Bright Lights of the Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 33
BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE AHMAD I YYA MOVEMENT 33 Ali, the Khalifas began to stray more and more from the teachings of the Holy Prophet. And without the proper leadership, Islam began to fall apart. Although by this time, it had spread to the borders of India and China in the East and into North Africa and Spain in the West, the Muslims were straying from the truth. Once again help arrived. Allah sent Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, may the blessings of Allah be on him, to put new life into Islam and lead the Muslims back to the teachings of the Holy Prophet. When the Promised Messiah died in 1908, there was still a lot of work to be done in order to bring Islam to the whole world. More spiritual leaders would be needed who would follow in the footsteps of the Promised Messiah and so, with the election of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin as Khalifatul Masih I, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Khilafat was begun. Hazrat Maulvi N uruddin was the first Successor to the Promised Messiah. He died on March 13, 1914. The second Successor to the Promised Messiah w as the Promised Son, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II. He was Khalifa for almost 52 years and succeeded in spreading Islam all over the world. He died on November 8, 1965. Next came the third successor to the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih III. Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad passed away on June 8, 1982, and our present Khalifa is Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth Successor to the Promised Messiah. My dear children, Khilafat is a wonderful plan of leadership for the world, but you must remember that the Khalifa is quite different from other worldly leaders. The Khalifa is a spiritual leader, and although he is elected through the vote of the people, Allah is really supervising the whole thing. He guides the people so they will make the right decision and because the Khalifa is chosen by