Frequently Asked Questions!
FAQ’s
Quick Answers to Your Questions
Have a question?
This FAQ section addresses common questions about the beliefs, practices, and organizational structure of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It aims to provide clarity and guidance for both members and those seeking to learn more about the Jama’at
What is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community?
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.
What is the difference between Ahmadi Muslims and other Muslims?
Ahmadi Muslims follow the same holy scriptures and teachings as other Muslims. The key difference is that Ahmadi Muslims believe that the Promised Messiah (also referred to as the Mahdi in some texts) of the latter days has arrived and he established the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889. It is a revivalist movement that has no new religious laws or teachings as it seeks to rejuvenate the true Islam as taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). Other Muslims are still waiting for a reformer to come.
What was the prophecy of the The Holy Prophet about Muslims being divided into sects?
More than 1400 years ago, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) made a prophecy that said,
“My people will be divided into 73 sections, all of them will be in the fire except one.” The companions asked, ‘Who are they O Messenger of Allah,’ Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “They are those who will be like me and my companions.” (Trimizi, Kitabul Eeman).
How does one identify the true sect?
As previously mentioned, the Holy Prophet(sa) had prophesized that his followers would be divided into 73 sects, and all would be in the fire except one. When asked by his companions, how one could recognize the true sect, he replied that they will follow in mine and my followers footsteps. The persecution of the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions was very severe. They were victims of public stoning because of their beliefs, they weren’t allowed to build mosques nor pray. They weren’t allowed to perform Hajj or identify themselves as Muslims.
This kind of treatment has been shown to every generation so far since the foundation of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. Ahmadis in most Muslim countries are not allowed to preach openly, are not allowed to build mosques or call their buildings mosques, are not allowed to pray openly and are not allowed to perform Hajj.
The government of Pakistan and the leaders of all the rest of 72 sects of Islam (other than Ahmadi Muslims) clearly distinguished the identity of the true sect when they collectively signed legislation in 1974 that declared all Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority in Pakistan. This decision, however, did ironically provide an interesting, if not unique, distinction of one group of Muslims from the other 72 sects fulfilling the prophecy of Holy Prophet(sa).
Why do other Muslims say that Ahmadis are non-Muslims?
This is an unfortunate fact where many of the Muslim clergy issue edicts declaring other Muslims as non-Muslims. Fundamentally in Islam, this right has not been given to any human being to declare others as non-Muslims. Religion is a personal matter and between the person and God and that is how the accountability is going to take place. It appears that by declaring others as non-Muslims, such people want to create a sort of hatred in the minds of Muslims so that they are not interacted with. They think by declaring Ahmadi Muslims as non-Muslims they can be isolated and their message would not be heard. It is interesting to point out that Muslim clergy have not agreed on one definition of, who is a Muslim.
Not all Muslims say that Ahmadis are non-Muslims however. According to the Pew Research Forum, 40% of the citizens of Bangladesh – a Muslim country – consider Ahmadis to be Muslims.
Who was the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and what was his major claim?
The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (on him be peace).
He claimed to be the Mujaddid (divine reformer) of the fourteenth Islamic century, the Promised Messiah (Second Coming of Christ), and the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims in the end days.
His main objective and the purpose of his advent was to revive the teachings of Islam, to revive faith in one God and to unify the whole of mankind by bringing them all under the banner of the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him), who is the final messenger of God for the whole of mankind with a perfect and everlasting message for all times.
Are Ahmadi Muslims named after the founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad?
No. The name Ahmadiyya was given to the Community by the Promised Messiah to commemorate the name of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), who has the two names, Ahmad and Muhammad. The Holy Prophet(sa) had prophesized that the name Ahmad would be manifested again in the Latter Days and that a person would appear through whom the qualities of beauty will be manifested. The name Ahmad indicated that he would spread peace and security in the world. As the Promised Messiah’s mission was to carry on the work of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) under his second name Ahmad, his followers are called Ahmadi Muslims.
What does the word “khilafat” mean? And why is considered a blessing?
The term “khilafat” means successorship, and the Khalifa is a successor to a Prophet of Allah whose goal is to carry to completion the tasks of reformation and moral training that were seeded by the Prophet. The community of followers of a Prophet of Allah continues to nurture its faith and practices under the blessing of the institution of Khilafat for as long as Allah wishes.
Khilafat establishes the authority of Allah on earth, and the Khalifa strives to uphold that authority within the community of followers. For the believers, Khilafat is an embodiment of Allah’s Unity, as they choose to take divine authority through the person of the Khalifa. The believers partake of the blessings of Khilafat by holding firm to their faith and practices, united under him.
With the blessed institution of khilafat to guide it, the community has distinct sense of discipline and direction under one leader – a factor that enables it to serve God and humanity with sincerity of purpose and selfless devotion.
Who were the khalifas (caliphs) of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat (Caliphate)?
The first successor to the Promised Messiah(as) was Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin(ra). He was elected the first khalifa after the demise of the Promised Messiah(as) He was a favorite companion of the Promise Messiah(as) and was the first to pledge allegiance to him (bai’at). He was known for his deep understanding of the Holy Qur’an. He remained khalifa for 6 years.
A prophecy had been revealed to the Promised Messiah(as) by God, that he would be given a son, through whom the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat would be spread to the ends of the earth. This prophecy was fulfilled in the form of Hazrat Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad(ra), who became Khalifa II in 1914. He was known as Musleh Maud, the Promised Reformer. He remained Khalifa for 52 years and achieved numerous milestones for the community.
The third Khalifa was Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad(rh). He was the oldest son of the second successor. He launched two major projects, The Fazle Umar Foundation, and Nusrat Jahan scheme, in the spirit of continuing his father’s work. He also announced the popular Ahmadi motto, “Love for All, Hatred for None.”
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(rh) was the fourth Khalifa. He was elected upon his brother’s death, in 1982. One of his greatest achievements was the development of a 24-hour satellite TV channel, MTA. In 1993, the first live international initiation ceremony was broadcast on that channel, where hundreds of thousands of persons entered the Ahmadiyya community at his hands.
The current Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. Born in September 1950, he dedicated life for Islam at the age of 27. One of his greatest accomplishments while serving as the manager of the Ahmadiyya Agricultural Farm in Ghana, was the experiment of planting, growing and nurturing wheat as an economic crop in Ghana, despite a series of experiments revealing that wheat could not grow in Ghana. These accomplishments revolutionized the country’s economy and paved the way for self sufficiency. He currently resides in London, England.