Voice of British Muslim Women

Reflections of guests and volunteers of Jalsa UK, compiled by Sameea Jonnud

Months of preparations, thousands of workers and tens of thousands of guests have played their part in Jalsa Salana 2023. This Jalsa was special as it was the first international one since 2019 and particularly for Lajna as it fell during the centenary year of the auxiliary. Yesterday’s address to Lajna by current Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper), the congregational pledge of allegiance this morning which saw 217,168 from 114 countries join the community and the atmosphere of the Lajna space all made for a memorable Jalsa. As Jalsa begins to draw to a close, how do the attendees feel?

Qanita is from Bournemouth and spoke about her Jalsa experience. “This year I found Jalsa particularly exciting as I had the opportunity to work on the unique ‘Existence Project’ run by the Review of Religions – a magazine started by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in 1902. I was specifically working on the ‘Code Breaker’ stall which discusses a mystery revelation received by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) involving a sequence of numbers and a mystery symbol yet to be decoded (published in his book ‘Asmani Faisla/The Heavenly Decree’). I only learnt of the revelation at last year’s Jalsa, but I thought it was fascinating then and was grateful to be able to learn more about it this year and have the chance to tell others about it too! InshAllah I hope that the more people know about it, the closer we will get to unveiling it’s true meaning. The Review of Religions always host knowledgeable and intriguing exhibitions that I encourage everyone to visit at Jalsa if they have the time.”

Farrah volunteered at Jalsa for 15 years and attended this year as a guest. “I did feel guilty not being on duty this year. Alhamdolillah, I have been fortunate enough to help a few of elderly people who needed help and the realisation that I could have easily missed the opportunity to do so has been on mind ever since then. So it has occurred to me that perhaps some people should be on duty who could mingle with the crowd and just help people. That’s the spirit of Jalsa and needs to be nurtured in the next generation.”

Mother of three Munazzah is a volunteer at Jalsa. “Jalsa as a mum is a juggling act -making sure the children are fed, clean (as far as mud levels allow) and comfortable whilst absorbing as much of the spiritual nourishment on offer as we can ourselves. My children Alhamdolilllah are out of the nappy and buggy stage but not quite able to join me in the main Jalsa gah marquee. So the children are alternating between the men’s section with their dad and with me in the women’s section of Jalsa, depending on our duties each day and where Beloved Huzoor (may Allah be his Helper) will be speaking. During Jalsa even the children join in with the spiritual exercises and develop a renewed zeal for religious practices; this morning my older two were adamant that they wanted to join the congregational tahajjud (pre-dawn) Prayer. The sisterhood that exists within the community and at Jalsa means that children are always welcome and looked after and even entertained when their mums are busy as part of their assigned responsibilities in the Jalsa.”

Thousands of people stay at the Jalsa site and Sahrish is one of the team who receive them. “Working at Accomodation is rewarding as we get to take care of the Promised Messiah’s guests, but often times it does get overwhelming. However, some experiences remind me again of why we enjoy doing this work every year. For example, a mother and daughter from Rabwah attended their first Jalsa this year and shared their awe and enjoyment with me, and many others express deep gratitude and give us dua (prayers), and these experiences make the difficult times seem insignificant.”

Izza volunteered for her first duty at Jalsa this year. “My name is Izza and throughout Jalsa I have been doing duty at the audio visuals stall. We sell CDs of many nazms from throughout the years, salaat and more. This year was my first time doing duty and I thoroughly enjoyed it as I have interacted with people that have come from all over the world for Jalsa. My experience at Jalsa has been fun and exciting as I met family members who I haven’t seen for a few years due to Covid. Despite the squelching mud and dirty shoes, Jalsa has been an ecstatic and happy time bringing everyone together all over the world for such a joyous occasion.”

Hannah came to Jalsa from Wolverhampton. “The last time I came for Jalsa was in 2019 and the attendance and everything was so different from now, I’m so overwhelmed by the number of participants, the Lajna, the organisation, everything is in place. I’m really happy myself, and my three boys have really enjoyed Jalsa this time around. I’ve got a child who has special educational needs and the provision at the SEND side was so superb, we felt so comfortable and were able to listen to all the speakers so well; our accommodation, food, everything. All in all, I would say, we’re very happy about everything.”

Jalsa Salana winds up for the year and while everyone feels sadness there are also memories of how this Jalsa was, the sense of spiritual rejuvenation and counting down the days until Jalsa Salana 2024.