Voice of British Muslim Women

Iffat Mirza, Raynes Park

It is far too easy to be caught up in what we consider to be our conquests, victories, and achievements. In doing so it can be quite tempting to only see ourselves as part of an external world and forget about the world internal to us. Consequently, we forget our true selves and seek only to conquer the world outside.

The world within, then, withers away.

I sometimes think that others think faith is static. Or at least, that’s the expectation. Once you have it, you keep it and it’s always there. I think I also used to think this when I was little. But as I’ve grown and experienced the world a little more, it’s become apparent that this is not the case for someone like me. Perhaps for those more righteous and holy, it is, but not for an ordinary person like me.

In these moments where the waves of faith ebb and flow, I am grateful that I belong to a community which acknowledges human nature and has put in place ways to ensure our faith can be rejuvenated. The Jalsa Salana, the annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a three-day event with humble beginnings in a small village, Qadian, in Northern India, proves to be just this for me. The first Jalsa Salana saw some 75 blessed individuals attending. By the grace of God today we see around 40,000 attendees at Jalsa Salana UK. It truly is a sight to behold.

From the preparations that are underway months ahead of the actual event, to the concluding silent prayer, there is no doubt that this event is truly a blessing from God. I have never, in any other context, seen men, women, and children sacrifice their time and efforts. There is truly no worldly gain to the effort which goes into making this event a reality, but the pure passion of faith which drives each individual. Practically overnight, the huge site is turned into a miniature city purely functioning on the idea that the hosts and attendees all believe it to be three days of faithfulness.

Just seeing this microcosm of what the world could be is enough to cause me to look at the world within me. It allows me to reconsider my own priorities and reconcile these priorities with my faith.

Beyond this, key moments of the blessed three days are essential to my understanding of faith. Namely, the international Bai’at. The very symbolism of pledging my allegiance to the leader of a community which professes the motto ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ is beyond words any language can articulate. The grand human chain, leading to just one hand, that of Amir ul Momineen – The Leader of the Faithful – is one which reminds me that me being content in my faith is of personal concern to someone.

Like most events, the Jalsa Salana, as we usually know it, was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID 19 Pandemic. Upon its return in 2021, though to a reduced scale, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) stated at the inspection of the event “this year, though the restrictions fluctuate, it was decided that even if at a small scale, the Jalsa Salana should be held so that people’s spiritual thirst could be quenched, and the volunteers who long to serve the guests of the Promised Messiah (peace be on him) could also perform their duties.”

I am so grateful to belong to a community where it is openly acknowledged that faith and spirituality is not always consistent – that is not to say it is absent, but nonetheless it needs nurturing and rejuvenating. The Jalsa Salana serves to quench this thirst. It is the nurturing rain in what could otherwise be a drying desert. The three days are beyond this existence. From the clattering of the chairs as they are packed away, and the headlights illuminating the country lanes as attendees make their way home, there is no sound nor sight which is not saturated with a faith-inspiring spirit.