Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
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The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (Arabic: الجماعة الأحمدية; transliterated: al-Jamā'a al-Ahmadīya) is the larger community of the two arising from Ahmadiyya Islam founded in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (1835-1908). The original movement split into two factions soon after the death of the founder. (The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam is the second branch).
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community is guided by the Khalifa (Caliph), currently Khalifatul Masih V, who is believed to be the spiritual leader of Ahmadis and the successor to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He is called the Khalifatul Masih (successor of the Messiah)
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement, claimed to be the Mujaddid (reformer) of the 14th Islamic century as well as the Messiah, Mahdi and The Second Coming of Christ. [1] These claims have proven to be controversial among mainstream Muslims. Mainstream Muslims believe that no prophet or messenger will come after Muhammad and that Jesus himself, as well as the Mahdi, will descend from heaven at the End times to wage war against the forces of evil. [2]
History
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1889. After the death of his first successor Hakeem Noor-ud-Din in 1914, there was a split upon the election of the second successor Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad which gradually led to certain doctrinal differences between those who accepted the Caliphate ( namely those who accepted Mahmood Ahmad as their leader) and those who preferred the central Ahmadiyya council.
The split in 1914
The split in 1914 resulted in the formation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. The reasons for the split were ideological differences as well as differences over the suitability of the elected Khalifa (2nd successor) Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad (the son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad).
1953 Riots and Selective Martial Law
Selective Martial law was declared over Lahore in 1953 by the Pakistan Armed Forces, in response to civil unrest following anti-Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement agitations. Then-captain Rahimuddin Khan (later General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee) was part of the military deployment heading the army takeover of Lahore, culminating in the arrest of Maulana Maududi, who was considered the principal agitator behind the riots.
Persecution in 1974
Over the course of the 1970s, the Jamaat-e-Islami started a widespread anti-Ahmadiyya movement in Pakistan. Their leader, Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, condemned them as heretics in his book the Qadiani Problem (Qadiani is a derogatory term for Ahmadiyya).
Confident of state support, the Jamaat contested the 1970 elections in Pakistan, only to suffer big reversals. In 1973, Maududi started his violent hate campaign against Ahmadiyyas denouncing them as heretics in his book, Qadiani problem. [3]
They engaged in massacres against them which resulted in 2,000 Ahmadiyya deaths in Pakistani Punjab. This anti-Ahmadiyya movement led Pakistani prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to declare Ahmadis as constitutionally "non-Muslims". [4][3]
Persecution in 1984
In 1984, the Government of Pakistan, under General Zia-ul-Haq, passed Ordinance XX [5], which banned proselytizing by Ahmadis and also banned calling Ahmadis as Muslims. According to this ordinance, any Ahmadi who refers to oneself as a Muslim by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, directly or indirectly, or makes the call for prayer as other Muslims do, is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years. Because of these difficulties, Mirza Tahir Ahmad moved the headquarters to London, UK.
Books & Literature
- Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya
- Commentary on the Holy Quran: Surah Al-Fateha
- The Philosophy and Teachings of Islam
- Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran
- Invitation to Ahmadiyyat
- Tadhkirah
- Jesus in India
- The Heavenly Signs
- Malfoozat
- Tafseer-e-Kabeer
- Revelation, Rationality,Knowledge & Truth
- Murder in the Name of Allah
- The Essence of Islam part 1
- The Essence of Islam part 2
- The Essence of Islam part 3
- The Essence of Islam part 4
- The Essence of Islam part 5
- Our God
Europe
- Great Britain
- First mission station established in London in 1913.
- First mosque built in London in 1924/26, Fazal Mosque.
- Biggest mosque built in western Europe in 2003, Baitul Futuh.
- Dar-ul Barakat Mosque in Birmingham in 2004
- Nasir Mosque Hartlepool in Hartlepool in 2005
- Qur'an translated into English by Maulawi Sher Ali.
