Mirza Mahmood Ahmad in 1924

Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad(مرزا بشیر الدین محمود احمد)(born January 12, 1889 in Qadian; died November 7, 1965 in Rabwah), was the second caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the eldest son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad from his second wife. He was given the title of Khalifatul Masih II. He was elected to this office at the young age of 25 on 14 March 1914, the day after the death of his predecessor, Hakim Noor-ud-Din .^[1] He is known for establishing the organizational structure of the community, improvement of the administration of the community, a ten volume commentary on the Qur'an and extensive missionary activity outside the subcontinent of India. He was a renowned orator and was also an active political figure especially in pre-partition India. Mahmood Ahmad is regarded by the Ahmadiyya Community as the Pisr-e-Maoud, the 'Promised son' that Ghulam Ahmad foretold God would bestow upon him.^[2]

[edit] Birth & early life

Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad was born to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Nusrat Jehan Begum on 12 January 1889 in Qadian, the same year in which Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya faith. Accounts of his early childhood describe him to be rather mischievous, playful and carefree.^[3] Due to excessive illness Mahmood could not attend to secondary education. During his youth he engaged himself in the service of his father's movement by founding a journal entitled Tash-heezul Azhaan. He accompanied his father on many of his journeys.^[4]

In 1907 he claimed to have been taught the commentary of Al-Fatiha (the opening chapter of the Quran) by an angel by way of a vision. According to Mahmood this vision signified that God had placed the knowledge of the Quran in his mind in the form of a seed. From then onwards he is said to have been gifted with the special knowledge of the commentary of the Quran.^[5]

He taught for a long time. When he reached [the verse]Thee alone do we worship and thee alone do we implore for help he said 'All previous commentators have been able to interpret up to this point. But I want to teach you further.' I said 'Go ahead' Thereafter he continued to teach me until finally he had imparted to me the commentary of the whole of the whole of Sura Fatiha...Since then not a single day has passed that I have not reflected upon Sura Fatiha and Allah has always taught me new points and opened for me diverse branches of knowledge. In his limitless Grace, He has explained to me all the difficult subjects discussed in the Holy Quran.

On 26 May 1908. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad died at Lahore when Mahmood was 19 years old. On 27 May 1908, Mahmood Ahmad gave the oath of allegiance to Hakim Noor-ud-Din, the first successor of Ghulam Ahmad. He studied the Quran, Sahih Bukhari, the Masnavi and some Medicine under the tutelage of Noor-ud-Din, with whom he developed a close friendship and who became one of the leading influences on Mahmood later in life. He also began writing articles for various periodicles of the Ahmadiyya community and would often engage himself in theological debates with various scholars of the community.

Mahmood Ahmad visited Egypt and Saudi Arabia in September 1912 during the course of which he performed Hajj. In June 1913, he started a newspaper ^[6] which became the central organ of the Community.

[edit] Caliphate

Under the leadership of Mahmood Ahmad, there was further development of the scope of missionary activities, and the establishment of a Madrasa Ahmadiyya [Seminary] up to university level. As part of this, he established 46 foreign missions. He established the Anjuman Tehrik-e-Jadīd which collected the funds from the members of the Ahmadiyya community for the training of missionaries and had them posted to various countries. These foreign missions included Mauritius (1915), USA (1920), Ghana (1921), Egypt (1922), Bokhara (1923), Iran (1924), Palestine and Syria (1925), Java and Colombo (1931) Burma and Japan (1935), Argentina and Albania (1936), Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone (1937), Spain (1946) and Lebanon (1949). Later under the supervision of Mahmood Ahmad there were Mosques built in most of the places where missions had been established. The publication of Magazines and periodicals was also initiated in various languages. He also started afresh the translation of the Qur'an into English with explanatory notes for the benefit of European nations.^[7]

