Home / Friday Sermons / September 7th, 2018

Jalsa Salana Germany 2018

Summary of Friday Sermon Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V(aba)

After reciting the Tashahhud, Ta’wwuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) stated: Alhamdulillah, all praise is due to Allah, today the Germany Jalsa is beginning and God Almighty has enabled us to take part in another Jalsa. What is Jalsa Salana? We have been hearing for many years; in fact, we have been hearing about it right from its inception, which was more than a hundred and twenty-five years ago, that the essence of the Jalsa as explained by the Promised Messiah (as) is that this is no worldly fair, nor is this a gathering for worldly purpose and to show the numbers of the community. Neither is it to exert any worldly influence upon others; rather, those gathering here should gather purely for the sake of God Almighty, and to not only quench their intellectual and spiritual thirst and to excel in knowledge and spirituality but also to gain knowledge of the rights of God Almighty’s creation and seek to fulfil those rights.

However, with great regret I have to say that although some people do come to attend the Jalsa, yet they attain nothing except socialising with their friends and engaging in leisurely conversations. Such people then create problems. Some of them also become a means for the youth and young childen to stumble and deviate from the right path. Some carry out extremely unpleasant acts and think that no one can see them. We should always remember that God Almighty is always watching us. Thus the first thing that I would like to say today is that each and every single person should firmly understand that this Jalsa is a spiritual gathering. It is held purely for us to progress in righteousness and to establish a connection with God Almighty and to excel in it. However,  in front of external guests such faults and flaws are kept hidden from them as one behaves more cautiously before them and also God Almighty covers such faults and flaws so that the reputation of the Jama’at is not ruined by the misconduct of a few and as a result such behaviour goes unheard of. But, as I have said that the first thing that I want speak of is regarding the purpose of the Jalsa. The purpose as explained by the Promised Messiah (as) is so that righteousness is developed. In relation to the purpose of the Jasla, the Promised Messiah addressing the attendees stated that they should develop the fear of God Almighty and they should become an example for others in righteousness, piety, virtue, goodness, soft-heartedness, mutual love and brotherhood. Humility, humbleness and honesty should establish within them. Furthermore, advising his community, the Promised Messiah (as) states, “Adopt righteousness as this is the root for everything. The meaning of righteousness is to safeguard oneself from even the smallest and the minor sins.’ He states that righteousness is that even if there is a slight doubt of something being sin, one should abstain from it. If everyone was to assess themselves, they will be able to determine whether or not they are making an effort to abstain from that which even remotely could be deemed as a sin.

If upon reflection and after assessing one’s own condition, one believes that they are acting accordingly then they can say that thy have attained the true purpose of Jalsa or are making an effort to attain it. Otherwise, merely listening to speeches, displaying temporary passion and raising slogans holds no meaning. Some people although raise slogans, however their facial expressions and the manner in which they smile illustrate that they have no real passion at heart and are merely raising slogans for the sake of it. Before such expressions and actions were hidden, but know the lens of the camera reveals their true state without their knowledge and then this is saved for ever. First these programs were only aired on MTA but now they are also on Social Media and their faces are visible, and their facial expression are visible.

Then setting another criterion for one’s inner state and righteousness, the Promised Messiah (as) states, “the effects of righteousness become visible for the righteous person in this world. It is an immediate effect. Just as poison and antidote have an immediate effect on the body.” When a person consumes a poison or takes medicine, the effects start to appear and sometimes they are immediate, in the same manner this is the effect of righteousness. This is the criterion that the Promised Messiah has laid out. Therefore, it is not possible that the effects of righteousness are not exhibited from a person who treads on the path of righteousness. A person who treads on the path of righteousness can never come close to committing an evil and their thoughts begin to purify.

Therefore, everyone should asses themselves. On one occasion, the Promised Messiah (as) states, “The reason why I repeatedly say this because the purpose for which God Almighty has established this community is that the true cognition of the Divine which has disappeared from the world and true righteousness and purity which is also not found in this day and age be established once again.” The true knowledge of the Divine has become diminished in this world and worldly objects have taken over. Focus towards God Almighty has decreased. The slogan or the pledge is to give precedence to faith over all worldly things; however, there are many occasions where wordly pursuits are given precedence and religion is left behind. What is the purpose of the Jama’at? It is to re-establish the righteousness and purity that is nowhere to be found in this world.

