New York USA Souvenir 1989 — Page 9
HAZRAT HAFIZ MIRZA NASIR AHMAD Khalifatul Masih III Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad was elected Khalifatul Masih III on November 9, 1965 after the demise of his illustrious predecessor Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, may Allah be pleased with him. Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad was born in Qadian on November 16, 1909 and was the eldest son of Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, the Promised Son of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him. He comitted the Holy Quran to memory in his childhood. He graduated from the Punjab University and then proceeded to England for higher education at Oxford. On his return from England he was made the first Principal of Taalim- ul-Islam College Qadian. He also worked as Principal Jamia Ah- madiyya (Missionary College) for some time. He headed the Central Anjuman Ahmadiyya (main executive body of the Ah- madiyya Community), Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya (Youth Or- ganisation) and Majlis Ansaarullah (Organisation of elders) before he became Khalifa. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III led the worldwide Ahmadiyya Com- munity for almost 17 years and during that period visited several countries in Europe, Africa and North America. He established Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, initiated Nusrat Jahan Scheme and laid the foundation stone of the first mosque in 700 years in Spain on October 9, 1980. In December 1973 he announced the Ah- madiyya Centenary Thanksgiving Celebration Program, which we are now celebrating in 1989 by the grace of Allah, although he is no more with us. Like his illustrious predecessor, he guided the Community through many trials and tribulations with great success. After a short illness he passed away on June 9, 1982 at Islamabad, Pakis- tan, and was buried in Rabwah beside the grave of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, may Allah be pleased with him. 9