The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that man should seek prayers all the time and in every situation and should adhere to: 'And as for the bounty of your Lord do relate it to others.' (93:12) This increases love of God and enhances passion to be obedient and loyal to God.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said that during his trips abroad God's bounties increase manifold. With His grace God blesses the programmes and the true message of Islam reaches a large number of people impressing them along the way. The main purpose of Huzoor's recent German tour was to grace the German Jalsa Salana, however many programmes took place through which true Islam was introduced to others. When God's bounties are granted beyond one's efforts and prayers it becomes that much more essential to relate them. The way Jalsa Salana Germany and other programmes were blessed by God taking the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat to a vast number of people draws attention to relate those blessings. German Jama'at should in particular be most grateful to God in this regard and turn to Him more than ever. It is not possible to reach hearts and minds without God's grace. At times even dynamic speeches cannot have the needed affect while things said in simple words make a mark.
Guests at Jalsa and other programmes were most impressed by the proceedings and general atmosphere. Many guests attended Jalsa from eastern and western European countries as did many non-Ahmadi Muslims. Guests came from many countries including Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Latvia, Belgium, Italy, Spain etc. Ahmadis of various ethnicities residing in Germany also came and met Huzoor.
Sixteen guests came from Albania and two of them took Bai'at. One Ahmadi came with his wife, both are legal professionals. The wife had not taken Bai'at although her husband had done Tabligh to her. She took Bai'at at Jalsa and said that she found the experience of attending Jalsa most extraordinary. She said she knew of the beauties of Islam through her husband's Tabligh but accepted it with absolute conviction at Jalsa during meeting with Huzoor. She wept with emotion throughout in spite of her relative youth. Another guest from Albania also announced during meeting that he accepted Ahmadiyyat with full conviction.
A guest from Kosovo said he had attended last year's Jalsa as well but found this year the organisation and arrangements to be distinctively better.
Sixty two guests came from Macedonia; fourteen were Christian and thirty seven non Ahmadi Muslims. They travelled thirty six hours to get to Jalsa. The group included two journalists who recorded Jalsa on camera and said they would broadcast it on TV on their return home. One guest said he was taking great memories of Jalsa with him adding that even developed countries could not organise an event like Jalsa. Another guest said it was the first time in his life that he had met so many good people. He was most impressed by the message of Islam and said that Ahmadis put in practice all that the banners at Jalsa proclaimed. A journalist guest from Macedonia said that he had been around the world as a journalist but had found Jalsa programme to be excellent. He was impressed by the general air of tolerance and brotherhood of man he experienced at Jalsa. Another guest said it was his first time at Jalsa and he heard all the addresses. He had no idea there was such a community in Islam. He now had knowledge as well as experience of Ahmadiyyat and felt as he was part of the Jama'at. Another guest said he would reflect on whatever he had listened to during Jalsa as regards the difference between Ahmadis and other Muslims. He suggested that Jama'at should send missionaries wherever it did not have any. Another guest said he was intimately introduced to Muslims for the first time at Jalsa and he listened to the addresses informing him about Islam.
A guest from Bosnia said he did not have a very strong connection with the Jama'at but after meeting Hazrat Khalifatul Masih he had feelings of closeness and had great respect for Huzoor.
A Russian family came from Sweden with a new Ahmadi. He accepted Ahmadiyyat in 2013 but had not met Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. He was very emotional after meeting Huzoor. He had a bad leg and during his travel to Jalsa needed to stop every two hours to stretch his leg. However, he did not feel the need to stop during the return journey which was seventeen hours long and put it down to the blessings of Jalsa.
A lady guest from Croatia said she had read a book of the head of the Ahmadiyya Jama'at and had also read his addresses to Peace Symposiums 2014/2015. She had assumed he would have a severe personality but meeting him allayed this impression.
A guest from Hungary said he was very impressed how everyone, young and old greeted each other warmly at Jalsa. Although he did not understand the language people spoke their faces showed him that they were all dispensing feelings of love. He said he had seen the east and the west but had never seen what he saw at Jalsa ever before. Another guest from Hungary who is a Jew had reservations when talking to our missionary before coming to Jalsa. However, after meeting Huzoor he said that not only Ahmadis believed in Love for all hatred for none, but also practiced it. He has also offered his help and support to the Jama'at in Hungary. Another guest from Hungary who is originally from Burkina Faso came with his daughters. His wife is Hungarian and did not want the daughters to accompany the father on their own, so she sent her mother along. The maternal grandmother was very impressed by the Jalsa and borrowed a scarf to cover her head. She was very emotional during meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih and said the world of Jalsa/Ahmadiyyat was a different world in a very positive sense.
A guest from Germany, originally from Central African Republic, said when he was invited to Jalsa he assumed at the most there would be hundred guests. Attending Jalsa transformed his view and he felt he was in a trance-like state all the time.
A guest from Montego said he listened to the speeches and observed the general arrangements and found them all extraordinary. Another guest from Montego said Muslims say that, God forbid, Ahmadis do not accept the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). However, what he closely observed with his own eyes at Jalsa made him realise the allegations were entirely false.
A guest from Belgium who is originally from Morocco said the spiritual ambience of Jalsa had moved his very soul. He said seeing Hazrat Khalifatul Masih his viewpoint had changed and he said may God enable him to take Bai'at.
A German guest said attending Jalsa was a first time opportunity for him to understand Ahmadiyyat. Whatever Hazrat Khalifatul Masih had said was the truth and if the people put it in practice the world would be a peaceful place.
