By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary.

 Ahmadiyya Muslims from over 50 countries including Sri Lanka are expected to participate in the 125th annual congregation of the community to be held from December 26-28 at Qadian in Punjab, India.

In 1891, the founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, had initiated the spiritual event to promote inter-religious peace and harmony. The event will be marked by a ‘world religions’ session in which people from different faiths will suggest solutions to the problems faced by world,

On the last day, a televised address will be given by worldwide head of Ahmadiyya Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who is based in London.

The objective of this Convention (Jalsa Salana) is to present pure, pristine and peaceful teachings of Islam. Likewise to call people towards their creator, to develop love, affection and compassion among the creations of God, and promote brotherhood, are also its objectives.

At the convention, religious leaders of the community from around the country will address people on the tenets of Islam and its power to promote peace and harmony in the world.

A separate gathering of women will also be convened there, where they will discuss their issues and present an agenda to work on during the next year.

Ahmadi is a sect of Islam which is widely perceived to be different from the mainstream form of the religion as they believe that the advent of a Messiah, as promised by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), has already happened. They believe, unlike the mainstream believers of Islam, that the Messiah was incarnated in 1835 in the form of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

Under Divine Command, in 1889, Ahmad proclaimed himself the awaited Messiah, and was widely subscribed to be so by Muslims from around the world. The followers of Ahmad thus came to be called ‘Ahmadis’ or ‘Ahmadiyyas’.

We are completely same as the other mainstream followers of Islam but for our belief in the advent of a Messiah, which they believe is yet to take place.

In Sri Lanka, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (Jama’at) was established in 1915 and the Community celebrated its Centenary last year (2015). To mark the event, the Community launched the Holy Qur’an Sinhala Translation, whereas, this scripture has been translated into 76 world languages by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Islam.

Qadian is the birth-place of Hazrat Mirza  Ghulam Ahmad – Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.