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192-608: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (13 February 1835 – 26 May 1908) was an Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam . He claimed to have been divinely appointed as the promised Messiah and Mahdī —which is the metaphorical second-coming of Jesus ( mathīl-iʿIsā ), in fulfillment of the Islamic prophecies regarding the end times , as well as the Mujaddid (centennial reviver) of

384-551: A jauhar , during which women and children within the fortress immolated themselves . A small number of soldiers also collected in Medini Rao's house and killed each other in collective suicide. This sacrifice does not seem to have impressed Babur, who did not express a word of admiration for the enemy in his autobiography. Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi , the last Sultan of the Lodi dynasty , in 1526. Babur ruled for 4 years and

576-515: A hadith is found to be in manifest conflict with the Quran and defies all possible efforts at harmonization, it is rejected regardless of the classification of its authenticity. Their acceptance of the authority of the four Rightly Guided caliphs (successors) as legitimate leaders of the Muslim community following Muhammad's death, their belief that a caliph need not be a descendant of Muhammad, and use of

768-465: A polemical and apologetic tone in favour of Islam, seeking to establish its superiority as a religion through rational argumentation, often by articulating his own interpretations of Islamic teachings. He advocated a peaceful propagation of Islam and emphatically argued against the permissibility of military Jihad under circumstances prevailing in the present age. By the time of his death, he had gathered an estimated 400,000 followers, especially within

960-532: A Christian missionary, Henry Martyn Clark , filed a lawsuit of attempted murder against Ahmad at the court of District Magistrate Captain Montagu William Douglas in the city of Ludhiana . The charge laid against him was that he hired a man by the name of Abdul Hameed to assassinate Clark. However, he was not detained by the police and was declared innocent by the then-magistrate Captain Douglas. In 1900, on

1152-634: A Prophet of God is sent to re-establish his Divine Will. Aside from the belief in all prophets in the Quran and the Old Testament, the Community also regards Zoroaster , Krishna , Buddha , and Confucius as prophets. According to the Ahmadiyya belief, the technical Islamic terms 'warner' ( natheer ), 'prophet' ( nabi ), 'messenger' ( rasul ) and 'envoy' ( mursal ) are synonymous in meaning. However, there are two kinds of prophethood as understood by

1344-589: A book called The Heavenly Decree , in which he challenged his opponents to a "spiritual duel" in which the question of whether someone was a Muslim or not would be settled by God based on the four criteria laid out in the Qur'an, namely, that a perfect believer will frequently receive glad tidings from God, that he will be given awareness about hidden matters and events of the future from God, that most of his prayers will be fulfilled and that he will exceed others in understanding novel finer points, subtleties and deeper meanings of

1536-514: A central place in his life, Babur also approvingly quoted a line of poetry by one of his contemporaries: "I am drunk, officer. Punish me when I am sober". He quit drinking for health reasons before the Battle of Khanwa, just two years before his death, and demanded that his court do the same. But he did not stop chewing narcotic preparations, and did not lose his sense of irony. He wrote, "Everyone regrets drinking and swears an oath (of abstinence ); I swore

1728-470: A certain attraction to theology, poetry, geography , history, and biology —disciplines he promoted at his court—earning him a frequent association with representatives of the Timurid Renaissance . His religious and philosophical stances are characterized as humanistic . Babur married several times. Notable among his children are Humayun , Kamran Mirza , Hindal Mirza , Masuma Sultan Begum , and

1920-468: A contest will be nothing less than death to him; and calamity will certainly overtake his Zion, for he must bear the consequences either of the acceptance of the challenge or its refusal. He will depart this life with great sorrow and torment during my lifetime. The challenge of "prayer duel" was made by Mirza in September 1902. The Dictionary of American Biography states that after having been deposed during

2112-569: A defensive position at Khanwa (currently in the Indian state of Rajasthan ), from where he hoped to launch a counterattack later. According to K.V. Krishna Rao, Babur won the battle because of his "superior generalship" and modern tactics; the battle was one of the first in India that featured cannons and muskets. Rao also notes that Rana Sanga faced "treachery" when the Hindu chief Silhadi joined Babur's army with

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2304-510: A false prophet. Ahmad stated: The best way to determine whether Dowie's God is true or ours, is that Mr. Dowie should stop making prophecies about the destruction of all Muslims. Instead he should keep me alone in his mind and pray that if one of us is fabricating a lie, he should die before the other. Dowie declined the challenge, calling Mirza Ghulam Ahmad the "silly Mohammedan Messiah". Ahmad prophesied: Though he may try hard as he can to fly from death which awaits him, yet his flight from such

2496-605: A framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are: (1) the shahadah (creed), (2) daily prayers ( salat ), (3) almsgiving ( zakah ), (4) fasting during Ramadan , and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca ( hajj ) at least once in a lifetime. Although the Five Pillars of Islam and the six articles of belief of Ahmadi Muslims are identical to those of mainstream Sunni Muslims and central to Ahmadi belief, distinct Ahmadiyya beliefs include: Contrary to mainstream Islamic belief , Ahmadi Muslims believe that Jesus

2688-510: A garrison of 6,000 soldiers. Babur recognised Sanga's skill in leadership, calling him one of the two greatest non-Muslim Indian kings of the time, the other being Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara . The Battle of Chanderi took place the year after the Battle of Khanwa. On receiving news that Rana Sanga had made preparations to renew the conflict with him, Babur decided to isolate the Rana by defeating one of his staunchest allies, Medini Rai , who

2880-459: A great ambition to capture the city. In 1497, he besieged Samarkand for seven months before eventually gaining control over it. He was fifteen years old and for him the campaign was a huge achievement. Babur was able to hold the city despite desertions in his army, but he later fell seriously ill. Meanwhile, a rebellion back home, approximately 350 kilometres (220 mi) away, amongst nobles who favoured his brother, robbed him of Fergana. As he

3072-480: A great-great-great-grandson of Timur (1336–1405). Babur ascended the throne of Fergana in its capital Akhsikath in 1494 at the age of twelve and faced rebellion. He conquered Samarkand two years later, only to lose Fergana soon after. In his attempt to reconquer Fergana, he lost control of Samarkand. In 1501, his attempt to recapture both the regions failed when the Uzbek prince Muhammad Shaybani defeated him and founded

3264-484: A group or a government. Unlike most scholars of other Islamic sects, Ahmadi Muslims do not believe that any verses of the Quran abrogate or cancel other verses. All Quranic verses have equal validity, in keeping with their emphasis on the "unsurpassable beauty and unquestionable validity of the Qur'ān". The harmonization of apparently incompatible rulings is resolved through their juridical deflation in Ahmadī fiqh , so that

3456-577: A head of state, it is incidental and subsidiary in relation to his overall function as a caliph. The caliph is also referred to by Ahmadi Muslims as Amir al-Mu'minin (Leader of the Faithful). The current and fifth caliph is Mirza Masroor Ahmad . The Majlis-ash-Shura or the Consultative Council, in terms of importance, is the highest ranking institution within the Community after the Caliphate. It

3648-581: A passport or a national ID card. Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya , officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at ( AMJ ) is an Islamic messianic movement originating in British India in the late 19th century. It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who said he had been divinely appointed as both the Promised Mahdi (Guided One) and Messiah expected by Muslims to appear towards

3840-532: A person must follow. Whenever one leaves a good custom, it should be followed. If ancestors leave a bad custom, however it is necessary to substitute a good one." Making clear that to him, the categorical text (i.e. the Quran ) had displaced Genghis Khan's Yassa in moral and legal matters. Babur was an acclaimed writer, who had a profound love for literature. His library was one of his most beloved possessions that he always carried around with him, and books were one of

4032-417: A reformer as early as 1882 but did not take any pledge of allegiance or initiation. In December 1888, Ahmad announced that God had ordained that his followers should enter into a bay'ah with him and pledge their allegiance to him. In January 1889, he published a pamphlet in which he laid out ten conditions or issues to which the initiate would abide by for the rest of his life. On 23 March 1889, he founded

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4224-470: A religion, is not being attacked militarily but through literature and other media, and therefore the response should be likewise. They believe that the answer of hate should be given by love. Concerning terrorism, the fourth Caliph of the Community wrote in 1989: As far as Islam is concerned, it categorically rejects and condemns every form of terrorism. It does not provide any cover or justification for any act of violence, be it committed by an individual,

4416-569: A revolt in which his own family was involved, Dowie endeavoured to recover his authority via the law courts without success and that he may have been a victim of some form of mania, as he suffered from hallucinations during his last illness. Dowie died before Mirza, in March 1907. In September 1902 the Rev. John Hugh Smyth-Pigott (1852-1927) proclaimed himself the Messiah and also claimed to be God while preaching in

4608-432: A ruling (considered to have applicability only to the specific situation for which it was revealed ), is effective not because it was revealed last, but because it is most suited to the situation at hand. Ahmadi Muslims believe that there cannot be a conflict between the word of God and the work of God , and thus religion and science must work in harmony with each other. With particular reference to this relationship,

