On 1^st October, Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK’s National Ijtema 2023 came to a close. This year, By the Grace of Allah, the attendance at the National Ijtema was 6,909.

This year’s National Ijtema will be remembered for years to come due to the historic pledge that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aba took from the Majlis– this pledge was based on the pledge that Hazrat Musleh Maud^ra took from members of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya upon its inception.

The wording of the Pledge that Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih^aba took from Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK during his address at the closing session of National Ijtema 2023.

On the third and final day of the Ijtema, we asked Khuddam what the key takeaways from this Ijtema would be for them and what they would remember the most about it.

Reflecting on his Ijtema experience, Hanif Ahmad Marty Sahib from Birmingham West Qiadat said “I think the part that I have enjoyed most is just reconnecting with my Ahmadi brothers. It’s not often especially as I’ve gotten older, married, and working, that I get the opportunity to just say Salam and catch up with friends from 10-15 years ago who you only get to see again at the Ijtema so that’s been a real blessing.”

Samir Qureshi Sahib from Solihull spoke to us about the knowledge he had developed from the Ijtema with regards to the theme ‘Salat – The delight of Our Eyes’. He said “Salat is one of the pillars of our faith, so they have really emphasised it and reminded us how important it is in our lives to keep that consistency every day.”

Another Khadim from Solihull, Rizwan Qureshi Sahib spoke about his biggest highlight from the Ijtema, he said “I think the speech by Sadr Sahib was a highlight for me where he mentioned the particular story of a Khadim from Sheffield Jama’at about his troubles and tribulations and how he used Salat as a means of finding answers to his problems he currently faced and how it helped him through those problems as well.”

We also spoke with Mansoor Ahmad Clarke Sahib, a missionary of the Jama’at from the Ash Qiadat about his Ijtema experience. He said “Over the past couple of years after Covid and everything else that has happened, we have had a big lapse in the ability to connect with one another and Ijtema to me is the answer. The key is in the name itself. It’s about coming together. The atmosphere we create here with people coming from all over the country and bringing the different understandings and experiences in their lives together, it creates a sense of brotherhood which becomes very much like palpable here in the Ijtema arena.

I have brought my son here as well who is enjoying the Atfal zone. The ability to understand and link with other Khuddam and Atfal and the sense of community is what we’ve been missing for a while.”

We know that Ijtema is run by a vast team of volunteers, most of whom may not have gotten a chance during the Ijtema to try out some of the things on offer. Zeeshan Ahmad Sahib from Jamia Ahmadiyya UK is one such Khadim who spoke to us about his sacrifice, he said “My duty this year was in the Atfal zone, I was discussing various topics with them and taking part in discussions. What I realised is that any sort of duty carried out requires huge sacrifices, as I myself have not been able to partake in any other activities that are going on.”

Hunain Shakeel Sahib from Birmingham West Qiadat, summarising his experience of the Ijtema, said “After listening to speeches and talks and participating in various activities I was able to enhance my worldly and spiritual knowledge.”

Haseeb Cheema Sahib from Tahir Region said “I am the Regional Qaid for Tahir Region, and this Ijtema has been special as I have been able to meet Khuddam from my region that I have not had a chance to see for a long time. It gave me a chance to catch up with them.”

Speaking on his highlights from the Ijtema, Wajeeb Mirza Sahib from Review of Religions said “Sadr Sahib’s speech and the fireside talk with Mian Sahib (Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib) about the Ahmadis from Burkina Faso and their love for Khilafat were the biggest highlights for me from this year’s Ijtema. It’s amazing to see how in the remotest parts of the world, people still have a passion and a love for Khilafat and the Jama’at.”

We had a chance to speak with Saddam Shah Sahib who is a new convert from the Dudley Qiadat to find out about his experience from his first Ijtema. Reflecting on his experience, he said “I have been to various events before as well but the thing that has struck out the most for me is the level of organisation that is present in the Ijtema – the time management. The atmosphere at the Ijtema was so peaceful and this is something that I had not witnessed before.”

Muhammad Asfar Minhas Sahib from Whitehill & Bordon – the Qiadat local to this year’s Ijtema site – also shared with us from his experience. He said “It is a great event that takes place every year, it is the getting together that helps us bond with our brothers who we have not seen for many months or maybe years. We work together in certain departments and we play together, and that increases our love and brotherhood. It is my last Ijtema as a Khadim, I will be a Nasir soon, I am taking away so many memories with me and I would like to advise our younger brothers to take full benefit from the Ijtemas and try to attend every year.”

We hope that all attendees have benefitted from this year’s Ijtema and we look forward to seeing you all again very soon, Insha’Allah.

The second day of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK’s National Ijtema has now come to an end. We, the editors at Tariq, toured the Ijtema site to get a feel of the atmosphere and to speak with our fellow Khuddam and guests to find out how they were feeling about the Ijtema.

Touring the Ijtema site, we sensed a great deal of brotherhood and enjoyment present everywhere. The Hub has been the biggest attraction for many Khuddam, featuring a variety of activities and sessions consisting of Hub Talks, memory and mind challenges, strength endurance challenges, gaming zones, and the most famous Hub Café offering savoury snacks and milkshakes.

The Hub Talks on day 2 featured panels consisting of Murrabian and professionals discussing various topics on faith, prayer, masculinity, fatherhood, and tarbiyyat. The talks were highly engaging and informative for all. We spoke with Umar Nasser Sahib who works in Rational Religion for his views in the Ijtema, he said “It’s very nice to have a full Ijtema. There is a very nice spiritual atmosphere here. The Sadr Sahib’s talk was a highlight for me. It was a beautiful talk which brought up a lot of relevant points and guided the audience to understand the true essence of Salat and its importance.

