1.
Flag of Germany
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The flag of Germany is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany, black, red, and gold. The flag was first adopted as the flag of modern Germany in 1919. Germany has two competing traditions of national colours, black-red-gold and black-white-red, which have played an important role in the history of Germany. The black-red-gold tricolour first appeared in the early 19th century and achieved prominence during the 1848 Revolutions, the short-lived Frankfurt Parliament of 1848–1850 proposed the tricolour as a flag for a united and democratic German state. With the formation of the Weimar Republic after World War I, following World War II, the tricolour was designated as the flag of both West and East Germany in 1949. The two flags were identical until 1959, when the East German flag was augmented with the coat of arms of East Germany, since reunification on 3 October 1990, the black-red-gold tricolour has become the flag of reunified Germany. After the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, the Prussian-dominated North German Confederation adopted a tricolour of black-white-red as its flag and this flag later became the flag of the German Empire, formed following the unification of Germany in 1871, and was used until 1918. The colours of the flag are associated with the republican democracy formed after World War I. There are many theories in regarding the origins of the colour scheme used in the 1848 flag. Another claim goes back to the uniforms of the Lützow Free Corps, comprising mostly university students, the German national flag or Bundesflagge, containing only the black-red-gold tricolour, was introduced as part of the German constitution in 1949. Following the creation of government and military flags in later years. The government flag of Germany is officially known as the Dienstflagge der Bundesbehörden or Bundesdienstflagge for short, introduced in 1950, the government flag is the civil flag defaced with the Bundesschild, which overlaps with up to one fifth of the black and gold bands. The government flag may only be used by government authorities and its use by others is an offence. However, public use of similar to the Bundesdienstflagge is tolerated. In addition to the horizontal format, many public buildings in Germany use vertical flags. Most town halls fly their town flag together with the flag in this way. The proportions of these flags are not specified. When hung like a banner or draped, the band should be on the left
2.
Ahmadiyya
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Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious movement founded in Punjab, British India, near the end of the 19th century. He claimed to have been appointed as the Mujaddid of Islam. The adherents of the Ahmadiyya movement are referred to as Ahmadi Muslims or simply Ahmadis, Ahmadiyya adherents believe that Ahmad appeared in the likeness of Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice, and peace. Thus, Ahmadis view themselves as leading the revival and peaceful propagation of Islam, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the movement on 23 March 1889. The Ahmadis have a strong tradition and were among the earliest Muslim communities to arrive in Britain. Currently, the community is led by its Caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the population is almost entirely contained in the single, highly organized and united movement. In this sense there is one major branch. Some Ahmadiyya-specific beliefs have been thought of as opposed to contemporary mainstream Islamic thought since the movements birth, many Muslims consider Ahmadi Muslims as either kafirs or heretics. In a manifesto dated 4 November 1900, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad explained that the name did not refer to himself but to Ahmad, the alternative name of Muhammad. According to Ahmad, these names refer to two aspects or phases of Islam, and in later times it was the latter aspect that commanded greater attention. He also called it the Ahmadiyya madhab, And it is permissible that this also be referred to as ‘Muslims of the Aḥmadī way. Ahmadi beliefs are more aligned with the Sunni tradition, than they are with the Shia tradition, such as The Five Pillars of Islam and The Six articles of Islamic Faith. Likewise, Ahmadis accept the Quran as their text, face the Kaaba during prayer, practice the Sunnah. These are the central beliefs constituting Ahmadi Muslim thought, the distinguishing feature of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is their belief in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, as prophesied by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Through the proclamation of truth and by putting an end to conflicts, I should bring about peace. I am called upon to demonstrate spirituality which lies buried under egoistic darkness and 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. All this will be accomplished, not through my power, but through the power of the Almighty God, Who is the God of heaven and he believed that his message had special relevance for the Western world, which, he believed, had descended into materialism. The message which the founders of these religions brought was, therefore, essentially the same as that of Islam, the completion and consummation of the development of religion came about with the advent of Muhammad
3.
Black Standard
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The Black Banner or Black Standard is one of the flags flown by Muhammad in Islamic tradition. It was historically used by Abu Muslim in his uprising leading to the pro-Shia Abbasid Revolution in 747 and is associated with the Abbasid Caliphate in particular. It is also a symbol in Islamic eschatology, the Black Banner has been used in contemporary Islamism and jihadism since the late 1990s. It is commonly used as the flag of the Islamic State of Iraq, before Islam, visible standards were used at least in the Roman army to identify the core of the legion, the Eagles. By the mid-600s, the Arabs were using standards for the same purpose, among the Arabs the rāya was a square banner, not to be confused with the liwāʾ or ʿalam, an identifying mark like a red turban. Islamic tradition states that the Quraysh had a black liwāʾ and a white-and-black rāya and it further states that Muhammad had an ʿalam in white nicknamed the Young Eagle, and a rāya in black, said to be made from his wife Aishas head-cloth. This larger flag was known as the Eagle, at the Battle of Siffin, according to tradition, Ali used the liwāʾ of the Prophet, which was white while those who fought against him instead used black banners. The Abbasid Revolution against the Umayyad Caliphate adopted black for its rāyaʾ for which their partisans were called the musawwids and their rivals chose other colours in reaction, among these, forces loyal to Marwan II adopted red. The choice of black as the colour of the Abbasid Revolution was already motivated by the standards out of Khorasan tradition associated with the Mahdi. The contrast of white vs. black as the Fatimid vs. Abbasid dynastic colour over time developed in white as the colour of Shia Islam and black as the colour of Sunni Islam. After the revolution, Islamic apocalyptic circles admitted that the Abbasid banners would be black but asserted that the Mahdis standard would be black, anti-Abbasid circles cursed the black banners from the East, first and last. The Bábí leader Mullá Husayn raised the Black Standard in his march from Mashhad starting July 21,1848. It is reported the Black Standard flew above the Bábí fortress Shaykh Tabarsi, as Arab nationalism developed in the early 20th century, the black within the Pan-Arab colors was chosen to represent the black banner of Muhammad. The Ahmadiyya movement also employs black and white colours in its flag, mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, explained the symbolism of the colours black and white in terms of the concept of revelation and prophethood. This usage was adopted by the global movement in the early 2000s, and in the 2010s by the Islamic State of Iraq. A black flag with the shahada inscribed in white appeared on jihadist websites from at least 2001, the white circle represents the seal, enclosing the three words, الله رسول محمد. Note that this order is different from the second part of the conventional form of the shahada. In August 2014, British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested that displaying the Islamic State flag in the United Kingdom should be arrested
4.
Aqidah
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Aqidah is an Islamic term meaning creed. Many schools of Islamic theology expressing different views on aqidah exist, any religious belief system, or creed, can be considered an example of aqidah. However, this term has taken a significant technical usage in Muslim history and theology and it is a branch of Islamic studies describing the beliefs of Islam. Literally, the word ʿaqīdah is derived from the Semitic root ʿqd, the first creed written as a short answer to the pressing heresies of the time is known as Fiqh Akbar and ascribed to Abu Hanifa. Two well known creeds were the Fiqh Akbar II representative of the Ashari and these creeds were more detailed than those described below. The six articles of faith or belief, derived from the Quran, in Sunni and Shia view, having Iman literally means having belief in Six Articles. However the importance of Iman relies heavily upon reason, Islam explicitly asserts that belief should be maintained in that which can be proven using faculties of perception and conception. Tawhid is the concept of monotheism in Islam, according to Islamic belief, Allah is the proper name of God, and humble submission to his will, divine ordinances and commandments is the pivot of the Muslim faith. He is the only God, creator of the universe, and he is unique and inherently one, all-merciful and omnipotent. The Quran declares the reality of Allah, His inaccessible mystery, His 99 descriptive names expressing a quality characteristic, Iman, in Islamic theology denotes a believers faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam. Its most simple definition is the belief in the six articles of faith, the Hadith of Gabriel includes the Five Pillars of Islam in answer to the question, O messenger of God, what is Islam. This hadith is called the truly first and most fundamental creed. Salat is the practice of worship in Islam. Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, people who find it physically difficult can perform Salat in a way suitable for them. To perform valid Salat, Muslims must be in a state of ritual purity, in the terminology of Islamic law, sawm means to abstain from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk. The observance of sawm during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Zakat is the practice of giving by Muslims based on accumulated wealth and is obligatory for all who are able to do so. It is considered to be a responsibility for Muslims to ease economic hardship for others
5.
Five Pillars of Islam
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The Five Pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam, considered mandatory by believers and are the foundation of Muslim life. They are summarized in the hadith of Gabriel. The Shia and Sunni both agree on the details for the performance and practice of these acts, but the Shia do not refer to them by the same name. They make up Muslim life, prayer, concern for the needy, self-purification, shahada is a declaration of faith and trust that professes that there is only one God and that Muhammad is Gods messenger. It is a set statement normally recited in Arabic, lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāhu muḥammadun rasūlu-llāh There is no god but God Muhammad is the messenger of God and it is essential to utter it to become a Muslim and to convert to Islam. Salat consists of five daily prayers according to the Sunna, the names are according to the times, Fajr, Dhuhr, ʿAṣr, Maghrib. All of these prayers are recited while facing in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Muslims must wash before prayer, this washing is called wudu. The prayer is accompanied by a series of set positions including, bowing with hands on knees, a Muslim may perform their prayer anywhere, such as in offices, universities, and fields. However, the mosque is the more preferable place for prayers because the mosque allows for fellowship, Zakāt or alms-giving is the practice of charitable giving based on accumulated wealth. The word zakāt can be defined as purification and growth because it allows an individual to achieve balance, the principle of knowing that all things belong to God is essential to purification and growth. Zakāt is obligatory for all Muslims who are able to do so and it is the personal responsibility of each Muslim to ease the economic hardship of others and to strive towards eliminating inequality. Zakāt consists of spending a portion of wealth for the benefit of the poor or needy. A Muslim may also donate more as an act of voluntary charity, There are five principles that should be followed when giving the zakāt, The giver must declare to God his intention to give the zakāt. The zakāt must be paid on the day that it is due, after the offering, the payer must not exaggerate on spending his money more than usual means. This means if one is then he or she needs to pay a portion of their income. If a person does not have money, then they should compensate for it in different ways, such as good deeds. The zakāt must be distributed in the community from which it was taken, three types of fasting are recognized by the Quran, Ritual fasting, fasting as compensation for repentance, and ascetic fasting. Ritual fasting is an act during the month of Ramadan
6.
Iman (concept)
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Iman in Islamic theology denotes a believers faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam. Its most simple definition is the belief in the six articles of faith, the term Iman has been delineated in both the Quran as well as the Hadith of Gabriel. According to the Quran, Iman must be accompanied by righteous deeds, in the Hadith of Gabriel, Iman in addition to Islam and Ihsan form the three dimensions of the Islamic religion. There exists a debate both within and outside Islam on the link between faith and reason in religion, and the importance of either. Several scholars contend that faith and reason spring from the source and hence must be harmonious. In Arabic, Iman, pronounced means faith and it is the verbal noun of آمَنَ to believe. In a hadith, Muhammad defined iman as a knowledge in the heart, a voicing with the tongue, Faith is confidence in a truth which is real. When people have confidence, they submit themselves to that truth, hamiduddin Farahi, while explaining the meaning of Imān in his exegesis, wrote, The root of imān is amn. It is used in various shades of meaning, one of its derivatives is mumin, which is among the noble names of Allah because He gives peace to those who seek His refuge. This word is also an ancient religious term, another similar narration ascribed to Muhammad is, Ibn Abbas narrates that the Angel Jibril once asked the Prophet, Tell me what is Iman. Jibril then asked him, If I do all this will I be with Iman, the Prophet said, When you have done all of this, you will be having Iman. It is also assumed that the essential Iman consists of the first 3 items, in the Quran, Iman is one of the 10 qualities which cause one to be the recipient of Gods mercy and reward. The Quran states that faith can grow with remembrance of God, the Quran also states that nothing in this world should be dearer to a true believer than faith. Muhammad is reported to have said that he gained sweetness of faith who was pleased to accept God as Lord, Islam as religion and he also said that no one can be a true believer unless he loves the Prophet more than his children, parents and relatives. At another instance, he has remarked that it is love with God. Amin Ahsan Islahi, an exegete of the Quran has clarified the nature of this love. It is because of love that a person, in every sphere of life, gives priority to this viewpoint. Islahi and Maududi both have inferred that the Quranic comparison of a word and a bad word in Chapter 14 is actually a comparison of faith
7.