4800-493: A series of dispensations where each messenger brought teachings suitable for the time and place. Thus, at the time of their inception, the divine teachings sent by God concurred in their fundamentals, with the exception of minor details that were chosen to complement the time and place. With the exception of the Quran, it is believed that the divine scriptures are susceptible to human interpolation. Islam recognises that God sent his prophets to every nation and isolated communities of

4992-555: A sizeable following. In the history of the Community, this event is referred to as 'The Split' and is sometimes alluded to a prophecy of the founder. Elected at a young age, Mahmood Ahmad's Caliphate spanned a period of almost 52 years (1914-1965). He established the organizational structure of the Community and directed extensive missionary activity outside the subcontinent of India. Several weeks following his election, delegates from all over India were invited to discuss about propagation of Islam. Two decades later, Mahmood Ahmad launched

5184-569: A small fraction of all Ahmadis and believes in an allegorical understanding of these terms with reference to Ahmad, formed in 1914 when a number of prominent Ahmadis seceded from the main body soon after the election of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad as the second caliph. This group is administered by a body of people called the Anjuman Ishaat-e-Islam ("Movement for the Propagation of Islam"), headed by an Emir . The movement initiated by Ahmad, which

5376-473: A strong missionary tradition, having formed the first Muslim missionary organization to arrive in Britain and other Western countries. Currently, the community is led by its caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad , and is estimated to number between 10 and 20 million worldwide. The movement is almost entirely a single, highly organized group. However, in the early history of the community, some Ahmadis dissented over

5568-473: A twofold scheme for the establishment of foreign missions and the moral upbringing of Ahmadi Muslims. The Tehrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid or the 'new scheme' and the 'new dedication' respectively, initially seen as a spiritual battle against the oppressors of the Ahmadi Muslims, called upon members of the Community to dedicate their time and money for the sake of their faith. In time the scheme produced

5760-402: A vast amount of literature in defence of Islam in general and the Ahmadiyya beliefs in particular. The funds were also spent on the training and dispatching of Ahmadi missionaries outside the Indian sub-continent. During his time, missions were established in 46 countries, mosques were constructed in many foreign countries and the Quran published in several major languages of the world. Although

5952-528: A wider space between us and the strong foeman." After his third loss of Samarkand, Babur gave full attention to the conquest of North India, launching a campaign; he reached the Chenab River , now in Pakistan , in 1519. Until 1524, his aim was to only expand his rule to Punjab , mainly to fulfill the legacy of his ancestor Timur, since it used to be part of his empire. At the time parts of North India were part of

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6144-421: A year in 1500. Three years later, after Babur's first defeat at Fergana, Aisha left him and returned to her father's household. In 1504, Babur married Zaynab Sultan Begum, who died childless within two years. In the period 1506–08, Babur married four women, Maham Begum (in 1506), Masuma Sultan Begum , Gulrukh Begum and Dildar Begum. Babur had four children by Maham Begum, of whom only one survived infancy. This

6336-430: Is a divine blessing given to those who believe and work righteousness and uphold the unity of God. Therefore, any movement to establish the Caliphate centred around human endeavours alone is bound to fail, particularly when the condition of the people diverges from the precepts of prophethood and they are as a result disunited, their inability to elect a caliph caused fundamentally by the lack of righteousness in them. It

6528-449: Is an armed struggle only to be resorted to in self-defence under situations of extreme religious persecution whilst not being able to follow one's fundamental religious beliefs, and even then only under the direct instruction of the Caliph. Ahmadi Muslims point out that as per Islamic prophecy, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad rendered Jihad in its military form as inapplicable in the present age as Islam, as

6720-409: Is believed that through visions, dreams and spiritual guidance, God instils into the hearts and minds of the believers of whom to elect. No campaigning, speeches or speculation of any kind are permitted. Thus the caliph is designated neither necessarily by right (i.e. the rightful or competent one in the eyes of the people) nor merely by election but primarily by God. According to Ahmadiyya thought, it

6912-588: Is believed, and prophesied, that in the future, the Ahmadiyya Caliphate will once again return to Qadian, the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. However, the Ahmadiyya city of Rabwah in Pakistan, since its founding on 20 September 1948 by the second caliph , after the Indian partition , coordinates majority of the organization's activity around the world. In particular, the city is responsible for, but not exclusively,

7104-406: Is concerned with the belief in all divine prophets sent by God. Ahmadi Muslims believe that when the world is filled with unrighteousness and immorality, or when a specific part of the world displays these attributes, or when the followers of a certain law (religion) become corrupt or incorporate corrupted teachings into the faith, thus making the faith obsolete or in need of a Divine Sustainer, then

7296-560: Is credited with the expansion of the missionary work, particularly in Africa, and is seen as having shown great leadership and guidance to the Community during the period when the National Assembly of Pakistan declared the Community as a non-Muslim minority. Nusrat Jahan Scheme, a scheme dedicated to serving parts of Africa by running numerous medical clinics and schools was one of the many outcomes of his 1970 tour of West Africa, regarded as

7488-674: Is generally taken in reference to the Persian word babur ( ببر ), meaning "tiger" or "panther". The word repeatedly appears in Ferdowsi 's Shahnameh and was borrowed into the Turkic languages of Central Asia. Babur's memoirs form the main source for details of his life. They are known as the Baburnama and were written in Chagatai , his first language , though, according to Dale, "his Turkic prose

7680-485: Is highly Persianized in its sentence structure, morphology or word formation and vocabulary." Baburnama was translated into Persian during the rule of Babur's grandson Akbar. Babur was born on 14 February 1483 in the city of Andijan , Fergana Valley , contemporary Uzbekistan. He was the eldest son of Umar Shaikh Mirza II , ruler of the Fergana Valley, the son of Abū Saʿīd Mirza (and grandson of Miran Shah , who

7872-551: Is my task to re-establish in people's hearts the eternal plant of the pure and shining Unity of God which is free from every impurity of polytheism, and which has now completely disappeared. All this will be accomplished, not through my power, but through the power of the Almighty God, Who is the God of heaven and earth. In keeping with this, he believed his objective was to defend and propagate Islam globally through peaceful means, to revive

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8064-407: Is not essential for a caliph to be the head of a state, rather the spiritual and religious significance of the Caliphate is emphasised. It is above all a spiritual office, with the purpose to uphold, strengthen, spread the teachings of Islam and maintain the high spiritual and moral standards within the global community established by Muhammad . If a caliph does happen to bear governmental authority as

8256-472: Is often seen to have emerged as an Islamic religious response to the Christian and Arya Samaj missionary activity widespread in 19th-century India, and is viewed by its adherents as embodying the promised latter day revival of Islam, has since grown in organisational strength and in its own missionary programme under the leadership of its caliphate. Although it has expanded to over 200 countries and territories of

8448-511: Is permissible that it also be referred to as Muslims of the Aḥmadī school . The term Aḥmadīyah —formed by way of suffixation ( nisba ) from Aḥmad and the suffix -īya(t) (comparable to the English -ness )—is an abstract noun used in reference to the movement itself; while the term Aḥmadī (adjectivally denoting affiliation to Aḥmad ) is a noun used in reference to an adherent of

8640-672: Is the final dispensation for humanity as revealed to Muhammad and the necessity of restoring it to its true intent and pristine form, which had been lost through the centuries. Its adherents consider Ahmad to have appeared as the Mahdi—bearing the qualities of Jesus in accordance with their reading of scriptural prophecies—to revitalize Islam and set in motion its moral system that would bring about lasting peace. They believe that upon divine guidance he purged Islam of foreign accretions in belief and practice by championing what is, in their view, Islam's original precepts as practised by Muhammad and

8832-446: Is the transmission of messages from God to human beings. According to the Quran, the entire material universe as well as the religious universe is governed by some spiritual powers, which are referred to as angels. Whatever they do is in complete submission to the Will of God and the design that he created for things. According to Islam, as interpreted by Ahmadi Muslims, they cannot deviate from

9024-485: Is their belief in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the movement, as both the promised Mahdi (Guided One) and Messiah foretold by Muhammad to appear in the end times. Summarising his position, Ahmad writes: The task for which God has appointed me is that I should remove the malaise that afflicts the relationship between God and His creatures and restore the relationship of love and sincerity between them. Through

9216-665: Is thought that a belief in the Unity of God creates a sense of absolute harmony between the Creator and the creation. It is understood that there can be no contradiction between the word of God and work of God . The belief in angels is fundamental to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. They are spiritual beings created by God to obey him and implement his commandments. Unlike human beings, angels have no free will and cannot act independently. Under God's command, they bring revelations to

9408-532: Is thought to be like a hospital, where souls are cleansed of their sins, and this view is based on the Quran and Hadith . The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that divine decree controls the eventual outcome of all actions in this universe. Within the boundaries of divine decree, man is given free will to choose the course. The Pillars of Islam ( arkan al-Islam ; also arkan ad-din , 'pillars of religion') are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all Ahmadi Muslims. The Quran presents them as

