Voice of British Muslim Women

Kholood Tahir, Morden South

Every year, Jalsa Salana serves as a checkpoint for our personal growth and development. It offers a chance to retreat from society, immerse ourselves in a spiritual environment, worship our Lord, and rejuvenate our faith.

As the Promised Messiah (upon whom be peace) stated, “The primary purpose of this Convention is to enable every sincere individual to personally experience religious benefits; They may enhance their knowledge and – due to their being blessed and enabled by Allah, The Exalted – their perception [of Allah] may progress” (Ishtihar 7 Dec. 1892, Majmoo`ah Ishtiharat Vol. I, Page 340).

The atmosphere of Jalsa is palpable now, and a lot of us have started our preparations for the three days. How many of us have already checked the weather multiple times and started dusting off our wellies and raincoats or sunglasses and handheld fans to be prepared for every possibility of weather?

Another way to dive into the Jalsa atmosphere is to rewatch the inspiring addresses of our beloved Huzoor His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his Helper) from previous years and reflect on how well we have implemented those lessons in our lives. His addresses last year, like every year, contained a wealth of knowledge and invaluable lessons for our moral and spiritual development, including the empowering role of pioneering women in early Islam, encouraging us to emulate their qualities, and the importance of caring for the poor in our society, with so many countless and comprehensive lessons for us to learn and benefit from.

So, if you, like me, are also wondering how we could be preparing for this year’s Jalsa Salana, here’s some things we can consider!

1. Setting our intentions & prayer: making our intentions to attend Jalsa with the mindset to learn, dedicating ourselves to worshipping Allah and learning about faith. Also, as His Holiness (may Allah be his Helper) mentioned in his recent Friday Sermon, praying for all attendees.

2. Rewatching & reflecting: reminding ourselves of previous years’ addresses of His Holiness (may Allah be his Helper) and reflecting on his guidance and how well we’ve implemented those teachings in the previous year.

3. Preparing our young ones: talking to them about the purpose of Jalsa, the sanctity of congregational prayer behind His Holiness, may Allah be his Helper, the importance of cleanliness and discipline during speeches, the spirit of showing love and kindness to the guests of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). And ensuring we adhere to these too!

4. Packing accordingly: pack everything needed to be able to do all of the above, including those wellies, raincoats, sunglasses, and handheld fans (as necessary).

5. Embracing the experience: taking full advantage of the blessings of being able to attend. Jalsa is like a spiritual school, so bringing along a notebook and a pen is also not a bad idea!

As we count down the days, it’s almost hard to believe that Jalsa Salana is upon us once again. While much may have changed in our worldly lives since we last retreated to the serene Hampshire countryside, the real question is: how much progress have we made spiritually over the past year? And how will we ensure that we make the most of Jalsa this year? Insha’Allah, may Allah enable us all to fulfil the purpose of Jalsa Salana as set out by our beloved Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and may this Jalsa be one of blessings and learning for us all, Ameen.