By Ayesha Allison Khan | Whenever someone asks me what the difference between Ahmadi Muslims and other Muslims, the answer lies in leadership. When Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, declared that he was the Second Coming of Jesus, the Promised Messiah, the Muslims who had admired his defense of Islam previously, suddenly turned into enemies.
Khan
The dichotomy arises from a fundamental difference. Ahmadi Muslims believe that God still speaks to us. We believe in revelation, dreams and visions and that the All Mighty has sent another prophet to the world in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. The Holy Qur’an calls the Prophet Muhammad as “the seal of the prophets.” While the non-Ahmadi Muslims interpret “seal” to mean he was the last prophet, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad interpreted “ seal” to mean “best”. After the Promised Messiah, the Khalifa (caliph) leads the faithful. His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad is the current Khalifa who leads the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. While other Muslims often wish for central leadership, the Khalifa is chosen by God, not man.
The Khalifa leads the community by giving sermons worldwide on the 24 hour satellite television channel MTA, an acronym for “Muslim Television Ahmadiyya” that was introduced by the fourth Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. The advantages of central leadership are numerous. The Khalifa encourages the members of the community to compete with each other in giving charity and doing good works. He can give a message to reform us or warn us of trials. He requests prayers from his community for those facing difficulties in the world and responds to false accusations against Islam and Prophet Muhammad. He gently corrects misconceptions about the teachings of Islam.
Khalifa of Islam
Each year, the Khalifa gives the keynote address at the peace conference in England and invites like-minded dignitaries. He speaks to the leaders of various nations about how to achieve world peace. His Holiness has also urged the members of the community to keep voluntary fasts every Thursday and pray for world peace.
Ahmadi Muslims are heavily persecuted in many Muslim countries and have been constitutionally declared as non-Muslims in Pakistan. As a result of this injustice, the Ahmadi Muslims have been facing untold persecution in Pakistan where many of the innocent members have been murdered simply because of their faith.
To date some 248 Ahmadi Muslims have been killed while the perpetrators have not been caught or punished, The second Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, gave Ahmadi Muslims their motto: ”Love for all, Hatred for None.” He said it is a short summary of the message of the Holy Qur’an. We do not believe in the jihad of the sword. Other Muslims were disappointed when the Promised Messiah announced that this is, instead, the time of the jihad of the pen.
Among the faithful, Ahmadi Muslims compete to do volunteer work to please God, since we believe the blessings lie in serving mankind. Consequently, Humanity First, a charitable organization, responds to world disasters by helping victims, clean up the aftermath, and provide essential personal items for survival. Volunteer doctors help the sick and needy. At other times, they provide African communities with schools, hospitals, electricity and wells.
Each year, Ahmadi Muslims hold a Jalsa (gathering) of love in each country, where we listen to speeches about the true message of peace in Islam, while other Muslim sects hold a Jalsa of hate.
Anyone is welcome to join the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which meets locally at 1800 Willow Trail Parkway, Norcross every Friday at 1 p.m. for prayers. Under the caliphate, we become all for one and one for all. The “Oneness” we celebrate is the Oneness of God.
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