Quran
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The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God. It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature, the Quran is divided into chapters, which are then divided into verses. The word Quran occurs some 70 times in the text of the Quran, although different names, according to the traditional narrative, several companions of Muhammad served as scribes and were responsible for writing down the revelations. Shortly after Muhammads death, the Quran was compiled by his companions who wrote down and these codices had differences that motivated the Caliph Uthman to establish a standard version now known as Uthmans codex, which is generally considered the archetype of the Quran known today. There are, however, variant readings, with minor differences in meaning. The Quran assumes familiarity with major narratives recounted in the Biblical scriptures and it summarizes some, dwells at length on others and, in some cases, presents alternative accounts and interpretations of events. The Quran describes itself as a book of guidance and it sometimes offers detailed accounts of specific historical events, and it often emphasizes the moral significance of an event over its narrative sequence. The Quran is used along with the hadith to interpret sharia law, during prayers, the Quran is recited only in Arabic. Someone who has memorized the entire Quran is called a hafiz, some Muslims read Quranic ayah with elocution, which is often called tajwid. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims typically complete the recitation of the whole Quran during tarawih prayers, in order to extrapolate the meaning of a particular Quranic verse, most Muslims rely on the tafsir. The word qurʼān appears about 70 times in the Quran itself and it is a verbal noun of the Arabic verb qaraʼa, meaning he read or he recited. The Syriac equivalent is qeryānā, which refers to reading or lesson. While some Western scholars consider the word to be derived from the Syriac, regardless, it had become an Arabic term by Muhammads lifetime. An important meaning of the word is the act of reciting, as reflected in an early Quranic passage, It is for Us to collect it, in other verses, the word refers to an individual passage recited. Its liturgical context is seen in a number of passages, for example, So when al-qurʼān is recited, listen to it, the word may also assume the meaning of a codified scripture when mentioned with other scriptures such as the Torah and Gospel. The term also has closely related synonyms that are employed throughout the Quran, each synonym possesses its own distinct meaning, but its use may converge with that of qurʼān in certain contexts. Such terms include kitāb, āyah, and sūrah, the latter two terms also denote units of revelation. In the large majority of contexts, usually with an article, the word is referred to as the revelation
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Sunnah
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Sunnah is the verbally transmitted record of the teachings, deeds and sayings, silent permissions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as various reports about Muhammads companions. The Quran and the Sunnah make up the two sources of Islamic theology and law. The Sunnah is also defined as a path, a way, in the pre-Islamic period, the word sunnah was used with the meaning manner of acting, whether good or bad. During the early Islamic period, the term came to refer to any good precedent set by people of the past, the sunnah of Muhammad includes his specific words, habits, practices, and silent approvals. Instituting these practices was, as the Quran states, a part of Muhammads responsibility as a messenger of God, recording the sunnah was an Arabian tradition and, once people converted to Islam, they brought this custom to their religion. The word Sunnah is also used to refer to religious duties that are optional, Sunnah is an Arabic word that means habit or usual practice. Sunni Muslims are also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamāah or Ahl as-Sunnah for short, some early Sunnî Muslim scholars reportedly used the term the Sunnah narrowly to refer to Sunnî Doctrine as opposed to the creeds of Shia and other non-Sunni sects. According to Fazlur Rhaman, Sunnah is a behavior concept and this concept could be applied on mental and physical acts, in other words, sunnah counted as a law of behavior. This behavior belongs to conscious agents who can possess their acts, besides, sunnah counted as normative moral law. Sunnah also means the practice which gains the status of normative. A similar in that We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, rehearsing to you Our Signs, and sanctifying you, and instructing you in Scripture and Wisdom, and in new knowledge. Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, the teachings of wisdom have been declared to be a function of Muhammad along with the teachings of the scripture. Several Quranic verses mention wisdom coupled with scripture or the book, surah 4, ayah 113 states, For Allah hath sent down to thee the Book and wisdom and taught thee what thou Knewest not, And great is the Grace of Allah unto thee. Surah 2, ayah 231. but remember Allahs grace upon you, surah 33, ayah 34, And bear in mind which is recited in your houses of the revelations of God and of wisdom. Therefore, along with divine revelation the sunnah was directly taught by God, modern Sunni scholars are beginning to examine both the sira and the hadith in order to justify modifications to jurisprudence. The sunnah, in one form or another, would retain its role in providing a moral example. For Muslims the imitation of Muhammad helps one to know and be loved by God, and We have also sent down unto you the reminder and the advice, that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought. And We have not sent down the Book to you, except that you may explain clearly unto them those things in which they differ, and a guidance and a mercy for a folk who believe
9.
Bay'ah (Ahmadiyya)
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Baiat or Bayah is an Islamic practice of declaring on oath, ones allegiance to a particular leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, since 1993, a large Bayah ceremony of initiation for entering the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, is also held on an international scale every year during the annual gathering of the community. The ceremony is led by the caliph at whose hand new converts take the oath of initiation, the concept of bayah is considered very important to Ahmadi Muslims. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, after claiming to be appointed as the renewer of Islam. After this, many individuals travelled long distances to Qadian to be initiated in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the practice was continued by his successors. The tradition was started by the Islamic prophet Muhammad and continued by the 4 Caliphs after him. Since then, The international oath of allegiance has taken every year at the annual gatherings in UK. Since the first International Bayah, some acts have become part of the tradition during the ceremony, foremost, the Caliph wears a green coat of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad at the ceremony. This coat was lent to the caliph for this ceremony by his sister. However, the coat was given to the caliphate at the request of the fifth caliph, the members of the community form five or seven lines in front of the caliph at the ceremony to represent the five/seven continents of the world. Officials of the community organisation and other people who have worked for the community or are selected for this ceremony are present in these lines. The lines proceed to some extent in an orderly manner after which members are present. Members of the community all over the join the ceremony live through TV coverage by the communitys own satellite channel MTA. This physical contact is necessary only for those present at the ceremony. The wording contains the shahadah, prayers of repentance and involves a promise to abide by the Ten Conditions of Baiat as stipulated by Ghulam Ahmad. Then the same sentence or part of the sentence is repeated by translators in many languages of the world simultaneously, after having gone through the whole text of the oath of allegiance in this manner, the caliph leads the members in silent prayers. At the end, all members of the congregation, which includes those participating around the world and this prostration is not directed in any particular direction and is performed in whichever direction one finds suitable but it is led by the caliph
10.
Prophethood (Ahmadiyya)
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The view on the Prophets of God in Ahmadiyya theology differs only subtly from Orthodox Islam. Accordingly, Muhammad is held to be the last prophet to deliver a religious law to humanity in the form of the Quran whose teachings embody a perfected and they cannot be prophets in their own right and cannot change, add to or subtract from the religious law of Islam. As such, Ahmadis, regard their founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a non-law bearing prophet who appeared as the promised Messiah, moreover, Unlike Orthodox Islam, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community considers the term Messenger and Prophet as being different aspects of the same office of a Khalifatullah. According to Ahmadiyya belief, the used in the Quran to signify divinely appointed individuals, namely, Warner, Prophet. Ahmadis however categorise prophets as law-bearing ones and non-lawbearing ones and this is in accordance with the history of the Prophets and also with the principle laid out in the Quran and parts of the Bible to this effect. The Prophets, according to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, inspire humans to such an extent that faith translates into practical application of the faith. The Prophets magnetize and draw humans towards them and as a result of this, true faith – that is, eiman with amaal – is established amongst their followers. It is for this reason that, according to Ahmadiyya belief, according to Ahmadiyya belief, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, was the Promised Messiah, sent by God as a Prophet to bring back that magnetism that draws forth humans. The Rightly-Guided Caliphs of Islam are thought to be chosen by God through the agency of pious believers, the Rightly-Guided Caliphs are considered to be guided by God after their election to this office. However, in no way does the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community deem the Ahmadiyya Caliphate to be better than the Pious Caliphate of Muhammad because it has spanned a longer time or seen more Caliphs. The Prophets of God are not seen as incarnations of God but are seen as mortal humans, as they have all died, according to Ahmadiyya belief. Each Messenger is seen to have been a human who displayed righteousness. Then, according to Ahmadiyya belief, God is thought to have selected this pious human and told him his divine station of Prophethood. God would then, invest the Holy Spirit within the newly appointed Prophet and the Prophet would become a Man/Manifestation of God, though still a human being and not Divine in his own right. Prophets are not regarded as God, Gods Sons, incarnations of God, or in any way which would put the Unity of God. The first part of the shahadah, the declaration of a Muslim, states, There is no god but Allah. The word Allah, according to Ahmadiyya belief, is a name of God, is a proper noun and is not a combination or a derivative of any other Arabic words. The second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Movement made this clear in his ground-breaking commentary of the Quran
11.
Jesus in Ahmadiyya Islam
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The Ahmadiyya movement believe that Jesus had survived crucifixion and had migrated eastward towards Kashmir to escape persecution. He went on to spread his message to the Lost Tribes of Israel after he had carried out his mission to the Israelites, living up to old age, he later died a natural death in Srinagar, Kashmir. The Ahmadiyya Movement consider that Jesus was only a mortal man, Ahmadiyya however diverges away from the majority Islamic view that Jesus was raised up to Heaven and remains alive there. According to Ahmadiyya, an interpretation of some of Jesus miracles in the Quran is inconsistent with verses of the Quran. This notion is rejected for an approach to understanding the Quranic verses on account of these actions. For example, Jesus bringing the back to life is understood to mean giving back a spiritual life to people who were spiritually dead. Another distinct Ahmadi belief is that Jesus was not a law bearing prophet, Ahmadi scholars consider the contemporary Islamic views of the second coming of Jesus as inaccurate. The view of Jesus return is deemed to be mistaken Jesus is believed to have died a death as had all other prophets. In the Quran and Hadith there an absence of the use of such as return or second coming with reference to Jesus advent in the end times. Rather, the movement interpret the Latter Day Prophecies concerning his advent as allegorical - to express a coming of a person being in the likeness of Jesus. The prophecies are also taken along with those concerning the coming of the Mahdi, both the terms Jesus Son of Mary and Mahdi are understood interchangeably as two titles for the same person. Ahmadis believe these prophecies have been fulfilled in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Ahmadiyya also believe that the Turin Shroud was authentic and that of Jesus Christ. Ghulam Ahmad in his treatise Jesus in India proposed a post-crucifixion journey arguing that Jesus survived crucifixion and he expressly rejected the theory of a pre-crucifixion visit. The teaching was further researched by Ahmadi missionaries. Kamal ud-Din and Khwaja Nazir Ahmad added Notovitchs theory of a first earlier visit, the first response in English to Ahmads teaching came in a book by an Urdu-speaking American pastor in Lahore, The Ahmadiyya Movement by Howard Walter. According to Ahmadiyya teaching the Roza Bal tomb in Srinagar, which contains the grave of a man known as Yuz Asaf is actually the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. The claims remain compelling yet highly controversial ones, while the material of Notovitch and Ahmad has been examined and dismissed by some historians such as the Indologist Günter Grönbold and Norbert Klatt. It has been supported by such as the archaeologist, Fida Hassnain
12.