9600-427: Is to love God and the other is to love humankind to such a degree that you consider the suffering and the trials and tribulations of others as your own and that you pray for them. Ahmadi Muslims subscribe to the same beliefs as the majority of Muslims, but with a difference of opinion on the meaning of Khatam an-Nabiyyin . The six articles of faith are identical to those believed in by Sunni Muslims, and are based on

9792-512: The mujaddid (reformer) of his era became more explicit. In one of his most well-known and praised works, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya , a voluminous work, he claimed to be the Messiah of Islam. Muslims have maintained that Jesus will return in the flesh during the last age. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, by contrast, asserted that Jesus had in fact survived crucifixion and died of old age much later in Kashmir , where he had migrated. According to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,

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9984-584: The Anjuman Tehrik-i-Jadid or the Council for 'The New Scheme', first set up by the second caliph, is responsible for missions outside the Indian subcontinent. Each council is further divided into directorates, such as the Department of Financial Affairs, the Department of Publications, the Department of Education, the Department of External Affairs, and the Department of Foreign Missions, among others. Under

10176-693: The Waqfe Nau Scheme, a program to dedicate Ahmadi Muslim children for the services of the Community; and inaugurated various funds for humanitarian causes such as the Maryum Shaadi Fund, the Syedna Bilal Fund, for victims of persecution, and the disaster relief charity Humanity First . To the Community, Ahmad is noted for his regular Question & Answer Sessions he held in multiple languages with people of various faiths, professions and cultural backgrounds. However, Ahmad also wrote many books –

10368-693: The Kutub al-Sittah fundamentally aligns Ahmadis with the Sunni tradition of Islam rather than with the Shi'a tradition. In matters of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence ), Ahmadis reject strict adherence ( taqlid ) to any particular school of thought ( madhhab ), giving foremost precedence to the Quran and sunnah , but usually base their rulings on the Hanafi methodology in cases where these sources lack clear elaboration. What essentially distinguishes Ahmadi Muslims from other Muslims

10560-526: The Abrahamic religions , as well as Zoroastrianism , the Indian religions , Native American traditions and others. Ahmadi Muslims believe that Ahmad was divinely commissioned as a true reflection of Muhammad's prophethood to establish the unity of God and to remind humankind of their duties towards God and His creation. Summarising the Islamic faith, Ahmad writes: There are only two complete parts of faith. One

10752-466: The Ahmadiyya caliphate is the resumption of the Rightly Guided Caliphate . This is believed to have been re-established with the appearance of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad whom Ahmadis believe was the promised Messiah and Mahdi . Ahmadi Muslims maintain that in accordance with Quranic verses and numerous hadith on the issue, Khilāfah or the Caliphate can only be established by God Himself and

10944-504: The Arya Samaj held discussion and debate with Ahmad about the truthfulness of Islam and asked for a sign to prove that Islam was a living religion. In order to dedicate special prayers for this purpose and so as to seek further divine guidance, Ahmad travelled to Hoshiarpur upon what he claimed was divine instruction. Here, he spent forty days in seclusion, a practice known as chilla-nashini . He travelled accompanied by three companions to

11136-605: The Khanate of Bukhara . In 1504, he conquered Kabul , which was under the putative rule of Abdur Razaq Mirza, the infant heir of Ulugh Beg II . Babur formed a partnership with the Safavid emperor Ismail I and reconquered parts of Turkestan , including Samarkand, only to again lose it and the other newly conquered lands to the Shaybanids . After losing Samarkand for the third time, Babur turned his attention to India and employed aid from

11328-656: The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement . This was due to certain doctrinal differences they held with the caliph such as the nature of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's prophethood and succession. It has also been theorised that a clash of personalities with that of the dissenters and the caliph himself, who had a relatively poor academic background, also played a role. However, the Lahore Ahmadiyya movement, which settled in Lahore , has had relatively little success and has failed to attract

11520-644: The Qadi (judge) of Qadian and the surrounding district. The descendants of Mirza Hadi are said to have held important positions within the Mughal Empire and had consecutively been the chieftains of Qadian. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was born on 13 February 1835 in Qadian , Punjab, then part of the Sikh Empire under Ranjit Singh ( r.  1801–1839 ). The surviving child of twins born to an affluent Mughal family. He learned to read

11712-470: The Quran and traditions of Muhammad : Ahmadi Muslims firmly believe in the absolute Unity of God . Acknowledgement of this principle is the most important and the cardinal principle of Islam as interpreted by the Community. All other Islamic beliefs spring from this belief. The belief in the Unity of God is thought to influence a person's life in all its aspects and is believed to have much wider meaning and deeper applications. For example, elaborating on

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11904-491: The Quran as their holy text, face the Kaaba during prayer, follow the sunnah (normative practice of Muhammad) and accept the authority of the ahadith (sing. hadith ; reported sayings of and narrations about Muhammad). In the derivation of Ahmadi doctrine and practice, the Quran has supreme authority followed by the sunnah and the ahadith . Quranic rulings cannot be overruled by any other secondary or explanatory source. If

12096-610: The UK mission in Putney , London). For many modern nations of the world, the Ahmadiyya movement was their first contact with the proclaimants from the Muslim world. According to Richard Brent Turner, "until the mid-1950s the Ahmadiyyah was arguably the most influential community in African-American Islam". Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has one of the most active missionary programs in

12288-569: The United Provinces , the Punjab and Sindh and had built a dynamic religious organisation with an executive body and its own printing press. After his death he was succeeded by his close companion Hakīm Noor-ud-Dīn who assumed the title of Khalīfatul Masīh (successor of the Messiah). Although Ahmad is revered by Ahmadi Muslims as the promised Messiah and Imām Mahdi, Muhammad nevertheless remains

12480-501: The de facto headquarters of the Community had been based at the Fazl Mosque in London , England. In 2019, the fifth caliph moved the headquarters to Islamabad, Tilford , England on land bought by the Community in 1985. Although the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina are acknowledged to be more sacred, Qadian is considered to be the spiritual headquarters of the Community. It

12672-548: The early Muslim community . Ahmadis thus view themselves as leading the propagation and renaissance of Islam. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad established the Community (or Jamāʿat ) on 23 March 1889 by formally accepting allegiance from his supporters. Since his death, the Community has been led by a succession of Caliphs . By 2017 it had spread to 210 countries and territories of the world with concentrations in South Asia , West Africa , East Africa , and Indonesia . The Ahmadis have

12864-458: The end times and bring about, by peaceful means, the final triumph of Islam; as well as to embody, in this capacity, the expected eschatological figure of other major religious traditions. Adherents of the Ahmadiyya—a term adopted expressly in reference to Muhammad 's alternative name Ahmad —are known as Ahmadi Muslims or simply Ahmadis. Ahmadi thought emphasizes the belief that Islam

13056-407: The ravine below the palace". During this time, two of his uncles from the neighbouring kingdoms, who were hostile to his father, and a group of nobles who wanted his younger brother Jahangir to be the ruler, threatened his succession to the throne. His uncles were relentless in their attempts to dislodge him from this position as well as from many of his other territorial possessions to come. Babur

13248-477: The western city of London, after which Mirza Masroor Ahmad was elected as the fifth and current Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. In his effort to promote his message of peace and facilitate service to humanity, Ahmad travels globally meeting heads of state, holding peace conferences, and exhibiting Islamic solutions to world problems. In response to ongoing conflicts, Ahmad has sent letters to world leaders, including Elizabeth II and Pope Francis . Being

13440-428: The 14th Islamic century . Born to a family with aristocratic roots in Qadian , rural Punjab , Ahmad emerged as a writer and debater for Islam . When he was just over forty years of age, his father died and around that time he claimed that God began to communicate with him. In 1889, he took a pledge of allegiance from forty of his supporters at Ludhiana and formed a community of followers upon what he claimed

13632-403: The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community itself. Formally, the history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community begins when Mirza Ghulam Ahmad took the oath of allegiance from a number of his companions at a home in Ludhiana , India, on 23 March 1889. However, the history can be taken back to the early life of Ahmad, when he reportedly started receiving revelations concerning his future, but also as far back as

13824-469: The Ahmadiyya community by taking a pledge from forty followers. The formal method of joining the Ahmadiyya movement included joining hands and reciting a pledge, although physical contact was not always necessary. This method of allegiance continued for the rest of his life and after his death by his successors . Mirza Ghulam Ahmad proclaimed that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. He claimed to be

14016-619: The Ahmadiyya movement was the fastest growing group within Islam. It is estimated that the country with the largest Ahmadiyya population is Pakistan , with an estimated 4 million Ahmadi Muslims. The population is almost entirely contained in the single, organized and united movement, headed by the Caliph . The other is the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement , which represents less than 0.2% of the total Ahmadiyya population. Ahmadiyya are estimated to be from 60,000 to 1 million in India . Ahmadi Muslims believe that

