa in Qadian continues and was attended in 2005 by Mirza Masrur Ahmad , the current global leader. Around 70,000 believers took part in this event.
The Jalsa Salana in Qadian always takes place from 26. to 28. December.
Jalsa Salana was canceled in 2008 as a result of the attacks in Mumbai .
United Kingdom
The first Jalsa Salana in the UK was held in 1966. Since the ban on Jalsa Salana in Pakistan, Jalsa Salana UK has acted as the international Jalsa Salana and takes place near London , where the current head of the community, Mirza Masrur Ahmad, lives. In Tilford, a place near London, the Jamaat had bought its own property, which is known as "Islamabad". The Jalsa took place there from 1994 to 2004. In 2005, due to a lack of space and the expiry of the permission period to be able to organize the Jalsa there, another area was purchased, which is approx. 0.9 km² in size. The area was named "Hadiqat ul-Mahdi" (Garden of the Mahdi ) and is located in the city of Alton , approx. 90 km outside London. The Jalsa Salana in the United Kingdom always takes place on the last weekend of July, when the Khalifat ul-Massih is always present at that time.
2007
In 2007 the Jalsa Salana UK took place from July 27th to 29th. Due to the heavy rain that fell a week before Jalsa, some problems arose with the organization and construction. The greatest challenge was the parking of the vehicles of the arriving guests from all over the country. Due to the fact that the actual parking lot was on a meadow landscape, it could not be used for long. A military area was therefore rented at short notice, which was about 6 km away from the event site. The people were then transported from there by buses to "Hadiqat ul-Mahdi". For the next two days a shuttle bus service was organized between “Islamabad” and “Hadiqat ul-Mahdi” or Bait ul-Futuh and “Hadiqat ul-Mahdi”. Despite the poor conditions, around 26,000 people took part in the Jalsa Salana.
Germany
The first Jalsa Salana Germany took place in 1976. The meetings were held on the grounds of the Nuur Mosque in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen. Then the community bought a piece of land in Groß-Gerau (“ Nasir Bagh ”) and held the Jalsa Salana there from 1985. However, the place became too small due to the increasing number of visitors. From 1995 to 2010 the Jalsa Salana always took place four weeks after the international Jalsa Salana UK on the Mannheim Maimarkt site. In 2010, the Jalsa was changed to the 25th – 27th due to the month of Ramadan June preferred. The Maimarkt area also became too small and a new location was sought for the annual event.
The Jalsa Salana Germany has been held annually at Messe Karlsruhe since 2011 .
The annual meetings of the Ahmadiyya are all organized and carried out by the community on a voluntary basis. All costs incurred are covered exclusively by AMJ Germany's own funds and donations. None of the 16 annual meetings on the Maimarkt in Mannheim was subsidized with city funds. With an average of 30,000 visitors, Jalsa Salana Germany is the largest Islamic event in Europe .
Raising of flags
The flags of the 16 German states stand on a central line of trellises, at the end of which the flag of Germany and the flag of the Ahmadiyya ( Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat ) are flagged on a pedestal . Four are at the corners of the platform Khuddam as honor guard stationed, armed to defend with black and white sticks, as a symbolic sign of the willingness of both their faith and the land of their loyalty.
2001
The international Jalsa Salana took place in Germany due to the foot and mouth disease that broke out in the UK . That is why a record number of around 50,000 visitors was achieved in 2001.
2008
All over the world this year the focus was on remembering the 100th anniversary of their caliphate. Guests from all over the world were expected in Germany. In line with these expectations, 37,000 visitors attended Jalsa Salana 2008.
2011
From June 24 to 26, 2011, the annual meeting took place for the first time in the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center .
2015
The 40th Jalsa Salana Germany took place on 5. – 7. June at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center. Approx. 36,000 visitors visited the Jalsa Salana Germany .
2016
The 41st Jalsa Salana Germany took place on 2-4. September at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center.
2017
The 42nd Jalsa Salana Germany took place on 25. – 27. August with more than 41,000 participants in the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center.