Ahmadiyya view on Jihad
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In Ahmadiyya Islam, Jihad is a radical concept. It is primarily ones personal inner and outer struggle for self-purification, armed struggle or military exertion is the only to be used in defense. However, even then it can only be carried out under the instruction of a Caliph, purely for the sake of God. It is not permissible that jihad be used to spread Islam violently or for political motives, political conflicts over independence, land and resources or reasons other than religious belief cannot be termed jihad. There is a distinction, in Ahmadi theology, between Jihad and qitāl or jihad bil-saif. While Jihad may involve fighting, not all fighting can be called Jihad, rather, according to Ahmadiyya belief, qitāl or military jihad is applicable, only as a defensive measure in very strictly defined circumstances and those circumstances do not exist at present. Ahmadiyya claims its objective to be the revival and peaceful propagation of Islam with special emphasis on defending and extending Islam by the pen, ahmadis denounce the usage of a sword or any other form of coercion as a method of the propagation of the Islamic faith. After many years of patience, the Muslim converts migrated to the city of Medina. This did not stop persecuting the Muslims and they were pursued by the Pagans and it was only then that the Muslims first took up the sword in order to defend their lives and preserve the religion. Ahmadis denounce the usage of a sword as an Islamic concept with support from the Quran which according to them categorically rejects any form of coercion in religion
13.
Ahmadiyya views on evolution
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The Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam universally accept in principle the process of evolution, albeit divinely guided, and actively promotes it. Ahmadi Muslims do not take all the Quranic and Biblical creation narratives literally, Darwinian evolution as well as Intelligent design models are rejected as are certain aspects of Islamic creationism that some modernist religious bodies have postulated. Instead they propound the concept of Guided Evolution which is demonstrated as being supported both by scriptural and scientific evidence, Ahmadis favor the perspective that the human race evolved out of the earth over a long period of time. The Quran teaches that man was created from the earth through an evolutionary process in the following verses, And He has created you in different stages. And Allah has caused you to develop as a growth from the earth. These verses illustrate that the creation of the race was the culmination of a gradual evolutionary process. Thus Ahmadis accept the concept of evolution in principle, but do not accept Darwinian evolution in all its details, Ahmadi Muslims also reject the creationist doctrine that Adam was the first human being on Earth, and proclaim that he was appointed as the first Prophet of God. — and we glorify Thee with Thy praise and extol Thy holiness. ’ He answered, the story of Adam and Eve as given in the Bible is viewed by Ahmadis as being more of an account of religious history than a history of the entire human race. Hadhrat Adam was not the first human being, but was the first human being whose intellect was capable of accepting and bearing the responsibility of revelation. ”Rather than adopting the Darwinist theory of unguided natural selection, Ahmadi Muslims promote the supposition of “guided evolution” as being part of the progressive design of God. From the source of one single organism, to the point of the first Prophet Adam was a slow gradual evolutionary process that occurred over several stages. Each stage being of a variable timescale - perhaps over billions of years, subsequently evolutionary processes could only have been guided by a vastly higher intelligence. Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth, Come both of you, willingly or loth. On the day when We will roll up heaven like the rolling up of the scroll for writings, as We originated the first creation, We shall reproduce it, a promise, surely We will bring it about. Ahmadis also explain these verses were written over 1400 years ago – long before mankind had reached any level of scientific insight. Thus modern science has recently uncovered proofs about the universe which contend with these verses, a single period, in the Ahmadi view, has no definitive timescale and could mean anywhere from one day to billions of years. And, verily, We created the heavens and the Earth, according to the Ahmadiyya view the universe passed from stage to stage till the Earth assumed a shape and developed properties which could sustain human life. Generally, Ahmadis believe that life is almost certainly not limited to planet Earth and it is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. Command descends among them so you may know that Allah is over all things competent, the following verse corroborates this interpretation, And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and of whatever living creatures He has spread forth in both
14.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
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Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad was an Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. Born in 1835 to a prominent family in Qadian, Ghulam 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 believed that God began to communicate with him. An event that marks the establishment of the Ahmadiyya movement and he is known to have engaged in numerous public debates and dialogues with Christian missionaries, Muslim scholars and Hindu revivalists. He advocated a peaceful propagation of Islam and emphatically argued against the permissibility of military Jihad under circumstances prevailing in the present age, after his death he was succeeded by his close companion Hakīm Noor-ud-Dīn who assumed the title of Khalīfatul Masīh. Although Ghulam Ahmad is revered by Ahmadi Muslims as the promised Messiah and Imām Mahdi, Mirza Ghulam Ahmads lineage through his forefathers can be traced back to Mirza Hadi Beg, a descendant of the Mughal Barlas tribe. The Barlas tribe was of Turco-Mongol ancestry, in 1530 Mirza Hadi Beg migrated from Samarkand along with an entourage of two hundred persons consisting of his family, servants and followers. Travelling through Samarkand, they settled in the Punjab, India. The family were all known as Mughals within the British governmental records of India probably due to the positions it occupied within the Mughal empire. Mirza Hadi Beg was granted a Jagir of several hundred villages and was appointed the Qadhi of Qadian, 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 and he was born in the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He learned to read the Arabic text of the Quran and studied basic Arabic grammar, 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. From 1864 to 1868, upon his fathers wishes, Ghulam Ahmad worked as a clerk in Sialkot, after 1868, he returned to Qadian, as per his fathers wishes, where he was entrusted to look after some estate affairs. During all this time, Ahmad was known as a recluse because he would spend most of his time in seclusion studying religious books. As time passed, he began to engage more with the Christian missionaries and he would often confront them in public debates, especially the ones based in the town of Batala. In 1886, certain leaders of the Arya Samaj held discussion and debate with Ghulam 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 further divine guidance. Here, he spent forty days in seclusion, a known as chilla-nashini
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Prophecies of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
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Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the 19th-century Indian religious leader and founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam, is known to have made many prophecies during his lifetime. Some of greater significance are believed to have been fulfilled during his lifetime, some, according to his followers, were fulfilled after his death, others, according to his critics, seemed to have been proven wrong. The Deputy Inspector General of Punjab Police in 1928 stated that Ghulam Ahmad was a cause of great unrest due to the prophecies he made concerning the deaths of his adversaries. A commentator even blamed his uncanny knack of predicting the demise of his key enemies for making a lot of Hindu enemies, one aspect upon which he based the validity of his claims was the fulfilment of prophecies made by him. By this time the Iranian Shah, Mozzafar-al-Din was already in a position and had accepted proposals for creating a Majles which proved to be successful. He died soon after and was succeeded by his son Mohammad Ali Shah and these events gave birth to a general rebellion involving many major cities of Iran. The administration was taken over by the Nationalists and democrats, the king began moving the treasury and his personal effects to Russia and the Shahs palace is said to have been a place of growing anxiety during this period. In time, the Nationalists grew in popularity and formed many alliances while the Kings position was weakened, the Cossacks who formed the Shahs body-guard also joined the revolutionaries. In 1909 the Shah and his family fled the palace and sought refuge in the Russian embassy, Ahmads followers claim that this was fulfilled twenty years later in two separate incidents when Ahmads books found their way to Afghanistan. After reading Ahmads books, Sayyed Abdul Latif decided to send one of his disciples to Qadian to meet Ahmad and he gave Rahman permission to offer Latifs allegiance if Rahman felt convinced. Rahman was convinced, took an oath of allegiance, and returned to Afghanistan with more of Ahmads books and he brought the books to Emir Habibullah Khan to proselytise. A few years later, Latif left Afghanistan for Qadian to meet Ahmad before starting on the Hajj, after having stayed at Qadian with him for a few months, he returned to Afghanistan to proselytise to his King. Upon reaching Khost, he wrote to some courtiers who decided to have him arrested, the Emir asked him to renounce his beliefs and recant, but Latif refused. He was then stoned to death before a large crowd, Ahmads followers claim that Kabul experienced a cholera epidemic within a month of the stoning. After the annexation of the Punjab by the British, the heir to the Sikh throne Duleep Singh was sent away to England. After the events of the Indian Mutiny of 1857 the young prince decided to return, at this time Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is said to have predicted the failure of his return. He claimed to have received knowledge from God that the prince will not return, and will have to some trouble. As his ship reached Aden, he was stopped there and ordered back to England, pandit Lekh Ram, a leader of the Arya Samaj, was a contemporary of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
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Mirza Ghulam Ahmad bibliography
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Mirza Ghulam Aḥmad was a religious figure from India, and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He claimed to be the Mujaddid of the 14th Islamic century, the promised Messiah, and he declared that Jesus had in fact survived the crucifixion and later died a natural death, after having migrated towards Kashmir and that he had appeared in the likeness of Jesus. Ghulam Ahmad is known to have produced a vast amount of literature and he wrote more than ninety books, many of which extend to hundreds of pages. His written works often contain both prose and poetry in three different languages, Urdu, Arabic and Persian, though primarily Urdu and his writings contain the exposition and explanation of Islamic teachings, often reinterpreted. A wide range of subjects are also dealt with such as mysticism and his writings always used the Quran to elaborate and give meanings to various ideas. Many of his books bear a polemical and apologetic tone in favour of Islam, several of his books were distributed internationally during his lifetime. His essay entitled The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam was well received by intellectuals including Leo Tolstoy of Russia. His works were collected under the leadership of Mirza Nasir Ahmad, most of his writings were compiled in the twenty-three volume corpus known as Rūhānī Khazā᾽in which includes his books, pamphlets, and various articles. His announcements and advertisements were collected in the Majmua Ishtihārāt with only a number of his books being translated into English. His letters have been compiled three volumes known as Maktoobat e Ahmad and his complete discourses or sayings have been compiled in 5 volumes known as the Malfoozat. Complete List of the Works of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, an Introduction to the Hidden Treasures of Islam. Introduction to the Books of the Promised Messiah, Works by or about Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in libraries
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Tafseer-e-Kabeer
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Tafseer-e-Kabeer is a 10 volume Urdu exegesis of the Quran written by Mirza Mahmood Ahmad, the second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, written over a period of 20 years. It is often seen as his masterpiece, Mirza Mahmood Ahmad was the second caliph and leader of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. The first of the 10 volumes this work were published in 1940 by Zia ul Islam Press, namely, they included unreliable narrations from unsound sources in their comments and they relied too heavily on Jewish literature. As a result some subjects had become a source of ridicule for Islam and he also believed that the idea of abrogation had been of great detriment to the purity and authenticity of the divine nature of the Quran from which it needed to be absolved. A peculiar feature of this work is that the claimed to have been divinely taught the meanings and purport of Quranic verses. Throughout the commentary he suggests the importance of the order in which chapters were arranged in the present form. The explanatory notes place a particular importance on refuting the principal objections raised against Islam by non-Muslim writers and it is claimed that such objections were based either upon ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation of the teachings of Islam. Such objections have been refuted with the intent to remove the bias and prejudice against Islam, the commentary is thus written in the style of an argument for Islam. Repeated references and comments are made on the works of famous orientalists like Theodor Nöldeke, William Muir and William Montgomery Watt as well as numerous Muslim theologians and commentators. The author has frequently dismissed the views of writers in favour of a more linguistic approach towards understanding the meanings of the Quran. As compared to classical texts, this commentary seems to rely less on Asbab al-nuzul or reasons of revelation of verses. This approach greatly reduces the impact and validity of negative remarks, the commentary also adopts a more comparative approach to the Quran than earlier commentators vis-a-vis the beliefs and teachings found in other religions and ideologies. Each verse is explained separately in two sections, the first section gives different translations of the words in the verse according to major classical Arabic lexicons along with their different uses derived from classical Arabic prose and poetry. The second section contains detailed commentary, a detailed bibliography of references and indices are provided at the end of each volume. In 10 volumes, Volume 1, Surah 1 and portion of Surah 2, an English 5 volume commentary by Malik Ghulam Farid, though not strictly a complete translation, is largely based on this commentary. The English Commentary of the Holy Quran Tafseer-e- Kabeer Tafseer-e-Kabeer Arabic
