Islam and the Ahmadiyya Jamaʻat


Book Description

Simon Ross Valentine has written the first scholarly evaluation of the teachings, beliefs, and lifestyle of the Ahmaddiya Jama'at, an Islamic reform group founded in nineteenth-century India that currently boasts millions of followers worldwide. To the great aggravation of other Muslims, the Ahmadis assert that prophets existed after Muhammad, a controversial belief that has led to fierce persecution, especially in South Asia, where the government has declared the Ahmadis to be non-Muslims. Valentine explores other major claims made by the Ahmadis, including their assertion that Jesus, instead of dying on the cross (as Christians believe) or ascending to heaven after the crucifixion (as mainstream Muslims teach), in fact escaped from the Romans and settled in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir and the alleged location of Christ's tomb. After an account of the life of the movement's founder, Ghulam Mirza Ahmad, Valentine discusses the history of the Ahmadis, their proselytization strategies, the role of mosques and madrasas, the position of women within the religion, and the Ahmadis' doctrine of a peaceful jihad.




From Sufism to Ahmadiyya


Book Description

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community represents the followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), a charismatic leader whose claims of spiritual authority brought him into conflict with most other Muslim leaders of the time. The controversial movement originated in rural India in the latter part of the 19th century and is best known for challenging current conceptions of Islamic orthodoxy. Despite missionary success and expansion throughout the world, particularly in Western Europe, North America, and parts of Africa, Ahmadis have effectively been banned from Pakistan. Adil Hussain Khan traces the origins of Ahmadi Islam from a small Sufi-style brotherhood to a major transnational organization, which many Muslims believe to be beyond the pale of Islam.




Welcome to Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam


Book Description




Moderate Fundamentalists


Book Description

In the mid 1950s, a British taxi driver named George King claimed that Budha, Jesus, and Lao Tzu had been alien "cosmic masters" who had come to earth to teach mankind the right way to live. Sun Myung Moon claimed that Korean people are descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. Joseph Smith claimed that some lost tribes of Israel had moved to Americas hundreds of years ago. All three people successfully founded new religious movements that have survived to this day. How and why do some people come up with such seemingly strange and bizarre ideas and why do others come to place their faith in these ideas? The first part of this book develops a multidisciplinary theoretical framework drawn from cognitive science of religion and social psychology to answer these critically important questions. The second part of the book illustrates how this theoretical framework can be used to understand the origin and evolution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at founded by an Indian Muslim in 1889. The book breaks new ground by studying the influence that religious beliefs of 19th century reformist Indian Muslims, in particular, founders of the Ahl-e-Hadith movement, had on the beliefs of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at. Using the theoretical framework developed in part I, the book also explains why many north Indian Sunni Muslims found Ahmad's ideas to be irresistible and why the movement split into two a few years Ahmad's death. The book will interest those who want to understand cults as well as those who want to understand reformist Islamic movements.




Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at and the Palestinian Muslims


Book Description

Part 8 of a review of the Pakistani Government’s “White Paper”: Qadiyaniyyat – A greave threat to Islam. In 1984 the Islamic government of Pakistan set aside all Islamic injuctions and took upon itself the burden of depriving the Ahmadi Muslims of many basic human rights including religious social freedoms. In an attempt to justify this action, the government of Pakistan published a so-called White Paper under the title ‘Qadiyaniyyat – Islam kay liya Sangin Khatrah‘ (Qadiyaniyyat – A Grave Threat to Islam). Although there was nothing new in this so-called White Paper and the Jama’at literature already included detailed answers to all the issues which were raised, nevertheless Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih IV, the then Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, answered these allegations in a series of Friday sermons. These sermons (in Urdu) were published by the London Mosque in 1985 and the English translation is now being published. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih IV(rta) delivered this sermon on March 15, 1985 at the Fazl Mosque London. It deals with the allegation that the Ahmadis are (God forbid) agents of Israel. It points out that, as commanded by the Holy Qur’an and exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sas), Ahmadis have been actively spreading the message of Islam all over the world, including Israel. It also gives detail about the glorious services rendered by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at during the tragedy of the Palestinian Muslims.