Thus one who according to the will of God Almighty endeavours to re-establish righteousness and purity, will be successful and in the sight of the Promised Messiah is a true Ahmadi and he is the one who fulfils the true purpose of the Jalsa. The other two matters that I want to draw attention to can only be acted upon if the hearts are filled with the fear of God and righteousness and there is a desire to fulfil the purpose of Jalsa according to the purpose as outlined by the Promised Messiah (as) whereby he states those qualities which should be adopted by the attendees. That is to say that after attaining the true cognition of God Almighty, one should adopt soft-heartedness, one shiuld develop tenderness and affection in their hearts for others. There should be mutual love, brotherhood, humility, humbleness and the highest standards of truthfulness should be established. There are two types the attendees of the Jalsa or groups of people. In fact, one of them shouldn’t be called attendees as such, rather one group is part of the administration of the Jalsa and the other group is of the attendees. In any case, these are the two groups of people and both of them need to develop these qualities. They cannot be exempted from them. Those who are performing duties, workers and those who are attending, both have to asses themselves according to these standards, the hosts and the guests. If both adopt righteousness, then these qualities can be developed.

Thus, with regards to this, I would like to draw the attention of both towards their responsibilities and obligations. If both of these groups are able to develop these distinctions, the atmosphere of Jalsa will become pleasant and the purpose of attending Jalsa will also be fulfilled. The people on duty may believe that since they have offered themselves for duties and are volunteers, therefore they have accomplished a great purpose or they have pleased God Almighty. Indeed, they have most certainly pleased God Almighty if they have also acted upon these matters. The participants will also not be able to say that since they have travelled here from great distances, they have pleased God Almighty. Indeed, they will also please Him if they develop a true understanding of God Almighty and focus their attention towards fulfilling the rights of mankind.

Firstly, I will draw the attention of the workers and the hosts towards the fact that they should particularly strive in order to develop these distinctions. They should control their feelings, take care of the guests under every circumstance and be soft spoken as the Promised Messiah (as) has mentioned. It is the primary responsibilities of office bearers and workers to be soft in their speech. [With regards to] being modest, it is the foremost responsibility of office bearers and workers to be modest. The guests should be taken care of under all circumstances and the office bearers as well as the workers should should be speak kindly and gently.

Then, there are the mutual relationships between workers. Even these should be based on love, sincerity and brotherhood. This also applies to the manner in which they deal with the guests, with one another and also between office bearers and their subordinates. If they become angry at another person’s comments while they are working, it will have a negative impact on guests, in particular non-Ahmadi guests, who are told that during the Jalsa of Ahmadis, everyone lives together with love and affection and that there is no expression of any form of anger. If they [non-Ahmadi guests] see such things, or any kind of disorder or even two people raising their voices, it will leave a wrong impression. Workers should always remember that as soon as they present themselves to serve for these few days, a service of the highest form i.e. serving the guests of the Promised Messiah (as), they should transform their attitudes in a manner which will neither cause any hardship to the guests, and nor to their fellow colleagues on duty. This quality of controlling one’s emotions is an aspect of the training that the Jalsa provides for supervisors as well as their subordinates. There is the department of parking, the department of traffic control as well as the departments of cooking and cleaning, every department should demonstrate excellent morals during these days. God Almighty states in the Holy Qur’an قولوا للناس حسنا (Al-Baqarah: 84). That is, ‘and speak to men kindly’. God Almighty has mentioned this aspect in order to establish and uphold the [high] standards of morals. This is a general guidance. A believer should demonstrate excellent morals at all times. However, in these particular circumstances, as you have offered yourself for the service of the guests of Jalsa, the guests of the Promised Messiah (as), who have come in order to improve their intellectual, practical and spiritual conditions, [you should demonstrate excellent morals]. The workers and those on duty will be able to train them practically through their own practical example. Thus, in accordance with this, you, the workers, will receive a twofold reward. Firstly, for offering yourself to serve at Jalsa and secondly, by training others through demonstrating good morals; by making others realise that every participant of Jalsa should demonstrate excellent morals.