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Haqaiq al-furqan
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Haqāiq al-Furqān is a 4 volume exegesis of the Quran compiled from the discouces and sermons of al-Hājj Mawlānā Hāfiz Hakīm Noor-ud-Din, the first Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was known for his lectures that he would give on tafsir and he was also a hafiz, as well as being well-versed in Hebrew and Arabic, especially classical Arabic. It also has many Sufi undercurrents in the tafsir, often incorporating mystical and esoteric knowledge of the Quran in addition to exterior meanings
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Review of Religions
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The Review of Religions is one of the longest running comparative religious magazines in print since 1902. The magazine is devoted to promoting intellectual and lively debate that is based on respect for all religions, the Review of Religions is an international magazine that is published by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a global organisation dedicated to promoting interfaith understanding. It is considered to be one of the longest running Islamic Islamic magazines in English, the first ever edition was published in January 1902, however the origins of the magazine stem back further than this. In 1891 Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad claimed to have seen a vision which was published in his book Azala Awhaam, in this vision he saw himself preaching rational and well reasoned arguments regarding the teachings of Islam in perfect English on a rostrum in London. I saw myself standing on a rostrum in London revealing the truth of Islam through well reasoned arguments in the English language, afterwards I caught many birds sitting on small trees. Their colour was white and their bodies were like those of partridges, therefore, I interpreted this to mean that even though not me, yet my writings would spread amongst those people and many righteous Englishmen would become the prey of truth. In fact, the connection of the Western countries with religious honesty had hitherto been very rare and it is as if Allah gave knowledge of religion to the whole of Asia and secular knowledge to Europe and America. The chain of prophethood also remained with Asia, as did the benefits of consummate sainthood. Now God Almighty wants to encompass these people with His divine mercy. ”Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad set about fulfilling this vision by organizing the community’s first annual convention which was held in the town of Qadian located in the Punjab, many copies should be sent to Europe and America…. In future as well, the purpose of these yearly conventions should remain the same and this anguish was so great that it became unbearable. But Allah wants to complete my mission before I depart this transitory world and my final journey will not be one of disappointment. Today, some friends have turned my attention towards starting a magazine in the English language by publishing articles I had written in the support of Islam to serve the aforementioned purpose. It would also be possible to publish religious and secular articles written by others subject to our acceptance for publication. ”The Review of Religions started in English from January 1902, initially, the magazine was published from the Faiz Aam Office in Lahore. Later editions were published from Anwaar Ahmadiyya Press at Qadian, in the first issue, Maulana Muhammad Ali penned the prospectus of this new magazine as the first religious magazine in the history of Islam setting out its objectives. The content of the magazine was based particularly on the teachings of Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad and it was later published in Urdu as well. As the readership of the magazine grew so did its appreciation, the first phase of the magazine spanned only a few years during Mirzā Ghulām Ahmads life but the magazine has gone on to fulfil his vision and has since reached a large global readership. In the second year of the magazine he expressed his vision for it, so my hand has sown this seed and now it will grow and blossom. And there is no one who can stop it. ”Many critics began to question the future of magazine and his first caliph was Hakeem Noor-ud-Din
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Al Fazl (newspaper)
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Al-Fazl has been the most important regular publication of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Founded in 1913 in Qadian, the newspaper was published weekly. Until 1947 it was published from Qadian and then from Lahore up to 1954, since then it is published from Rabwah. The newspaper has been publishing the sermons, sayings and announcements of all the Caliphs for nearly a century, in Pakistan, the Al-Fazl was subject to the Pakistani law enforcemet which suspended the publication of the newspaper for several months in 1984. Within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the newspaper serves as a vehicle for the upbringing of the members, preaching of Islam. In the United Kingdom, Al Fazl started its International service, starting its publication on 7 January 1994 published by the Raqeem press
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Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth
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Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth is a book written by Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Published in 1998, it was written in English and was subsequently translated into Urdu. The book explores religious thought and the role of revelation throughout different ages of human civilization and it is a comprehensive thesis on the phenomenon of revelation in different faiths and seeks to argue for the existence of God through rationality. This book was a development on a talk that Ahmad gave in Switzerland. On Thursday, the 14 June 1987 at 8.15 p. m. the proposed lecture was delivered under the title Rationality, Revelation, Knowledge, Eternal Truth. The main emphasis is on the ability of the Quran to correctly discuss all important events of the past, present, the book is an argument for the existence of God. Tahir Ahmad also examines the atheist argument presented by Professor Richard Dawkins, in the chapter entitled The Blind Watchmaker Who Is Also Deaf and Dumb. He argues that Dawkins has completely overlooked the complexity in biological structures and that most certainly is not the creator. If Professor Dawkins persists in denying the existence of any Creator, while he has no right to him with a principle. Either he should admit that creation exists, yet he has failed to identify the creator, or he should proclaim that there is no Creator yet the creation exists. This would be tantamount to saying there is the book The Blind Watchmaker. He also argued that Socrates was a prophet of the ancients, the apparent prophetic qualities of Socrates are indeed a subject for debate. Similarly, Socrates often refers to God in the singular as opposed to the plural, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth Tom Cox on Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth Socrates, Philosopher or Prophet
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Ahmadiyya Caliphate
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It is believed by Ahmadis to be the re-establishment of the Rashidun Caliphate that commenced following the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The caliphs are entitled Khalīfatul Masīh, sometimes referred to as Khalifa. The caliph is the spiritual and organizational leader of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and is the successor of Ghulam Ahmad. He is believed by the Community to be ordained and is also referred to by its members as Amir al-Muminin. The 5th and current caliph is Mirza Masroor Ahmad, after the death of Ghulam Ahmad, his successors directed the Ahmadiyya Community from Qadian, India which remained the headquarters of the community until 1947 with the creation of Pakistan. From this time on the headquarters remained in Rabwah, a built on land bought in Pakistan by the community in 1948. Due to these circumstances, the 4th caliph left Pakistan and migrated to London, England, the caliphs, as successors to the prophets, lead the community of believers after a prophets death. The members of the community believe that the Ahmadiyya caliphate is the resumption of the Rightly Guided Caliphate and this is believed to have been re-established with the appearance of Ghulam Ahmad whom Ahmadis believe was the promised Mahdi and Messiah. Although the caliph in Ahmadiyya is elected, it is believed that God Himself directs the hearts and minds of believers through visions, dreams, no campaigning, speeches or speculation of any kind are permitted. Thus the caliph is designated neither necessarily by right nor merely by election, the caliphs are thought to be chosen by God through the agency of pious believers and are considered to be guided by God after their election to this office. The caliphate is understood as a system dealing with the organisation of believers, being based on the precept of Prophethood, the institution of caliphate can therefore, like prophethood, exist and flourish without a state. Such a framework allows the caliph to relegate, if he sees fit, the Ahmadiyya caliphate has spanned over a century, seen five caliphs and is continuing, in the manner of the first four caliphs of Muhammad. However, the Ahmadiyya caliphate is seen as a continuation of the first Islamic caliphate of Muhammad, Ahmadi Muslims believe God has assured them that the present caliphate will endure till the Day of Judgement, depending on their righteousness and faith in God. According to Ahmadi Muslims, the caliphate seeks to establish Gods authority on earth, the caliph provides guidance, unity, security, moral direction and progress for the community. It is required that the carry out his duties through consultation. However, it is not incumbent upon him to accept the views. The caliph has overall authority for all religious and organisational matters and is bound to decide and act in accordance with the Quran, according to Ahmadiyya belief, God has promised in the Quran to appoint a successor among the righteous. The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement however does not subscribe to this belief, the Ahmadiyya community holds that the institution is not hereditary, even though all the successors except the first have been from the direct lineage of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
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Hakeem Noor-ud-Din
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He was a renowned physician, and was also an active writer, theologian, and expert in Arabic and Hebrew. Royal Physician to the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir for many years, his travels included a long stay in the cities of Mecca. His lectures on Quranic exegesis and Hadith were one of the attractions for visitors to Qadian after Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. His sermons and other discourses have been collected into a four volume exegesis called Haqaiq al-Furqan and he is known for his rebuttals to objections and criticisms raised by Christians and the Arya Samaj against Islam. Mawlana Noor-ud-Din was the first person to give bayah to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, after Ghulam Ahmads death, he was unanimously chosen as his successor and is credited for maintaining unity within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community after the death of its founder. Hakeem Noor-ud-Din was the youngest of seven brothers and two sisters and the 34th direct lineal descent of Umar Ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of Islam. The forebearers of Maulana Noor-ud-Deen, on migration from Medina settled down in Balkh and became rulers of Kabul, during the attack of Genghis Khan, his ancestors migrated from Kabul and first settled near Multan and then finally at Bhera. Among his forefathers were a number of saints who taught Islam and his earlier eleven generations shared this distinction. His ancestors had a love and fascination for the Holy Quran. Among the ancestors of Maulana Hakeem Noor-ud-Deen, there were saints, sultans, Sufiis, Qazis and martyrs were all among his ancestors who once enjoyed an important place in Muslim World. The family members of his tribe are known as Sahibzada. In Bhera, his family was accorded a degree of respect from the beginning. Nooruddin considered his mother, Noor Bakht, to be his first teacher and he used to say that he was fed love of Quran through his mothers milk. He went to a school for his early education. His father Hafiz Ghulam Rasul, a devoted Muslim and parent placed great emphasis on his childrens education, Nooruddin recalled his fathers love for knowledge, a fact which is recorded by his official biographer, Abdul Qadir Saudagar Mal. My father had great interest in education of his children, there was a Hindu scholar named Madan Chand who contracted leprosy. People made him a home away from town and my father sent my brother to him to study. People asked, why are you destroying the life of such a handsome boy and my father replied, If after gaining as much knowledge as Madan Chand, he becomes a leper, I will not mind that
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Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad
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Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, was Khalifatul Masih II, Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the eldest son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad from his second wife, Nusrat Jahan Begum. He was elected as the successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on 14 March 1914 at the age of 25. He is also known for his Tafsīr-e-Kabīr, an exegesis of the Quran. A renowned orator, Mahmood Ahmad was also a political figure especially in pre-independence India. He was also one of the members and the first president of the All India Kashmir Committee set up for the establishment of the civil rights of Kashmiri Muslims. An incomplete 25 volume compilation of his works called anwārul uloom contains over 800 writings, Mahmood Ahmad is regarded by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as the Musleh Maood and the Promised Son that Ghulam Ahmad foretold God would bestow upon him. He was born to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Nusrat Jahan Begum on 12 January 1889 in Qadian, Punjab, India, accounts of his early childhood describe him to be playful and carefree. However, due to excessive illness Mahmood Ahmad was unable to attend to secondary education, during his youth, he remained an active member in the service of his fathers Movement by founding a journal entitled Tashheezul Azhaan and accompanied him on many of his journeys. In 1907, he claimed to have taught the commentary of Surah Al-Fatiha. According to Mahmood Ahmad, this signified that God had placed the knowledge of the Quran in his mind in the form of a seed. From that point forward, he is said to have been granted special knowledge of the commentary of the Quran, on 26 May 1908 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad died in Lahore when Mahmood Ahmad was 19 years old. The next day on 27 May 1908, he gave the oath of allegiance to Hakeem Noor-ud-Din, who had been chosen as the first successor of Ghulam Ahmad. After the passing of his father, Mahmood Ahmad continued to study the Quran, Sahih Bukhari, Noor-ud-Din would eventually become one of the leading influences in Mahmoods life. He also began writing articles for periodicals for the Community. In July 1911, He was appointed as Ameer of Jamat e Ahmadiyya Multan by Khalifahtul Masih I, Mahmood Ahmad visited Egypt and Arabia in September 1912 during the course of which he performed Hajj. Upon his return to Qadian in June 1913, he started a newspaper, within the Community, the newspaper serves as a vehicle for the moral upbringing of its members, preaching Islam and the preservation of history of the Community. On 13 March 1914, Khalifatul Masih I Hakeem Noor-ud-Din died shortly after 2 p. m. in Qadian, India. Being unprepared, he turned to Maulvi Syed Sarwar Shah and said Maulvi Sahib, will you kindly instruct me in it
