Officially known as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, or as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, adherents of the Ahmadiyya are known as Ahmadi Muslims or as Ahmadis.
They are also sometimes referred to as Qadiyani, for Qadian, the hometown of Ghulam Ahmad, or as Mirzai, for Mirza, one of his titles. These, however, are terms used by as pejorative terms by Muslims outside of the movement, and are not used by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
The worldwide Islamic revival movement began in Punjab, British India in the late 1800s, inspired by the teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to have been appointed by God as the Mahdi and Messiah, whose appearance had long been anticipated by Muslims at the End Times, bringing about the final triumph of Islam.
Ahmadis believe that Islam was what God intended for humanity, but that it was necessary to restore it to its pristine form, as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Adherents believe that Ahmad had appeared as the Mahdi, having all of the qualities of Jesus, fulfilling their understanding of the prophecies in scripture.
Ahmadis view Ahmadiyya as the proper format to return Islam to its original precepts, as practiced by the Prophet Mohammad and the early Islamic community.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad accepted the allegiance of his followers in 1889, establishing the movement that has been led by a succession of Caliphs since his death in 1908, spreading to more than two hundred countries worldwide, with a concentration in South Asia, West Africa, East Africa, and Indonesia.
In the early years of the movement, a group of Ahmadis separated to form the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam, which still exists as a small faction within the Ahmadi community.
The Six Articles of Islamic Faith and the Five Pillars of Islam form the basis for Ahmadi beliefs and practices. Ahmadis accept the Quran as their holy text, they face the Kaaba during prayer, and follow the Sunnah, which was the standard practice of the Prophet Muhammad. They also accept, as authoritative, the sayings and narrations about Muhammad that are known as the Hadith. In Ahmadi doctrine, the Quran has the ultimate authority, followed by the Sunnah and the Hadith. The Quran cannot be superseded by any secondary source.
Regarding their acceptance of the authority of the Caliphs, the Ahmadi are more closely aligned with the Sunni than the Shia.
The chief distinguishing point between the Ahmadi and other Muslim sects is their belief in the founder of their movement as the promised Mahdi and Messiah.
The teachings of the Ahmadi are that all of the major world religions had divine origins, and were part of Allah's plan for the establishment of Islam as the mankind's final religion. They believe, as well, that the Mahdi fulfills the eschatological prophecies found in all of the Abrahamic religions, Zoroastrianism, the religions of India, and Native American traditions.
Since the beginnings of Ahmadiyya, the Ahmadis have been subject to religious discrimination and persecution. As fervent missionaries and translators of the Quran, many people throughout the world came to Islam through the Ahmadis. Yet, in several Islamic countries, Ahmadiyya has been defined as heretical and its adherents labeled heretics and non-Muslim.
They have been subject to arrest and violence in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Palestinian territories. Pakistan has the largest number of Ahmadis, yet it is the only state in which they have been officially declared non-Muslim, and their practice of religion has been severely curtailed. A full ban is threatened in Indonesia, as well. Ahmadis have been subject to legal persecution in Algeria and Saudi Arabia. Ahmadis in the United Kingdom have endured protests, killings, and other forms of intimidation. In India, where there is a large Ahmadi population, the law regards them as Muslims and the Indian legal system has protected their freedom of religion. However, they have suffered discrimination from Muslims belonging to other sects.
The focus of this category is on the Islamic sect known as Ahmadiyya. Topics related to Ahmadiyya or the Ahmadis are appropriate for this category. Informational sites, whether supportive or confrontational, are appropriate for this category as long as the topic is focused on the Ahmadiyya sect or its adherents, known as Ahmadis or Ahmadi Muslims.