14208-746: The Ahmadiyya movement. However, the views remain controversial having been dismissed by some while being supported by others. Anthropological research tends to corroborate a link between the tribes of Israel and the peoples of south/central Asia, specifically the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and the people of Kashmir – as suggested by Ahmad in his book Jesus in India (and by others) – while findings from genetic evidence seem to remain equivocal. Jesus' survival of crucifixion and his natural death have become an important element of Ahmadi belief and Ahmadis have published extensively on this topic. A number of modern Muslim scholars and Muslim intellectuals seem to conform to

14400-471: The Ahmadiyya population for both the community itself as well as independent organizations. For this reason, the community gives a figure of "tens of millions"; however, most independent sources variously estimate the population to be at least 10 to 20 million worldwide, thereby representing around 1% of the world's Muslim population. In 2001, the World Christian Encyclopedia , estimated that

14592-559: The Arabic text of the Qur'an and studied basic Arabic grammar and the Persian language from a teacher named Fazil-e-Illahi. At the age of 10, he learned from a teacher named Fazl Ahmad. Again at the age of 17 or 18, he learnt from a teacher named Gul Ali Shah. In addition, he also studied some works on medicine from his father, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza, who was a physician. Ahmad's father, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza ,

14784-462: The Caliph unable to perform his duties and put the very institution in jeopardy, Ahmad left Pakistan and migrated to London , England, moving the headquarters of the Community to Fazl Mosque , the first mosque in London. For Ahmadi Muslims, the migration marked a new era in the history of the Community. Ahmad launched the first Muslim satellite television network, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya ; instituted

14976-670: The Church known as "The Ark of the Covenant" in Clapton in London. This church was originally built by the Agapemonites , a religious movement founded by the Anglican priest Henry James Prince . Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote to Smyth-Pigott, informing him that such a blasphemous proposition did not behove man, and that in the future he should abstain from making such claims, or he would be destroyed. This message

15168-445: The Community continued to expand in the course of succeeding Caliphates, sometimes at a faster pace, the second caliph is credited for much of its inception. Ahmad wrote many written works, the most significant of which is the ten volume commentary of the Quran. Elected on 8 November 1965, Mirza Nasir Ahmad succeeded as the third Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. His caliphate lasted until 1982. Started by his predecessor, he

15360-425: The Community writes: The Unity of God is a light which illumines the heart only after the negation of all deities, whether they belong to the inner world or the outer world. It permeates every particle of man's being. How can this be acquired without the aid of God and His Messenger? The duty of man is only to bring death upon his ego and turn his back to devilish pride. He should not boast of his having been reared in

15552-489: The Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, and also directed the complete collection of the dreams, visions and verbal revelations of the founder. Mirza Tahir Ahmad was elected as the fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on 10 June 1982, a day after the death of his predecessor. He remained Caliph until his death in 2003. Following the Ordinance XX that was promulgated by the government of Pakistan in 1984, which rendered

15744-526: The Community: Law-bearing prophets, who bring a new law and dispensation, such as Moses (given the Torah ) and Muhammad (given the Quran ); and non-law-bearing prophets, who appear within a given dispensation such as Jeremiah , Jesus and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad . Adam is regarded as the first human with whom God spoke and revealed to him his divine will and thus the first prophet, but is not regarded as

15936-650: The Delhi Sultanate, ruled by Ibrahim Lodi of the Lodi dynasty, but the sultanate was crumbling and there were many defectors. Babur received invitations from Daulat Khan Lodi, Governor of Punjab and Ala-ud-Din, uncle of Ibrahim. He sent an ambassador to Ibrahim, claiming himself the rightful heir to the throne, but the ambassador was detained at Lahore , Punjab, and released months later. Babur started for Lahore in 1524 but found that Daulat Khan Lodi had been driven out by forces sent by Ibrahim Lodi. When Babur arrived at Lahore,

16128-518: The Lodi army marched out and his army was routed. In response, Babur burned Lahore for two days, then marched to Dibalpur, placing Alam Khan, another rebel uncle of Lodi, as governor. Alam Khan was quickly overthrown and fled to Kabul. In response, Babur supplied Alam Khan with troops who later joined up with Daulat Khan Lodi, and together with about 30,000 troops, they besieged Ibrahim Lodi at Delhi. The sultan easily defeated and drove off Alam's army, and Babur realised that he would not allow him to occupy

16320-429: The Messiah be discussed. Upon this, there was a clamour among the crowds, and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was informed that the other party alleged that he was at odds with Islamic beliefs and was a disbeliever; therefore, it was not proper to debate with him unless he clarified his beliefs. Ahmad wrote his beliefs on a piece of paper and had it read aloud, but due to the clamour among the people, it could not be heard. Seeing that

16512-557: The Muslim Ulama . He is known to have engaged in numerous public debates and dialogues with Christian missionaries, Muslim scholars and Hindu revivalists. Ahmad was a prolific author and wrote more than ninety books on various religious, theological and moral subjects between the publication of the first volume of Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya (The Proofs of Ahmadiyya, his first major work) in 1880 and his death in May 1908. Many of his writings bear

16704-524: The Oneness of God, the Quranic verse "There is no all-encompassing power except God" is believed to negate all forms of fear with the exception of the fear of God. It instills a sense of complete dependence on God and that every good emanates from him. In general, the belief in unity of God is thought to liberate believers from all forms of carnal passions, slavery and perceptions of earthly imprisonment. The founder of

16896-460: The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, one of his adversaries prepared a Fatwa (decree) of disbelief against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, declaring him a Kafir (disbeliever), a deceiver, and a liar. The decree permitted killing him and his followers. It was taken all around India and was signed by some two hundred religious scholars. Some years later, a prominent Muslim leader and scholar, Ahmed Raza Khan ,

17088-494: The Prophets of antiquity. According to Ahmadi Muslim belief, Jihad can be divided into three categories: Jihad al-Akbar (Greater Jihad) is that against the self and refers to striving against one's low desires such as anger, lust and hatred; Jihad al-Kabīr (Great Jihad) refers to the peaceful propagation of Islam, with special emphasis on spreading the true message of Islam by the pen ; Jihad al-Asghar (Smaller Jihad)

17280-463: The Prophets, bring punishment on the Prophets' enemies, glorify God with his praise, and keep records of human beings' deeds. Angels are not visible to the physical eye. Yet, according to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, they do sometimes appear to man in one form or another. This appearance, however, is not physical but a spiritual manifestation. Ahmadi Muslims regards angels as celestial beings who have their own entity as persons. The major role they play

17472-509: The Punjab, India, where Mirza Hadi founded the town known today as Qadian during the reign of Mughal emperor Babur his distant relative. The family were all known as Mughals within the British governmental records of India probably due to the high positions it occupied within the Mughal Empire and their courts. Mirza Hadi Beg was granted a Jagir of several hundred villages and was appointed

17664-627: The Punjab. In November 1525 Babur got news at Peshawar that Daulat Khan Lodi had switched sides, and Babur drove out Ala-ud-Din. Babur then marched onto Lahore to confront Daulat Khan Lodi, only to see Daulat's army melt away at their approach. Daulat surrendered and was pardoned. Thus within three weeks of crossing the Indus River Babur had become the master of Punjab. Babur marched on to Delhi via Sirhind . He reached Panipat on 20 April 1526 and there met Ibrahim Lodi's numerically superior army of about 100,000 soldiers and 100 elephants. In

17856-496: The Qur'an. After announcing his claim to be the Messiah and Mahdi, his opponents demanded that he should produce the "heavenly sign" detailed in the tradition attributed to the 7th-century Imam Muhammad al-Baqir , also known as Muhammad bin Ali, in which a certain sign is stated about the appearance of the Mahdi : For our Mahdi, there are two signs which have never happened since the earth and

18048-508: The Quran, the establishment of the first Ahmadiyya Muslim mission in England and the introduction of various newspapers and magazines of the Community. As a result of growing financial requirements of the Community, he set up an official treasury. Most notably, however, he dealt with internal dissensions, when a number high-ranking office bearers of the Ahmadiyya Council disagreed with some of

18240-550: The Quran. According to Ahmadi Muslim beliefs, the entire universe will come to an end on the Day of Judgment, a position also taken by all other Islamic sects and schools of thought. The dead will be resurrected and accounts will be taken of their deeds. People with good records will enter into Heaven while those with bad records will be thrown into Hell. Hell is understood in Ahmadiyya as a temporary abode, lasting an extremely long time but not everlasting, much like in mainstream Judaism . It

18432-708: The Safavids to act as a suzerain over him and his followers. Thus, in 1513, after leaving his brother Nasir Mirza to rule Kabul, he managed to take Samarkand for the third time; he also took Bokhara but lost both again to the Uzbeks. Shah Ismail reunited Babur with his sister Khānzāda , who had been imprisoned by and forced to marry the recently deceased Shaybani. Babur returned to Kabul after three years in 1514. The following 11 years of his rule mainly involved dealing with relatively insignificant rebellions from Afghan tribes, his nobles and relatives, in addition to conducting raids across

18624-598: The Shah of Persia. They became "recognized ladies of the royal household." During his rule in Kabul, when there was a time of relative peace, Babur pursued his interests in literature, art, music and gardening. Previously, he never drank alcohol and avoided it when he was in Herat. In Kabul, he first tasted it at the age of thirty. He then began to drink regularly, host wine parties and consume preparations made from opium . Though religion had