In addition, there seems to be a good combination between educational and more fun activities. So, I’m really enjoying it so far. We also had a session with Maulana Abdul Gani Jahangeerkhan Sahib who gave many instances of his experiences with Khilafat which was a very beautiful one. That was also a highlight for me.”

Umar Sahib was also leading a Rational Religion talk at the Ijtema, when asked about his experience as a speaker and a panellist, he said “I really like the opportunity to talk to people about their own issues because you can write all the articles you want but at the end of the day you don’t know what people are really thinking until they tell you in person. So, I think it’s very important to always engage with the people directly and answer their questions directly.”

Just outside The Hub, the Discovery Zone has been set up where we had various other talks being delivered by distinguished guests. The main highlight of the Discovery Zone was the Fireside Talk with Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib after Ishaa Salat. He narrated various faith inspiring accounts from his experience with Huzoor^aba. He reminded us of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon MKA UK enabling us to host Ijtema and other religious gatherings. He also spoke about Huzoor^aba becoming a Khalifa and the atmosphere and emotions that unfolded at that time.

We met Mirza Muddabir Ahmad, a Khadim from the West Midlands region. Speaking about the discovery zone, he said “We’ve finally had a big Ijtema after a long covid break so it is nice seeing everyone together. Sometimes you see people that have moved Jama’ats and you see them around and get to meet everyone. One of the highlights of this Ijtema I’d say is the talks going around right now by discovery zone. As you probably know that opposition against the Jama’at is growing especially in the UK on the social media scene. And as our youth is quite active on social media, they might come across some accusations that they might not know how to answer. And this can cause some doubt in their minds. So, it’s good to have these conversations that directly tackle these situations and that’s one of the things I’ve looked forward to”.

Also, outside the Hub, representatives from the Army, Navy, and Air force set up tents and allowed the Khuddam and Atfal to learn about each respective branches of the UK’s armed forces. The tents featured a variety of equipment for the Khuddam and Atfal to wear as well interactive puzzle and critical thinking challenges.

We had the opportunity to speak with Richard Grey, a Navy officer running one of the tents, on his thoughts on Ijtema, he said “Its brilliant. It’s amazing. What I’ll talk about is the warm welcome that we get. Every time I go down the mosque in Morden, I’m always welcomed. Everyone makes me feel at ease, at home, and they feed me, as the food is amazing. So, I really enjoy spending my time with my Ahmadi brothers. What strikes me is when we went to the football course, the boys look after each other. They annoy each other but they welcome each other in, like a brotherhood”.

Abdul Hai Hamza, another Khadim from the West Midlands region said “Very interesting talks. The thing I like the most are the army and police stalls. They’ve been here before but this is the first time they have more interactive things especially for the Atfal to try. And I like that the items they have brought are what they use in their actual life which makes it even more interesting. The talks are quite interesting. Food is very nice. I’ve been to the sports grounds. While they are far from the main marquee, it’s a nice environment”.

Throughout the morning and afternoon, sports were also held which continued the football, cricket, and volleyball tournaments from Day 1 of the Ijtema as well as adding more sports for the Khuddam to participate in, including slow bike race, standing long jump, 100m race, strong man competition, etc.

The second day of the Ijtema concluded with a Masterchef Grill Competition where regions from around the UK competed against each other to prepare the best BBQ meal, the competition was won by Tahir region.

Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK’s flagship event – the National Ijtema – started yesterday at the Old Park Farm. The day started with Tahajjud Namaz at 5am, followed by Fajr Namaz at 6am.

Breakfast was served to the attendees from 8am. Khuddam and Atfal began arriving to register themselves for the Ijtema from around 10am with Rooh Afza and some refreshments available for guests at the registration marquee.

Lunch was served at noon before Khuddam and Atfal listened to the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V’s^aba in the Ijtema Gah.

After Jummah and Asr prayer, the Ijtema progressed at 4:30pm with flag hoisting ceremony and the opening session chaired by National Ameer Sahib Jama’at UK. During the opening session, Khuddam and Atfal also reaffirmed their pledges.

Immediately after the opening session, academic and sports sessions began in their respected zones. On the academic side, Khuddam had the opportunity to participate in team presentations, observation and sensory tests, Hifz-e-Qur’an, Hifz-e-Ad’iyyah, and Hifz-e-Ahadith. On the sports side, Khuddam partook in Football, Cricket, and Volleyball.

Simultaneously, The Hub organised a talk on the topic of ‘young money’ delivered by Jahanzeb Jahangeer Khan Sahib; the discovery zone also hosted various talks on the topics of ‘Am I an Ahmadi by birth or by choice?’ and ‘Khidmat-e-Khalq’ delivered by Fatir Tahir Sahib and Akbar Butt Sahib respectively.

Throughout the day, Khuddam benefited from the displays in the exhibition marquee, featuring exhibitions on the MKA theme of the year and on the 20 years of Khilafat-e-Khamisa.

After dinner and Maghrib & Ishaa prayers, a fireside talk took place on the topic of ‘Acceptance of prayer: The Hallmark of a believer’ delivered by a guest panel featuring the director of productions at MTA International – Munir Odeh Sahib, the Chairman of Humanity First UK – Dr Aziz Hafiz, and Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya – Abdul Quddus Arif Sahib. The panellists narrated personal incidents on the topic and took questions form the audience as well. S’mores and tea were served during the talk.

As the fireside talk was underway, at 9pm, MKA Isha’at department also did a live and interactive Q&A session on YouTube.

To end the first day of the Ijtema, the Khuddam and Atfal were also given an opportunity to star gaze the moon at the Ijtema village before going to sleep.