This address was delivered on May 7, 2026 at the opening session of Majlis-e-Shura Canada. AhmadiyyaJournal.ca takes all responsibility for any publication errors that may occur in this speech.
I welcome each of you, delegates, office-bearers, and guests, to the 49th Majlis Shura of Jamaʻat Ahmadiyya Canada. May Allah the Almighty enable all of us to deliberate with sincerity, speak with wisdom, and present our recommendations in a manner that is worthy of this blessed institution. Amen.
This year marks another chapter in a tradition of consultation that has now stretched over a century within our Jamaʻat. When Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) established Majlis-e-Shura in April 1922 in Qadian, he planted a seed — one that has since taken root on every continent and grown into an institution whose scope and reach could hardly have been imagined in those early days. It is a profound blessing of Allah that we gather here today as inheritors of that vision.
Before our deliberations begin in earnest, I wish to reflect on what Majlis-e-Shura truly is, and what distinguishes it from every other consultative body on earth.
In the assemblies and parliaments of the world, it is common to witness something deeply troubling: debate for the sake of debate; opposition for the sake of opposition; speech crafted not to serve the people, but to serve the speaker. Factions form. Personalities clash. Agendas compete. The loudest voice, or the most persistent one, often prevails — not the wisest.
Majlis-e-Shura is, by divine guidance, is the exact opposite of all of that.
We do not come here representing parties or factions. We do not come here to advance personal agendas or to score points against one another. There is, in this institution, only one party — and that is the party of Allah. Our sole purpose is to serve the mission of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him): to revive the true teachings of Islam and carry that message to every corner of the world.
When this is truly understood, only then everything about how we participate in Shura will change. The tone shall change. The listening will change. The quality of what we offer will also change.
The standard against which every contribution in these halls must be measured is not eloquence, its not expertise, its not seniority — it is Taqwa, The fear of Allah.
Our beloved Huzoor Amir ul-Mo’mineen (may Allah be his Helper) has reminded us, time and again, of the spirit in which delegates must participate. He has described what is expected of us with characteristic clarity: that whatever opinion or counsel we offer, must be given sincerely, with the fear of Allah coursing through our veins, and keeping in mind the primary objective of Majlis-e-Shura.
And that primary objective — let us never lose sight of it — is not to resolve administrative matters. It is to advance the divine mission of the Imam of the Age. Every proposal we discuss, every budget line we deliberate upon, every recommendation we offer, is ultimately in service of that greater purpose.
As the deliberations of the 49th National Majlis Shura begins, let us ask ourselves: In this Shura, will I be speaking because I have something of genuine value to contribute? Will I be listening with the intent to understand, or only to respond? Will I be participating with humility — or seeking to establish my own standing?
These are not comfortable questions. But they are ones that require self-reflection.
Our deliberations must be rooted in Taqwa; in the fear of Allah; in a genuine desire to see the mission of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) advance. That is the only standard.
Huzoor (may Allah be his Helper) has, with great emphasis, reminded those of us who hold positions of responsibility in the Jamaʻat that our external efforts — administrative, financial, organisational — can only bear lasting fruit when they are complemented with an inner spiritual reformation.
Financial sacrifice alone does not complete our duty. Organisational excellence alone does not complete our duty. These are means, not ends. The end is to become closer to Allah — individually and collectively — and to be the kind of people that others are naturally drawn to: as bearers of the message of Islam, and as examples of its beauty.
Huzoor has said, and this is the one reflection I wish to leave with you at the outset of these sessions:
“You should pray that Allah blesses all the plans and recommendations made by Shura… Far more importantly, you must pray that you are counted amongst those whose worship of Allah the Almighty continues to increase and whose spiritual and moral states become such that they become true role models for others.” — (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, Address to 43rd UK Majlis-e-Shura, 2022)
Let this be the prayer with which each one of us enters every session during these three days. Let us not enter these sessions with the mindset that “let my recommendation be accepted” but rather with a mindset that “let me be the kind of person who is worthy of offering a recommendation”.
I wish to close these opening remarks with the words of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II (may Allah be pleased with him), spoken at the very founding of this institution, over a century ago. They carry a weight and a vision that is as alive today as the day when they were spoken:
“Our Majlis-e-Mushawarat is not worth ignoring. At present it may not be possible to perceive its full significance, for it is yet like a seed — and even the greatest tree is at one time only a seed. We must remember that the future before us is not as limited as it might appear today; it is a bright and glorious future. We cannot say that only in the future will these consultations be of importance — they are important even now. In fact, they are even more important today, for that glorious future will be born out of today.” (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, Report Majlis-e-Shura 1926)
Brothers and sisters: that glorious future is still being born. And it is being born, in part, right here — in these halls, in these deliberations, through the sincerity with which each one of you is present here today.
May Allah guide our tongues, purify our hearts, cleanse our intentions, and bless the proceedings of this 49th Majlis Shura with His mercy and His grace. May He grant Syedna Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih Vaa with a long life and continue to shower His blessings upon the blessed Jamaʻat of the Promised Messiah (as). Amen!.
Please join me for silent prayers.