18816-467: The administrative concepts and the authority of the Caliph. Soon after the death of the first caliph, Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad was elected as the second caliph, in accordance with the will of his predecessor. However, a faction led by Maulana Muhammad Ali and Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din strongly opposed his succession and refused to accept him as the next caliph, which soon led to the formation of

19008-414: The advent of Muhammad. However, the global conveyance, recognition and eventual acceptance of his message (i.e. the perfection of the manifestation of Muhammad's prophethood) was destined to occur with the coming of the Mahdi . Thus, Ahmadi Muslims regard Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as that Mahdi and, by extension, the "Promised One" of all religions fulfilling eschatological prophecies found in the scriptures of

19200-557: The advent of the Mahdi and the descriptions of his age, which he ascribed to himself and his age. These include assertions that he was physically described in the Hadith and manifested various other signs; some of them being wider in scope, such as focusing on world events coming to certain points, certain conditions within the Muslim community, and varied social, political, economic, and physical conditions. In time, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's claim of being

19392-630: The author Gulbadan Begum . Babur died in 1530 in Agra and Humayun succeeded him. Babur was first buried in Agra but, as per his wishes, his remains were moved to Kabul and reburied. He ranks as a national hero in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan . Many of his poems have become popular folk songs. He wrote the Baburnama in Chaghatai Turkic ; it was translated into Persian during the reign (1556–1605) of his grandson,

19584-418: The battle that began on the following day, Babur used the tactic of Tulugma , encircling Ibrahim Lodi's army and forcing it to face artillery fire directly, as well as frightening its war elephants. Ibrahim Lodi died during the battle, thus ending the Lodi dynasty. Babur wrote in his memoirs about his victory: By the grace of the Almighty God, this difficult task was made easy to me and that mighty army, in

19776-562: The battle there also and, escaping with a small band of followers, he wandered the mountains of central Asia and took refuge with hill tribes. By 1502, he had resigned all hopes of recovering Fergana; he was left with nothing and was forced to try his luck elsewhere. He finally went to Tashkent , which was ruled by his maternal uncle, but he found himself less than welcome there. Babur wrote, "During my stay in Tashkent, I endured much poverty and humiliation. No country, or hope of one!" Thus, during

19968-525: The best use of reason in their search for the ultimate and to make the acquiring of knowledge and scientific comprehension part of the community's life. A final distinct belief is the notion that the history of religion is cyclic and is renewed every seven millennia. The present cycle from the time of the Biblical Adam is split into seven epochs or ages, parallel to the seven days of the week, with periods for light and darkness. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad appeared as

20160-486: The cause of Islam and the manner of his argumentation against proclaimants of other religions. The teachings that Jesus survived crucifixion, migrating towards the east in search of the Israelite tribes that had settled there and that he died a natural death upon earth, as propounded by Ahmad, have been a source of ongoing friction with the Christian church since they challenge the core beliefs of Christianity and would nullify

20352-716: The central figure in Ahmadiyya Islam. Ahmad's claim to be a subordinate ( ummati ) prophet within Islam has remained a central point of controversy between his followers and mainstream Muslims, who believe Muhammad to be the last prophet. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a descendant of Mirza Hadi Beg , a member of the Barlas tribe . In 1530, Mirza Hadi Beg migrated from Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan ) along with an entourage of two hundred people consisting of his family, servants and followers. Travelling through Samarkand , they finally settled in

20544-503: The ceremonies of fealty?" However, Babur acquired several more wives and concubines over the years, and as required for a prince, he was able to ensure the continuity of his line. Babur's first wife, Aisha Sultan Begum, was his paternal cousin, the daughter of Sultan Ahmad Mirza, his father's brother. She was an infant when betrothed to Babur, who was himself five years old. They married eleven years later, c.  1498–99 . The couple had one daughter, Fakhr-un-Nissa , who died within

20736-437: The city briefly, but he was in turn besieged by his most formidable rival, Muhammad Shaybani , Khan of the Uzbeks. The situation became such that Babar was compelled to give his sister, Khanzada, to Shaybani in marriage as part of the peace settlement. Only after this were Babur and his troops allowed to depart the city in safety. Samarkand, his lifelong obsession, was thus lost again. He then tried to reclaim Fergana, but lost

20928-448: The city, capturing Kabul again and regaining the allegiance of the rebels. Meanwhile, Shaybani was defeated and killed by Ismail I , Shah of Shia Safavid Persia, in 1510. Babur and the remaining Timurids used this opportunity to reconquer their ancestral territories. Over the following few years, Babur and Shah Ismail formed a partnership in an attempt to take over parts of Central Asia. In return for Ismail's assistance, Babur permitted

21120-407: The council is presided over by the ʾ Amīr (national president). At the conclusion of the proceedings, the recommendations are sent to the caliph for approval which he may accept, reject or partially accept. The principal headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the city, town or place where the caliph resides. As such, since the forced exile of the fourth caliph from Pakistan in 1984,

21312-508: The cradle of knowledge but should consider himself as if he were merely an ignorant person, and occupy himself in supplications. Then the light of Unity will descend upon him from God and will bestow new life upon Him. It is further believed that the Islamic concept of Oneness of God inculcates the realization of the Oneness of the human species and thus removes all impediments in this regard. The diversity of all human races, ethnicities and colours are considered worthy of acceptance. Moreover, it

21504-508: The crowd was drifting out of control and that violence was imminent, the police superintendent gave orders to disperse the audience, and the debate did not take place. A few days later, however, a written debate did take place between Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Maulwi Muhammad Bashir of Bhopal , which was later published. Ahmad is known to have travelled extensively across Northern India during this period of his life and to have held various debates with influential religious leaders. Ahmad published

21696-425: The debate started, there was a discussion on the conditions, which led to the conclusion that the debate should not be upon the death of Jesus, but upon the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He explained that his claim could only be discussed after the death of Jesus was proven, for Jesus was considered by many to be living and the one who will descend to Earth himself. Only when this belief was refuted could his claim to be

21888-632: The doctrines of vicarious atonement and resurrection , the two principal tenets of Christianity. Western scholars and historians have acknowledged this fact as one of the features of Ahmad's legacy. Ahmad was the first to propose a post-crucifixion journey to India for Jesus and the first—other than the local people—to identify the Roza Bal shrine in Kashmir as the tomb of Jesus. These ideas have been further expanded upon since his death in light of subsequent findings, both by Ahmadis and individuals independent of

22080-450: The early Mughal period of religious violence contributed to introspection and then the transformation in Sikhism from pacifism to militancy for self-defense. According to Babur's autobiography, Baburnama , his campaign in northwest India targeted Hindus and Sikhs as well as apostates (non-Sunni sects of Islam), and an immense number were killed, with Muslim camps building "towers of skulls of

22272-480: The eastern mountains. Babur began to modernise and train his army despite it being, for him, relatively peaceful times. Determined to conquer the Uzbeks and recapture his ancestral homeland, Babur was wary of their allies the Ottomans , and made no attempt to establish formal diplomatic relations with them. He did, however, employ the matchlock commander Mustafa Rumi and several other Ottomans. From them, he adopted

22464-567: The emperor Akbar . Ẓahīr-ud-Dīn is Arabic for "Defender of the Faith" (of Islam ), and Muhammad honours the Islamic prophet . The name was chosen for Babur by the Sufi saint Khwaja Ahrar , who was the spiritual master of his father. The difficulty of pronouncing the name for his Central Asian Turco-Mongol army may have been responsible for the greater popularity of his nickname Babur, also variously spelled Baber , Babar , and Bābor . The name

22656-408: The end of time, Ahmad asserted that he had in fact survived crucifixion and died a natural death . He traveled extensively across the Punjab preaching his religious ideas and rallied support by combining a reformist programme with his personal revelations which he claimed to receive from God, attracting thereby substantial following within his lifetime as well as considerable hostility particularly from

22848-438: The establishment of Islam as the final religion, because Islam is the most complete and perfected the previous teachings of other religions, which (they believe) have drifted away from their original form and been corrupted. The message which the founders of these religions brought was, therefore, essentially the same as that of Islam, albeit incomplete. The completion and consummation of the development of religion came about with

23040-530: The first ever visit to the continent made by an Ahmadi Caliph. During his visit for the foundation stone ceremony of the Basharat Mosque , the first mosque in modern Spain, he coined the popular Ahmadiyya motto: Love for all, Hatred for None . Mirza Nasir Ahmad established the Fazl-e-Umar Foundation in honour of his predecessor, oversaw the compilations of dialogues and sayings of the founder of

23232-504: The first human on earth by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, contrary to traditional Islamic, Jewish and Christian interpretations. This view is based on the Quran itself, according to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The fifth article of faith relates to the Day of Judgment. According to the Ahmadis, after belief in one God, belief in the Day of Judgement is the most emphasized doctrine mentioned in