If someone speaks in a harsh tone or says something wrong but notices that the volunteer on duty is responding politely and showing excellent morals, then this practical model will make such a person instantly realise their mistake and this this will become a source of reformation for them. The Holy Prophet (sa) stated: “There is nothing heavier on a scale than excellent morals.” Meaning that if you were to weigh excellent morals on a scale, then this is something that would turn out to be the heaviest because it is excellent morals that can ultimately bring an end to the disorder in the world. Excellent morals also take [people] towards fulfilling the rights we owe to God Almighty. In fact, the Promised Messiah (as) wrote that in some circumstances the rights due to mankind are more important than rights due to Allah. The Prophet of Allah (sa) stated that one is able to display a control over their emotions, observe patience because of excellent morals. They will have the courage to respond politely at someone’s wrongdoing. Man commits many sins and good morals become a source of forgiveness for other sins.

Therefore, the first thing that every volunteer should keep in mind is to practice excellent morals. Consider [the fact] that how cheap of a bargain this is. How Allah Almighty is particularly blesses those who remain quiet only His sake and smile continuously. If someone says that I also became angry because of the stress of my duty or because of someone’s inappropriate conduct then we should always consider the example of our master and guide, the Holy Prophet (sa) about whom Allah Almighty said that he is the perfect model for you. Is there any suffering that was not inflicted upon him? Is there any trouble that he did not experience or it was not brought upon him by others. The worries and sufferings endured by the Holy Prophet (sa) were much worse than the most difficult circumstances and sufferings a human can imagine. However, despite all of this the Companions (ra) stated that we had never seen anyone smile more than the Holy Prophet (sa). There was always a smile on his face. This is the model of our master and guide, the Holy Prophet (sa).

The Holy Prophet (sa) also stated, rather admonished us by saying: “A person who lacks compassion has been deprived of good.” If one does not display kindness then they will also be deprived of attaining any virtue. This is applicable for the volunteers and everyone else. There are many people who get involved in arguments with each other. They should also keep this in mind because as a result they are deprived of any goodness. God Almighty is granting this opportunity to you after a whole year, therefore everyone, particularly the volunteers, should display higher standards of excellent morals, and compassion than before and they should also smile more. Every volunteer should bear in mind the guidance provided by the Promised Messiah (as) in regards to treating the guest in an excellent manner. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “The heart of a guest is akin to a mirror that breaks upon the slightest push.” Whilst advising generally in regards to serving the guests, he stated: “bear attention! There are a lot of guests here. You know some of them and others you do not know personally. So it is best that you consider everyone as honourable and treat them accordingly.” Hence, there should not be any type of differentiation in the hospitality of guests. It should not happen that the known guests are treated better than those whom the hosts are not familiar with or they are welcomed in an indifferent manner. This year, many guests from Africa and various other countries are in attendance. In the past, people from East Europe and other areas of Europe would visit. Every single person who comes here should return with delightful memories of Jalsa Salana Germany and the hospitality shown here and this is dependent upon the people working here. Therefore, understand your responsibility in this regard. Also, every volunteer and every ahmadi who attends the Jalsa should become a source of spreading the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat by displaying a practical model of the beautiful teachings of Islam for those guests attending the Jalsa who are not Muslims.

Therefore, all of you are partaking in silent form Tabligh [spreading the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat]. This includes every Jama’at member in attendance and everyone on duty. Every volunteer for each department should keep in mind that their responsibility is absolutely vital as I mentioned for example that there are departments such as traffic control, parking, registration, scanning, cooking, dining, cleanliness and maintaining discipline etc. Every department is not only serving the guests rather, it is propagating the message silently. Hence, understand the significance of your duties. Regarding discipline, note that it is not necessary to have a stern face in order to be effective, particularly amongst the ladies. Girls uphold the discipline at Jalsas U.K. with smiles on their faces. Someone informed me: “A girl became a member of the discipline team. She would embarrass us every time we tried speaking to each other by showing the ‘Observe Silent’ card with a smile on her face. She would not utter a single word.” If people are reasonable then certainly they will observe silence when they are reminded to do so. If they are ignorant and ill-mannered and do not observe silence or some of them are so uncivil that they silence those on duty by saying: “We know when to observe silence”. Hence in such circumstances the young girls on duty should not say anything to these women. They should simply inform their in-charge about this who will speak to them directly. It is not the responsibility of girls to confront older women anywhere. Similarly, be particularly mindful if someone comes to the dining area after the prescribed dinning hours due to some constraint such as sickness or a child is crying and needs food. Such people should be accommodated as much as possible. If there are constraints, then they should be informed with utmost civility and politeness. If someone uses harsh words then remain quiet. Also, be mindful of the cleanliness in the washrooms for both men and women. Yesterday while addressing the volunteers, I directed their attention towards this. It is vital to attain humility and meekness in the heart and love for others in order to perform one’s duty in the best manner and in accordance with the standards established by the Promised Messiah (as). If this is practiced then your duties will be carried out for the sake of God Almighty.