2018
The 43rd Jalsa Salana took place on the 7th-9th September at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center.
2019
The 44th Jalsa Salana took place on 5-7. July at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center.
2020
The 45th Jalsa Salana will take place on 4-6. September at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center.
Switzerland
The first Jalsa Salana took place in Switzerland in 1983 in Zurich . From 3rd to 5th September 2004 the 22nd Jalsa Salana took place in the presence of Mirza Masrur Ahmad in the multi-purpose hall of Forch (near Zurich). From July 4th to 6th, 2008 the 26th annual meeting took place for the first time in Frauenfeld in the festival hall Rüegerholz, attended by 723 visitors. The 27th annual meeting was held from June 12th to 14th, 2009 in the hamlet of Häuser in the Wigoltingen community . The 36th Jalsa Salana took place from August 25th to 26th.
Canada
15,000 members and guests attended the 33rd Jalsa Salana in Canada , which took place in 2009 from April 26th to 28th. July took place in Mississauga .
Ghana
The Jalsa Salana Ghana is held on a 400 hectare property ("Bagh-e-Ahmad"), which is about 60 km away from the main state of Accra . The meeting was attended by the head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masrur Ahmad , in 2004 and 2008. In 2008, the President of Ghana, John Kufuor , attended as a special guest , who took the opportunity to congratulate the Ahmadiyya community on the centenary celebrations of their Caliphate and to describe the Caliph as a brother, friend and teacher to the citizens of Ghana.
The Jalsa Salana Nigeria is held on an 85 hectare property ("Hadeeqate-e-Ahmad": Ahmad's garden), which is about 40 km away from the main state of Abuja .
Norway
Jalsa Salana Norway takes place annually in Oslo .
See also
Web links
- Jalsa Salana Germany
- Jalsa Salana England
- Gallery with Jalsa Salanas worldwide
- Qantara.de : Annual meeting of the Ahmadiyya community. Admonition from the caliph.
- Largest Islamic festival in Europe: A tent city for prayer , DailyNet on September 17th, 2008
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Jalsa Salana 2008 in Germany ( Memento from September 11, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Attack on mosques: number of dead in Lahore rises , n-tv on May 29, 2010; Update on the massacre of praying Ahmadis in Lahore ( memento of the original from November 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ First Annual Conference
- ↑ Ahmadiyya sect puts off annual meet after Mumbai carnage ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Bombay News.Net on December 14, 2008
- ↑ Ahmadiyya Religious Assembly 22.-24. August 2008 Maimarkthalle, site ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Jalsa Salana 2017 on ahmadiyya.de, accessed on August 28, 2017
- ↑ Integration Committee on October 16, 2008 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Information template No. 576/2008, subject: grants for the annual meeting “Jalsa Salana” of the Ahmadiyya community in Germany ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Mannheim: Annual meeting of the 30,000 Ahmadiyya reform Muslims ( Memento from July 28, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- ^ Annual meeting: supporters of the Muslim Ahmadiyya reform community gather on the mill field. 37,000 Muslims come to prayer. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Mannheimer Morgen on August 25, 2008
- ↑ The Karlsruhe trade fair location continues on the road to success , ka-news on February 5, 2011
- ↑ Jalsa dates
- ↑ Event calendar of the KMK 2016
- ^ Message on Twitter
- ↑ Event calendar of the KMK 2018
- ↑ AMJ Switzerland: Jalsa Salana 2008 ( Memento from March 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Frauenfeld: Festival Hall Rüegerholz
- ↑ 1000 Muslims in the village ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Thurgauer Zeitung on June 13, 2009; Unusual guests in houses , daily newspaper from June 15, 2009
- ↑ Official website of Jalsa Salana Switzerland
- ↑ 15,000 attend three-day Ahmadiyya annual meet . South Asian Focus, July 2, 2009
- ↑ Friday Sermon 22nd August 2008
- ↑ a b Khilafat Centenary Tour of West Africa 2008 (PDF; 499 kB)
- ↑ Jalsa Salana Norway on Twitter
