This Week in History: 7-13 November

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

7 November 1912: Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad^ra entered the holy sanctuary of the Ka‘bah, Mecca, on this day during his Hajj journey. To read more about this historic journey, see: “Ahmadiyya and colonial Hajj: Between politics, pragmatism and piety” at www.alhakam.org (2 June 2025)

7 November 2008: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa inaugurated the Bait-ul-Mahdi Mosque in Bradford, UK. (Al Fazl International, 28 November 2008, pp. 4-9)

8 November 1939: On this day, an eminent Turkish pilot, Saifuddin Bay, visited Qadian. He was accompanied by Dr Muhammad Salim Bay, who was attached to the Turkish Army then. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra received these honourable guests and they had a chance to enjoy his blessed company. (Al Fazl, 11 November 1939, p. 2)

8 November 1965: Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad^rh was elected as Khalifatul Masih III, the third successor of the Promised Messiah^as, on this day in Masjid Mubarak, Rabwah, after the demise of his predecessor and father, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad^ra. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 23, p. 155)

9 November 1905: On this day, the Promised Messiah^as was in Amritsar and delivered a lecture there. For this purpose, Advocate Rai Kunahya Lal’s lecture hall was booked. The lecture began at 8am, but opponents of the Promised Messiah^as began to disrupt this blessed event with their uncivilised behaviour. Huzoor^as started his journey towards Batala soon afterwards. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 429)

10 November 1989: The Berlin Wall fell on the night between 9 and 10 November 1989 and according to the Islamic calendar, 10 Rabi al-Thani had started. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh said, during his Friday sermon on 23 February 1990, that the Islamic calendar and the Gregorian calendar had perfectly corresponded with one another, and that too on a Friday. Moreover, highlighting the connection of this incident with Ahmadiyyat, Huzoor^rh mentioned the Promised Messiah’s^as prophecy regarding the spread of Ahmadiyyat in Russia. To read more, see: “Friday the 10th: A glad tiding to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat” at www.alhakam.org (23 April 2021, pp. 18-20)

11 November 1949: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra visited Sargodha, a city located to the northwest of Rabwah and at a distance of around 50 kilometres, upon the invitation of Malik Sahib Khan Noon, retired Deputy Commissioner. After delivering the Friday sermon and leading the Jummah prayer, Huzoor^ra proceeded towards the Company Bagh to address a large crowd gathered to listen to him. Huzoor’s^ra two-hour-long talk was listened to carefully. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 12, p. 41)

An eyewitness account of this speech can be read at: “The Musleh-e-Maud: Eye-witness account of a waqif-e-zindagi” at www.alhakam.org (19 February 2021, pp. 20-22).

11 November 2005: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa inaugurated the Nasir Mosque in Hartlepool, UK. (Al Fazl International, London, 6 January 2006)

12 November 1899: A small but prestigious gathering was arranged in Qadian on this day in connection with the departure of a research delegation. A proposed party of learned Companions was to travel to the Middle East to collect newly-found evidence and properly record and fortify the already available facts regarding the historic escape journey of Jesus^as from his hometown towards Kashmir. This assembly was named “The Farewell Jalsa”. Due to certain compelling circumstances, the dispatch of this delegation was postponed. An address was delivered by the Promised Messiah^as on this occasion. (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, p. 50)

12 November 2013: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa returned safely to the Fazl Mosque in London, after a historic tour of four countries lasting more than seven weeks. Huzoor^aa flew directly from Tokyo back to London, having visited Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. (“Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Returns to UK,” www.pressahmadiyya.com)

13 November 1925: In the aftermath of the French bombardment of Damascus, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra strongly condemned this inhumane crime during his Friday sermon, delivered on this day. Huzoor^ra also backed the idea of Syrian independence from the French mandate. (Al Fazl, 21 November 1925, pp. 5-10)

13 November 1948: On this day, France witnessed a unique gathering convened in a public hall, which was presided over by a professor of Paris University. An Ahmadi missionary, Malik Ata-ur-Rahman Sahib, spoke at this event and introduced the message of the Jamaat. 1,000 published invitations were sent on this special occasion. Posters were printed and the meeting was also announced on the radio and in the press. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 11, p. 20)