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Mirza Nasir Ahmad
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Hāfiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad was Khalifatul Masih III, head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was elected as the successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on 8 November 1965. Under his leadership, there was expansion of missionary work started by his predecessor the second caliph. He also represented the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1974, despite his efforts, the National Assembly of Pakistan declared Ahmadis to be non-Muslims and he is seen as having shown great leadership and guidance to the community during this period. In 1980, Nasir Ahmad traveled to Spain, where he laid the stone of the Basharat Mosque in Pedro Abad. The mosque was inaugurated posthumously in 1982 and was the first mosque to be built in Spain since the Reconquista, Nasir Ahmad also directed the compilation and arrangement of Ghulam Ahmads literary output. The writings of Ghulam Ahmad, which had hitherto been published as individual books and his dialogues or discourses were collected in the ten volume Malfūzāt and his announcements and advertisements were published in three volumes under the title of Majmua Ishtihārāt. Mirza Nasir Ahmad was born in Qadian, India on 16 November 1909 and his early education was both religious and secular. By the age of thirteen, with guidance from his father Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Nasir Ahmad had committed all 114 chapters of the Qur’an to memory and his father placed great emphasis on the acquisition of religious education. In pursuit of that goal, Nasir Ahmad was enrolled at the Madrassa Ahmadiyya, Qadian, after graduation, he went through his post-secondary education and by 1934, obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Government College, Lahore. On 5 August 1934, Nasir Ahmad married Syeda Mansoora Begum, within a month of getting married, Nasir Ahmad left India and proceeded for postgraduate studies to England. In England, he obtained Masters of Arts degree in the Tripos Political Science, Philosophy and Economics from Balliol College and he impressed his college professors as a very well-behaved and deep-thinking student. During a subsequent visit to England, he met one of his professors who welcomed him to his residence. The professor told other members of the Community that he had signs of leadership in Nasir Ahmad and was certain that one day. In November 1938, he returned to the town of his birth, Qadian, where he was appointed a professor at Jamia Ahmadiyya, in 1939, he was appointed principal where he remained for five years. From May 1944 to November 1965, he was principal of the Talim-ul-Islam College, first in Qadian, then after partition, in Rabwah, during the anti-Ahmadiyya riots in 1953, Nasir Ahmad was imprisoned briefly but released on 28 May 1953. Upon his release, he served in other offices of the community, until being elected as Khalifatul Masih after the demise of his father. Mirza Nasir Ahmad was elected as Khalifatul Masih III on 9 November 1965, shortly after Isha prayer at Mubarik Mosque in Rabwah, the Majlis Intikhab Khilafat was presided by Mirza Aziz Ahmad
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Mirza Tahir Ahmad
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Mirza Tahir Ahmad was Khalifatul Masih IV and the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was elected as the successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on 10 June 1982. He is noted particularly for his question and answer sessions which he held regularly with people from around the world, in 1994, he also initiated the international charity organization Humanity First. Mirza Tahir Ahmad was born in Qadian, Punjab on 18 December 1928 to Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad and he obtained his early schooling in Qadian and joined the Government College, Lahore in 1944, a few months after the death of his mother, Syeda Maryam Begum. After graduating with distinction from Jamia Ahmadiyya in Rabwah, he continued his education and obtained his honours degree in Arabic from the University of Punjab, Lahore. In 1955 he visited England for the first time with his father and he studied for two and a half years at the School of Oriental and African Studies at London University, but returned to Pakistan in December 1957 without having graduated. During his stay in London Tahir Ahmad visited different parts of the United Kingdom including Ireland, Scotland, Wales and he also started treating poor people with homeopathy. During the Pakistani parliamentary investigations regarding the status of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, shortly after, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was declared non-Muslim by the Pakistani National Assembly, which remains the constitutional and legal position of Pakistan as of 2014. The Majlis Intikhab Khilafat, convened at Mubarik Mosque in Rabwah, Pakistan, ordinance XX, the anti-Ahmadiyya legislation passed by General Zia ul Haqs government on 26 April 1984, compelled Tahir Ahmad to leave Pakistan immediately. On 26 April he summoned a conference of the Majlis e Shura at 10 pm. This session included key members of the Caliphs advisory council and high office bearers of the Community, after the emergency session of the Consultative Body it was suggested that the Community members should not deliver the Adhan. However he did not initially accept this until he found it to be the unanimous advice of the presidents of the Community who had made their way to the centre the following day. The Jumuah service was led by Muhammad Bashir Shad in the presence of the Caliph, by then he had decided to migrate from Pakistan temporarily. He privately made efforts for this purpose by setting up a committee for the operation consisting of Mirza Mubarik Ahmad. The Caliph departed along with his wife,2 daughters and 17 others on the morning of 29 April on a KLM flight to London via Amsterdam and he reached London on 30 April, eventually moving the headquarters of the community to London during his years of exile. In 1991 Mirza Tahir Ahmad returned, as caliph, to Qadian, India, from where the movement originated and this was the first time an Ahmadiyya caliph had returned to Qadian since the partition of India in 1947, when the community relocated from India to Pakistan. As Khalifatul Masih Mirza Tahir Ahmad established the Muslim Television Ahmadiyya and this satellite-based channel broadcast its first show on 21 August 1992 from London. It started with a weekly program, transmitting Ahmads Friday sermon
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Mirza Masroor Ahmad
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Mirza Masroor Ahmad is the current and fifth caliph, and leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was elected as the successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad on 22 April 2003. At the very commencement of his accession, he found forced into exile from Pakistan in response to pressure from the Pakistani government and has continued to lead the community from London. Since being elected, he has travelled extensively across the world to meet the members of the community, in many of the countries he has visited it has been the first visit by an Ahmadiyya caliph. These symposia have attracted parliamentarians, religious leaders and other dignitaries and he has consistently called for honesty and the observance of unconditional justice and fairness in international relations. And in response to ongoing conflicts, he has sent letters to world leaders warning of an imminent World War, Mirza Masroor Ahmad was born on 15 September 1950 in Rabwah, Pakistan, the global headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the time. Masroor Ahmad attended and graduated from Talim-ul-Islam High School and obtained his BA from Talim-ul-Islam College, in 1976, Masroor earned his Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Having served the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in various capacities, Masroor Ahmad served in Ghana for over eight years and he established the Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Salaga, a school in the northern region of Ghana, where he served as principal for two years. His success with the school in Salaga made him a choice as principal of the Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Essarkyir. There he served as principal for four years, after his tenure as principal, Masroor Ahmad was appointed as the manager of the Ahmadiyya Agricultural Farm in Depali located in the northern region of Ghana where he served for two years. He successfully planted and nurtured wheat for the first time in Ghana, shortly after serving in Ghana, Mirza Masroor Ahmad returned to Pakistan and was made responsible for finances on 17 March 1985. He also served as the Director of Education within the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan and on 10 December 1997 he was appointed as Nazir Aala and local Emir until his election as caliph. In 1999, a resolution was presented in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab which demanded that the name of Rabwah be changed because that name appeared in the Quran, the resolution passed without much debate and the name of Rabwah was officially changed to Chenab Nagar. Signage was placed in prominent parts of Rabwah which bore the new name, a few days later, a First Information Report was filed accusing certain members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for erasing a sign which bore the new name. Though the complaint didnt mention any names, a case was registered, resulting in the arrest of Masroor Ahmad and they were imprisoned for 11 days with their bails being rejected but were released without charge on 10 May 1999. Masroor Ahmad was elected as the caliph on 22 April 2003. On 27 May 2008, members of the Community celebrated the anniversary of the establishment of Khilafat. Masroor Ahmad spoke at a gathering of community members in the Excel Center in London, England
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Lajna Ima'illah
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Lajna Ima’illah is the womens auxiliary organization of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It is for women above the age of 15 and it is the largest of the auxiliary organisations within the community. Ahmadi Muslim women have their own Majlis-e-Amla which consists of women responsible for finances, education, health and fitness, social activities, publications. Local branches of the Lajna Ima’illah are linked with regional and national management, although the Sadr is usually elected, she may be appointed by the caliph. Four Ahmadi mosques have been solely by donations from Ahmadi women as of 2008 and Ahmadi women architects have participated in their design. The Lajna also participate, through female representatives, in the Majlis-ash-Shura, a magazine, Misbah was introduced in 1926 solely for the women of the community. Despite scarce financial resources, Nusrat Girls High School was established in 1928 in Qadian so that girls could have access to education and in 1951, translation, I bear witness that there is no God except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, I affirm that I shall always be ready to devote my life, property, time and children for the cause of my faith and community. I shall always adhere to the truth and shall always be prepared to make every sacrifice for the perpetuation of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat, Lajna Ima’illa places a particular emphasis upon education and the moral upbringing of children. To focus on upbringing of children, training and preparing them to spend their lives in accordance with the teachings of Islam, to promote unity and work together with patience and forbearance, overlooking each other’s shortcomings. To strive hard in the face of difficulties and challenges with fortitude, the flag pole was 35 feet high and the flag was 3 ¾ meters in length and 2 ¼ meters in width. In addition to the graphics of the Ahmadiyya flag, it had three date trees with a stream flowing underneath them. The flag was made of satin and its design was stitched with a machine using different color silk threads. The ladies were so enthusiastic on that day that they began shouting religious slogans freely, the slogans were initiated by a teacher named Memoona Sahiba. The wives of the Khalifa as well as the ladies belonging to the family of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad were gathered around him, including his mother and widow of Ghulam Ahmad, Sayyeda Nusrat Jahan Begum. During the Partition of India, the flag was transported from Qadian, India to Rabwah, Pakistan. Despite all efforts to do so it was never recovered, thus, It was recreated once again in 1999, with the permission of Khalfatul Masih who responded saying Alright, recreate this flag once more. These instructions were carried out in the year of 1999. Also during the year this flag was hoisted at the Annual Lajna Imaillah Pakistan Sports Tournament
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Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya
