By: Taoheed Olaosebikan Shoboyede
“…..And whatsoever gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it, and fear Allah;…..” (Q. ch. 59 v. 8)
This verse of the Glorious Qur’an actually summarizes and set the tone for this discussion on the topic. This is simply based on my own belief that: no any serious-minded member of this Jama’at (i.e. a true Ahmadi Muslim) will nurse any doubt about the prophethood of Hazrat Masih-i-Maoud and Imam Mahdi (as); albeit, under the messengership of his master and benefactor, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw).
Leveraging on this belief of mine therefore, gives me the confidence to declare unequivocally without any reservation or/and fear of contradiction that: the Jalsa Salana of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a special gift of inestimable value to the Jama’at from Allah the All-Knowing, through the agency/prophethood of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as), which we must, not only TAKE, but also steadily UPHOLD, for whatever it may cost us. This, first and foremost, underscores how important the Annual gathering is (and, in fact, should be) to us.
This assertion of mine is further strengthened if we call to mind that there are numerous other gatherings everywhere, in which many of us attend; either because our professions, affinity with other people in different ways or just our passions compel us to attend, but which can, in no way, be compared to the Jalsa Salana. As Allah the Almighty Himself calls our attention, saying:
“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.”(Q. 4 : 115)
Hence, Hazrat Masih-i-Maoud (as) also declares inter-alia:
“The primary purpose of this Convention is to enable every sincere individual to personally experience religious benefits. That they may enhance their knowledge and due to their being blessed and enabled by Allah, the Exalted, their perception (of Allah) may progress. Among its secondary benefits is that this congregational meeting together will promote mutual interactions among all brothers, and it will strengthen the fraternal ties within this Community…..” (Istihar 7 Dec. 1892. Majmoo’ah Istiharat; Vol. 1, Page 340)
He also reiterated:
“This is no ordinary gathering. There are many benefits of the Jalsa to the participants. Members should utilize this opportunity to renew their community, welcome new members in the fold of the community and remember those who have passed away in the previous year and pray for them.
It is essential for all those who can afford to undertake the journey, that they must come to attend this Convention which embodies many blessed objectives. They should disregard minor inconveniences in the cause of Allah and His Prophet at every step of their way, and no labour and hardship undertaken in His way ever goes to waste. I re-emphasize that you must not rank this convention in the same league as other ordinary human assemblies. This is a phenomenon that is based purely on the Divine Help for propagation of “ (Istihar, 7 Dec. 1892; Majmoo’ah Istiharat; Vol. 1, Page 341)
And for which he prayed:
“…I conclude with the prayer that everyone who travels for (attending) this Convention that is for the sake of Allah; May Allah have mercy on him, ease up for him his circumstances of hardship and anxiety and eliminate his anguish and grief. May He grant him freedom from every single hardship and lay open for him the ways of (achieving) his cherished goals, and raise him up, on the day of judgment, among those of His servants \ who are the recipients of His blessings and mercy. May He be their Guardian in their absence until and after their journey comes to an end. Oh Allah! O Sublime One and Bestower of bounties, the Ever Merciful and One Who resolves all problems, do grant all these prayers and grant us victory over our opponents, with great glaring signs, because You alone have all the powers to do whatever You like. Ameen, Ameen once again.” (Istihar, 7 Dec. 1892; Majmoo’ah Istiharat, Vol. 1, Page 342
ETTIQUETTES OF ATTENDING JALSA SALANA
To benefit maximally from it therefore, like any other such spiritually-focussed gathering, it just must have its own etiquettes, which have to be strictly adhered to, by the attendees of whatever class or status. It is this set of etiquettes that consequently constitute all that are expected from all the participants of the Jalsa Salana, the details of which cannot be exhaustively presented within the short period of time available here now.
