Amir Guatemala Abdul Sattar Khan, Naib Amir USA Imam Daud Hanif and Brother David Gonzalez, met with former president of Guatemala (now currently serving his 3rd term as Mayor of Guatemala´s capital, Guatemala City) Mr. Alvaro Arzú. Imam Daud Hanif spoke to the mayor about the Jamaat´s goals, the nature of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and Humanity First’s humanitarian relief efforts in Guatemala. Imam Sahib also presented Mayor Arzú with a copy of the Holy Quran and the Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam. Imam Sahib thanked the mayor for his years of service to Guatemala and his great strides made to ensure peace and security for the nation. Mayor Alvaro Arzu appreciated the gift of the Holy Book of Islam and promised cooperation and support for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Guatemala.
National & International Guests:
Jalsa guests began arriving Monday, November 28th and remained through the week of Jalsa till Thursday, December 8th. From within the country, the following cities were represented: Puerto San Jose, Antigua, Mixco, Guatemala City, Xela and HueHuetenango. And international guests visited from Panama and the United States (Imam Daud Hanif of New York City, Dr. Imtiaz Chaudhry, Alhaj Jalaluddin Latif and wife Naima Latif, Alhaj Jamil Choudhry, Aliya Amatul Latif – all of Central New Jersey, Amatul Rashid Jude, from Atlanta Georgia Jamáat, and Fazal Qureshi and wife Roohul Rehman of Orlando Florida Jamaát). In preparation for Jalsa weekend, formal Jalsa Guatemala invitation letters and cards were created and distributed to friends, family and international Jamaát members.
Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V’s message to Jalsa Guatemala:
A message was received from Tabshir office in London with the following message from Huzur that was read out in English by Imam Daud Hanif and translated into Spanish by Brother David Gonzalez. This marked the opening of Jalsa Salana Guatemala 2011. Complete text of address is below:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaát, Guatemala
Assalamo Alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu!
I am very pleased that you are holding your Annual Jalsa Salana on 2nd, 3rd and 4th December 2011. May Allah bless your Jalsa with great success and may all of you receive great blessings from this unique spiritual gathering.
Remember, this is not an ordinary convention. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), has stated:
‘The major aim of the Gathering is that the sincere members of the Jama’at should be able to derive religious benefits and at the same time they should acquire more knowledge and advance in their relationship with Allah. One advantage is that by meeting various friends, the circle of brotherhood will broaden and it will strengthen their mutual ties.’ (Asmani Faisla)
During the period of the Jalsa, you should not indulge in idle talk, but you should remain engrossed constantly in prayer and Istighfar. You should listen attentively to the various speeches by members and scholars of the Jamaát, increase your knowledge and strengthen your faith and understanding of the teachings of Islam.
This Community that Allah initiated through the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has been given the distinction that it was joined to the early Muslims. This is not an ordinary distinction or indeed an ordinary Community. Hundreds of thousands of pious-natured people departed this world in the hope of finding this era. Each one of us who associates himself or herself to the Ahmadiyya Community should reflect over these matters. The Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) took his Bai’at and by virtue of his moral training they forged a connection with Allah of such magnitude that Allah stated in the Qur’an:
‘And of men there is he who would sell himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; (Al Quran Ch.2:v208).
Allah keeps a most benevolent eye on His servants and is exceptionally Compassionate to those who are every ready to put His commandments in practice. People who abide by His commandments endeavour to emulate Divine attributes at the human level – and they are kind and gentle to Allah’s creation. Such are the teachings of true Islam; they link man with Allah and then guide man towards the service of mankind. This is the path that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) followed and this is what the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) came to teach us.
Counselling his Community, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) wrote:
‘O my Jama‘at, may Allah Almighty be with you. May that Mighty Benefactor prepare you for the journey to the hereafter as the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained prepared. Bear in mind that this world is nothing. Cursed is the life which is only for this world and unfortunate is the person all whose grief and sorrow is for the world. If there is such a one in my Jama‘at, it is in vain that he considers himself to be in my Jama‘at, for he is like a dry branch that will not bear fruit. (Tadhkirat-ush-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, p.63 – Essence of Islam, Vol. IV, pp. 277 – 278)
In this regard, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has emphasised:
‘The purpose of their joining the Movement and establishing with me a relationship like that of a disciple is that they should achieve a high degree of piety and righteousness. No wrongdoing or mischief should ever come near them. They should offer the five daily Prayers regularly and with congregation, and should not lie nor hurt anyone by their tongues. They should not be guilty of any kind of vice and should not let even a thought of mischief, wrongdoing or transgression pass through their minds. They should shun every type of sin, offence, undesirable speech and action, as well as all egoistic passions and unruly behaviour. They should become pure-hearted, harmless and meek servants of Allah Almighty, and no poisonous germ should flourish in their beings.’ [Essence of Islam, Vol. IV, pp. 349 – 250]
This is the noble call of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) – but unfortunately, despite his virtuous teachings, the members of his Jama’at are facing more and more opposition and enmity and threats and violence from the fanatical elements in some countries.
We should not be disheartened because we are already aware of the history of all prophets, which shows that difficulties and troubles were inflicted on them and their followers, so much so that the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the beloved Prophet of Allah Almighty, for whom the entire universe was created, along with his followers, also passed through such trials and tribulations. So whenever the Jama’at Ahmadiyya goes through such a phase of intense persecution, we should draw inspiration for steadfastness and devotion from the life of the prophets and especially that of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
We should also have firm faith in that that these periods of extreme difficulty will lay the foundations of forthcoming victories. Such periods of difficulty also provide us with the opportunity to gain further nearness to Allah Almighty, by offering supplication and lamentations before our Lord and to continue to strengthen our bond with The Divine.
Our reliance is solely on Allah to come to the aid of the persecuted members of the Jama’at and it is for this reason that I have directed you to offer two daily Nawaffil prayers and also to keep fast for one day in the week. I draw your attention again for the need of extraordinary prayers beseeching Allah’s Protection and Help. The fervour and intensity of your supplications should be such that they tear through the heavens and shake the threshold of the door of Allah.
I also advise you to remain attached and loyal to the blessed institution of Khilafat. Today, the task of revival of Islam can only be performed by adhering to the system of Khilafat. Therefore, you should always endeavour to uphold this noble institution and ensure that your future generations always remain within the blessed guidance and protection of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. May Allah enable you to do so.
May these heartfelt prayers of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) be with you all. May Allah bless your Jalsa Salana with every success and may all of you be infused with a new spirit of faith and Taqwa to enable you to go forth and serve the Jama’at and the cause of Islam and humanity, with renewed energy and fervour. May Allah bless you all.
Yours sincerely
Mirza Masroor Ahmad
KHALIFAT UL MASIH V
The Example of a True Ahmadi by Amir Abdul Sattar Khan (with English translation by Alhaj Jalaluddin Latif):
After Huzur’s message to Jalsa Guatemala was read and translated, Amir Guatemala detailed the characteristics of an Ahmadi Muslim. Mainly, obedience to the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet (saw), and Khilafat. He stressed, an Ahmadi must exhibit a strong connection to prayer and a deep seeded love for Allah, a trustworthy and honorable character and a charitable and giving nature, willing to make sacrifices in the way of Allah. In their homes, Ahmadi Muslims treat spouses and family with respect and compassion. He ended his address with a prayer that Allah establish the supremacy of Islam throughout the world and draw the hearts of humanity to the worship of One God.
Press Conference:
On Thursday December 1, a press conference was held at the Holiday Inn, in downtown Guatemala City.
For additional Press coverage, click here.
For Christians, To be Born Again in Islam! 