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Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya which literally means Association of the Servants of Ahmadiyya is one of the five auxiliary organizations within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya is the mens branch of the Community. In particular, it is for men between the ages of 15 and 40. In some English-speaking countries, the organization is known as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association. Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya was founded in 1938 by Khalifat-ul Masih II, Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, according to the auxiliarys founder, the name Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya literally means that its members are Servants of Ahmadiyya. Members of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya swear an oath of allegiance to their faith, country and nation and he is One and has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I solemnly pledge that I shall always be ready to sacrifice my life, wealth, time and honour for the sake of my faith, country, likewise I shall be ready to offer any sacrifice for guarding the institution of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. Moreover I shall deem it essential to abide by any Maroof decision made by Khalifatul Masih, in the United States, MKA USA was founded in 1939. In 1968, Munir Hamid was appointed the first National Qaid and this position is now titled Sadr Majlis, put into effect in 1989 under the direction of Mirza Tahir Ahmad, fourth Caliph of the community. On July 27–29,1984 the first European Ijtema was held in Hounslow, the headquarters of Majlis Khuaddamul Ahmadiyya Bangladesh is in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It consists of one hundred local chapters. The main purpose of organization is to guide the youth. Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya Belgium is situated in Brussels, Belgium and it consists of 12 local chapters. Main purpose of organization is to guide its youth and serve mankind. Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya Deutschland was founded in 1973 in Hamburg, first National Ijtema in Deutschland took place 1980 in Bad Kreuznach. Since 2006 it takes place in Maimarkt-Gelände in Mannheim, october 1986 the third European Ijtema was held on the „Nasir Bagh“-Campus in Groß-Gerau. Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya Norge was founded in 1981 in Oslo with the appointment of its first National Qaid, the president of this organisation is since 1989 entitled Sadr Majlis. See, Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya Pakistan The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, USA is headquartered in 15000 Good Hope Road Silver Spring, AMYA USA has over 70 chapters and over 3000 active members
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Ansarullah (Ahmadiyya)
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Majlis Ansarullah is an auxiliary organization of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for men above forty years of age. It was founded in 1940 by Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, the caliph of the community. The aim of the organization is to promote the moral and spiritual training of its members resulting in a Godly, righteous, responsible and just society, true both to God and His creatures. The aims and objectives of the organization are reflected in the pledge and these aims are, To inculcate the following amongst its members, The love of Allah. The spirit to promote and propagate the teachings of Islam, exhort to preach Islam and serve mankind. The spiritual and moral training of children, the spirit of protecting the institution of Khilafat. The spirit of placing interests above individual interests. Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya Lajna Imaillah Majlis Ansarullah UK Majlis Ansarullah, USA
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Humanity First
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Humanity First is an international charitable trust established to promote and safeguard the preservation of human life and dignity. The organisation works with communities in over 40 countries spanning 6 continents. The organisation is run by volunteers around the world, and even in operations, expert medical, engineering, the organisation was established in the UK and formally registered in 1994 by then leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Tahir Ahmad. The organisation has access to thousands of volunteers across the globe, Humanity First also now has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The organization splits its work into two areas, disaster relief and long-term sustainable projects, https, //twitter. com/humanityfirst http, //www. humanityfirstmedical. org/ Restoring Communities, Building a Future are the guiding principles for Humanity First USA. Humanity First works to assist people afflicted by natural disasters, war and our aim is to restore dignity by providing the resources to help people get back on their feet quickly. Approach, Humanity First approaches its human development projects with sustainability as the overarching goal, the projects are rooted in a community deeply affected by a natural disaster, war, or poverty. After the relief phase of the project has subsided, Humanity First works with the community to identify opportunities for growth. More recently, they have responded to catastrophic flooding in Suriname, Guyana and Kenya, as well as the 2010 Haiti earthquake and also the 2011 Japan earthquake, over 700 Tonnes of food and aid has been shipped to Africa for poor families. HF is now establishing a Feed a Village program, it has established a Feed the Homeless program in the heart of Montreal. Water for Life - set up or repair of water pumps to provide clean, Humanity First are working on these projects with Water Aid and IAAAE and have built or refurbished over 420 pumps and filter units in West Africa, Latin America and Asia. As of 2013, Humanity First was running over 30 training centres in 16 countries with 39,347 student recipients, Humanity First Ahmadiyya Vocational College is established in 2010 in Monrovia Liberia by Humanity First USA. Currently it offers 10 vocational trades with dedicated workshops to train hands on and it is first of its kind institution in Liberia which offers scholarships and other facilities to students. Masroor Agriculture and Technical Institute is a new college in Liberia established in 2013. Humanity First Liberia website and its projects are funded by Humanity First USA, orphan Care - running and support of orphanages covering the needs of orphans including accommodation, education, food, clothing and health. Orphan programmes are currently running in the Gambia, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Burkina Faso, Gift of Sight - work with a network of hospitals to provide sight treatment ranging from glasses, treatment of infections and in extreme cases, operations to rectify cataracts. Humanity First USA sent a team of eye doctors and volunteers to San Juan Sacatapequez, the 2nd mission took place in October 2011 in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. Over 30 cataract surgeries were performed and 125 patients were examined, the Gift of Sight program plans annual trips to underserved nations worldwide to provide free eye care and train local doctors for sustained care
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Jamia Ahmadiyya
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In addition, there are related Mualameen centers in Pakistan and Madagascar. This led to the creation of Talim-ul-Islam College in Qadian, India, the theology section was later separated and inaugurated as Jamia Ahmadiyya Qadian on 20 May 1928 by Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Following the Partition of the Indian subcontinent, the Community relocated its headquarters to Rabwah, keeping in view the needs of the Community in Pakistan, Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah was established. Since then, due to the growth of the Community around the globe. Two types of degrees are offered in most Jamias, Shahid degree, This is the seven-year course. In some Jamias this is the course offered. Mubashar degree, This is a course offered in many Jamias. Some Jamias have associated Muallam courses as well and this course is shorter than the Shahid degree. The curriculum for the Jamia Ahmadiyyas around the globe is nearly same and is organised and compiled by scholars of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the only differences are in the regional languages taught which are according to the locations of the institutions. Jamia students may be appointed by the Caliph either as Missionaries of the Community or as Qadis or Muftis of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community with a specialisation in matters of fiqh. Some Jamia alumni have also become Islamic historians such as the late Dost Muhammad Shahid, former Official Historian of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, with a specialisation in tarikh. Jamia alumni are meant to stay with their careers as appointed by Khalifatul Masih for the rest of their lives, the current Mufti Silsila, Maulana Mubashir Ahmad Kahlon is a graduate of Jamia Ahmadiyya. He is the Head of the Dar al-Ifta in Rabwah, Pakistan and he appears on many different programmes on Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International for example Fiqhi Masail, 4th successor of Promised Messiah, visited AMMTC, in 1988. On 14 March 2004, Huzur Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih V, 5th successor of Promised Messiah, set foot on the soil of AMMTC, Ekrawfo, the Jamia was again visited by Khalifatul Massih V during his visit to Ghana in 2008. Graduates Records available to the college attest to the fact that 411 students from 20 different countries have graduated from the college, since its inception in 1966, the college was run on batch system until January 2003, when it was turned to the yearly intake system. The staff The current teaching staff consists of nine tutors, out of eight are the Markazi Missionaries. Maulvi Hameed Ullah Zafar has been the principal of the institution since 2004 and it is an integral part of AMMTC, Ghana. A Markazi Missionary, Hafiz Mubashir Ahmad Javaid Sahib, was made the Tutor-In-Charge of Madrassat-ul-Hifz, currently, there are 20 students from six different countries and the institution runs on batch system
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Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International
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Muslim Television Ahmadiyya is the global satellite TV network consisting of 4 international channels run and funded by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The first channel, MTA1 was officially launched on 31 January 1992, the station started with weekly transmissions every Friday and Initially it was named AMP or Ahmadiyya Muslim Presentation. The name was changed to Muslim Television Ahmadiyya or MTA International. It started its transmissions on 7 January 2004. The channel was established by Mirza Tahir Ahmad and it became the First International Muslim channel to broadcast a host of Islamic programming. In the UK it is available on Sky network as a free channel, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International is the main source of media for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and also aims to spread the message of Islam around the world. Some of the key programs broadcast include the Friday Sermon by the current Khalifatul Massih, educational and cultural programs, world news, and these can be watched on analog and digital TV as well as through smartphone apps for Android and iOS. Due to the audience, a number of programs are simultaneously translated into different languages such as German, Bengali, French. When MTA was launched in 1994 it was the first 24-hour non-commercial Islamic television station to be aired worldwide and it has since remained a non-profit and commercial-free station of which the main source of funding is the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The majority of its workers are volunteers with only a percentage of paid staff. The Administrative structure of MTA consists of fourteen departments that are managed by 150 members of staff. For details of each channel see, MTA1 MTA2 MTA3 MTA German Service, - MTA Africa MTA1 +3, MTA info cast, which provides a 24-hour channel guide. Other than Television broadcasts, MTA International provides online service in various languages covering MTA1, MTA also has a channel in the popular video-sharing site YouTube. Most countries throughout the world, in there is a presence of the Ahmadiyya Community. The primary and main MTA Studios is based in London, MTA International Studios, the headquarters of MTA International were located at Fazl Mosque, London when it was launchedare located inside the Baitul Futuh Complex in South London, United Kingdom. Retrieved March 28,2014, from http, //www. alislam. org/library/periodicals/tariq-uk/chapter6. pdf
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Persecution of Ahmadis
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Ahmadi Muslims have been subject to various forms of religious persecution and discrimination since the movements inception in 1889. The Ahmadiyya stream of Islam emerged from the Sunni tradition of Islam and its adherents believe in all the five pillars and articles of faith required of Muslims. Ahmadis are considered non-Muslims by many mainstream Muslims since they consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the movement, to be the promised Mahdi, Ghulam Ahmads messianic claims are rejected by mainstream Muslims. The Ahmadis are active translators of the Quran and proselytizers for the faith, the Second Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and Ordinance XX declare Ahmadis to be non-Muslims and further deprive them of religious rights. Hundreds of Ahmadis were killed in 1953 Lahore riots,1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots, the 1974 riots resulted in the largest number of killings of Ahmadis. For the five million Ahmadis, religious persecution has been severe and systematic in Pakistan. Pakistani laws prohibit the Ahmadis from identifying themselves as Muslims, and their freedom of religion has been curtailed by a series of ordinances, Acts and constitutional amendments. When applying for a Pakistani passport, Pakistanis are required to declare that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was an impostor prophet, as a result, persecution and hate-related incidents are regularly reported from different parts of the country. Ahmadis have been the target of violent attacks by various religious groups in Pakistan. Madrasahs of all sects of Islam in Pakistan prescribe reading materials for their students specifically targeted at refuting Ahmadiyya beliefs, Ahmadis have been the target of many attacks led by various religious groups. All religious seminaries and madrasahs in Pakistan, belonging to different sects of Islam, have prescribed essential reading materials specifically targeted at refuting Ahmadiyya beliefs, in a recent survey, students from many private schools of Pakistan expressed their opinions on religious tolerance in the country. Another example is Abdus Salam, the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics who identified as a Muslim. For his mere allegiance to the Ahmadiyya sect, he had been ignored and excommunicated, there are no monuments or universities named after him. The word Muslim has been erased from his grave stone, in 1953 at the instigation of religious parties, anti-Ahmadiyya riots erupted in Pakistan, killing scores of Ahmadi Muslims and destroying their properties. There was severe agitations against the Ahmadis, including protests, political rallies. These agitations led to 200 Ahmadi deaths, consequently, Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad implemented martial law and dismissed Pakistans Federal Cabinet. This campaign resulted in several Ahmadi casualties and destruction of Ahmadiyya property and these changes primarily came about due to the pressure of the Saudi King at the time, King Faisal bin As-Saud, according to Dr Mubashar Hassan, Prime Minister Bhuttos close confidant at the time. Pakistans parliament adopted a law that declares Ahmadis non-Muslims, the countrys constitution was amended to define a Muslim. as a person who believes in the finality of the Prophet Muhammad