[edit] The split

On March 14, 1914, in Qadian, the will of Khalifatul Masih I was read out, which requested the people to elect someone as his successor. When the Khalifa died, Mahmood Ahmad was elected the second successor to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Having been elected, a faction, led by Maulana Muhammad Ali, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din and some others strongly opposed his succession and refused to accept him as the new Khalifa. This was due to certain doctrinal differences they held with him such as the nature of Ghulam Ahmad's prophethood as well as the suitability of Mahmood Ahmad to lead the community as Khalifa. They eventually left Qadian, settled in Lahore and later came to be known as the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam. In his book Prophecy Continuous. Aspects of Ahmadi Religious Thought and Its Medieval Background, Professor Yohanan Friedmann describes the episode thus:

Though the dissension in the movement is always described in terms of doctrinal differences, a clash of personalities probably also played a role. It is reasonable to assume that Muhammad 'Alī - who had an MA Degree in English, taught at various colleges at Lahore, and had been associated with the Ahmadiyya since 1892 – could not easily bring himself to accept the leadership of Mahmūd Ahmad, who was fifteen years his junior and whose poor academic record resulted in his inability to acquire even a secondary education. A similar explanation can be provided also for the attitude adopted by Khwāja Kamāl al-Dīn. Born in 1870, he was almost twenty years older than Mahmūd Ahmad. He joined the movement in 1893. In the same year he received a degree from the Forman Christian college and taught at the Islamiyya college in Lahore. In 1898 he completed his legal studies and started practicing law.

– Yohanan Friedmann ^[8]

[edit] The Non-cooperation movement

Mahmood Ahmad was a prominent political figure in pre-partition India, and had close contacts with the leadership of All-India Muslim League. In 1919 following the defeat of Turkey during the first world war, which had a profound effect on the Muslims of India, the All India Muslim Conference was held in Lucknow to discuss Turkey's future existence. Mahmood was invited to attend, but could not attend in person. However he wrote a booklet, on the subject of The future of Turkey and the duty of Muslims which was read out at the conference.

Mahmood was usually at variance with the activities of the Khilafat movement which strove to defend the Ottoman Caliphate, sought to pressure the British Government and to protect the Ottoman Empire. The Movement became a major part of the struggle of the Non-cooperation movement^[9] Mahmood maintained that the activities of the movement were against the teachings of Islam and would prove detrimental for the Muslims. He emphasised the absence of the conditions in which Islam allows non-cooperation and encouraged preaching and social interaction with the British, with the motive of attracting them towards Islam. He also criticised Mohandas Gandhi's election as leader of the movement, lamenting the Muslim leaders for turning to a non-Muslim for their cause.^[10]

[edit] Religious understanding

In 1919, Mahmood Ahmad also appointed a number of young talented Ahmadis to research into the world's major religions. He also delivered a number of public lectures on The need for religion and The dependence of peace upon Islam in the future. In 1920, in order to promote understanding and harmony between Hindus and Muslims he suggested that Hindus should send twenty students to Qadian for the study of the Quran, and sent two Muslim students himself to certain Hindu centres for the study of the Vedas. He also gave lectures on the exposition of the Qur'an for Ahmadi men and women.^[11]

[edit] Reforms to the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya

This Photo was taken during Mirza Mahmood Ahmad's Tour of England in 1924. From right to left: Fazl ul-Rahman Hakim; Mirza Mahmood Ahmad and Abd ur-Rahim Nayyar. At the bottom two West-Africans.

In 1919 Mahmood Ahmad also made certain reforms to the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya (Central Executive Directorate). He initiated the system of separate departments within the Anjuman like education, treasury, literature, and general affairs. Each department is headed by a secretary (Nāzir)

Later reforms included the introduction of the department for foreign affairs, and the establishment of the system of provincial Amārat initially, only within the Punjab. The Emir of each province functions under the Caliph for the Ahmadiyya community of various places.^[11]

[edit] Establishment of Majlis-e-Shūra

In 1922 Mahmood Ahmad established the Majlis-e-Shūra (Central Consultative Body) of the community. The Majlis consists of elected representatives from various parts of the community who gather once a year and offer counsel and opinion on matters presented to them. The final decision is however left to the Caliph.^[12]

