Who are the Ahmadi Muslims?

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who claimed under divine instruction to fulfil the major prophecies contained in Islamic and other sacred texts regarding a world reformer who would unite humanity. He announced to Christians awaiting the second coming of Jesus, Muslims anticipating the Mahdi, Hindus expecting Krishna and Buddhists searching for Buddha, that he was the promised Prophet for them all, commissioned by God to rejuvenate true faith and lead a spiritual struggle against evil.

He also reaffirmed that Islam was the final law for humanity revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, and that true essence of Islam had become lost through the centuries which needed reviving in these times. This is why the Ahmadi Muslims also see themselves as leading the renaissance of Islam.

How many Ahmadi Muslims are there, and where are they based?

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has tens of millions members in 190 countries with most followers living in the Indian subcontinent and Africa. It emerged from the Sunni tradition of Islam and remains the fastest growing denomination within the faith. The Ahmadi Muslims were among the earliest Muslim communities to arrive in Britain, building London’s first mosque in Putney in 1924. They also opened Western Europe’s largest mosque, Baitul Futuh, in Morden, Surrey, in 2003. Currently in Britain there are 18,000 Ahmadi Muslims.

What do Ahmadi Muslims believe?

The Ahmadi Muslims believe in all the five pillars and articles of faith required of Muslims. They differ from other Muslims mainly with respect to the status of their founder, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as a Prophet within Islam, and their view that Jesus survived the attempted crucifixion, traveled in search of the remaining lost tribes in the East and died in India. They believe that Jesus is buried in Kashmir.

Ahmadi Muslims also believe in the continuation of divine revelation. This applies primarily to the Khalifas whose authority derives from God Himself.

Ahmadi Muslims live by a code of peace epitomised by the community’s motto "Love for All, Hatred for None". From their origins they inculcated the meaning of Jihad as striving to free oneself of impurities for the pleasure of God. They have condemned all violence in the strongest possible terms, and have nurtured a spirit of allegiance to the country in which they reside.