The first thing that we need to understand about the Jalsa Salana is that: all participants or attendees of the Jalsa Salana; irrespective of whatever consideration, are all guests of the Promised Messiah (as); even those living within close vicinity to the Jalsa venue. But then, there are those who are more GUESTS than the others, with varying rights and responsibilities, based on the following analiysis:
- All members of the Jama’at (males, females and children, active or passive) are all both GUESTS of the Promised Messiah (as) and HOSTS to other categories of guests at the same time. By this dual status, it is our inalienable RIGHT to attend, enjoy and benefit maximally from the Jalsa, more than anyone else.
But the fact that we are members of the Jama’at also imposes on us, the unforgivable DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY that we all owe the Jalsa, as HOSTS to other guests, in order to make it what it should be to all other attendees, especially those who are non-members of the Jama’at, in terms of, first and foremost, paying our chanda Jalsa Salana; which is being used to provide all the necessary facilities and services that always make the Jalsa enjoyable, impactful and, of course worthwhile to all attendees. This is the primary responsibility expected of everyone who claims to be an Ahmadi Muslim
2. THE JALSA WORKERS
When we talk of Jalsa workers, it is not as if the Jalsa Salana has paid workers or employees; rather, this set of people are also members of the Jama’at, but specially selected and appointed by the Jama’at Administration, based on their individuals’ track records of sacrifices and contributions in different ways and manners, to man each of the more-than a hundred departments of the Jalsa
So, it is the sole responsibility of this group of members, who constitute the membership of the JALSA ADMINISTRATIVE SET UP (JASU), who are expected special sacrifices in planning, executing and seeing the Jalsa through to success every year, by Allah’s special grace. All these are in addition to their own individual contributions to the generalized contributions to the Jalsa, as members of the Jama’at.
As such, their own responsibilities, to fulfil and meet the RIGHTS of all other attendees, are always carried out round the year; from one edition of the Jalsa Salana to the other continuously. It is also worth mentioning that some members of this group are always at the Jalsa venue for more than one month every year, in order to perfect all arrangements for the comforts of all other guests.
3. The third group comprises: THE JALSA VOLUNTEERS
These are also members of the Jama’at, but who also always volunteer varying degree of their time and persons, to work with the respective appointed Jalsa Duty Officers; also to ensure successful holding of the Jalsa. Many people in this third group of attendees, who always number in thousands, also always arrive the Jalsa venue days before the Jalsa proper commences, to render one or the other services for the overall success of the Jalsa.
These first three groups of Jalsa attendees, being members of the Jama’at, are the ones expected to render extra-ordinary sacrifices in all respects, to impress, warm the hearts of the other participants and consequently win them into the Jama’at eventually.
It is also those in these first three categories of participants/attendees who are presumed to have undergone different levels and stages of the Jama’at trainings; and so, are the ones expected to exhibit the beautiful principles and values of Islam, which Jama’at-ul Ahmadiyya represents; especially in terms of high standard moral and spiritual probity.
It is these three categories of participants at the Jalsa who are expected to live more above board in perseverance, tolerance, sacrificing self-comforts for the benefits of others, meeting every other attendee with bright smile and greetings of salaam (peace), giving priority to spiritual benefits of the jalsa over and above any mundane gain and, more importantly, creating an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence and universal brotherhood with all other participants/attendees throughout the period of the Jalsa and even beyond.
In actual fact, if only about fifty to sixty percent of those of us in these first three groups of attendees (whom I am sure, constitute more than sixty percent of the whole Jalsa attendees; if we could imbibe and exhibit the true spirit of the Jalsa, as laid down by Hazrat Masih-i-Maoud (as) himself, we will surely face very little or no problem at all from the other groups of attendees; and the Jalsa and, indeed, the Jama’at will definitely be the better for it, at the end of the day.
The other attendees/participants expected at the Jalsa, this 70th (Platinum) Jalsa this year especially, can also be categorized into another three or four groups as follows:
- SPECIAL AHMADI GUESTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
This group of specially invited participants to this year’s Jalsa, though of high caliber members of the Jama’at in their respective countries, and so, are well acquainted with all the nitty-gritty of Ahmadiyya Jalsa; especially those of them that will be attending our own Jalsa on the gracious approval of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah continue to be his Helper).