Similarly, the guests in attendance should also bear in mind that, as I have mentioned in the beginning as well, your focus should be towards the objective of your visit which should be to establish a bond with Allah Almighty, to attain high standards in this regard and to fulfill the rights due to his servants. The guest who come here should always remember that they are attending the Jalsa to, as I have mentioned already that, develop righteousness in the hearts and to improve their academic, practical and spiritual condition. If this objective is kept in mind then there will be no room for any kind of enmity or complaint about others, particularly with workers and volunteers. A majority of those on duty are youngsters who are studying in schools, colleges and universities. Some of them work in good professions. They are only on duty because the guests of the Promised Messiah (as) are here. Those who are here as guests should elevate themselves to the level which grants them the honour of being called the Promised Messiah’s (as) guests. You do not become the guests [of the Promised Messiah (as)] merely by attending the Jalsa. If you are not following the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as), if you are not acting upon his instructions, you are not fulfilling the objective of the Jalsa. You can a thousand times that “I attend the Jalsa as a guest of the Promised Messiah (as)” but you are not his guest because your conduct shows that you are not acting accordingly. So the participants of the Jalsa should consider themselves absolved from these things. You will also have to reform your conduct and cooperate with the workers. There is no doubt that they have been appointed to serve you but good morals should be displayed by you as well. These youngsters come here with a passion to serve so guests should also treat them in a polite manner, so that their passion to serve and perform duties remains strong and further increases . It should not be that these youngsters run away from their duties for next year’s Jalsa because of the way they were treated by the guests.

Then those guests that are residents of Germany should bear in mind that on the one hand they are guests, but on the other hands they are also hosts. Therefore, they should be ready to offer any sacrifice for those guests that have travelled from outside of Germany, because all those who have travelled to the Jalsa from outside of Germany are now the guests, and those residing in Germany have now become the hosts. Thus, you ought to be prepared to offer sacrifices for them; whether you have to offer your seat, or if there is a shortage of space when eating food, you ought to sacrifice your place, or if they are in need of anything of any assistance, it is incumbent upon you to help them. On occasions due to a lack of understanding the language, the guests require assistance. Wherever they are in need of any help, you ought to provide assistance. This responsibility does not rest with the duty workers alone, rather, this is the duty of every Ahmadi to provide assistance. This in turn is the way to express love and brotherhood as outlined by the Promised Messiah (as).

Similarly, there are non-Ahmadi guests that attend the Jalsa, every Ahmadi should provide a good example for them. Only through seeing your examples will the outside world see a beautiful Islamic society; in which every Ahmadi displays examples of love, compassion and brotherhood. Therefore, both men and women should be mindful of this. If there is a shortage of food, one should show patience and steadfastness. The real sustenance for which you all have gathered here is spiritual and intellectual nourishment, therefore, strive to attain this as this is vital.

Likewise, only go to the bazaar at the appropriate time. I believe that the Taribyyat department usually only open the bazaar when the Jalsa proceedings have concluded. However, sometimes people assert pressure by saying that they are hungry and therefore should be permitted to enter [the bazaar]. I have stated many times before that the Mehmaan Nawaazi [Hospitality] department should make arrangements for such people. Then with regards to the bazaar in the ladies side or in the men’s, the sanctity and decorum of the Jalsa atmosphere should always be upheld. It should not be the case that one only upholds the sanctity of the Jalsa when one is seated in the Jalsa Gah [event hall]. In the entire premises and surrounding areas where there are campsites, marques erected or other halls, they are all part of the Jalsa and people should be mindful of the purity of the Jalsa even in these areas. As mentioned earlier, [Arabic] this commandment, which is found in the Holy Quran, does not only apply to workers, rather it applies to every Muslim and in particular every Ahmadi should be mindful of this.