23424-447: The first time after Prithviraj Chauhan and advanced on Babur with a grand coalition of 80,000-100,000 Rajputs, engaging Babur in the Battle of Khanwa . Babur arrived at Khanwa with 40,000-50,000 soldiers. Nonetheless, Sanga suffered a major defeat due to Babur's skillful troop positioning and use of gunpowder , specifically matchlocks and small cannons . The Battle of Khanwa was one of

23616-449: The forgotten Islamic values of peace, forgiveness and sympathy for all humankind, and to establish peace in the world through the teachings of Islam. He believed that his message had special relevance for the Western world, which, he believed, had descended into materialism . Ahmadi teachings state that all the major world religions have divine origins and are part of the divine plan towards

23808-475: The fulfilment of various prophecies found in world religions regarding the second coming of their founders. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's followers say that he never claimed to be the same physical Jesus who lived nineteen centuries earlier. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed that Jesus died a natural death, in contradiction to the traditional Muslim view of Jesus' physical ascension to heaven and the traditional Christian belief of Jesus' crucifixion. He claimed in his books that there

24000-470: The heavens were created, i.e., the moon will be eclipsed on the first of the possible nights in the month of Ramadhan and the sun will be eclipsed in the middle of the possible days of the month of Ramadhan. Ahmadis maintain that this prophecy was fulfilled in 1894 and again in 1895, about three years after Ahmad proclaimed himself to be the Promised Mahdi and Messiah, with the lunar and solar eclipse during

24192-432: The idea of Jihad as fundamentally a peaceful religious endeavour rather than chiefly (or unconditionally) a militaristic struggle, in accordance with Ahmad's standpoint on the issue. Furthermore, some Islamic scholars have opined that Jesus has died (Ahmad's assertion) or have expressed their own confusion on this matter, though the majority orthodox position of most Muslims with regard to this issue has not changed. One of

24384-803: The infidels" on hillocks. There are no descriptions about Babur's physical appearance, except from the paintings in the translation of the Baburnama prepared during the reign of Akbar . In his autobiography, Babur claimed to be strong and physically fit, and that he had swum across every major river he encountered, including twice across the Ganges River in North India . Babur did not initially know Old Hindi ; however, his Turkic poetry indicates that he picked up some of its vocabulary later in life. Unlike his father, he had ascetic tendencies and did not have any great interest in women. In his first marriage, he

24576-531: The language, which he is credited with founding, may have influenced Babur in his decision to use it for his memoirs. He spent two months there before being forced to leave because of diminishing resources; it later was overrun by Shaybani and the Mirzas fled. Babur became the only reigning ruler of the Timurid dynasty after the loss of Herat, and many princes sought refuge with him at Kabul because of Shaybani's invasion in

24768-506: The latter council, the Community has built over 15,000 mosques, over 500 schools, over 30 hospitals and translated the Quran into over 70 languages. The Anjuman Waqf-i-Jadid or the Council for 'The New Dedication', also initiated by the second caliph, is responsible for training and coordinating religious teachers in rural communities around the world. Babur Babur ( Persian: [βɑː.βuɾ] ; 14 February 1483 – 26 December 1530; born Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad )

24960-419: The local Turkic and Iranian people of Central Asia, and his army was diverse in its ethnic makeup. It included Sarts , Tajiks , ethnic Afghans , Arabs , as well as Barlas and Chaghatayid Turko-Mongols from Central Asia. In 1494, eleven-year-old Babur became the ruler of Fergana, in present-day Uzbekistan, after Umar Sheikh Mirza died "while tending pigeons in an ill-constructed dovecote that toppled into

25152-518: The main sources of dispute during his lifetime and continuing since then is Ahmad's use of the terms nabi ("prophet") and rasul ("messenger") when referring to himself. Most non-Ahmadi Muslims consider Muhammad to be the last of the prophets and believe that Ahmad's use of these terms is a violation of the concept of the Finality of Prophethood . His followers fall into two factions in this regard. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community , which comprises by far

25344-529: The majority of Ahmadis, believes that Ahmad's prophetic status does not in any way infringe the finality of Muhammad's prophethood – to which it is wholly subservient and from which it is inseparable – and is in accordance with scriptural prophecies concerning the advent of the Messiah in Islam. This group is currently headed by Ahmad's fifth caliph, or successor, carrying the title of Khalifatul Masih , an institution believed to have been established soon after his death. The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement , which comprises

25536-519: The meaning of the name Muḥammad —"the most praised one"—comported with the traits of glory and indicated the triumphant career of the Islamic prophet following his migration to Medina ; but Aḥmad , an Arabic elative form meaning "highly praised" and also "one who praises the most", comported with the beauty of his sermons and conveyed the perseverance and forbearance that characterized his earlier life at Mecca . Accordingly, these two names reflected two aspects or modalities of Islam and in later times it

25728-451: The month of Ramadhan, according to the Ahmadiyya interpretation of the prophecy. Ahmad declared that this was a sign of his truth and was in fulfillment of the tradition or prophecy. The eclipses being a sign of the Mahdi are also mentioned specifically in the Letters of Rabbani by Ahmad Sirhindi . Scientific historical records indicate these eclipses occurred at the following dates: In 1897,

25920-562: The most decisive battles in Indian history, more so than the First Battle of Panipat, as the defeat of Rana Sanga was a watershed event in the Mughal conquest of North India. Religiously, Babur started his life as a staunch Sunni Muslim , but he underwent significant evolution. Babur became more tolerant as he conquered new territories and grew older, allowing other religions to peacefully coexist in his empire and at his court. He also displayed

26112-461: The most significant of which include Islam's Response to Contemporary Issues , Murder in the name of Allah , Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship , Gulf Crisis and The New World Order and his magnum opus Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth . Following the death of the fourth Caliph in 2003, the Electoral College for the first time in the history of the Community convened in

26304-491: The movement, whether male or female. Despite Ahmadis dissociating the name from their founder, deriving it instead from Islamic prophecy and the name variant of Muhammad, some Sunni Muslims, especially in the Indian subcontinent from where the movement originated, refer to Ahmadis using the pejorative terms Qādiyānī —derived from Qadian , the home town of Ghulam Ahmad; or Mirzaī —from Mirza , one of his titles. Both are externally attributed names and are never used by

26496-450: The nature of Ahmad's prophetic status and succession. They formed the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement , which has since dwindled to a small fraction of all Ahmadis. Ahmadiyya's recognition of Ahmad as a prophet has been characterized as heretical by mainstream Muslims, who believe that Muhammad was the final prophet , and the Ahmadi movement has faced non-recognition and persecution in many parts of

26688-612: The neighbouring Safavid and Ottoman empires. He defeated Ibrahim Lodi , the Sultan of Delhi , at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 and founded the Mughal Empire. Before the defeat of Lodi at Delhi, the Sultanate of Delhi had been a spent force, long in a state of decline. The rival adjacent Kingdom of Mewar under the rule of Rana Sanga had become the most powerful native power in North India . Sanga unified several Rajput clans for

26880-580: The oath and regret that." Babur was opposed to the blind obedience towards the Chinggisid laws and customs that were influential in Turco-Mongol society: "Previously our ancestors had shown unusual respect for the Chingizid code ( törah ). They did not violate this code sitting and rising at councils and court, at feasts and dinners. [However] Chingez Khan's code is not a nass qati (categorical text) that

27072-520: The occasion of the festival of Eid ul-Adha , he is said to have delivered an hour-long sermon extempore in Arabic expounding the meaning and philosophy of sacrifice. This episode is celebrated as one of the important events of the history of Ahmadiyya. The sermon was simultaneously written down by two of his companions and came to be known as the Khutba Ilhamiyya , the revealed or inspired sermon. Ahmadiyya literature states that during this sermon, there

27264-500: The proclamation of truth and by putting an end to religious conflicts, I should bring about peace and manifest the Divine verities that have become hidden from the eyes of the world. I am called upon to demonstrate spirituality which lies buried under egoistic darkness. It is for me to demonstrate by practice, and not by words alone, the Divine powers which penetrate into a human being and are manifested through prayer or attention. Above all, it

27456-591: The promised Mahdi was a symbolic reference to a spiritual leader and not a military leader in the person of Jesus Christ as is believed by many Muslims. With this proclamation, he also rejected the idea of armed Jihad and argued that the conditions for such Jihad are not present in this age, which requires defending Islam by the pen and tongue but not with the sword. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote two books named Tuhfa-e-Qaiseriya and Sitara-e-Qaiseriya in which he invited Queen Victoria to embrace Islam and forsake Christianity. Some religious scholars turned against him, and he

27648-485: The promised Messiah at the sixth epoch heralding the seventh and final age of humankind. By 2016, the community had been established in 209 countries and territories of the world with concentrations in South Asia , West Africa , East Africa , and Indonesia . The community is a minority Muslim sect in almost every country of the world. In some countries like Pakistan , it is practically illegal to be an Ahmadi Muslim. Together, these factors make it difficult to estimate