- Germany
- Qur'an translated into German in 1954.
- First mosque built in Germany after Second World War in Hamburg (1957) and Frankfurt (1959).
- Biggest ahmadiyya mosque in Germany built in Groß Gerau (1992).
- Khadija Mosque in Berlin built in 2008.
- Switzerland
- Mahmud Mosque built in Zürich in 1963.
- Albania
- Baitul Awwal in Tirana
- Bosnia
- Baitul Salam in Sarajevo
- Denmark
- Nusrat Jehan Mosque in Copenhagen in 1967
- Norway
- „Moske i Oslo“ in Oslo in 1980
- Sweden
- Nasir Mosque Gothenburg in Gothenburg in 1963
- Spain
- Mezquita Basharat in Pedro Abad in 1982
Successors of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
The history of the Ahmadi Khilafat has spanned an entire century, is still continuing, and has seen 5 Caliphs lead the community thus far. [6]
- Maulana Hakeem Noor-ud-Din: 27 May 1908 - 13 March 1914
- Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad: 14 March 1914 - 7 November 1965
- Mirza Nasir Ahmad: 8 November 1965 - 9 June 1982
- Mirza Tahir Ahmad: 10 June 1982 - 19 April 2003
- Mirza Masroor Ahmad: 22 April 2003 - present
Ahmadiyya Firsts
The following are some world firsts accomplished by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- First Muslim place of worship in London - 1914
- First Muslim/Pakistani to receive Nobel Prize was Dr. Abdus Salam.
- First Muslim/Pakistani United Nations General Assembly President Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafarullah Khan Sahib
- First Recognized Martyr (because of the faith) - Hazrat Moulvi Abdur Rehman Sahib in Kabul, Afghanistan on June 20, 1901
- First Jalsa Salana - in Qadian in December 1891
- First Jalsa Salana Pakistan - December 1948
Famous Ahmadis
- Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II: A political figure in pre-partition India. Chairman of Kashmir Committee and one of the pioneers of Kashmir Freedom struggle.[7]
- Sir Chaudhury Muhammad Zafrulla Khan: A leader of All India Muslim League, Former Foreign Minister of Pakistan and President of United Nations General Assembly.
- Mr. M M Ahmad: Former Chief Secretary of Pakistan.
- Dr. Abdus Salam: Nobel Laureate in Physics.
- Malik Ram: Scholar of the Urdu language and expert on Mirza Ghalib.
- Mahershalalhashbaz Ali: Well-known actor, a lead on the USA Network's program The 4400.
- Yusef Lateef: Syncopater and Grammy Award winner.
- Sahibzada Abdul Latif: Martyr of Ahmadiyya Islam, Afghan king's [Amir Abdur Rahman Khan] advisor and representative of the Afghan government in formation of the Durand Line[8]
References
- ^ Chaudry, Dr. Aziz Ahmad (1996). The Promised Messiah and Mahdi. Islam International Publications Limited. pp. "A World Reformer" p11). OCLC 45460290 ISBN 1-85372-596.
- ^ "Further Similarities and Differences (between esoteric, exoteric & Sunni/Shia and between Islam/Christianity/Judaism". Retrieved 2006-09-15.
- ^ a b Grare, Fredric, Anatomy of Islamism, Political Islam in the Indian Subcontinent, Manohar Publishers, New Delhi, 2001. ISBN 81-7304-404-X
- ^ Jamaat-i-Islami Federal Research Division US Library of Congress
- ^ Ordinance XX
- ^ History of the Ahmadi Khilafat
- ^ Hazrat Khalifa-tul-Masih II and Lahore
- ^ "The Afghan Martyrs" by B.A. Rafiq
External links
- Documentary on Islam Ahmadiyyat - Video
- Official site of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- List of Missionaries: The U.K. Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission
- Muslim Television Ahmadiyya
- Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- Ask Islam: Ahmadi Question & Answers
- Private Anti-Corruption organisation in Ahmadiyyat