But then, given the eminent position that the Nigeria branch occupies among the comity of Ahmadi nations in the world, they may also be looking forward to, at least, a near-perfect Jalsa arrangements in Nigeria and we cannot afford to live too much below our ratings in this respect; especially in terms of hospitality and guests welfare.
- DIGNITARIES FROM WITHIN NIGERIA
This group of Special Guests will consist of: Top-ranking government functionaries from the three tiers of government in Nigeria (viz: Federal, State and Local Governments); High-class Traditional Rulers from different parts of the country; Religious Leaders from both Muslim and Christian groups; Academics; Politicians and so on, with their usual retinue of entourage.
Most of those in this group of Jalsa attendees/participants are, most likely, not members o the Jama’at and so, most likely do not know much about the demands of Jalsa Salana or even what the Jama’at itself stands for; except whatever they hear about us (which, in most cases, may be wrong) and whatever they hear or learn from us ourselves that we are; either through our literature or through the general members’ behaviours. This further underscores the need for every member of Jama’at participating in the Jalsa to maintain high level standard of moral decorum at all times; at least to live fairly up to the ratings of Allah the Almighty Himself, when He declares:
“You are the best people, raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin good and forbid evil and believe in Allah…..” (Q. 3 : 111)
- GENERAL NON-MEMBER GUESTS
This group of guests/participants in the Jalsa will constitute all or either of the followings:
- They could be our neighbours from our respective localities, may be with whom we have been discussing Ahmadiyya, who now wish to come to the Jalsa to see us at a more elaborate fora, for a closer assessment of who we always say we are.
- They could be those who have been moving with and observing the Jama’at, but have not yet seen enough convincing reason to formally join the Jama’at by signing the bai’at.
- They could be those who will just come of their own volition, out of curiosity or/and inquisitiveness; just to come and see what exactly the Jalsa is all about.
- They could be those who will always attend, not because of their interest in the Jalsa per se, because of the economic boom from which they always benefit exceedingly every year, through the Jalsa market.
- It may also sound funny and even ridiculous, to learn that: there are those who always attend the Jalsa, just for the purpose of benefitting from the Jalsa meals and nothing more!
At this juncture, we may want to remind ourselves about the importance of food or feeding to the success of the Jalsa, as sometime reiterated by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah continue to be his Helper). He said inter alia:
“…..Food is another aspect of hospitality. Hospitality is necessary for two or three meals a day for guests at the lodgings, arranged by the Ahmadiyya Community. During the three days of the convention, every guest usually comes to the convention to listen to the proceedings and has at least, lunch under the arrangements of the Ahmadiyya Community. The feeding officers and assistants should keep in mind to interact politely with the guests.
To interact politely is the right of the guests and the duty of the host. Some people put the workers in difficulty with regard to food. They ask for this and that and make odd demands but the workers should bear. Feeding is such a matter that unseemly behavior or a comment or saying anything by the host hurts the feelings of the guests.
The Companions of the Holy Prophet, (may Allah be pleased with them), showed such examples of hospitality that will be written in golden ink forever. The Holy Prophet asked a Companion to take a guest with him and feed him. He took the guest to his home in accordance with the directive of the Holy Prophet. His wife said that there was only a small amount of food at home that was for the children. The husband and wife planned to get the children to sleep somehow and when the food is presented before the guest, to turn off the lights, and in the darkness, the hosts pretend to eat so that the guest eats at ease without knowing that the hosts are actually not eating at all. With this strategy, the guest did not know how hospitality had been carried out by the hosts and the guest ate in comfort. Next morning as the Native Companion appeared before the Holy Prophet, he said that due to his strategy of the night before even Allah smiled. That family sacrificed because the guest was the guest of the Holy Prophet in particular; otherwise the comapanions did entertain guests in general as a general rule.