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Ahmadiyya by country
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As of 2016 the community has been established in 209 countries and territories of the world. With concentrations in South Asia, West Africa, East Africa, the community is a minority Muslim sect in almost every country of the world. On the other hand, it has spread to most countries of the world, in some countries, it is practically illegal to be an Ahmadi Muslim. For instance, in Pakistan, following the Ordinance XX, Ahmadis cannot call themselves Muslims, together, these factors make it difficult to estimate the Ahmadiyya population for both the community itself and as well as independent organizations. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, the Ahmadiyya movement is the fastest growing sect within Islam as of the early 21st century, the country with the largest Ahmadiyya population is Pakistan, with an estimated 4 million Ahmadi Muslims. Excluding small nations, the country with the largest proportion of Ahmadi Muslims to other Muslims is Ghana, the country with the highest percentage is Sierra Leone standing at over 8%. The population is almost entirely contained in the single, organized and united movement, commonly referred to as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the other is the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, which represents less than 0. 2% of the total Ahmadiyya population. The following maps summarize the data presented in the table below, the following figures display estimates of the number of Ahmadi Muslims and their percentages by country. However, it does not list all the countries with the Ahmadiyya presence, in particular, it does not list a number of countries which have a large presence of Ahmadis. This includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea, The Gambia and a number of Arab States
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Ahmadiyya and other faiths
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The Ahmadiyya movement in Islam has relationships with a number of other religions. Ahmadiyya consider themself to be muslim, but are not regarded as muslim by mainstream Islam, see also, Dajjal in Ahmadiyya Islam Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement, engaged in debates, prayer duels and written arguments with Christian missionaries. The Dajjal aspect relates to deception and perversion of religious belief, while the Gog and Magog aspect relates to political disturbances, Ahmadis believe that the widespread Christian missionary activity of the 18th and 19th centuries was part of the prophesied turmoil. They also see the emergence of Russia and the United States as superpowers, and this, too, has proven controversial with Christians. Ahmadis have recognised Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, as a man since Ghulām Ahmad carried out a detailed study of him. Ahmadis believe that historically, Sikhism was a Sufi sect of Islam, Ghulām Ahmad was involved in debates with leaders of the Arya Samaj movement of Hinduism and wrote several texts on the subject. Ahmadis, like other Muslims, believe that the last, perfect message from God was brought to Muhammad, however, unlike mainstream Muslims, Ahmadis believe that many founders or significant figures of various faiths, including Krishna and Buddha, have brought messages from God. Ghulām Ahmad claimed to be the Kalki Avatar, the last avatar of Vishnu, however, he did not agree with the Hindu concept of incarnations of God. He considered Krishna and Rama human prophets who preached to others about the One God, the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement does not see Ghulām Ahmad as a prophet. Ahmadis claim this is a result of misinterpreting his statements on his coming in the spirit of Muhammad, Ahmadi Muslims believe Ghulām Ahmad to be the Mahdi, Islams prophecied messiah. Mainstream Muslims, however, say that he did not fulfill the prophecies of the Mahdi, thus, they consider him a false prophet. The government of Pakistan views members of both Ahmadi movements as non-Muslims, and this is recorded on their travel documents. But Ahmadi citizens from Western countries and some Muslim nations perform the Hajj and Umrah, a court decision in India upheld the right of Ahmadis to identify themselves as Muslims. Some Muslims group both Ahmadi movements together and refer to them as Qadianis, and their beliefs as Qadianism, most Ahmadis of both sects dislike this term, because it has derogatory connotations and because they prefer to differentiate their two movements. In the past, there has been widespread persecution of Ahmadis by other Muslims in India, sporadic violence, as well as subtler persecution, continues today. Ahmadis believe that the founders of all the world religions were working towards the establishment of Islam in its broadest sense. It is also important to note that Ahmadis dont believe that the world is 6000~ years old, Ahmadis cite numerous passages from the Quran, tafsir and hadith in support of their views. They believe that the Messiah, Isa, and the Mahdi whose comings are prophesied in Islam are, in fact and his advent is seen as a continuation of the prophethood of Muhammad
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Ahmadiyya translations of the Quran
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The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has translated the Quran into over 70 languages of the world. Portions of the scripture have been translated into other languages. The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement has produced translations into at least 7 languages, the period of the late 1980s and the early 1990s saw an acceleration in the number of translations being produced by the Ahmadiyya movement. Some of the earliest translations were produced by Ahmadi Muslim scholars, all translations are published alongside the Arabic text. The translations of the Quran authored by Ahmadi Muslim scholars always feature translated verses alongside the original Arabic text, before the translations are published, they are checked, scrutinized and proof-read by a wide array of individuals for errors. A similar procedure is undertaken when revised versions of the translations are produced, in particular, guidance is sought from the caliph of the Community with regards to textual and other linguistic difficulties. Since the majority of the Quran translations have been available from the 1980s, most translations have sought advice from Caliph IV. The translations of the Quran by Ahmadi Muslims have been listed below, the list has been divided by regions of the world. The translations produced by the main Ahmadiyya Muslim Community have been numbered, translations produced by members of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement have been starred in place of numbering for the purpose of identification. List of translations of the Quran English translations of the Quran
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Urdu
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Urdu is a persianized standard register of the Hindustani language. It is the language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 official languages recognized in the Constitution of India, hyderabad, Rampur, Bhopal and Lucknow are noted Urdu-speaking cities of India. Urdu is historically associated with the Muslims of the northern Indian subcontinent, apart from specialized vocabulary, Urdu is mutually intelligible with Standard Hindi, another recognized register of Hindustani. Urdu, like Hindi, is a form of Hindustani, Urdu developed under the influence of the Persian and Arabic languages, both of which have contributed a significant amount of vocabulary to formal speech. Around 99% of Urdu verbs have their roots in Sanskrit and Prakrit, Urdu words originating from Chagatai and Arabic were borrowed through Persian and hence are Persianized versions of the original words. For instance, the Arabic ta marbuta changes to he or te, nevertheless, contrary to popular belief, Urdu did not borrow from the Turkish language, but from Chagatai. Urdu and Turkish borrowed from Arabic and Persian, hence the similarity in pronunciation of many Urdu, Arabic influence in the region began with the late first-millennium Arab invasion of India in the 7th century. The Persian language was introduced into the subcontinent a few centuries later by various Persianized Central Asian Turkic and Afghan dynasties including that of the Delhi Sultanate. With the advent of the British Raj, Persian was no longer the language of administration but Hindustani, still written in the Persian script, the name Urdu was first used by the poet Ghulam Hamadani Mushafi around 1780. From the 13th century until the end of the 18th century Urdu was commonly known as Hindi, the language was also known by various other names such as Hindavi and Dehlavi. The communal nature of the language lasted until it replaced Persian as the language in 1837 and was made co-official. Urdu was promoted in British India by British policies to counter the previous emphasis on Persian and this triggered a Brahman backlash in northwestern India, which argued that the language should be written in the native Devanagari script. At independence, Pakistan established a highly Persianized literary form of Urdu as its national language, English has exerted a heavy influence on both as a co-official language. Owing to interaction with other languages, Urdu has become localized wherever it is spoken, similarly, the Urdu spoken in India can also be distinguished into many dialects like Dakhni of South India, and Khariboli of the Punjab region since recent times. Because of Urdus similarity to Hindi, speakers of the two languages can understand one another if both sides refrain from using specialized vocabulary. The syntax, morphology, and the vocabulary are essentially identical. Thus linguists usually count them as one language and contend that they are considered as two different languages for socio-political reasons
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Messiah
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In Abrahamic religions, the Messiah, is the one chosen to lead the world and thereby save it. The term also appears in the forms Messias, Christ, or Al-Masih, the concepts of the Messiah, Messianism, and the Messianic Age grew from Isaiahs writings during the latter half of the 8th century BCE. The term comes from the Hebrew verb meaning to apply oil to, to anoint, in the Hebrew Bible, Israels kings were sometimes called Gods messiah -- Gods anointed one. A messiah could also be a high priest or prophet. Messiahs did not even need to descend from Jacob, as the Hebrew Bible refers to Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, as a messiah for his decree to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple. In Judaism, the Jewish Messiah, often referred to as King Messiah, is expected to descend from King David, the Jerusalem Temples rebuilding will usher in a Messianic Age of global peace. In Christianity, the Messiah is called the Christ, from Ancient Greek, χριστός, the concept of the Messiah in Christianity originated from the Messiah in Judaism. However, unlike the concept of the Messiah in Judaism and Islam, in Chabad messianism, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, sixth Rebbe of Chabad Lubavitch, and Menachem Mendel Schneerson, seventh Rebbe of Chabad, are Messiah claimants. Resembling early Christianity, the deceased Menachem Mendel Schneerson is believed to be the Messiah among adherents of the Chabad movement, in Hebrew, the Messiah is often referred to as מלך המשיח (Meleḵ ha-Mašīaḥ in the Tiberian vocalization, pronounced, literally meaning the Anointed King. The Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament renders all thirty-nine instances of the Hebrew word for anointed as Χριστός, the New Testament records the Greek transliteration Μεσσίας, Messias twice in John. Al-Masīḥ is the Arabic word for messiah, in modern Arabic, it is used as one of the many titles of Jesus. Masīḥ is used by Arab Christians as well as Muslims, and is written as Yasūʿ al-Masih by Arab Christians or ʿĪsā al-Masīḥ by Muslims, the word al-Masīḥ literally means the anointed, the traveller, or the one who cures by caressing. In Quranic scripture, Jesus is mentioned as having been sent down by Allah, strengthened by the spirit, and hence, anointed with the task of being a prophet. The Israelites, to whom Isa was sent, had a practice of anointing their kings with oil. An Imam Bukhari hadith describes Jesus as having wet hair that looked as if water was dripping from it, Muslims believe that this is just one of the many signs that proves that Jesus is the Messiah. The literal translation of the Hebrew word mashiach is anointed, which refers to a ritual of consecrating someone or something by putting holy oil upon it, in Judaism, the Messiah is not considered to be God or a pre-existent divine Son of God. He is considered to be a political leader that has descended from King David. That is why he is referred to as Messiah ben David, the messiah, in Judaism, is considered to be a great, charismatic leader that is well oriented with the laws that are followed in Judaism
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Mahdi
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In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for five, seven, nine, or nineteen years before the Day of Judgement and will rid the world of evil. There is no reference to the Mahdi in the Quran. According to Islamic tradition, the Mahdis tenure will coincide with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, differences exist in the concept of the Mahdi between Shia Muslims and adherents of the Sunni tradition. For Sunnis, the Mahdi is the Muslims future leader who is yet to come, for most Shia Muslims, the Mahdi was born but disappeared and will remain hidden from humanity until he reappears to bring justice to the world, a doctrine known as the Occultation. For Twelver Shia, this hidden Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam, throughout history, various individuals have claimed to be the Mahdi. The term mahdi does not occur in the Quran, but it is derived from the Arabic root h-d-y, the term al-Mahdi was employed from the beginning of Islam, but only as an honorific epithet and without any messianic significance. As an honorific it has used in some instances to describe Muhammad, as well as Abraham, al-Hussain. During the second war, after the death of Muʾawiya. In Kufa during the rebellion in 680s, Al-Mukhtar proclaimed Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah as the Mahdi in this heightened sense. Among the Umayyads, Sulayman encouraged the belief that he was the Mahdi, early discussions about the identity of al-Mahdi by religious scholars can be traced back to the time after the Second Fitna. These discussions developed in different directions and were influenced by traditions attributed to Muhammad, by the time of the Abbasid Revolution in the year 750, Mahdi was already a known concept. Evidence shows that the first Abbasid caliph As-Saffah assumed the title of the Mahdi for himself and they became known as Kaysanites, and introduced what later became two key aspects of the Shias concept of the Mahdi. The first was the notion of return of the dead, particularly of the Imams, the second was that after al-Hanafiyyahs death they believed he was, in fact, in hiding in the Razwa mountains near Medina. This later developed into the known as the Occultation. The Mahdi appeared in early Shi’ite narratives, spread widely among Shi’ite groups and became dissociated from its historical figure, during the 10th century, based on these earlier beliefs, the doctrine of Mahdism was extensively expanded by Al-Kulayni, Ibrahim al-Qummi and Ibn Babawayh. In particular, in the early 10th century, the doctrine of the Occultation, the Mahdi became synonymous with the Hidden Imam who was thought to be in occultation awaiting the time that God has ordered for his return. This return is envisaged as occurring shortly before the final Day of judgment, in fact, the concept of the hidden Imam was attributed to several Imams in turn. Some historians suggest that the term itself was introduced into Islam by southern Arabian tribes who had settled in Syria in the mid-7th century