27840-548: The same way he is believed to have done in the past. All of God's attributes are eternal. In particular, Ahmadi Muslims believe that Muhammad brought prophethood to perfection and was the last law-bearing prophet and the apex of humankind's spiritual evolution. New prophets can come, but they must be completely subordinate to Muhammad and will not be able to exceed him in excellence nor alter his teaching or bring any new law or religion. They are also thought of as reflections of Muhammad rather than independently made into Prophets, like

28032-459: The second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community states that in order to understand God's revelation, it is necessary to study His work, and in order to realize the significance of His work, it is necessary to study His word. According to the Nobel laureate, Abdus Salam , a devout Ahmadi Muslim, 750 verses of the Quran (almost one eighth of the book) exhort believers to study Nature, to reflect, to make

28224-501: The set course or functions allocated to them, or from the overall plan of things made by God. For Ahmadi Muslims, the third article in Islam is concerned with the belief in all the divine scriptures as revealed by God to his Prophets. This includes the Torah , the Gospel , the Psalms , the scrolls of Abraham , and the Quran . Before the advent of Islam, the history of religion is understood as

28416-420: The small two-storied house of one of his followers and was left alone in a room where his companions would bring him food and leave without speaking to him as he prayed and contemplated. He only left the house on Fridays and used an abandoned mosque for Jumu'ah (Friday prayers). It is during this period that he declared God had given him the glad tidings of an illustrious son. Ahmad claimed divine appointment as

28608-425: The snowy Hindu Kush mountains and capture Kabul from the remaining Arghunids, who were forced to retreat to Kandahar . With this move, he gained a new kingdom, re-established his fortunes and would remain its ruler until 1526. In 1505, because of the low revenue generated by his new mountain kingdom, Babur began his first expedition to India; in his memoirs, he wrote, "My desire for Hindustan had been constant. It

28800-449: The space of a half a day was laid in dust. After the battle, Babur occupied Delhi and Agra, took the throne of Lodi, and laid the foundation for the eventual rise of Mughal rule in India. However, before he became North India's ruler, he had to fend off challengers, such as Rana Sanga. Many of Babur's men allegedly wanted to leave India due to its warm climate, but Babur motivated them to stay and expand his empire. The Battle of Khanwa

28992-422: The spiritual head of millions of Ahmadi Muslims residing in over 200 countries and territories of the world, Ahmad travels globally, teaching, conveying and maintaining correspondence with communities of believers and individuals, expounding principles of the Islamic faith. The Six articles of Islamic Faith and the Five Pillars of Islam constitute the basis of Ahmadi belief and practice. Likewise, Ahmadis accept

29184-431: The tactic of using matchlocks and cannons in the field (rather than only in sieges ), which gave him an important advantage in India. Babur still wanted to escape from the Uzbeks, and he chose India as a refuge instead of Badakhshan , which was to the north of Kabul. He wrote, "In the presence of such power and potency, we had to think of some place for ourselves and, at this crisis and in the crack of time there was, put

29376-458: The ten years since becoming the ruler of Fergana, Babur suffered many short-lived victories and was without shelter and in exile, aided by friends and peasants. Kabul was ruled by Babur's paternal uncle Ulugh Beg II , who died leaving only an infant as heir. The city was then claimed by Mukin Begh, who was considered to be a usurper and was opposed by the local populace. In 1504, Babur was able to cross

29568-527: The traditions of various world religions. At the end of the 19th century, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian proclaimed himself to be the "Centennial Reformer of Islam" ( Mujaddid ), metaphorical second coming of Jesus and the Mahdi (guided one) awaited by the Muslims and obtained a considerable number of followers especially within the United Provinces , the Punjab and Sindh . He and his followers believe that his advent

29760-500: The treasures he searched for in new conquered lands. In his memoirs, when he listed sovereigns and nobles of a conquered land, he also mentioned poets, musicians and other educated people. During his 47-year life, Babur left a rich literary and scientific heritage. He authored his famous memoir the Bāburnāma , as well as beautiful lyrical works or ghazals , treatises on Muslim jurisprudence (Mubayyin), poetics (Aruz risolasi), music, and

29952-478: The two Mirza brothers. It was then the cultural capital of the eastern Muslim world. Though he was disgusted by the vices and luxuries of the city, he marvelled at the intellectual abundance there, which he stated was "filled with learned and matched men". He became acquainted with the work of the Chagatai poet Mir Ali Shir Nava'i , who encouraged the use of Chagatai as a literary language . Nava'i's proficiency with

30144-534: The two central bodies of the Community; Central Ahmadiyya Council and the Council for 'The New Scheme'. Another, but much smaller body, the Council for 'New Dedication' , is also active. All central bodies work under the directive of the caliph. Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya or the Central Ahmadiyya Council, first set up by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1906, is today responsible for organizing the Community activities in India , Pakistan and Bangladesh ; whereas

30336-414: The views of the members of the council. However, it is not incumbent upon him to always accept the views and recommendations of the members. The caliph may comment, issue instructions, announce his decisions on the proposals during the course of the proceedings or may postpone the matter under further reflection. However, in most cases the caliph accepts the advice given by the majority. At the national level,

30528-488: The west. He thus assumed the title of Padshah (emperor) among the Timurids—though this title was insignificant since most of his ancestral lands were taken, Kabul itself was in danger and Shaybani continued to be a threat. Babur prevailed during a potential rebellion in Kabul, but two years later a revolt among some of his leading generals drove him out of Kabul. Escaping with very few companions, Babur soon returned to

30720-416: The world, numbering an estimated 10 to 20 million, it has received a largely negative (often hostile) response from mainstream Muslims who view Ahmad as a false messiah and his teachings as heretical, particularly the teaching that he was a prophet. Pakistan is the only state that specifically requires every Pakistani Muslim to denigrate Ahmad as an impostor and his followers as non-Muslims when applying for

30912-439: The world. Some Sunni Muslims pejoratively use the term Qādiyānī to refer to the movement. The Ahmadiyya movement was founded in 1889, but the name Aḥmadīyah was not adopted until about a decade later. In a manifesto dated 4 November 1900, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad announced that the name chosen to identify the movement from other Muslim groups would be in reference to Muhammad 's alternative name Aḥmad . According to him,

31104-420: The world. It is particularly large in Africa. In the post colonial era, the Community is credited for much of the spread of Islam in the continent. After the death of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , Hakeem Noor-ud-Din was unanimously elected as his first successor and Caliph of the Community. Within the stretch of his Caliphate, a period which lasted six years (1908-1914), he oversaw a satisfactory English translation of

31296-582: The world. Thus, according to the Ahmadi teachings, books outside of the Abrahamic tradition, such as the Vedas and Avesta are too considered as being of divine origin. Among the recognised books, the Community believes that the Quran is the final divine scripture revealed by God to humankind. The teachings of the Quran are considered timeless. According to the Ahmadi Muslim view, the fourth article of faith in Islam

31488-549: Was crucified and survived the four hours on the cross. He was later revived from a swoon in the tomb. Ahmadis believe that Jesus died in Kashmir of old age whilst seeking the Lost Tribes of Israel . Jesus' remains are believed to be entombed in the Roza Bal shrine in Kashmir under the name Yuz Asaf . Although Ahmadi Muslims believe that the Quran is the final message of God for humankind, they also believe that God continues to communicate with his chosen individuals in

31680-488: Was "bashful" towards Aisha Sultan Begum , later losing his affection for her. Babur showed similar shyness in his interactions with Baburi , a boy in his camp with whom he had an infatuation around this time, recounting that: "Occasionally Baburi came to me, but I was so bashful that I could not look him in the face, much less converse freely with him. In my excitement and agitation I could not thank him for coming, much less complain of his leaving. Who could bear to demand

31872-419: Was a change in his voice, he appeared as if in a trance , in the grip of an unseen hand, and as if a voice from the unknown had made him its mouthpiece. After the sermon ended, Ahmad fell into prostration , followed by the rest of the congregation, as a sign of gratitude towards God. Ahmad wrote later: It was like a hidden fountain gushing forth and I did not know whether it was I who was speaking or an angel

32064-430: Was a general decay of Islamic life and a dire need of a messiah. He argued that, just as Jesus had appeared in the 14th century after Moses , the promised messiah, i.e. the Mahdi, must also appear in the 14th century after Muhammad. In Tazkiratush-Shahadatain , he wrote about the fulfillment of various prophecies. In it, he enumerated a variety of prophecies and descriptions from both the Qur'an and Hadith relating to

32256-547: Was a leading religious scholar. He also proposed three conditions that were essential for such a debate: that there should be a police presence to maintain peace, the debate should be in written form (for the purpose of recording what was said), and that the debate should be on the subject of the death of Jesus. Eventually, it was settled, and Ahmad travelled to the Jama Masjid (main mosque) of Delhi accompanied by twelve of his followers, where some 5,000 people were gathered. Before

32448-504: Was a local chieftain ( ra'is ) who served in the Sikh Army. From 1864 to 1868, upon his father's wishes, Ahmad worked as a clerk in Sialkot , where he would come into contact with Christian missionaries with whom he frequently engaged in debate. After 1868, he returned to Qadian, as per his father's wishes, where he was entrusted to look after some estate affairs. During all this time, Ahmad

