A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
26 July 1940: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra 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)
With this announcement, Huzoorra also established a permanent auxiliary for the Ahmadis above the age of 40, named it “Majlis Ansarullah” and appointed Hazrat Maulvi Sher Alira as its president.
For more details about the history of these auxiliary organisations, see: “History of Majlis Ansarullah” at alhakam.org (28 September 2018, p. 3).
27 July 1896: The Promised Messiah’sas prophecy about Abdullah Athim was fulfilled on this day, when this Muslim-born Christian missionary departed the world in Firozpur. He was a representative of the Christian camp against the Promised Messiahas at Amritsar during the famous debate, Jang-e-Muqaddas of 1893.
For more details, see “Abdullah Atham” at www.ahmadipedia.org.
27 July 1976:
During his tour of the USA, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh was interviewed by two journalists. One of them was Miss Lavonia Perryman; she was a radio representative. The other media person was Mr John Novotnay. In his interview, Huzoorrh, while responding to a question, discussed the comparison between Christianity and Islam. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 3, pp. 592-593)
28 July 1967: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh attended a reception which 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)
28 July 1989: During his tour of Japan, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh delivered his Friday Sermon in Nagoya. Huzoorrh directed the Jamaat members that the hearts of the Japanese people should be won by good morals and high standards. (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 8, p. 499)
29 July 1957: Sahibzada Mirza Mubarak Ahmad, then Wakil-ut-Tabshir, was in Austria on official tour. He went to Vienna, the capital of Austria, along with Sheikh Nasir Ahmad Sahib, who was serving as a missionary. The Chancellor of Austria was gifted a copy of the Holy Quran’s German translation (prepared by the Jamaat), which was received by the representative of the Chancellor. The Chancellor appreciated this and wrote a letter of thanks to Sheikh Nasir Ahmad Sahib and Mirza Mubarak Ahmad as well. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 18, p. 741)
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: During his tour of America, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh delivered his Friday Sermon at the Fazl Mosque, Washington, DC, which was the first-ever Friday Sermon delivered by any Khalifa in America. This sermon was delivered in English. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 3, p. 591)
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 1920: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra travelled to the hillside city of Dharamshala, now located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. During his stay, Huzoorra composed his famous poem, “Naunehalan-e-Jamaat […]”.
For its English rendering, see: “100 Years Ago… – To the Nation’s Youth” at alhakam.org (30 July 2021, pp. 16-17).
1 August 1999: On this day, during his concluding address at Jalsa Salana UK, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh shed light on some aspects of the life of the Promised Messiahas with reference to the traditions of his Companions. Huzoorrh also showed the watch used by the Promised Messiahas. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 899)
August 2014: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned the painful incident of Gujranwala, where on 27 July 2014, three female members of Jamaat, including a 7-year-old child and an 8-month-old infant, were martyred by a mob. The deceased were Bushra Bibi Sahiba (in her 50s), and her two granddaughters, Hira and Kainaat. (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 12, p. 465)
1 August 2016: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa launched MTA Africa, a new television channel established specifically to cater for the needs of the African people. (‘‘Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community launches MTA International Africa TV Channel’’ www.pressahmadiyya.com)