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Jumu'ah
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Jumuah, is a congregational prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims pray ordinarily five times each day according to the suns sky path regardless of time zones and it is mentioned in the Quran, O ye who believe. When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday, hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah, and leave off business, That is best for you if ye but knew. And when the Prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah, and celebrate the Praises of Allah often, that ye may prosper. Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj an-Naysaburi relates that the Islamic prophet Muhammad used to read Surah 87 and Surah 88, in Eid Prayers, if one of the festivals fell on a Friday, Muhammad would have made sure to read these two Surahs in the prayers. Muhammad is quoted as saying “The best day the sun rises over is Friday, on it Allah created Adam. On it, he was made to enter paradise, on it he was expelled from it, further, Muhammed said “Any Muslim who dies during the day or night of Friday will be protected by Allah from the trial of the grave. ”. The jumuʿah prayer is half the ẓuhr prayer, for convenience, preceded by a khuṭbah, in most cases the khaṭīb also serves as the imam. Attendance is strictly incumbent upon all adult males who are residents of the locality. The muezzin makes the call to prayer, called the adhan, when the khaṭīb takes his place on the minbar, a second adhan is made. The khaṭīb is supposed to deliver two sermons, stopping and sitting briefly between them, in practice, the first sermon is longer and contains most of the content. The second sermon is very brief and concludes with a dua and this signals the start of the main two rakat prayer of Jumuah. Friday prayers consists of 2 Rakats like Fajr prayers, the difference between these two prayers is that Namaz-e-Jumuah has two sermons before it. Namaz-e-Jumuah is Wajib Takhyiri, which means that we have an option to offer Jumuah prayers, if its necessary conditions are fulfilled, hence, if Namaz-e-Jumuah is offered then it is not necessary to offer Zuhr prayer. If the distance between the two mosques is one Farsakh or more, the prayers are in order, Friday prayer is Wajib Takhyiri, which means that we have an option to offer Jumuah prayers, if its necessary conditions are met or to offer Zuhr prayers. Hence, if Namaz-e-Jumuah is offered, it is not necessary to offer Zuhr prayer and it is also recommended by Shiite Scholars to attend Jumuah as it will become Wajib after the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi and Jesus Christ. Historically, Shiite clergy discouraged Shiites from attending Friday prayers, according to them, communal Friday prayers with a sermon were wrong and had lapsed until the return of their 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. However, among others, Shiite modernist Muhammad ibn Muhammad Mahdi al-Khalisi demanded that Shiites should more carefully observe Friday prayers in a step to bridge the gap with Sunnis
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Qadian
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Qadian is the 4th largest town and a municipal council in Gurdaspur District, north-east of Amritsar, situated 18 kilometres north-east of Batala city in the state of Punjab, India. Qadian is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and it remained the centre of the Ahmadiyya movement until the Partition of India in 1947. Qadian was established in 1530 by Mirza Hadi Baig, a scholar dedicated to Islam. Mirza Hadi Baig was from a household of Mirza of the Mughal Empire. He migrated from Samarkand and settled in Punjab and he was a descendant of King Timur and related to King Babur, who have him 80 villages by. Because of his religious beliefs, he named the center of the 80 villages Islam Pur Qazi, over time, the name of the town changed to QaziMaji. Later, it was called just Qadi and eventually known as Qadian. Qadian and the areas later fell to the Ramgharia Sikhs who offered the ruling Qazis. Qadian remained the headquarters and capital of the Ahmadiyya Caliphate until the partition of India in 1947. Qadian is located at 31. 82°N75. 39°E /31.82,75.39 and it has an average elevation of 250 metres. As of Indias census in 2013, Qadian had a population of 40,827, males constituted 54% of the population and females 46%. Qadian has an literacy rate of 75%, slightly higher than the national average of 74. 04%, male literacy is 78%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age, before the partition of India, the town of Qadian had a majority Muslim population because of the many religious materials belonging to the Islamic faith. The vast majority of the community migrated to Pakistan during the partition of India, the Prime Institute Sikh National College was shifted from Lahore to Qadian. Many famous names are involved with this College. S. V. M
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Muhammad
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Muhammad is the prophet of Islam. From a secular historical perspective he was a religious, political, from an Islamic perspective, he was Gods Messenger sent to confirm the essential teachings of monotheism preached previously by Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is viewed as the prophet of God in all branches of Islam. Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity and ensured that his teachings, practices, born approximately 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca, Muhammad was orphaned at an early age, he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib. Muhammad gained few early followers, and met hostility from some Meccan tribes, to escape persecution, Muhammad sent some followers to Abyssinia before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina in the year 622. This event, the Hijra, marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar, in Medina, Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina. In December 629, after eight years of intermittent conflict with Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts, the attack went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city with little bloodshed. In 632, a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, he fell ill, before his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. The revelations, which Muhammad reported receiving until his death, form the verses of the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the Word of God and around which the religion is based. Besides the Quran, Muhammads teachings and practices, found in the Hadith and sira literature, are upheld by Muslims. The name Muhammad means praiseworthy and appears four times in the Quran, Muhammad is sometimes addressed by designations deriving from his state at the time of the address, thus he is referred to as the enwrapped in Quran 73,1 and the shrouded in Quran 74,1. In Sura Al-Ahzab 33,40 God singles out Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets, the Quran also refers to Muhammad as Aḥmad more praiseworthy. The name Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim, begins with the kunya Abū, the Quran is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe it represents the words of God revealed by the archangel Gabriel to Muhammad, the Quran, however, provides minimal assistance for Muhammads chronological biography, most Quranic verses do not provide significant historical context. An important source may be found in the works by writers of the 2nd. These include the traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad, which additional information about Muhammads life. The earliest surviving written sira is Ibn Ishaqs Life of Gods Messenger written c.767 CE, although the work was lost, this sira was used verbatim at great length by Ibn Hisham and Al-Tabari. Another early history source is the history of Muhammads campaigns by al-Waqidi, many scholars accept the earliest biographies as accurate, though their accuracy is unascertainable
44.
Rabwah
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Rabwah, official name Chenab Nagar, is a city in District Chiniot in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. It is located on the bank of River Chenab, Rabwah is famous for being the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. A majority of the Indian members of the community, including the Ahmadiyya caliph himself migrated to Pakistan following the independence of Pakistan in August 1947, the Community leased the area of present-day Rabwah from the government to establish its Headquarters. From a historical perspective, Rabwah is from where Muhammad Bin Qasim, after conquering Sindh and Multan, crossed river Chenab, here the Arabs fought against the Hindu Raja of Chandrod and conquered it. More than 100 Arab soldiers lost their lives in the battle, before the establishment of Rabwah, the area was barren and was known as Chak Digiyaan. The land was leased by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community following the migration of most of its members from Qadian and other parts of Indian Punjab,1034 Acres of land were leased originally from the government for PKR12,000. The lease was approved on 11 June 1948 The city was named Rabwah by then leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Rabwah is an Arabic word meaning an elevated place. The formal inauguration of the settlement took place on 20 September 1948 after prayers and sacrifice of five goats at the corners and centre of the area. The ceremony was attended by 619 people The place where Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad led first ever prayers became the first ever mosque of Rabwah, the first settlements were in camps which were then replaced by buildings constructed of mud. The first ever building constructed using cement was the Mahmood Mosque, the second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad relocated to Rabwah on 19th of Sept 1949. By that time the population had swelled to 1,000, the first ever Jalsa Salana in Rabwah took place in Rabwah took place from 15 to 17 April 1949. The electricity was provisioned to the city in 1954, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution on 17 November 1998 to change the name of Rabwah. The government of Punjab issued a notification on 12 December that Rabwah town was renamed ‘Nawan Qadian’ with immediate effect, on 14 February 1999, another notification was issued that in suppression of the earlier notification, the Nawan Qadian was renamed as ‘Chenab Nagar’. The other considered names were Chak Dhaggian, Mustafa Abad, Siddiq Abad etc, the resolution to change the name of Rabwah was passed unanimously by the Punjab Assembly on a Private Members Business Day. However, only 67 members out of a House of 275 strong were present, the name was changed without consulting the local populace. The Citizens Rights Committee called the resolution Unconstitutional, unethical, malicious and against all norms of civilized society, the city has a population of 70,000, of which 97 percent belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The rest 3 percent includes Christians and other Muslims, as the City has seen many migrations of Ahmadis fleeing persecution, it has a very diverse ethnic mixture. Most of the populace speaks Urdu and Punjabi while most of the students are fluent in English
45.
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
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Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was a four-star rank general who served as the 6th President of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in 1988, after declaring martial law in 1977. He was Pakistans longest-serving head of state, educated at Delhi University, Zia saw action in World War II as a British Indian Army officer, before opting for Pakistan in 1947 and fighting in the war against India in 1965. In 1970, he led the Pakistan militarys training mission in Jordan, in recognition, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto approved Zias four-star appointment and elevated him as the Chief of Army Staff in 1976. Following civil disorder, Zia deposed Bhutto in a military coup, Bhutto was controversially tried by the Supreme Court and executed less than two years later, for authorising the murder of a political opponent. Assuming the presidency in 1978, Zia played a role in the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Aided by the United States and Saudi Arabia, Zia systematically coordinated the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet occupation throughout the 1980s. This culminated in the Soviet Unions withdrawal in 1989, but also led to the proliferation of millions of refugees, with heroin, domestically, Zia passed broad-ranging legislation as part of Pakistans Islamization, acts criticised for fomenting religious intolerance. He also escalated Pakistans atomic bomb project, and instituted industrialisation and deregulation, averaged over Zias rule, GDP growth was the highest in the countrys history. He was killed along with several of his top military officials, prior to his graduation, Zia joined the British Indian Army in 1943. During his collegiate years, he was noted as an extraordinary talent and he married Shafiq Jahan in 1950. Begum Shafiq Zia died on 6 January 1996, after Pakistan gained its independence through a partition in 1947, Zia joined the newly formed Pakistan Army as a Captain in the Guides Cavalry Frontier Force Regiment. He also served in 13th Lancers and 6 Lancers and he was trained in the United States during 1962–1964 at the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After that, he returned to take over as Directing Staff at Command and Staff College, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Zia is said to have been the Assistant Quartermaster of the 101st Infantry Brigade. He was then promoted as Lieutenant General and was appointed commander of the II Strike Corps at Multan in 1975. It was during this time that Zia invited Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Armoured Corps at Multan, the next day, Bhutto was requested to climb a tank and engage a target, where the target was quite obviously hit. After the function, Zia met Bhutto and expressed his loyalty to him, on 1 March 1976, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto approved then-three star rank general Lieutenant-General Zia as Chief of Army Staff and to be elevated to four-star rank. This promotion was ahead of a number of senior officers. This promotion was controversial but had political motives for Bhutto, who saw Zia as firmly religious
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