[edit] The Shuddhi Movement of the Arya Samāj

In the early Twenties the Arya Samāj (a Hindu reformist Movement) started the Shuddhi missionary campaign to revert to Hinduism, those who had converted to other faiths (in most cases to Islam), particularly the Malkanas, a group of Rajputs. The Shuddhi Campaign had been somewhat successful in their activity between 1922-1923^[13] and had been active in Agra and in the Punjab. When Mahmood Ahmad came to know of this activity he launched a counter campaign by setting up a network of missionaries across Uttar Pradesh where this activity was rife, to propagate the teachings of Islam and save people from converting to Hinduism.^[14]

In 1923, he sent a delegation of Ahmadis to the area to prevent the advancement of the Shuddhis, an act which earned him some popularity among the Muslim elite of India. After having faced extreme resistance, the Aryas announced the end of the Shuddhi movement in September 1923,^[15] Though later, the president of Bhartiya Hindu Shuddhi Sabha, Swami Shraddhanand was stabbed by a Muslim fanatic, Abdul Rasheed in 1926. In the latter part of the Twenties and early Thirties, under Mahmood Ahmad’s directives various gatherings and meetings were held across the Indian subcontinent commemorating the life of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad known as (Jalsa Seeratun-Nabi) attended by Mulsims and non-Muslims alike. A practice which is still carried out by Ahmadis today.^[16]

[edit] Tour of the Middle East and Europe

In 1924, accompanied by 12 eminent Ahmadis, Mirza Mahmood Ahmad visited various Middle Eastern and European countries. He traveled from Port Saeed to Cairo and from there to Jerusalem, Haifa and Akkā. He traveled to Damascus by train where he is reported to have attracted a lot of publicity as well as opposition. Here he discussed Ghulam Ahmad's claims with leading scholars, and held various meetings with the intellectual community of Damascus.^[17]

The Fadhl Mosque in London, established in 1924

On August 16 he reached Italy and stayed in Rome for 4 days. He also visited France and England where he delivered numerous lectures, held meetings and was interviewd by numerous journalists. His speech on Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam was read out in The Conference of Living Religions Within the Empire held in Wembley, where he had been invited by the conveners of the conference to represent Islam. In London he also laid the foundation stone of the Fazl Mosque, an occasion which was well publicised. The construction of the Mosque was completed in 1926 and the cost thereof was borne entirely by the women of the community.^[18]

[edit] The All India Kashmir Committee

In 1931 the All India Kashmir Committee was set up for the establishment of the civil rights of the Muslims of Kashmir and to alleviate their oppression. Mahmood Ahmad was elected its first president. He sought to gather Muslim leaders with different opinions on one platform and strive unitedly for the cause of the Muslims of Kashmir. He is known to have achieved great success in doing so. The committee turned the attention of the Muslims of Kashmir towards acquiring education and Mahmood Ahmad himself gave practical help towards this cause. It also encouraged trade, commerce and involvement in politics among the Muslims of Kashmir.^[19]

The committee however faced strong opposition from the Indian National Congress and the Ahrari campaign against the Ahmadiyya. The Ahrar alleged that the formation of the committee took place by the Ahmadiyya in order to spread its teachings and strongly opposed the leadership of Mahmood Ahmad. In an address to a gathering in 1931 Mahmood advised the Ahrar's thus:

I admonish the Ahrari’s that if there is any among them present here, they should go and tell their friends! I care not in the least about these stones and for this reason am not angered with them. They should stop this hearsay for the sake of the oppressed brothers of Kashmir. Let them come; I am ready to leave presidency but they must promise that they will follow the decision of the majority of Muslims. Today we have seen their morals, let them come and see our morals too. I assure them that even after stepping down from presidency, me and my community shall help them (the people of Kashmir) more than their associates. Presidency is not a thing of respect for me. Respect is gained from service. The leader of a nation is one who serves it …

– Sawan-e-Fazl-e-Umar^[20]

Mahmood Ahmad resigned from presidency in 1932 due to the agitations of the Ahrar party.

