The Jalsa of the USA was from 29th June to 1st July 2012. It was held at the Expo Centre in Harrisburg, which was the same location as the Jalsa of 2008.
Hazur‐Aqdas delivered three speeches during the course of the Jalsa: the Friday Sermon, an address to Lajna Imaillah on Saturday and the concluding address on Sunday.
The Friday Sermon was of course in Urdu and like the previous week, a significant part of Hazur’s sermon was about the importance of Salat.
Hazur said that in many houses people routinely combined the Zuhr and Asr prayers or the Maghreb and Isha prayers. Hazur reminded that permission to combine prayers was for certain occasions and not a matter of routine.
Hazur‐Aqdas also spoke about the need to show love and compassion to one another, rather than to hold petty grievances.
Hazur’s address to Lajna Imaillah on Saturday focused on two main topics, firstly that Ahmadi women should remember the pledge they have made with Allah and understand their true values.
And secondly Hazur spoke about the importance of Purdah.
One point that stuck in my mind was Hazur’s emphasis on self‐evaluation.
Hazur said that self‐analysis, if done honestly, was the best reflector of a person’s spiritual state. Listening to those words emphasised how easy it was to make yourself believe that you were living your life in a true Islamic way, but when real attention was paid to how many good deeds you were doing and what efforts you were making then suddenly you would feel embarrassed and ashamed.
In his address Hazur also spoke about how all of his addresses were for all Ahmadis. Hazur‐Aqdas said:
“I should also clarify here that you should never think that any of my speeches or instructions are limited to the audience who are sat directly before me… In fact whatever I say, no matter where it is said, is addressed to all Ahmadis in every Jamaat…Every Ahmadi who hears the voice of the Khalifa‐Waqt or who comes to read his instructions should consider that he is being directly addressed and instructed.”
Many people I spoke to said how the Jalsa had inspired them and had a profound spiritual effect on them. They all said that seeing Hazur and listening to him directly was unlike any other experience they had ever had.
Hearing these words from people raised in the West, who had exposure to all worldly privileges and benefits, was truly amazing. It reinforced to me the true power of Khilafat.
One American Ahmadi, Harris Zafar who was Nazim Press and Media, said about the Jalsa:
“Words cannot being to describe the immense feeling of gratitude and joy I feel after having attended the 2012 Jalsa Salana USA and being in the presence of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih (aba) for 11 consecutive days.
So much effort and hard work had gone into the planning of Hazur’s (aba) highly anticipated visit, but all the sleepless nights and hours of tense work paled in comparison to the joy of witnessing a successful Jalsa, Masha’Allah.
I had so many personally moving experiences during this year’s Jalsa Salana, and most of them involve the blessing of a personal experience with Hazur (aba). Even with over 11,000 people at the Jalsa Gah, Allah Ta’ala so allows one to feel a personal connection with our beloved Khalifa (aba).
I thank Al‐Rahman for the blessing of being in the presence of Hazrat Sahib (aba) and for blessing my team with the responsibility to spread awareness of Hazur’s (aba) presence to the entire nation through news media.”
Another Ahmadi, Qasim Rashid said:
“The 2012 USA Jalsa was the culmination of months of planning, thousands of hours of preparation, and countless prayers. I cannot help but view Hazur’s (aba) gracious presence as a once in a lifetime opportunity, for only Allah knows when we will be blessed to be in Hazur’s (aba) company once more.
Having attended USA Jalsa’s for some 25 years and seeing growth by leaps and bounds every year, I am moved to tears when I reflect upon Allah’s Grace that He has bestowed upon Jamaat USA.
I am confident that in no time, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) will become a household name, Insha’Allah. The message of Islam is being revived in its pure form, and our fellow Americans are getting a taste of that loving Islam that our beloved Master Muhammad (sa) taught, Alhamdolillah.
All these blessings are due to Hazur’s (aba) prayers, and the beautiful event known as the Jalsa Salana. This year’s Jalsa was an immense blessing of Allah, and I eagerly await the opportunity again next year, Insha’Allah.”