A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
31 October 1902: On this day, Al Badr published a report on its front page that while sitting in the tranquil atmosphere of Darul Aman Qadian, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas observes two of his blessed sons engaged in a reflective conversation. The young Mahmudra and Bashirra are earnestly debating whether knowledge or wealth is more valuable. The Promised Messiahas gently offers his insight, saying:
“My son, neither knowledge nor wealth holds real worth. It is the grace of God that is truly valuable.”
To read more about this topic, see: ‘‘‘Is knowledge better or wealth?’: God’s grace and the Ahmadiyya Khilafat’’ at www.alhakam.org (27 May 2025)
31 October 1980: On this day, during the ijtema of Majlis Ansarullah Markaziyya, a successful experiment was conducted to deliver a live English translation of the address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh to 18 listeners. This project was financially sponsored by the Fazl-e-Umar Foundation and overseen by Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib. During the Jalsa Salana 1980, live translations of Huzoor’srh addresses were broadcast in two languages, English and Indonesian. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 813)
For the history and success of this project, see: “The Pentecost at Jalsa Salana – A brief history of simultaneous translations” at alhakam.org (2 August 2019, pp. 10-11)
1 November 1905: During his visit to Delhi, the Promised Messiah’sas daily routine included visits to the shrines of revered Muslim saints interred there. His presence in the city was significant, drawing considerable attention – so much so that Mirza Hairat Dehlvi’s renowned newspaper, Curzon Gazette, published an article on this day, opposing the Promised Messiahas, aiming to mislead the public. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 427)
2 November 1924: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra started the next phase of his journey back to Qadian from Europe, as he boarded his ship from Venice, in the northeast of Italy. Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra had sent this news to Hazrat Maulvi Sher Alira who was in Qadian serving as Amir-e-Muqami. (Al Fazl, 6 November 1924, p. 1)
3 November 1904: On this day, after his successful and blessed stay at Sialkot, the Promised Messiahas began his journey to Qadian via train. At the railway station of Wazirabad, a famous Christian missionary, Mr Scott, had the opportunity to meet Hazrat Ahmadas. Mr Scott was appointed to the Daska mission at that time. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 369)
4 November 1968: On this day, Sahibzada Mirza Wasim Ahmad Sahib met with the President of India, Dr Zakir Husain, during his stay in Delhi. During their meeting, Sahibzada Mirza Wasim Ahmad presented the President with a gift of 30 books published by the Jamaat. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 24, p. 625)
4 November 2022: In the autumn of 2022, two young Ahmadi missionaries had a private audience with Pope Francis. On this day, Al Hakam published details of this meeting.
To learn more about this, see: ‘‘Pope Francis and what he knew about the true Islam’’ at www.alhakam.org (21 April 2025, p. 1).
5 November 1926: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra initiated the organisation of Ansarullah. In its inaugural session, on this day, Huzoorra made it obligatory for its members to learn Ayat-ul-Kursi (Surah al-Baqarah Ch.2: V.256) and the last three chapters of the Holy Quran. Moreover, every member was to keep the following three books with them as personal copies: the Holy Quran, Noah’s Ark [Kashti-e-Nuh] and Gardens of the Righteous [Riyadh-us-Saliheen].
Through this body, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra endeavoured to uplift the spiritual standards of members of the Jamaat. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p. 565)
5 November 1959: Acharya Vinoba Bhave visited Qadian on this day. He initiated the Bhoodan Movement or the Land Gift Movement. This was a voluntary land reform movement in India, which attempted to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give a percentage of their land to those with no land. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 20, p. 393)
‘‘Coming from every distant track: Vinoba Bhave visits Qadian – When a Hindu nationalist leader accepted the gift of the Holy Quran’’ at www.alhakam.org (12 July 2024, p. 16)
5 November 1976: On this day, while delivering the Friday sermon at Masjid Aqsa in Rabwah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh highlighted the extensive arrangements being made for the Jalsa Salana. Huzoorrh appealed for volunteers from outside of the Markaz (Rabwah) to assist with the services during the Jalsa and noted that the attendance of guests at the event surpasses one hundred thousand. (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 6, pp. 567-577)
6 November 1905: On this day, the Promised Messiahas delivered a lecture in Ludhiana, which started at 8:30 in the morning. Huzooras continued his speech until 11 am. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 428-429)
6 November 2016: A special reception was held on this day to mark the opening of the newly-built Bait-ul-Amaan Mosque in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada, at which Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered the keynote address. During his address, Huzooraa spoke of the true purpose of mosques and how the new mosque would not only be a place to worship God Almighty but would also prove a means of serving and protecting all people.
He said that at a time when there was widespread fear of Islam, it was a sign of open-heartedness and “extraordinary courage” that the guests had attended an Islamic event. Both prior to and after the reception, Huzooraa personally met with a number of guests and also held a press conference with local media representatives. (“No need to fear true Mosques – Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community”, www.pressahmadiyya.com)