[edit] Persecution

The Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam, were a short lived separatist political movement who were former Khalifites. They differed with the Indian National Congress over certain issues and afterwards announced the formation of their party in a meeting at Lahore in 1931. Freely funded by the Congress, the Ahrar were also opposed to the policies of the Muslims League. They declared that their objectives were to guide the Muslims of India on matters of nationalism as well as religion and violently opposed the Ahmadiyya Community in India on a political level. In 1931 they held a series of conferences and a strong legal protest nearby Qadian where they are reported to have incited hatred against the Ahmadiyya. These were followed by incidents of severe persecution against Ahmadis, many of whom were reported to have been attacked, beaten, stoned, looted and their mosques occupied in a number of places. ^[21] Mahmood Ahmad advised all Ahmadis not to retaliate, instructed concentration on prayer and explained that passing through periods of persecution was inevitable for the Community.

We have to accept our obligations if we are called upon to sacrifice our spiritual or physical lives or suffer torture at the hands of those who oppose us. Victory achieved without sacrifice is hollow. Sacrifice is the life-blood of divine dispensation. When Moses saw the fire, God said to him Verily I am your Lord indicating that if he wanted to reach God, he would have to pass through it. Hence you too will have to pass through fire and other such dangers on the path to success.

– Al-Fadhl^[22]

[edit] The 'New Scheme'

In 1934 Mahmood Ahmad claimed to have been divinely inspired to launch a twofold scheme for the establishment of foreign missions and the moral upbringing of Ahmadis. This initiative called upon members to volunteer themselves for missionary work, and to donate money towards a special fund for propagation in foreign countries during the course of which 46 foreign missions were established.

The Tehrik-e-Jedid and Waqf-e-Jedid or the 'new scheme' and the 'new dedication' respectively, initially seen as a spiritual battle against the oppressors of the Ahmadis, placed before them a number of demands and restriction such as leading simple lives, restrictions against eating, clothing etc; a temporary ban on all forms of luxury and entertainment. It called upon the members of the Community to dedicate their time and money for the sake of their faith. In time the scheme produced a vast amount of literature in defence of Islam in general and the Ahmadiyya beliefs in particular. The funds were also spent on the training and dispatching of Ahmadiyya missionaries outside the Indian sub-continent and their sustenance. As part of this Mahmood Ahmad appointed 5 men to survey the Punjab in order to find out the best way of disseminating the Ahmadiyya teachings. For the first time an organised method of training members of the community for becoming missionaries was established. Addressing the Ahrari opposition Mahmood said:

In order to expand the propagation of Islam I have urged the youth to come forward and dedicate their lives for the service of religion. Hundreds of young people have already responded to my call. These graduates are given only 15 rupees a month as an allowance. This is a small allowance that barely caters for their basic needs. Yet living on that paltry sum they travel to other countries and propagate the message of Islam. I invited the members of the Community to come forward and make financial contributions, at the same time I said that the time had not yet come for greater sacrifices. I appealed for only 27,000 rupees whereas the community promised 108,000 rupees out of which more than 82,000 rupees have already been received.

– Friday sermon, 27 September, 1935^[23]

As well as administering proselytisation the scheme also carried the responsibility of a more internal aspect and called upon members of the Community to dedicate their lives for the teaching and moral upbringing of Ahmadis themselves in rural places within India. Later, permanent offices of this scheme were established. The scheme was to grow into international proportions during the leadership of later Caliphs of the Ahmadiyya Community.^[24]

[edit] Auxiliary Organizations

As the community expanded rapidly it was divided into different age groups:

Lajna Amaa’ illah for ladies above the age of fifteen, Nasiratul Ahmadiyya for girls aged seven to fifteen years, Ansarullah for men above the age of forty, Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya for the youth aged fifteen to forty and Atfalul Ahmadiyya for boys aged seven to fifteen.

