Who are the Ahmadi Muslims and what do they believe?
Waqar Ahmad Ahmedi gives a brief introduction to the Ahmadi branch of Islam
Who are the Ahmadi Muslims?
The
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 by
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who claimed under divine instruction to fulfill
the major prophecies contained in Islamic and other sacred texts regarding a
world reformer who would unite humanity. He announced to Christians awaiting the
second coming of
Jesus, Muslims anticipating the
Mahdi, Hindus expecting
Krishna and Buddhists searching for
Buddha, that he was the promised Prophet for them all, commissioned by God
to rejuvenate true faith and lead a spiritual struggle against evil.
He also reaffirmed that Islam was the final law for humanity revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad, and that true essence of Islam had become lost through the
centuries which needed reviving in these times. This is why the Ahmadi Muslims
also see themselves as leading the
renaissance of Islam.
How many Ahmadi Muslims are there, and where are they based?
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has tens of millions members in 190 countries with most followers living in the Indian subcontinent and Africa. It emerged from the Sunni tradition of Islam and remains the fastest growing denomination within the faith. The Ahmadi Muslims were among the earliest Muslim communities to arrive in Britain, building London’s first mosque in Putney in 1924. They also opened Western Europe’s largest mosque, Baitul Futuh, in Morden, Surrey, in 2003. Currently in Britain there are 18,000 Ahmadi Muslims.
What do Ahmadi Muslims believe?
The Ahmadi Muslims believe in all the five pillars and articles of faith required of Muslims. They differ from other Muslims mainly with respect to the status of their founder, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as a Prophet within Islam, and their view that Jesus survived the attempted crucifixion, traveled in search of the remaining lost tribes in the East and died in India. They believe that Jesus is buried in Kashmir.
Ahmadi Muslims also believe in the
continuation of divine revelation. This applies primarily to the Khalifas
whose authority derives from God Himself.
Ahmadi Muslims live by a code of peace epitomized by the community’s motto "Love
for All, Hatred for None". From their origins they inculcated the meaning of Jihad as
striving to free oneself of impurities for the pleasure of God. They have
condemned all violence in the strongest possible terms, and have nurtured a
spirit of allegiance to the country in which they reside.
Source: Times Online
Tags: AlIslam.org, AskIslam.org
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. Any comments irrelevant to the post's subject matter, containing abuses, and/or vulgar language will not be approved.