The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held its 59th annual convention, known as Jalsa Salana, just outside a Hampshire village this past weekend.

The event took place from Friday, July 25 to Sunday, July 27, at Hadiqatul Mahdi on Oakland Farm in the village of East Worldham, drawing tens of thousands of guests to the 208-acre site.

The vast grounds were transformed into a bustling temporary village, featuring large marquees for gatherings, exhibitions, offices, dining areas, and even a bread factory.

One of the most popular attractions was the Hampshire Police exhibit, where children from the community enthusiastically dressed up as police officers and jumped into patrol cars to role play exciting police chases.

Community members travelled from across the globe to attend, with many arriving on Friday to take part in the opening day of festivities.

To accommodate the influx of visitors, the organisers implemented traffic management measures to ease congestion, particularly on Friday, with dedicated volunteers ensuring a smooth and efficient flow of vehicles in and out of the site.

Volunteers from across the UK, organised through local community branches, played key roles in keeping the event running smoothly. Their responsibilities ranged from cooking and dishwashing to bread making, car parking, and traffic control.

A spokesperson for the community said these shared duties foster a strong sense of camaraderie, bringing together Ahmadis who may have never met before but who, over the course of three days, form lasting bonds as they work, worship, and celebrate together.

The final day of Jalsa Salana, the annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, culminated in a deeply moving and spiritual ceremony: the pledge of allegiance, known as Bai’at.

Led by the worldwide Caliph, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the ceremony involves the Caliph kneeling and reciting a pledge aloud, which is then repeated by the entire congregation. The moment is simultaneously translated into multiple languages to reach the global audience.

In a powerful display of unity, more than 25,000 attendees in the main marquee formed a human chain, each person placing a hand on the shoulder of the next, ultimately connecting to the hands of the Caliph.

This act symbolises a direct spiritual link and a collective recommitment to faith, self-improvement and service to humanity.

Many participants were moved to tears, as the ceremony serves as a time of reflection, seeking forgiveness from God, and setting intentions for the year ahead.

As the event drew to a close, members of the community visited the village of East Worldham to deliver food parcels as a gesture of goodwill, reflecting the Islamic teaching of kindness toward neighbours.

The formal proceedings concluded with a final address by the Caliph, after which community members began their journeys home, filled with spiritual renewal after a weekend of worship, service, and celebration.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, headquartered at Tilford, is a reformist Islamic movement founded in 1889. It emphasises peace, education, interfaith dialogue, and loyalty to one’s country under the spiritual leadership of a global Caliphate.