Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was born in 1835 in Punjab, India. He was well-educated and developed a particular interest in Islam. In the mid-1860s, he worked for several years as a clerk, and regularly took pleasure in engaging Christian missionaries in debate. He also developed a respectful sparring relationship with representatives of the Arya Samaj, a nascent Hindu reform movement.
In 1886, Ahmad embarked on a 40-day solo retreat for prayer and contemplation. He claimed to have received divine revelations during this time, and in late 1888, he publicly announced his divine appointment. In March 1889, approximately 40 individuals pledged their religious allegiance to him as he established the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, a name derived from “Ahmad,” an alternative name for Muhammad.
Ahmadis revere Muhammad as the final law-bearing prophet but believe that Islam has deviated from its original form since his time. They also believe that prophets have come and can continue to come since Muhammad but that none can supersede him. They consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be one of these prophets and the Mahdi (messiah) sent to return Islam to its original precepts.
The Mahdi is believed to embody the messianic expectations not just of Islam but of other major faiths as well. While mainstream Islam adheres to the traditional Christian narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus, Ahmadis believe that Jesus survived his crucifixion and traveled to the east, where he eventually died in Kashmir.
The Ahmadi emphasis on the absolute unity of God includes reverence for figures including Gautama Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, and Zoroaster, as well as the belief in angels. While Ahmadis believe that all of these faiths had divine origins, they view them as stages in a divine plan culminating in Islam as the final and most complete religion. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is seen as the messianic figure of all faiths, and some Ahmadis believe that his appearance heralded the beginning of the final stage of human existence.
After Ahmad’s death in 1908, leadership of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at passed to Hakeem Noor-ud-Din, who was named the first caliph. He oversaw the first English translation of the Quran and the establishment of the first Ahmadiyya mission in Britain. There have been several caliphs since that time, with Mirza Masroor Ahmad elected as the fifth and current caliph in 2003.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at has spread widely since its inception, with significant presences in South Asia, Indonesia, and Africa. By 2017, the community had spread to over 200 countries and territories and estimates its number of followers to be more than 10 million, though opponents of the movement say this figure is inflated.
Because of its differences from traditional Islam, particularly its belief in the possibility of prophets after Muhammad, Ahmadis have faced oppression in many parts of the Muslim world. While there are many Ahmadis in Pakistan, that country officially declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims through a constitutional amendment in 1974, with subsequent legislation imposing restrictions on their religious practices. This resulted in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at headquarters’ move to London, where it is based today.
Key Sources:
Aḥmad, B. M. (1980). Invitation to Ahmadiyyat: Being a Statement of Beliefs, a Rationale of Claims, and an Invitation, on Behalf of the Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation and Rejuvenation of Islam. Routledge.
Ahmad, H. M. G. (2016). Jesus in India: Jesus’ Deliverance from the Cross & Journey to India. Islam International Publications Ltd.
Ahmad, H. M. T. (2004). With love to the Muslims of the world. Islam International Publications Ltd.
Al Jazeera (2021, July 27). ‘When the blood starts’: Spike in Ahmadi persecution in Pakistan.
BBC News (2010, May 28). Who are the Ahmadi?
Gualtieri, A. R. (2004). The Ahmadis: Community, Gender, and Politics in a Muslim Society. McGill-Queen’s Press – MQUP.
Khan, M. Z. (1978). Ahmadiyyat: The Renaissance of Islam.
Trinh, T. (2016, October 5). Muslim sect reviled abroad seeks acceptance in US. Voice of America.
Valentine, S. R. (2008). Islam and the Ahmadiyya Jamaʻat: History, Belief, Practice.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 