The Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) claimed to have been sent by Allah, the Sublime to revive the religion of Islam in accordance with the prophecies made in the Holy Quran and the sayings of the Acme of Creation Hadrat Muhammad Mustapha (SAW). He said that Allah had chosen him to deliver the message of the revival of Islam. In the year 1889, he laid the foundation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at which has since spread all over the world with a following of over two hundred million Ahmadi Muslims. These are following the Khalifah who succeeded the Imam of the Age (AS).
When he announced his claims, he set up schemes on how to accomplish the task assigned to him by Allah, the Sublime. One of the schemes was through producing a lot of literature on Islam. Thus, the Promised Messiah and Imam MahdI (AS) has produced over one hundred books and pamphlets all geared towards spreading the true teachings of Islam. The Promised Messiah (AS) also spoke about individual contact where he encouraged people to travel to Qadian, his birth place, so that they could learn first-hand the teachings of their religion. Towards this end, he set up the free kitchen (Langar Khana) where travellers were fed for free during their stay in the company of the Promised Messiah (AS). In addition to these meetings, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi started an annual convention in which people should come together and earn about their religion and enjoy the spiritual company of their Imam.
Accordingly the first Annual Conference was held from December 27th to 29th at the Aqsa Mosque in Qadian. Only 75 members attended that year, next year 327 members attended the Jalsa, and the last Jalsa Salana attended by the Promised Messiah(as) in 1907 there were two thousand participants. The last annual gathering that was held in Rabwah in 1983, more than two hundred thousand attended the blessed meeting.
Some Muslim scholars initially criticized the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at for holding a conference which they said was an innovation. The Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi quoted the verse below to show that gatherings of this kind are sanction by Allah, the Sublime.
There is no good in many of their conferences except the conferences of such as enjoin charity, or goodness, or the making of peace among men. And whoso does that, seeking the pleasure of Allah, We shall soon bestow on him a great reward. 4-115
As the Jama’at grew so did the Jalsa Salan as it is held all over the world now with only one aim – the spread of the message of the Acme of Creation Seyyidina Muhammad Mustapha (SAW).
In the Gambia, we will be holding our 48th Jalsa Salana on Friday, 12th May to Sunday 14th May 2017 at Masroor Senior Secondary School in Old Yundum. We are cordially inviting all fellow human beings to this blessed gathering.
All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Universe!