Today each of our workers… should present sacrifice with this passion that he is serving the guests of the True Servant of the Holy Prophet. Though the sacrifice of one’s own food and that of the children and to have them sleep hungry is a great sacrifice and it has not to be offered these days. But with the grace of Allah, according to the promise of Allah to the Promised Messiah (as), everywhere the Ahmadiyya Community is established on firm ground, kitchens (Langars) are operational. Especially during the days of the convention, there is special arrangement for this hospitality…..Thus when we present ourselves for service, then, we should serve everyone without distinction. Every guest coming to convention is a guest of the convention. To deal with everyone in a good way and to interact with everyone courteously is necessary
One should also be praying all along that may Allah accept this small service to the guests of the Promised Messiah and that our work is devoid of any kind of show and is purely for Allah…..”
6 It is also not impossible (and it happens anyway,) that we have those who attend the Jalsa, just for the purpose of dispossessing other sincere and innocent attendees of their valuable belongings; you may call it stealing, if you like.,
Since, according to the Promised Messiah (as), we cannot prevent any interested person from attending the Jalsa Salana. At the same time, we can also not joke or toy with the issues of security and safety. This explains why EVERY PARTICIPANT/ATTENDEE of the Jalsa, irrespective of status or class, MUST be identifiable with the Jalsa, through proper individual registration, while the individuals’ Jalsa tags must always be visibly displayed everywhere within the Jalsa arena, throughout the three-day period of the Jalsa.
The most important aspect of the Jalsa to which we need to call our attention to this time around, is that: despite the elaborate analysis of the different categories of the Jalsa attendees as have just been explained, we can only see all the attendees/participants from two major perspectives thus:
- Those who are charged with the responsibilities to provide different kinds of service at the more-than-hundred departments of the Jalsa and,
- Those at the receiving end of all these services.
For the Service Providers, who are probably less than thirty percent (30%) of the entire Jalsa participants, we can only appeal to them to be very diligent in carrying out their respective assignments without nursing any impression that they are doing the beneficiaries of their services any favour, but rather, that they are doing it just to win the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.
While rendering their respective services for the benefit and comfort of all other Jalsa attendees on the other side of the divide, they should draw their strength and take solace in the verses of the Holy Qur’an which talk about certain Prophets of God telling their people that they expect no reward from them for the services being rendered to them; such as in Surah Ash-Shu’ara’ (Q. ch. 26 verse 110), which is also repeated in about five different places in the same surah that:
“And I ask of you no reward for it. My reward is only with the Lord of the worlds”.
Or as in Surah Ad-Dahr (Q. 76 verse 10) thus:
“(Assuring them): ‘We feed you to win Allah’s pleasure only. We desire no reward nor thanks from you”
In this way, they will be able to carry out their respective assignments so selflessly without minding whatever negative comments, remarks or reactions from their beneficiaries. The fact still remains that: no matter how much anyone tries to satisfy human beings, there will still always be some kinds of complaints, and of course, rooms for corrections or/and improvement. One should just work to satisfy his own conscience and the demands of his faith, as much as possible; for, perfection belongs only to Allah the Almighty. And, in actual fact, human want (not human need) is insatiable!
Now, for those at the other side of the divide; those at the receiving end of the services of the insignificantly few Jalsa workers and volunteers. Yes, the services being rendered by them are our rights to benefit from and enjoy. It is their duty, not doubt about that.
But then, we also need to realize that ‘every right also comes with its duty too’; the least of which is: to use the rights responsibly. So, this group also owes the Jalsa certain duties or responsibilities too, as briefly listed here now:
- We all need to realize the fact that those rendering all these multi-faceted and multi-dimensional services are not paid workers or employees of the Jalsa Set-Up, but Jalsa attendees like all other people; they only volunteer themselves to serve others for the sake of Allah the Almighty, and so, they deserve some levels of appreciation and respect from us, even though they will demand it. At least, we should know that: ‘one good-turn deserves another’ and that respect begets respect.
