Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 83
the U. K. J alsa Salana, first took place in 1993 and saw over two hundred thousand people perform the Bai'at. Only seven years later, the faith-inspiring spectacle saw over 40 million join the fold. A glorious moment in the history of MTA took place in the summer of 1994. During the closing session of the U. K. Jalsa Salana, Huzur r 1 • announced the names of countries that were participating in the Jalsa via MTA. As Huzur was announcing this, phone calls started coming through one after another from countries whose name had not been mentioned. Jama'at America was also a part of this unforgettable spectacle that was broadcast live throughout the world. Huzur rta remarked, "A miracle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa w is being witnessed here. " That same year, Huzur r 1 • inaugurated the Earth Station in Washington DC during his visit to inaugurate Baitur Rahman Mosque. For the first time, MTA programs were now being telecast Khilafat Centenarv directly from America. Of all the numerous schemes set forth by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV" '", the one that in many wa ys characterized his Khilafat was the Dai'Ilallah Scheme, launched onjanuar y 3, 1983. Huzur ri• emphasized the need for propagation by all Ahmadis to establish the supremacy of Islam over all other religions. He reminded us that tabligh (propagation) was a responsibility that should be exercised on a one-to-one basis, and he laid out specific advice for proper and effective means of spreading the message of Islam to others. Huzur r 1 • always stressed that the intent of tabligh was to call others to Allah, not simply to covert people to Islam. He himself was a Da'een par excellence, and observing the manner in which Huzur rta preached to others was the ultimate source of inspiration. This scheme ushered in a revolution in propagation, as we witnessed the largest pace of conversion in the history of Ahmadi yyat with over 200 million ; people entering the fold of the Jama'at during his Khilafat. The list of achievements during Hadhrat Mirza Tahir's Ahmad's r 1 • tutelage seems endless. The Holy Qur'an was translated into over four-dozen languages, hospitals and clinics were built throughout Africa and Asia, and Humanity First was created and in a short period of time became an effective and globally recognized humanitarian relief organization. In addition, the International Al- Fazl was launched and the Review of Religions was redesigned. The financial budget of the Jama' at grew exponentially. In the United States, Huzurr 1 • oversaw a radical change in the attitudes of Ahmadi Americans. Financial sacrificies reached unprecedented figures, particularly in Tahrik - e- J adid and Waqf-e:Jadid. Huzur r t• recognized the zeal for financial sacrifice numerous times in his Friday sermons and during his inauguration addresses in the United States. Huzur r 1 • was indeed a remarkable human being with multifarious talents. He had an incredible command of the English language and was masterful in his conversations with western scholars and statesman on topics ranging from ethics to socio-economics. He also had a love for science and nature, and would elegantly weave analogies and references to God's natural creations into his logical descriptions of religious and philosophical principles. During his tours to America, guests would be mesmerized by his responses during question-and-answer