By Aqeela Shanzay Zaffar
Looking around the Jalsa site, you will see joyful happy faces from and array of countries and nations. As you pass from one person to another, you are met with a warm succession of smiles and salutations of peace and blessings. An unseen atmosphere of love, respect and unity that transcends boundaries of race, colour, and ethnicity. What binds everyone together is their shared faith in Islam
Islam’s foundation stone is that God, “Allah” is perfect in His Unity (tawheed). If God is one, then humankind is on in its unity and devotion to God, no one person distinguished from the next, except in their levels of piety.
During the era of deep darkness in 7th century Arabia, the greatest manifestation of this beautiful teaching was personified in the last sermon of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), which laid the foundations for world peace and Justice:
“An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; white has no superiority over black, nor does a black have any superiority over white; except by piety and good action”
True Islam says that God is above and beyond all of us and we can only reach him through our righteousness as clearly mentioned in the Holy Qur’an: “Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is the most righteous among you.” (Chapter 49, Verse 14)
The Jalsa Salana serves as a living embodiment of true Islam, as attendees from diverse backgrounds come together to exemplify the core teachings of Islam, emphasising unity, respect, and equality. This atmosphere of love and spiritual unity reflects the deep wisdom underlying Islamic teachings.