- We should realize the fact that: Jalsa Salana attendees continue to increase every year and the same will always happen with the needs and demands for more facilities and services. We should therefore, always try to make do (I mean manage) whatever minimum comfort that the Jalsa is to provide for us now within the just three-day period of the gathering and use them responsibly; and praying:
“Verily, this is Our (Allah’s) provision which will never be exhausted.” (Q. 38 : 55)
3.To cap it all, let us all remember once again, that this Jalsa Salana is a special gift from Allah the Almighty to the Jama’at, through the agency of Hazrat Masih-i-Maoud (as) and, as unambiguously stated by him (i.e. the Promised Messiah –as- himself, that whoever has the grace of Allah to attend, might benefit maximally from the pool of divine blessings accruable from it; keeping in mind that it is an annual event, about which nobody can confidently beat his chest to declare that he/she witness the next one. It is a rare opportunity that comes, only through the grace and mercy of Allah over which no one has any control.
So, whatever arrangement is put in place by the Jalsa Administrative Set-Up for every attendee to maximize these blessings, we should all take advantage of it to the best of our God-given capability; as if we are not going to witness another edition; even though we continue to pray that Allah the Almighty grants us long life with sound health to witness many more of it subsequently, by His special grace. But then, this Platinum edition is a “bird in hand, which is worth thousand in the forest.” Let us catch and cage it as well as make it a memorable part of our life history. It is definitely worth whatever noble efforts that we can make in that regard.
Now, to round up as a way of recapping, the whole etiquettes of the Jalsa Salana and expectations from participants can be summarized in the following few sentences:
- We should all continue to pray for safe travel of all intending attendees to and from the Jalsa.
- We (members of the Jama’at especially) should try to portray the true and beautiful image of the Jama’at to outsiders, especially our neighbours around the Jalsa Gah and guests.
- We should cooperate with the Khuddam (and other workers) on Jalsa duties, to help us park our vehicles in appropriate spaces and direct us to go about other Jalsa activities in the right manner.
- Every attendee should register properly with the concerned department of the Jalsa (or confirm our earlier registration online, if we have already done that) as soon as we come to the Jalsa venue and always display our Jalsa tags visibly at all time.
- We should all be security-conscious and notify those on Security duty about any suspicious characters or movements (and not taking it upon ourselves), especially those who may not be having their Jalsa identification tags displayed.
- We should always join and offer Solat in congregation at designated places and times.
- We should always observe proper Mosque etiquettes whenever we are in the prayer arena; especially making noise.
- We should always listen quietly and gain blessings during recitations of the Holy Qur’an.
- We should avoid disturbing others by talking among ourselves during the formal sessions of the Jalsa.
- We should always attend Jalsa sessions in the Marques (Jalsa Gah) at stipulated times.
- We should avoid congregating at the market whenever the Jalsa sessions are on.
- We should avoid visiting the dining tents or stalls during formal sessions.
- We should never waste food and always keep the dining area clean.
- We should be courteous to fellow attendees of the Jalsa and avoid going anywhere to which we are neither invited nor permitted.
- We should always show respect to our elders and act in a kind manner to those younger ones younger than us.
- We should avoid wasting time in idle gossips, but spend our spare or free times in remembering Allah at all times.
- We should wear Islamic clothings. Men and women should cover their heads appropriately.
- Women should observe purdah and men must observe “Ghaz-e-Basr” (lowering of gazes/eyes).
- Men should not crowd near the women’s entrance; nor should women crowd at the men’s entrance. Families should separate their common belongings before-hand to avoid crowding in these (restricted) areas.
- Parents and elders should make sure that children as well as teenagers are at their best behaviours.
- Mothers (especially nursing mothers) should come prepared and bring formula supplies and diapers, etc. for their infants, as might be desirable.
- We should continue to pray constantly for the success of the Jalsa.
May Allah the Almighty make it an inexhaustible source of Allah’s blessings and mercy for all participants. Allahummo Aamin, thumma Allahummo Aamin.