I addressed the workers yesterday and also remind them today to display the highest morals and not to display any sort of discourteousness, but that does not mean that you should test their patience or create a situation which disrupts the decorum. If a worker from a respective department asks you to do something, you should display the best morals and obey them and cooperate with them. Thus, for every individual participating in the Jalsa, they should display the highest moral etiquettes in line with the teachings of the Holy Quran. During the times of the Jalsa programme you should remain seated and listen to the proceedings. You should leave only if it is essential. In every speech there is something that can improve the life of an Ahmadi. Similarly, whilst one is walking around during the Jalsa days, one should remain occupied in the remembrance of God, Darood [sending salutations on the Holy Prophet (sa)] and Istighfar [seeking repentance from God]. This remembrance of God and reciting darood will prove beneficial for every person as well as proving beneficial for the entire Jamaat. You should also pray for the situation of the Muslim Ummah to improve, especially given the present circumstances.

At present in the world the most darood is invoked upon Holy Prophet (sa). Only in prayer alone, perhaps millions of Muslims send salutations upon the Holy Prophet (sa). However, in the world today, the religious, spiritual and secular condition of the Muslims is most dire. This is because the darood is recited ceremoniously and their prayers are such that lead to destruction. Just as God Almighty has stated, their prayers are such which are thrown back in their faces. Therefore, in such a situation, a great responsibility is placed upon us Ahmadis to invoke salutations upon the Holy Prophet (sa) and pray for the progress of Islam, not only by showing sincerity and loyalty, but also through reforming one’s condition and inculcating the fear of God in their hearts. Having migrated to these countries, one should not solely focus on fulfilling ones worldly aspirations, rather, one should strive to reform one’s own condition. Aside from Darood one should preoccupy themselves in the remembrance of God.

Pray that may God Almighty enable us to achieve the objectives of the Jalsa Salana and reap its blessings. This journey that we have undertaken for a noble purpose, may we continue to receive its blessings and may Taqwa develop within our progenies. May we, our children and future progenies, be safeguarded from everything which God Almighty is displeased with. May our wealth be blessed and may we and our progenies never employ such means of acquiring wealth which according to God Almighty is wrong and disliked, or it comes under the category of Haram [unlawful]. Pray for your wives, children and husbands that may God Almighty keep them established on faith. May God Almighty save us from every trial which endangers our faith. May we always remain on the right path. We should pray for this during our Zikr-e-ilahi and even generally in our prayers. During these days, and even after this [Jalsa], we should be regular in the observance of the five daily prayers – and particularly those who are staying here, they should attend the Fajr prayer, in fact the Tahajjud prayer is also organised here and so they should also wake up to offer that. Similarly, those on duty if they can’t offer their prayers in congregation, they should offer it in congregation immediately after their duty is over, or they should offer their prayer in congregation before the duty starts in their respective duty areas. May God Almighty enable everyone to lead their lives in accordance to the pleasure of God and enable them to understand the true spirit of being a part of the Promised Messiah’s Jama’at and fulfil its due rights. What is this spirit? I shall describe this in the words of the Promised Messiah (as). The Promised Messiah (as) states:

“Until our Jama’at does not adopt Taqwa [righteousness], it cannot attain salvation and nor will God Almighty afford them His protection.”

The Promised Messiah (as) further states:

“Fill your houses with the remembrance of God Almighty and pay alms and charity and save yourselves from sin, so that God Almighty may grant you His mercy.”

May we lead our lives in accordance to what the Promised Messiah (as) has desired and reap the blessings of the Jalsa Salana. May we partake from the prayers which the Promised Messiah (as) has made for the attendees of the Jalsa Salana and may we partake of them in this Jalsa and may we continue to partake them in the future also. May God Almighty continue to enable us to perform virtuous deeds.

I did not mention something in relation to the administration and shall mention it now, and that is that everyone should be vigilant of their surroundings, those attending the Jalsa and also those on duty. Fully cooperate with those on security duty and if you notice anything suspicious, immediately report it to them. May God Almighty keep everyone in peace and security and may no such incident occur which could cause anyone any kind of loss.


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