DOZENS of Muslims from Bradford and the North East will make their way to the UK's longest running Islamic conference for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ahmadi Muslims from across Yorkshire will descend on the 200-acre Oakland Farm in Hampshire for three days of worship and gathering at the event known as the 'Jalsa Salana'.

Prior to last year's global pandemic, more than 35,000 people from all over the world attended the last Jalsa, held in 2019. This year, only UK residents who have been double vaccinated were permitted to enter the ballot to attend this gathering.

Roughly 4,000 of those lucky enough to have been selected in the ballot, including dozens from Yorkshire will attend one of the three-days of the event amid strict social distancing measures at the pop-up tent village from August 6 to 8.

All attendees will need to show proof of double vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test result in order to gain entry.

Face masks will be mandatory in all enclosed spaces, including the two marquees, each able to accommodate thousands of worshippers.

Those unable to attend in person will gather to watch the proceedings together at 40 Ahmadi Muslim mosques and centres up and down the UK including at the Masjid Al-Mahdi Mosque in Bradford.

The Mosque will be putting up big screens to allow the gathering to join the event virtually. The Mosque will also be serving the same food being served in Hampshire.

The highlight of the event will be the attendance of the global Islamic Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who will deliver an address to attendees on each of the three days of the Jalsa.

The objective of the event is to highlight the true peaceful teachings of Islam and to enable the participants to increase their knowledge and understanding of Islamic teachings and practices.

Hamood Anwar, the Local President of the Chapter, will be attending the Jalsa, said: “We feel really lucky to have the chance to attend the Jalsa again.

“My family comes every year and we were really sad that it was cancelled last year.

“It will finally feel like we’re coming out the other side of “Covid” when we can pray together with our friends and family from all over the UK again in those huge marquees.

“Those who can’t travel down will be making their own mini event at the Masjid Al-Mahdi Mosque in Bradford to join in with the feel of the event despite being hundreds of miles away.”

The event will also be broadcast online and on the Community's worldwide television station, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya (Sky 731), across its 19 television channels.