CHINO, CA: Several local Ahmadi Muslim families traveled to London, England to participate in the 42nd Annual Convention of the UK Ahmadiyya Muslim Association.Also on Sunday, July 27, in the early morning some 2,000 members of the local community, at various mosques, worship centers and in their own homes, joined with millions of others throughout the world, via live satellite connection, in the renewal of their Pledge of Initiation into the Community.

This is an annual Pledge of Initiation in which all the new entrants into the Community make their Pledge of Initiation. Prior to renewing their pledge Imam Shamshad reminded the members of the ten conditions of Initiation into the Community.

Central to these conditions is belief in the absolute Unity of God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets. It is our duty to worship God and serve his creation clinging to the spiritual leadership that Allah has established in this age through the Imam Mahdi and Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be on him.

This year over 350,000 new members joined the Community throughout the world. In Chino, Orange, Inland Empire, Corona at various centers, and in Torrance at the Baitus Salam Mosque, several hundred members gathered together to listen to the addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that he delivered at the Hadiqatul Mahdi Annual Convention 208 acre site in Alton, Hampshire, UK.

In his opening address he invited all Ahmadi Muslims to pay particular attention to their five daily prayers. He told them that if they do not go on increasing their mindfulness of worship of God, they would be missing the real underlying purpose behind the holding of these Annual Conventions.In his address he informed the members of the countless blessings that Allah has been pouring upon the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He said that last year the Community was established in four new countries: Tajikistan, Pulau, Latvia and Iceland, bringing the total number of countries where the Community is established to 193.

He said the Community was now establishing new mosques and missions at the fastest pace ever. He said that last year some 593 new Communities had been established and that contact had been re-established with many hundreds of thousands of Ahmadis who had entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat many years earlier. Ghana was the foremost in this activity and India was the foremost in establishing new Communities.

He told the members that despite opposition even in Indonesia 10 new Communities had been established last year.Addressing the ladies on the second day he asked them to pay particular attention to the righteous upbringing of their children so that they could be capable of reforming mankind tomorrow.

He said Islam, had bestowed such immense bounties upon women that demand we all show gratitude to God Almighty. It was Islam that bestowed equality in every meaningful sense to the women of the world.