The Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya (the youth wing of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama' at) of The Gambia recently held its 25th annual convention at Masroor Senior Secondary School, Old Yundum, Western Region.

The three-day conference is paramount in the youth organisation's annual activities as it gives avenues to the members to converge at one point in order to socialise and most importantly, derive spiritual enlightenment from the numerous lectures delivered by various scholars.

Addressing the youth, the Amir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at in The Gambia, Maulana Baba F. Trawally, hailed the tremendous achievements of the youth organisation for the past twenty-five years, He said that a believer should never be contented with his present condition but should always aim to attain higher than the present.  He said the youth need more commitment, devotion and selfless sacrifice of their wealth, time, honour and life, during this period of their history than ever before.
 
The Amir admonished the youth to faithfully serve their history than ever before.  He also urged them to faithfully serve their nation by acquiring education and work diligently, sincerely and honestly for society to be shining examples in the country.

In his closing remarks, the president of the youth organisation, Karamo Touray, called on the youth to sacrifice in the cause of their religion, Islam.  He noted that the spread of Islam in the early days was attributed to selfless sacrifices made by the noble companions of the Prophet of Islam (SAW).

Delivering a lecture on the topic, 'the Holy Prophet (SAW) on the advent of Imam Mahdi,'  Oustass Musa Bah said that according to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, non-compliance with his instructions amounts to disobedience to Allah Almighty.  According to him, it is the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (SAW) who prophesied the advent of the Imam Mahdi (as) in the latter days.  "The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also mentioned the time of the appearance and the signs of recognising him.  

These prophecies have been fulfilled in the person of the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, Sayyedna Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS).  Therefore, as followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we must obey his instructions and accept his Mahdi and this can only be done by investigating the claims of the claimant, not hastily rejecting them" he advised.

Speaking on Kahilafat-i-Ahmadiyya in the service of the Holy Qur'an, Tahir Ahmad Touray explained that the most important service that could be done to the Holy Qur'an is to guide people in acting on its teachings.  "The one hundred years of Khilafat-i-Ahmadiyyat has witnessed the great services the Caliphs of Ahadiyyat have rendered to the Holy Qur'an.

They have not only championed the translation and publication of the Holy Qur'an into several languages of the world, but they have also guided people in following its teachings in letter and spirit.  This has led to the translation of the Qur'an into the three major local languages of the Gambia namely; Mandinka, Wollof and Fula" he said. Ustaz Syed Saeed-ul-Hassan Shah, the missionary in-charge, who spoke on the subject: Who is a Muslim?  stated that a Muslim is the one who totally submits himself to Almighty Allah, does righteous work and calls people to the way of Allah.  With this he added, the person, becomes an example of moral and spiritual excellence.  

"The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is therefore the foremost of all Muslims because he possessed these qualities in perfection.  A person can be a true Muslim if he follows the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the perfect exemple.  The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at was appointed as the Imam Mahdi because of his perfect compliance with the teachings of the Holy Prophet (SAW)" he concluded.

Ustaz Issa Diouf, who spoke on the topic: the importance of Khilafat in the contemporary society.  The youth conference attracted over 600 youth from across the country and Guinea Bissau.