The New World Order of Islam


Book Description

In the backdrop of the then prevailing ideologies of communism and capitalist democracy, the second successor of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, addressed this lecture to the Ahmadiyya Annual Gathering on December 28, 1942. The address answers the question, 'How does Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam, propose to deal with the grave problem of socio-economic inequality in the world?' The Ahmadiyya solution is the solution of Islam shaped under divine guidance for present needs by the Holy Founder (a.s.) of the Ahmadiyya movement. The speaker examines and analyses the role played by different movements to alleviate poverty and sufferings, such as, Socialism, International Socialism, Marxism, Bolshevism, Nazism and Fascism and so on. The speaker also, explores the major religions of the world regarding the basic question "social inequality a serious problem." Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, laid down the foundations of the New World Order, by initiating the scheme of Wasiyyat based on Islamic teachings and under the Divine guidance in his book 'Al-Wassiyat' written in 1905. Later in 1934 Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (r.a.) inaugurated Tahrik-e-Jadid to prepare the ground for the full implementation of the New World Order of the institution of Wasiyyat. In the present lecture he elaborates the aims and objectives of Tahrik-e-Jadid and claims that the New World Order in all its aspects, economic, social and religious, as introduced by Nizam-e-Wassiyat, will at the end prevail and a new and genuine revolution will take place.




The Need for the Imam


Book Description

Zarurat-ul-Imam, or The Need for the Imam, spells out in depth the urgency and need for the Imam of the age, and his qualities and hallmarks as the Divinely appointed guide, the voice articulate of the age, and the constant recipient of Divine revelations, and how all these qualities are fully present in the person of the holy author.




Truth about Ahmadiyyat


Book Description

Ever since God Almighty has instituted the system of prophet-hood for the guidance of mankind, the opponents of these holy prophets, peace be on them, have always charged them with falsehood and untruth. They were called sorcerers and madmen and were described as disorderly and rebellious. Every prophet and God’s elect was treated in that manner. The same was the case with the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be on him. when he put forth his claim of being the Reformer of the age and the Promised Mehdi, not only Muslim divines, but the leaders of other religions also, rose up against him and assailed him with false charges and insupportable objections. Muslim divines proclaimed that his teaching was opposed to Islam and the practice of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and showered false charges upon him.




The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam


Book Description

"Originally written for the Conference of Great Religions held at Lahore on December 26-29, 1896, the Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam has since served as an introduction to Islam for seekers after the truth and religious knowledge in different parts of the world. The present issue includes several "lost" pages not included in the essay that was read out at Lahore. It deals with the following five broad themes, set by the moderators of the Conference: 1. The physical, moral and spiritual states of man 2. The state of man after death 3. The object of man's life and the means to its attainment 4. The operation of the practical ordinances of the Law in this life and the next 5. Sources of Divine knowledge."--Publisher's description.




True Insights into the Concept of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat


Book Description

In 1984, the Islamic Government of Pakistan ignored fundamental Islamic decorum by depriving Ahmadi Muslims many of their basic human rights including religious freedom. In an attempt to justify this action, the Government of Pakistan published a so-called White Paper under the title Qadiyaniyyat — Islam kay liyay Sangin Khatrah (Qadiyaniyyat—A Grave Threat to Islam). Although there was nothing new in this so-called White Paper—the objections in which had already been thoroughly refuted in Ahmadiyya Jama‘at literature—Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifatul-Masih IV((rh), the then Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at, replied to these allegations in a series of sermons. These sermons (in Urdu) were published by the London Mosque in 1985 and the English translation is now being published. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad delivered this sermon on April 7, 1985 as the concluding speech of the Annual Conference of Jama‘at Ahmadiyya UK. It details the profound insight and conviction that the Promised Messiah(as) had in Khatm-e-Nubuwwat. By citing extensively from reputable sources throughout Islamic history, he demonstrates that the Ahmadiyya belief in Khatm-e-Nubuwwat is fully consistent with the consensus of the Companions(ra) of the Holy Prophet(sa) and the views held by respected Muslim scholars and authorities.