A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
27 December 1960:On this day, Mr Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha, the chief justice of India was given Ahmadiyya literature when he visited Tarapur in Palghar district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Maulvi Abdur Rahman Fani Sahib, a local missionary of the Jamaat, presented an address on behalf of the Jamaat. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 21, p. 9)
27 December 1985:On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh announced the establishment of this scheme internationally:
“From this year, I announce the expansion of the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme to the whole world, instead of limiting it to Pakistan and India alone.” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 4, p. 1020)
To read more about this financial scheme, see: “A chronology of Waqf-e-Jadid’s early years (1957-1965)” at alhakam.org (25 December 2020, pp. 12-14).
28 December 1928:On this day, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Australia convened its Jalsa Salana, which was the first-ever Jamaat gathering in that part of the world outside India. Hazrat Sufi Muhammad Hassan Musa Khanra, the pioneering Ahmadi of Australia, narrated the claims of the Promised Messiahas. By the grace of Allah, this proved to have a very great impact on all those present, including other non-Ahmadi guests. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p. 100)
29 December 1909:Upon the instructions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, a series of lectures was arranged in Lahore, commencing on this date, for the next four days. Christians had started a series of lectures in a college in Lahore, in response to which a series of Islamic lectures was started on the instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. Aside from other speakers, Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra delivered a lecture on the subject of salvation. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 299)
29 December 1944:In response to the unpleasant behaviour and foul language used by opponents of the Jamaat during the course of Jalsa Salana, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra instructed Jamaat members, on this day, to recite the following prayer during Isha in its final rak‘ah:
اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَجْعَلُكَ فِيْ نُحُوْرِهِمْ، وَنَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شُرُوْرِهِمْ
“O Allah, we take You as a shield against whatever is in their [the enemies’] heart. We seek protection against every evil of theirs and its dangerous effects.”
This practice continued for 40 days into the new year. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 9, p. 212)
29 December 1978:On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh delivered his Friday sermon at the men’s jalsa gah in Rabwah. The sermon addressed the significant topic of Islam’s beautiful teachings on freedom of conscience and freedom of belief. Continuing this theme, on 12 January 1979, Huzoor completed his discourse in his Friday Sermon. (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 7, p. 517)
30 December 1932: The famous aviator from India, Mr Ram Nath Chawla, came from Lahore on his aeroplane on this day, around 4 pm and landed in the open field near Qadian railway station. Mr Chawla requested Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra to see his plane.
To read more about this historic and interesting event, see: “From the first flight in Qadian to the ‘Khilafat Flight’ during the USA Tour 2022” at alhakam.org (28 October 2022, pp. 6-7).
30 December 2005:During his Friday sermon in Qadian on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa instructed Jamaat members to express gratitude to Allah for enabling them to hold a successful Jalsa Salana Qadian. Huzooraa said that the first-ever Jalsa Qadian was attended by only 75 members; however, through the prayers of the Promised Messiahas, Allah blessed the Jalsa and this year’s Jalsa was attended by around 70,000 people. (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 3, pp. 747-758)
31 December 1892:On this day, the Promised Messiahas, solely out of his compassion and mercy, sent a letter to Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalwi so that in his enmity for the Promised Messiahas, he may not cross boundaries and cause any further loss for himself. In the letter, the Promised Messiahas stated, “In this village as well as in Batala, I have spent a large part of my life; however, who can say that I have ever uttered a lie?” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 1, p. 337)
31 December 1949:On this day, Al Fazl published a news report about the tea party, held at the Talim-ul-Islam College Lahore, in honour of a delegation of some American educationists, led by the noble laureate Dr Arthur H Compton, the then Chancellor of Washington University. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, also graced this event with his presence. This event was organised by the Fazl-e-Umar Research Institute and Talim-ul-Islam College, Lahore. (Al Fazl, 31 December 1949, p. 7)
1 January 1906:On this day, the Promised Messiahas was revealed:
“تين بكرے ذبح كئے جائيں گے”
“Three goats will be slaughtered.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 811)
To read more about this revelation, see: “Maulavi Naimatullah Khan: An odyssey of mythic grandeur from Qadian to Kabul” at alhakam.org (10 September 2024).
1 January 1936: Malik Saif-ur-Rahman Sahib performed the bai‘at and became a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. He had undertaken a long and deep study of the Jamaat prior to accepting. He was a renowned scholar of Islam and was very well respected in the Ahrar Movement prior to his acceptance of Islam Ahmadiyyat. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 7, p. 344)
To read more about him, visit: www.ahmadipedia.org
1 January 1955: On this day, the Ahmadiyya Mission Gold Coast (now Ghana), West Africa, launched its first-ever newspaper, named Sunrise. Its first editor, Masood Ahmad Khan B.A. B.T., worked as a professor in Kumasi Secondary School. Sunrise of Kumasi was tasked with spreading the true teachings of Islam whilst also responding to the allegations raised by the Christians and the non-Muslims. Uniting the Muslims and taking care of their religious and moral education was also one of its purposes. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 17, p. 320)
1 January 1966:There was a risk of famine and drought in Pakistan due to a lack of rain. On tbis day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh urged Ahmadis to dedicate two prostrations of nawafil for the next seven days and pray for rain. Upon Huzoor’srh instruction, Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Shamsra led Salat-ul-Istisqa (prayer for rain) on 6 January in Rabwah. (Al Fazl, 8 and 12 January 1966, p. 1)
2 January 1976:On this day, while delivering the Friday Sermon at Masjid Aqsa, Rabwah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh encouraged members to participate in an honorary scheme under Waqf-e-Jadid. Under this initiative, members were urged to dedicate three months at the Markaz (Rabwah) to receive basic religious education. Subsequently, they were to assist in the moral and spiritual training of members in local Jamaats near their places of residence. (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 6, p. 269)
2 January 2000:On this day, a tragic collision occurred between a train and a passenger waggon at the railway crossing in Rabwah during the morning hours. On this occasion, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Fazl-e-Umar Hospital, and local Ahmadis of Rabwah rendered invaluable services. For instance, 28 Khuddam immediately donated blood for the injured. (Daily Al Fazl Rabwah, 4 January 2000, p. 1)