A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

25 July 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was an ardent lover of the Holy Founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him. On this day, while travelling to Europe, when his ship approached the coast near Mecca, Huzoorra ascertained that his ship was cruising directly towards the Baitullah (Ka‘bah) in Mecca. Upon this blessed occasion, Huzoorra offered two rak‘aat [units of prayer] of voluntary prayer in congregation with his entourage. During this time, Huzoorra remained engaged in fervent prayers. He recited Surah al-Nazi‘at in the first rak‘ah and Surah al-A‘la in the second. He prayed for a long time during prostration; at times, the sound of his fervent supplications could be heard by others. The narrator, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira, writes that the scene could not be described in words.
To read this account, see: alhakam.org.
25 July 1931: On this day, the All-India Kashmir Committee was formed and Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra was unanimously elected its first president.
For more details, see “Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s services to the Muslim cause: Guidance for Turkey, peace in the Arab world and the Kashmir Movement”, at alhakam.org (19 February 2021, pp. 41-44).
26 July 1940: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra announced the establishment of Majlis Ansarullah, an auxiliary organisation of Ahmadi men aged above 40 years. Huzoorra appointed Hazrat Maulvi Sher Alira as its president. Huzoorra also announced some core amendments regarding the auxiliary organisation of Ahmadi youth. Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya was also announced on this day; an organisation of Ahmadi boys. Huzoorra made membership in these organisations compulsory for Ahmadis in that age range. Huzoorra announced that “Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya should organise all children between the ages of 8 and 15 within one month and an organisation by the name of ‘Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya’ be created; an apt programme should be produced for them with my consultation.” (Al Fazl Qadian,1 August 1940, p. 2, Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 8, p. 70)
For more details about the history of these auxiliary organisations, see: “History of Majlis Ansarullah” at alhakam.org (28 September 2018, p. 3).
26 July 2013: During his Friday sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa granted guidance to members of the Jamaat to pay special attention towards the tarbiyat and education of their children so that they can play their role in the progress of the country and nation. Huzooraa emphasised that it was a shared responsibility of both parents.
27 July 1896: The Promised Messiah’sas prophecy about Abdullah Atham was fulfilled on this day when this Muslim-born Christian missionary departed the world in Firozpur, India. He was a representative of the Christian camp against the Promised Messiahas at Amritsar during Jang-e-Muqaddas, the famous debate of 1893.
For more details, see “Abdullah Atham”, www.ahmadipedia.org.
27 July 1955: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was in London on this day, where a blessed soul from Malta, who was an engineer by profession, accepted Ahmadiyyat. In this way, the Jamaat was established on a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 16, p. 549)
28 July 1967: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh attended a reception that was arranged for him at Wandsworth Town Hall, London. The reception was also attended by the Mayor of Wandsworth, Sir Harold Hey Jenkins; Mr Herald Shubert, Member of Parliament (who was also the honorary secretary of the Pakistan Society); Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafrulla Khanra; the High Commissioner of Sierra Leone; and many other dignitaries. The Lord Mayor, Sir Harold Hey Jenkins and Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra delivered welcome speeches. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 24, p. 135)
Huzoorrh delivered an address, which was later published under the title A Message of Peace and a Word of Warning. (www.alislam.org)
29 July 2014: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa addressed members of the Jamaat from the Fazl Mosque in London on the final day of that year’s Ramadan. Huzooraa delivered a Darsul Quran of the last four chapters of the Holy Quran before leading the assembled Ahmadi Muslims and viewers across the world in silent prayer.
Huzooraa advised all Ahmadis to strive to continue studying the Holy Quran throughout the year. While commenting on the then-recent martyrdom of three Ahmadis in Gujranwala, Pakistan, Huzooraa said that the Jamaat bore each trial with patience, knowing that God Almighty would reward such sacrifices.
Before leading everyone in silent prayer, Huzooraa asked for everyone to pray for peace in the world and also for the Muslim ummah to follow the peaceful teachings of Islam and create unity amongst them.
(“Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community delivers Darsul-Quran on final Day of Ramadan”, www.pressahmadiyya.com)
30 July 1939: On this day, Montague William Douglas presided over a gathering held at the Fazl Mosque in London to honour the Promised Messiahas which served as a ceremonious recognition of the Promised Messiah’sas enduring legacy. The South Western Star of 4 August 1939 reported on this event under the heading “Southfields Mosque: Promised Messiah Honoured”.
For more details, see “Montagu William Douglas’ visits to the Fazl Mosque London in 1936 and 1939” at alhakam.org (29 March 2024, pp. 12-13).
30 July 1976: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh delivered a Friday sermon on this day in the United States of America. This was the first sermon of any Khalifatul Masih on this continent. Huzoorrh delivered the Friday sermon in English. (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 6, p. 503)
31 July 1910: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira addressed the general public, who had gathered at the Ahmadiyya Building in Lahore to listen to his words. Huzoorra chose the topic of “Islam Compared with Other Religions” in Urdu. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 323)
31 July 1928: Hazrat Syeda Sara Begumra, noble wife of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, passed the examination of adeeb (Urdu literature course). She stood first amongst the female candidates from her whole province. In addition to her hard work and effort, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’sra interest in women’s education was also involved in this success. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p. 97)