Recommended Resources
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Press & Media Office
Founded in India in 1889, the Ahmadiyya Muslim movement is now active in more than two hundred countries and has tens of millions of followers. Its media office presents a profile and history of the movement, biographical sketches of its founder, as well as an archive of press released back as far as July of 2012. Contacts and a map to its offices in London are included, and PDF files of personal accounts are available for downloading.
http://www.pressahmadiyya.com/
Established in the United Kingdom in 1913, the AMC UK built London’s first mosque in 1926, and the organization now has about a hundred branches across Britain and has opened mosques in south London. The AMC is highlighted, and biographical information is presented for its leader and founder. Schedules and flagship events are posted to the site, along with press releases and a selection of publications.
http://www.loveforallhatredfornone.org/
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, United States of America
AMC is a community of Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded the movement in 1889. The AMC USA was established in 1920. A history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is set forth, including its work in the US, its auxiliaries and departments, schedules, and a calendar of events. Media contacts and press releases are set forth, along with statements from notable public officials.
https://www.ahmadiyya.us/
Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association
The AMYA is a US-based nationwide youth organization that serves young Muslim men and boys throughout the country, and the US affiliate of the international organization known as Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. Operated through the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, its objectives, spiritual training programs, interfaith dialogue, and fitness programs are highlighted, along with its leadership, administrative contacts, and announcements.
http://www.muslimyouth.org/
Founded in 1889, there are several versions of how Ahmadiyya Islam came to Nigeria, the most prominent being that it was introduced through a school teacher who had come across a periodical publication of Ahmadiyya in 1913. The Nigerian branch of the Muslim movement is highlighted here, including its departments, library services, press releases, photographs, video, and comments on the religion by public figures.
http://ahmadiyyanigeria.net/
Established in 1995, the official website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community serves as a hub for the community, offering educational and training material in the form of books, articles, apps, and multimedia content. Available in multiple languages, its administrative team, branding, and logo, and affiliated websites are set forth, along with an overview of Islam and Ahmadiyya. Other resources include a Quran search, reader, and book browser.
https://www.alislam.org/
The bookstore for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of the United States of America ships only to addresses in the United States and its territories, shipping only on Saturdays. Its products may be paid for by personal check or purchased through its online store. A catalog of books, magazine subscriptions, posters, pictures, pamphlets, and other items are included, and its products may be browsed by topical category or found through a keyword search.
http://www.amibookstore.us/
Formed by a group of individuals who left the Ahmadiyya Muslim sect after research into the writings of its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, and seeks to provide evidence to others who may be looking for something else, by providing evidence from Ahmad’s writings and facts about British rule in India during the founder’s lifetime. A profile of the sect is presented, along with their evidence, experiences, advice, and tips.
http://www.islamafterahmadiyya.com/
The Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam
Dating back to 1880, the archive seeks to make literary documents from the Ahmadiyya Muslim movement available in PDF format so that its books and magazines are searchable, images are clearer, and the text can be copied and pasted. Containing scanned copies of books, magazines, articles, and the Quran, as well as audio, its content may be found through a keyword search or through its index of topics.
https://alahmadiyya.org/
The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam
The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam is a faction of the Ahmadiyya movement that was founded in 1914 over administrative and ideological differences following the death of the first Caliph after Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. A profile of Islam, Ahmadiyya, and the Lahore movement are presented, along with the text of the Quran, Hadith, and several other books, articles, and magazines.
http://www.ahmadiyya.ws/
The site tracks and reveals incidences of persecution of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim sect in Pakistan and in other countries, including accounts of attacks, deaths, and cases of discrimination, particularly by other Islamic groups. An introduction, opening narrative, relevant laws, briefs, facts and figures, and primary documents are included, along with photographs, video, and monthly reports.
https://www.persecutionofahmadis.org/
Using a Wiki format, the site is focused on the Islamic sect known as Ahmadiyya and includes more than a hundred informational articles on Islam and Ahmadiyya. Topics include the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Arabic, and beliefs, as well as the Five Pillars of Islam, historical data, the Quran, and some other religions. Other topics include science in Islam, the role of women in Islam, slavery, and Biblical and Quranic narratives.
http://www.wikiahmadiyya.org/
