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Jalsa UK '07 - Micah Tair

Remembering UK Jalsa 2007
by Micah Tair

BEST OF GOING THRU CUSTOMS (VOLUME 2)

I say volume two because my experiences with customs have always been "special" and memorable. Most notable is when it comes out that I'm a Muslim entering their country. Expressions are priceless.

So here's a story to give with my Jamaican customs incident a run for its money. "Please step forward." (Looks at passport).
"Your first time in UK?"
Yes.
"And what's the purpose of your visit."
I'm here for a religious conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Islamic.
"Oh I'm Muslim too."
Oh yeah? Asalaamo Alaikum.
(Responds softly as if his boss was nearby.) "Wa Alaikum Salaam. Says here your staying at Fazl Mosque, where's that at exactly?"
I think its in Islamabad.
"Islamabad is in Pakistan."
Yeah but I think they named the area after there or something.
"What the name of the event."
It’s the International Jalsa Convention . . . hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh." (Looks concerned for me.) "So how long you been Muslim?"
Bout ten years.
"Were you Muslim before joining them?"
No.
(Long pause as he figures out how to say:) "Cause umm they rather have a reputation . . ".
Yeah I know about all that, the controversy and what not. Yeah Yeah. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Ok well, just walk that way".
Salaam.
"Was salaam". (Not so faint this time. That's a good Muslim.)

GUILFORD
Accommodations people picked me up at the Airport. We drove on the wrong side of the street to a suburb called Guilford where the Jamaat had rented out some college hostels (dormitories) for the international guests.

Naib Amir of US Munir Hamid arrived later that night. On the other side of the same building we had an international flair. New Convert (and apparently only Ahmadi) in Vienna, Austria. Missionary from Trinidad (who invited me to their slightly smaller Jalsa in November and said he'd check out a wife for me there - woo hoo) And Missionary from Albania plus a native Albania convert who told us wonderful stories in broken English of his spiritual dreams and his conversion.

Dr. Fareed Ahmad (left) was in charge of all the international guests. Brother Kaleem Ahmed was in charge of those who stayed at the university campus in the town of Guilford. On the right is a brother who stayed with us there briefly from Burkina Faso. He spoke French but also knew a little English.

Accommodations people provided food for us by bringing it to our communal kitchen. But wanting to experience some real British food, something that would will really give my taste buds a Cheerio, and have my teeth and gums looking like they belong in the UK, I walked to the local grocery store and paid twice as much I would in the US for some authentic English candy. Yeah. It was alllll right.

(From right to left) Missionary Shahid Butt of Albania, Micah Taair, Tamim Abodaga (Arabic poet) of Jordan, his son and another Jordanian. We all stayed at Guilford together.

INTERNATIONAL TABLIGH MEETING
First day we all went to Baitul Futuh Mosque on a Thursday for several meetings including the international tabligh meeting.

What was nice about this setting is the international flair of the meetings - there were many speakers from different countries. The whole Jalsa was like that. I even saw Ahmadis from Kazakhstan. That's right, the place where Borat is "from." And it was the funniest thing because they had on the craziest looking hats you ever seen but they all looked like they had absolutely no sense of humor. Stone faces the whole Jalsa. Now I see why Borat chose that country. Ha! So many brothers from different countries. All Jalsas after this (I'm looking at you America) are going to be different to me now. I've been spoiled.

MUDDY JALSA
Two words: Rain. Mud. That’s all you need to know from this ground level eyewitness. You saw the speeches on the MTA. I saw later on the MTA the Jalsa rerun and the bird's eye view with the beautiful landscape and the sunset and the clouds looking so pretty.

MAN! It wasn't nothing like that! First day of Jalsa, it was traffic worse than rush hour in the Chi on the Dan Ryan. Strong words! But apparently the UK police, who apparently prefer uniforms that make them look as non-threatening as possible, tried to direct traffic but failed miserably.

Stuck in traffic I decided to hop out and foot it half a mile to the Jalsa Gah Ha. HUGE Mistake. Walking in my nice trousers (because pants don't exist over there) I thought I was walking through an open prairie of grass, only slightly damp from the rain. But UK mud is different, it splatters frantically at the slightest step. Halfway to Jalsa my trouser cuffs were decorated with the lashes of muddy grass.

The next day I was able to borrow someone's wellies, which is English for boots. (I thought it was 'galoshes'.) Upon arriving at the registration tent, I stood in line for several minutes only to be asked by the people supplying I.D.s "Where's my I.D." I told them, I'm here to register. I showed them my passport. Some ansar asked me, "Well how do I know who you are without an I.D.?" Apparently although he was in charge, he wasn't familiar with how registering for Jalsa works. "I'm here to get my I.D. because this is the registration tent." He wasn't buying it. So after 45 minutes I got a special permission slip from a random security worker who believed that I was in fact an Ahmadi. (God Bless Him.)

While waiting with another American Ahmadi who was having the same problem, we saw a car accident. So much mud and slipping and sliding around.

When I finally made it inside Jummah was over. So I made my salaat and then walked around. Ahmadis are not afraid of a little (or a lot) of mud or rain. We were created from mud. And rain is what gives life to the dead. So despite the weather conditions, people still came out and no one punked out due to the weather - not even the sisters.