A new Ahmadi from France who took Bai'at three weeks ago said he has always been a Muslim but had no steadfastness of faith. When he offered Salat behind Hazrat Khalifatul Masih for the first time ever he experienced tearful emotions. He said he experienced Divine signs every day since accepting Ahmadiyyat.
A student guest said prior to coming to Jalsa he had very negative impression of Islam garnered through the electronic media. But coming to Jalsa he found everything to be so different and positive. He said he observed true Islam among the Ahmadis.
A guest from Lithuania who is a lawyer said he was most impressed by the Jalsa. He had listened to the addresses of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih and felt he came to know about true Islam by coming to Jalsa. He said he would offer legal help and support to Jama'at back in Lithuania.
A guest from Bosnia said Hazrat Khalifatul Masih had presented a concept of a Living God. He said only Jama'at Ahmadiyya says that God is alive today as He always was.
A guest from German Belgian border said he did not take religion seriously prior coming to Jalsa. But attending Jalsa transformed him.
Another guest said he was enabled to take Bai'at owing to the English language address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. He said his heart was now replete with love and light.
A guest from Syria whose father is an Ahmadi and had done Tabligh to him but the son had not taken Bai'at. He had a question and answer session with our missionary but was still not convinced. He was asked to pray, he said he prayed anyhow, he was told to pray fervently. On the second day of Jalsa a meeting was held with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih after his address. The guest said to our missionary on the day to give him one proof of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) from the Holy Qur'an which he did and also told him about prophecies of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and their fulfilment. The guest was ready to take Bai'at because he had found the sign he was looking for. He prayed most fervently that night and had a dream. In the dream he sees the words Al Ahmadiyya written in large letters on a wall. During the address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih he felt he wanted to be close to Huzoor. Momentarily he felt as if he dozed off and found himself next to Huzoor. He felt greatly satisfied and as a result took Bai'at.
A Christian guest from Italy came to Jalsa who is the general secretary of an organisation called 'Religions for Peace'. He also has influence in the Vatican. He took a very positive impression of Jalsa and wrote an article in which said he had to acknowledge that he was impressed by what he saw. He said Ahmadis are truly Muslims. He said it was his personal observation that thousands belonging to different ethnicities came together at Jalsa which was managed by hundreds of volunteers. He said the person who drove him around told him that he had taken two weeks unpaid leave from work to volunteer his services for Jalsa. Regarding the address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih he said it lead to the right path.
A Syrian guest said that he had never before seen such a well organised event. He said he had read Baraheen e Ahmadiyya and felt that no one wrote such a book in the nineteenth century in defence of Islam.
Usually guests do not draw attention to any deficiencies during Jalsa but two lady guests from Albania said that a lot of food was being wasted in the ladies section. Jalsa management, especially Lajna should focus on this. A lady guest from Macedonia said their accommodation was far off from Jalsa site and it was tiring to travel there and back. Management should facilitate close-by accommodation for such guests. Officer Jalsa Salana also noted down some deficiencies. Noting one's own shortcoming leads to betterment. Attention needs to be given to cleanliness. Some people appeared to have mentioned that pasta dish was not available at Langar. The real purpose of Jalsa is partaking of spiritual food and we should eat whatever food is served at Jalsa. Sometimes some workers also adopt a harsh stance which is hurtful for people. Workers should gauge the situation and if the need of a guest is genuine then even if they have to by-pass rules to serve the guest, they should.
Jalsa was organised very well this year and Officer Jalsa Salana's work was very good. An eye should be kept on whatever deficiencies there were this year and things will be better next year. Last year's inadequacies like the sound system were removed this year. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih thanked all Jalsa workers.
Some mosques were also inaugurated during the German tour of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. At one inauguration a local resident said that he had heard Hazrat Khalifatul Masih's address to the European Parliament and was eager to listen to his address at the local level of mosque inauguration to see if he only spoke about peace when addressing prominent and influential people. He observed that Huzoor spoke of the exact same teaching in the local address as he had at the European Parliament and this impressed the guest a lot. The local mayor and other guest also gave their views.
At another mosque inauguration the regional commissioner said he was most impressed by the address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. He suggested that the address should be made available online. A lady member of parliament said she was happy to attend the mosque inauguration. She said due to the current misgivings about Islam it was important for everyone to come together to give a message of peace. Another guest said that it was difficult for him to come up with a positive view of Islam previously but after listening to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih he felt Islam was a religion of peace. An engineer who had participated in the construction of mosque said he agreed with everything Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said in his address. He said the entire event did not have the pretence he finds at church events.
All these events were widely covered by online media and the message reached 106 to 107 million people through other media. Newspapers which covered the events have readership of 32 million. Three radio stations also ran the news while four television channels broadcast it. On the last day of Jalsa a lady journalist interviewed Hazrat Khalifatul Masih which will be published in two parts on an online newspaper which gets 17.5 hits.
News of the inauguration of the last mosque was covered by three newspapers with a readership of 116,000.
Foundation stone of a mosque was also laid and this was covered by newspaper with a readership of 6 million.
An interview of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih has been posted in a weekly paper with a readership of 1.5 million which gets 5 million hits online. This interview was taken by an Ahmadi journalist.
While Jalsa Salana facilitates spiritual development for our own it also provides a true illustration of Islam to others. Many people who were not ready to take Bai'at previously felt ready after meeting Hazrat Khalifatul Masih and after asking some questions. We have so much to be grateful for! May God enable the Jama'at to look after these new comers and may the blessings of Jalsa spread far and wide. May God enable every attendee of Jalsa to enjoy its lasting benefits!
Funeral Prayer in absentia was announced for Rasheeda Begum Sahiba, wife of a dervish of Qadian who passed away on 1 June at the age of 77. She was a moosia.