32640-438: Was able to secure his throne mainly because of help from his maternal grandmother, Aisan Daulat Begum , although there was also some luck involved. Most territories around his kingdom were ruled by his relatives, who were descendants of either Timur or Genghis Khan, and were constantly in conflict. At that time, rival princes were fighting over the city of Samarkand to the west, which was ruled by his paternal cousin. Babur had

32832-407: Was also his physician), when, on 26 May 1908, he died from dysentery. His body was subsequently taken to Qadian and buried there; he had previously claimed that an angel had told him that he would be buried there. By the time of his death, he had gathered an estimated 400,000 followers, especially within the United Provinces , the Punjab and Sindh . Mirza Ghulam Ahmad married twice. His first wife

33024-399: Was arranged for dignitaries where Ahmad, upon request, spoke for some two hours explaining his claims, teachings and speaking in refutation of objections raised against his person; here, he preached reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims. He completed writing his last work, entitled Message of Peace , a day before his death. Ahmad was in Lahore at the home of Dr. Syed Muhammad Hussain (who

33216-429: Was at the time considered a centre of religious learning and home to many prominent religious leaders, in 1891, with the intention of distinguishing what he believed to be the truth from falsehood. He published an advertisement in which he invited the scholars to accept his claim and to engage in a public debate with him regarding the life and death of Isa (Jesus), particularly Maulana Syed Nazeer Husain (1805–1901), who

33408-492: Was divine instruction, stipulating ten conditions of initiation , an event that marks the establishment of the Ahmadiyya movement. The mission of the movement, according to him, was the reinstatement of the absolute oneness of God, the revival of Islam through the moral reformation of society along Islamic ideals, and the global propagation of Islam in its pristine form. As opposed to the Christian and mainstream Islamic view of Jesus (or Isa), being alive in heaven to return towards

33600-429: Was equally fluent in Classical Persian , the lingua franca of the Timurid elite. Some of Babur's relatives, such as his uncles Mahmud Khan (Moghul Khan) and Ahmad Khan, continued to identify as Mongols, and allowed him to use their Mongol troops to help recover his fortunes in the turbulent years that followed. Hence, Babur, though nominally a Mongol (or Moghul in Persian language), drew much of his support from

33792-467: Was established in 1922 by the second caliph, Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad . This advisory body meets formally at least once a year. At the international level, the council is presided over by the caliph. Its main purpose is to advise the caliph on important matters such as finance, projects, education and other issues relating to members of the Community. It is required for the caliph to carry out his duties through consultation, taking into consideration

33984-479: Was foretold by Muhammad , the Prophet of Islam , and also by many other religious scriptures of the world. Ahmadiyya emerged in India as a movement within Islam, also in response to the Christian and Arya Samaj missionary activity that was widespread in the 19th century. The Ahmadiyya faith believes that it represents the latter-day revival of the religion of Islam. Overseas Ahmadiyya missionary activities started at an organized level as early as 1913 (for example,

34176-437: Was fought between Babur and the Rajput ruler of Mewar , Rana Sanga on 16 March 1527. Rana Sanga wanted to overthrow Babur, whom he considered to be a foreigner ruling in India, and also to extend the Rajput territories by annexing Delhi and Agra . He was supported by Afghan chiefs who felt Babur had been deceptive by refusing to fulfil promises made to them. Upon receiving news of Rana Sangha's advance towards Agra, Babur took

34368-407: Was himself son of Timur ) and his wife Qutlugh Nigar Khanum , daughter of Yunus Khan , the ruler of Moghulistan (a descendant of Genghis Khan ). Babur hailed from the Barlas tribe, which was of Mongol origin and had embraced the Turco-Persian tradition They had also converted to Islam centuries earlier and resided in Turkestan and Khorasan . Aside from the Chaghatai language, Babur

34560-455: Was his eldest son and heir, Humayun . Masuma Sultan Begum died during childbirth; the year of her death is disputed (either 1508 or 1519). Gulrukh bore Babur two sons, Kamran and Askari , and Dildar Begum was the mother of Babur's youngest son, Hindal . Babur later married Mubaraka Yusufzai , a Pashtun woman of the Yusufzai tribe. Gulnar Aghacha and Nargul Aghacha were two Circassian slaves given to Babur as gifts by Tahmasp Shah Safavi,

34752-651: Was his maternal cousin Hurmat Bibi. Later, they separated and lived separately for a long time. With his first wife, Hurmat Bibi, he had two sons: With his second wife, Nusrat Jahan Begum , he had ten children, five of whom died in infancy: Although Mirza Ghulam Ahmad aroused much opposition particularly from Muslim leaders owing to his messianic claims, opinion of him was not entirely negative. Many leading Muslim scholars, theologians and prominent journalists who were his contemporaries or had come into contact with him, had, despite differing with him in matters of belief, praised his personal character and acclaimed his works in

34944-487: Was in the month of Shaban, the Sun being in Aquarius, that we rode out of Kabul for Hindustan". It was a brief raid across the Khyber Pass . In the same year, Babur united with Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqarah of Herat , a fellow Timurid and distant relative, against their common enemy, the Uzbek Shaybani. However, this venture did not take place because Husayn Mirza died in 1506 and his two sons were reluctant to go to war. Babur instead stayed at Herat after being invited by

35136-399: Was known as a social recluse because he would spend most of his time in seclusion studying religious books and praying in the local mosque. As time passed, he began to engage more with the Christian missionaries, particularly in defending Islam against their criticism. He would often confront them in public debates, especially the ones based in the town of Batala . In 1886, certain leaders of

35328-452: Was marching to recover it, he lost Samarkand to a rival prince, leaving him with neither. He had held Samarkand for 100 days, and he considered this defeat as his biggest loss, obsessing over it even later in his life after his conquests in India. For three years, Babur concentrated on building a strong army, recruiting widely amongst the Tajiks of Badakhshan in particular. In 1500–1501, he again laid siege to Samarkand , and indeed he took

35520-444: Was often branded as a heretic, but many religious scholars praised him like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan , Maulana Abul Kalam Azad among many others who praised him for his defense of Islam . After his death, opponents accused him of working for the British government due to the termination of armed Jihad , since his claims of being the Mahdi were made around the same time as the Mahdi of Sudan ( Muhammad Ahmad ). Following his claim to be

35712-533: Was sent in November 1902. Newspapers in America and Europe published Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's notification. Despite this prophecy, Smyth-Piggot continued to claim divinity both before and after Mirza Ghulam's death in 1908, as reported by various contemporary newspapers at the time. Towards the end of 1907 and early 1908, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to have received numerous revelations informing him of his imminent death. In April 1908, he travelled to Lahore with his family and companions. Here, he gave many lectures. A banquet

35904-405: Was speaking through my tongue. The sentences were just being uttered and every sentence was a sign of God for me. In 1899, Scottish-born American clergyman John Alexander Dowie laid claim to be the forerunner of the second coming of Christ. Ahmad exchanged a series of letters with him between 1903 and 1907. Ahmad challenged him to a prayer duel, where both would call upon God to expose the other as

36096-414: Was succeeded by his son Humayun whose reign was temporarily usurped by the Suri dynasty . During their 30-year rule, religious violence continued in India. Records of the violence and trauma, from Sikh-Muslim perspective, include those recorded in Sikh literature of the 16th century. The violence of Babur in the 1520s was witnessed by Guru Nanak , who commented upon it in four hymns. Historians suggest

36288-427: Was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent . He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his father and mother respectively. He was also given the posthumous name of Firdaws Makani ('Dwelling in Paradise'). Born in Andijan in the Fergana Valley (now in Uzbekistan ), Babur was the eldest son of Umar Shaikh Mirza II (1456–1494, governor of Fergana from 1469 to 1494) and

36480-409: Was the latter aspect that was destined to be the chief characteristic of its progress. Ghulam Ahmad deemed it a blameworthy innovation ( bid‘ah ) to label an Islamic group or school after anyone other than Muhammad. The announcement of 1900 stated: The name which is appropriate for this Movement and which we prefer for ourselves and for our Jamā'at is Muslims of the Aḥmadīyah Section . And it

36672-452: Was the ruler of Malwa. Upon reaching Chanderi, on 20 January 1528, Babur offered Shamsabad to Medini Rao in exchange for Chanderi as a peace overture, but the offer was rejected. The outer fortress of Chanderi was taken by Babur's army at night, and the next morning the upper fort was captured. Babur himself expressed surprise that the upper fort had fallen within an hour of the final assault. Seeing no hope of victory, Medini Rai organized

36864-482: Was to travel to the Hejaz to collect the opinions of the religious scholars of Mecca and Madina. He compiled these opinions in his work Husamul Haramain (The Sword of the Two Holy Mosques) in it, Ahmad was again labelled an apostate. The unanimous consensus of about thirty-four religious scholars was that Ahmad's beliefs were blasphemous and tantamount to apostasy and that he must be punished by imprisonment and, if necessary, by execution. Ahmad went to Delhi , which

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