Insha’Allah, the 48th Jalsa Salana of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Canada starts today, July 10th. The last day is July 12, 2026. Following are some thoughts on why we should attend this blessed gathering.
1. What is the purpose of Jalsa Salana?
The Promised Messiah (as) explained himself, stating that the key purpose of this convention is that every sincere individual should personally experience religious benefit, broaden their knowledge, and deepen their understanding of Allah the Almighty (Majmu’ah Ishtiharat, Vol. 1, p. 340). In simple terms, the Jalsa offers a yearly reset for the soul, setting aside three days from the usual hustle bustle of life, so that we can look honestly at where we stand with God.
2. Why should one attend?
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) has reminded us that attending the Jalsa is nothing like attending a worldly gathering (Friday Sermon, 12 August 2016). The rest of the year is filled with classes, work, entertainment, life distractions and noise, but the Jalsa is the one weekend of the year that is designed to draw us away from all of that. There is also a blessing attached to attendance that is easy to overlook. The Promised Messiah (as) prayed especially for those who attend this Jalsa, and everyone who makes an effort to attend, becomes a recipient of those prayers. That alone makes the journey worthwhile.
3. What are the benefits?
Huzoor (aba) has explained that the purpose of attending is to improve our spiritual, intellectual and moral condition, and to establish the love of Allah the Almighty and His Messenger (sa) in our hearts (Friday Sermon, 28 July 2023). Sitting among thousands of people who are all striving to improve at the same time creates an atmosphere that genuinely rubs off on a person, and Huzoor (aba) urged attendees to benefit from that atmosphere at every moment in order to keep themselves spiritually pure. No app or video can replace that experience.
4. What should we do during the Jalsa?
Every speech should be listened to with silence and full attention, because the Promised Messiah (as) strongly disapproved of the habit of listening only to favourite speakers while ignoring the rest (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 398-401). Prayers must be guarded as well; Huzoor (aba) has said that without worship, the objective of the Jalsa cannot be achieved, even for those performing duties. Kindness towards others matters just as much, which means overlooking one another’s mistakes, cooperating with parking directions, keeping the site clean, and greeting people with a smile, for the Holy Prophet (sa) said that smiling at others is an act of charity (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1956).
Finally, our intention deserves an honest check, because the Promised Messiah (as) said that guests who come only expecting comfort and good food do themselves harm. When a person comes for the sake of Allah, everything else becomes a bonus.
If these three days are treated as an ordinary weekend, they will pass like one. If they are treated as an opportunity to grow, then Insha’Allah they can quietly change the path of your life.
