In his famous treatise, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,”
Stephen Covey advises us to constantly work on
augmenting our personal development by purposefully
acting in a manner that revitalizes us in order to stay happy,
healthy, and effective. The four areas requiring deliberate
attention are our physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and
spiritual renewal (1). The Islamic acts of worship have been
divinely designed to renew and recharge us on a constant
basis. Various acts of increasing effort are layered upon
each other, the base being a belief in an All-Powerful,
Omnipotent, Gracious, and Merciful God. The ultimate goal
is to develop a deep and loving relationship with the Living
God fostered by prayer at various hours of the day and
night and sacrificing all competing desires and loyalties.
The supplemental layers, among others, of going to the
mosque for congregational prayers, Friday prayers, and Eid
prayers provide additional physical and social renewal.
Attending a three-day long religious Annual Convention, or
Jalsa Salana, combines all these elements of worship for an
overall rejuvenation of the body, mind, and soul.

Physical Revitalization

A three-day Convention typically requires active physical
engagement for a minimum of five days. The acts of
planning comfortable shoes and clothing to be worn each
day, packing a bag, and traveling some distance to get to
the site of the convention shake loose the residual vestiges of lethargy and laziness. Once there, it’s a good opportunity
to eat hearty meals at regular intervals and stay hydrated
throughout the long days. Convention venues are always
spread out over vast areas that necessitate walking some
distance to get to places like the seating area, dining area,
restroom, bookstore, and other stalls. Whether one feels
healthy or not, a visit to the Homeopathy stall for a
consultation with an expert is extremely beneficial. One
can always call on the physicians present at the Convention
to get their professional opinions about one’s health issues.

For those who live close to the Convention site, this is a time
to do an annual thorough cleaning, re-decorating, and
re-organizing of their homes so they can have the
maximum number of guests stay with them. This requires a
longer period of physical engagement that reaps even
greater benefits.

Mental Revitalization

The Annual Convention is an amazing opportunity to
intentionally focus on renewing one’s mind. The mere act of
prayer and introspection is mentally rehabilitating, but
when you add to it the free and ready access to new
information and knowledge, it can be very powerful. The
speeches delivered by learned scholars are educational and
open up new avenues for self-improvement. A visit to the
bookstore renews one’s love for books and reading, and a
visit to the handicrafts stall provides ideas for pursuing new
hobbies and interests. This is an opportunity for
professional groups to meet and plan further activities for
the benefit of the community. Individuals can hone their
photography and video making skills for posting on social
media. Those who love to write would find great pleasure in
skillfully crafting short descriptions of their experience for X
(formerly Twitter) or detailed articles for any number of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s publications.

Social/Emotional Revitalization

The ability to see and share experiences with the same
people each year, starting from early childhood,
strengthens one’s bonds and imbues one with a feeling of
being a part of a global community. Over time, one
continues to expand one’s circle of loved ones by meeting
the friends of friends. Additionally, attending the Annual
Conventions of other countries expands one’s social and
emotional horizons even further. Spending time with
extended family, making new friends, and having
meaningful conversations contribute to emotional
recharge and renewal. It is a great opportunity to practice
empathy and courtesy. Children start to associate pleasant
memories of meeting old and new friends, receiving
awards, and having their Quran completion ceremonies
with Jalsa Salana. There are various ways to meet others
with shared values, including volunteering, which reaps its
own benefits. Families can meet up with potential marital
matches for their grown children. Hosting guests in one’s
home during the Convention offers an excellent
opportunity to get to know people even more closely.

Spiritual Revitalization

The highest purpose of Jalsa Salana is spiritual
rejuvenation. When the physical activities mentioned
above are undertaken with the view to improving one’s
ability to carry out the various acts of worship, they become a means to enhance one’s spirituality. The speeches and
sermons, while increasing one’s knowledge, also stir the
soul and inspire one to reach greater spiritual heights.
During social interactions, one gets to practice moral
qualities like cheerfulness, patience, forbearance,
forgiveness, hospitality, sacrificing one’s own comfort for
the sake of others, etc. At a personal level, one would have
to consciously choose to go to Jalsa at the cost of various
other vacation options. Moral attributes of placing one’s
trust in Allah and making a financial and time sacrifices for
His sake come into play. Overcoming physical, mental, and
social challenges by acting upon the commandments of
Allah inevitably raises one to a higher spiritual plane.
Attention and focus in prayer improve considerably due to
the immersion in a religious environment. Every act of
volunteering carried out with the express intention to
please God becomes an act of worship that deepens one’s
spirituality. Testimonies, provided by new converts, elicit
feelings of gratitude. It is a very good time for introspection,
silencing one’s demons, and being grateful. Those hosting
guests in their homes are especially blessed to overcome
challenges and improve in all aspects of their lives.

The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His
Holiness Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (on
whom be peace), initiated the Jalsa Salana or Annual
Convention, and defined its purpose:

“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 (2).”

The Promised Messiah (as) made clear the ways that Jalsa
Salana was distinct from any other kind of convention:

“It is essential for all those who can afford to undertake the
journey, that they must come to attend this Convention
which embodies many blessed objectives. They should
disregard minor inconveniences in the cause of Allah and
His Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah yields reward to the
sincere persons at every step of their way, and no labor and
hardship, undertaken in His way, ever goes to waste. I
re-emphasize that you must not rank this Convention in the
same league as other, ordinary, human assemblies. This is a
phenomenon that is based purely on the Divine Help, for
propagation of Islam” (3).

The Promised Messiah (as) further inspired his followers
with these fervent, all-encompassing prayers for Jalsa
Salana attendees:

“I conclude with the prayer that everyone who travels for
[attending]this Convention that is for the sake of Allah: May
Allah, the Exalted, be with him, reward him in abundant
measure, have mercy on him, ease up for him his
circumstances of hardship and anxiety and eliminate his
anguish and grief. May He grant him freedom from every
single hardship and lay open for him the ways of
[achieving]his cherished goals, and raise him up, on the
day of Judgment, among those of His servants who are the
recipients of His blessings and Mercy. May He be their
Guardian in their absence until after their journey comes to
an end. O Allah! O Sublime One and Bestower of bounties,
the Ever Merciful and One Who Resolves all problems, do
grant all these prayers, and grant us Victory over our
opponents with scintillating signs because You alone have
all the prowess and power. Aameen! Aameen!!” (4).

References:

1. Stephen Covey, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,”
   http://www.empowerteam.org/ebooks/The%207%20Habits%
   20of%20Highly%20Eff%20People.pdf [Accessed May 20, 2024]
   
2. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Ishtihar 7 Dec. 1892, Majmooah Ishtiharat Vol. I, Page 340.
   
3. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Ishtihar 7 Dec. 1892, Majmooah Ishtiharat
   Vol. I, Page 341.
   
4. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Ishtihar 7 Dec. 1892, Majmoo`ah Ishtiharat
   Vol. I, Page 342.