[edit] The Hijri/Shamsi calendar

The Gregorian Calendar is based on the solar movements and starts with the birth of Jesus, while the Hijri (Islamic) calendar is based on lunar movements and starts with the migration of Muhammad form Mecca to Medina, which occurred in 622.

In 1940 under the directives and supervision of Mahmood Ahmad, after much research and calculations, a new calendar was worked out, the Hijri/Shamsi (solar/Hegira) calendar. Although this calendar is based on solar calculations, however it starts form the migration of Muhammad instead of the birth of Jesus. According to this method 2008 CE corresponds to 1387 Hijri/Shamsi, i.e. 1,387 years have passed since the migration of Muhammmad from Mecca to Medina. The number and time frame of each month of this calendar is the same as the Christian calendar (the lunar month being shorter by some days than the solar one).^[25] Each month of the Solar/Hegira calendar is based on an important event of early Islamic History:

1. Sulh (peace): January
2. Tabligh (preaching): February
3. Aman (protection): March
4. Shahadat (martyrdom): April
5. Hijrat (Migration): May
6. Ehsan (benevolence): June
7. Wafa (loyalty): July
8. Zahoor (appearance): August
9. Ikha (brotherhood): September
10. Tabook (battle of Tabouk): October
11. Nabuwat (prophethood) November
12. Fatah (victory): December

[edit] The Promised Son

In a public gathering in Delhi in 1944, he made the claimed that he was the ‘Promised Son’ whom his father Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had foretold about. He explained in a number of meetings held in various places in India that this claim was based on revelations and dreams.

He also managed the translation and publication of the Qur´an into various languages. His ten-volume “Tafseer-e-Kabeer” is one of the most detailed commentaries done on the Qur´an in modern times. His scholarship of religious and secular subjects was well known among the literary circles. He delivered a series of famous lectures on a variety of topics in educational institutions which were attended by the intellectuals and leaders of that time.

[edit] Migration to Pakistan

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (March 2009)

Mirza Mhmood Ahmad in 1954

In 1947 following the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, He carefully oversaw the emigration of members of the community from Qadian to Pakistan. He kept 313 men known as Dervishes in Qadian to guard the sites holy to Ahmadis, including two of his sons. Initially the Community settled at Lahore and it wasn't until 1948 that the Community found a tract of arid land and built the town of Rabwah under the leadership of the Khalifa. Rabwah swiftly developed into the Community's new headquarters. In the newly found nation, Mahmood Ahmad delivered a series of lectures on the future of Pakistan in terms of:

• Defence
• Agriculture and industry
• Forestation
• Livestock and mineral assets
• Economic growth
• Development of land air and naval forces.

[edit] The 1953 riots

In 1953 there were severe agitations against the Ahmadis in which street protests were held, political rallies were carried out and inflammatory articles were published. These agitations led to 2,000 Ahmadiyya deaths. Consequently, martial law was established and the federal cabinet was dismissed by the Governor General.^[26]

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad announced:

“God Almighty has established the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. If these people win then we admit we were on the wrong path, but if we are on the right path, then they will assuredly fail.” (Al-Fazl, February 15th, 1953).

[edit] Assassination attempt

In 1954 there was an assassination attempt on Mahmood Ahmad. Immediately after having led the Asr prayer, a man attacked him stabbing him twice with a dagger in the neck and in the region of the stomach. He sustained severe injuries but survived. After recovering partially he traveled to Europe for further medical and surgical treatment due to constant discomfort and unease. Briefly staying in Lebanon Mahmood Ahmad travelled to Switzerland via Athens and Rome. He received some medical treatment in Zurich, Hamburg and London, after which it was concluded by experts that the point of the knife had broken at the jugular vein and was embedded in it and that no attempt should be made to extricate it.

During his travels, Mahmood Ahmad had also inspected the various missions of the Ahmadiyya Community in Europe and also visited Venice and Austria. in London Mahmood Ahmad held a conference of all missionaries stationed in Europe and visited various other European countries such as Italy, Holland, France, Switzerland, Germany,etc.^[27]

After having partially recovered he returned to Pakistan. During the early 1960s his health deteriorated progressively and he became seriously ill. He died in Rabwah in 1965 after 52 years as Caliph.

