A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
21 November 1902: The 19th century was an era that saw a rising tide of opposition to Islam. In particular, Christian clergymen, supported by their press, were running a malicious campaign. They were objecting to the teachings of the Holy Quran and attempting to malign the blessed character of the Holy Prophetsa.
One of the major debates they ignited was about the sinlessness (‘ismah) of the Prophets. On this day, The Nur Afshan wrote that “‘Muhammad was not sinless,’ ‘He was not faultless.’ ‘He had his drawbacks.’ Such are the admissions of this writer, and yet he says no one can prove that he sinned!” (Vol. 6, No. 47, p. 1) It was only the Promised Messaihas who took up the task to combat this false accusation against his Holy Mastersa.
To learn more about this opposition and the defence presented by the Promised Messiahas, see: “Prophet Muhammad’s infallibility in Islam and Christian critiques – A historical overview” at www.alhakam.org (25 December 2024)
21 November 2014: On this day, during his Friday sermon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa honoured the memories of three recently deceased darweshan of Qadian. Huzooraa reminded Jamaat members to remember these devoted individuals and their progeny in prayers, acknowledging their immense sacrifices for the Jamaat.
To learn more about their unique sacrifices, see: “Darweshan-e-Qadian” at alhakam.org (28 December 2018, pp. 12-13).
22 November 1923: On this day, a prominent French writer, M Pierre Mille (1864-1941), wrote:
“A new Messiah has just appeared; let it be said! […]
“He is the Messiah and Mahdi at the same time, in the European sense that we give to this word, because he does not limit his propaganda, as the others did, to the Muslim countries. […] He has missionaries, whom he sends everywhere and one of them has just preached in Paris and then in Marseille.
“Ghulam Ahmad[as]” has “made a thousand predictions, all of which, it seems, have come true. I readily believe that the predictions always come true. In this regard, it is enough to draw a little on the prophecy, on the one hand and on the facts, on the other.” (La Dépêche Coloniale et Maritime, p. 2) This article was also published in Excelsior on 23 November 1923.
To read more about this media coverage, see: “Message of Islam Ahmadiyyat echoes in early 1900s French periodicals” www.alhakam.org (15 September 2023, pp. 14-15).
22 November 1931: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was in Delhi to attend an important session of the Kashmir Committee. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 462)
23 November 2015: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered the keynote address at a special reception held in his honour at the Hilton Hotel on the island of Odaiba, Tokyo. More than 60 guests attended the reception, during which Huzooraa reflected on the consequences of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and described them as “attacks that shamed humanity”. (“Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community delivers a historic address in Tokyo, Japan”, www.pressahmadiyya.com)
24 November 1950: Maulvi Ghulam Hussain Ayaz Sahib left Qadian, India, for Singapore on 6 May 1935 and returned to Rabwah, Pakistan (as the headquarters of the Jamaat had moved to Pakistan following the partition) 15 years later, on this day.
To read his faith-inspiring story, see: “Pioneer Missionaries: Part 3 – Enduring murder attempts, assault and torture” at www.alhakam.org (14 October 2022, pp. 10-11).
24 November 1989: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh instructed the Jamaat members to adopt these five basic characteristics:
1. The habit of speaking the truth
2. The use of a soft, humble and respectful way of speaking
3. Control over one’s feelings in a balanced manner
4. Sympathy for the poor and removing their misery
5. To be courageous and resolute in the way of Allah
(Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 861)
25 November 1921: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, whilst advising members of the Jamaat, said in his Friday sermon: “[…] I strongly advise you to develop such intellect and understanding in yourselves that your mind is not drawn towards irrationality and ignorance, but to direct your mind and intellect towards good things. People of a nation that [desire to] develop are not such that every little thing should be explained to them and only then will they understand; rather, there is a substance inside them that they automatically understand such things and act accordingly.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 7, p. 147)
25 November 1998: The noble project of building 100 mosques in Germany was introduced by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh. On this day, the foundation stone of the first mosque of this project – Bait-ul-Hamd Mosque in Wittlich – was laid. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 896)
26 November 1948: On this day, during his Friday sermon, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra narrated the faith-inspiring sentiments of missionaries in foreign missions across Europe, like those of France and Spain. Due to the financial burden caused by the Indian partition, the Jamaat was forced to stop the funding of some foreign missions; however, some missionaries responded by saying that they would carry the missions on and make ends meet themselves, without the help of the Markaz. (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 29, pp. 399-413)
27 November 1914: During the Promised Messiah’sas life, the minaret at Masjid Aqsa Qadian was six feet off the ground. The construction of Minarat-ul-Masih resumed on this day, after a ceremonial brick was placed by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. Hazrat Qazi Abdur Rahim Bhattira oversaw the construction.
To learn more about this minaret, see: “A brief history of the construction of Minarat-ul-Masih Qadian” www.alhakam.org (6 January 2023, pp. 10-11).
27 November 1942: Hazrat Musleh Maudra had been suffering from gout for many weeks and this severe condition had rendered Huzoorra bedridden. On this day, Huzoorra came to Masjid Aqsa in Qadian, seated on a chair, which was carried by some of his followers and announced the commencement of the new fiscal year of Tahrik-e-Jadid. He narrated to the audience how many army generals had been reported in history books to have commanded their forces while lying in palanquins and, in such a state, had defeated their opponents. (Al Fazl, Qadian, 2 December 1942, pp. 1-11)