A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
29 December 1904: On this day, the Promised Messiahas delivered a speech in Masjid Aqsa after the Zuhr prayer on the occasion of Jalsa Salana. (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 4, p. 197)
29 December 1909: Upon the instructions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, a series of lectures to be delivered in Lahore by Jamaat’s scholars was arranged. They commenced on this day and continued over the following four days.
The background to this is that Christians had started a series of lectures in a college in Lahore, in response to which this series of Islamic lectures started. Aside from other speakers, Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra delivered a lecture on the subject of salvation. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 299)
29 December 2000: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh delivered the last Friday Sermon of the 20th century. During his Friday Sermon, Huzoorrh presented the words of the Promised Messiahas which he said on the last Friday of the 19th century, which was 28 December 1900. (Al Fazl International, London, 2 February 2001, p. 5)
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.
31 December 1993: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh made a historic announcement during his Friday Sermon delivered from Rose Hill, Mauritius, regarding MTA’s regular broadcasts for 12 hours from 7 January 1994. (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 12, pp. 999-1015)
31 December 2010: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said that the first day of 2010 was a Friday and it was ending on a Friday as well. Huzooraa said that the sacrifices of lives that had been made by the martyrs of Pakistan, especially during the year 2010, would never go in vain.
1 January 1966: There was a risk of famine and drought in Pakistan due to a lack of rain. On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh urged Ahmadis to dedicate two units of nawafil (voluntary prayers) 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)
1 January 1988: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh emphasised the importance of attending Friday prayers and urged Ahmadis living in the Western World to prioritise their spiritual obligation of offering Jumuah, even if it meant making adjustments to their work schedules or seeking alternative employment. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 845)
1 January 1992: During his historic tour of Qadian, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh paid a visit to the teachers and students of Madrasa Ahmadiyya as well as had a meeting with local and central missionaries. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 869)
2 January 1976: Under the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh encouraged members of the Jamaat to take up honorary life-devotion (waqf); that is, members of the Jamaat should stay in the markaz for three months and attain religious education so that the moral training of the Jamaat can progress. (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 6, p. 269)
2 January 2006: During his tour of India, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa visited various places in Qadian, including Talim-ul-Islam College, Noor Mosque, Tahrik-e-Jadid’s boarding, SS Bajwa School, Kothi Darus Salam, Noor Hospital, Aqsa Mosque and the Ahmadiyya Central Library, etc. (Al Fazl International, 24 February 2006, p. 11)
3 January 1898: The Promised Messiahas had expressed multiple times his intention to open and establish a middle school in Qadian to meet the educational requirements of the growing community. On this day, this historic milestone was achieved and Talim-ul-Islam School was inaugurated in Qadian. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 3)
4 January 1952: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra directed the central administrative Jamaat offices to draw up a list of projects in detail that needed to be completed during the year. He also instructed that the projects should be completed within their given timeframe. (Al Fazl, 11 January 1952)
4 January 2005: During his tour of Spain, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa travelled to visit the historic mosque and palaces in Cordoba. (Al Fazl International, 4 February 2005, p. 16)