Voice of British Muslim Women

Basira Ajmal, Bournemouth

With 39,829 attendees from 115 countries of the world, the 53rd Jalsa Salana UK has come to a successful end. The 3 blessed days of Jalsa UK passed so quickly and gave us many Jalsa memories and love to take away with us.

You see, Jalsa for me is a lot more than just an event or gathering. It’s a whole experience, a feeling that is very hard to describe. Meeting and bonding with people from all across the globe. They’ve come from so many different nations, backgrounds and professions, but here at Jalsa there are no worldly borders between us, we are one. We feel no difference between any of us as every single one of us is here for the one same purpose; to enhance our spirituality, to share the love among ourselves and to make ourselves better persons.

And I think Jalsa is very empowering for women especially me, as you see there’s a whole area for women that is completely run by women young and old from all walks of life, including doctors, teachers, engineers, housewives, students, who all happily volunteer their capabilities for all sorts of tasks without any worldly recompense. However, they get the reward in the form of mental satisfaction from helping everyone in creating this environment of love, peace, and sisterhood.

Everywhere you look, you’ll see smiles and cheerful faces.

My favourite part of Jalsa is the International Bai’at ceremony that is the pledge of allegiance at the hand of our Beloved Khalifa.

When thousands of Ahmadi Muslims on-site form a human chain leading to His Holiness, and when all of us here and millions from around the world watching through live broadcast, repeat in unison behind the Khalifa the words of the pledge, the physical connection is turned into an emotional and spiritual connection.

We ask for God’s forgiveness and pledge to fulfil the rights of God and to fulfil the rights of our fellow human beings and be of benefit to mankind in every way possible. It is a very soul stirring and uplifting experience. It won’t be wrong to say it gives me life. A spiritual rebirth.

It is truly moving seeing everyone united behind one leader, His Holiness, the Khalifatul Masih and following one motto of Love for All Hatred for None.