Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 6
6 could be counted by hundreds of thousands, and the Movement had spread into the neighbouring countries of Arabia, Afghanistan, etc. After the death of Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahma- d as , my revered teacher Hadrat Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra was elected the spiritual head of the Movement, and on his death, which occurred in March 1914, I was elected to succeed him. It may not be out of place to mention here that, as was the case in the early days of Islam, the Ahmadiyya Community is guided and governed by a spiritual head, who is elected by the Community. It is not necessary that the head of the Community should be, in any way, related to the holy founder of the Movement, as, for instance, his first successor was not related to him either by blood or by marriage, nor, on the other hand, is it necessary, that the Head of the Community should not be related to the holy founder of the Movement, as, for instance, I have the honour to be his son. By this time the Movement has spread to almost all parts of the world and its members number over half a million, the majority of whom are to be found in India (and Pakistan) and the countries adjacent to it. Owing, however, to the violent opposition and persecution to which the members of the Movement are subjected, many people, who have accepted it at heart, are unable to join it openly, and such persons are to be found in large numbers among the Sikhs, the Hindus and the various sects of Islam.