THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM ANNUAL CONVENTION OF GUATEMALA CONCLUDES WITH PRAYERS – GAINS CONVERTS

Devote your all energies to the worship of Allah and devise plans to deliver the message of Ahmadiyyat [Love for all; Hatred for none] to the people of Guatemala - Message of His Holiness, Khalifatul Masih V.

Ahmadi Muslim members should adopt humility in their worship so that they may have their worship accepted by Allah - Maulana Naseem Mahdi

Guatemala City (Ahmadiyya Times | Staff News) November 8, 2009

The 20th Annual convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Guatemala concluded successfully on Sunday, November 8, 2009 with prayers led by Maulna Abdus Sattar, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Guatemala. The renewed zeal and spirit that are synonymous with Jalsa Salanas the world over were quite apparent in the participants here as well..

Maulana Naseem Mahdi, who is the incoming Missionary In-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of the United States (AMC-USA), led the Friday prayers on the opening days of the convention and advised the Ahmadi Muslim members to adopt humility in their worship so that they may have their worship accepted by Allah.

Maulana Naseem Mahdi had specially traveled to Guatemala to represent the spiritual head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. 

Hazrat Ahmad, who resides in London, UK, holds the title of Khalifatul Masih V, being the fifth successor of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Community.

Maulana Abdus Sattar, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Guatemala spoke about the life of the Holy Founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad and cited examples of the Prophet's love for the humanity at large and his care for the week and the poor in particular. He encouraged the members to study the Prophet's life and follow his example.

In the Saturday session of the event Maulana Abdus Sattar encouraged the Ahmadi Muslims to fulfill their responsibilities in the light of the Islamic teachings as explained by the Holy founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Promised Messiah and reformer of this age.

Munum Naeem, National Vice President of the AMC-USA and Dr. Waseem Sayed, a member of the National Executive Committee of the AMC-USA, had traveled with Maulana Naseem Mahdi to attend the Annual Convention in Guatemala, and the both spoke to the gathering and incited the participant to get involved in the cause of God by His worship and service to the mankind.

The weather that had remained damp on Friday and Saturday, turned bright and sunny on Sunday as the need arose for the use of outdoor facilities.

The attendance on the last day was close to 100 and among them were many friends of the community including a group of indigenous Guatemalans who came dressed in their full ceremonial clothes to participate in the Jalsa salana.  Their leader addressed the audience to thank the community with a promise to assist in the future as well.

Two local members who had recently converted to Ahmadiyya Islam also spoke at the convention.  Mr. Dario Samayoa of Quetzaltenango expressed that his many questions about God were not answered by his previous faith - Christianity.  His soul found peace when he was led to Islam Ahmadiyyat by God. 

Another new member Don Camelo from Huehuetenango spoke about his life as a senior church official but without having found God there. But as he had walked out of the doors of the church in desperation, he was led to Islam Ahmadiyyat by some invisible hand.

Arranging of the annual conventions is a tradition adopted everywhere to promote brotherhood and unity. The gatherings provide opportunities for the members to listen to the special messages from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, the spiritual head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the discourses by the learned members of the community.

The very first Jalsa Salana of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was held in 1892 in Qadian, India, under the guidance of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Stating the purpose of the Jalsa Salana, Hazrat Ahmad wrote in a brochure distributed on December 7, 1892: “The primary purpose of this Convention is to enable every sincere individual to personally experience religious benefits; They may enhance their knowledge and –due to their being blessed and enabled by Allah, The Exalted- their perception [ of Allah ] may progress. Among its secondary benefits is that this congregational meeting together will promote mutual introduction among all brothers, and it will strengthen the fraternal ties within this Community...”

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism in any form. Over a century ago, Hazrat Ahmad  emphatically declared that an aggressive “jihad by the sword” has no place in Islam. In its place, he taught his followers to wage a bloodless, intellectual “jihad of the pen” to defend Islam. To this end, Hazrat Ahmad penned over 80 books and tens of thousands of letters, delivered hundreds of lectures, and engaged in scores of public debates. His rigorous and rational defenses of Islam unsettled conventional Muslim thinking. As part of its effort to revive Islam, AMC continues to spread Hazrat Ahmad’s teachings of moderation and restraint in the face of bitter opposition from parts of the Muslim world.

The Community has been at the forefront of worldwide disaster relief through an independent charitable organization, Humanity First. Humanity First serves communities worldwide through various projects by engaging volunteers from local communities and partnering with other organizations with similar humanitarian service goals. Humanity First directs more than 93 cents of each dollar raised towards the humanitarian projects it pursues.

Ahmadiyya Times | Staff News.