The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 197
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI. It has programs for social and economic development for the poor sections of society. Its historic service for African people, especially in the educational and health sectors, is well recognized. --As of October 1994, in the United States of America there are branches of the Community in about 40 cities. There are 29 missions and mosques, 22 of them have been established since 1983. . A grand new mosque has been built in the Washington metropolitan area, and is named Masjid Baitur Rahman. It was inaugurated in. October 1994 by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV. It has the capacity of 1300 worshipers. It also serves as the new national headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Community of America. Its address is:. Baitur Rahman Mosque 15000 Good Hope Rd. . Silver Springs, MD. 20905 tel. (301) 819-0110. A new mosque was built in Toronto Canada in 1992. It is the largest mosque in North America regarding capacity. The Washington mosque was built at a cost of 4. 25 million dollars, all of which was donated by Ahmadis in the USA. In the last ten years the total donation for building mosques and missions in America was about 10 million dollars. The Ahmadiyya Community members worldwide offer great financial and other sacrifices for the sake of Islam, and are guided and encouraged by the Khalifa. The rapid progress of the. Ahmadiyya Movement can be judged by the fact that in 1984 there were 1000 Ahmadi mosques worldwide, and now in 1994 their number is about 4000. In 1985 the total number of countries with branches of the Movement were 87, and now in 1994 this number is 143 countries. . The rapid progress of the Ahmadiyya Movement is by the grace and help of Allah, blessings of the Holy Prophet and his servant. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah. The. Ahmadiyya Movement marches forward with the ultimate goal of the unification of the World under the waving banner of Islam, to end all the conflict and violence, and usher in an era of universal peace. 197