GRANDSON OF THE MUFTI
Maaan! I met the great grandson of Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (ra). And anyone familiar with that one photo we have of the Sahaba would recognize instantly the relation. It's all in the eyes. Brother Sirajul Haq Khan is a tall slender fellow. He has a real Muslim beard, you know the one most of us are scared to wear. Very intelligent brother. He's studying to be a barrister - which I think I understand is equivalent to a lawyer here - so perhaps lawyer jokes would annoy him (note to self).

(From right to left) Brother Sirajul Haq Khan (the great grandson of Mufti Muhammad Sadiq (ra), Micah Taair, Khaalid Walim, and a local khadim.

Having worked at Cold Stone Creamery for four years I thought I had tasted it all in terms of ice cream flavors and mix-ins, but while stopping by his brother-in-laws house I was given some traditional ice cream called kulfi served with fresh mangos. It was off the hizzle!

So alhamdullah, Brother Siraj invited me over to his house for a night (brothers Hamza and Khaalid also got to stay with him.) He showed me some top secret "Mufti" documents (private family photos of Mufti Sahib).

He's currently writing a thesis about the topic of the punishment for adultery in Islam, and it's not what you think. He's done some extensive research into the hadith and the writings of the Promised Messiah (he speaks English, Urdu and Arabic) and has also spoken with Hazur. Basically, and you'll have to wait for the publication, there's a lot more to it then lashes and the issue of stoning is not completely forbidden. (Strong objections are popping up in your mind right about now I know. As was true for me as we sat in his living room and he began speaking on this subject. But once you hear the full it starts to make complete sense. And this is one of the main reasons one goes to Jalsa, to further enhance their knowledge. While most of the Jalsa speeches were standard, listening to this brother talk on this topic was most enlightening indeed. Got to hang out with the descendant of Mufti Sahib. What more could a brother from Chicago who took baait at Al Sadiq mosque asks for?!

TWO MULAKATS WITH HAZUR - THAT'S WHAT
So the first thing about meeting Hazur was that I would say he seemed more comfortable than when I first met him in Canada. It must be overwhelming about meeting thousands and thousands of people for the first time who know of him and hold him in reverence.

I was told a story that he was at a wedding and they asked him to speak, which he always shied away from, so he stands up recites Al-Fatiha, and then, just when everyone thought he was going to speak, he sits back down. (I feel you Hazur Sahib, after Al Fatiha, what needs to be said?)

Brother Khaalid during his mulakat asked Hazur how did he feel when he first became the Khalifa, and he said honestly that he didn't want it. Only a crazy person would.

Meeting him this time he was more familiar, getting real deep into a topic. As was the case in Canada too, Hazur also was trying to figure my nationality. In Canada he asked me did I speak Urdu, thinking maybe I was Pakistani. This time, after asking me where I was from and me saying Chicago USA, he asked me where do my people come from originally. I told him that my father was African American and my mother was "White" American. He starts to chuckle. "So you resemble your mother mostly?" Whaaa!? Did Hazur just crack a joke on me?

He asked me what I did, and I said that I was a writer. "A rider? What do you mean? You ride horses?" Starts chuckling again. O.K. that's twice Hazur! So I said "Oh! Hee hee! No I'm a writer like as in books" and I did the gesture as if I was scribbling something. Right away he was like "Oh, so you're left handed?" (How'd he know that?!) "You lifted up your left hand when you said 'writer' and most people would lift up their right hand.” Dang! Hazur Sahib is Sherlock Holmes for real. Although we missed the group mulakat during Jalsa, alhumdullah we all had individual mulakats. After Jalsa both Hamza and I had two meetings each with Hazur. New brother Khaalid had three - Allahoo Akbar! (Let's do it again yall.)

FAZL MASJID CHILLING
After the Jalsa we mostly just went to Fazl Masjid everyday and hung out. This was actually the most enjoyable time for me personally (and I think perhaps for others too.) It was during this time that we all got to have mulaqaats, and see London, and pray behind Hazur 4 times a day.

Hanging with Munir Hamid Sahib (Naib Amir, USA) was great. He has lots of wisdom and humbleness which comes from lots and lots and lots of trials. I asked him at one point what's a good prayer to recite. He told me, "Al-Fatiha." I wasn't expecting that. But as he explained it's the essence of the whole Quran and contains a lot of power. Maybe because people recite Al-Fatiha so much we sometimes forget how great it.

Me outside Mahmud Hall. And if you're wondering, no, that's not the sunlight reflecting off of me, spiritual that's just how I get down.

AHMADIS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Brother Yunus Hanz is a new convert from Vienna Austria. It seems he's the only known Ahmadi from Austria. Upon his first meeting with Hazur he was very emotional and could barely speak. He stayed in the same hostel in Guilford with the American delegation. If you look at the video and pic from the international baiaat, you will see him right next to Hazur. Here he presents to me a book as a gift.

Brother Naveed Ahmed is from Oman. (Oman is a long strip of land east of Saudi Arabia.) He works for his father's successful transportation company. Because of strict immigration laws in Oman he did not make it in time for Jalsa, but instead arrived the night it ended. But al-humdullah he got to hang out with the Americans.

Brother Khaalid standing in front of the historic Fazl Masjid.

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