[edit] Works and speeches

The following is a list of some of the major works of Mirza Mahmood Ahmad.

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad in later years

• Tafseer-e-Kabeer (The Extensive Commentary)
• Introduction to the study of the Holy Qur'an
• Invitation to Ahmadiyyat
• Gift to the Kings
• The New World Order of Islam
• Islam ka Iqdisadi Nizam ( The Economic System of Islam)
• Muhammad in the Bible
• Haqeeqat al-Nabuwwat (The Truth about Prophethood)
• Ser-e-Roohani (The spiritual Journey)
• Ahmadiyyat, the True Islam
• Inqalab-e-Haqeeqi (the True Revolution)
• Fazael-e-Qur'an (Excellences of the Qur'an)
• Muhammad the Liberator of Women
• Hindustan ke Siyasi Masael ka hal (Solution to the political problems of India)
• Hasti-ye Bari Ta'ala (The Existence of God)
• Malaykatullah (The Angels of God)
• Did Jesus Redeem Mankind?
• The Mirror of Truth, The Truth about the Split
• Way of the Seekers
• Rememberance of God
• Life of Muhammad
• Hadhrat Ahmad
• Kalam-e-Mahmood (collection of Poetry of Mahmood)

[edit] Family, Marriages and Children

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad was the eldest son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad from his second wife Nusrat Jahan Begum, also known as "Amma Jan" (The Mother) in the community. He had three brothers and two sisters in addition to two stepbrothers from the first wife of his father, Hurmat Bibi.

[edit] Wives

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad married seven times, never having more than 4 at a time in accordance with Islamic teachings. His wives are:

1. Mahmooda Begum (the real name was Rashida, it was later changed to Mahmooda), daughter of Khalifa Rashid-ud-Din,, married 11.10.1903 (Nikah on 2.10.1902).
2. Amatul Hayye, daughter of Hakeem Maulvi Noor-ud-Din, xxx-yyyy, married 31.5.1914.
3. Sarah Begum, ....
4. Aziza Begum, ....
5. Maryam Begum, daughter of Syed Abdul Sattar Shah, xxx-1944.
6. Mariam Siddiqa, daughter of Syed Mir Mohammad Ismail, ....
7. Bushra Begum

[edit] Children

He had 24 long living children, 13 sons and 11 daughters, from seven wives.

From Mehmooda Begum called Umm Nasir (mother of nasir)

Three children died in infancy, among them was Mirza Naseer Ahmad, a son born in 1906

1. Mirza Nasir Ahmad, son
2. Naasira Begum, daughter
3. Mirza Mubarak Ahmad, son
4. Mirza (Dr.) Munawwar Ahmad, son
5. Mirza Hafeez Ahmad, son
6. Mirza Azhar Ahmad, son
7. Mirza Anwaar Ahmad, son
8. Mirza Rafiq Ahmad, son
9. Naseera Begum, daughter

From Amatul Hayye

1. Amatul Qayyum, daughter
2. Amatul Rashid, daughter
3. Mirza Khalil Ahmad, son

From Sayedah Maryam called Umm Tahir (mother of tahir)

One son named Mirza Azhar Ahmad died in infancy the others are

1. Mirza Tahir Ahmad, son
2. Amatul Hakeem, daughter
3. Amatul Basit, daughter
4. Amatul Jameel, daughter

From Azizah Begum called Umm Wassim (mother of wassim)

1. Mirza Wassim Ahmad, son
2. Mirza Naeem Ahmad, son

From Maryam Siddiqa called Choti Aapa (Younger Sister) and Umm Matin (mother of Matin)

1. Amatul Matin, daughter

From Sarah Begum

1. Mirza Rafi Ahmad, son
2. Amatul Naseer Begum, daughter
3. Mirza Haneef Ahmad, son

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Fazl-e-Umar foundation website
• Life Sketch of Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad