What is Ahmadiyya?
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community are Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be on him) (1835-1908) of Qadian. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889 as a revival movement within Islam, emphasizing its essential teachings of peace, love, justice, and sanctity of life. Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the world’s largest Islamic community under one Divinely appointed leader, His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) (b. 1950). The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans over 200 nations with membership exceeding tens of millions.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be the metaphorical second coming of Jesus Christ and the Mahdi, whose advent Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) foretold. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that God sent Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed, and restore morality, justice, and peace. He reformed Muslims of fanatical beliefs and practices by vigorously championing Islam’s true teachings. He also recognized the noble teachings of the great religious founders and saints, including Zoroaster, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Guru Nanak, and explained how their original teachings converge into true Islam.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism. Over a century ago, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad emphatically declared that the “jihad by the sword” has no place in Islam. He instead taught Muslims to follow the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s example and defend Islam with a bloodless, intellectual “jihad of the pen.” Accordingly, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad penned over 80 books and tens of thousands of letters, delivered hundreds of lectures, and engaged in scores of public debates. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community continues to use education to peacefully reform Muslims and revive Islam worldwide.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad reminded Muslims of God’s promise to safeguard Islam through khilafat (the spiritual institution of successorship to prophethood). The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that only Islamic khilafat can peacefully unite humanity. Five Khulafa have succeeded Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas since his demise.
The current Khalifa, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, resides in the United Kingdom and serves as the community’s spiritual and administrative head. Under the leadership of khilafat, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has built over 16,000 mosques, 600 schools, and 30 hospitals. It has translated the Holy Quran into over 75 languages. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community propagates Islam’s true teachings of peace and tolerance through a 24-hour satellite television channel (MTA), the Internet (www.alislam.org), and print (Islam International Publications). It stands at the forefront of disaster relief worldwide through Humanity First, a non-profit charity.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the only Islamic organization to endorse the separation of mosque and state. Despite facing bitter faith-based persecution in numerous Muslim majority nations, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community continues to advocate for universal human rights for all religious and other persecuted minorities. It likewise invests heavily in women’s equality, education, and empowerment programs. Its members are among the most law-abiding, educated, and engaged Muslims in the world. For more information, visit www.alislam.org.