The traditional flag hoisting ceremony was held at the start of the program, which was led by the visiting envoy, Maulana Mahdi, and Imam Sattar Khan, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Guatemala.
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Times
By Imran Jattala | December 15, 2013
Local members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Guatemala are joined by many dignitaries from North America and elsewhere to attend their 2013 Annual Convention.
Affectionately known as Jalsa Salana, the event is being attended by Maulana Naseem Mahdi, a special envoy representing the Khalifa of Islam, His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
Maulana Mahdi, who traveled from the US, is the national vice president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United States.
Local Ahmadis have also traveled from many parts of Guatemala including Huehuetenango, Puerto San Jose, Xela, Ciudad de Guatemala and Antigua and they will be joined by various civic and political leaders and community friends from various walks of life in Guatemala City.
A member of the US delegation, Dr Waseem A Sayed - who serves also as the country director for Humanity First, Guatemala, an international disaster relief organization - says the local Ahmadi community has earned a great reputation for their numerous service to humanity project.
The event began around midday with the Friday Sermon and congregational prayers on December 13, 2013 and the proceedings continued until Sunday.
Since its inauguration in 1989 this is the 24th Annual Convention being organized by the community's Baitul Awal Mosque in the suburbs of Guatemala City.
The traditional flag hoisting ceremony was held at the start of the program, which was led by the visiting envoy, Maulana Mahdi, and Imam Sattar Khan, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Guatemala.
Maulana Naseem Mahdi welcomed attendees to the convention and read a special message from His Holiness, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in London.
Hadhrat Ahmad sent a very special greetings for the attendees of the 24th annual convention of Guatemala.
His Holiness advised everyone to establish him or herself as a lasting example of caring for one-another.
"Develop humility and meekness," advised his Holiness in his prayerful message. "Develop a zeal and passion for the service of the faith and try to establish a living connection with God, the Almighty."
"It should cause a gentleness, kindness and meekness to develop in your heart and cause love to flourish among yourselves and you should become an example of brotherhood for all to see,” His Holiness further prayed.
Some 40 members and guests participated in a long question and answer session that followed the first day’s proceedings.
The Baitul Awal Mosque was first inaugurated in 1989 by Late Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the 4th Head of this worldwide community at the time.Arranging of the annual conventions is a tradition adopted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community everywhere to promote brotherhood and unity.
The gatherings provide opportunities for the members to listen to the special messages from 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...”
-- Waseem A. Syed, Phd contributed to the story
-- Pictures: Andras Gonzales
--By Ahmadiyya Times - exclusive
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