Source: Press Release
The 50th Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United Kingdom concluded on Sunday 14 August 2016 with a powerful and faith-inspiring address by the World Head the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.
During his concluding address, His Holiness called on Islam’s critics to judge the religion on its true teachings, rather than focusing upon the hateful acts of a tiny minority of extremists.
More than 38,000 people attended the Jalsa Salana, which took place at Hadeeqatul Mahdi in Alton, Hampshire.
Apart from the thousands of Ahmadi Muslims who participated, many non-Ahmadi and non-Muslim guests also attended. The entire event was also broadcast live onMTA International and streamed online.
One of the highlights of the three-day Jalsa Salana was the pledge of allegiance, known as Bai’at that took place on Sunday afternoon, where the participants pledged allegiance to Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad as the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph) of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).
The participants formed a human chain leading to the Khalifa as they repeated the words of the pledge in unison.
Prior to the ceremony, His Holiness announced that more than 584,000 people had joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community during the past year from all around the world. He also announced that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was now established in 209 countries.
In his concluding address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said that critics of Islam continued to raise unjust and entirely unfounded allegations against the religion.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Today’s disorder and terrorism is a result of the fact that people are distorting the teachings of religion and most certainly their hate filled and evil actions do not have any link to the true teachings of Islam.”
His Holiness said Islam laid the foundation for peace by promoting true equality between peoples and nations. Islam taught that no nation or people held superiority over others.
His Holiness said that Islam sought to create peace at every level of society and that the basis for peace in society lay in a person’s home. He said that Islam laid particular emphasis on the rights of parents.
In contrast, His Holiness said that those people in developed nations who routinely branded Islam as a cruel religion were themselves forgetting their fundamental obligation to their parents.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“In the developed world many people claim that they do not even have the time to meet their parents regularly, let alone to serve them and care for them in old age. The more advanced they consider themselves the further away they move from fulfilling their basic responsibilities.”
His Holiness emphasised that true justice could not be established without creating a link with God Almighty.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad