The Jalsa Salana of 1907 possesses great historical significance because it was the last annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat which was held in the life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah.
The arrival of guests for this annual Jalsa started from 19 December 1907. However, some members reached Qadian even before that date to spend as much time in the company of Hazrat Ahmad (as) as possible.
The first jamaat to arrive under the leadership of their Amir, Maulvi Karam Dad (ra), was that of Dulmial. Thereafter, members of various jamaats, i.e. Sialkot, Jammu, Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Gujarat, Lahore, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, etc., started coming in flocks from all over India on a daily basis and this massive influx of guests continued even during the days of Jalsa. (Badr, 26 December 1907)
On 25 December 1907, a general conference of Tash-heez-ul-Azhan magazine was held after the Zuhr prayer. Hafiz Abdur Rahim (ra) read out its annual report to start the proceedings. Thereafter, Sahibzada Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) drew the attention of the youth to their important responsibilities.
Syed Zainul Abidin Waliullah Shah (ra) read out his paper and Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin (ra) delivered the concluding speech.
On the morning of 26 December, Hazrat Ahmad (as) went out for a walk and everyone went out to meet him and witnessed his beautiful personage. Everyone had an extraordinary urge to be the first to visit him. Hazrat Ahmad (as) stood for around two hours under a tree outside the village where his followers shook his hand.
Then, Zuhr and Asr prayers were offered in congregation at Aqsa Mosque and Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin (ra) announced some nikahs and shed light on the purpose of marriage. Thereafter, Mir Qasim Ali (ra) recited a poetic mubarak nama [a way of expressing congratulations]. (Badr, 9 January 1908, p. 2)
On 27 December, the Jumuah and Asr prayers were combined and offered at Masjid Aqsa. The Friday sermon was delivered by Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin (ra). The area inside and outside the mosque was jam-packed and the overflow of members had to offer Salat on the surrounding rooftops of shops, houses, the post office, etc. At the time, more than 3,000 people were present.
After the Friday prayer, Hazrat Ahmad (as) delivered a speech, in which he presented a sublime interpretation of Surah al-Fatihah and then drew the attention of the listeners towards purifying themselves. Thereafter, he shook hands with the participants of the Jalsa. (Al Hakam, 2-14 January 1908)
On the morning of 28 December, Hazrat Ahmad (as) went for a walk as usual and everyone had the honour of visiting him with great convenience. Hazrat Ahmad (as) sat down at a particular place in a field and listened to a couple of poems as well. (Badr, 9 January 1908)
On the same day, the Zuhr and Asr prayers were combined and then, Hazrat Ahmad (as) delivered his second speech before the audience of the annual Jalsa. He instructed his followers to be tolerant and show perseverance. He spoke on an array of subjects and concluded his speech with the following words:
“Now, that time has come regarding which the prophets have been announcing from the beginning. The time of God Almighty’s judgment is near, so fear Him and repent.” (Al Hakam, 18 January 1908)
After the Maghrib prayer on 28 December, the conference of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya was held, in which most of the presidents and secretaries of various external anjumans took part. Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin (ra) then delivered a speech in which he explained which kind of Anjuman is permissible in light of the Holy Quran. (Badr, 9 January 1908)
Due to the overwhelming attendance of members of the Jamaat, some guests were served meals very late. There was enough food, but because of the shortage of space, only a limited number of people could eat at a time, which caused a delay. Some guests retired to their rooms without eating.
However, they received the reward, in that Allah the Almighty consoled them with a revelation conveyed directly by Allah to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as):
یٰآأَيُّهَا النَّبِیُّ اَطۡعِمُوا الۡجَائِعَ وَ الۡمُعۡتَرَّ
“O Prophet, feed the hungry and the distressed.”
When Hazrat Ahmad (as) inquired the next morning, he found that some of the guests remained hungry. He called for the manager of the public kitchen and admonished him to take good care of the guests. (Al Hakam, 2 January 1908 and Badr, 9 January 1908 [Tadhkirah, pp. 987-988])
A great number of people took Bai‘at at the hand of the Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) throughout the annual Jalsa of 1907. On some days, the huge overflow of participants would make it impossible for Hazrat Ahmad (as) to reach every person and take Bai‘at by placing their hands on his hand.
Hence, people were asked to take off their turbans and spread them in different directions. Hazrat Ahmad (as) would then take Bai‘at by holding one end of every turban in his hand, while the other ends were distributed among various individuals and everyone else would hold their hands to seek blessings. This unique method of taking Bai‘at concludes the details of the final Jalsa of Hazrat Ahmad’s (as) life. (Badr, 9 January 1908, p. 3)
