MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, born on February 13, 1835, in Qadian, Punjab, was an influential Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. He claimed divine appointment as the promised Messiah and Mahdī, presenting himself as the metaphorical second-coming of Jesus in fulfillment of Islamic prophecies regarding the end times and the Mujaddid of the 14th Islamic century.

Ahmad hailed from an aristocratic family with deep-rooted ties to the Mughal Empire. His lineage traces back to Mirza Hadi Beg, who migrated from Samarkand to Punjab in 1530, establishing the town of Qadian. Raised in a scholarly environment, Ahmad mastered Arabic, Persian, and basic medical knowledge, engaging in religious debates from a young age.

At the age of forty, following his father's death, Ahmad claimed to experience divine communication, marking the beginning of his spiritual journey. In 1889, he formally founded the Ahmadiyya movement by taking a pledge of allegiance from forty followers in Ludhiana, setting forth ten conditions of initiation. The movement aimed to revive Islam's moral and spiritual foundations, propagate its pristine teachings globally, and emphasize the absolute oneness of God.

Contrary to mainstream Islamic and Christian views, Ahmad asserted that Jesus survived crucifixion and died a natural death, a belief central to his teachings. His extensive travels across Punjab and beyond, combined with his personal revelations, attracted a significant following. Ahmad was a prolific writer, authoring over ninety books that defended Islam through rational argumentation and advocated peaceful propagation over militant Jihad.

Despite substantial opposition, including death fatwas from Muslim scholars, Ahmad's charismatic leadership and reformist agenda garnered him an estimated 400,000 followers by the time of his death in 1908. His community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, established a robust organizational structure, including its own printing press and executive body.

Ahmad's claims to be a subordinate prophet within Islam sparked controversy, particularly among mainstream Muslims who hold Muhammad as the final prophet. His teachings, including the peaceful interpretation of Jihad and the natural death of Jesus, continue to be points of theological debate.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad passed away on May 26, 1908, in Lahore. His legacy lives on through the Ahmadiyya movement, which, despite facing legal and social challenges, has grown into a global religious community dedicated to peaceful propagation and interfaith dialogue.

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